Dinner Time!

Kale and Collard Stir Fry Recipe

On any given Sunday afternoon I’ll pull out a big stainless steel skillet and cook my favorite dinner meal. First step is to heat one tablespoon of olive oil, then slice and dice 1/2 onion, 2 to 3 cloves of garlic and start the stir fry – adding a little water as the oil is used up. Once onion and garlic are a little soft, I add 8 or 10 ounces of fresh sliced mushrooms – then sprinkle the concoction with a liberal dose of no-salt herb seasoning. Next comes a can of beans – doesn’t matter the type – fava, red or white kidney, or edamame soy beans. If there is too much sodium in the beans – greater than 140 mg per half cup – I’ll drain liquid out of the can first and rinse the beans.

To the flavorful mix I add a 10 oz. bag of Trader Joe’s pre-washed organic Tuscan kale and 10 oz. bag of pre-washed cut collard greens. So they fit, I put in handfuls of kale and collards at a time – stirring and letting the the veggies simmer down until everything fits in the skillet, If there still is room, maybe I’ll throw in some grated cabbage and/or carrots. The greens cook for about 10 minutes until somewhat soft and still bright green. Towards the end I squeeze juice of a whole small lemon for zest and color retention.

After eating a bountiful serving of the greens, either with green salad or sliced tomatoes and cucumber with dill, I pack the remaining kale-collard mix into three pint size containers and stick then in the freezer. Voila. At least three more heart healthy meals await a busy day ahead.