Homemade Kale Chip Fail: Kale Salt Crusted Roast Chicken Legs

I'm not perfect and sometimes I really screw up recipes. Last week, I made Kale Chips and while testing a new recipe managed to add too much salt and make the Kale Chips completely inedible. I really hate wasting food. Having come to the United States as a refugee, I remember long food ration lines in the former USSR. Many of my friends, as well as my husband, who was born in the Ukraine, remember that food was hard to come by and when you had some you didn't let it go to waste. Often times when I ruin a recipe, like this Kale Chip recipe, I am heart broken and try to do everything to somehow revitalize it.

And so, this recipe came from the need to not waste food. I made a batch of kale chips and they were too salty. You can use my popular recipe: The Best Kale Chips Ever and double the salt content or you can use your own kale chip fail. I used my hands to crush the kale chips into small particles and created my very own, Kale Chip Salt! Using that salt, I made Kale Salt Crusted Roast Chicken Legs!

Kale Salt Crusted Roast Chicken Legs
Ingredients:
2 chicken legs
1/4 cup Crushed Kale Chips aka Kale Salt


Process:
1. Place chicken on unbleached parchment paper

2. Sprinkle with Kale Salt

3. Bake for 40-50 at 400 degrees

4. Enjoy with Buttery Celery Root Puree

Shared at: Simple Lives Thursday,   Whole Foods Friday, Fill Those Jars Friday, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Wicked Awesome Wednesdays

How to Make the Best Kale Chips Ever!

It's been a really busy week and on top everything I'm doing, I'm also fighting a cold. Often times when I get sick, I get a nasty respiratory infection. I'm hoping that now that I'm dairy free, that it's going to be more mild, but at the same time, I'm not holding my breath. I've been going to see my acupuncturist, Vincent Kan, and drinking lots of tea and herbs so I'm hoping that will help.

Yesterday, we had a really fun off site event at work where we did a Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt, and my team won! I got a gift card, which I used to buy a new cocktail dress to wear to a fancy birthday party coming up this weekend. I'm hoping that this cold gives me enough reprieve so that I can enjoy myself and that it doesn't bite in the butt after for not resting. Am I asking too much??

In the meantime, I wanted to make sure that I had plenty of nutritious snacks while I'm battling this cold. I've finally perfected my Kale Chip recipe and wanted to share it with you.

Smokey & Spicy Kale Chips
Ingredients
1 bunch curly kale
1/2 tbsp Hickory Smoked Salt
1/2 tbsp Turmeric
1 tsp Ginger
1 tbsp Coconut Oil

Process:
1. In a bowl, mix oil and spices and using your hands mix well until oil is melted

2. Rip kale leaves or stems and tear into smaller pieces no more than 1.5 inches

3. Wash kale leaves and put them into a bowl

4. Using your hands, gather oil mixture and massage into kale

5. Continue doing this until all mixture is used

6. Lay Kale onto Silpat mat

7. Dehydrate in oven at 145 degrees for 2 hours

8. If chips are still not crispy then raise temperature to 200 to 15-20 minutes

9. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can use your oven and set it to the lowest possible temperature (180-200) and prop oven door with a kitchen towel so that there is at least a 3-inch gap. Bake for 1.5-2 hours. Adjust time accordingly to ensure chips are crispy. All ovens are different so get to know yours

10. Enjoy!