Kale has been making a lot of headlines in nutritional news lately, but before we share the health benefits of kale and an easy recipe for kale chips, what exactly is it? Kale is a form of cabbage that is rich green in colour and it’s leafs are typically curled at the ends.
Health Benefits of Kale
Organic kale contains several health benefits as it is high in fiber and vitamins K and C. It also has high levels of beta carotene and anti-cancer properties, along with containing omega-3 fatty acids.
Kale can be prepared several ways: By boiling, baking, frying or eating it raw. Boiling does tend to remove some of the nutritional properties so if you’re looking to get the most health benefits out of eating organic kale, other methods of cooking besides boiling may be best. When eating it raw or before cooking it, it’s best to run it under cold water to clean it.
Easy Kale Chip Recipe
Kale has a great nutritional value but one of the easy ways to take it to the next level is to create a simple baked chip out of it. Start with a bundle of fresh organic kale and run it under cold water to clean it. Let the kale air dry and once it’s dry, rip it into pieces the size of a potato chip. Pieces that are too small will bake too quickly while pieces that are too big will not cook completely so it’s a good idea to keep the piece sizes consistent.
Put the pieces of kale into a bowl with a few drizzles of organic olive oil. How much oil you’ll need will depend on how much kale you have so it’s best to start with a little and work up. Place a lid on the bowl after you’ve drizzled a small amount of olive oil on the kale and shake it up to coat it well. If the kale doesn’t look coated enough, add more oil and repeat. You’ll want each leaf covered but not overly saturated.
Next, add a few pinches of organic sea salt and a few more pinches of organic grated parmesan cheese. Shake the bowl again with the lid on it so that the salt and cheese spreads evenly on to the kale.
Preheat the oven to 148C or 300F and while you’re waiting for it to heat up, line a baking sheet with foil and place the kale on to the sheet in a single layer. Once the over reaches temperature, bake the kale until they are slightly browned and crispy.