If you’re looking to put away the empty calories and snack on some yummy, nutritionally dense Super food, look no further! Rich in flavour & easy to make…
Time: 20 minutes
1-2 big bunches kale, torn into bite-size pieces, washed and thoroughly dried 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3/4 teaspoon salt Finely grated zest of 2 limes Flaky sea salt, or to taste Cayenne pepper1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Make sure the kale is dry; if it is not, it will steam rather than crisp in the oven.
2. In a large bowl, toss kale pieces with olive oil and salt; you may need to do this in 2 batches. Massage the oil onto each kale piece until the oil is evenly distributed and the kale glistens. Spread the kale out on pans (can do this in batches). Bake the kale chips until the leaves look crisp and crumble (until the edges brown but are not burnt), about 12 minutes. If they are not ready, bake for another 2 to 4 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Toss with the lime zest, sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste.*
*Alternatively, you can purchase your favourite chip/popcorn seasoning from Kernels [my personal favourites are “Sassy Salt & Vinegar, Krazy Ketchup, Bold buffalo wings & white cheese]. Pour the seasoning in a Ziploc bag, add the just out the oven warm chips. Shake & Enjoy!!!
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Nutiritonal Information:
Apart from being high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium, Kale belongs to the brassica family (along with broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, etc.) containing sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.[1] Boiling decreases the level of sulforaphane; however, steaming, baking and stir frying do not result in significant loss.[2] Along with other brassica vegetables, kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.[3][4] Brassica family vegetables can also relieve the tensions associated with premenstrual syndrome as they play an important role in the liver’s detoxification of estrogen!
REFERENCES:
1.Yuesheng Zhang & Eileen C. Callaway (May 2002). “High cellular accumulation of sulphoraphane, a dietary anticarcinogen, is followed by rapid transporter-mediated export as a glutathione conjugate”. The Biochemical journal 364 (Pt 1): 301–307. PMC 1222573. PMID 11988104. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1222573.
2. WarwickMedicalSchool, Universityof Warwick(2007-05-15). “Research Says Boiling Broccoli Ruins Its Anti Cancer Properties”. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/research_says_boiling/.
3. “Broccoli chemical’s cancer check”. BBC News. 7 February 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4688854.stm.
4. “How Dietary Supplement May Block Cancer Cells”. Science Daily. 30 June 2010. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100629131316.htm.
