Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: "Cheezy" Kale Chips! Ⓥ

This is my second kale chip recipe I'm posting, and I know I went off about how amazing the last recipe was, but for real, this recipe is the best damn thing ever created!! ;) 

We make a batch every couple weeks and eat most of them entirely too quickly. Well, at least they're super healthy! 

These are packed full of flavour with a rich "cheesy" flavour. The trick with these is to dehydrate or cook them just the right amount, so be sure to keep an eye on them. You want them to be perfectly crispy but not too dry, but you don't want them to be soggy either. Practice means perfection! ;)

We make these in our kick-ass Excalibur dehydrator, but I've included general baking instructions to bake these in the oven as well--I just haven't personally made them in the oven, so keep an eye on them and let me know how they turn out. ;)  

"Cheezy" Kale Chips

*2 large bunches of Kale, chopped up (larger stems removed)

1 cup raw Cashews, soaked for at least 10 minutes. 

4 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Hemp Oil (or other healthy oil)

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

a little water for consistency

Recipe Variation:
If you have a cashew sensitivity then replace the 1 cup of cashews for about 3/4 cup of sunflower seeds. Soak them for about 10 minutes and follow the rest of the recipe as usual. 

*we don't really measure the kale, we generally buy two bunches from the farmer's market or co-op grocery store and chop it up so that it fills a large bowl as pictured. ;) 

Chop up your kale into larger "chip"-sized pieces--don't go too small as they will shrink up a lot--and remove the larger stems. 

In a food processor, blend up all your ingredients, adding a little water until you get a nice creamy consistency. 

Toss your kale into a large mixing bowl and pour your mixture over, thoroughly mixing so that all the kale is evenly coated. 

In the dehydrator:

Line up your kale in your dehydrator trays and dehydrate for approximately 6-8 hours. Like I said, keep an eye on them, the time will vary by how much coating is on your kale and what kind of kale you used. 

Why I love the dehydrator method? Because you're keeping them raw (depending on your ingredients) and therefor packed full of all their beneficial nutrients. :)

In the Oven:

Spread the kale evenly on a large cooking sheet. Now, there are two ways of doing them in the oven…

One, is the attempt to keep more of the nutrients by cooking at a lower temperature: Preheat oven to 200° F and bake for 2-3 hours. 

Two, is if you're impatient but you'll kill a large portion of the nutrient value: Preheat oven to 350° F and bake for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Either way, cook until the kale chips are crispy and the edges are lightly browned--not burnt! 

Enjoy! ;) 

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Ⓥ Barbecued Marinated Tofu Ⓥ

I don't know how I've been vegan for so long and never tried making my own tofu for the barbecue. Well, I decided to change that and play around with recipes and both me and my hubby loved this barbecued delight!

Barbecued Marinated Tofu

1 pound Extra Firm Tofu

4 Tbsp Tamari or Soy Sauce

1-2 minced Garlic

1 Tbsp Ginger, ground

2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar

2 tsp Agave

1 Tbsp Oil

Tofu Tips: Use Firm or Extra Firm Tofu so that it holds together. If you want you can also freeze your tofu and unthaw it for a "meatier" texture. 

Slice up your tofu into strips or triangles, the thickness is more or less dependant on your personal preference, the thicker the better they'll hold but the thinner the faster they'll cook. I usually cut mine about 1cm thick. 

Press out as much of the water as you can--most people like to use a kitchen towel or paper towel and really press it out, but I honestly don't bother with that part and my tofu always turns out just fine. ;) 

Prepare the marinade! In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients until well mixed. Place your tofu slices into the marinade--use a shallow dish or ziplock bag, or something that your tofu can really soak up the marinade. The longer the tofu remains in the marinade, the more flavour it will soak up, half an hour is generally the minimum--but I only soaked them for ten minutes one time and they still turned out great… but I also soaked them over two nights and they were much more flavourful. I think overnight is ideal. ;)  

Make sure your barbecue is lightly oiled as tofu tends to stick. Place your slices on the grill and, well, grill until tofu starts to crisp, flipping over to evenly cook each side. 

Serve with your favourite sides! And voila! 

You can also make this in the oven by placing the tofu in a shallow dish and baking at 350℉ for approximately 35-45 minutes, flipping tofu at least once, until brown and slightly crispy. 

Makes 2-4 servings. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Perfect Kale Chips! Ⓥ

These are by far the most amazing things ever created! Not to mention they're healthy! But, seriously, my husband and I cannot get enough of them! We've made made several batches in the past couple weeks--and they never last long because we gobble them up in no time. ;) 

Anyway, these kale chips are perfect and crispy, packed with tantalizing flavour, and… did I mention they're healthy?!! ;) 

We make these in our dehydrator, but I've included general baking instructions to bake these in the oven as well--I just haven't personally made them in the oven, so keep an eye on them and let me know how they turn out. ;)  

Perfect Kale Chips

*2 bunches of Kale, chopped up (larger stems removed)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Garlic Powder

*we don't really measure the kale, we generally buy one or two bunches from the farmer's market or co-op grocery store and chop it up so that it fills a large bowl as pictured. ;) 

Chop up your kale into larger "chip"-sized pieces--don't go too small as they will shrink up a lot--and remove the larger stems. 

Toss your kale into a large mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix well so that all the kale is coated. 

In the dehydrator:

Line up your kale in your dehydrator trays and dehydrate for approximately 3-4 hours, until the chips are nice and crispy. 

Why I love the dehydrator method? Because you're keeping them (mostly) raw (depending on your ingredients) and therefor packed full of all their beneficial nutrients. :)

In the Oven:

Spread the kale evenly on a large cooking sheet. Now, there are two ways of doing them in the oven…

One, is the attempt to keep more of the nutrients by cooking at a lower temperature: Preheat oven to 200 and bake for 2-3 hours. 

Two, is if you're impatient but you'll kill a large portion of the nutrient value: Preheat oven to 350 and bake for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Either way, cook until the kale chips are crispy and the edges are lightly browned--not burnt! 

Enjoy! ;) 

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.