Crispy Kale goodness

[ladybird64]

I'm buying some tomorrow. My favourite flavour is salt and vinegar but I can't see that working somehow..

I really like the ideas of this, but doesn't it have any bitter aftertaste?

 

[Brunneria]

No bitter aftertaste from the ones i have made.

Just lobbed 2 batches in the dehydrator:

Parmesan and marmite with a hint of salt
And
Curry paste and oil

Tomorrow (when i have washed the trays) will be a first attempt at choc and cinnamon.

 

[ladybird64]

I love curry, but don't think I fancy it like this - but Marmite? Ooh yeah Two slices of granary toast with Marmite used to be my fave back in the bad old days, before I gave up bread. I don't miss bread but I really do miss Marmite!

 

[Brunneria]

Here you go. Combined output of, um, 5 mins hard labour and 12 hrs in the dehydrator, over night.



1 litre jar of marmite/parmesan
1 litre jar of curried
1 little 350ml jar of the overflow of what little was left after some accidently fell into my mouth, while adding to jars...

I used 1/3 of a big bag of Tescos Kale (500g bag at £2.00) for each flavour, and still have a 1/3 bag left for todays choc/cinnamon experiment...

 

[Chook]

Okay, I've got the kale, oil(s) and flavourings - but I haven't for a dehydrator. Does anyone know how long and what temperature it will take in a normal gas oven?

 

[Brunneria]

Okay, I've got the kale, oil(s) and flavourings - but I haven't for a dehydrator. Does anyone know how long and what temperature it will take in a normal gas oven?

think it was mentioned earlier in the thread... or the links I posted must have cooking instructions using an oven (page 1 of thread, I think).

Sorry I can't help. Only ever used the dehydrator.

 

[Digger-i-doo]

Okay, I've got the kale, oil(s) and flavourings - but I haven't for a dehydrator. Does anyone know how long and what temperature it will take in a normal gas oven?

I've never made kale chips myself (although I may have to after reading this thread), but here's a recipe from a reliable source who suggests 350F/175C for 10 minutes, plus another 2 to 5 minutes in the oven after turning off the heat: http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2015/09/paleo-zesty-nacho-kale-chips.html

 

[Digger-i-doo]

think it was mentioned earlier in the thread... or the links I posted must have cooking instructions using an oven (page 1 of thread, I think).

Sorry I can't help. Only ever used the dehydrator.

Now you've got me thinking that I need to find room in my kitchen for a dehydrator.

 

[Pipp]

Here you go. Combined output of, um, 5 mins hard labour and 12 hrs in the dehydrator, over night.



1 litre jar of marmite/parmesan
1 litre jar of curried
1 little 350ml jar of the overflow of what little was left after some accidently fell into my mouth, while adding to jars...

I used 1/3 of a big bag of Tescos Kale (500g bag at £2.00) for each flavour, and still have a 1/3 bag left for todays choc/cinnamon experiment...

I bet you don't keep those jars beyond today. I know I wouldn't

 

[Brunneria]

As you can imagine, I have been munching steadily all day. @Pipp

- And come to a couple of conclusions.

Firstly, my K(ale c)risps are light as air. The bought krisps I had recently were heavier more substantial - and I think that was because the flavour coating was made with ground cashews included. So I will try that tonight with the choc ones - although I don't know if we have any cashews left. The tend to disappear into Mr B when I am not looking.

Secondly, I need to add a touch of salt to the savoury recipes. Crisps should have that salt tang. It is just the way things should be. Doesn't need much! But there should definitely be a saltiness.

 

[Brunneria]

Finally got around to making my choc ones.

Off the cuff, I used:

1/3 big bag of kale from Tescos (say 150g kale)
a big handful of cashews
heaped tablespoon of cocoa powder (Green and Blacks)
about the same of erythritol
a tablespoon of light olive oil
half a teasp of caramel essence (could be vanilla, cinnamon powder, mint essence, even almond essence...)
a splash of water

Blitzed all the dry ingredients in the blender to powder them as finely as possible
Put them in a bowl and added the oil and caramel .
Stirred.
The powder immediately blobbed together into this crumbly lump
So added water, in splashes, until the mix was liquid and around the texture of thick double cream

Tasted it, and adjusted for sweetness and caramel.

