Toasty Roasty Kale

Healthy snacks are important to have and when they are easy to make it is even better.  Toasty Roasty Kale fits in perfectly.  The easy part comes later.  Let's talk about the healthy aspects of kale.  I know, I know.  You are thinking - "Isn't that what they put in salad bars to make them look pretty?"  And the answer is YES!!!

Kale contains substantial amounts of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of nutrition essentials.  In one cup alone you have:

• About 20% of fiber (diet and digestion)
• Over 1300% of vitamin K (anti-inflammatory)
• 10%of omega-3 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory)
• 192% vitamin A (antioxidant)
• 88% vitamin C (antioxidant, immunity)
• Plus so much more.  

Kale is consumed all over the world.  There are different varieties.  

• Curly leaved (Scots Kale)
• Plain leaved
• Rape Kale
• Leaf and spear (a cross between curly leaved and plain leaved Kale)
• Cavolo nero (also known as black cabbage, Tuscan Cabbage, Tuscan Kale, Lacinato and dinosaur Kale)*

Now, that you know the benefits of kale.  What the heck do you do with it?  KALE CHIPS! Unfortunately, Many of the kale chips you will find in the stores are very high in fat.  They use a lot of oil in the baking and/or frying.  There is absolutely no need for the fat.  In our Toasty Roasty Kale, there are just trace amounts of fat from the spray.  It keeps it very healthy and lower in fat than the store made ones.

Toasty Roasty Kale  

1 bunch of Kale, washed, ribs cut out, and in 1" pieces

Juice of half a lemon

Olive Oil sprayer

Salt 

Pepper 

Seasonings of choice

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place the kale on a sheet pan.  Squeeze the juice of half a lemon, spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper plus any other spices you may chose to use.  Toss right on the pan. Level out.  Put in oven for 8-10 minutes.  Check and cook to desired crispiness.  

Prep time: 5 minutes

Bake time: 10 minutes

Level of difficulty - easy

Toasty Roasty Kale Printable Recipe 

With the Toasty Roasty Kale you can add any variety of spices to it ~ salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder or salt, onion powder or salt, chili powder, cayenne, whatever floats your boat.  Remember, part of the fun of cooking is experimenting!!  And you can start enjoying them from start to finish in about 15 minutes. 

Watch the video, print the recipe, prepare any one of the dishes and you'll find yourself saying "That's Vegetarian?!"

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/9-health-benefits-of-kale.html
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kale
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2461/2

Healthy Substitutions

At That's Vegetarian we are encouraging healthy eating and one way is to incorporate one vegetarian meal a week. Another way is to use substitutions to lower the fat and cholesterol in recipes.

Here is a list of some common that you can substitute with healthier and/or vegan alternatives.

Calls For	Substitution
Beer (1c)	Mushroom stock for heavy beer (1c) Non alcoholic beer (1c) Vegetable stock or ginger ale for lighter beer (1c)
Butter (1c)	Avocado (1c) (In baked goods, substitute 1/2 the amount of butter, plus reduce temperature by 25% and Increase baking time)** Margarine (1c) Vegan butter (1c) Vegetable oil (3/4c)
Buttermilk (1c)	Soymilk (1c) + lemon juice (2T), let sit 5 minutes
Egg (1) Leavening	Apple cider vinegar (1T) + Warm Water (1T) Baking powder (1T) + Oil (1T) + Warm water (1T) Baking powder (1T) Soymilk (1/4c) + Lemon juice (1T)
Egg (1) Binding	Applesauce, pureed banana, squash or pumpkin (1/4c) Avocado (2T – 1/4c) (Good for custards) Ground flax seed (1T) + Water (1/4c), let sit for 5 minutes. Pureed tofu (3T) + Cornstarch (2T) (Good for quiches and custard pies.)
Gelatin – powdered (1T)***	Agar-agar  (2t) (Seaweed)  (See package for instructions) Arrowroot (Tuber)                                       Carrageen (Seaweed) Guar gum (from East Indian seed)             Kudzu (Tuber) Pectin (Plant walls)                                     Xanthan gum (from corn)
Ground Beef (4oz)	Tofu (4oz) – frozen then thawed, squeeze water out and crumble
Heavy Cream (1c)	Evaporated milk (1c)
Mayonnaise (1t)	Avocado (1t)
Milk – Whole (1c)	Fat-free/nonfat/skim milk (1c) + unsaturated oil such as safflower or canola (1T)
Milk (1c)	Soy, almond, or coconut milk (1c)
Oil (1c)	Applesauce/fruit puree (1c)
Ricotta cheese (1c)	Mashed soft or silken tofu (1c) + lemon juice (1/4t)
Sour cream	Avocado                         Fat free sour cream or plain yogurt
Sugar	In most recipes, you can reduce the sugar by 25% with minimal effect. Add fruit – banana, raisins, cranberries, apple sauce, and prunes for a more natural source of sweetness.  Use fruit zest or vanilla for extra flavor. Stevia or Splenda (Follow the instructions on the package) Honey               Molasses             Brown Sugar
Wine (1c)	Fruit juice mixed (1c) + 2 t vinegar                   Non alcoholic wine (1c) Vegetable or mushroom broth (1c)                   Water (1c)

