Kale Chips

Hello Everybody! Hope you are all doing well! First off, thank you to everyone who sponsored me for the polar plunge yesterday. The polar plunge is a fundraiser for the Special Olympics in which people donate for to someone to jump into a hole cut in the ice covering Lake Monona. It was an amazing experience and surprisingly not as horrifying as I thought it would be. There were about 6 of us jumping together and it happened so quickly that one minute I was standing on the platform and the next I was doggie paddling to the wooden steps 10 feet away to get out of the lake. The coldest part immediately after we got out as we were running to the “hot” tubs back on dry land. Though I wonder if my fellow jumpers wearing a little less than me (one in a Speedo and one in a bikini) felt the same…

Today’s recipe is kale chips! I know I promised Hot and Spicy Cheese Bread to some of you but I am still trying to find a good recipe to try out. I know kale chips sounds weird and maybe a bit too healthy but they are delicious and simple. These chips are something that my lab mate (the one with the red hair!) introduced me to this fall and are perfect for satisfying a crispy salty craving while still being kind to my waistline. You can pick up a bunch of kale from the grocery store and even if it begins to wilt this recipe will still work because the oven will continue to dry out the kale until it is nice and crunchy.

Kale Chips

Ingredients:

4-5 leaves of Kale
olive oil
sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Remove and discard the hard stems from each leaf before tearing into pieces. I would say aim for 2 inch squares and try to keep them around the same size so all the pieces finish cooking at the same time. 3. Put the kale pieces in the center of a baking sheet and drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil.
4. Season with about a teaspoon of sea salt and a teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper. These are approximate amounts so you can either add a little bit more or less depending on your tastes.
5. Toss the kale pieces until the oil and seasoning evenly coats the leaves and spread out on the baking sheet.  Try not to overlap the pieces otherwise some sections will not completely dry out. 6.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until crispy. Don’t worry if some of the pieces or edges slightly brown. They will still be tasty!

That’s it! This is a really simple recipe and takes maybe 15 minutes from start to finish! You get a great snack that is not only awesome for you but also really addicting. I hope some of you guys try out the recipe and get a little creative with your seasoning. Feel free to add some crushed red peppers for some heat or maybe some garlic powder or toasted sesame seeds for a different take on these chips. Happy Eating!