Dumped all the kale into the bowl and mixed it all together, picking out any thick kale stems, and making sure the liquid coated the leaves.
Spread out into dehydrator.
Expect it will be ready in the morning.

Will update this post then. VERY interested to see how it turns out.

 

[chri5]

I'm buying some tomorrow. My favourite flavour is salt and vinegar but I can't see that working somehow..

I really like the ideas of this, but doesn't it have any bitter aftertaste?

Did you know that you can get vinegar flavoured salt? The landlord in my local got some from a cheap supermarket and it really tasted like salt & vinegar, I`m sure it would work .

 

[Brunneria]

The choc coating turned out surprisingly successful, with the added bonus that erythritol makes things feel 'cool' in the mouth.
Would make a perfect combo with mint!

 

[ladybird64]

Did you know that you can get vinegar flavoured salt? The landlord in my local got some from a cheap supermarket and it really tasted like salt & vinegar, I`m sure it would work .

Ooh I have got to track that down..the possibilities!!
Well, my kale experiment went thus. Put cayenne and BBQ seasoning (powder) plus a touch of jerk seasoning. Touch of oil, shake around in a bag, then onto tray and the lowest heat in the oven. I haven't got one of the gadgets @Brunneria has, so thought this would work. It went soggy, then started to gradually dry out.
Fast forward an hour. Leave kitchen in charge of OH, go out and come back to the aroma of burnt kale. He thought he turned the oven off but no..he put the grill on. I now had burnt-to-a-crisp kale.
Another bag purchased, will track down the salt..and keep himself the hell away from the cooker!

EDIT - No time like the present, vinegary salt tracked down and ordered

 

[Brunneria]

Ooh I have got to track that down..the possibilities!!
Well, my kale experiment went thus. Put cayenne and BBQ seasoning (powder) plus a touch of jerk seasoning. Touch of oil, shake around in a bag, then onto tray and the lowest heat in the oven. I haven't got one of the gadgets @Brunneria has, so thought this would work. It went soggy, then started to gradually dry out.
Fast forward an hour. Leave kitchen in charge of OH, go out and come back to the aroma of burnt kale. He thought he turned the oven off but no..he put the grill on. I now had burnt-to-a-crisp kale.
Another bag purchased, will track down the salt..and keep himself the hell away from the cooker!

EDIT - No time like the present, vinegary salt tracked down and ordered

I am sorry, @ladybird64 but this made me hoot with laughter.

I am forever forgetting to turn the bloomin' gas ring off. Cooked with electric for 30+ years and NEVER left the ring on, yet now I can't seem to adjust to gas... slightly different, but same thing. Kind of.

 

[Chook]

My experiments are in the oven right now. I'be done 2 x 200g batches - one lot with garlic infused olive oil and seasalt and the other with truffle infused oil and smoked salt. Hopefully a nice way to use up some of the weirder impulse purchases at the back of my larder.

 

[Chook]

Results are good - the garlic olive oil batch were lots nicer than the truffle oil variety. I have munched through all the garlic oil ones and about half the others - and will experiment with what's left to see if they store. That's approx. 300g of kale before being baked. I was desperate for some veg today but can you overdose on kale?

I've just found a bottle of chilli oil in the larder so I can feel the need for a spicy batch tomorrow.

 

[Brunneria]

I am finding them very addictive.
The choc ones with powdered cashew have a real presence.
And the parmesan and marmite ones... definitely moreish.

I have read some stuff on how you shouldn't have too much of one type of leafy green too often - a few portions a week is fine, but large portions every day is too much. We were discussing it in the green smoothie thread I started ages back.

Maybe try some of the other varieties of green veg, although spinach is probably just too flimsy...

 

[Chook]

@Brunneria. I haven't had any veg for days due to being away with work on a semi camping long weekend holiday so maybe I'll be okay with a mini overdose of kale. I'm looking forward to experimenting more tomorrow then I'll run out of kale and will have to start trying it with the ruby chard in the garden..

I've got raw baby spinach as a side salad for my dinner... and broccoli and tomatoes as part of the main dish. I think I'm catching up with my veg deficit.

 

[ladybird64]

Oven temperatures and times please? Fan assisted electric here.