Sauteéd Kale with Nuts

As I rearranged and cleaned out the refrigerator this morning, I found a bag of kale tucked behind some larger things that I'd forgotten about this week. I do believe I intended to make a white bean and kale soup, but forgot all about it. A reminder that it's smart, practical and economical to write up a menu or at best, a list of things you plan to make each week based on the fresh produce you find at the market. I usually do. Or at least make a mental note of meals I'll prepare with the goodies on hand. Even with the best of intentions, the kale was forgotten. To prevent another lapse and a loss of good produce, I decided to wash and steam the bunch of kale on the spot, intending to have it as a side dish with my lunch.

I sliced up a small yellow cooking onion and started that in a sprinkling of water in a shallow sauté pan. Once the onions had begun to soften a bit, I added the washed and chopped kale, then covered the pan for a few minutes. When the kale had begun to wilt down, I removed the cover and drizzled on about a generous teaspoon of olive oil, a bit of sea salt and some freshly ground pepper. Tossing it all about in the pan with a pair of tongs, the kale was ready within minutes. In fact, it really got away from me and didn't turn out as bright green as I usually make it. But nonetheless, it was mighty tasty!

I had some toasted walnut pieces and pine nuts from previous meals in a plastic bag in the fridge. They made a super topping adding flavor, crunch and great nutrition. The dish of kale, a piece of whole wheat pita and a pouring of Cabernet made a wonderful lunch.

Letting one interesting vegetable star at mealtime is a nice change. Fuss-free meal preparation makes eating well easy.