Read more:

**http://www.californiaavocadosdirect.com/13/use-avocado-as-a-healthy-butter-substitute.aspx

***Follow the instructions on the package.  This link helps guide which substitution you should use based upon what you are creating: http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Gelatin-Substitutes-for-Vegetarians

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/05/vegan-g-free-baking-cheat-sheet.html#ixzz1jUEPUtTH

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/resources/ingredient_sub_list/

http://allrecipes.com/howto/common-ingredient-substitutions/

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-cooking/vegan-baking-substitutions.php

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol6.htm

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/low-sugar-baking-tips.htm

Healthier and Vegetarian Substitutions for Cooking and Baking Printable Sheet

Banana Bread ~ Vegan

A dark, rich, moist and robust yet subtle vegan banana bread that pairs nicely with a steamy cup of coffee.  Adding a little coffee to the recipe helps bring out the flavor of the bananas.  Instead of egg we are using flax seed meal, we did the same for our Pumpkin Bread.  I use oil in the video, but subsituting 1/2 cup of non-fat plain or vanilla yogurt in makes it more moist and lower in fat but no longer vegan.  I had suggestions of chocolate chips, carob chips, and peanut butter too!!  


Share your suggestions of favorite things inside or on top of your banana bread by commenting below.


Bananas are rich in Potassium (cell integrity)*, Manganese (healthy bones)*, Vitamin C (iron absorbtion)* and Vitamin B6 (red blood cell production). (Bountiful Banana Benefits)  Flax is rich is fiber, minerals and vitamins ~ Magnesium (nerve transmission)*, Phosphorus (formation of cells)*, Copper (iron absorption)*, Thiamin (enrergy)* and Manganese (cell regeneration)* to mention a few.  (Funky Flax Facts)  



Watch the video, print the recipe, prepare any one of the dishes and you'll find yourself saying "That's Vegetarian?!"


*Read on...Harvard Help Guide and Healthy Check Systems

Banana Bread ~ Vegan

2 T ground flax seed
3 T water

3 T coffee  

4 large bananas, mashed
2 T olive oil or 1/2c yogurt or 1/2c apple sauce

1/4 c molasses
1 c whole-wheat flour

1 c unbleached white

1 T pumpkin pie spice

1 t cinnamon

1/3 c sugar
1 t salt
1 t baking soda

3/4 c walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk or blend the flax water and coffee until frothy.  Mix the mashed bananas, olive oil (yogurt/apple sauce), flax and molasses.

Mix the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, spices, salt, and baking soda.

Combine wet and dry and mix until well blended.  Add walnuts

Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 55-60 minutes.  After 50 minutes check with knife or toothpick by sticking it in the bread.  If it comes out clean ~ its done.  If it has some batter on it, cook a little longer.  If it still needs to cook longer but is already quite browned, place foil over the top to stop it from browning.

Remove and let cool for at least 15 minutes.
Vegan Banana Bread Printable Recipe
Prep time:  15 min ~ Cook time:  60 min ~ Serves 10  ~ 7pp