Hellobee

When Ruby turned six months, I thought I’d get another chance to share some favorite baby puree recipes*, but as it turns out she prefers to self-feed and to eat things with more texture. Whereas with Zane we loosely followed a combination of purees and baby led weaning, Ruby refused to eat anything off a spoon from the get-go – to the degree I wondered if she wasn’t ready for solids. Then one evening, I set a kale chip in front of her and watched in amazement as she started chewing and swallowing. So, there ya go, baby’s first food: kale chips. She’s been a hearty eater since.

That night I hopped on Hellobee and was surprised to find no recipes or tutorials for kale chips. Let’s fix that! Since we eat a lot of greens, I’m always looking for new ways to prepare them to keep things from getting too repetitive. Turning kale and collards into crispy chips isn’t just means for a snack in our household, and I often serve them with dinner as one of the vegetable sides. They take no longer to prepare than their sauteed counterpart yet consistently receive higher praise from kids and adults alike. Zane universally rejects all stovetop leafy greens but scarfs down kale and collard chips with abandon. And as for me? I think I prefer these crispy chips, too.

Most of my technique and tips overlap with Angela’s from Oh She Glows. After removing the tough stem (which you can do by folding the leaf in half and pulling it out or by cutting it out – see above), rip or cut the leaves into chip-sized pieces, and rinse and dry them. To save time for a weeknight dinner, these steps can be performed ahead of time; in fact, I like to wash the greens the day before and let them hang out in a colander in the fridge to air dry overnight.

When you’re ready to roast, massage the kale or collards with just enough oil to coat but not so much as to drench, then toss with salt and any additions (think: herbs, spices, small seeds). At this point, you can roast the chips at either high or low heat. In my experience both work well, but, like Angela, I prefer the low heat (300 degrees F) method because it’s more forgiving. At high heat I can get perfectly crispy results but a minute late and they start to burn – that narrow window is no friend to those with distractions like babies and toddlers.

Do you make kale or collard chips at home? If so, let me know your tips for perfection or your favorite seasonings. If you’re new to green chips, give it a go and let me know what you think!

Kale or Collard Chips
adapted from Oh She Glows

1 bunch kale or collards, woody stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
optional: additional seasoning (I like 1-2 tablespoons of sesame seeds or nutritional yeast)

Move two baking racks as close to the center as you can and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cut or tear greens into chip-sized pieces. Rinse and pat or spin fully dry. You could also at this point store them in an open container in the refrigerator to completely dry out.

Split the greens between two half sheet pans. Drizzle each with half the olive oil and massage into the kale or collards to fully coat. sprinkle with the salt and, if using, the additional seasonings, and toss to combine. Spread in a single layer; if you have any extra, reserve to roast as a second batch.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, swapping the baking sheets at the 10-minute mark, until the chips feel dry to the touch but are not browning. Eat straight off the pan or serve them in a snack bowl or alongside dinner.

Speaking of purees, though, I had my eye on a few ideas for baby food:

• Any leftover sauce from this butternut macaroni n tease would be lovely and nutrition-packed.
• The Sprouted Kitchen baby food tips and recipes look helpful and delicious.
• The baby food recipes on Camille Styles also caught my eye, especially that tropical avocado “pudding.”