Kale Chips: They're Really Good! 

(No, REALLY!)

This week my travels took me to the Upper Valley Co-op in White River Junction, Vermont, a small, but well-stocked market with competitive prices. www.uppervalleyfood.coop The photo at the header of this blog page is of a display table at the UV Co-op overflowing with fresh winter greens for sale, most organic, and some local. I zoomed in on the curly green kale which is really nice for making kale chips, similar to potato chips, but a zillion times more nutritious. 


Kale is loaded with vitamins, minerals, key antioxidants, and fiber while being low in calorie, and always has a spot on those top super-food lists. Eating kale or similar greens --- swiss chard, collard greens --- just gives your body a nutrition boost every time you eat it!


Kale chips are super easy to make and allow for savory snacking on something crunchy and satisfying sans all the calories and starch of typical munchies.

Kale Chip Recipe

There are several different types of Kale you can use. 

I prefer to use the curly kind, red or green, because the chips crisp up nicely.

1. Trim the end stalks off a bunch of kale, wash, and spin off water, then place the curly leaf side down on clean, large cotton towel for 15 minutes.

2. Hold corners of towel and shake kale around in towel to remove any excess moisture which might cause them to wilt, not crisp. Tear big chunks of kale away from the center stem at the bottom of each leaf and place in large mixing bowl. It's OK to keep the stem intact at the top of the leaf. Drizzle 3 Tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil over the torn kale pieces.

3. Using both hands, toss kale in bowl as if tossing a salad. Massage oil over each leaf.

4. Sprinkle 1/2-3/4 teaspoon of Kosher Salt over the oiled kale and toss gently with a rubber spatula. Split the kale over two cookie sheets and bake in a preheated oven at 300F for 7 minutes. Gently toss the chips on the pan, increase oven temperature to 350F and bake for another 7 minutes. (If your oven has convection setting, use that.)

5. Transfer chips to a basket or plate lined with a paper towel or napkin. Munch away! Chips best if eaten the same day. If making day in advance, keep in off oven or cabinet overnight as enclosing in a sealed container makes them wilt and chewy.

I'd love to know how you like these!

A recipe in New York Times suggests sprinkling the cooled chips with lime zest and chili powder for added flavor. 

P.S. EAT MORE KALE!   http://eatmorekale.com/

Chocolate For Heart

Chocolate is good for the soul, good for relationships (think Valentine's Day), and yes, it can even be good for the health of your heart. To benefit and enjoy a truly delicious taste, you need to select the good stuff!

DELICIOUS Cocoa Brownies are Heart Healthy Too!
(recipe below)

A little background: Chocolate originates from Cacao beans that grow on trees in tropical climates. Cacao beans are slow-roasted at low temperatures to bring out their flavor and aroma. The outer shell of the bean is cracked and discarded, leaving broken cacao "nibs". The nibs are then crushed and ground into a thick paste called chocolate liquor (does not contain alcohol) which is rather bitter by itself.  The chocolate liquor can then separated into cocoa butter and cocoa powder. 

Cocoa butter is the naturally occurring fat with a relatively good fatty acid profile. Food manufacturers often add milk fat to chocolate as it is less expensive than the cocoa butter. Unfortunately, milk fat is artery clogging.

Cocoa powder is rich in naturally occurring, heart healthy antioxidants called flavanols that help to lower blood pressure and relax blood vessels. (You want your blood vessels to be flexible like a rubber band for expanding and contracting for blood flow.) Since natural cocoa powder is slightly acidic tasting, food manufacturers Dutch-process it with alkaline, which unfortunately destroys most of the beneficial flavanols. 

Bottom line when buying chocolate:

1. Look for Cocoa butter as the main source of fat.

2. Avoid chocolates and cocoa that have Dutch or Alkaline in ingredient list as they won't contain the healthy antioxidant flavanols.

3. Skip milk chocolate: go Dark! Although, there is no true definition for Dark Chocolate here in the U.S., select based on the higher percentage of cacao in the ingredient list. Go for at least 55-60% cacao when selecting chocolate. Some brands go up to 80-90%.

4. Enjoy in moderation, an ounce or two (small pieces). Chocolate can still be high in calories and quite a bit of sugar can be added to offset its bitterness.

Double Chocolate Good Heart Brownies

In addition to the antioxidants in both the cocoa and the chocolate chips, these brownies contain heart healthy flax and walnuts, both sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. The flax adds quite a bit of moisture to the brownies, so that only a small amount of healthy canola oil is needed. 

2/3 cup Bittersweet or 55% Cacao (or higher) Dark Chocolate Chips

1/3 cup Organic Canola Oil

2/3 cup Turbinado or Raw Sugar

2 large Eggs at room temperature

2 tsp pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour 

    (I was lucky to have some from Brookford Farm, NH on hand http://brookfordfarm.com/)

1/2 cup Ground Flax or Flax Meal

1/2 cup Natural Dark Cocoa Powder (I used King Arthur)

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 cup chopped Walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 

2. Melt dark chocolate chips in a medium-large glass mixing bowl.

3. Add Canola oil to chips and blend well. Let oil from measuring cup drip into an 8" square pan.

4. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla to chocolate/oil mixture and whisk together well.

