A few days ago, I tantalized with this picture of a chocolate-orange raw cream cake (probably better designation than raw cheesecake) that I made for our guests, together with a bunch of kale freshly picked from our garden.
No, I wasn't plating the cake slices on the kale, though that would sure have been pretty.
It was part of my kale chip experimentation! Since I got the dehydrator, and since we raised up a bunch of kale (and I have more baby plants to go in to see if we can beat the shortening days with a second planting), I've been trying some kale chip varieties.
For my first batches, I followed recipes, as much as I ever do that! I made one tray of Averie's chocolate coconut kale chips, and I made four trays with a sauce based on one from the Sunny Raw Kitchen (but heavily tweaked). I thought both were _really_ good, and even more impressive, Phil liked the chocolate ones! He even said he was surprised how much he liked them. But he only ate one or two after all.
Next, I saved some of the fillings from my chocolate-orange cheesecake (or not-cheesecake) and made a tray of each. These are the orange filling/sauce...
It was part of my kale chip experimentation! Since I got the dehydrator, and since we raised up a bunch of kale (and I have more baby plants to go in to see if we can beat the shortening days with a second planting), I've been trying some kale chip varieties.
For my first batches, I followed recipes, as much as I ever do that! I made one tray of Averie's chocolate coconut kale chips, and I made four trays with a sauce based on one from the Sunny Raw Kitchen (but heavily tweaked). I thought both were _really_ good, and even more impressive, Phil liked the chocolate ones! He even said he was surprised how much he liked them. But he only ate one or two after all.
Next, I saved some of the fillings from my chocolate-orange cheesecake (or not-cheesecake) and made a tray of each. These are the orange filling/sauce...
I present White Chocolate Strawberry Kale Chips!
Add maybe a quarter cup of sweetener (e.g. coconut nectar),
a pinch of salt,
two tablespoons melted cacao butter,
and blend well.
Massage this into a bunch of kale really well and then add a half cup of dried or freeze-dried strawberries (I used the latter because that's what I had). It made one tray's worth (about one small bunch of kale). These were seriously delicious with the coconut-white chocolate note, the brittle crunch of the kale and then the more lingering, chewy crunch of the strawberries.
These were generally well-received, although they didn't match up to potato chips for the kids, or for Phil. His conclusion: "They're really good, but they're too kaley." Not much I can do to make them less kaley, since they are kale chips!
I've been a little disappointed by the reception of these kale chips overall. I like them fine, but crunchy, dry food isn't really my thing, and they all have more fat on them than I want to eat right now. So I end up eating them and feeling bad about it, and all the folks who love crunchy things would rather have their potato chips and wheat thins! Can't win them all, I guess...
Have you tried kale chips? Have the 'normal eaters' in your life been converted, or did you have the same experience as I did? (To be fair, there have been a few people who really loved them, but not the majority.)
These were generally well-received, although they didn't match up to potato chips for the kids, or for Phil. His conclusion: "They're really good, but they're too kaley." Not much I can do to make them less kaley, since they are kale chips!
I've been a little disappointed by the reception of these kale chips overall. I like them fine, but crunchy, dry food isn't really my thing, and they all have more fat on them than I want to eat right now. So I end up eating them and feeling bad about it, and all the folks who love crunchy things would rather have their potato chips and wheat thins! Can't win them all, I guess...
Have you tried kale chips? Have the 'normal eaters' in your life been converted, or did you have the same experience as I did? (To be fair, there have been a few people who really loved them, but not the majority.)
Im so glad you made them and that Phil really liked them. Being that he ate one or two chips and all..haha! Ok but at least he tried, right?! And props to you for exposing him, for trying, for making them.
ReplyDeleteEla, I have tried kale chips more than a few times and I must say I don't get why they are so popular. I find them gag-worthy. Every very time I've had them - whether from Brad's Raw Chips or Prana Raw - I've been left feeilng "icky." Like I want to be sick. So I no longer even sample them - I know better. If you've got kale to use up, you can always juice it and then use the kale pulp to make "juice pulp crackers" (now those I do like), or you can put the kale into a cooked lentil or split pea soup (if you put it in at the last minute, it will wilt, but won't cook completely, or you can make a massaged kale salad with avocado and seaweed. All the uses for kale you'll ever need! And when you're craving "chips" go for the best pommes frites you can find - just be sure the restaurant has a dedicated fryer for the potatoes, so there's no cross-contamination with gluten. I've learned over the years that nothing satisfies a craving like the real thing. Sometimes the healthy choice is to give our bodies exactly what they're asking for. Not an icky substitute.
ReplyDeleteAverie, thanks so much for looking in, and especially thanks for the inspiration with the chocolate kale chips! I was impressed that Phil even tried them and even more that he liked them. I think you would enjoy the white chocolate-strawberry version too.
ReplyDeletelove
Ela
Anonymous (Mindy?)--thanks so much for weighing in with your impression of kale chips. I think that you make a great point about satisfying a craving with 'the real thing.' That's definitely my biggest obstacle in preparing 'my kinds of food' for people with 'mainstream' palates: too often, it seems like I'm creating substitutes for 'the real thing,' where for me, that's not really the point.
ReplyDeleteI really don't go for things like chips and crackers anyway--I get plenty of crunch from carrots and celery. I just thought that maybe the chip-lovers in my life would enjoy the kale version: you give a really good explanation of why they might not!
Oh, and I agree with you: I _love_ wilting kale into cooked lentils or similar--black eyed peas with chard is a very typical middle eastern combo that tastes like home to me.
love
Ela
I - and my hubby and toddler daughter - love kale chips! But I've never bought them at the store and I've never made them with any sauce. I usually just rip the kale into bite size pieces, toss them with a little oil, sprinkle salt and/or spices on them, and dry them out. (Usually in the oven, since we have not replaced our dehydrator).
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to imagine chocolate and kale. I may have to try it just to see what it is like!
This is by far the most creative kale chip flavor I've seen! I only semi-recently fell in love with sweet kale chips. It's too bad they weren't as well-received as you hoped. (I know it's easier said than done, but) try not to beat yourself up too much about eating them all!
ReplyDeleteEla, I'm sure you've gathered that I LOVE kale chips, but I can easily get into a phase of eating too many. I often eat a head of kale in one setting, which I try to tell myself is really healthy. :) The white chocolate strawberry kale chips look insane!! I love your creative recipes.
ReplyDeleteCathy W--I think you might enjoy chocolate and kale. I have often thought that kale itself has a slightly chocolatey taste in certain contexts. That is so cool to hear that your little one likes kale chips too. I will have to try it with just an olive oil coating (I bet olive oil and lemon would be wonderful).
ReplyDeletelove
Ela
Thanks so much, Amber--that's quite a compliment coming from you! I hope you'll try the white choc/strawberry--it's a good combination. I've managed to steer clear of too much self-flagellation, but it does annoy me when I end up eating something that's 'not really my thing' and hasn't hit the spot with others.
ReplyDeletelove
Ela
Thanks so much, kt!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure a head of kale is a healthy thing ;) I wish I knew which nutrients are de-emphasized by dehydration, but mostly I'm just not a dry/dense/crunchy fan.
love
Ela