If looking for that next savoury fix, instead of reaching for the potato chips that are laden with oil and preservatives, try our favourite – kale crisps! As well as being ridiculously healthy, kale crisps are delicious, easy to prepare and addictive – once you have one, you will want to eat the whole bowl – getting a good dose of your daily greens.
We think kale crisps are the next best alternative to potato chips, not only do they taste better but they are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet! Packed full of calcium, fibre, iron and loaded with vitamin K, essential for bone health. Kale is also an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C is a required component in the production of collagen, the tissue responsible for giving the skin flexibility, structure and suppleness – keeping skin glowing and healthy!
Here are two of our favourite recipes for kale crisps – this recipe is flexible, you can mix it up to create your own flavours!
INGREDIENTS:
Version One: Sesame Kale Crisps
- 1 large bunch of kale – discard stems and roughly chop leaves
- 2 tbsps of olive oil
- 1/2 fresh lemon juice
- 2-4 tsps sesame seeds
- 1tsp tamari
- Natural sea salt
Version Two: Nacho Kale Crisps
This version has many more ingredients but includes some lovely spices and even extra vegetables
- 1 large bunch of curly kale
- 3/4 cups cashews, soaked 2-4 hours
- 1 tbsp and 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp coriander
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- stone ground mustard 1/4 tsp
- 1 tbsp scallions
- 1/4 cup carrot
- 1/4 cup red pepper
- 1/2 clove garlic
METHOD:
- Preheat over to 200 degrees
- Wash kale and spin try – removing as much water as possible.
- Remove the spine from the kale and tear kale into pieces.
- Add ingredients to a bowl, then toss with the torn kale – gently massaging the leaves with your hands
- Spread out the kale onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper and make sure the kale is evenly spread out
- Put in oven for 12-15 minutes or until the kale becomes crisp. If you prefer them ‘raw’ set your oven to 50 deg Celsius and leave over night or until crisp or you can spread the kale onto dehydrator sheets and leave to crisp – this will take around 10 hours.
- Allow to cool and then enjoy this lip-smacking savoury snack!
OPTIONAL EXTRAS: Experiment with different flavours – they can be made sweet or savoury – cacao, cinnamon and a sprinkle of coconut sugar works well for a sweet snack or try experimenting with onion powder and with nutritional yeast for a cheesy savoury snack.
NOTES:
- Kale crisps are great if you have bits of kale left over from your weekly veg shop for a quick tasty snack – children also love them making these a great alternative to the usual fried crisps!.
- Keep checking the crisps to make sure they do not burn!
Don’t be put off by the mass of green that comes out of the oven, get creative and experiment with your own favourite toppings – we think that these kale crisps will quickly become your new go-to healthy snack!
Leave us a comment below or share with us on our Facebook or Twitter your favourite toppings and pictures of your favourite kale crisps…
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