Middle Eastern Tahini Kale Chips
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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~
Middle Eastern Tahini Kale Chips are darn right addictive. I say that about all kale chips it is true, but once I start eating these, I just can’t stop! If you enjoy the flavor of sesame, you will enjoy these chips.
Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. It is a basic ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking, and it is the foundation for recipes such as hummus.
For those with digestive issues, tahini is a fabulous ingredient. The seeds of the sesame plants are ground up so finely to produce the sauce; it is very easy for your body to process and to digest. This means that it can even be eaten by people who can experience gastrointestinal upsets, as it passes through the system easily.
It is also believed that tahini helps the digestion of other food sources as well, so this makes it even more beneficial.
Tahini is rich in many different vitamins and minerals, but it is particularly full of B vitamins. Specifically, the B vitamins found in tahini include B2, B1, B15, B3, and B5. A single serving of tahini has about one-third of your necessary daily dose of calcium, and it is much easier for your body to digest than milk.
Ingredients:
sauce yields 2 cups
- 2 cups raw sesame tahini
- 2 red bell peppers, organic only
- 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup tamari or coconut aminos
- 6 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- Dash cayenne
- 2 large bunches (8 oz) curly kale
- 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.
- 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:
- In a high-powered blender combine; tahini, bell peppers, vinegar, coconut amino’s, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and spices. Blend until the sauce is creamy smooth.
- 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:
- Place the torn kale into a very large bowl.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Store in an airtight glass container and be ready to nibble non-stop till the last crumb is gone!
- 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:
- Please use it as a guide and closely monitor the kale chips as they cook.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees (F), anything higher, and risk burning the chips.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and place the kale chips on the baking sheet in a single layer.
- 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!
- Once you pull the tray from the oven, allow the chips to cool on the baking sheet.
- Store in an airtight glass container and be ready to nibble non-stop till the last crumb is gone!
© AmieSue.com
Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan
Oh My Goodness, ANOTHER one!!! Yay, hurray…now I don’t know if I want to make these right now or the sour cream and onion….Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for sharing!!!! ☺
Variety Lori, variety! Make them all…have a taste testing… have a new flavor on hand to satisfy different daily cravings. hehe Sounds logical to me. :)
Another delicious one! WOW!!! Container you show them in is very nice, would you mind providing the source? THANK YOU again!!!!!
Lori, I got that container at Cost Plus or otherwise known as World Market. Do you have that chain in your local area? I just searched for it on-line through their web-site and found it! It is called,
French Fries Cone with Stainless Steel Stand …pft French Fries cone? They need to rename it….Kale Cone with Stainless Steel Stand! haha Here is the link so you can mail order it if nothing else.
http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11271723
Ok, I just made this last night and with the excitement like it was Christmas morning I ran to the kitchen when timer went off and had to try them at 5:30 am LOL….SOOOOO, SOOOO GOOD! Thanks and I will share with family and friends.
Thanks ,
Ren’e
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