Fresh Kale (©photo by MissyRedBoots, courtesy of courtesy of morgueFile.com)

Editor's Note: Author Linda West Echhardt has been honored with both a James Beard award and a Julia Child Award, and earned a B.S. in nutrition at the University of Texas, and an M.F.A. in creative writing at San Francisco State University. She is widely respected for her commitment to helping everyone eat healthy with the most delicious food. We can't wait to visit her upcoming website!

Written by Linda West Eckhardt of the upcoming ‘Everybody Eats NEWS’

Last week, in my local grocery store, a smallish crowd had gathered around a table with free samples. Of course, I had to see what that was all about. Turned out to be dark greenish crisps made of kale, and sprinkled with hot and spicy stuff.

That sounded good, so I reached for the potato-chip-sized-bag to throw in my cart. But the price stopped me. $7.99. Were they kidding? When a bag of potato chips costs less than two bucks, could I justify spending eight for snacks?

I don’t think so. I don’t buy potato chips, why should I buy the pricey kale? Well, kale is healthy for one. Kale is one of the superfoods: loaded with vitamin C, vitamin C, beta carotene, iron, manganese, calcium and potassium.

Kale, along with the other brassicas (cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli) helps the liver to neutralize potential carcinogens. What’s not to love?

Yes, I love kale braised, and tossed into winter soups, sautéed with sweet onions and garlic, but who knew it could be a snack. So, no I wasn’t willing to pay nearly eight bucks for 8 ounces of the dried crisps - I did find a recipe to make them at home. Here ya go.

Hail to the Kale Crisps

Ingredients for About 7 Cups

• 1 Large bunch kale (substitute collards, spinach or other sturdy dark leafy greens)
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice + grated zest of ½ lemon
• ¼ Cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• ¼ Teaspoon (or to taste) cayenne pepper
• ½ Teaspoon sea salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 300˚F. with two racks in place in the middle and bottom positions. Cut stem from the kale, then cut the leaves in half, and then cut into 2-3-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl with oil, lemon juice and zest, and parmesan. Season with cayenne and salt.

2. Arrange leaves on 2 cookie sheets covered with parchment paper, single layer, (OK if leaves overlap a bit). Bake about 15-18 minutes, or until crisp. Check and remove the first ones to crisp, using tongs to move them to a parchment covered surface. Continue to bake until all crisps are – well – crisp.

3. Cool to room temperature then store in zip locks or cookie tins, up to a week. Yum.

1 cup Kale crisps yields about 80 calories, 6 grams fat, 3.5 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams sugars, .25 gram protein, 3 grams salt

Check this nutritional readout against a bag of potato chips. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Linda West Eckhardt

To get a look at a book of Linda’s quick and easy recipes for a low carb diet, go to: The High-Protein Cookbook: More than 150 healthy and irresistibly good low-carb dishes that can be on the table in thirty minutes or less

To learn more about a world class, hand-picked olive oil from Mendocino, California, go to: L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site just scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection

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