A 2-pound bag of kale from Costco may be biting off too much to chew

HAILING KALE: One batch of kale down, rear, and one batch to go. In our biggest pan, I sauteed the greens in sesame and extra-virgin olive oils, plus a little wine, with chopped garlic and ginger, sea salt and other seasonings.

Kale served with mashed organic sweet potatoes and an egg-white omelet stuffed with organic salsa and reduced-fat Swiss cheese.

Editor's note: Today, I relate more adventures in preparing healthy food at home.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

We love greens and routinely buy and easily consume 1-pound packages of organic spring mix or baby spinach as salads or side dishes.

But a 2-pound bag of triple-washed kale from Costco Wholesale proved to be a challenge.

The price, only $3.79, can't be beat, but Nature's Greens Kale, though chopped, needs a little more preparation than fresh spinach, collard or other greens we buy.

Leaves and stems

The bag contains both kale leaves and tough stems.

My wife used the fresh kale in a smoothie, and found the leaves and stems don't blend completely, and you can see and taste tiny green flecks throughout.

When I sauteed the kale, I skipped blanching or boiling the green in hot water, and no amount of cooking in a pan on the stove top will tenderize those stems.

Nature's Greens describes the taste as "bold and bittersweet." My sauteed kale tasted tangy.

A 2.5-cup serving provides 260% of Vitamin A, 170% of Vitamin C and 10% of the calcium you need every day.

Nature's Greens recommends cooking seasoned fresh kale in 1 cup of chicken broth in a covered pot, a method that is a lot simpler than what I did.

The back of the bag also has a recipe for Kale Soup with Cannellini Beans (cooking time is 45 minutes).
  

Leftover whole-wheat fusilli pasta in bottled red sauce with added skinless-and-boneless sardines and anchovies is a good bread substitute at breakfast.

Ackee and Saltfish, the Jamaican national dish, with sauteed fresh spinach and Valentina Mexican Hot Sauce.

A salad of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix crowned with fresh pomegranate seeds, and reduced-fat Swiss and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses, all from Costco Wholesale. The dressing is extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Whole wild sea bass from H Mart in Englewood prepared in aluminum-foil pouches in the oven with fresh lime juice, okra, sweet peppers and onions. Cooking time is about 40 minutes at 400 degrees.

I did blanch the stems and leaves of Chinese Broccoli from H Mart in Little Ferry before sauteeing them in a pan with sesame oil, sea salt and granulated garlic.