Kale chips are an easy-peasy way get your fill of heart healthy greens. The word ‘chips’ sounds so naughty, but not when it involves kale! 

 If you love kale chips as much as we do, you are going to love this recipe.

Dinosaur Kale Chips

2 large bunches dinosaur kale

1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 4 hours or simmered in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes)

½ cup nutritional yeast

¼ tsp Sea Salt

Seasoning of choice

Some of our favourite seasonings include:

½ tbsp curry powder

½ tbsp chili powder

½ tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste

½ tbsp harissa seasoning

Directions

Preparing the kale:

Thoroughly wash kale by submerging in a sink filled with cold water. Drain water and repeat three times to remove any particles and dirt. Put washed kale in a salad spinner and remove as much water as possible. Once spun dry, prepare kale by gently tearing the leaves away from the thick part of the stem. Try to keep the leaves as large as possible. If the leaves are still wet from washing, take a dish or paper towel and pat each leave dry. Set aside.

Preparing the coating:

Add drained - soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, salt and seasoning of choice to high speed blender. We could not live without our Vitamix! Blend on high adding just enough water to make a thick, but somewhat pourable coating. Pour coating into a big bowl.

Making the kale chips:

If using oven, preheat to 200℉.

Take each kale leaf and submerge it in the coating. Place in a single layer on dehydrator mats or onto parchment lined baking sheets making sure not to overlap leaves. Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes, checking periodically. If using dehydrator, dehydrate on 115℉ for approximately 8 hours or until completely dry.

These kale chips can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. ENJOY!

Chili Paste – A Savor Kitchen secret ingredient!

You may have asked yourself, ‘what is it about this Savor dish that makes it so darn good?’ If you are talking about one of our many Mexican inspired dishes, the answer would be our house-made chilli paste.

First things first, let’s talk chilies!

Our favourites to use are:
Chili ancho – which is a dried poblano pepper. They have a little bit of heat to them, some hotter than others.
Morita – has a smoky flavour, as it’s a smoke-dried jalapeno. It is also referred to as chipotle.
Guajillo – is one of the mildest of the peppers. So if you aren’t into too much heat, the guajillo is your friend.
Pasilla – is a little longer and wider than the ancho and mild in flavour.

This is just a basic list of the peppers we use in our house-made chili paste. There many others that you might want to consider experimenting with.

If you are a cook, who is interesting in experimenting with ingredients from around the world, the GTA is such a fantastic place to live. All the chilies mentioned above can easily be found in your local Latin market, sometimes in your local grocery store. If you live in Oakville like I do, you can buy all the chillies you need at Nostalgia Latin Market.

Savor’s House-Made Chili Paste

50 grams Chili ancho
50 grams Pasilla
25 grams Morita
25 grams Guajillo
80 grams onion, roughly chopped
20 grams garlic, fresh
15 grams salt

1) Using a knife or scissors, cut into the pepper and remove the stem as well as all the seeds.
2) Over medium-high heat, toast the pepper pieces until starting to become fragrant. Alternatively, you can toast in the oven, watching carefully not to burn.
3) When the chilies are done, transfer to a bowl and pour enough boiling water over to cover the toasted chilies. Let soak for 30 minutes.
4) When the chillies are done soaking, strain – reserving some of the soaking liquid.
5) Add the soaked chilies, onion, garlic and salt to a blender.
6) Blend on high unit smooth, adding a little of the soaking liquid as needed. Make sure not to add too much, or it will be too runny.
We use this chili paste in a number of our Savor dishes, including our Taquitos de Nico-Lachka, Cast Iron Corn Chowder, Cauliflower Tacos, Crema de Elote, as well as our Squash Seed Dip.

What tasty dishes will you add this versatile paste in?

Step out of the way kale… Kelp is the new super-food we should be talking about! Kelp is a type of seaweed that is chock-full of vitamins and minerals. It’s a dietary staple in many Asian cuisines and can be incorporated into a variety of dishes.

Kelp is rich in iodine which is an essential component in thyroid hormone production. It also contains high amounts of iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. Many of these vitamins aid in a healthy lifestyle providing strong bones, and high energy levels. Kelp is also seen to have disease-fighting properties. It is high in antioxidants such as carotenoids, which fight oxidative stress and fight disease-causing free radicals. It has been seen to play a role in slowing down the development of colon and breast cancer cells. In addition, kelp can aid in cardiovascular health, arthritic pain, diabetes, and weight loss.

Kelp can be combined into the diet through many ways such as its raw form, powders, or supplements. Try out our Raw Kelp Noodle Pad Thai recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 package kelp noodles
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• ½ cup carrots, shredded
• ½ cup purple cabbage, shredded
• ½ cup savoy cabbage, shredded
• ½ cup kale, shredded
• ½ cup green onion, thinly sliced on bias
• ½ cup red pepper, thinly sliced, 1” batons
• ¼ cup cilantro
• ¼ cup Thai basil
• ¼ cup cashews
• 4 tsp black sesame seeds
• 1 lime, sliced into wedges

 Dressing:

• 3/4 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon miso paste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari 
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions:

1. Rinse kelp noodles and dry completely. Cut into desired length for eating.
2. Place dressing ingredients in blender and blend until combined.
3. Combine noodles, vegetable and dressing. 
4. Garnish with peanuts or cashews, sesame seeds and lime slice. ENJOY!