Kale is a green, leafy vegetable that’s full of nutrients. Kale belongs to the cabbage family but does not grow a bulb or head. It can grow as green or purple in color and can be eaten raw or cooked.
No matter which way you prepare kale, make sure to massage your kale first!
Why massage kale?
When preparing kale for salads, stews, or for the chip recipe below, you will want to lightly toss them with olive oil and rub it in each leaf. Ideally, the leaves will already be chopped or ripped off the main stem.
It’s important to massage kale leaves to tenderize them as much as possible. Raw kale can be hard to chew or digest as they are very thick leaves. When cooking kale, you want to make sure they’re properly coated with olive oil so that they cook evenly. Unlike the next photo, where the dry spots will remain soft then hard to chew.
Kale Health Benefits
Kale is full of nutrients, such as potassium, calcium, lutein, folate, vitamin A, and surprising small amount of Alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid.
One cup of raw or cooked kale has:
33 calories
3 grams of protein
2.6 grams of fiber
These nutritional values can help lower cholesterol, manage blood sugar levels, and provide satiety, which can lead to weight loss.
Many people ask if eating kale everyday is good for you. Eating 1 – 2 cups per day is a healthy and safe amount, but as with anything else, eat in moderation.
Kale Chip Recipe
Kale chips are one of my favorite side dishes or snacks! I always buy organic when it comes to leafy greens, and the olive oil in this recipe is organic too.
What you will need:
1 bundle of kale, between 8 – 10 large leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp cracked black pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
Preheat the oven to 350° on convection bake. Start by be chopping or ripping the leaves off the main stem, getting as close as possible to it. Place each piece, the size of a chip, in a large baking tray. Lightly coat the kale with the rest of the ingredients- olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Rub the ingredients into each leaf, which gives them a light massage. Once all the leaves are evenly coated, I like to place the tray into the oven while it’s still heating up. Once it reaches temperature, set the timer for 5 minutes. At 5 minutes, toss all the chips and place back into the oven for 2 or 3 minutes, depending on what’s needed to make the chip fully crisp. Once they’re done, take them out of the oven, place them into a bowl and serve.
Easy, simple and crispy!
Kale chips make a great appetizer, side dish or snack when we want something crunchy but healthy. A carb-free and gluten-free chip with all the crisp and none of the guilt! Enjoy.