Thursday, March 18, 2010

A Tasty Way to Eat Your Greens

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, albeit a day late, I thought a post about eating greens would be appropriate.  But I have a confession to make.  I don't always love the ever-so-healthy leafy greens.  I like the basics:  spinach, romaine, broccoli.  When it comes to the more obscure greens, like collards, kale, or chard, I have a hard time stomaching them.  I have tried to hide them in soups, and that works, but anytime I try them in a regular dish I find them bitter and not at all tasty.  So I was quite skeptical when my friend Laurie told me about a way to eat kale that in her words, "tastes like popcorn".  After trying it myself I'm not sure if the popcorn description is completely accurate, but it does turn kale into a tasty snack or side dish.  How much more healthy snack can you get than munching on a bowl of KALE?  Believe me, it is totally delicious and satisfying; I urge you to try it.   Even my husband, who routinely informs me that he "doesn't really like leafy green things" loved this.


Crispy Oven-Baked Kale

1 medium bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil and lightly oil.  Wash and thoroughly dry the kale, then use a knife to devein it.  Then use your hands to tear the kale into bite-sized pieces.  Place the kale on the baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and salt and toss to coat.  Cook in the oven 5-10 minutes until kale is crispy.  Watch closely--do not burn.  
Here is the kale before being baked.  As you can see it cooks down a lot.  The amount of salt you use really depends on your taste; you may have to try this recipe a few times to see what suits you.  

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