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Kale Chips Recipe
I absolutely love kale and consume this amazing green leafy vegetable in many forms, from green drinks and salads to side dishes and even dehydrated in the form of chips!! If you’ve never had the opportunity to try Kale Chips, then this is the perfect time! It’s June, farm stands are open and organic kale is in abundance.
Kale is a member of the cabbage family. It’s high in phytonutrients, fiber, vitamins A , C & K and provides many healing benefits. Including anti-inflammatory & cancer fighting properties. Kale comes in many varieties including: Cavolo Nero which is also known as black kale, dinosaur kale, dragon tongue, lacinato & tuscan kale. Scotch Kale which has gray-green leaves that are crumpled and curled on the edges. Plain Leaved Kale, which is blue-green in color with long thin leaves. Leaf and Spear Kale which is a hybrid of curly leaved and plain leaved kale. Rape Kale also known as hungry gap kale, because kale is plentiful during the winter season. Another of the curly leaved variety is Red Russian Kale, also known as Ragged Jack Kale, Buda Kale and Fearing Kale, it’s purplish in color with red veins and has more of a jagged edge to its leaves.
When selecting kale look for moist leaves that look fresh, crisp, bright in color and tender. Avoid wilted leaves that appear dry or yellow because they lack nutritional value. Dehydrating Kale is a great nutritional replacement for high calorie, high sodium potato chips and other unhealthy snacks. Dehydrating ~vs~ baking is a great way to preserve ever important nutrients and enzymes, while creatively increasing your intake of whole foods. Having plenty of Kale Chips on hand is a great way of eating fresh kale on the go, at any time.
There are many ways to prepare Kale Chips using various spices and ingredients such as; cashews, paprika, thyme, garlic, nutritional yeast (for a cheezy flavor) cayenne pepper and even chili pepper. I enjoy experimenting with many of these variations, but my favorite is the very simple recipe below:
Ingredients: (2-4) bunches of Scotch Kale , (2) Tbls Olive Oil & (1) Tbls of Bragg Liquid Aminos (2) Tbls Lemon Juice (1) Tsp of Sesame Seeds (or) Flax Seeds
Step 1) Remove Stems & Any Thick Veins.
Step 2) Rinse & spin dry or gently pat dry kale leaves.
Step 3) Rip into nice bite size pieces and not to small, because kale will shrink during dehydration.
Step 4) Place in bowel and……
Step 4) Toss with olive oil, Bragg Liquid Aminos, seeds & lemon juice.
Step 5) Place coated kale on dehydrator sheets or lined cookie sheets & dehydrate for 6-8 hours or bake on 100°F-115°F for approximately 2-hours. After 1-hour in the oven be sure to rotate the Kale Chips so they’ll dehydrate evenly.
NOTE: Low & warm settings vary from oven to oven. Some ovens temps settings will not go below 130°F-140°F at which point you’re simply baking your Kale Chips and not dehydrating them. Though still a very healthy snack, some vital nutrients are lost when green leafy vegetables are cooked. If you can not set your oven temp low enough for dehydration and you are “eating for healing” then you might consider investing in a food dehydrator with a temperature setting. If you still prefer to bake your Kale Chips, set your oven at 350°F and bake for 10-15 min.
Voilà! Kale Chips….Enjoy!
This recipe is also vegan & raw vegan friendly. Still have lots of kale left over? Check out The Positive Pear’s other recipes using kale: Nutritional, Gluten-Free, Diary-Free, Low-Starch & Inflammation Friendly Recipes
Kale, Cucumber, Lemon & Fresh Juice Recipe
A Great Anti-Inflammatory Green Drink & My Absolute Favorite:
Kale, Cucumber, Lemon & Ginger Recipe:
6-8 clean Kale leaves (any variety)
1 to 2 organic English Cucumbers
1 Lemon
1 bunch of Parsley
1 inch of Ginger Root
1 cup of Water for blender only
If you do not have a juicer that separates the pulp from the juice, then peel all fruit and remove seeds from lemon. When using a juicer, start with Kale, followed by the remainder of ingredients, strain using a drink strainer & drink. Or combine all ingredients in the blender, in which case you’ll want to make sure that you’ve pealed your cucumbers, ginger and lemon, also removing seeds. (Note: high powered blenders work best for liquefying ingredients) Once blended if your mixture is too thick, simply add water. You can drink both the pulp and the juice or strain, drink and enjoy.
Purchasing tip: purchase local and organic whenever possible, especially when eating for the purpose of healing or controlling inflammation.
Juice, drink & enjoy!!
Be sure to check “The Positive Pear” article on the healing benefits of juicing entitled “Can Juicing Cure Disease”
Need a blender or juicer? Check out “The Positive Pear’s recommendations”
Other Positive Pear Recipes: Nutritional, Gluten-Free, Diary-Free, Low-Starch & Inflammation Friendly Recipes
Raw Kale Salad with Lemon & Anchovy Vinaigrette
I absolutely love Kale in all of its glorious varieties and prepared in many different ways. I often eat kale as a side or an as entire meal, because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering and cancer fighting benefits. This is a fun, tasty recipe for anyone looking to add more vitamin K to their diets. This dish is perfect for a low-starch/balanced protein diet, and to make more vegan friendly simply omit the anchovies & eggs. If your not growing your own Dinosaur Kale, be sure to pick up a few bunches from your local Farmer’s Market, Whole Foods or the Organic Produce section of your local grocery store.
Beautiful Kale of Many Names: Dinosaur, Tuscan & Lacinato:
Ingredients:
- 14 ounces organic Dinosaur Kale, devein & remove large stem, thinly slice crosswise (makes approx 8 cups)
- 6 Anchovy fillets packed in olive oil, drained (Trader Joe’s/approx 174 mg of sodium)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed organic Lemon Juice
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon 365 Organic Dijon Mustard (Whole Foods) or Spicy Brown Mustard (Trader Joe’s)
- 3/4 cup Extra-Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil
- Freshly ground Black Pepper
- 1 hard-boiled Egg, peeled
Prepare:
Vinaigrette: Combine the organic lemon juice, anchovies, garlic & mustard in a blender; purée until smooth. Keep the blender running while you very slowly pour in the oil. Season with freshly cracked pepper to taste. Cover and chill. Can be made 2 days ahead & kept refrigerated.
Using a microplane zester/grater and a small bowl, grate your hard-boiled egg. I personally choose to use only the egg white, but if you prefer not to waste your egg, continue to grate the yolk as well. Grating can be done up to 6 hours ahead, simply cover, chill & store separately from other ingredients.
Toss kale and creamy dressing in a large bowl to coat. Add additional freshly cracked pepper if needed. Top with grated eggs and voilà! Enjoy as a meal or serve as a side dish, compliments of “The Positive Pear” (to modify for vegan friendly avoid the egg & anchovy)
Other Positive Pear Kale Recipes: “Kale”
