Asian Kale Chips

This is a recipe for Asian flavored kale chips. It is fairly low in calories, gluten free and dairy free. It is made in the same way as the Southwest Kale Chips posted here at the website (see recipe index). You will also need a big mixing bowl – about 8 quart capacity. This recipe uses raw almonds, but you can substitute with raw almond butter if preferred.

Asian kale chips are easy to make with a food processor and a dehydrator. Always try to find good quality organic ingredients whenever possible – especially the soy sauce and miso paste. These two items are made with fermented soy and soy is one of the big GMO crops. So make sure to select only organic miso paste and soy sauce to avoid GMO soy.

I am using Nama Shoyu soy sauce. I like the fact that it is a raw food product and it contains live cultures ("beneficial probiotic bacteria and living enzymes" – according to the label). I also like to dehydrate at 115°F to help preserve the living enzymes. I am also using Sho Chiku Bai Nigori Sake which I was able to obtain from our local Whole Foods Market.

Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches curly kale
  • 1 cup raw almonds (or 1/3 lb raw almond butter)
  • 3 tbsp organic sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp organic white miso paste (Mellow White miso)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sake (Sho Chiku Bai Nigori Sake)
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp organic Nama Shoyu sauce (or Tamari)
  • 1/4 cup water (as needed for consistency of loose paste)

Put almonds in a food processor and start grinding them up. Add remaining ingredients and continue to run the food processor until smooth and creamy. Add water as necessary until it is the consistency of loose paste.

Meanwhile, remove the stems from the kale and place the leaves in a sink or basin of water. Wash the kale, then spin it with a salad spinner. Add about half of the washed kale to a large (8 quart) mixing bowl and about half of the paste mixture. Toss with steel tongs to spread the mixture evenly. Add the other half of the kale and the paste and toss it all together until the mixture is distributed evenly all over the kale.

Spread on dehydrator trays. Try to arrange them only one layer deep to facilitate good air circulation and efficient dehydration. Dehydrate at 115°F for about 12 hours.

Add almonds to the food processor and start to grind them up. When the almonds become ground into almond meal in the food processor bowl, start adding the other ingredients. Next, add the miso paste, followed by the soy sauce, sake and garlic powder. Add the sesame oil and wait until it starts to thicken up and then start adding a little bit of water at a time until the mixture is the consistency of loose paste.

Tip: Grind almonds in the food processor first for awhile before adding remaining ingredients to keep it from splattering all over inside the processor bowl. At first it makes almond meal and eventually it will make almond butter, but you don’t have to wait that long.

Note: If you substitute almond butter for the raw almonds, you can add pretty much everything in at once.

In the meantime while the food processor is running, setup a cutting board next to a sink filled with water. Remove the stem from each kale leaf with a chef’s knife and slide the leaves into the water to rinse them off. Using a salad spinner, spin off any excess water and start placing the rinsed kale leaves into a large mixing bowl.

Add the paste from the food processor to a layer of kale leaves and mix it around with a pair of stainless steel tongs. Spin some more leaves and add them to the bowl along with some more paste. Mix it all up a layer at a time. Toss the kale leaves to distribute the paste evenly. Make sure all the leaves are covered and that there aren’t any lumps.

Place a non stick sheet on each dehydrator tray, then using a pair of stainless steel tongs, spread the kale over each tray.

Note: Try to spread them out so there is only one layer. This will keep them from getting gummy and to ensure adequate dehydration.

Place the trays in the dehydrator and set the temperature for 115°F.

Dehydrate for about 12 hours.

Crisp and delicious kale chips.


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