Guest Post: Matty McMatterson's Cheezy Kale Chips

This is a guest post by a wonderful friend of mine from grad school. Below is what he sent me about his recipe for v*gan kale chips. After this, it's all McMatterson talking. Thank you, Matty McMatterson!!

Out here in Sonoma County California, Kale Chips are a major fad. In fact, there is actually a kale chip section of the grocery store. The shelves are filled with products from companies with alluring names such as "Alive and Radiant," "Kaia," and "Rhythm Superfoods." Many of these do have a nice product, but the prices! Four to six dollars for two ounces of chips? One brand was eight dollars! For kale? No thank you.

Enter Cheezy kale chips. I found a recipe here and gave it a try.One drawback was the long cooking time (2 to 4 hours at 250 degrees). So I tried it at 300 degrees and they came out just fine. I also tweaked a few ingredients. This was well worth the effort! Delicious vegan cheeze chips at a fraction of the cost. Here is how to  make your own!

McMatterson's Cheezy Kale Chips
Ingredients
1 bunch kale
3/4 c. raw cashews (soaked for an hour in water)
1/2 red bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped
1 T. soy sauce
2 T. olive oil
1/3 c. nutritional yeast
1 lemon, juiced and zested
Pinch cayenne

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
1. Line two cookie sheets with parchment
2. Combine drained cashews, pepper, soy sauce, oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and zest, and cayenne in a food processor. Process until smooth.
3. Wash and dry kale. Make sure it is completely dry. Cut it into large chip-type pieces, no stems.
4. In a large bowl, combine kale and cheeze mixture. Coat kale evenly, but make sure none are too goopy or the chip will be wet and nasty.

5. Spread kale onto baking sheets, making sure to avoid overlapping pieces, and bake for 30-45 minutes, turning over once, until crisp. They should be crisp, not chewy or moist.

Helpful Hints

• Don't skip the soaking of the cashews. I tried it, and the chips were nasty. 
• If you are patient person (unlike me), cook for 2-4 hours at the lowest oven setting. 
• In an airtight container, the kale chips will keep for about a week. Mine are always gone within minutes. 
• Any type of kale will work, but I prefer the curly kind. 
• Given that you are zesting the lemon, organic might be best if you have access to them. 

Note: Matty McMatterson is neither v*gan nor lesbian, but aspires to be both.

The post "Guest Post: Matty McMatterson's Cheezy Kale Chips" originally appeared on Maggie's LesVegan Kitchen.