By Summer:

What do you do with spinach and/or kale? I’ve heard it but I’ve really seen it a lot on Facebook. I wanted to give you all my answers. Here are 14 things you can do with the spinach or kale you KNOW you should eat. Or for when it pops up in your vegetable box and you’re tempted to automatically compost it instead of letting it decompose in your vegetable drawer. Though they have different favors, I think you can swap, switch, and substitute the two for the most part.

One of my favorite quotes from the show Modern Family, “Kale is the new spinach.”

14 Ways to Cook with Spinach and Kale

1. Simply in a Salad. I favor the taste of spinach, so I enjoy a good spinach salad. Kale, I would use to make a Salad Mix my combining a bunch of different leafy greens. You can also add wilted spinach or kale to a quinoa salad for some color.

2. In your Taco Bar. One of my favorite dinner nights is taco night! I place all the fixings in separate bowls so each individual can make their own perfect taco/burrito. Common elements in our “bar” include cheese, onions, tomatoes, beans, sour cream, avocado, and spinach though kale would work fine too!

3. Through a hand full into your favorite Soup. I love to add kale to soup and spinach too. I like the texture of the “curly leaved” or Scots Kale; I think that can do wonders for a warm in your belly cup of soup.

4. Bake! WHAT?!?! That’s right! Use it in your savory or sweet cooking. If you add a full handful to a normal sized batch, you won’t taste it:

a. Blend – Put a handful of leaves into your blending machine and make it a puree. Then pour the puree into your favorite chocolate baked desserts like brownies or cake.

b. Wilt and Chop – Add it to breads and muffins. It’ll look green, but won’t alter the flavor much if at all. (Teaser! There is a Summertime Savory Muffin hitting Mom Start in July.)

5. Layer into Lasagna. Noodles, meat, cheese, sauce, spinach and/or kale, repeat. It cooks right in, but it’d be best to wilt it before just adding it as the leaves are “puffy”. Once you wilt the leaves allow time to dry and offer assistance in the drying by wringing it out and pat dry with a paper towel.
You might also be able to include it not only into lasagna, but into your families other favorite casseroles and bakes. Another layering option is pizza.

6. Add to Pasta Sauce. You can add spinach or kale to both homemade and store bought pasta sauce. When you’re heating up the sauce just add a handful of green or more. Remember the size will significantly reduce during wilting/cooking. Here are two options to add green into your sauces, just through a handful of spinach or kale into either recipe.

7. Make Chips. Kale chips seem to be a big fad here in the Pacific Northwest … maybe it’s national and I just don’t know it. The recipe is simple: 1 bunch kale or spinach, 1 Tablespoon EVOO, and salt to taste. Bake at 350^oF for about 10 minutes. Chips are crispy and edges are brown but not burnt.

8. Build a Sandwich. You got the bread. You got the protein – meat and cheese. Don’t forget the veggies and fruits too! Instead of iceberg add some spinach or kale in addition to tomatoes and avocado.

9. Wrap. Not just sandwich wraps; that’d be cheating on #8. Wrap wilted spinach and kale into eggrolls, spring rolls, and wontons. Making your own at home are easy and the kids will love helping. Just pick up a package of eggroll or wonton wrappers in the refrigerator section of your grocery store. Don’t forget other veggies and meat too … not one wants just green inside! Try some water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, meat, matchstick carrots, celery, and corn; mix what you like in a bowl with the spinach and/or kale and then stuff your wrap.

10. Blend into smoothies and popsicles. My sons love GREEN smoothies. We drink what we want and make popsicles out of the rest. Good and good for you! If you add only about a handful you won’t alter the flavors from your sweet fruits.

11. Cream of spinach or kale. “Classic”! You can find different recipes on different sites, including vegan “creaming”. So check around, you can get healthy with it!

12. Form into Patties. Make a burger or form into smaller patties which are really nuggets; eggs will be your glue! Add in cheese, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, bell peppers. Fry it up on each side on your griddle.

13. Just add Egg – like an omelet, frittata, quiche, bake, or scrambled. Throw some green in it! You can also add other vegetable like onions, garlic, peppers, and meat.

14. Lastly and least … Garnish with spinach or kale. If my husband and I are enjoying a meal with spinach or kale then I present it on my sons’ plates too. If it’s “plain” like in a salad they won’t eat it, but it’s there on their plate and they can name it. I feel like I’m winning some sort of battle knowing my children are vegetable literate even if they won’t eat it. They’ve been exposed enough that every now and again one of them will take a bite out of the “garnish” even if they don’t like it … which they usually don’t (I’m not going to lie to you!).

If you have other ideas on what to do with spinach or kale please share them here in our comments section. I always like new ideas and other readers can then benefit from your knowledge

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm