Kale Chips

A few days ago I talked a lot about the deliciousness and nutritiousness of kale when I made citrusy kale salad with canned peaches. So I’ll reiterate – this superfood is simply awesome. Because it’s so high in fiber and low in calories, this is basically a “free” food; you can eat tons and tons of it without feeling guilty.

Kale chips are the best way to cure any craving for a salty, crunchy snack without feeling any of the guilt. They’re a super easy post-workout treat because you can pop them in the oven while you get in a quick shower. Or, pop them in the oven when you get home from work to give yourself a few minutes to unwind. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this super easy, guilt-free snack.

There’s a reason why I always save a few stalks of kale when I make my citrusy kale salad!

What you’ll need:
1 bunch kale
Cooking spray
Salt

What you’ll need to do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Tear the leaves of your kale in big pieces, and throw on the cooking sheet.

After your kale leaves are on the cooking sheet, spray them with cooking spray and then sprinkle with salt.

Pop your baking sheet in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Citrusy Kale Salad with Canned Peaches

Kale is one of those super-foods you’re always hearing about. It’s a dark green, leafy veggie that’s packed full of vitamins and nutrients. Because it’s also high in fiber and low in calories, I consider kale a “free” food (as in, one you can eat and eat to your heart’s content without a worry for your waistline). For those of you who haven’t had kale, it’s basically like spinach with the crunchiness of lettuce. And paired with a citrusy-sweet, homemade dressing and canned peaches, it’s a guilt-free yummy side that makes enough leftovers for lunch.

Two giant cups of this is less than 100 calories, so eat up and enjoy!

What you’ll need:

• 1 bunch kale (save a few stems for kale chips, recipe to come!)
• 1 can peaches in light syrup
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• For the dressing (all from your kitchen staples):
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

What you’ll need to do:

Okay, I know this recipe is going to sound complicated, but it’s not. Step 1, slice kale into thin strips. Step 2, massage lemon juice in with kale. Step 3, make dressing. Step 4, slice your canned peaches and add to the kale. Step 5, toss with dressing. It’s simple, really. But here’s an in-depth step-by-step…

After you’ve washed and dried your kale, tear the leaves off the stems and slice the leaves into thin strips. *Quick tip: have your salad bowl on the counter and your trash can on the ground next to you so you can throw your sliced kale leaves in the bowl and discard your stems as you go.

This is what kale looks like so you can find it at the market. You’ll want to remove all those stems by tearing off the leaves with your hands. Then you can slice the leaves into thin strips with your knife.

Toss your sliced kale with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and use your hands to massage the lemon juice into the kale for about a minute, kind of like how you knead bread dough. You want to massage the kale until it gets nice and soft – trust me, you’ll know when it’s done. Let it rest while you make your dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and remaining lemon juice. Drizzle in your olive oil while you whisk to see the dressing form.

Drain your canned peaches and rinse with water. Since the dressing has honey in it already, you don’t want to add any more sweetness from the syrup. Slice into bite-sized chunks and throw in with your kale. *Quick tip: the original recipe that inspired this dish uses mango. Mango is super delicious but is more of a pain to deal with than just a simple can of peaches. But if you have the patience to peel, slice, and chop a mango, then go for it! 

Lastly, toss your kale and peaches with the dressing and serve.

Enjoy!

For dinner, I served my kale salad with a basic lemon chicken (see “let’s talk chicken“) and sweet potato chips (recipe to come!). After I put my chicken in the pan and popped my potatoes in the oven, I started my salad. The timing works beautifully.