Tuesday, January 08, 2008 5:31 PM
Suggestions for quick and easy veggies?
It's officially time to stop rationalizing vegetable casseroles spackled with butter, cheese and French’s Fried Onions. Two suggestions: Check out The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen (she wrote the legendary Moosewood Cookbook).
And, try these two Q&E veggies I "discovered" over the holidays: Kale Crisps and Minute Spinach. The bad news is, you'll still pine for the other gooey, rich stuff. The good news is, you'll feel smug and healthy for eating something so yummy and good-for-you.
My mom introduced me to the kale crisps. I brought bowls of the stuff to a few potluck parties, and people freaked. Probably because it was the first non-cheesy/buttery/creamy veggie they’d had in weeks, but whatever. You’ll never believe how crispy and tasty kale can be—or how much you’ll actually like eating kale—until you try it.
KALE CRISPS
1 bunch kale, washed and stemmed
olive oil in a spray/mist bottle (or not)
1 tsp. coarse sea salt (or the regular kind)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350*. Spread the kale in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan. Lightly mist (or toss) the washed kale with a small amount of olive oil—just enough to barely coat the leaves. Sprinkle oiled kale with salt.
Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast the kale for 10-20 minutes. At 10 minutes, check the kale and stir it around with a pair of tongs. If there are still soft/wet piece, roast for 5 minute increments and check again. When it's ready, the kale should turn a dark, deep green with some browned bits, and it sounds crispy when you stir it—like walking through a pile of dry leaves in the Fall.
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My second vegetable epiphany happened after a week-long love affair with a bucket of toffee I swore I’d give away (but didn't). I had a big bag of spinach—purchased with such righteous, healthy intentions, yet languishing in my vegetable drawer. Then it came to me:
MINUTE SPINACH
2-4 cups of baby spinach, washed—but not completely dried
A microwave-safe bowl to fit 2-4 cups of baby spinach
Olive oil in a spray/mist bottle (or not)
1 wet paper towel
Directions
Dump spinach into bowl. Lightly mist or toss the spinach with about 1/2 tsp. olive oil (a little goes a looong way). Cover the bowl with the wet paper towel. Microwave the spinach for 45-60 seconds. When it's done, the spinach will be a vibrant, healthy shade of green (not dark and mushy), and it'll actually taste like good spinach.
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It’ll seriously make my week if just one of you Nesties tries the kale crisps. What’s your Q&E veggie? (It doesn't count if it has cheese or cream in it...)