Spiced Kale Chips

As some of you may know, my lovely roommate Carson is here!! She really likes kale chips. Kale is one of those vegetables that is pretty much always around in huge, cheap bunches, and we had about 3 pounds sitting in the fridge. To celebrate her arrival, we turned 'em into kale chips! Together! Now, kale chips are delicious with just a little olive oil, salt, and time in the oven--but my mother had other (brilliant) ideas, and spiced kale chips were born. We made two varieties: Chili Garlic and Tandoori Spiced. 

Here's your mise for the chili garlic variety: kale, olive oil, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, chili powder, and garlic powder. Mmm. You'll want to rinse the kale and dry it well, otherwise it won't crisp up in the oven. 

 Here's a step by step on how to remove kale leaves from the tough stems. Don't even bother cutting them with scissors or god forbid a knife (cough, Fiona, cough) which will take you forever. Just hold a piece upside down by the stem...

 Firmly wrap your thumb and pointer finger around the stem just above where the leaves start...

 Pull down firmly on the leaves to remove them.

 Tear the leaves into the size kale chips you want. It's that simple! You can discard the tough, woody stems, but they are totally juice-able if you're into that (and have a pretty strong juicer). They can also be saved to make vegetable stock. Your move!

 Toss the kale with some olive oil until it glistens.

 Add your spices! These are the spices for the tandoori spiced chips: carrot-ginger salt and a tandoori spice blend, which includes ground ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne. You can buy a tandoori blend at the supermarket, or make your own here. Just make sure to omit the salt if you're adding it in separately like we did here!

 Place your oiled and spiced kale chips on a sheet pan in a hot oven. If you're smart, you can preheat the pans to help the chips begin to crisp immediately. You'll want to make sure you have dry kale before you oil it, and then give it some space on the pan--otherwise you will end up with oily, steamed kale. No one wants that...no one. 

Keep and eye on 'em, and pull the chips out when they are your preferred level of crispy. We like 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees, but feel free to mess around. Try different spice combinations! Maybe taco seasonings, cajun seasonings, Old Bay...you're limited only by your imagination and spice cabinet. Enjoy, and make sure to eat them as soon as they come out of the oven. They have a habit of disappearing quickly. Thanks, Carson, for being fabulous and for the wonderful photography!

Spiced Kale Chips
This recipe is really by feel, so just go with it. And if you overspice one batch, you can mix it with a plain batch and be just fine.
Rinse and dry your kale. Remove the leaves and tear into pieces. Toss in a bowl with olive oil until the chips glisten, about 3-4 tablespoons of oil per pound of kale. Add your spices, about 2-3 tablespoons of seasoning per pound, and some salt. 
Spread the kale out on sheet pans and place into a 425 degree oven. Do this in several batches, making sure the chips don't burn, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from pan as soon as they come out of the oven to stop the cooking process and place on a large plate. 
I can't imagine a more perfect way to eat this delicious veggie...or a more perfect person to eat them with. Welcome Carson!!!!!