Have I lost you already? Did you stop reading when you saw the word “kale”? Please stay with me, it’ll be worth your while.

If you are like me you love salty, crunchy snacks. Unfortunately most commercially made salty crunchy snacks aren’t so healthy. They usually have hydrogenated or other low quality oils, super processed flour or potatoes, and tons of sodium.

May I suggest making a batch of kale chips? They are salty. They are crunchy. There is that pleasing release of olive oil when you bite into them. And dangit, they are good for you too!

What I love about kale is that it’s low calorie, high in fiber, and has tons of antioxidants. It is high in iron (beating beef calorie for calorie) and Vitamin K, C, and A. It has magnesium (which you’ll remember is the “relaxing” mineral) and calcium. You really can’t say that about a bag of potato chips.

Every time I make this recipe for our neighbor gatherings, adults and kids gobble it up immediately. Just make sure you sip on your Aviation or Cucumber Sangria cocktail after you eat them to rid your teeth of any pesky green pieces.

Here’s how to make kale chips.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 head of kale, any type, washed and dried (make sure it’s really really dry. Try wrapping and blotting it with paper towels, or just spreading it out for a bit to air dry)
• Generous drizzle of olive oil
• Flake sea salt (or any salt you prefer)
• Garlic powder (optional but super delicious)

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees
• Separate the leaves from the ribs of the kale. The ribs are gross and you don’t want them.
• Cut or tear the leaves into 1-2″ pieces
• Spread leaves out on a rimmed baking sheet
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt.  Jiggle the baking sheet to coat the leaves with the good stuff.
• Bake until crispy, being sure not to burn. This will take about 20 minutes. Make sure to stir the leaves around about halfway through.
• Serve

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know what you think!

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