Kale Chips - Nutritional Yeast Free

Vegan Mofo day 5. I elected to do a short post. It's been a long work week and I'm a little fried after a day at the office. I don't react well to any type of yeast (baker's, nutritional...you name it), so one of my first acts dabbling as a raw vegan was to make a tasty version of kale chips that didn't call for yeast.


Kale Chips

1 bunch curly leafed kale
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
sprinkle of cumin
sprinkle of cayenne pepper
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 lemon juiced

Tear up the kale and put in a large bowl. Squeeze the lemon over the top and pour in olive oil. Use tongs to mix well. Sprinkle spices while using tongs to mix ingredients around. Spread the seasoned kale over a couple of dehydrator trays. I put a mesh dehydrator sheet over the top so dried kale doesn't go flying around the dehydrator. Dehydrate at 105-115 degrees F for 4-8 hours.

Alternatively, I suppose you could put the kale on a cookie sheet at the lowest heat possible in the oven. I use my dehydrator more often than you would think.

Vegan Mofo Day 2: Pomegranate Guacamole

OK, this may sound a little odd, but you have to trust me when I say it is a party favorite. It's also quite striking visually. It goes well with plantain chips I buy from Trader Joes (or make myself), although I usually eat it with chopped jicama and parsley root. I also love this with Gluten Free Tortillas II, romaine lettuce, and sautéed mushrooms or over a grilled portabello mushroom cap (pictured).

I saw a very similar recipe several years ago in Bon Apetit magazine, and I have since heard about a variation on Rachel Ray's show using pomegranate juice instead of the seeds (I'm sorry, but yuck. You lose that beautiful texture and most natural pomegranate juice is very sub-par to fresh). Every time I serve this I'm met with skepticism and then someone inevitably asks to take home the leftovers.

Pomegranate Guacamole
1 Pomegranate - seeds
1/3 cup White Onion, finely chopped
2 Avocados, mashed
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Lime juiced
1/4 cup Cilantro, very finely chopped

Combine the ingredients and serve promptly.
Tips on de-seeding a pomegranate:

1. Wear a red shirt. Preferably crimson.
2. Cut the pomegranate in half.
3. Immerse the pomegranate in a large bowl of water.
4. Gently pull the seeds free of the pithy part.
   

I am a full contact chef and usually end up wearing at least part of my meal. In fact, this evening I ended up wearing some of my ginger miso carrot spread. It adds to the dining experience. Pomegranate is an exceptionally messy fruit, and even the most seasoned chefs end up making a mess. I've seen people attack the fruit with the back of a spoon after they halved it - sending seeds mostly in the direction they intended - but the water technique really helps cut down on the mess. If you don't mind decorating your counter tops or want to scare the bujeezus out of your roommates, feel free to skip the water and wrestle with that bad boy bare handed. Annie (half pig, half dog) really enjoys pomegranate, so when I manage to get a little too frisky with my fruit and seeds fly, she is always happy to play Hoover.

"DID SOMEONE SAY POMEGRANATE????"