Every week, a DIY expert spares us a trip to the grocery store and shows us how to make small batches of great foods at home.
Today, Becky Rosenthal from The Vintage Mixer shows us how to turn everyone's favorite green into a crispy, crunchy snack.
I'm always looking for a little more crunch in my snacks. But bags of potato chips, tortilla chips, and pretzels can get a little boring, and they leave me wanting for something healthier. More green, perhaps. Enter kale chips.
By simply tearing leaves of kale into bite-sized pieces, massaging them with oil, seasoning, and baking, you can turn this salad green into a crispy, satisfying snack. The boxes of kale chips you find at the store are shockingly pricey, but don't let those numbers fool you -- homemade kale chips are inexpensive to make, and whipping up a batch at home will likely cost you less time than a trip to the store. This is not rocket science, folks -- my father actually was a rocket scientist, and he assures me this is easier.
These crunchy little bites provide everything I look for in a snack: easy, healthy, crunchy and crowd-pleasing. Move over, potatoes; there's a new chip in town.
Serves 3 to 4
1 bunch kale, washed and dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash your kale, then gently pat it dry. Remove the tough stem from each leaf, then tear the leaves into large pieces -- they will shrink down when they bake.
In a large bowl, drizzle the olive oil onto the kale, using your hands to massage the oil into the leaves. Sprinkle the cumin and paprika onto the kale -- you may need to use your hands here, too, to evenly distribute the spices.
Another way to massage your kale: Amanda's Kale and Anchovy Salad
Lay out the leaves on a baking sheet covered in parchment or a silpat. Dust with sea salt, then bake for about 16 minutes, turning halfway through. Your chips should be crisp and curled at the edges. Pile them into a bowl, and enjoy!
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
Looking for more homemade snacks? Try these:
Movie Theater Nachos
Whole Wheat Pitas, smeared with Labneh
Homemade Potato Chips
Photos by Becky Rosenthal
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Written by: Becky Rosenthal
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16 Comments
I haven't made chips since Lamby departed, but I'm now looking forward to trying your sesame/tahini variation, soon as my Kale's up.
I'll grind the leftovers and put in the shaker for popcorn (love that idea too) or rice. We'll raise the shaker to our old Lamby.
or garlic or onion powder, Kake by its nature is bitter and in my mind a little boost is needed. What do you folks think?
"This is not rocket science, folks -- my father actually was a rocket scientist, and he assures me this is easier." Love this!
See what other Food52 readers are saying.