This is a quick, easy, tasty way to get a lot of vegetable into your meal! With the right cooking technique, kale becomes very crisp, almost like potato chips but a bit chewier.  Garlic makes it taste great!  (You might want to chew some xylitol gum to freshen your breath after eating….)

We cook this mostly to stir into pasta sauce or to top a cheese pizza (after baking).  It’s also great in a hummus wrap, with eggs, or just as a side dish.

To cook an entire bunch of kale (the typical supermarket amount):

Coat the bottom of a 12-inch skillet with olive oil, but don’t turn on the stove yet.

Shred kale until you have enough to fill the skillet.  Turn on high heat and continue shredding kale.

When sizzling noises begin, turn down to medium-low heat.  (My gas stove’s settings are Lo, 1 through 6, and Hi; I turn it to 3 for this recipe.  The reason you start it on high heat is to warm up the entire bottom of the skillet.)

Every time you have some more kale shredded, stir it in.

When it’s all in the pan, add 4 cloves crushed garlic and sprinkle with salt. Turn up heat a bit and stir frequently until it’s pretty well browned.

To cook frozen kale to improve that pasta sauce you’re heating:

Get the pot you’ll use for the sauce.  Coat the bottom of it with olive oil.  Place frozen shredded kale in the pot, enough to cover the bottom, up to about an inch deep.  Leave it at room temperature while you fill a pot of water and put it on to boil for the pasta.

The only photo of this recipe that I have is this first step.  I totally forgot to take a picture of the finished kale because I was eager to eat it, you know?  I’m not your role model!

After the water boils and you put the pasta into that pot, place your pot of kale on another burner on medium heat.  Stir frequently until it’s starting to brown at the edges.  You might want to crush in a clove or two of garlic, or not, depending on how your sauce is seasoned.  (If you’re fighting off a cold, add the garlic very late so that it’s almost raw.)

Add the sauce and heat until bubbling, stirring occasionally.

Why would you eat this? I mean, aside from the scrumptiousness…

Did you know that kale, garlic, and olive oil all are good for your brain?  Their vitamins and antioxidants help to keep the brain itself healthy and maintain the circulatory system so that your brain is well-nourished to keep your thinking sharp and your moods positive.  The Healthy Mind Cookbook by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson taught me more about why I should be eating a lot of the foods that I eat regularly already!  I appreciate the pat on the back and the motivation to keep cooking up good stuff, and I also tried something new and loved it!  Read my full review of this cookbook at Kitchen Stewardship.

Visit Hearth & Soul and Meatless Monday and Melt in Your Mouth Monday and CookBlogShare and What’s for Dinner? for more tasty tips!