"Cheesy" Kale Chips: Not your ordinary snack chip

While on a recent visit to Oregon, I stopped in at Whole Foods (or as I call it, Whole paycheck).  While there, I saw this small bag of vegan kale chips.  Now, I must be honest. I am not interested in vegan anything, really.  I mean, I love cheese.  Well, these "chips" claimed to be "cheesy".  I dared not spend the $7 for the 2 oz. bag, thinking I would be able to figure out how to make them myself.  Since this visit, I have been working on this recipe and think I have it nailed.  These may not sound tasty, so you'll need to trust me.  They are crunchy, and yes, cheesy, though there is no cheese anywhere.  Everyone who has tried them has fallen in love.  I hope you enjoy them.


Ingredients
1 bunch kale, cleaned well
3/4 c. cashews or almonds
1T plus 1t. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic (or one large)
1 lemon (juice and pulp--heck, use the zest too if you want!)
1/3 c. nutritional yeast
1 T. olive oil
1/2 red or yellow pepper, seeded (optional--adds a hint of sweetness)

Directions:
Blot your clean kale dry.  Strip off the woody stems and break the leaves into bite sized pieces. Soak the nuts in water for at least 1 hour.  Process all other ingredients in a food processor until pretty smooth.  Mix the nut mixture and the kale in a bowl using your hands to rub the mixture into the kale.  If you have a dehydrator, you are lucky.  Place the kale on the trays, being sure not to overlap them.  My dehydrator ran for 8 hours at 95 degrees, giving me delicious, crisp chips. But, if you don't have a dehydrator, do not fret.  Put the kale on lined sheet pans, being careful not to overlap them.  Place them in the coolest setting of your oven (maybe 170 or 175 degrees).  Check the chips every 20 minutes and remove them when they are crisp.

Eat, then repeat....