Tag Archives: low fat

  1. Instant Pot Shredded Chicken {w/ Recipe Ideas & Slow Cooker Option}

    Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is a meal prep staple and this simple, no-fail recipe is super versatile, too. Shredded Chicken is an easy, healthy protein that you can add to salads and veggie bowls, burritos, enchiladas, tacos, wraps, sandwiches, omelettes or scrambles. Add your shredded chicken to your favorite soup, stew or stir fry. It’s a great addition to cauliflower fried rice or breakfast egg bites. Serve over rice (or cauli-rice) or pasta (or zoodles), or simply add your favorite mayo and make a quick chicken salad for lunches or quick meals.

    Instant Pot Shredded Chicken {with Recipe Ideas & Slow Cooker Option}

    Instant Pot Shredded Chicken {with Recipe Ideas & Slow Cooker Option}

    Like my shredded beef recipe, this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is a meal prep and meal planning super-star staple in our house and for so many of my clients. Of course if you don’t have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you can also easily make this in the slow cooker, I included those directions below. I personally find the Instant Pot brings the best results, the meat is always moist (yuck, I hate that word) and ready in a jiffy. You can even make your Instant Pot Shredded Chicken from chicken thighs, or a mix of chicken thighs and chicken breasts.

    See all my tips and recipe suggestions below, to make this a weekly staple food you can always have on hand. Cook once and eat LOTS – a great way to stay planned out, to feel less overwhelmed at mealtime and ultimately successful with your health goals.

    Read the rest of this entry »

  2. Fiesta Quinoa Salad – Gluten-free + Vegan

    Fiesta Quinoa Salad - Gluten-free + Vegan

    Here is a quick recipe, that I have been meaning to share in full here with you guys for some time now. I made this again this week with the abundance of peppers and tomatoes we have from our CSA. This salad is full of so many of my favorite flavors but even more so, it is so full of beautiful and vibrant colors. A real party in the bowl (hence the name).

    I am a big fan of Mexican flavors and spices, they are so bright and intense! If it were up to me, add just a little cilantro and cumin to a dish and you already have a winner, add avocado and now there is no way I would ever turn it down. Speaking of, I have heard that people either love cilantro or absolutely despise it, I just read a quick article the other day that it could be an actual genetic trait. So do you love cilantro or do you hate it? 

    Fiesta Quinoa Salad - Gluten-free + Vegan

    Fiesta Quinoa Salad - Gluten-free + Vegan

    Fiesta Quinoa Salad - Gluten-free + Vegan

    Fiesta Quinoa Salad - Gluten-free + Vegan

    This quinoa salad is one of the recipes I made for my Buffalo News Cook of the Month feature back in July, so I included (above) some of the photos that Sharon Cantillon of the Buffalo News, took while I was preparing this dish. Since I take all of my own photos and really only feature photos of the finished dishes, I thought it would be fun to see some “action” shots. I hope you enjoy.

    Fiesta Quinoa Salad - Gluten-free + Vegan

    [print_this]Fiesta Quinoa Salad – Gluten-free + Vegan
    serves 6-8

    2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled to room temperature (I used an organic sprouted quinoa trio)
    1 red bell pepper, diced
    1 jalapeño, finely chopped
    1 cup of cooked corn
    1 cup black beans
    1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
    3 fresh scallions, thinly sliced
    1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (if you don’t like cilantro, you can use mint instead)
    1 avocado, diced
    Zest from 1 lime

    Dressing:

    1/4 cup olive oil
    1 lime, juiced
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    1/2 teaspoon cumin
    1/2 teaspoon chili powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt

    Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk very well to combine. Set aside.

    Add the cooked (and cooled) quinoa to a large serving bowl. Add everything to the serving bowl with the quinoa, except the avocado. Toss very well to combine.

    Give the dressing a quick whisking again to combine and pour it over the salad. Top with avocado and lime zest. You can also add another small handful or two of the fresh scallions and fresh cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve the salad immediately at room temperature or chilled. [/print_this]

  3. Sprouted Quinoa with Garlicky Kale, Tomatoes and Toasted Pine Nuts – Gluten-free + Vegan

    Sprouted Quinoa with Garlicky Kale, Tomatoes and Pine Nuts - Gluten-free + Vegan

    I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. Being that it is a short week here with Labor Day being on Monday, it has been a busy couple of days over here. I have had a lot of different projects and tasks on my plate this week, so I have been a busy little lady. I have some really fun guest posts coming up that I have been working on and I cannot wait till they are live so I can share them with you.

