My sweet neighbor, Doris, gave me a huge bunch of kale from her garden yesterday. We both agreed that kale chips would be a good thing to make.
So, this morning I began stripping the leaves, keeping the larger pieces for kale chips and the smaller pieces to add to my salad. I also kept the stems to add with a few other vegetables to make vegetable broth for stir frying. The bulk left after making the vegetable broth will go into the compost. Kale is such a power house vegetable that I let nothing go to waste!
Did you know that 1 cup of chopped kale has only 33.5 calories, 0.5 grams of good fats (121 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids and 92.4 mg of omega-6 fatty acids), 2.2 grams of protein and 1.3 grams of fiber? Kale also has tons of vitamins and minerals, including 90.5 mg of calcium.
Pass the kale, please!
Next....
I preheated the oven to 300 degrees F.
Since I'm not using oil, I lined a sheet pan with parchment paper to avoid the kale from sticking and then layered on the kale. I sprinkled on a little salt and popped it in the oven for about 10 minutes.
The first batch turned out okay, but it needed something.
So, I decided to sprinkle the next batch with a little white balsamic vinegar. That did it. The vinegar added just the right amount of flavor. They were delicious and healthy.
Talk soon,
Laurie
Mmm, makes me even more eager for kale from the garden this year! We love the smallish leaves in our tossed salads. I'm hungry for those, too!
ReplyDeleteSo good! Guess what else I did with a few leaves? I used them as a wrap....filled them with hummus. It was the perfect bite size snack.
DeleteI love Kale chips, I usually spray them with olive oil and sprinkle salt. Soooo good. We like to bake all kinds of veggies to a crisp such as green beans, okra ans asparagus.
ReplyDeleteLisa
Oh yum, I've roasted okra and asparagus, but I haven't tried green beans. Something new to try....yay! Thank you, Lisa.
DeleteThis sounds like something I should try.
ReplyDeleteI think you'll like them. Let me know, if you try.
DeleteYummy, yummy, yummy! Good use of all its parts. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah! And....I've already used the vegetable broth to cook my collard greens in. Lol!
DeleteMy youngest grandson loves Kale chips! I love it any way you can have it. LOL! blessings ~ tanna
ReplyDeleteMe, too, Tanna! And to think, I didn't even know about kale until about 5 years ago. All these years, I've been missing out. Lol!
DeleteLaurie, You are being soooo good. I am not allowed a lot of greens ..Blood clotting factors. But I suppose just a small bite..might be ok. :):) Blessings to you, xoxo, Susie
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susie! It has been so easy and I'm being completely honest about that. I remember hearing my daddy say he couldn't eat some greens because of the Vit K in them that interfered with clotting, at least I think that's what I remember. Hmmm, that gives me something else to look up. Hope you have a great rest of your week!
DeleteLaurie...you are going at this whole hog!! Kudos to you!!
ReplyDeleteYou are so informed...and putting it to good use...
Honestly...I take my hat off to you, my friend.
Tell me...do you still cook meat for Cliff?
Or...is he embracing the changes???
cheers!
Linda :o)
Thank you, Linda! I feel like it's do or die. Well, that might be a little dramatic. But really when it comes to my health, it's important to take it seriously. I don't believe you can do it halfway. If so, there won't be much of an improvement. I don't know what good I'm doing by sharing it. I hope that readers see it as....this is for me and it's working. And if they are interested in eating like I do, then I'll be glad to share what I know. As far as Cliff eating meat. No, not at home. I don't even buy meat. He eats what I prepare. Actually, he's happy about it because he's sees the results in me and he's feeling the benefits himself. When he's out and about, he may order meat. But that's not often. Cheers to you, too!
DeleteWell...good for him!!! Makes it that much easier for you to succeed. I enjoy vegetarian meals, but my boyfriend is a meat man thru and thru...I really don't think he would give it up. But...I have never put him to the test....so, I might be happily surprised!
DeleteHave a wonderful Easter weekend Laurie....
Wow....I never thought of adding some vinegar. I'll have to try that. I love kale chips. It's the only way I like to eat Kale. I saw some recipes on Facebook yesterday that used various seasonings. I might give those a try too.
ReplyDeleteGreat! Let me know if you try them. I used white balsamic. It's just a little milder than than regular balsamic.
DeleteLaurie,
ReplyDeleteI do like Kale...and even made chips myself one day. I was not pleased with mine...so I will try the balsamic next time. I know bagged salads have gotten bad press lately...but I bought one at Walmart..that was kale, dried cranberries..nuts,etc. and it was delicious!
I know exactly which salad you're talking about, Janey. I've had it a couple of times. It's very good. I made my own dressing though.
DeleteI had kale chips once....they were so excellent!
ReplyDeleteThey really are and so good for us. I put a few in my oatmeal this morning. Lol.
Deleteoh my goodness, my daughter loves these! We like to dip ours in hot sauce...
ReplyDeleteI've had kale chips and made them myself but I just don't care for them. I know lots of folks who do and I know they are super good for you. Maybe I just need to give them another try! Congrats on your healthy lifestyle changes!
ReplyDelete