Cheesy Kale Chips

My kale chips have evolved already.  We have a lot of kale still, so I have done a lot of experimenting.  The simple recipe that I started out with was fine for crushing and sprinkling on pizza, sandwiches and noodles. Two of my kids actually ate them plain in large quantities, I was impressed, but there was a definite after taste that kept me from snacking.

One of my readers had mentioned a local olive mill that makes great olive oil. A few weeks after, my Backyard Farmer was offering their lovely products.  I was hooked instantly and started trying my new dipping oil (a blend of extra virgin olive oil, basalmic vinegar and herbs) on everything.  You know it ended up on kale and made them delicious on their own.  Now all three kids downed them.  I snacked some and sprinkled liberally on many plates.  We went through 3 lbs of kale in a week.  I was happy with making the rest of my plants this way to get them out of my garden for the season.

But a couple weeks later, at the Phoenix Farmer’s Market, we got a sample of kale chips with more substance.  After checking the ingredients, I said no, thank you to the 3 ounce bag for 7 bucks and soon after pulled up a plant to get started on my own.  They were an instant hit.  I had to keep the kids (and myself) from eating too much at a time.  Even my husband thought they were pretty good and he is an avid anti-kale person.

I used my awesome dehydrator that I got for my birthday.  The first batch I did raw and the second I decided to heat to 150 degrees.  The end result was hardly any different.  Raw kale, although full of enzymes, can be hard on digestion and thyroid.  I was reminded of this when the kids wanted me to come see what they did in the toilet.  A low heat bake is a happy medium.

So, what makes these cheesy?  Not cheese!  I used ground raw cashews (that I soaked and dehydrated first) and nutritional yeast.  At the market, they also added red pepper.  The nuts stick to the kale making the chips thicker and sweeter with a cheesy tang.  Love it!

2 lbs kale

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup raw cashews, ground

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

Strip the kale from the tough stems, wash, dry and set aside.  Make a dressing in a large bowl with the oil, lemon juice and salt.  Toss kale to coat.  Sprinkle with fine ground nuts and nutritional yeast.  Toss again.  Place kale in a single layer on dehydrator sheets or baking pan.  Dehydrate for 2 hours at 150 degrees or bake for 1 hour at 200 degrees, turning halfway through cook time.
links; Hearth and Soul Hop, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Encouragement is Contagious