Ever wondered just how hard it is to make those kale chips you always pick up from the grocery store? Or wanted to make a unique, tasty mayonnaise for your favorite sandwich? Well, it might be a lot easier than you think! Here are three super easy recipes for foods you probably buy but are just as simple to make yourself!
1. Kale Chips
This recipe only has three ingredients and makes for a really healthy and yummy snack! Just remember to make sure you dry the kale very well after you wash it, or your kale chips will turn brown and won’t be as crunchy.
Ingredients:
1 head of kale, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, for sprinkling
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Remove the ribs (the central stalks) from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
3. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt.
4. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes.
Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe.html
2. Almond Butter
Almond butter is perfect for sandwiches or to dip fruit in. While it does take a little longer to make, it’s very easy and worth it in the end!
Ingredients:
2-3 cups of almonds (That’s it!)
Directions:
1. Put a couple cups of almonds in a food processor and let it run for 20-25 minutes.
Note: You will have to stop the food processor every few minutes to scrape the almonds that collect on the sides back down to make sure everything blends well.
When your mixture starts to look smooth, creamy, and a little oily, you have almond butter!
3. Mayonnaise
There are many, many ways you can make mayonnaise, depending on what you want to use it for and what flavors you like, so get creative! Here is a very basic recipe you can use as a starting point:
Ingredients:
1 Egg Yolk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/3 cups vegetable or canola oil
4 teaspoons white wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions:
1. Combine egg yolk and mustard in a bowl and whisk until well mixed.
2. Whisking constantly, add oil in a thin stream until completely incorporated and mayo is thick (when the whisk is lifted, the mayo should hang off but not fall).
3. Whisk in vinegar or lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Source: http://www.chow.com/recipes/11053-basic-mayonnaise
If you want to get a little more inventive, you can try adding a few cloves of garlic for garlic mayo, about a tablespoon of Sriracha for Sriracha mayo, or a little bit of plain yogurt to make a creamier mayo.
Bon Appétit!