    I made this delicious quinoa dish for dinner last night as a nice way to highlight the delicious kale and tomato berries from our CSA share from Porter Farms. Each week the farm sends an informative newsletter with the shares, it always contains a list of all of the items you are receiving, plus some updates on the farm, their crops, how the weather is affecting them, storage tips and a recipe! This week’s recipe was for a whole wheat pasta dish that sounded quite tasty to me, but I had made a pasta a few days prior and I was really in the mood for quinoa, so I changed the recipe and adapted it to work for some delicious sprouted quinoa I had in the pantry.

    Sprouted Quinoa with Garlicky Kale, Tomatoes and Pine Nuts - Gluten-free + Vegan

    This quinoa dish (I suppose it could be called a salad, but I served it warm and it seems like so much more than a salad), was absolutely incredible. The flavor from the garlic and red onion with the nutty flavor from the quinoa and of course, the toasted pine nuts, plus the bursts of flavor from the tomato berries and the star of the show, kale. Oh my! I have to mention that the kale from Porter Farms is hands-down THE very best kale I have ever eaten. It was tender and full of flavor, but not too bitter as kale can sometimes be. I am not sure what it was about it, but it was just better than any I have ever eaten. It was perfection. I honestly get so excited about the food I get from our local farmers, nothing makes me happier than to know that the money I spend with them goes directly to them, there is no middle man, no grocery store, it is just going to support their crops, pay their workers, etc. If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen the post I put up this past Saturday after I picked up my CSA and went to the farmers market, but if you didn’t it is worth repeating:

    SUPPORT LOCAL!! For less than $40 I just brought home a huge haul from our CSA and the farmers market this morning that included: watermelons, beets, red onions, Roma tomatoes, regular tomatoes, tomato berries, green and purple bell peppers, poblano peppers, cubanelle peppers, kale, zucchini, corn, pears, eggplant, basil, cilantro, brown eggs, sweet onions & scallions.

    Can you even believe all that?

    Do you belong to a CSA or go to your farmers market?

    Sprouted Quinoa with Garlicky Kale, Tomatoes and Pine Nuts - Gluten-free + Vegan

    [print_this]Sprouted Quinoa with Garlicky Kale, Tomatoes and Toasted Pine Nuts – Gluten-free + Vegan
    Serves 4
    Inspired by this recipe from Real Simple

    1 cup uncooked sprouted quinoa (regular quinoa would work, too)
    1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
    3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
    1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    1/8 teaspoon black pepper
    a pinch of red pepper flakes
    1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)
    2 cups tomatoes berries (aka grape tomatoes), halved
    1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

    Rinse the quinoa in a strainer with cold water and rinse until the water runs clear. Heat a medium-sized saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add your quinoa to the pan and toast, stirring, until the grains have separated and begin to smell fragrant. Just a couple of minutes. Add the broth, a pinch of salt and bring it to a boil, once boiling reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the quinoa is tender and translucent and each grain displays a little thread.

    While the quinoa is cooking, you can cut up all of your vegetables. Once the quinoa is done you can start preparing the rest of the dish.

    Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook for about a minute longer. Add the kale and cook, tossing frequently, until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tossing frequently, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes more. In a large serving bowl, toss the cooked quinoa with the kale mixture, season to taste, if needed. Top with toasted pine nuts just before serving. Serve immediately while warm or it can also be served room temperature or even chilled. [/print_this]

  4. Crock-Pot Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers – Gluten-free + Dairy-free (w/ Oven Option)

    Crock-Pot Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers - Gluten-free + Dairy-free (w/ Oven Option)

    This is my version of a dish my parents have been making for as long as I can recall. They always serve it with a big Greek salad on the side as well as kalamata olives and some cut up feta cheese. So good! They bake them in the oven which I really like, but when I made these a week or two ago in the oven with black rice in the stuffing, I of course didn’t account for how long they would take to cook, I am not always the best at that type of longer term dinner planning. I didn’t get them into the oven until nearly 7:30pm, OOPS! We definitely didn’t eat dinner until 9:30pm that night, which I am not necessarily a fan of.

    Crock-Pot Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers - Gluten-free + Dairy-free (w/ Oven Option)

    After that dinner, we got even more peppers and tomatoes the following Saturday in our CSA from Porter Farms, including more of the beautiful purple bell peppers, which are just beautiful. I thought I would try making these again since they are such a great use for the veggies, but this time in the Crock Pot, so they can just cook away all day and be hot and ready for us when we were ready for them. It turned out perfect, the peppers and tomatoes were nicely roasted and tender, but not too soft, the stuffing had a delicious taste and the wild rice had a sweet and nutty bite to it.

