Chips! (...not really)

I love snacks. So much so I can't really have them in my house. If I buy something like potato chips or pretzels or other starchy (non-vegetable) snack, it's almost always a guarantee that bag of snacks will become a meal instead of a snack. Therefore, I almost never allow myself to buy them (at least not in a size other than actual snack size).

So in an effort to have something healthy, but salty and crunchy, as a snack I decided to make kale chips (also because I had kale that was starting to wilt and I didn't feel like a juice).

Kale chips are beyond easy to make.

After ripping it into medium-sized pieces (once the stems were removed, that is), I washed and dried (well) the kale:

 

While the kale was drying, I poured about 2 tablespoons of good olive oil into a bowl and added about 2 teaspoons of smoked sea salt. And I heated the oven to 275°.

Then I added the dry kale and tossed it all to be sure the kale was well coated (but not saturated).

I lined a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up since sometimes the kale can stick to the pan. And then laid the kale in a single layer on the sheet.

After 20 minutes in the oven, the kale was crispy and salty. (Hint: if you make these you can check the texture with your hands--the kale won't be hot, but the pan will--if it's still a little soft, put it back in the oven for 5 more minutes)

These are best stored in something not air tight, in order to keep them crisp. I tend to keep them in a storage container with the top off or with it laid on it (and not closed). If, however, you have stored them in a way that they soften, you can just throw them on a cookie sheet again and stick them in the oven on 200° for about 10 minutes.

Now there's some healthy (and pretty tasty) chips!

I admit, these don't exactly serve as the best substitute for potato or tortilla chips (for one they aren't "dippable"), but they are a nice salty, crunchy snack. If you wanted to you could use a flavored oil (pepper or truffle comes to mind) and seasoned salt (I used smoked sea salt and it was tasty) to add some more flavor.