Four Cups

Baking kale is an interesting process. First, the leaves become bright green and soften, then they begin to turn crisp. In between, they go through a chewy-crisp stage, which i s also delicious. So the baking time is flexible. Just keep checking the kale until it is done the way you like it.

A little olive oil or oil spray for the baking tray

1 bunch fresh kale,  stem end trimmed and cut into 1-inch sections (about 1 pound)

2 to 3 tablespoons grated parmesan (optional)

1.Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Brush or spray a large baking sheet with olive oil.

2.Spread the kale out in an even layer on the oiled sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice with a wooden spoon.

3.Sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until it’s as crisp as you like it. (The kale will continue to shrink and crisp the longer it bakes. Remove the tray from the oven, and let the kale cool on the tray. Kale Crunch will keep for a week or two in a covered container—no refrigeration necessary.

Adapted from “Mollie Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven.” (Hyperion 2000)

Watch the Video 2:44
YouTube

Kale is not the sexiest vegetable, but it’s a powerhouse, nutrient-wise. For starters, here are some of kale’s benefits:

• Superb source of beta-carotene
• Helps to prevent cancer
• Reduces heart disease
• Helps prevent age-related chronic diseases
• Can be stir-fried, steamed, cooked in soups and stews, and baked.

Gail Pettiford Willett, a terrific cook, cooking teacher, and health and nutrition coach (with her husband Walter Willett at the Harvard School of Public Health), showed us an easy and delicious way to make kale taste terrific. It’s her form of kale magic via Mollie Katzen, author of the original Moosewood Cookbook.

Enjoy!

Nina

Click here for recipe.