Crispy Kale Chips

When you are in the mood for a simple snack or craving that satisfying crunch of a chip, head straight to the produce isle and grab a big bunch of curly kale. This recipe for Crispy Kale Chips with Lemon Yogurt Dip is quick, easy, healthy, and delicious—just about everything you could ask for in a snack recipe.

Another great aspect of this recipe is that it is like a blank canvas, easily receptive to flavor additions and experimental flourishes. Like potato chips, which easily adopt a myriad of flavors, these crisps can take on many different personalities—spicy curry, Chinese five spice, BBQ, or salt & vinegar. (Unlike potato chips, however, these are extremely good for you!) This dark leafy green is loaded with calcium, iron, vitamins A, C, and K, powerful antioxidants, and fiber—all things that your body needs to be healthy—and because these chips are roasted not fried, they are even healthier.

I chose to make mine fairly simple, sprinkling a little paprika and cayenne on the chips in addition to the salt called for in the recipe. I also embellished the yogurt sauce slightly with the addition of za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend of oregano, thyme sumac, sesame seeds, basil, and savory. These flavors pair beautifully with the lemon and garlic in the yogurt sauce and lend a nutty taste to the snack. If I had made BBQ flavored chips, maybe I would try a blue cheese sauce or if I kept it simple with just sea salt, maybe I would spice it up a notch with chipotle mayo—the possibilities are endless and that’s where the fun begins!

Gather up your ingredients and let’s get started.

First: garlic! I used a few more cloves than the recipe called for and separated the minced garlic evenly allowing half of it to rest in olive oil. Giving the garlic about 15 minutes in olive oil before stirring it into the yogurt and lemon will help mellow out the flavor.

Second: leaf prep! While the olive oil works its magic on garlic, begin destemming the kale. Removing these thick fibrous stems will help the leafy greens cook evenly and crisp completely. With this part separated, tear the leaves into chip-sized pieces and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the garlic.

Third: roast, whip, wait! With the kale in the oven, whip the yogurt, lemon juice, and zest into the olive oil and garlic and season to taste. Now all you have to do is patiently await your kale crisps, which is probably the hardest part of the entire recipe.


Ingredients:

• 1   pound curly kale, stems and large inner ribs removed
• 1/4  cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2   garlic cloves, minced
•  Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1   cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• 1   teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2   tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, toss the kale with all but 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and half of the garlic. Spread the kale on 2 baking sheets and roast in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 15 minutes, until crisp; shift the pans from top to bottom halfway through. Season the kale with salt and pepper and transfer to a large platter.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt with the lemon zest and juice and the remaining garlic and 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the roasted kale.

Source: recipe.com