I had the misfortune of purchasing a bag of Kale chips at Whole Foods once — nacho cheese flavored, I believe. The whole family was disgusted. I don’t think kale stores very well, even in those super sonic, air-tight, space shuttle bags. As hearty as those leaves may seem, they are not meant for prolonged shelf life. I deposited kale chips in the “really gross” sector of my memory bank and promptly forgot about them.

Then, a friend made them at a party and I did a flip-flop. They are amazing. Kale is a current foodie rage, so they are actually really good for you.

Perfect sustenance for the healing soul.

Kale orbits in the superfood stratosphere: rocking a 1,000 ANDI score and boasting a healthy dose of vitamins A, B6 & C. According to WebMD, one cup of kale contains five grams of fiber, 180% of vitamin A, 200 % of vitamin C and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals, copper, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus.

Making kale chips is surprisingly easy and, honestly, if you cook them correctly, they are as crispy as a potato chip. By correctly, I just mean you might want to remain in the vicinity and keep an eye on them.

I have a tendency to leave the kitchen when things are cooking. I fool myself into thinking I will remember what I have going on in the kitchen. For instance, the other day I was hard boiling eggs and went upstairs to “write for just a minute.” Forty-five minutes later, my son called up to me and said, “Are these eggs supposed to have water in the pan?”

Oops.

Experiment with different flavors. I have provided two recipes here to play with but kale is incredibly forgiving and adaptable.

One caveat: even homemade kale chips don’t keep well, so plan to eat them promptly.

Kale Chips:

For both recipes:

2 bunches of washed and dried kale, ribs removed and torn into edible pieces (This looks huge on the cookie sheet but they shrink down a lot so don’t be disappointed.)

Lemon Kale Chips Recipe:

Olive oil

Roughly 2 T Lemon juice

Roughly 1 t Sea Salt

Drizzle the olive oil over the leaves and massage in with your fingers — this is essential because it helps to coat the leaves so they cook evenly and the flavors are distributed. Drizzle lemon juice over the leaves and then sprinkle the salt liberally. Spread the kale out over a cookie sheet — it is better if the leaves have more room.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally so they cook evenly. Don’t worry if they get a bit browned.

Asian Kale Chips Recipe:

2 T Sesame Oil

1 T Soy sauce

Garlic powder

Drizzle Sesame oil and massage, as above. Drizzle soy sauce and lightly dust with garlic powder. Work into leaves evenly. Cook as above.

Eat in good health and enjoy!

-db

Who is Dianna Bonny?

Hi, my name is Dianna Bonny. It’s my mission to candidly share my journey with you. For me, it’s all about the healing: to create a radiant healing energy for others who have befallen a similar fate. Together, we can forge beautiful lives of belonging and connection. Thanks for joining me today! I look forward to hearing from you.