Last week, I had the chance to talk about food as medicine on San Francisco’s ABC station, KGO.  Reggie Aqui asked me about how to stock a pantry for healthy home cooking, and I talked about my top foods for health, my number 1 being leafy greens, and what it means to “eat the rainbow.”  I was asked to bring kale chips, so I brought two flavors– classic olive oil and sea salt, and a spiced-up version with pimenton (smoked paprika) and garlic.  People are always asking me for healthy snack ideas, and this is an easy and versatile recipe to try.   It was fun to watch Reggie and Kristen Sze munch on my kale chips in the studio, and even more fun for all of us to pose with them after the interview.  I hope to be back!

As Seen on TV Pimenton and Garlic Kale Chips

Ingredients

1 bunch kale

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

a few pinches of salt, to taste

2 tablespoons or more pimenton (smoked paprika)

2 tablespoons or more garlic powder

Technique

1. Preheat oven to 275 F.
2. Wash whole kale leaves, shake out or dry in a salad spinner, then dry thoroughly with towels.
3. Once kale leaves are completely dried, tear leaves off the fibrous central stem into bite-size (potato chip sized) pieces and place onto two baking sheets in a single layer with some space around each leaf.  (The space is very important to allow air to circulate and allow the chips to crisp.)
4. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, about 1 tablespoon per baking sheet, then sprinkle evenly with salt and a good amount of pimenton and garlic, until well coated. Toss with tongs or with your hands to evenly distribute oil, salt and spices.  Place prepared kale leaves into the preheated oven, and bake for 20 minutes, turning kale over halfway through baking.