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Cooking, it’s cheaper than therapy. And with all the wellness and economic crises of 2020, you bet your bottom dollar I’ve been working it out in the kitchen lately.  (Like, literally. Bottom dollar.)

Speaking of finances and playing with food, I’m all about making the most of our grocery budget and eliminating food waste this year. I’ve been reading the James Beard Foundation’s Waste Not cookbook, and it got me thinking about kale stems. 

Cooking with Kale Stems

Nearly every recipe tells you to remove stems and discard, but kale stems are totally edible. Not only are they edible, they can be downright delicious when done right! 

But… why would you eat kale stems, you ask. The average bunch of kale contains a full one cup of chopped kale stems, based on my experiments, and that’s a decent amount of fresh veg to just toss in the compost. More than that, kale is a good source of:

• Dietary Fiber

• Protein

• Thiamin

• Riboflavin

• Folate

• Iron

• Magnesium 

• Phosphorus

…And a whole slew of vitamins and other nutrients, but this list was starting to get obnoxiously long, so let’s get to why you’re actually here.

Aren’t kale stalks just going to taste like goat food? Nope, not if done correctly! Now, I love spinach artichoke dip, but I’m on like, the forever wedding diet, assuming this pandemic will ever let up enough for us to get our party on. So after some trial and error in the kitchen, I came up with a delicious healthy spinach artichoke dip that capitalizes on the crunch, fiber, and nutritional boost of added kale stalks… and saves your spinach artichoke dip from being a smooshy mess. 

Let’s get started.

Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip with Kale Stems

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped kale stems, previously cut end and tip removed for texture’s sake (I cut mine into 1/2 inch segments)

• Water

• 2 medium to large cloves of garlic

• olive oil

• 1 1/2 cups of marinated artichokes, drained and chopped

• 1 cup frozen spinach

• 1/4 cup avocado mayo

• 1/4 plain low-fat yogurt

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

• 6 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a small pot, bring several cups of water to a boil. Pour your kale stems in and blanch for 1-2 minutes. Remove and drain. 

2. In a medium saucepan, heat just enough olive oil to keep your veggies from sticking over medium heat (I used less than a tablespoon). Add the kale and garlic and stir continuously for approximately 5 minutes until the kale stems are beginning to soften.

3. Add the chopped artichoke hearts and frozen spinach. Cook your veggies for an additional 5 minutes.

4. While the veggies are cooking, combine your avocado mayo and parmesan cheese. Then add the reduced-fat cream cheese, but don’t work too hard trying to mix it in. It will be much easier once you stir in your warm veggies.

5. Add your veggies and stir to mix well, until the cream cheese is evenly distributed. Serve with toasted pita or baguette or your favorite crackers.

There you have it! A quick, simple, delicious way to incorporate kale stems into your diet. The added crunch and fiber make this a tasty recipe, and anytime a creamy dip also helps me eliminate food waste and pinch some pennies, I’m a happy hippie. 

Stay well!