Spicy kale chips

Kale. I despise kale. I find kale absolutely vile. Its texture is rough and its taste, too earthy for its own good. I’m sure that city park grass tastes better than kale. The other day I made a green smoothie with kale instead of my usual spinach and had to pinch my nose while gulping it down. Kale is just not good and I know I can’t be the only one who thinks so.

So why did I buy it if I hate it so much? Well, because its nutritional content is almost unparalleled. Just one cup of the stuff provides 100% of the daily recommended value of Vitamin A, which supports eye health and the immune system, and helps clear skin. It also provides more than half of the recommended daily dose of Vitamin C, and is a good source of fiber. And because it’s so healthy, I’m really trying to like it, but clearly, it’s not so easy.

I had a bag of kale from TJ’s that had been sitting around for a few days and I didn’t want it to wilt on me so I decided to discover what all you kale chip-obsessed folks have been raving about for years. I dressed it in some of my favorite anti-inflammatory spices to masquerade its flavor and give it a boost of awesome, and into the oven it went. The result was shockingly yummy and addictive. These spicy kale chips came out crispy and light, and reminded me of Asian roasted seaweed snacks. Baking kale mellows out its flavor and even makes it slightly sweet. If you share my sentiment for kale, try making these chips and cross over to the dark side.

(Yield: About 2 cups)

Ingredients:

4 c chopped Tuscan kale leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
Salt

Procedure: Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If your greens are not pre-cleaned and chopped, clean and fully dry kale. Cut out fiborous center ribs from kale and discard. Chop kale into 2-3″ pieces and place into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, spices and a pinch of salt. Using your hands, toss kale leaves to coat evenly. (Be sure not to use too much oil, otherwise chips will turn out greasy.)

Arrange kale in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20 min, until crispy.

Transfer parchment paper with chips onto a cooling rack to cool. Chips are best if eaten right away; store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

So tell me, how do you feel about kale?