    Crock-Pot Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers - Gluten-free + Dairy-free (w/ Oven Option)

    The thing I like a little bit better about making these in the oven versus the Crock Pot is if you take the foil off for a little bit, you can get a little crispiness to some of the stuffing, but other than that, the Crock Pot version is just as delicious. If you are making this in the oven and you have a bit more room, I also enjoying filling zucchini and eggplant with this stuffing.

    Sadly these are so much more beautiful when they go into the Crock Pot versus when they come out, but I promise what the veggies lack in color, they make up for in taste.

    Crock-Pot Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers - Gluten-free + Dairy-free (w/ Oven Option)

    [print_this]Crock-Pot Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers – Gluten-free + Dairy-free
    Serves 4

    • 1 lb raw local pasture-raised ground beef
    • 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice (you can also use brown or white rice, black rice is also quite delicious)
    • 1 28-ounce can of organic diced tomatoes
    • 1 small onion, diced
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 stalks celery, diced
    • 1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped – I used basil and oregano
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/4 – 1/3 cup water
    • 6-9 tomatoes and peppers (I only had room for 7 veggies total in my crockpot but I could have filled 1 or 2 more with stuffing)

    In a large bowl, mix all of the stuffing ingredients together (except for the water and the peppers). You can really get your hands in there if you wanna make sure it is well mixed.

    Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and peppers and set aside. Take out the seeds and ribs on the peppers. For the tomatoes, scoop out some of the inside flesh you can add it to the stuffing or put it aside for use in something else. Wash and clean out the peppers and tomatoes, give them a quick dry.
    Stuff each pepper and tomato with a good amount of the ground beef and wild rice mixture
    Nestle the peppers and tomatoes into your crock and put the l tops back on. Pour in water around the bases of the peppers and tomatoes, you want just enough to cover the bottom of the crock pot.

    Cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

    Depending on how tightly you have them packed in there, you’ll need to be a little careful when removing the veggies from your Crock Pot, you don’t want them to bust open and ruin your pretty presentation (like my tomato decided to do). They are definitely tender, the tomatoes especially. Salt and pepper to taste, if need be when serving.

    Oven Option – Preheat the oven to 400º F. Prepare the peppers and tomatoes the exact same way. Add them to a glass baking pan, with just a drizzle of water at their bases. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 2 hours until the rice is fully cooked. [/print_this]

  5. Banana Piña Colada – Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free

    Banana Piña Colada - Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free

    Coconut and pineapple has to be one of the quintessential flavor combinations of the summer! So what better fruit to add to that delicious mix than bananas? This is an updated lighter version of the classic beach cocktail, a piña colada. Instead of coconut cream, sugary juice or those nasty mixes, this summertime mocktail combines fresh and healthy ingredients for that same creamy and delicious satisfaction without all the garbage.

    Banana Piña Colada - Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free

    The bananas provide plenty of sweetness, so there is no need for any sugar or sweeteners and by freezing both the bananas and the coconut milk, you won’t end up with a watered down drink as the ice slush melts. Obviously, if you wish to make this an alcoholic cocktail, add in a shot or two of your favorite rum at the end and give it another whirl in the blender.

    Banana Piña Colada - Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free

    There is no refined sugar added to this and it is delicious even without the rum. The creamy sweetness from the bananas and the coconut milk provides more than enough sweet, so you don’t have to add any sugar or sweetener at all. And even if you go with the full-fat coconut milk, it is still lighter than the standard coconut cream that is used. If you want it to be even lighter and lower in fat and calories, feel free to use light coconut milk. I personally like the creaminess of full fat coconut milk and since it is a healthy fat, I can totally justify indulging! Plus, the other bonus of this creamy summertime mocktail is that it could also be enjoyed as a delicious and sinful breakfast smoothie. That would be the perfect way to start any day, if you ask me.

    Banana Piña Colada - Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free

    Banana Piña Colada

    Serves 4

    • 2 frozen organic ripe bananas
    • 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks  (frozen will work if you cannot find fresh)
    • 1 cup no sugar added organic pineapple juice
    • 1/2 can organic coconut milk (full fat or light) – frozen into cubes
    • Coconut flakes for garnish
    • Fresh pineapple wedges for garnish

    *Optional – add 4 ounces of your favorite rum to make this an alcoholic cocktail

    Add all of the ingredients except the coconut flakes and pineapple wedges to your blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. If you are adding rum, add it after it is creamy and blended, and blend again quickly to mix it in. Pour into 4 glasses, serve each topped with coconut flakes and garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge.

