Quick. Name some of the foods with the highest quantity of Vitamin A. You might be able to easily guess carrots and spinach. What you may not know is that kale is also one of the most Vitamin A-rich foods in the world. In fact, one cup of kale contains over 300% of the recommended daily allowances of Vitamin A. But what do you do with kale?

That is the question we encountered when we received some kale from our organic produce co-op. At first my wife cooked it in lasagna, but with mixed results. There wasn't much taste, and some people can be put off when they unexpectedly see an unknown vegetable in their otherwise yummy lasagna.

The next time we received kale my wife had an idea. She had heard from her friends about baked kale chips. Now, the reviews were mixed, but we did not know what else to do with our newfound leafy vegetable. So she got a baked kale chips recipe and started cooking. Here is how she did it.

Baked Kale Chips Recipe

Throughly rinse the raw kale and let dry completely. Tear or cut the kale into bite-sized pieces. Place on a cookie sheet, and do not allow the pieces to touch each other. If they are touching they will not get crispy and will stay wilty. Wilty kale chips are not good. Spray the chips with a coating of olive oil. Sprinkle seasoned salt over the kale pieces. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then place the kale into the oven for 7 minutes.

Once the kale chips are out you can season them with other toppings such as parmesan cheese or red pepper flakes. If anything else strikes your fancy try those out as well.

Reception

The chips came out very light and crispy. After the chips were cooled, to our immense surprise our 3-year old son went right over to the chips and started eating one right after the other. He is not completely vegetable adverse, but being a 3-year old he does not usually volunteer to eat vegetables or new foods.

Taste of the Baked Kale Chips

I have struggled to describe the taste of the baked kale chips ever since I first tasted them. There is certainly a vegetable flavor, but with a hint of a french fry maybe? Like I said, I still have not figured out a comparable flavor. But I do know that they are good.

But like beauty, the tastiness of baked kale chips is all in the eye (or on the tongue) of the beholder. Some people I have talked to have not been huge fans. However, I would not let that deter you. Frankly, I did not think I would enjoy them, but I now look forward to finding kale in our co-op delivery.

A Couple of Things to Reiterate

There are two things I want to make sure you remember. First, do not under any circumstances let the kale chips touch each other when you place them on the cookie sheet. This keeps them from getting crispy. Second, mix and match seasonings to find the taste that you prefer. Enjoy!