Smoky Kale Chips

It's been awhile, hasn't it? I've been having a lot of fun with other people's recipes (yes, mostly America's Test Kitchen, you know me so well) and playing with my new Blendtec the husband man gave me for my 30 birthday, so I just haven't had a lot of new creations to pass on. I'll start sharing some Blendtec recipes as I work them out, especially ones that can be created with a standard blender. But for now, how about a nutritious snack to hold you over?

Since my original Kale Edition post, I've only included kale in stir-fry and soup recipes on here. I thought it would be fun to introduce you to another use, one in the form of a crispy, salty snack (my favorite kind!) Kale chips are easy to make. All you really need is oil, salt, kale, and an oven. But, like potato chips, you can get creative with the seasoning to find your favorite flavors. Here's a combination I've been especially loving at the moment, but it does require a special ingredient.

I often infuse olive oil for an extra layer of flavor in any recipe. Well, I admit I'm currently hooked on a flavored olive oil I didn't make myself. The Smoked Olive has a whole range of oils infused with smoky goodness. I'm head over heels for the most intense in the line, Santa Fe. If I'm paying for it, I want FLAVOR. This is like a marriage between local foods I love and the southwest cuisine I grew up with. And others agree; it's won awards! It adds a warmth and depth to kale chips that I find utterly addictive.

Smoky Kale Chips

1 bunch kale, ribs removed and ripped into pieces, washed and THOROUGHLY dried
1 Tbsp The Smoked Olive Santa Fe Chili Smoked Olive Oil
1 Tbsp imported balsamic vinegar (stronger flavor than domestic)
1 tsp salt, more to taste if desired

Preheat oven to 300. In a large bowl, massage kale with oil until evenly coated. Add vinegar and salt and massage again until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Optionally, place them on a rack set inside the baking sheet to promote greater airflow.

Bake 30-40 minutes until crisp. Start tossing the leaves and checking for doneness at 20 minutes and again every few minutes after that to avoid burning. Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional salt while hot, if desired.

Curry Chickpea Stir-fry

The other day I made a stir-fry similar to this one just to use up some things in the fridge. So simple, it came out surprisingly tasty and nutritious. I just had to perfect the recipe so I could make it again and again. This fragrant dish has big curry flavor and is packed with protein, fiber, and colorful vegetables - a perfect meal!

Curry Chickpea Stir-Fry

2 cups kale, chopped
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1/4 of 1 lemon)

In skillet or wok sprayed generously with Pam and heated to medium-high, toss kale with water & cover. Steam for 3 minutes. Uncover and add onion & the rest of the veggies. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes. Add beans, garlic, curry, ginger, salt, & pepper. Continue stir-frying for another couple minutes, until veggies are tender-crisp to preference and beans are hot throughout. Drizzle with honey and toss to coat. Remove from heat and sprinkle with lemon juice; toss to coat. Serves 2 as an entree, 4 as a side.

The Kale Edition

Whole Foods' paper grocery bags tell us to eat more of it. Modern Family just announced it as "the new spinach." It's an anti-inflammatory packed with antioxidants, anti-cancer agents, Vitamins K & C, betacarotene, and even some calcium. Apparently, it is time for more kale in our lives. I've been meaning to do a little experimenting to diversify my arsenal of kale dishes so I'll include it in my lineup more regularly. So this week when my local grocer began carrying kale in clam shells, a combined rainbow of varieties already de-spined and chopped, it felt like a sign. This week was The Week of Kale. After ingesting 8 cups of the dense green leaves in 3 days, I've found some wonderful techniques that may convert even the harshest of this bitter leaf's critics, as well as please its most hardcore fans.

I will start with the recipe that most eases one into the world of kale, and work my way up to the recipe that most embraces its natural flavor and texture. And you don't need a clamshell of prepared kale to make these dishes. To prep a head of kale, remove and discard the toughest stems and ribs and coarsely chop remaining leaves into bite-sized pieces. Rinse with cold water and spin or pat dry. All measurements below are of chopped kale.