     

  6. Creamy Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup (Gluten-free and Vegan)

    Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup (Gluten-free and Vegan)

    Is anyone else as obsessed with soup as I am this time of year? I could eat it every single day. There is something so comforting about soup. Even though we have had a mild winter, no matter what, every day that it has been the slightest bit cold, I have craved some type of soup or stew.

    Lately I have really been enjoying these simple to make creamy, but vegan pureed soups. Hearty, filling and so good for you! This soup might actually be my new favorite. It has so much delicious robust and deep flavor from the roasted cauliflower and garlic, with just a hint of heat from the red pepper flakes. It is creamy but still light and the depth of flavor is just incredible. What is even more incredible is how few ingredients it takes and how quick it is to make. I threw this together yesterday after lunch to be ready for dinner, and it was so quick and easy.

    What is your favorite soup right now?

    Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup (Gluten-free and Vegan)

    [print_this]Creamy Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup
    serves 4

    1 large head (or 2 small) cauliflower (about 2 to 2 1/5 lbs) cut into 1-inch florets
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    1 whole head of garlic
    1 medium onion, diced
    4 cups veggie broth
    1 1/2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
    a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
    sea salt and black pepper
    fresh thyme

    Preheat oven to 425ºF
    Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the individual cloves intact and the bulb still whole. Cut off about 1/4 inch from the top of the cloves. Place the head of garlic in a small piece of foil, drizzle with a small amount of olive oil (just a teaspoon or two). Wrap the foil around the garlic head tightly.

    Toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Add the pan of cauliflower to the top rack in your oven and the garlic head wrapped in foil, on the bottom rack. Bake both for about 30-40 minutes. You can gently toss the cauliflower around, once or twice in that time.

    You want the cauliflower to be a golden to dark brown color and the garlic head to be very fragrant and soft to the touch. Allow the garlic to cool so you can touch it. With your hands or a small knife, squeeze each of the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins into a small bowl, It should look like a thick paste. Set the cauliflower and garlic aside.

    In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil over a medium-high heat and add the diced onion. Cook until soft and translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add the cauliflower, roasted garlic, stock, Herbes de Provence and red pepper flakes. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.

    Purée with an immersion blender or in batches using a regular blender or food processor*, until smooth. Return puree to pot, bring to a simmer, salt and pepper to taste. Thin soup with more broth if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with a pinch of fresh thyme.

    * When puréeing hot soup in a blender or food processor, do so in small batches, filling the blender pitcher only about halfway. Put the lid on, but remove that small cap in the lid (if you have it) and hold the lid down tight with a towel, otherwise the steam will cause the lid to explode off, spewing hot liquid everywhere. This has never happened to me, but it can, so be careful.

    [/print_this]

  7. Gluten-Free Apple Spice Cake

    Gluten-Free Apple Spice Cake (Egg-Free and Dairy-Free, too)

    This afternoon when I took a break from work to have lunch, I was struggling to figure out what to make since our fridge is looking a bit bare. We are leaving Monday morning to go to Birmingham for a job we are working on, so we are nearing the end of the planned meals and the groceries I bought earlier in the week. As I sat thinking for a minute, it came to me, I made a chickpea, kale, sun-dried tomato salad with goat cheese and a homemade multi-grain mustard vinaigrette, on the side I toasted up one of those delicious gluten-free multi-grain rolls I had made earlier in the week and topped it with a tad bit of garlic butter and small sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano. As I was “whipping” this all up, Mark sat down to eat his lunch, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and he started laughing at me and my creation. First he told me how jealous he was of my lunch and that he wished he had waited to see what I came up with. Then, he asked ‘what is your first memory of really loving good food. Like, at what age do you remember thinking, THIS is really good food?’

    It was such a good question, I really had to think about it. I didn’t really have one solid memory, I just always remember loving good home-cooked food. Besides the traditional and super delicious Greek foods my dad and his family always made for holidays and the like, my parents cooked dinner every single night for us. My dad did the majority of the cooking, my mom most of the baking, but my mom had some really classic and comforting dishes, that I still think very fondly of now as an adult. One of my favorite memories growing up, that I always think of, was when my mom would make her homemade tomato sauce, totally from scratch, and the whole house would fill with the amazing smell of her sauce. I love my mom’s sauce so much. I used to come into the kitchen quite often while it would simmer away and grab the spoon and take a huge taste. I would sometimes grab a bowl from the cupboard and just ladle a ton of the sauce into it, maybe a meatball or two and just spoon it into my mouth like soup. It was so good. She never bought the jarred spaghetti sauce crap. It was that way for almost everything my family made. There was a major emphasis on homemade food. I am sure that is a large part of where I got my love of food and cooking from.

