Wednesday, 03 October 2012

• Kale: Curiouser and Curiouser

  

  As a kid, (like most) I hated leafy greens.  I still have something of an aversion to them now, but this past year a friend introduced me to kale.  I'll be honest, before I had only a vague idea of what it was and mostly wrote it off as a cliche hippie dippy food choice.  But when in Brooklyn...eat organic, or something. :)

  Typically I use kale when I make my go-to comfort food dinner: tomato basil pasta.  It's a simple recipe, easy, and a de-stresser.  For me, at least!  The recipe's pretty basic, and I usually am not too precise about the measurements - honestly, it's more about taste, balance, and attempting to figure out what meshes well.  But once I've made the sauce and the tomatoes are all boiled down, I throw in pieces of kale that I've chopped up.  Not only does it add mass and heft, but it also retains its texture and adds a nice splash of green to the sauce.

  But you've probably got an idea of what the best way to eat kale is:

  Kale chips.

  I introduced my roommates to kale chips a couple weeks ago and they were hooked.  One of them even bought a bunch of kale and stared at me with puppy dog eyes until I made them for her.  Kale chips are great snacks for when you've got the munchies.  They’re healthy, taste great with seasoning, and are crisp and crunchy.

  Be warned, a lot of kale goes a little way; it does the same thing that spinach does when cooked, it shrinks. So the more kale, the better.

  To make kale chips, simply:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • Tear the kale into small, chip size pieces (you can cut them or use your hands...I usually just tear!)
  • Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place the kale on it
  • Drizzle in olive oil, salt, and whatever else you feel like!  A favorite of mine is adding minced garlic and garlic powder. (I may or may not love garlic. You decide)
  • Place in the oven and bake until leaves are crisp - I usually wait 15 minutes and then check back obsessively
  • ENJOY!

  How do you like to eat kale?  What kinds of seasoning do you like to use when you make kale chips?

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