Friday, April 19, 2013

Kale Chips and Deviled Eggs


Lunch today included Kale Chips and Deviled Eggs. The Kale Chips were a desperate measure because I had some kale leftover from making soup earlier this week and didn’t want the remainder to go bad. I did find one recipe that called for a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven but knew that was crazy ~ too hot!

Instead, I looked further and found a simple recipe that called for a 300-degree oven and that sounded about right. I’m giving you a link to the Kale Chips recipe, and will tell you what worked for me.

It’s important that the kale is clean and dry before it’s baked. I had already prepped the entire batch when I was making the soup, so I was good to go. I pulled all the leaves from the stems, broke the leaves into smaller (not too small) pieces and placed them in a large mixing bowl.



I sprinkled the kale with olive oil and tossed it with my hand, making sure to coat every piece on both sides. Careful: not too much oil. Then I mixed some kosher salt and cumin, poured it on the kale and again tossed it with my hand. Next time I will use less salt. Honest, it takes very little.

My oven is small and so are my cookie sheets, so I divided the kale between the two of them--single layers, not touching--and put one sheet on each shelf of the oven. After 5 minutes, I reversed them and switched shelves. Then cooked for 3 more minutes. A minute or two more may be necessary, but watch them carefully. You want them crisp, not burned.

In this photo the Kale Chips are almost done, but not quite...



************


Deviled Eggs




This recipe for Deviled Eggs includes the best instructions I’ve seen for hard-boiling eggs. As directed, I bought them to a full rolling boil, then set the timer for 9 minutes.

After nine minutes, I set the eggs under cold running water for two minutes and they were perfectly hardboiled and easy to peel. Where there is a choice of lemon juice or vinegar, I used fresh lemon juice.


************




TV TRAY
As a single person, I sometimes (often?) take my meal to the living room and eat off a TV tray while watching a movie or documentary. TV tray meals are usually cobbled-together with whatever happens to be in the kitchen, no measurements recorded.

Store-bought perogies and fresh asparagus, sautéd in EVOO and butter


10 comments:

  1. Kale chips are something that I would like to make ... Thank you for the info ;). I guess that I missed lunch today.

    Brenda @ sweetsimplestuff

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brenda, do you ever find that you forget to eat (at least the healthy, satisfying stuff) when you're so busy creating and cooking?

      Delete
  2. Mmmm love kale chips all the time what a great lunch :)

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, CCU. It's such fun experimenting with different veggies to see what makes a good chip.

      Delete
  3. Kale chips are great, aren't they? Love 'em! After being absent for a while, deviled eggs seem to be making a comeback I'm glad because they were the perfect party snack. Thanks for sharing your method for making hard boiled eggs. It sure sounds easy enough. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm always skeptical, CJ, when I hear of any deviation from the standard "bring it to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 21 minutes" Sometimes that one works for me; sometimes it doesn't. This 9-minute method is so specific about when to start timing that it's much easier--at least to me. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

      Delete
  4. I really have to try kale chips sometime. They became 'trendy' in the food blogging world while we were in Asia and somehow I never saw kale there. But now I have no more excuses!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Besides the chips, kale has unlimited uses. Just break it into smaller pieces, discarding the stem, and add it to anything you might spinach to. I like that it cooks quickly and is full of nutrients.

      Delete
  5. What a creative way to prepare Kale!
    Just love it and as we at home use more and more veggies instead of meat, I must try this recipe.
    Thank you for sharing Kathleen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I find that the older I get, Daniela, the more I appreciate vegetables. Chips, or simply roasted, are my favorites, followed by steamed. No more boiling!

      Delete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.