by Anne Marie Coutts
Ingredients
- 2 small carrots, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup raw pepita seeds
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 bunches green curly kale, destemmed
Directions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Place all ingredients except kale into a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Tear kale into chip-sized pieces and put it in a large mixing bowl. Pour the carrot mixture over the kale. Using your hands, massage the carrot mixture into the kale. Place vegetable chips on 1 or 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
- Bake until kale is dry and crispy, approximately 1-1/2 hours, flipping every 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool in oven with door ajar for 30 minutes.
These are a much more nutritious sandwich accompaniment than potato chips and make a healthy snack. One serving provides 11.1 mg lutein plus zeaxanthin.
Yield: 10 to 12 cups (from 2 bunches kale, destemmed).
Tip: To use a regular blender, steam the carrots until soft, and soak pepitas in 1/2 cup water for 30 minutes, then drain.
Find Out More About Lutein:
Recipe and photo courtesy of Visionary Kitchen: A Cookbook for Eye Health by Dr. Sandra Young, with photographs by Anne Marie Coutts © 2013, Visionary Kitchen.
