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01.28.11 / DIY Kale Chips

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

30 Comments

28.January.2011

You know, I read that exact same Real Simple letter from the editor. And I *considered* making them, but discounted it. I mean… were my kids (ages 3, 10, 10 and 12) REALLY going to eat such a thing? I figured no. Now, I figure maybe! I’ll have to give it a shot! Sounds like divine intervention telling me to make some kale chips!

28.January.2011

Over the summer, when we were in Newport, RI, my aunt convinced us to order “crispy spinach” as a side at a restaurant, and I did–but just to appease her. Oh. My. Gosh. So delicious! One of my favorite sides ever! (And I’m not generally a big spinach fan.) They must have made it like this. I can’t wait to try! Thanks for sharing!

28.January.2011

I read that same article in Real Simple, and would like to make the kale chips sometime. I’m planning to wait until kale is in season so I’m sure the kale is really good. I only ate kale once, and I bought it at the end of the season. The grower warned me that it would be a little tough, and that if I didn’t really like it, I should be sure to try it again when it was at its peak. So I’m hesitant to introduce my husband and kids to a new food when it might not be at its best.

So… I’m very glad to hear that you liked it! My four-year-old is quite a picky eater, but I have a feeling he might go for these.

28.January.2011

Ah! I made these last week! Turns out if you don’t like kale, you still don’t like kale chips. But…it was worth a shot!

28.January.2011

A friend of mine shared this kale recipe with me several months ago. Love it!

28.January.2011

yum! I agree with r8chel, I wait until a food is at its peak before trying to introduce a new offering to a picky eater–an unripe pear, mango or sour blueberry tastes bad to even those of us who love them, so I reserve introductions for when the food is at its absolute best.

for my picky eater, carrot sticks and applesauce/apple slices were always okay, but we managed to sneak in other veggies in soups, turkey meatloaf/meatballs, sweet potato chips/fries…

he’s now a teen (!), and he’s become less picky over time, but there are still some things that I can’t figure out. He’ll eat a salad with spinach or romaine lettuce, but put that lettuce/spinach on a sandwich or taco and watch the look of horror!

28.January.2011

A friend of mine gave me a recipe for kale chips a few years back, and everyone loves them, even members of the family who would not touch any other form of kale. Honestly.
The only downside is that cooking them stinks up the house a bit. Burning a candle after helps a lot :)

Sounds kind of interesting. The real winner is the adorable boy with the kale crumbs on his face. Just too cute!

28.January.2011

first of all, you are too funny!
second of all, i’ve never purchased kale either, but am seriously intrigued.
i roasted brussel sprouts recently & they are out of this world. seriously.
some of the little leaves fell off & sorta made brussel sprout chips too.
:)

28.January.2011

Those look SO good! I am going to try making some! Thanks!

28.January.2011

This is intriguing…I would have never even thought about making something like Kale chips, but now I need to try it!

28.January.2011

What a fun idea! I’ll have to give them a try. I’m always trying to find ways to sneak more green vegetables into my diet.

28.January.2011

We pulled basil out of the garden last summer and microwaved them to crisp them up. No oil or salt, just the basil, the kids (4 and 6) loved it.

28.January.2011

i keep hearing about these and have been meaning to make them. but i figured i’d be the only in the house who’d eat them. this gives me hope that my three year olds might actually eat them!

28.January.2011

hey hey House Tweakers! Yeah, I love me some crispy kale! Good. stuff. One of my favorite food bloggers makes kale chips all the time and made a video showing the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jf_a7SCRYc&feature=player_embedded. Using spray olive oil (or a diffuser) will can cut down on the oil. Also, research shows that kids often naturally resist new foods, and that some kids need to try foods an average of 17 times (!) before they report liking them. Yikes. Hang in there, mamas!

29.January.2011

i love kale but i’ve never tried kale chips.
here’s how i get my kids (6, 11, 16) to eat kale:
http://five-ten-fifteen.blogspot.com/2010/07/asian-kale-slaw.html
and, i’m still laughing that the first step in your recipe is “buy kale.”

29.January.2011

One of my all-time favorites as well…so great that you can convince your boys to eat them!

29.January.2011

Just made these and they are amazing! I can’t wait to impress my friends and family :)

30.January.2011

Thanks for the information I am going to have to try this it sounds really good!

30.January.2011

Yummy! My kids (even the picky one) love sweet potato fries. I just buy ones that are long and slice them in the round, thin but not too thin. Drizzle with olive oil (love the tip about spray oil!) and a little sea salt. They are gone before they cool off all the way. PS love your blog. You have a beautiful style.

30.January.2011

This works with collard, and I imagine, turnip greens as well.

01.February.2011

This is the second recipe for kale chips that I’ve come across in two days- and from two completely unrelated sources. I think it’s a sign. I’ve always like kale but have never seen it used this way. Can’t wait to try it out!

01.February.2011

I tried them last night after reading your blog, which I love!
My husband looked at me like I had lost my mind. He said they were not as bad as he anticipated =)

I have a really cute DIY chalkboard project I did – I should send you a picture!

01.February.2011

Courtney – Don’t knock ’em ’til you try ’em! {Hehe.} Definitely send me your chalkboard project!

03.February.2011

Oh I love kale chips with a little sea salt on them. Made them twice last week and that was my first time ever trying kale!

03.February.2011

kale chips were featured on the Today show this morning! a healthy alternative for superbowl parties…might be pushing it in that regard…but on a non fist pumping-beer drinking- chilli eating kind of day I think it would work!

05.February.2011

I made the kale chips last night. They were a hit!! can’t wait till kale is in season at the farmer’s market!
Thanks!

20.February.2011

I loved these!! But they gave me reeeeally bad gas/bloating. My body did not like kale. I tried it several times thinking maybe it was something else but nope. Weird- I eat spinach in place of lettuce and do not have that problem. But the salty cruchy kale was delish!

29.January.2012

These are delicious. I used too much oil and too much salt….the first batch was the best, with very little oil drizzled (and even that, too much) and just a touch of sea salt….they crisped up much better than the second batch, that I sort of doused/tossed in olive oil and added too much salt. I could eat these by the bowl full! Will take Catherine’s suggestion and try this with spinach as well :-) Love them!

17.February.2012

How do you STORE the leftovers? I made a big batch, and put the leftovers in a ziplock and they just went soggy. :( Any ideas?