Favorite Thing - Wasabi Kale Chips Recipe

 

My husband and I are tried and true popcorn lovers, eating it almost every evening as we relax with knitting, spinning and watching movies. Yet even though we can (kind of) justify popcorn as a moderately healthy, high fiber snack, there are times when you just want something different.

As odd as it might sound (and believe me, at first I thought 'ugh' before I gave them a tentative try) I'm happy to have found a new Favorite Thing to share here - chips made from baked kale.

Since I need to eat large amounts of salt to replenish what I lose through distance running, these chips satisfy that salt craving. But for those who need to watch their salt intake, this recipe is also very good with non-salt mixtures. For variety, I like to add other herbs and spices including chives, onion, garlic, chipotle, and a favorite of mine, wasabi.

Wasabi is a very hot Japanese horseradish that creates a thick paste when reconstituted with water (you may be familiar with wasabi used as a condiment with sushi). For this recipe I use the dried, powder form. A little bit of this pungent root goes a very long way! photo Thespicehouse.com

Tasty, extremely crunchy, low in fat and calories and with a modest carbohydrate content, these chips are amazingly delicious and addictive in a most healthy way. Isn't that good news for once?

Recipe notes:

• Kale shrinks to a very small size as it bakes, so a large bunch will not be as overwhelming as you might think. 
• I usually wash the fresh kale and let it stand on end to drain for a while before patting any remaining moisture out with a clean towel and preparing the chips.
• I like to use kosher salt flakes or sea salt, but any kind of salt, or non-salt seasoning, will do.
• Wasabi powder is available at some Asian and gourmet food stores or at specialty spice merchants like Penzeys, or The Spice House.
• These chips are nice on their own, or tasty with any dip that is good with potato chips, although they are somewhat more fragile than potato chips, use care when dipping.

WASABI KALE CHIPS RECIPE

Ingredients

• 10-12 oz. kale, cleaned and dried very well
• Nonstick cooking spray or olive oil mist
• 1-2 tsp(s) coarse salt to taste
• 1/4-1 full tsp wasabi powder (optional) to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat large baking sheets with oil or line with parchment paper. In small bowl or spice grinder, blend salt with wasabi powder or other spice.

Remove and discard thick kale stems, tear completely dry leaves into approximately 2" pieces, place in large bowl.  Lightly spray leaves with oil or cooking spray and toss gently with spoon to thoroughly coat kale; repeat if necessary. Sprinkle chips with seasoned salt, toss gently to coat; repeat if necessary.

Bake kale 12 to 15 minutes, turning leaves over at about 6-7 minutes if desired. Bake until crisp but not browned. Cool on cookie sheets. When completely cool, carefully place chips in airtight containers and store up to one week, although they'll probably be gone well before then. 

Enjoy!