Kale Chips

I have been dying to try this recipe for the longest time. I don't know why it took me so long; now that I know how easy these are to make, I'm especially kicking myself.

Kale chips. Leaves of kale, baked in the oven until crispy like a chip. Sounds so strange, right? Well, it's not! It's actually completely delicious, so very simple, and good for you, too!

All you need to do is rip a bunch of kale leaves from their stems, wash and dry the leaves, then drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper (or any other seasonings your mind can dream up), and bake for about 15 minutes. The trick is to crisp them up without turning them black. Once they are brown and crunchy, they are good to to.

Did I mention these are absolutely delicious? They've got a very slight bitter taste to them, but it's somehow made pleasant by the process of baking them. You can feel good about reaching back into the bowl again and again, because kale is incredibly healthy for you, and of course olive oil is a "good" fat, so it sure beats a bowl of potato chips. At least, if you're looking to satisfy a crunchy craving without the guilt, they beat potato chips! I don't know if anything can ever truly replace a potato chip.

That said, I'd probably prefer to eat kale chips anyday! Kale is usually fairly inexpensive in the winter, and it's not hard to fire up the oven for this one. It always feels so good to find something great to eat that you know isn't bad for you.

Kale Chips
adapted from Allrecipes.com
makes about 6 servings

Ingredients
1 bunch kale
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a non-insulated baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil.

2. Carefully separate kale leaves from the thick stems; discard stems. Break the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces. Wash and dry thoroughly (a salad spinner will work), spread the leaves onto the baking sheet, and drizzle with the oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Bake until the leaves are brown but not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes. (I don't think leftovers would be very good here, so try to make only as much as you can eat at one meal!)