Over the holiday weekend, my family decided to do a “tapas” night – little bites of several yummy things. In other words, we used the bits and pieces we found in the fridge to create our menu.
I made a black bean & corn salsa * with corn on the cob, left over from our 4th of July BBQ. We grilled some chicken pesto sausages and made aioli and a Dijon mustard sauce for dipping. We also grilled a few asparagus and okra, and used the dipping sauces for them, as well. All were delicious!
However, the star of the evening for me: homemade kale chips my son Mitchell and his girl friend Rhobyn baked for the occasion.
I love kale. Normally I use it finely chopped in a salad* or sautéed with garlic and onions, or thrown into a soup.* All good! But, freshly made kale chips. OMG! What an awesome way to get your greens. And so easy!
The key to success, according to Mitchell and Rhobyn, is to make sure the leaves are dried well after washing. Less moisture means crispier kale.
Kale Chips
1 bunch of kale, washed, stripped of stalks and leaves well dried
Light coating of Olive oil
Salt (seasoned or sea) & pepper
Toss kale in olive oil and seasoning, and spread on a large cookie sheet, leaves opened and allowing a bit of space between the leaves (use 2 cookie sheets if needed, as it is important that the leaves do not overlap for maximum crispness).
Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes, watching to make sure the leaves crisp but do not burn.
Fast, delicious and nutritious! (Oh, a little dip in aioli ups the deliciousness factor, too.)
*Check my blog archives for recipes:
Black Bean & Corn Salsa: 5-1-13
Kale Salad: 3-4-13
Tuscan Soup (with kale): 2-13-13
(P.S. Sorry, no picture this time. Those tasty little gems got eaten up faster than I could click the camera!)
Eat well. Be happy.
Plynn
Plynn Gutman 