On the Table: Kale Chips

My current culinary obsession is...kale chips!  For some reason, I have been seeing recipes for them everywhere (at least, on the internet) recently, so I have been doing some experimenting on my own.  I think the whole point is missed, however, when you focus on a specific recipe, because the real beauty of this snack is that it is incredibly versatile.  Once you have mastered the technique (if you can even call it a technique), you can go wild with flavor and seasoning.  Here are the basic steps:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. 

Clean and dry the kale leaves, and tear them up into bite-size pieces.  You want the pieces to be very dry before you bake them.

 
Spread the pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet.  At this point, you can season the chips however you want.  I have seen lots of recipes in which the chips are drizzled with olive oil, but I actually prefer the the final product when I skip the olive oil.  Today, I made a variety pack, so I sprinkled some chips with olive oil, some with parmesan cheese, some with sriracha, and some with Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning.  You can also just leave the kale plain!  You want to go easy on any seasoning, so as not to overwhelm the taste of the kale.  Here is my sample platter (note the sriracha-flavored chips at the bottom left - only one drop of sriracha per chip!):

Put the baking sheet in the preheated oven and cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until the chips have dried out.  You may want to salt the chips after they come out of the oven (just like potato chips!), though I don't think that is necessary.  Enjoy!