ArcaMax

My mom never had trouble getting me to eat my vegetables; except those times when she served lima beans. I hated lima beans. I thought they were so disgusting to chew, that I’d swallow them like pills. I flushed them down with milk. My family believed in the “Clean Plate Club.” You didn’t leave the table without eating everything on your plate, whether you wanted to or not.

In the summer after dinner we’d go back out to play. That play might include a rousing game of football. We’d play on the grass by the school around the corner. If I got tackled, my brothers often mushed my face in the grass; sort of a final motion conducted at the end of a tackle. I hated getting my face planted in the grass so I worked hard not to get tackled. I got faster.

When I got to college, sprouts became popular. I tried them. They were all the rage. They smelled like the grass my brothers mashed my face into. I gagged and sprouts came off the list of vegetable options for me.

I never got into kale, either. To me it had that same kind of earthy smell, and a taste reminiscent of dirt. Arugula, too. There are so many vegetable options offered up by Mother Nature that I thought I could go my whole life skipping the ones I didn’t like.

Now, I’m reconsidering some of them...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

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Baked Kale or Swiss Chard Chips

This is a ZReduction recipe contributed by Plan Z dieter Lacy. Baked Kale Chips are easy to make, and you can even try this with Swiss Chard. Super Easy! If you have a hankering for potato chips, try these. You’ll be amazed how good they taste!

Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 Bunch of Kale, or Swiss Chard, washed (you can also use collard greens for this dish)
Olive oil spray
Grated sea salt
Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the stems. Also remove the rib that runs up the middle of each leaf. Tear into pieces the size of potato chips. Wash and thoroughly dry the kale with a salad spinner. Lay them on an oven proof pan. Make sure they don’t overlap or they won’t get crispy. Lightly spritz with olive oil spray (on top only) and lightly grate with sea salt & pepper.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 or until the edges just begin to brown. I like mine especially crispy so I leave them in about 13 minutes. The final time will depend on your oven so keep a close eye on them toward the end. They turn brown FAST. Serve warm right from the cookie sheet!

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola