Kale Chips

I know I've said this before, but I have a hard time finding vegetable dishes that are a.) starch free and b.) that the Mister is willing to eat. That being said, he will eat kale chips every single day. AND he'll be happy about it. Doing the starch free thing, he often laments the lack of crunchy and snack-y types of foods. So kale chips make a good alternative to potato chips, even if you can eat starch. And don't tell anyone, but we like to dip ours in ketchup. They only take 10 minutes, start to finish. So you really can have them any day of the week.

{pre-baking}

Kale Chips
serves 2-3
3-4 cups of (loosely packed) kale, washed and trimmed of the thick stalk and torn into pieces
olive oil
seasoning salt and pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line your baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper. Spread out kale evenly across sheet. (I usually mound up the kale a little, or you won't have very many kale chips once it bakes down.)
2. Drizzle olive oil over the kale and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put sheet in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until kale chips are *starting to brown.
3. Serve immediately. With ketchup.

*You'll have to keep a close eye on the chips in the last part of cooking, because they'll go from perfect to burnt pretty quickly. I like mine on the chewier side (which looks more green, like the picture above) and the husband likes them crispy, which will be browner. Test it out and see what you prefer.

{a little glimpse into my tiny kitchen}

Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed cauliflower makes an excellent substitute for mashed potatoes even if you can eat starch. Not only is it healthier than mashed potatoes but it takes less time to make.

Mashed Cauliflower
serves 3-4
1/2 of a large head of cauliflower
1-2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
dash of milk &/or cream
opt: minced garlic

1. Roughly chop the cauliflower and discard any leaves. Put a pot of water on the stove on high heat and add all of the cauliflower to the pot; put the lid on. Once it starts boiling, let it boil for 5 minutes.

2. Remove pot from heat and put the cauliflower and water in a strainer to drain out the water. Add some of the butter back to the pot and put it back on the stove on medium heat. If using garlic, add this to the pot now. Add the drained cauliflower back to the pot and sauté for a few minutes until some of the water has evaporated.

3. Then put the cauliflower (I use a ladle for this part) into a blender in parts, adding the rest of the butter and the milk or cream while you blend it. Add the milk/cream only a little at a time so that you can stop when it's the right level of creaminess for you. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can add cheese, gravy, and sauces to season your mashed cauliflower. Really, just season it how you would season mashed potatoes. It'll be creamy and delicious!

-- Kara