Shortcuts: Kale chips

I fondly reflect on a recent outing to the grocery store with my 23-year-old son, Matt, who lives in Richmond. Always an active person, health conscious, and somewhat frugal, I chuckled when he checked out with the following items: seven-grain bread, sliced turkey from the deli, and a billowing bag of fresh kale. "What do you do with that?" I asked curiously. "Mom," he confidently said, "I make your sautéed kale with olive oil!" I beamed and treated him to a case of beer!

Today's column is for all you kale lovers out there! I spotted this intriguing recipe in the

October 2008 issue of Prevention Magazine. Kale chips! How unique turning this frilly mega-vitamin-packed cruciferous veggie into chips—crunchy like potato chips! My personal test kitchen gave it thumbs up, and so simple! All you need is a baking sheet, some olive oil, kale and salt and pepper to taste.

It's green, it's somewhat bitter, it's a form of cabbage, and it's high in antioxidants. Is it really necessary to expound on how positively nutritious this vegetable is? It's a given, loaded with beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, calcium and iron!

To add fiber and extra nutrition to those convenient cartons of prepared mashed potatoes, I like to steam fresh chopped kale in the microwave until tender. Toss the gently cooked greens with a little butter and seasoning and mix into the hot potatoes. This adds color and stretches the servings as well.

When buying fresh kale, choose richly colored, relatively small leaves (more tender and mild in flavor) that are not limp; store in the refrigerator no longer than 2 or 3 days. To easily remove the center stalk, fold leaves together like the pages of a book and simply rip off the spine. (To drain quickly, roll freshly washed kale tightly in a clean dishtowel.) Kale shrinks when cooked, so a full produce bag will reduce to about 6 servings. Use it as you would fresh spinach and in small amounts it's a nice addition to soups and salad.

KALE CHIPS

Fresh kale

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F. Clean kale thoroughly and drain well. Chop into bite-size pieces. Toss lightly with olive oil. Spread on baking sheet about 15 minutes until crispy. Eat with fingers!

SAUTEED KALE

Fresh kale

Equal parts butter and olive oil (about 1 tablespoon each for a wok full)

1 clove garlic, smashed

Salt and pepper to taste

Clean kale and drain well. Heat a wok on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add oil, butter and garlic. Stir for a few minutes to meld flavors. Add kale and toss well to coat. Cover with lid and steam until tender (add a little water if necessary). Remove garlic clove before serving.

Mary Ann lives in Lake Ridge. Her third cookbook, "SHORTCUTS, TOO," is now available at Salt & Pepper Books in Occoquan. Send questions or comments in care of this paper at P.O.Box 2470, Woodbridge, VA. 22195.