Skinny Jeans Don't Lie - A Moratorium on Desserts

There's been far too much dessert tasting in AK's Kitchen. The proof is in my skinny jeans. The zipper is not happy. And so my resolve to cut back on the desserts.

I strolled down the aisle of my local Herb and Spice, and a robust leafy green called out to me. "Take me home chubby mama. I'm full of vitamin and minerals. You don't need more cookies!"

I picked up a bunch of fresh kale. I hadn't used kale in years, but was inspired by a recent cooking segment on CTV Midday during which Leanne Cusack made kale chips flavoured with a mixture of cayenne and cashews. She made it look so easy and idiot-proof.

To ensure my experiment wasn't a complete waste, I used half of the kale in a miso soup, and dehydrated the other half. I baked the leaves at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes with a sprinkling of sea salt. When I pulled the greens out of the oven, they looked nothing like the chips I saw on TV. Mine looked a sickly brown - like myself two weekends ago when I was recovering from a migraine.

When my kids came into the kitchen to inspect my latest experiment, I tried to tell them that it was Popeye chips, loaded with good stuff. No sale. They said it looked funny and smelled weird. Always reluctant to throw out food - no matter how unappealing- I whipped up a "salvage sauce".

I made my own version of Thai peanut sauce. My youngest is allergic to peanuts, so I used almond butter.  I also find almond and cashew butters tastier than peanut butter.

With a drizzle of my Thai sauce, and some coaxing, the kids did eat the dried kale. I had lots of leftover sauce for chicken and spinach salad lunches the next day. The Thai sauce is sweet, salty and a tad spicy with a rich nuttiness.

Thai sauce over chicken and spinach salad

Thai Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup nut butter
1Tbsp sweetener (honey, agave, maple syrup, sugar)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
Rind and juice from 1 lime
Chilli flakes/ Sriracha Thai hot sauce
1/4 - 1/2 cup water

Blend the first four ingredients together with a hand blender.  Add water in a slow stream to thin the sauce.  Add chilli flakes or hot sauce to taste. Done.
Drizzle over meats, noodles, spring rolls or kale chips.