Kale Obsession!

Lindsey writes, "I could eat this a thousand times a day! Kale, crimini mushrooms and pine nuts sauteed in a little bit of gyoza sauce. I'm a recovering addict and gained 60lbs when I stopped using. I'm rebuilding my diet with an emphasis on whole foods. I'm absolutely loving learning how to properly take care of myself for the first time in my life, kale being my new obsession."

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut Squash Lasagna -- a healthy "lasagna" made from layers of butternut squash! This dish was inspired by a recipe my sister-in-law sent me from her local newspaper. I made it nutritarian and vegan by leaving out the oil, salt, and cheese.

Quinoa and Kale Stuffed Peppers

Quinoa and Kale Stuffed Peppers.

Kale Salad

Raw Kale Salad with Sun Dried Tomato Flax Cracker

Submitted by Holly*

*Holly didn't include a recipe with this submission, but I sure wish I had one! Does anyone have a raw kale salad recipe that looks like this?

Growing Your Own Garden

Kale is a spring garden.

"Grow your own backyard garden for the fun and health of it!"

Bursting-with-Veggies Omelet

Terita is a whole foods vegetarian who runs a website and blog called the Ten Ingredient Project, about simple unprocessed meals made from fewer than ten ingredients. "I believe that vegetable and fruits deserve to be the main course at every meal!"

Here is her picture of a bursting-with-veggies local omelet she made recently. "The strawberries grew in my state, the eggs were laid in my neighboring town, and the baby kale is from my backyard!"

Yummy Greens Bowl

Nichole writes, "I made this Yummy Greens Bowl for dinner the other night and it turned out so tasty!

"It was a simple bed of quinoa topped with sauteed kale and mushrooms, carrots, cilantro, sesame seeds and tahini salad dressing. Quick to throw together and super-satisfying."

Breakfast Food

"Here is a pic of my delicious breakfast! Whole wheat bread, sauteed tomatoes, potatoes, and kale in a hint of garlic olive oil with salt, pepper, and oregano, topped with fresh basil - can be eaten like shown or made into an awesome sandwich!"

Submitted by Ishita

GRILL WEEK: Grilled Kale

We're beginning and ending Grill Week with healthy grilled greens! Last but not least in our Grill Week line-up, this one is from Haigh Happenings, the same blog that inspired us all to make baked kale chip back in April.

Yes, yes!! It's Grilled Kale!!


"I grilled giant kale leaves from our CSA today whole. It was quite a novelty for the kids. I have grilled kale before, but use the usual chip size and my grill basket. It was fun to try something new.


"As usual they were sprayed with cooking spray and kosher salt first."

Grilled kale. I love you people.

Black Bean Stew with Kale

"Black bean stew with kale from our garden, harvested in mid-March 09."

(from Karen Peissinger-Venhaus.)

PIZZA WEEK: Kale Pizza

That's right, it's PIZZA WEEK here at "This Is Why You're Thin!" Skip those greasy fast-food slices and have one of these healthy options instead!

I'm starting off with MY personal favorite: KALE PIZZA. Steam chopped kale until tender, drain and press out excess moisture, then toss the kale with pizza or tomato sauce, chopped sundried tomatoes, and kalamata olives. Spread the kale mixture on a wholegrain pizza crust and top with a sprinkle of pine nuts. Bake and enjoy!

It's not too late to submit your favorite healthy pizza for Pizza Week; I'm still hoping for one or two raw pizza submissions, like the recipes I've seen in Thrive.

Kale Chips

A kalerrifc how-to post from Christie Haigh:

"If you like crunchy salty food like I do, you might like baked kale chips. Really, I am serious, give it a try. You might be surprised...

"[Buy the] curly variety that is known to be less bitter. Pull of pieces, leaving the central stalk. I usually make about as much as will fit in my large salad spinner.

"Put the pieces on a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. From here you can either toss with extra virgin olive oil or spray the kale with cooking spray for a lower fat version. Season with your choice of seasoning. I have used kosher salt in the past. Today I used taco seasoning. Other times I have also sprinkled parmesan cheese.

"Bake for about 15 minutes at 375°F, until edges are brown and kale is crispy when moved in pan.

"My youngest daughter Violet enjoying a kale chip. She always asks for more. The big girls finally got curious enough to try some after seeing us eat it several times. They like to dip them in ketchup and now eat them regularly."