Feel the food fear and do it anyway, episode 3: Kale chips

If veganism were Girl Scouts, I'm pretty sure that making kale chips would be one of those badges that everyone has - like the one for tying your shoelaces successfully and the one they give you just for turning up.

Until the other week, I had a big hole on my vegan uniform where that prized kale chip badge would go. I tried making them once before, and got a few sorry-looking, half-arsed, wilty leaves back in return. They were so grim I thought I was going to get kicked out of the vegan union. No badge for me!

But in the spirit of feeling the food fear and cooking it anyway, I thought it was time to have another go. (Or, to look it another way, I had a load of cavolo nero I didn't know what to do with leering at me from the fridge. Take that, Italian kale!)

I'd also bookmarked a recipe for pizza kale chips that I'd seen on Cadry's Kitchen, and decided to go earn my kale stripes forthwith. Like all good things, it starts with a cheesy, cashewy base. I didn't follow the recipe to the letter but went as close as I could with the ingredients I had (yeah, I got all the cavolo nero I need, tonnes of that shiz, but when I look for hempseeds? Nada!)

Here's the end result:

I loved them. I now get the whole kale chip thing, and why so many blogs so crazy for them. Turns out, it's mainly because they are fantastic. Not just finding-£10-on-the-street good, but remember-where-you-were-when-you-first-ate-them-so-you-can-tell-the-grandkids good.

I'll be making these ones again. Again, and again, and again. Next stop: the Advanced Kale Chip Makers badge!

10 comments

Cadry's Kitchen15 March 2013 at 05:59
Excellent! I'm so glad that you liked them! I always used to do plain kale chips, and they were good, but adding nuts and spices adds a lot to the experience. I don't know if it says it in the recipe online, but the hemp seeds can be replaced with sunflower seeds. I made kale chips recently and went that route since I was all out of hemp seeds. (They're not something I can find locally, and so I grab them in bigger cities. This kind of sounds like a drug run...) ;) Anyway, if you get a chance, the nacho kale chips from Practically Raw are my current favorite. They're so very delicious!
Andrea15 March 2013 at 14:55
Wow, your chips really do look magnificent! Practice makes perfect, I guess, as my mom used to say.
Tea and Sympatico15 March 2013 at 15:38
Ooh nice, will have to check that recipe out!
foodfeud15 March 2013 at 17:20
Oh yes. Ain't nothing sadder than a burnt kale chip, but when they're on, they're ON. Very nice job.
Ingrid16 March 2013 at 15:29
I LOVE kale chips! I'm so glad you've joined the bandwagon! I prefer my own to packaged variety, as they are tastier and easier on the wallet. :)
Theresa17 March 2013 at 15:27
I still don't have my kale chips badge. I was reminded that I should really Get On That recently, when some non-vegan contestants on the aussie cooking show My Kitchen Rules made kale chips (and, incidentally, burnt them). Andy just planted kale seeds yesterday, so it may be a few weeks before I get my girl scout badge!
Mel18 March 2013 at 02:23
I'm yet to earn a kale chip badge too and it's something I've been meaning to try for ages. Incidentally I mentioned kale chips to my hubby the other day when he was bad mouthing kale. Nothing like the word "chips" to grab someone's attention. I'll have to give this recipe a shot when I get around to it, they look fantastic! Good job.
Vegan Fazool18 March 2013 at 07:23
Aren't they so easy and delicious? I also do Swiss chard chips and collard chips! You can do chips from any firm, leafy green, I'm sure. Now you can get your advanced badge!
Chard Chips:
http://veganfazool.blogspot.com/2011/10/chard-chips.html

And for the collard chips (they are about half-way down this long, MoFo post):
http://veganfazool.blogspot.com/2012/10/twelve-hours-in-and-still-above-snakes.html

Soldier on!
Anonymous18 March 2013 at 19:24
I don't have my badge either. Everyone was ranting and raving about the damn things online and I ventured out and picked up a bag of nacho flavored ones, they were horrid! Like scrape my tongue to get the taste off horrid. I've been too scarred ever since, I mean, why waste a perfectly good bunch of kale? I should have known that one of Cadry's recipes would be the way to go, I'm gonna have to trust you on this one and finally pop my kale chip making cherry :)
Allysia26 March 2013 at 17:08
Oooh, I'm glad you had a kale chip win! In a regular oven, even? I figured you could only get them super-awesome in a dehydrator...looks like I need to look more into kale chippery. P.S. they look lurvely!