Eat Your Greens

Take THAT nasty Doritos!

So many recipes to post! This past weekend I spent a lot of time making snacks. Here is a spicy take on the classic Cheezy Kale Chip. Most recipes for Kale chips involve soaked, then pureed cashews. I've made that version, it wasn't anything to write home about. Being allergic to cashews, I'm no stranger to finding substitutes. However, why use expensive, heavy nuts when you don't have to? Before discovering the 'raw' version of these chips, I use to coat the kale in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Simple.

My take on the cheezy kale chip is SPICY! I love spicy food, anything with a kick. I figured being cold, wet and tired camping would make these a really special treat.  Ok, if you run screaming from anything suggesting spice, like indian food, mexican sombreros, valentines/santa lingerie, this may not be for you. Just a salty chip kinda person? That's all you have to add: olive oil and salt. The less olive oil the better as it will not dehydrate fully and you may not get the crisp you are jonesing for.

What a Beauty

Kinectic Kale (har har)
2-3 heads Kale (curly, dinosaur, I use tuscan.. anything works)
1-2 Tbs Olive Oil
2-3 Tbs Nutritional Yeast (google it.. so cheeezy)
1/4 tsp Chipotle Powder (so important)
1/4 tsp Cumin
Pinch of Chili powder and cayenne and salt
Water or almond milk as needed to make a paste.. creamy salad dressing consistency) 

Stir it up (lil darlin'! Bob Marley fans?) ! Have chopped Kale in a large bowl. Keep in mind kale will shrink considerably in the dehydrator (yes! you can make these in the oven! See below). Spoon a little of the mixture at a time, stirring in-between. Taste one and alter the spices to your liking. I kind of just throw mine together in a bowl... so the estimates above are, yeah, estimates.

Coated and Ready to Go!

Spread onto mesh sheet, dehydrate for 2 hours or so at 104F. Check often. You want these babies as crispy as a potato chip!
If baking: Spread onto baking sheet, 10-15 minutes @ 350F

Crispy!

Enjoy! I made lots of different veggie chips; posts to come! 

Delicious Chili Lime Delicata Squash

 I have quite a few fun squashes left over from fall. One was this beautiful Delicata squash, that is apparently making a comeback. I just bought it because I had never seen it before. I was in luck! It's a fabulous smooth fleshed sweet squash. I tend to make squash with1) nothing 2) maple syrup 3) as soup 4) as raw salad and I needed something different!

Here is how I prepared it:

    1 Delicata heirloom squash
    2 Tbs Olive Oil (or subs with Earth Balance)
    1 Tbs Fresh Lime Juice
    1 Tsp Chilli Powder (you can add 1/4 tsp Chipotle powder-optional)
    Salt and Pepper (to taste)


Directions:
Cut the Delicata lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and place cut side down in baking dish. Add a little bit of water to the pan to help steam the squash and prevent it from sticking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. check for tenderness with fork starting at 25 minutes if your squash is especially small.

in a bowl, whisk oil, lime juice, chili, salt and pepper (one or two grinds from a grinder of each was enough for me).

Once Squash is baked, flip over, brush or spoon dressing all over cut side of squash. Enjoy!!

You could also peel and cut the squash into strip for chili 'fries.'

Source of recipe: Made it up

Makes: 2 servings, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cooking time: 30 minutes