caesar kale chips

I know you have a favorite kale chip recipe, but I'm sure there is room for one more, right?

I also know that adding too much moisture to kale chips leads to soggy and browned kale, instead of gorgeous looking, crispy chips, so I thought I'd tackle this one for you and see if, indeed, Caesar Kale Chips is even possible.

I'm happy to report, that, yes, they are. You will need ingredients for making a good Caesar dressing, lemon juice, garlic, miso, olive oil and Worcestershire sauce.  I am adding ground sunflower seeds to the chips to add a bit more texture that is reminiscent of Parmesan cheese.

Especially because we are adding extra moisture to this recipe, it is even more important to thoroughly dry the kale.

For this recipe, you need to puree your garlic, but because the liquid amount is so low, you can't blend it using a machine.

Here is how to puree garlic without a machine:

1. Mince the garlic.

2. Using  the back of the knife, press down on the garlic and pull the knife toward you, essentially scraping the garlic against the board and knife. Add salt to increase traction.

3. In the picture below, you can see that my dominant hand is hold the hilt firmly down, while my other hand is pressing on the flat of the blade, pushing it down and pulling it toward me in one smooth motion.

4. Repeat, scraping the garlic together and repeating this process, until the garlic is pureed.

Then is is just a matter of mixing the marinade, coating the leaves and baking them.

If you have an air fryer (I didn't have one at the time of this shooting), you can use your air fryer to make this. Check out Becky's video (of Glue and Glitter), and see how she makes her Ranch Kale Chips.

Caesar Kale Chips
Makes 3 to 4 servings

1 1/2 to 2 bunches kale, stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons white miso
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons ground sunflower seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 250-degrees F. Tear the kale into large pieces and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, miso, and worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Using the back of your knife, crush the garlic and keep crushing it until it is pureed. Add the salt and keep smashing the garlic; the salt helps to puree the garlic. Add the garlic to the miso mixture and stir well.
3. Add the miso mixture to the kale. Toss very well but don’t crush the kale. Add the kale in a single layer to a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 25 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for a few minutes to crispen.  


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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pumpkin waffles & cider-maple syrup (aquafaba recipe)

I know, it's not fall just yet, but I have to tell you that cooler weather is truly my favorite part of the year. Besides that, I have to post recipes like these in plenty of time for you to see them, be stung by the autumn bug, remember you saw this post and be so relieved that you have a Pumpkin Waffle recipe all ready for the fixin'.

Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, with plenty of pumpkin pie flavor to get you in the cooler weather mood, these waffles are topped with a two ingredient Cider-Maple Syrup; all the makings of the perfect fall swoon.

To make things even lighter, crisper and tender, this recipe uses aquafaba.

Aquafaba Tid Bits:

If you are using homemade aquafaba make sure it is nice and thick and viscous. If you are using canned aquafaba, reduce it by 1/3 before using to get the right consistency. Strain the aquafaba before using; warm aquafaba strains better because it is thinner. Aquafaba thickens as it cools.

The Pecan Pralines on these waffles are from my cookbook, Aquafaba: Sweet and Savory Vegan Recipes Made Egg-free with the Magic of Bean Water [Amazon, B&N].

For your convenience, I decided to make a video about this recipe instead of shooting still images. Check it out and subscribe to my channel so I can change the name of it from that random chain of letters and symbols YouTube assigns, to something a little more catchy, say, Zsu's Vegan Pantry.

Pumpkin Waffles with Cider-Maple Syrup
Makes 8 to 10 (4x4-inch) waffles

Syrup:
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup maple syrup

Waffles:
1 cup oat flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 cup solid, canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup nondairy milk
1/4 cup aquafaba**
1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice***
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. Syrup: Add the cider to a small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Cook the cider until it reduces to about 3 tablespoons, about 20 minutes. Add the maple syrup, stir and set aside. 
2. Combine the oat flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch and baking powder in a small bowl. Whisk and set aside. In a separate medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, milk, aquafaba, oil, sugar, spice and salt. Whisk well to combine. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Set aside until the waffle iron preheats, about 5 minutes. 
3. Preheat the waffles iron according to manufacturer's directions. Add the recommended amount of batter to the iron and cook as directed. When the waffles is ready transfer it to a cooling rack. The waffle will become crisp after about 40 seconds.
4. Serve the waffles with vegan butter and the cider syrup. 

** Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by 1/3. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.

*** If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg. 


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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