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Teriyaki Kale Chips

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crispy raw vegan gluten-free Teriyaki Kale Chips

~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~

Snacks… we ALL love SNACKS!  When our goal is to eat a healthy, clean, whole diet… snacks can sometimes turn into a scary four-letter word.  If you don’t (or try not to) eat processed foods, that means that you don’t have a pantry full of crackers, granola bars, candies, or Little Debbie’s.  So, if that is the case, your pantry should be pretty bare.

So what can we put in there to crowd out the dust bunnies?! Kale Chips to the rescue! Sometimes you just want need something with crunch. Carrot sticks are crunchy, celery is crunchy… but come on, let’s be realistic… if we want to be successful in this way of eating, then we need to make sure that we don’t feel deprived.  And besides, as we “indulge” in this crunchy, sweet, and salty snack… we are after all getting in our greens.

When done right, snacking can keep our energy levels up and gives us more opportunities to get in all of our nutritional needs.  But not everyone is a snacker, I’m not, but my Bob… oh man, the man is a non-stop grazer! I really don’t want to liken him to a cow….. but…..well, you get the idea. Never quite seen anything like it before.  Thank goodness he is pretty health-conscious and loves all the things that I made. :) And I have to say that his way of eating makes us a perfect pair because with all the recipe development that I do… I have a ready and willing taste tester at any moment of the day.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Kale Prep:

  1. Selecting Kale:
    • Don’t use wilted / old kale; it can have a bitter undertone.
    • I prefer Curly Kale because all of the folds really hold onto the sauce.
  2. Wash and de-stem your kale.
    • Start by washing the kale and blotting it dry.  You can also use a salad spinner if you own one.
    • Make sure you get as much excess water off of the kale as possible.  If you don’t, it will make your sauce “soupy.”  Set aside.
    • Starting at the bottom strip away the leaf leaving behind only the stem.
    • Tear the remaining leaves into pieces that are a tad larger than bite-size since they tend to shrink.

Sauce Prep:

  1. After soaking the cashews, drain and discard the water.
  2. In a high-powered blender combine the; cashews, water, agave, lemon juice, coconut aminos, and spices. Blend until the sauce is creamy smooth. Once the sauce is smooth, drizzle in the oil and blend just until incorporated.
    • Due to the volume and the creamy texture that we are going after, it is important to use a high-powered blender.  It could be too taxing on a lower-end model.
    • Create a vortex in the blender; this will help ensure that the sauce is getting fully blended into a creamy texture.
    • What is a vortex?  Look into the container from the top and slowly increase the speed from low to high,  the batter will form a small vortex (or hole) in the center.  High-powered machines have containers that are designed to create a controlled vortex, systematically folding ingredients back to the blades for smoother blends and faster processing… instead of just spinning ingredients around, hoping they find their way to the blades.
    • If your machine isn’t powerful enough or built to do this, you may need to stop the unit often to scrape down the sides.
    • This process can take 1-3 minutes, depending on the strength of the blender.  Keep your hand cupped around the base of the blender carafe to feel for warmth.  If the batter is getting too warm., stop the machine and let it cool, then proceed once cooled.

Assembly:

  1. Place the torn kale into a very large bowl.
  2. Pour in the sauce and with your hands gently and evenly coat each piece of kale.
    • This is a “hands-on” job.  Stirring with a spoon just doesn’t do the trick.
    • I would suggest removing any jewelry from your fingers.  I have temporarily lost a ring here and there.

Dehydrator Method:

  1. Have the dehydrator trays ready by lining them with non-stick teflex or parchment paper.
    • Don’t use wax paper because food tends to stick to it.
    • Spread all the trays out in advance because soon your hands will be covered in sauce and you don’t want to get it all over.
    • I used 3 Excalibur dehydrator trays.
  2. Place the kale on the non-stick sheets.  You can do this 1 of 2 ways:
    • Lay each piece out semi-flat if you want to create individual pieces.  More time-consuming and chips tend to be a little bit more fragile.
    • Or, drop clumps of coated kale on the sheets.  This will create hardy clusters that are loaded with sauce and flavor.  This is my preference.
  3. Dehydrate at 115 degrees (F) for about 6-8 hrs or until dry.
    • I tend to pull mine out before it gets 100% dry because I like it a little chewy.
    • The dry time is just an estimate.  The climate, humidity, dehydrator, and how full the machine is can all affect how long it will take to dry.
  4. Store in an airtight glass container and be ready to nibble non-stop till the last crumb is gone!
  5. If the kale chips start taking on some humidity from the house, you can place them back into the dehydrator for a few hours at 115 degrees (F).

Oven Method:

  1. Please use as a guide and closely monitor the kale chips as they cook.
  2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees (F), anything higher, and risk burning the chips.
  3. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and place the kale chips on the baking sheet in a single layer.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan and bake for another 15 minutes.
    • The bake times will vary based on your oven, but it’s a good starting off point!
  5. Once you pull the tray from the oven, allow the chips to cool on the baking sheet.
  6. Store in an airtight glass container and be ready to nibble non-stop till the last crumb is gone!

Here is my dream kale for making chips with… can’t you just see

all that sauce getting caught up in all those folds and crannies?!

fresh kale ready to make kale chips with

11 thoughts on “Teriyaki Kale Chips

  1. Jana says:

    Oh my god, so yummy. We had the teriyaki stired not fried the other week, it was sooo yummy!

  2. Bernadette says:

    Hi Amie Sue,

    I’m having so much fun trying your recipes. The Middle Eastern Kale chips were a big hit with my family. We loved the teriyaki flavor of these but they were WAY too salty. I was wondering if the 1/2 C + 2T tamari was a typo. Anyway, thank you for posting these recipes. I truly and deeply appreciate it all your effort to share them.

    • amie-sue says:

      Eeeeek Bernadette! Typo, typo, typo. I am so sorry. I hate the idea that I wasted your ingredients by that darn typo. Forgive me? I made the adjustment. Thank you for bringing that to my attention and again….sooo sorry. amie sue

  3. Bernadette says:

    Amie Sue,
    No worries! I am so new to this that I figure all is an unfolding marvel of tastes. I used the salty kale leaves as “salt” in other dishes! I’m having a great time!

  4. constance says:

    i make these all the time now everything else is pretty bland after having these
    they have to be the ultimate kale chip (which is my go to food these days)
    thankyou for all these wonderful things you make for us

    • amie-sue says:

      Your welcome Constance :) I am thrilled that you find great pleasure in these!! Have a wonderful evening, amie sue

  5. Sarah says:

    Hi Amie Sue. This was my first experience with making kale chips – I don’t have a dehydrator so I tried the oven method. When they’re so covered with ooey goodness how do I tell when they’re done? I burned mine because I figured they’d be crispy to the touch when done :(

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Sarah,

      My guess would be to pull some out throughout the baking process to test them. Just like when you bake other goods, their texture can change once cooled. Try another batch and take notes, documenting your testings and the times. That way you will have a formula that works for your recipes, oven and climate.

      Have a great weekend, amie sue

  6. Adriane says:

    Hi Amie,

    Is the sesame oil necessary for the chips to turn out? I’m trying to avoid added oils in my diet, just wondering if that can be omitted with success.

    Thank you :)

    • amie-sue says:

      Good afternoon Adriane,

      I am sorry that it took me a bit to respond to you. I have been on a “walk about” for the past 6 weeks (see blog posting). I am not fully integrating back into things but I wanted to start tackling some of the questions that have been collecting. :) All that to say, I appreciate your patience with me. :)

      Yes, you can omit it, it will change the overall flavor of the chip though so just be aware of that. Blessings and joy, amie sue

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