Kale Chips

You need a 4-ingredient simple snack that is 99.7% vegetable super food. This is it. Be careful, they will disappear faster than you expect.

For best results, I recommend baking these in a convection oven. The fans and dry heat of the convection oven dry out the kale evenly for a crunchier chip that retains some green. But if, like me, you don’t have a convection setting on your oven, don’t fret. Bake at a slightly higher temp in a conventional oven and flip and turn the kale frequently.

I tend to use my Red Russian kale for this recipe, mostly because I reserve the Lacinato kale for salads and pasta dishes. I also like the smooth leaves of the Red Russian kale for crisping into a chip, but you can use any variety you have available.

What You Need:

Go easy on the red pepper flakes! The heat intensifies when the kale cooks down.

• 1 bunch kale, any variety

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil 

What You Do:

1. Preheat a convection oven to 325 degrees or a conventional oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Remove kale leaves from stems and discard stems (see below). Tear larger leaves into 2-inch square pieces. Wash and spin dry. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.

3. Transfer dry kale to a bowl and sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes. Add olive oil and toss to coat evenly. 

4. Transfer to a baking sheet (parchment optional) and spread out into a single layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy, flipping halfway. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool until crisp.

Tip: To remove leaves from stems (photo above), hold the stem in one hand. Pinch the leaves between your thumb and index finger of your other hand. Gently pull the leaves along the stem away from the stem end. Don’t throw away the stems - use them in vegetable stock.

Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

These spiced chickpeas are a staple of mine for a make-ahead snack on-the-go, main dish garnish, or salad topper. You can vary the spices to your taste and to pair with just about any other flavors. You can use whole and ground spices, or a combination. One of my favorite versions uses a blend of smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and a pinch of cayenne that pairs nicely with Middle Eastern food, like on top of a tabouleh salad or with Indian food, adding crunch on top of a vegetable dish or dal. You can also serve them with this Shaved Brussel Sprout, Apple and Walnut Salad. If you’re game for cooking your own chickpeas, it’s not hard and here’s how.

Time saver tip: If you use a particular blend of spices often, make a batch and store it in reused spice jars. Often if I see a little bit of something left in a jar, I might add a few other spices to make a favorite blend. My funnels are re-purposed shields from my old breast pump. Great for solids! When making spice blends, I often leave off the salt so I don't end up adding extra!

What you need:

• 1 ¾ cups cooked (or canned and rinsed) chickpeas*

• 1 tablespoon oil (olive, canola oil, coconut, etc.)

• 3 pinches sea salt or kosher salt

• 3-4 teaspoons spices or dried herbs**

* you can make this in any quantity you desire, but I write this for 1 ¾ cups since that is what you get out of a standard can of chickpeas.

** the herbs and spices are up to you, but here are some of my favorite combinations:

• cumin + garlic powder + smoked paprika + cayenne

• oregano + basil + garlic powder + red pepper flakes

• cumin + coriander + garlic powder + ginger + turmeric

• coriander + cumin + fennel + chili powder + garlic

• Za'atar seasoning

Step 1:

Using a clean kitchen towel, pat the chickpeas dry. Homemade or canned work equally well (rinse canned chickpeas first.)

Step 2:

In a bowl, mix together your selected spices.

Step 3:

Add the olive oil to make a paste. It should pass the spoon test on left.

Step 4:

Add the chickpeas to the bowl and toss to coat.

Step 5:

Roast the chickpeas in one of two ways:

Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in oven at 425 degrees until lightly browned and toasted, about 15 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chickpeas and toast until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir or shake the pan occasionally.