Kale Chips

I have been so intrigued by kale chips. I've heard people talking about them for quite awhile, and I've seen about a million recipes for them on the internet. Since Kale is packed with antioxidants and nutrients like beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and calcium (to name a few), I thought it was highly worth my while to try these babies out. And I was pleasantly surprised. They do not look particularly appetizing, but it turns out that Kale chips are a pretty darn good snack. Light, crispy, a little salty... Obviously not as good as potato chips, but a heck of a lot better for you! The trick is to cook them just the right amount of time. If cooked too long, they turn brown and are bitter. If they are not cooked long enough, they are chewy and a little like eating a mouthful of seaweed. You want them to be crisp to the touch, but still dark green. I have been using curly Kale, because that is all my neighborhood grocery stores carry. However, I'm anxious to try the Lacinato (flatter) version, too. And I apologize in advance for the wordy recipe. I just couldn't help sharing all the tips I learned experimenting with these chips. So...if you try kale chips, tell me what you think. And if you already love them, tell me if you make them any different!

P.S. Apparently you can do this with baby spinach, as well. I'm going to try it. If they turn out to be any good, I'll be reporting on those soon!

Kale Chips
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 bunch of Kale (about 6 ounces)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil*
Sea salt to taste**

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees***. Rinse and dry the kale. It is very important to get the kale totally dry - use a salad spinner or quickly wipe down each of the leaves with a paper towel after washing. Cut or tear the leaves off the tough center rib. Toss leaves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt to taste. (I also tried doing this in a large zip lock bag, which actually worked really well. You can rub the oil onto pretty much all the leaves very easily this way. But tossing in a bowl works fine, too.) Arrange leaves on a silpat lined cookie sheet (parchment would work, too) in a single layer. Bake for 26 minutes or until leaves are crisp to the touch, but still green.

*I tried using cooking spray (such as Pam), which actually worked pretty well. I like the taste of the oil better on the kale chips, but using cooking spray is definitely a good option if you are watching calories.

**Other variations on seasonings I have used and liked:

Salt and Vinegar:
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Sea salt to taste

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Sea Salt to taste
2 Tablespoons of fresh parmesan

***I had the best luck with 275 degrees, but I also tried baking at a couple other temperatures: 300 degrees changed the bake time to about 20 minutes. 375 degrees changed the bake time to about 15 minutes.