Oven Kale Chips (Kind Of)

 

 

 

 

Okay, okay, so maybe calling this particular recipe kale chips is a bit of a stretch. These don't generally come out of the oven with quite that level of crunchiness that the term chip calls to mind. But that's what I've always called them, and I'm putting my foot down.

 

 

 

I've recently become obsessed with creating gourmet flavors of raw, dehydrator kale chips, which turn out much crunchier, because they are kept at such a low temperature that all the water is able to evaporate without the unfortunate side effect of burning, but this recipe is much simpler, quicker, and non-dehydrator owner friendly. It's also the first recipe my sister and I ever created for kale chips during our early veganing days. And we liked it so much, we still make this snack on a regular basis 3 years later. I'm definitely going to post a "cheesy" or ranch dehydrator kale chip recipe in the near future, but this recipe still yields delicious and vitamin K-tastic results.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

 

-1 bunch kale(or you can use a bag of pre-cut, but I find the bunch easier to stem)

-2 Tbs.-1/4 cup plain white, apple cider, or even red wine vinegar

-2 Tbs. olive oil

-A generous sprinkling of salt, pepper and garlic powder

 

 

Supplies:

 

 

-A big bowl

-Measuring cups and spoons

-2 metal baking trays

 

 

Method:

 

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Stem your kale by puling the leaves off the woodiest stems and discarding stems. In my personal opinion, the less stem the better. Tear your kale into chip sized pieces and place in a big bowl. Add olive oil, vinegar(I usually use 1/4 cup, but I'm a pretty big sour fan) and seasonings. Use your hands to massage the kale for a minute or 2. This might sound weird, but it's not. It helps to tenderize the kale which is especially important for more mature kale. Once your kale is adequately massaged, divide the mixture between 2 metal trays and bake for 20-40 minutes, or until crispy, stirring every 10 minutes or so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poppin' "Cheesy" Popcorn

 

 

 

*This recipe was modified from Whole New Mom's blog: http://wholenewmom.com/recipes/dorito-flavored-popcorn-dairy-free/

 

 



-Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see!

 

 

-If you were a booger I'd pick you first.

 

 

-Kiss me if I'm wrong, but dinosaurs still exist, right?

 

 

I thought I'd start this blog post off niiiiice and cheesy. This is my cheesiest recipe so far after all. It seriously tastes just like nacho cheese. And it is cheesylicious.  But on a more serious note:


-Do you have any raisins? No? How about a date? ;)

Tired of cheesy pick up lines? That's okay, because this recipe gets it's "cheesy" from nutritional yeast. What is nutritional yeast you ask? Excellent question.


Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast that is yellow in color, has a flaked appearance, and is often described as having a nutty, cheesy flavor. The closest comparison I can think of is somewhere between a swiss and a cheddar cheese. Now it isn't an exact flavor match, but the taste is surprisingly cheesy for not being cheese or a copycat product. It is a very popular ingredient in vegan cooking. And I promise it tastes better than it sounds. I made a huge bowl of this nutritional yeast coated popcorn and it was devoured in minutes. It even got the non-vegan stamp of approval.

 

Health benefits of nutritional yeast? Let me tell you:


Nutritional yeast contains high levels of:

-Protein
-Fiber
-Thiamin
-Riboflavin
-Folic acid
-Niacin
-Vitamin B6
-Vitamin B12(In fact, nutritional yeast is one of the only vegetarian sources of vitamin B12)


And it just tastes so good. No, really, trust me it does. Actually, don't take my word for it. Try out this recipe and discover the joy of delicious, nutritious, nutritional yeast for yourself.

 

 

 

Ingredients:


- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
-1 tsp. garlic powder
-2 tsp. onion powder
-heaping 1/2 tsp. cumin
-1 tsp. paprika
-1 tsp. chili powder
-1 tsp. salt
-Popcorn kernels
-Olive oil(to drizzle)


Supplies:


-Vitamix(You can use a blender, but the powder may not come out as smooth)
-Popcorn air popper(if you don't have one of these you can pop your corn on the stove and omit the olive oil drizzle)
-Spoon
-BIG popcorn bowl


Method:


Combine the first 7 ingredients in your vitamix and blend on high for 30 seconds to a minute or until powdery. Next pop your popcorn. This recipe makes enough powder for a MASSIVE bowl of popcorn so pop as much as you like.


Go crazy. Invite the neighbors over. Have a vitamin B, cheesylicious party. Or keep it all for yourself, because once you taste this popcorn, you'll probably eat the whole bowl in one sitting. I know I could. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.


 Once you're popcorn has popped, pour into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil (if air popped). Sprinkle with as little or as much cheesy powder as you'd like and mix to coat.


Are you blown away by the flavor? Because I was.


*I haven't tried any of Whole New Mom's other recipes, but if they're as good as this one was I may have to add her to my favorite blog's list.