Nutritious Chips:  Not an Oxymoron–The Rorschach allure of the dark, leafy shapes have you admiring the crisp kale chips before you nibble. Thin and glazed with various seasonings, they not only are snack worthy and packed with nutrients, but they also can be used for dipping or as a salad or a garnish for all sorts of dishes, like baked fish or even soups. Amy Hamberry and Joe Orr make them by dehydrating kale in their Brooklyn plant, where some magic makes than taste fried. They come in three flavors: spicy miso, vegan cheese and, my favorite, Bombay curry, which I would certainly serve with an Indian dinner.
Photo credit:  Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

New York Naturals Kale Chips are sold at Columbus Natural Foods, Garden of Eden stores, Foragers in Dumbo, Brooklyn, and the Flatbush and Park Slope food co-ops, for $7.49 for 3.5 ounces, and at nynshop.com, where they are sold individually and also in a pack of three for $19.95.

Now if you’d like to make your own, here’s a simple recipe for cheesy kale chips from my own private chef collection.

Cheesy Kale Chips
Yield:  Approximately 2½ cups

Ingredients
Bunch of curly kale, washed, stemmed and torn into large pieces
2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours, rinsed and drained
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped topping
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

Preparation Method

1. In a high-speed blender, blend cashews, yellow bell pepper, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper and salt until smooth and creamy.
2. Pour batter into a large mixing bowl.  Add kale, and using your hands, massage the batter into the kale until it is thoroughly coated.
3. Place coated kale chips onto mesh-screened dehydrator trays.  Dehydrate at 118°F for 12 hours or more until coating is dry and kale becomes crispy.
4. Store in an air-tight container until ready to serve.

Variation:  For a spicier taste, blend in 1 Tablespoon chili pepper flakes.

Enjoy!

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It's the first day of Spring, and it's time for renewal. So, here's a green smoothie that will satiate your raw palate!

Green Smoothie
Yield:  2 servings

Ingredients
1 bunch of kale
1 bunch of spinach
1 head of romaine lettuce
3 ribs of celery
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
3 green apples, cored
1" piece of ginger, peeled
¼ cup lemon juice
1 ripe avocado, peeled and seeded
1 oz. of wheatgrass juice (Optional)

Preparation Method

1. In a high-speed blender, mix kale, spinach, Romaine lettuce, celery, cucumber, apples, ginger, and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Add avocado and wheatgrass juice and pulse until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour into a tall drinking glass and serve immediately.  Mm, hmmm…! |||