Making Junk Food Healthy Again - Kale Chips

Kale was the leafy green vegetable that was everyone's best friend in the early 2010s. It is very high in nutrients and very low in calories, making it one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can buy in the produce department.  From the same family that gives us cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts, people fell in love kale around 2012 when it started appearing on trendy restaurant menus and in trendier food blogs  While kale can be added to soups, stews, pestos, and casseroles, or blended in smoothies, a popular use of this vegetable is as a potato chip substitute. Using the simple recipe found in "The 4-Hour Chef", there's no reason to not whip up a batch before the big game or for your next Netflix binge.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Tear or cut the kale leaves into bite-size pieces (you don't need the stems, they can be thrown away).
2. Rinse and dry the leaves completely, using either a salad spinner or paper towels. Once dry, put the kale in a bowl and drizzle some olive oil over it. Toss the kale to ensure all the leaves are covered.
3. Place the kale on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Give the kale pieces enough space so that they don't overlap. Sprinkle the sea salt (or chili powder, paprika, Old Bay, garlic powder, lemon zest, if you prefer) over the leaves. 
4. Put the baking tray in the oven for 15 minutes, then try one of the pieces. If they need more crisping, leave them in the oven for another five minutes - you're looking for lightly browned edges, not burnt toast.

DIY Fried Chicken Sandwich

The creation of a fried chicken sandwich from Popeyes has caused fried chicken lovers across the United States to lose their damn minds. The hype over this sandwich has caused people to pull out guns upon learning their local restaurant has sold out of the sandwich; because of the different partners and suppliers used in this country, Canada won't see this sandwich anytime soon. So what's a hungry Canadian supposed to do in the meantime? One could wait until the sandwich makes its way up here, or they could go across the border and hope for the best, but I propose that people save time and money by making the sandwich with the recipe below. It may not be the real thing, but you can make it Louisiana fast and enjoy it until Popeyes gets its act together.

Ingredients:

4 hamburger buns or medium-sized brioche buns
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
720-960 mL canola oil for frying
240 mL buttermilk
5 g each paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, salt
240 g flour
120 g corn starch
15 g each paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper
5 g each salt, pepper
120 g mayonaisse
5 g hot sauce
5 g paprika or cajun or taco seasoning
2.5 g garlic powder
Sliced pickles

1. Pound the chicken breasts in between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise to make 2 small pieces of chicken about the same size as the bun.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the buttermilk and the 5-gram portions of the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Add the chicken to the mix and place in the fridge to marinate up to 24 hours or use right away. 
3. In a medium shallow bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, and the 15-gram portions of the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper (if you want it spicy) together. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the buttermilk batter into the flour mixture and mix it through with a fork.
4. Heat oil in a large heavy-duty skillet or pot on medium temperature or until the temperature reaches 176°C. Working with a piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and press some of the flour on the top of the chicken breast to form a thick crust. Transfer the chicken to hot oil and fry for 3-5 minutes per side or until the outside is crispy and golden and the internal temperature reaches 75°C. 
5. Melt some butter in a large saucepan and toast the buns face down until golden and crisp. In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise, the hot sauce, and the remaining spices together and spread a generous layer of the spicy mayo on each bun. Add the chicken and the pickles and serve immediately.
   
   Note: Popeyes might disagree, but I like to add some bacon and some shredded lettuce when I feel like a fried chicken sandwich.