Cheesy Kale Chips

Alive and Radiant is my favorite brand of kale chips. I found them at Whole Foods and I love them. I can eat a whole bag, but the problem is that I can quickly burn a hole in my wallet if I were to buy a bag each time I wanted some kale chips. So my solution is to figure out how to make them myself. I still recommend you purchase a bag and try them for yourself. I like my version a lot. A big difference is that I coat the kale lightly so I taste more of the kale and less of the cheesy coating.

The chips are light, crunchy and flavorful. I have a hard time eating these kale chips and thinking that they are healthy because they taste too darn good. I think you will enjoy these chips as well and it is a lot cheaper to make them at home. A few things to note is that I use cashew butter when I make the kale chips, however you can also use raw cashew and soak them overnight. Also, I have a dehydrator which makes it really easy to bake the chips, but if you do not have one then baking the chips in the oven at a low heat will work as well.

Ingredients:

• 8-10 oz. kale
• 1/2 c. cashew butter
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 4 Tbs. lemon juice
• 3 Tbs. nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbs. chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp. season salt

Direction:

1. In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the kale. Blend until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, tear the kale to remove the stem. (Note: I like to tear the kale into large pieces because I like my kale chips large. You can tear them into smaller pieces if you prefer.)
3. Pour the cheesy coating over the kale and ensure the kale leaves are well coated. 
4. Place the kale leaves on the tray in a single layer. If you are using a dehydrator, dehydrate at 115F overnight. If baking in the oven, bake for 90 minutes at 200F.
5. Store in a dry container. To keep the kale chip crispy, place uncooked rice in a plastic bag and puncture with a fork.