Kale Chips

While searching for some new ideas for healthy snacks a couple years ago, I came across this recipe to make chips out of kale leaves on a vegan site. It stated that they taste just like Lays potato chips. Yeah right.....I thought. Well you know what? THEY DO! I'm completely obsessed with these light, crisp little chips. I can't make a batch to last me a few days because I end up eating the whole thing in one sitting. Not only is it completely delicious and addictive, kale is a "superfood" and provides a high amount of calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, and manganese. You can experiment with different seasonings, like curry, cayenne, soy sauce, whatever floats your boat. Whatever you make like, there are 3 main ingredients that give the chips their distinct Lays flavor: apple cider vinegar, oil and salt.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Wash and dry several (about 3) leaves of kale, then tear off pieces of the leaf about the size of a small chip and place them in a bowl. Drizzle over about a tsp. of olive or canola oil, a cap full of apple cider vinegar and a little salt. Generously mix the kale so that each piece is evenly coated, then arrange in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Place it in the oven, and let it sit about 4 minutes. You need to tend to it from here on out, flipping the pieces and making sure nothing burns. The chips may start to turn brown, that is not your goal. Try to keep them as green as you can, yet crisp. Some chips crisp faster than others so I like to keep an eye on them, removing the crisp pieces one at a time. It's a recipe that takes some getting used to, it can be pretty easy to burn them if you aren't paying attention. Once you master the art of kale chips, it's pretty fun making different flavors. Although, my favorite will always be the good ol' standby recipe with the addition of garlic powder. And yes, I did just eat a huge mound of it.