Kale Chips

I don’t really like chips. I mean I don’t hate them but I’m not one of those people that craves a bag of crisps. But these little gems, these are in a whole other league.

First of all they’re made out of Kale. . . No don’t stop reading! They’re super duper duper good for you and really tasty. I flavoured these ones with cayenne pepper and salt but you could use anything you want. A nice Moroccan blend of spices would work really well.

Ingredients

1 bunch of Kale with stems removed

Olive oil to coat

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Sprinkle of sea salt

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180°C, or if your oven is anything like mine and can either be turned on to full blast or low heat, switch to the lower heat.

Wash Kale leaves to remove dirt and dry well.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and toss Kale leaves in oil until well coated. Alternatively you could use olive oil spray and spray them on the baking tray which would work just as well if not better.

Sprinkle evenly with cayenne pepper and salt and bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.

Note: Don’t over do the cayenne pepper unless you’re that way inclined. First time I made these I went a little overboard and coughed up half my lung from the heat.

If by chance you can resist not eating these in one sitting, store them in a an air tight container and they should keep for at least a week.

I was experimenting one night at home with this recipe and then oddly enough the very next day stumbled across a similar recipe on Sarah Wilson’s blog. Her way sounds pretty good too might try that one tonight.

Why is this good for me ?

Kale is exceptionally rich in nutrients. Its part of the cruciferous family but looks more like spinach with a darker almost blue hue to it. Kale is like an anti cancer ninja due to its high levels of antioxidants. It’s packed full of beta-carotene and chlorophyll, contains 10% of the recommended daily intake of Calcium and Vitamin B6, 40% of magnesium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and 684% of vitamin K. Those are some crazy percentages people!

Cayenne pepper makes everything taste better but it is also proven to increase metabolism, improve congestion, act as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and there are also suggestions that it stabilises blood glucose levels in diabetes sufferers.