Thursday, June 21, 2012



A Magic Ingredient

How did I manage to eat a half-bag (5 heaping handfuls!) of kale the other night, and feel like I was doing something sinful?  It’s all because of this magic ingredient I discovered, thanks to my authors of the upcoming  Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen.  They turned me on to nutritional yeast flakes.  I know, the words “turn on” and “nutritional yeast flakes” are usually not paired in the same sentence, but I haven’t been so enthusiastic about a small food item since pop rocks hit the market.   Alas, they really need a sexier moniker.  Would a yeast flake by any other name be more tasty? (Apparently in the modern vernacular they are often called “nooch”, but I don’t really think that’s an improvement!)
Ok, so here’s where the magic comes in :  Nutritional yeast flakes taste a lot like parmesan cheese, and are often used by vegans to season their food wherever one might sprinkle a little parm to make a dish more tasty (over pasta, over popcorn, etc.)  But the amazing thing is....these flakes are low in sodium, free of sugar, dairy and gluten—but also (and here’s the clincher) they are an excellent source of Vitamin B12 (something that vegetarians/vegans are often deficient in), as well as a bunch of amino acids, minerals, and other good stuff. 
So sprinkle away!—especially if you’re gluten- or dairy-sensitive.  Below are directions on how I made my delicious kale chips.  The recipe is adapted from the book Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen, which will be coming out in the fall.  Seriously, these kale chips will make you feel like you’re eating Cheetos (if, like me, Cheetos are your secret bad-for-you indulgence) BUT, unlike Cheetos, they’ll make you feel great and get your skin glowing.  I won’t go into all the fantastic benefits of kale here (see my past post, “All Hail to Kale”), but rest assured that the double whammy of yeast flakes and kale makes a ridiculously healthy snack.
Kale Chips
Take some prewashed kale, add some olive oil until all kale is VERY lightly coated.  Sprinkle a teaspoon or two of nutritional yeast flakes over the kale.  Maybe a pinch of salt too.  Put in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until kale is crispy (but not burned).   

Happy snacking!

Jennifer



Image via here.


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