    I asked Mark what he remembers and he told me about him being really young and biting into a really good ham sandwich and think “woah, this ham sandwich is REALLY really good” – haha. I can totally see a young, adorable little Mark all excited about his ham sandwich, likely served with some southern style sweet tea or orange soda on the side.

    Can you remember the first time you really realized your love for good, home cooked food? Were you a kid? Or did you not really realize your love of food until you were an adult?

    I made this cake yesterday morning. I was going to my sister’s apartment for a party in the evening and she asked everyone to bring a snack and something to drink. Since I knew there would be tons of savory snack options and wine, I decided I wanted to bring a healthy fall inspired dessert and some spiced rum and apple cider. At first I thought about making my gluten-free apple crisp (well really it’s my Mom’s recipe), but then I thought up the idea of an apple cake made with some of that great almond flour that I am obsessed with and just a tad bit of honey and dates as the sweetener. Look at me, all confident after my cookie recipe last week. I baked a cake, guys! My own cake with my own recipe.

    The cake turned out great, I honestly have to say I was a little surprised, I had visions of the entire thing sinking in, or just being totally tasteless. It was the right amount of moist, which I honestly was a bit worried about, it seemed like so many wet ingredients to me. The spices all sang in perfect harmony with the apples and the dates and the small amount of honey surprisingly made it the perfect amount of sweet. I honestly hate super sweet cake, I think that is one of the reasons I don’t care for most cakes.

    I cut into the cake to take photos to post the recipe here on the blog, but I didn’t taste it before I brought it to my sister’s. It seemed kinda tacky to show up with a whole cake, with one piece missing. So I served it up and crossed my fingers! Every one that tried it, loved it and some even asked for the recipe! Yay – success! This cake is gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free, it is also easily made vegan by substituting maple syrup for the honey.

    Apple Spice Cake

    [print_this]Gluten-free Apple Spice Cake
     Serves 8-10

    • 2 cups blanched almond flour (meal) – I like Honeyville
    • 1/2 cup chickpea flour
    • 1/2 cup tapioca starch
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 cup apple cider (unsweetened) (you could also try unsweetened apple sauce)
    • 1/4 cup grape seed oil
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (cow’s milks or other non-dairy milk should work as well)
    • 1/2 cup honey (use maple syrup to make vegan)
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2-3 peeled and chopped medium-sized apples, reserve half (or more) of one peeled apple to slice thinly for the top of the cake (I used two very large Crispin apples that we picked last weekend at Blackman Homestead Farm)
    • 8 or so Medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped

    Optional add ins:

    • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or other nut
    • 1/2 cup raisins or craneberries

    Topping:

    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar or raw sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

    Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Grease and lightly flour (I used sweet rice flour) a 9″ springform pan.

    In a large mixing bowl, add the almond flour, chickpea flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, all the spices and the salt. Whisk together well so it’s all evenly mixed.

    In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together well the apple cider, grape seed oil, almond milk, honey, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the apple pieces and the finely chopped dates. Mix well to incorporate.

    Pour the wet ingredients into dry and stir by hand to combine. Be sure it is well mixed and there are no flour lumps.

    Pour the cake batter into the prepared springform pan and top with the remaining apple slices in a circular pattern . Use as many or as few slices as you’d like. (I actually wish I had used a few more apple slices, but I was afraid to overdo it.) Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake.

    Bake the cake for about 60-70 minutes or until a tester or a very thin knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for about 15-20 minutes, or longer before removing the ring on the springform pan, you may need to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan with a think spatula or knife. Slice with a sharp knife and serve slightly warm or at room temperature. [/print_this]

  8. Curry Kale Chips

    Curry Kale Chips

    I fell in love with kale chips last summer. I had grown kale in my garden and had an abundance, so I decided to try my hand at the healthy snack that I kept hearing about. However, I never really got to eat very many of the ones I made. Unfortunately the day I decided to make them was the day after we had to rush our dog Derby to the emergency animal hospital, she had to stay the night so they could run tests and give her fluids. At the time I started making the chips, I was waiting to hear some good news about our little girl, so I was trying to pass the time and keep my mind busy since I couldn’t help but think the worst and just sit at home crying. Cooking and baking always provides that escape for me, a great way to “get away” and just create in the kitchen. Little did I know that by making those silly little kale chips on that very day, I would never ever be able to look at them the same way again.

