I know this isn’t a food blog. In fact, I was not born with nor have I acquired a love or knack for cooking. But there are 2 things that force me to cook {sometimes}: I love to eat and I love to keep things cheap. Honestly, cooking is just another DIY project to me…minus the warm, fuzzy feeling. So, I hope you don’t mind if I share a {what-I-think-is} good recipe here and there. Seriously, it won’t be that often because I don’t cook that often. Just ask Handy Hubby. He’s the head chef. In fact, the idea for this quick snack recipe came while reading Kristin van Ogtrop‘s {managing editor at Real Simple magazine} account of introducing her family to kale last year. She mentioned making kale chips, and I love chips so I thought I’d give ’em a try. {This required me to buy kale for the first time in my life!} Here’s what happened:
1 – Buy kale.
2 – Cut leaves off main stem.
3 – Tear leaves into chip-sized pieces. Wash and dry in lettuce spinner.
4 – Place on non-insulated cookie sheet. Drizzle over with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Bake in oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. {Watch to make sure the edges of the chips don’t burn.}
Those are mine right out of the oven. I probably could have used less olive oil. But they were surprisingly good! The even bigger surprise??? The pickiest, slowest eating, most indecisive, and difficult to feed 2-year-old LOVED the kale chips.
So maybe I cheated and let him dip them in sour cream, but seriously, it was the most green leafy vegetable that kid has consumed in all of his almost 3 years on earth. I was amazed. It was the first thing I told Handy Hubby when he walked through the door after work that day. “You’re never going to believe it! Everett just ate a bunch of kale!” I don’t think he quite believed me, but I’ve got the pictures to prove it.
I’m definitely going to have to make them again. Just for this lil’ guy.
Now, that’s how you tweak a healthy veggie into a kid-friendly snack. Have you tried any new successful recipes lately? Do you have a picky eater in your house? Maybe you eat kale regularly? Take a break from home improvement and interior design today to tell me all about it.
images: all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
DIY, kid-friendly