There are certain words in my culinary vocabulary that carry a lot of influence. Words that are able to transform a picky eater into a thoroughly happy snacker. Fingers, Nuggets, Dip, Kabob, all work to convince my less-than-enthusiastic little ones to try something new. Another of these powerful words is “Chip”.
Let’s face it, chips are fun, crunchy, fatty, and usually void of all health benefits- they are fabulous. Of course, I don’t want to have store-bought chips sitting in my cabinets, waiting to coat my children’s hands (and my waistline) in a layer of grease, salt, and fake cheddar powder. With this in mind I have started making my own chips. I have watched my family enjoy sweet potato chips, carrot chips, banana chips and even KALE CHIPS. (yes really, they all enjoy them- even hubby)
While I love kale in soups and casseroles I am not a fan of it raw, and it is WAY too hot to make soup in August. So- When I see a basket brimming with dark, green, curly Kale leaves, I immediately think of my favorite snack foods. Here are two quick and easy recipes to make Kale a healthy part of snack time.
Ingredients
- Kale
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
Instructions
- Tear the kale into small pieces setting the thick ribs and stems aside.
- Lightly toss the kale with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
- Spread the kale pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 300 for about 10-15 mins. Watch them closely. You want them crispy but if they turn brown they will taste bitter.
- Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Ingredients
- Kale Chips (if baking for this recipe use less oil to make sure they are VERY dry)
- Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Popcorn
- Butter (if desired)
Instructions
- Pop enough popcorn to feed your family (I LOVE my air-popper)
- If using an unseasoned popcorn you may want to drizzle it with butter but it is not necessary.
- Finely grind crispy Kale chips into a powder. I do this in my "Ninja" but a coffee grinder, mortar and pestle, or even a Ziploc and a rolling pin would work.
- Mix the kale powder with your desired amount of parmesan cheese powder and sprinkle over the popcorn. Enjoy!
Tami C, There is no shame- It’s KALE 🙂
I’m a little ashamed to admit that I made a batch of these (5 or 6 stems worth) and ATE THE WHOLE THING!!! I can’t wait to get more and this time I promise I’ll share 😉
Gayla- I’m glad to spark your creativity! Hope you enjoy the popcorn. Jennifer- I totally understand the allergy thing. Have you looked in to “nutritional yeast”? I understand it is a yummy, dairy-free way to flavor popcorn. Due to my daughter’s allergy to yeast (among lots of other things) I have never tried it but it might be worth a shot. Good Luck!
Thanks so much for posting these recipes! My husband and I got our first basket over a month ago and at first I thought that green, leafy stuff was lettuce…until I looked again. My husband and I actually had to google images to find out what the stuff was!…Kale. We also had no idea how to prepare it. My husband read it was good in soups and some Irish dishes like mashed potatoes…but I really agree with you about the soups and casserole thing in the middle of August and will have to try the chips! My daughter has a dairy and soy allergy, so it wouldn’t be good to do the parmesan popcorn yet, but after she is over a year, we’ll try it (in case that makes no sense…I nurse her and I can’t have it either)! Thanks again!
Wow! New idea for the Kale/parmesan popcorn. I’ve never heard of using it as a topping for popcorn. Thanks!