Baked Kale Chips

We have received bunch upon bunch of kale this summer from our CSA and I have to admit that a few of those bunches have gone to waste, because I couldn't find a way to incorporate them into a meal that our whole family liked. When I saw two fresh bunches in this week's share, I vowed not to waste it.  I took one of the bunches and made my first batch of baked Kale chips and what I found is that baking kale transforms the dense bitter tasting vegetable into a light crunchy snack.

Ingredients

1 bunch of Kale

1 Tbs olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Rip into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt.

Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.

Benefits of Kale

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus..

Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.

Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.