Crispy Baked Kale Chips

This is one of the recipes I tested, edited and published to the Fast Track to Fitness website where I was the recipe editor for several years.

Yield: about 3 cups

Ingredients

• 1 (1/2-pound) bunch fresh curly kale*
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese**
• Seasoned salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Set out a large baking sheet and a salad spinner or large bowl.
2. To prepare the kale leaves: Rinse leaves thoroughly under running water to remove grit, then shake off excess water. Fold each leaf in half lengthwise with the stem running along the top, then use kitchen shears to snip off the thicker portion of the stem; discard stems. Place the trimmed leaves in the salad spinner (or pat dry with absorbent towels and place in a large bowl). If using a salad spinner, spin water off; discard water, then transfer kale from the basket to the outer bowl. If necessary, tear the leaves into pieces no larger than the palm of your hand.
3. Drizzle oil over kale leaves, then sprinkle with cheese and seasoned salt to taste. Using clean hands, toss the leaves with oil, cheese and salt until well coated. (This is a great "free" skin-softening treatment)! Spread the leaves into a single layer on the baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the edges of the leaves are browned and kale is crispy. Allow to cool completely. Enjoy immediately or store kale in an airtight container.

Notes

* This amount should produce about 6 cups of trimmed leaves; however, this amount will be reduced by approximately half during baking.

** If you want to eliminate dairy, replace the cheese with an equal amount of nutritional yeast flakes.

Attribution

Recipe written by LuAnn Bermeo, author of Amazing Meals I and II, a two-volume collection of family-approved, plant-based recipes; based on a recipe submitted to Fast Track to Fat Loss, a fitness website, by Emma S.