Kale Chips

So, I love kale. This is not a secret. It's really good for you and tastes amazing. It turns out, my friend Justin ALSO loves kale. He gave me a sticker from this website that lives on my tea thermos now. He also brought kale chips to the climbing gym one day to share. A bunch of the kids that I coach tried them with varied reactions. Some thought they were the weirdest thing ever, some couldn't get enough of them and went back for seconds and thirds.

In my experience, this volatile range of emotions is typical for folks trying kale for the first time. Some people just aren't used to its slightly bitter flavor. Still, there are ways to cook it where it's not as bitter as it's cracked up to be. Kale chips are often cited as a "great way for kids to eat their vegetables" because they have a consistency and flavor similar to a potato chip...but aren't deep fried in oil and are much healthier for you.

I had never made kale chips before, so I asked for Justin's recipe. I had planned to munch on them as a snack throughout the week, but unfortunately I ate them all within an hour of making them...they were just too good. Oops?

The other bunch of kale I dumpstered from the same trip I used to make my sweet & savory kale for dinner this week. In hindsight, I probably should've just made more kale chips...omnomnom.

KALE CHIPS

Ingredients:
- 1 bunch kale
- A few tablespoons olive oil (enough to coat the kale)
- Salt to taste
- Red pepper flakes & garlic powder to taste (optional)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cover a cookie sheet in tin foil.
Rip kale into about 2-3 inch pieces, removing it from the stalk and placing the pieces in a bowl. Note - I really like to eat the stalks raw while I'm preparing the rest of the kale chips. They're a sweet, yummy snack that're a little like the texture of raw asparagus in your mouth (which I love). So many people throw out the stalks instead of cooking them for a little longer than the leaves or eating them straight. That's wasteful and stupid.
Pour enough olive oil in the bowl so that when you toss the kale with your hand, it coats everything.
Put however much salt you want in there with the kale. I also added garlic salt and crushed red pepper to my kale chips as an experiment for some extra flavor, but plain salt & pepper is also really great.
Another note: If you're suddenly struck by laziness and don't want to make kale chips, the oil-doused kale is actually incredibly delicious at this point before you stick it in the oven. I could probably eat the kale just like this and be completely happy...but, if you want kale chips, continue...
Place kale pieces in rows on your cookie sheet (you'll probably need more than one). Be careful that they don't touch at their edges.
Stick them in the oven for 20 minutes, taking them out about half way through to flip the chips over.
Watch your chips carefully. They should brown at their edges, but not burn. If they need a few extra minutes, let them hang out in the oven. I took one of my batches out too early and they were a little oily/chewy still, which still tasted fine but wasn't very crispy and chip-like.
Store in a tupperware so they don't crumble. They don't need to be refrigerated and will last a few weeks to a month on the shelf.

Items not dumpstered or donated: Olive oil, spices.