Collegiette’s Kitchen: Crunchy Kale Chips

Spinach and lettuce are not the only vegetables that come to mind as deep green, leafy, and healthy anymore.  Increasing in popularity since last year, Kale has made its way into the super foods category with its high nutritional value and use in a wide range of recipes.  It provides an excellent source of fiber, which assists in the detoxification process in our bodies, along with a variety of other nutrients essential to our diet, such as iron, Vitamin C, and potassium.  Even more beneficial to a collegiette’s health, manganese in kale builds up the body’s immune system as an antioxidant, protecting from unwanted sicknesses during the year.  Looking further into the long-term benefits, its other antioxidants and nutrients are known to help reduce the risk of illnesses, such as breast cancer, colon cancer, and heart disease.

Aware of the healthy advantages and versatility of the vegetable, food magazines and blogs have shared creative ways to incorporate kale into a multitude of dishes.  Best eaten cooked, kale can be easily prepared in salads, pastas, and soups, and complements main courses and other vegetables as a side dish.  Steaming, sautéing, and boiling are just a few of the several methods that chefs and veggie lovers have used to cook and make the dark green leaves tasteful.

Besides being a healthy addition to almost any meal, the vegetable has deliciously surprised people in the form of kale chips.  Instead of buying potato chips, cook a more natural alternative in which the ingredients are fresh and few.  Kale can be found in supermarket produce sections and the Farmer’s Market next to campus.  Quick and simple to make, roasted kale chips have a flavorful, crisp taste and serve as an instant anytime snack.

Kale Chips Recipe

Ingredients:

1 head of kale

2 Tbsp. olive oil

salt

black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Thoroughly wash and cut off leaves from the rib of the kale head.
3. Slice kale leaves into one and a half to two-inch sized pieces.
4. Toss leaves with olive oil in a large bowl, mixing in a pinch of salt and desired amount of black pepper.
5. Cover baking sheet with tin foil and layer olive oil-coated kale on top without overlapping the pieces.
6. Place baking sheet in the oven for approximately ten minutes or until kale is crispy and slightly brown on the edges. 
7. After removing from oven, let cool for one minute.