Kale & Kashi Pilaf

This side dish combines kale with whole grains in a way that softens it to peak tenderness and masks any bitterness with a balanced combination of sweet and salty from cranberries and soy sauce. Serves 4.

1/2 cup chopped onion (omit if using onion broth)
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 cups of your favorite broth (I used beef, but chicken, vegetable, or onion would work very well)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 cup Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf (or other rice and whole grain blend)
2 cups kale
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds (really, just so handy to have around)

Spray a pot generously with Pam and heat to medium-high. Sauté onion for a couple minutes, until just softened. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add broth and soy sauce; heat to a boil. Stir in Kashi, kale, and cranberries. Cover pot with tight fitting lid and reduce heat to a high simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes or until grain is tender and broth is almost entirely absorbed*. You may add another 1/4 cup of broth and simmer for another 5 minutes if you'd like the grain a little softer. Remove from heat and stir in almonds. Great served hot immediately or as a cold salad the next day.

*Or cook according to package directions of your chosen grain blend. If it requires longer to cook, add kale and cranberries only for the last 20-25 minutes.


Fast & Easy Kale & White Bean Soup

This soup uses canned beans instead of dried for a nutritious, low calorie starter or entree ready in about half an hour. The grated rind of hard cheese makes this simple soup just slightly thicker and richer, a little trick I learned from a class at the Tante Marie cooking school. Plus, it gave me a chance to use a little snip of the rosemary that grows wild in the area. It took me awhile to find some bushes in our neighborhood, but now I have rosemary for the picking. This soup only improves with a day or two in the fridge. Serves 4-6.

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3 cups broccoli florets
6 cups chicken broth
4 cups kale
1 can white beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 tsp diced fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp grated parmesan or Parmesano Reggiano rind
Salt and pepper

In a large soup pot sprayed generously with Pam, sauté onion and broccoli for 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Add broth, kale, white beans, diced tomatos (including liquid), rosemary, bay leaf, and grated cheese rind. Bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Quick Sautéed Kale

My favorite of the four, this simple recipe highlights the kale's flavor without masking it. A combination of sautéing and steaming the kale wilts the leaves in about a quarter of the time of sautéing alone. I built my version from this Bobby Flay recipe, with just a couple minor alterations. Serves 2-4.

4 cups kale
2 gloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup broth or water
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (reduce by half if using intense imported balsamic instead of a gentler domestic brand)
Salt and pepper to taste

Spray large skillet generously with Pam and heat to medium-high. Add the garlic and sauté until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the broth and kale and toss to combine. Cover with tight fitting lid and cook for 5 minutes. Remove lid and sauté, stirring constantly, until all the liquid has evaporated. Salt generously, pepper to taste, and add vinegar. Toss until combined and serve hot.


Massaged Kale Salad

When I first started researching ideas for my Week of Kale, I stumbled upon a technique of which I'd never heard before and which claimed to make kale tender enough to eat raw in a salad. Massaging kale? Really? It seemed like a joke. So I put the question out to my friends to see if they'd had any luck massaging their kale. Almost immediately I received a shocked response from a friend who seemed baffled that I had NOT had luck massaging MY kale. I still wasn't sure if he was joking or not. But further discussion showed him full of sincerity. So I tried it. And kale salad will now be in my regular rotation without even wearing out my jaw.

The trick is simple. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on the chopped kale and, surprise!, massage it gently with your hands for about 3 minutes. Set aside while you prepare the rest of your salad makings. Add your toppings, toss in the dressing, and that's all it takes. Might I suggest tossing with either glazed pecans and cranberries with a balsamic vinaigrette or garbanzo beans and halved cherry tomatoes with a soy ginger dressing. Apparently you can also just mix the kale with your dressing of choice (preferably an acidic dressing, such as one with a vinegar or citrus base) before massaging, but I preferred to skip the resulting oily hands.