Smitten Kitchen blogger Deb Perelman was never a huge fan of kale—until she came up with this clever version: kale dust, made from crushed homemade kale chips. She sprinkles it on eggs, avocado toast, roasted potatoes, and—her favorite—cacio e pepe popcorn. Toss it with popcorn, and you'll have a savory snack that evokes the classic Italian pasta dish. "The combination is so addictive," Perelman says. "I originally made it for my son's preschool class, and the parents were thrilled that their kids ate kale. It's popcorn with a salad, just kind of dehydrated. You can eat a pound of kale without even realizing it!"

Makes 8 cups of popcorn

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch lacinato kale leaves (10 ounces), stemmed
  • 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 8 cups popped popcorn
  • ⅔ cup finely grated pecorino
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • Sea salt, to taste

    Directions

    Active time: 6 minutes
    Total time: 30 minutes

    Heat oven to 300°. Lightly brush 2 large baking sheets with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Arrange kale leaves in a single layer on baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, and bake until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, grind kale into a coarse powder.

    Toss popped popcorn with 1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil, kale dust, pecorino and black pepper.
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