A few years ago a good friend recommended me to try baking kale at home and she told me it tasted just like seaweed (which I love).

It has been at the back of mind for a while now but never really got down to doing it…

And recently my masterchef adventurous mama picked them up at a supermarket.

I don’t know where she got the idea to bake kale from, but I’m not going to question it!

Her first attempt went a little less ideal than expected (leaves were burnt) but I still finished my share of the stash hahaha.

Recently we did our second attempt together, one fine day after school…

Not going to claim any credit at all because I literally did nothing!

They turned out super awesome!!

This was shot on iPhone 8+.

Amazing right!!! I think it looks like a kale stock photo.

And the leaves remind me of mitochondria.

Mum bought organic kale at $6 a bunch… she couldn’t risk failure again haha!

We used this truffle flavoured spray oil to give our kale a good misty shower.

Also sprinkled a teeny bit of salt AFTER BAKING to give it a little more taste.

Wasn’t really apparent because there really was just a sprinkle.

And I repeat: it’s very important to put this only after baking!

Recipe:

1. Cut or tear the kale leaves into smaller bite-sized pieces (do remove the stems) – give them a good thorough wash and dry them well. You can use a salad spinner or just leave them out to dry… It’s important to make sure they are dry or else you’ll end up steaming them and they won’t be crispy.

2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Remember to line the tray with a parchment paper to make clean-up easier!

3. Spray or drizzle your oil-of-choice on, and leave them to bake in the oven. They can take around 10 to 15 minutes, so keep an eye on them. Once the leaves turn brown and crispy, they’re ready.

4. Give them a sprinkle of salt if you want them more savoury.

That’s it!

Outcome :-)

Mum’s beautiful plating HAHAHAHA.

I think it turned out really well 10/10!!

Kale chips are actually really healthy, filled with vitamins and antioxidants! Not going to pretend I know anything ahahaha but yes.

Baking really only removes the water content (thus making it crispy) and keeps in all its nutrients.

That makes it a really good savoury crispy AND healthy snack! Totally my cuppa tea :’)

This is my healthy living attempt.

And!!

This mostly applies to homemade kale chips, because the ones in packets sold outside are usually filled with sodium and fats – I mean at home at least you have a good control over what you’re eating!

Is this the same as Tao Kae Noi?

Nah, not really, but it’s a much much healthier alternative that I sincerely truly enjoy.

The only possible downside: apparently it doesn’t fill you up as quickly as RAW kale… but not a huge concern to me ahaha!

But if you have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), you can’t eat too much of it – sister faced a severe tummyache after consuming this. It’s high in fiber, which makes it a little harder to digest. It’s also dependent on individuals la so it’s important to know what you can or cannot eat!!

Fun fact: I didn’t like the smell and taste of truffle at all.

And when we went out to eat at this cafe near my house (really more “coffee shop” style), mum would order truffle fries because she knows I don’t like it!!

Then one day something in me clicked and I fell in love with it.

Still waiting for that to happen with me and salad. Really don’t appreciate raw vegetables… how do people eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner?!

And yes I am absolutely in love with all things truffle now!! Would love to try truffle ramen one day.

I actually have a “to-eat” list, which is quite interesting because I am quite a simple (in other words, fussy) eater.

But I’ll always try to finish all my food!!

And I also make it a point to eat vegetables every single meal, so that means eating the (raw) cucumber in chicken rice ???????? (let’s talk about the dont-eat-chicken-rice-it’s-fattening thing another time…)

Posted by Hazel & filed under On Food. This post has one comment.