5. In smaller separate bowl, mix together flour, flax, natural dark cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Blend dry ingredients well with a wire whisk.

6. Add dry ingredients to wet until blended. Fold in walnuts.

7. Use wax paper to spread oil from measuring cup around the baking pan.

8. Bake brownies about 20  minutes and allow to cool before cutting

Happy Valentine's Day!

Fiber Facts: Today, the Center For Science in The Public Interest www.cspinet.org/ has petitioned the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to stop manufacturers from mislabeling foods as "Whole Grain" when they're really not. For example, EGGO Nutrigrain Whole Wheat Waffles contain more refined white flour than whole wheat. Often companies add caramel coloring to give their products that more beige, whole grain look. If a package boasts "Whole Grain" on the front, look at the list of ingredients on the back to make sure the first ingredient really is Whole, not just wheat or enriched.


Sometimes just as confusing is the labeling of Fiber on food labels. Natural fiber is derived only from fruits and vegetables along with the whole intact of grains, which includes the outside bran, the inside endosperm and germ. Fiber is then classified as Soluble or Insoluble which merely refers to its ability to dissolve in water.


Soluble Fiber, such as the kind found mainly in Oats, Apples, Nuts/Seeds, Legumes, Berries,  and more, helps to lower blood cholesterol. Insoluble Fiber helps move wastes through the digestive tract to maintain regularity, and reduce potential toxins from hanging around and being absorbed. Sources of Insoluble Fiber include Whole Wheat Bread, Barley, Carrots, Tomatoes and more.

But don't get hung up so much on whether you're eating Soluble or Insoluble Fiber as most plant foods contain a mixture. The key rather, is to enjoy a diet rich in whole fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts,  and whole vegetables. The goal is to get about 20 grams of total fiber daily. (The average American only consumes about 10.) For example, a whole apple contains about 4 grams, a 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, about 3, and a 1/2 cup cooked legumes contains about 7 grams. What's on your plate today?

White Bean & Kale Soup Recipe

Farmers' Markets Flourish Even in New England Winters!

No, you won't find fresh strawberries or bunches of basil at New England farmers' markets this winter, but you will find a good variety of hardy, seasonal ingredients as well as some delicious prepared foods. A couple of Saturdays ago, my husband and I drove over to the Seacoast Eat Local Winter Farmers' Markets that runs every two weeks http://seacoasteatlocal.org/find-local-food/our-winter-farmers-market/  at alternating locations just north and south of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

One treat we always crave and enjoy at this particular market is a Vegetarian Breakfast Burrito made with local potatoes, eggs, and more by Joelle Blakeslee who owns White Heron Tea Company http://www.whiteherontea.com with her husband Jonathan. In addition to their great selection of  Organic, Fair Trade teas from around the world, the couple also offer unique and flavorful prepared foods, made with local ingredients, such as another of my favorites: Curried Carrot Hummus which we brought home, kept refrigerated, and noshed on during the Super Bowl. 

I could go on and on about all the great foods (Northern shrimp, Sunnyfield bread, Brookford Farm quark) available at these winter markets, but I'll never get to tell you about the savory soup I made with the dried organic cannellini beans purchased from Meadow's Mirth Farm, and the uber-nutritious and crunchy organic kale, purchased from Heron Pond Farm, both at this weekly market. Google-up your state's Agriculture department  to find winter farmers' markets in your neck of the woods.

White Bean, Kale, & Tomato Soup
                                                   Serves 6
1 cup dried Cannellini Beans (or 1 can Beans)
1/2 pound, about 3 large links, good Italian Chicken or Pork sausage, hot and/or sweet
2 Tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil
1 medium-large Onion, chopped small
4-6 cloves Garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh Rosemary, chopped
3-4 springs fresh Thyme, chopped
1/4-1 tsp crushed Red Pepper flakes
1/3 cup dry White Wine
1 large can Muir Glen diced Tomatoes
1 large bunch Kale, any variety, washed, torn into bite size pieces
2 quarts homemade or good Poultry or Vegetable Stock
Fresh grated Parmesan


1. Soak dried beans overnight. Drain and rinse. Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil, add beans, cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes until just tender. Drain in colander, rinse, and set aside.
2. In same pot used to boil beans, cook sausages over medium heat in a bit of water, covered until browned and cooked through. Remove sausages, set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in the stock pot, add onions, garlic, herbs, and red pepper flakes, sauteing until onions are tender.
4. Add white wine to the pot and scrape bits of spices and herbs from the bottom and sides.
5. Add tomatoes, stir, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
6. Slice sausages into coins and then in 1/2 coins and add to pot along with kale, beans, and chicken stock. Cover and heat through over low-medium heat for about 15 minutes.
Serve and garnish with parmesan.