Kale (and salads) got a bad rap this week on the premiere episode of The Next Iron Chef: Redemption. On the beach of Paradise Cove, where the chefs were first challenged with their redemption ingredient that got them eliminated in a previous season, Chef Tim Love made kale famous not once, but twice. In a kale salad the judges deemed too simple and oily, Chef Love found himself in the bottom two with Chef Mendelsohn. In an effort to redeem himself to the judges and show them he knows how to cook kale, he prepared it once more fried. That wasn’t enough to save him, however, and he was the first chef to return home in this new season.
In defense of this vegetable, we’ve rounded up Food Network’s top five kale recipes that we think would win the judges over for sure:
5. Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup – Add a new soup to your go-to list. Ground turkey is sauteed with shallots, carrots and bell pepper, then mixed with kale and brown rice and finally topped with shavings of Parmesan.
Get the top four recipes
Where were you the first time you ate a kale chip? Sitting on the couch watching reruns? Mingling at your foodie friend’s last dinner party? After a lifetime of guilt-inducing potato chip munching, there’s something pretty eye-opening about digging your fists into a bowl of solid kale chips. Salty, crispy and undeniably addictive, each one triggers that same sensation as the potato variety without the, well, bodily consequences.
Now that we’re inching into fall, each leaf of sturdy kale is in season and as pristine as ever. Use this to your advantage. As the weather gets colder and our food gets richer, going with the smart snack is probably a noble choice.
With just a drizzle of olive oil and a crack of sea salt, it’s easy to make homemade kale chips. Trust me, Food Network Magazine’s Kale Chips (pictured above) aren’t rocket science, but if you’re looking to get inventive, we’ve got just the thing for you.
Kale chips come in many forms, just like your favorite bag of potato chips. Accentuate the classically sea-salted with Guy Fieri’s Crispy Kale Chips With Lemon, which adds a shot of citrus and some crushed red pepper. Or churn up a Lemon Mayonnaise that serves as a perfect match for a dip-bound chip.
Get more kale recipes from family and friends:
