I was at Whole Foods one day and there were Kale Chip samples at the register. My first thought was "GROSS!" ... but the curious foodie part of my brain took over and I helped myself to a sample. I was more than surprised how much I liked them! My next trip to Whole Foods I came across them in the snack isle and thought, "why not".. at 5.99 per bag.. I was hoping my experience was just like the first time. Sure enough, I was in love with these Kale Chips and all of their delicious flavors, such as Ranch Quite Cheesy, and even Chocolate! It was definitely worth it.
Bag after bag being bought and consumed, I looked into making them on my own and the best recipe that was similar to the ingredients on the bag of the Alive & Radiant Foods brand was this blog: so I went with it.
1 bunch curly kale
1 cup cashews
1 red bell pepper
2 tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt - the package calls for Himalayan Sea Salt which I found at Whole Foods
My next mission was to find Nutritional Yeast, which I have never heard of until Kale Chips came into my life. Turns out the "cheesy" taste is the Nutritional Yeast addition.. who knew? Nutritional Yeast is used by many Vegans to obtain that "cheesy" taste. I found it at Whole Foods in the Whole Body section of the store. It's not cheap, 16 ounces will run you 17 bucks.
Rip leaves from stems and wash thoroughly, leaves need to be completely dry. Soak cashews in water for an hour. Combine cashews, red bell pepper, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and salt in the food processor and pulse until smooth.
In a bowl, combine dry kale and "cheesy mix" and mix. Massage "cheesy mix" into kale.
Lie each leaf on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and bake at 200 degrees for 45 minutes.
They came out crispy, "cheesy", but I didn't think they were as good as the Alive and Radiant Brand at Whole Foods. I will continue to experiment, maybe keep it a little more simple next time!
A little FYI... I stored them in a tupperware-like container and when I went to open then to have one, they were soggy again... so I don't think they are meant to be stored without air.
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