I seem to have missed the kale boat... Last week I was reading a blog talking about the trends of 2012 they hoped never to see again and midway down the list was Roasted Kale, or Kale Chips. (Quinoa was top of the list, but with my love of all things quinoa I'm not even addressing that one...) As I've never even heard of "Kale Chips" up until a few months ago, I'm realizing just how out of touch I am. That being said, I've just boarded the Kale Boat.
Trying for 12 of her 13 years to get Liv to eat anything green, I had nearly given up when last year she discovered salad. All kinds of salads, Caesar, spinach, ranch dressing, specialty olive oils and vinegars and tomatoes. Yes, even tomatoes entered the picture and she has asked for them by name. Still, her green repertoire remained fairly slim and limited to just few items so I'm always looking for ways to increase the green.
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| Liv & Miss Abbie |
"Kale?", I asked, "You really want kale?".
"Yes," came her response. "I love kale! Kale, and do we have any truffle oil??"
Well, no, we didn't have any truffle oil, but we do now. Seems Miss Abbie roasted her kale with truffle oil and brought the crispy pieces into class for the girls to try. Ever trying to increase the eating habits of the girls, I'm immensely thankful to Miss Abbie's encouragement, because pretty much anything Miss Abbie does is really cool in her student's eyes.
So Liv comes home proclaiming her love of Roasted Kale with Truffle Oil and we had to try. Adding a touch of garlic to the mixture, I have to admit that it's pretty darn good, in fact, Liv and I sparred over the last few pieces. (I'll admit here the Liv just may have received her green aversion from me.)
Roasted to a sort of crispness, parts of the kale remain a little softer bring all sorts of textures to the snack, and yes, the truffle oil makes all the difference. Are you on the Kale Boat??
Roasted Kale with Garlic and Truffle Oil
For crispy kale roast for a little longer, for crispy/soft pieces roast a little shorter. Keep your eye on the roasting as it can go from "perfectly crispy" to "burnt to a crisp" in a flash.
1-2 bunches kale (we found organic at our local farmer's market)
truffle oil (we found a truffled olive oil at Costco)
1 clove garlic
salt to taste
pepper if desired (Liv says no, I say yes)
Wash kale and dry. Preheat the oven to 375º. Remove touch stems from kale, tear the remaining leaves into 2-inch (or so) pieces. Drizzle kale with truffle oil, press the garlic in a garlic press into the kale and toss to coat the kale with the garlic and oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.
Place kale on a baking sheet (it's fine if it is not in one layer) and place into the oven. Bake for 13-20 minutes, or until the kale is the texture you enjoy, stir about half way through the cooking time.
Serve and enjoy!
What a culinary super star you have at home! Liv must be the first 13-year-old to demand truffle oil. We make kale chips all the time (and I adore quinoa too, so call me a list offender), but I've never even thought to add truffle oil. Indulgence of the week perhaps?
ReplyDeleteI love this idea for kale, I'm always looking for new idea for how to use it.
ReplyDeleteIt really is amazing how much power admired people can have over kids. Fortunately, this was in a great way. I am a lover of veggies but not of kale. I did try kale chips last year and they were much better than any other kale preparation I'd ever had. But Brian didn't like them and they weren't special enough to make just for myself. We do eat tons of spinach so that will have to do. :)
ReplyDeleteI adore Liv and that she will eat kale chips. I tried to love them, I really did. He He. I think the truffle oil wouldn't hurt though. I love kale though, I use it in place of spinach lots of times. Hope you guys had a great V-day and a fantastic weekend.
ReplyDelete-Gina-
Ah kale. I both love and hate you! I love when kale is crispy...but mine often ends up soggy. I'd love a plate of this! Thank you for sharing with me. I hope you had a fabulous week, and I hope your weekend brims with good food, laughter, and love.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Love the use of the truffle oil, thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteI'm on the truffle AND kale boat. So funny, my most recent two posts are on these!
ReplyDeleteYour chips sound great. Like the addition of garlic.
LL
Hahaha! Well, it is never to late to get in the boat. There is more room ;) I never even knew what kale was until I was in Brazil a couple of years ago and it was a favorite down there. Now I eat it A LOT. This particularly sounds great.
ReplyDelete