    I have found, at least for me, that food is always a great reminder of past times. Good or bad. The simple smell or taste of a dish can take you back to being a kid, remind you of a loved one, an amazing dinner party and so many other things. While that first batch of kale chips were baking last summer, my phone rang and it was the vet, they told me Derby had taken a turn for the worse and that we should come right there. After a series of many, many tests and an emergency surgery, Derby passed away later that same night. It was all so quick and it was all so completely unexpected. The kale chips sat on top of my stove, on the very pan they were baked on, for days. I couldn’t eat them, I had no appetite, but for some reason I couldn’t throw them out either. They reminded me of a time when I had hope that Derby was going to make it, I was baking them to pass the time until the vet called to say I could pick her up. I eventually threw the chips out, but I had been unable to make them since, which I know sounds totally crazy, but it was true. The mere thought of making them could just bring on the tears.

    I know this is a completely, ridiculously sad back story for a food blog post about silly old kale chips, but I didn’t feel honest telling some wonderful and happy story about how I came to make these kale chips, it just didn’t feel right. I honestly kept thinking about what I would write when I was making them. I finally made the chips now, because after the one year anniversary of Derby’s death passed us in July, I promised myself that I would find the time to make these again. It most likely sounds silly to you, but I just wanted to wait and do it when I felt like I could handle it. I didn’t want to get over it or forget, I just wanted to be able to handle it and grow from it. I know, they are just kale chips, but it was about the healing for me.

    The other ironic part about the kale that I planted and grew last summer, is that it somehow lived under the 3+ feet of snow the covered my garden this winter. At the first major melt, this past spring, the plant peaked through what snow was left and it was still green somehow with leaves still on it and immediately began growing again. Once the snow had melted and our new puppy Seri could get into the garden, she made a B-line for the kale and would steal the leaves off the plant and run around the yard, eating as much as she could. That dog absolutely loves kale. So much so, that many times she prefers that to any fancy meat treats we buy her. The entire time I was cutting up the raw kale to make these chips, Seri was under my feet, looking at me, waiting for any bit to fall. It was exactly what I needed. Maybe it wasn’t irony at all.

    These chips are a perfectly crispy and healthy snack that is perfect for all you chip lovers. I personally have always loved a good crunchy or crispy savory snack. I honestly could eat an entire bag of kettle chips in one sitting, if I didn’t know better. Thank god I do. The kale chips are light and airy and you don’t even get a hint of the bitterness that kale can be known for. They are a tad bit spicy, the flavor from the curry is so perfect and the coconut flavor is very subtle but I felt like it would round it all out nicely. If you don’t like spicy, leave out the cayenne pepper or you can even leave out the curry powder and coconut flour and just go with a little freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt. Honestly, the flavor possibilities with kale chips are endless. You could use garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, etc. If you aren’t vegan, parmesan cheese would also be delicious on these. Play around. You will definitely be addicted once you make these, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try different flavors.

    Curry Kale Chips

    1 large bunch of kale, torn by hand into bite-sized pieces, stems removed
    1 1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
    1 1/2 teaspoons coconut flour (if you can’t find coconut flour, just blend coconut flakes into a fine meal in your blender)
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (you may need more or less depending on how large your bunch of kale is)
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt

    Preheat oven to 375º F. Clean the kale very good, after removing the stems and tearing into bite sized pieces, allow the kale to air dry or spin it dry in your salad spinner. Lay the dry kale pieces in a single layer on two baking sheets (you may need more or less baking sheets depending on how much kale you have). Since I had two baking sheets covered in kale, I drizzled one tablespoon of olive oil over each. Toss the kale around with your hands to evenly coat it all in the olive oil. In a small bowl mix together the curry powder, coconut flour, cayenne pepper and sea salt. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over one pan and half over the other. Toss the kale gently with your hands to evenly distribute the spices.

    Place the pans in the oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes until the edges of the kale pieces are brown and they are crispy. Keep an eye on them. Be careful not to burn them. Once done, place the baking sheet on a rack to allow it to cool. I find storing the kale chips in a tightly closed paper bag, the best way to make sure they remain crispy.

    FYI – kale chips are also wonderful crumbled up and sprinkled over popcorn.

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