I think I'll have to try them sometime. Actually, I think they would be great in this new recipe I tried. This recipe below comes from "BH&G Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes" which I've had for a couple years and honestly haven't tried anything out of it. I wanted something fulfilling without being heavy because of bad weekend eating that I'd already done. This just did the trick!

Asian Chicken Soup w/ Noodles

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 meduim onion cut into thin wedges
2 meduim carrots, bias-sliced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tspns grated fresh ginger
2 14 oz cans chicken broth
2 tbspns soy sauce
3 cups shredded Swiss chard or spinach
8 oz Chinese egg noodles or rice sticks
optional garnish: cilantro leaves or chile oil

1. Place mushrooms, onions, carrots in slow cooker. add chicken. combine garlic, ginger, chicken broth, and soy and pour over veggie/chicken mixture.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours
3. Stir in Swiss Chard/Spinach and cook covered 5 more minutes.Cook noodles in the meantime, following package directions.
To serve, divide noodles into bowls and pour soup over the top. Garnish as pleased.

Nutrition facts: 285 cal, 3 g fat/1 g sat. fat, 80 mg chol, 758 mg sodium, 39 g carbs, 3g fiber, 27g protien 114% vit A, 11% vit C, 4% calcium, 14% iron

I omitted the ginger because I just hate ginger, but I did add some sliced green onions in the soup as well as on top for garnish. I also just used the bottled teryaki sauce I had instead of soy because it's my preference. I chose spinach because it was onhand and because I thought I had purchased Swiss chard but it turned out to be kale. oops! Also tossed in some celery because I had it onhand too. Quite delish and for those of you staying away from carbs, stands on it's own without the rice noodles underneath it.

I posed this question in another thread but so far no answer, so I'll try here. I accidently bought a head of Kale and haven't got a freaking clue what to do with it. I couldn't find any recipes online other than suggestions to steam or boil it, which just seems kinda... blech. Any thoughts?

I usually heat a little olive oil to a nonstick pan, saute some garlic, add the kale (freshly washed with water still clinging to it) cook it for about 10 minutes adding some more water if you need to. When you serve it sprinkle some crushed red pepper over it. Soooo good.

I wonder if you could treat kale like cabbage? With some worcestershire, grilled onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc. & sauteed strips of chicken or pork chops? And garlic of course.

Not really a recipe but rather a suggestion. I do not fry foods any more in oil or fats but I put a little fat free Italian dressing in the bottom of my pan and sautee in that. What a great flavour it adds to meats and veggies. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think.
Virginia

mm.....right there with ya Virginia. I have a ton of recipes for sautee'ing stuff in italian dressing. In fact, I like to just toss a chicken in the crockpot with a bunch of it & it smells soooo good around the house when I walk in.

i got so sick of italian dressing when i was dieting last time - but if i wasn't.. I loooved the lite done rite version, it's nice and spicy.
I prefer to just make my own with some olive oil and balsamic now. Great trick. Another great trick I found is either to use a mister for my olive oil because it sprays all over with a fine mist, no wasting and no excess... also they make a Pam spray that is olive oil and it works fine and tastes okay - for being pam.
My favorite thing to do is toss meat into a foil pouch with some veggies, seasionings or a little bit of whatever sauce I have onhand. Always comes out perfect, plus it's the fastest easiest and laziest way to cook (hardly any clean up involved!)

The pouch sounds like a great idea, I think I just might try that, Thanks!
Virginia

Low Carb Kale

Smoked Chicken Breast or favorite spicy sausage or thick bacon diced
Olive Oil
1/2 onion
2-4 minced garlic cloves
splash of chicken stock or water with powered bouillion
salt and pepper

small bit of olive oil, diced chicken breast/sausage/bacon, brown until carmelized. Add onions cookdown, add garlic about 1-2 minutes laters add the kale, about 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of the stock and salt and pepper. Cook all down,about 20 minutes.....

Yummy high in fiber

Great ideas everyone - thanks for sharing!

I'm closing this thread now so everyone can post their recipes in the alternachick fab food sections. Everything is broken down into categories there so it is much easier to find the recipes.