sweet miscellany

I have always been baffled by the cost of kale chips at the store. Why would it cost over $4 for a tiny bag of chips that I could probably consume in under 5 minutes? Because I thought the price was ridiculous, and because I knew I could make them at home for cheaper, I never bought them. I’m glad I didn’t because you can in fact make them at home for so much cheaper, plus, things just taste better when you make them yourself 🙂

You are in for a treat if you have never had kale chips. All it takes is a bit of oil and salt and a brief roast in the oven and you have the most beautiful-hued, delicate snacks. They are so delicate, in fact, that they will melt in your mouth making you want another (…and another…). If you like chips and salty snacks, these chips are for you. You can eat the entire batch for pretty much the same amount of calories as a single serving of greasy potato chips. But, why would you want greasy potato chips when you can have these green beauties instead?!

Kale Chips with Smoked Sea Salt
I used lacinato kale, but any kale you have will work as long as you dry it completely before using it. Also, if you do not have smoked sea salt or cannot find it, regular sea salt will work just as well.

1 bunch of kale, washed and thoroughly dried
1 tbsp olive oil (or any oil of your choice)
pinch of black pepper
a few pinches of smoked sea salt

Preheat your oven to 300F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the center rib from the kale leaves and discard. Chop the kale into chip-sized pieces. Put the kale in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle the pepper over the kale, then toss with your hands until all of the leaves are coated with the oil. Spread the kale out on your sheet, making sure not to overlap the kale. Sprinkle the kale with a few pinches of the smoked sea salt. Bake the kale for 20 to 25 minutes until it crisps up. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the sheet before eating or storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

We’ve been getting a substantial amount of rain around here lately. Rain + cold + no sun = the need for warm and comforting things. I have an unofficial list that lives in my brain of the things I need when it’s cold and dreary. Since I’ve said before that I pretty much make lists for everything, I shall share it below:

slightly oversized, yet oh-so-comfy soft black sweater
woolen socks
hot tea, lots and lots of hot tea
a warm beanie and scarf
knitting needles and yarn
a good book or two, even if it’s a cookbook 🙂
warm, substantial food

This past weekend, donned in my oversized sweater and woolen socks, I brewed myself a cup of tea while thinking about what to make for breakfast. I wanted something warm with spices and a bit of sweetness, yet substantial enough to keep me going until lunch. After looking through my pantry, I decided to use some kasha (buckwheat groats) and make it into a hot breakfast cereal of sorts, scented with some chai spices. It ended up being just what I wanted and I had to keep myself from devouring it before snapping some photos. It’s gluten free, vegan, and refined sugar-free so go ahead and indulge in some warm kasha goodness!

Chai Scented Breakfast Kasha
serves 2

3/4 cup kasha (buckwheat groats)
3/4 cup rice milk (or other milk of your choice)
3/4 cup water
pinch of fine grain sea salt
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise
8 cardamom pods
brown rice syrup, to taste
diced pear and toasted sliced almonds, to serve (optional)

**if you don’t have any of the whole spices called for, use a pinch or so of the dried and ground versions instead**

Combine the rice milk, water, and whole spices in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat then add the kasha and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the liquid has mostly been absorbed and the kasha is al dente. Remove the kasha from the heat and carefully remove all of the whole spices and discard. Stir in a bit of brown rice syrup (I used around 2 tbsp total) and then divide the kasha into two bowls. To serve, top each with toasted sliced almonds and diced pears along with a drizzle of brown rice syrup. Enjoy!