Kale Scramble

The love-hate relationship most home cooks have with kale goes back decades. The stems are tough and chewy, and sometimes make up what seems to be half the volume of the leaf. Removing the stems is easy enough, but then throwing them away or composting them seems like a massive waste. The solution? Slice the stems and eat them! The stems have all the flavor and health attributes kale is prized for. By slicing the stems into pieces no more than 1/4-inch thick, the fiber is small enough to where it is no longer chewy. And you can treat the stems the same way to treat the kales leaves. You can lightly oil and massage them with salt to further soften them and mellow their flavor – at which point you can just toss into a salad. Or you can sauté them into a variety of dishes that love sautéed veggies like pilafs, mixed veggie dishes, soups, frittatas, and omelets. The cooked stems are a delicious, textured way to bring the superfood power of kale into more of your recipes. Here, I use the stems as a key veggie in my scrambled eggs.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons sliced garlic

2 tablespoons sliced shallots

1/2 cup sliced kale stems

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes

2 to 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Steps:

1. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots then sauté, stirring to break-up the shallot slices and cook until they begin to soften –about two minutes.

2. Add the kale stems and sea salt. Cook and stir until the kale stems until they begin to soften – about two to three minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes are just heated through but still firm.

4. Add the eggs and cook, stirring constantly, until they reach their desired doneness based on your liking.

5. Transfer to a warm serving plate and garnish with freshly sliced chive and edible flowers