Kale Chips
Kale chips
Looking for a great , healthy, low calorie snack that will leave you satisfied? I didn't think it existed until I discovered these....
One cup of chopped kale is about 34 calories. Kale is It is considered a superfood: It is packed with calcium , lutien, iron, vitamins A, C and K. It has 7 times the beta carotene of broccoli and ten times the lutien (which protects eyes and prevents cataracts) It is packed with antioxidants and other cancer fighting phytochemicals. It is also one of the best plant sources of fibre that exists... Unfortunately, in its raw form it tastes gawd- awful. I used to term it a "useless vegetable" - because I have really only seen it as a garnish- (no one really cooks with it, do they?)... hmmm.... until now....
I promise you if you try these you will be hooked!
To prepare:
Wash and dry one bunch of kale.
Tear the leaves off the stems into bite sized pieces and bake in an oven at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until the kale is brown and crispy on the edges, but still a bit soft in the middle.
Remove from oven, Spray thoroughly with olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt on top - ( Parmesan cheese is also a nice addition. ) then sit down, relax, and munch on the first guilt free, TASTY snack you have had in ages. You can thank me later :)
(the kale has a bitter taste, so to neutralize this, the salt is needed. you will actually need more salt than you think, and probably more olive oil than you think. but it is still overly good for you...)
(If you don't have an olive oil sprayer, then go get one! any kitchen store carries them, and it is thousands of times more healthy than "PAM" or other non stick sprays!) Don't wait! Go now!
NOTE:
This recipe does call for more salt than is recommended for a heart healthy diet, so if you use fleur de sel, or another type of lighter, fluffier salt than regular table salt, you will get a better flavor with less actual salt addition.