My loved ones make fun of me for the “faces” I make.

I suppose it’s both a good and bad thing to have what you feel written all over your face at all times, being too expressive. The good thing being that the people around you always know what you are thinking. The bad thing being that the people around you always know what you are thinking. If I ever do anything against the law, let’s hope I don’t run into the police. I’d go to jail immediately upon confessing my crime and apologizing profusely. I’m like a female Pinocchio without the nose (or being completely wooden, for that matter). One of my college roommates always used to tell me, “You could NEVER be CSI!”.

Now, how do my faces relate to Kale Chips?

I had been itching to make Kale Chips for a while now, as their scrumptiousness has been all the rage in the food world. But I was taken aback. I can only muster words that lack eloquence: they are sooooo good. After every bite, I was so surprised at how delicious they are that if someone was watching me eat them from my window they’d think I was a complete psycho. I could not hide my shock at their purely wonderful taste… I had it written all over my face. If you know me, you can probably imagine.

They are so simple. They are healthy. It was strange for me to think how something that looks like lettuce and cooks down to something resembling spinach or collard greens could be chip-like. But they are. They are thin, super crispy, and they dissolve slowly in your mouth.

For this recipe, you can substitute any spice that you’re in the mood for. I was feeling particularly spicy that day, so I went with cayenne pepper. But you can also do garlic powder, onion powder, curry, or just plain salt and black pepper. It’s up to you!

Plus, you won’t feel guilty if you eat an entire batch of these, which is not tantamount to eating an entire batch of corn or tortilla chips. Which I’ve never, ever done before.

Good thing you’re not here, because if you were, you’d know that’s a lie.

Baked Kale Chips with Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, and Sea Salt

Ingredients

1 Bunch Kale, rinsed and dried

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon Cumin

1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (the latter will make a much spicier batch)

Sea Salt, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut the stems off of kale and cut leaves into bite size pieces. Toss with olive oil. Spread over a sheet pan in an even layer. Sprinkle desired seasonings over leaves. Bake for 20-30 minutes. The time will vary depending on your oven, but start to check them after about twenty minutes. You’ll know they are done when they are no longer flimsy and they are crisp and can hold their shape.

Devour.