Kale Chips

Kale is one of the most nutritious veggies there is, but it is a goitrogenic food, which means it needs to be cooked.  Uncooked goitrogens suppress thyroid function.  For more info on this, and a list of goitrogens, go here.  I stir fry a lot of greens in garlic and oil but I just am not a fan of kale that way. So I was excited to find out about yummy crunchy kale "chips".  They are crunchy and salty (if you wish) and delicious!!  I've seen them on a lot of blogs, but almost every time I tried them, they did not come out.  Until now.  I think I may have had the oven too high before.  


Don't make more than you can eat because they do not keep! (If you have a trick to making them keep, please post!) I covered them in a bowl and the next day they were soggy. Re-heating also was a FAIL.


I used curly kale, because that is what the farmer recommended as the best kale to make chips with.    


Please don't bake this with olive oil. Why? Because it oxidizes too fast, causing free radical damage in the body, which is carcinogenic.  So, I recommend using a more stable fat like coconut oil.  With coconut oil, you'll have to melt it a bit first and let your kale warm up to room temperature before mixing with the oil, because it solidifies at 72˚F and below (don't worry, your body temp is way above that!).  

Kale Chips

1 bunch of organic kale, curly recommended
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
sea salt, to taste
a large bowl

Preheat the oven to 300˚F.  Wash and dry kale, then remove the hard rib in the middle, reserving only the green leafy part.  Tear the leaves into smaller chunks (think chips). Place in a bowl with the oil & sea salt and use your (clean) hands to get every leaf lightly coated in oil and salt.  Put on a baking sheet (or 2) in a single layer only.  You can put them close together.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until crisp.  Serve!

Kale in oven (I made too much!)