Oily Rag: Kale chips, hip now try it with silverbeet

Try something different with silverbeet.

"More oily rag mail!" said our postie as the latest bag-full of frugal tips was heaved into our letterbox. Here are some of the gems we discovered.

Thrifty from Hamilton has a number of tips. "Gain extra storage space under a bed base that is too low by placing 5cm blocks of wood under the legs. This enabled me to fit three plastic storage boxes beneath a single bed."

Gayle B from Christchurch has a super-healthy snack idea. "Making kale chips has become quite popular and is easy, especially with the flatter varieties. I tried the same process with silverbeet and it works well. Heat the oven to 150C. I spray a flat tray with rice oil, then after cutting out the white stem I rub both sides of the silverbeet on the oiled tray then sprinkle a little salt and/or Za'atar (Moroccan spices of all types are good). Cut the leaf into bite size pieces. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until crisp. If they need a little longer, turn them over. When cooked, put them in a container with a paper towel on bottom."

The kale chips tip is timely, as no doubt gardeners will have lots of silverbeet. Fortunately, oily raggers have many great ways to use it in the kitchen.

Hammelschwanz from Whakatane says "I make a thick white sauce with whole milk and add finely pureed silverbeet or spinach. The creaminess hides that 'teeth blunting' feeling. Serve the vegetable with mashed potatoes and a fried or poached egg. Add a little vegetable stock powder or nutmeg to the blended vegetable and sauce mix."

LandP writes, "Here are the ingredients for a meal for four: 750g silverbeet, 2 eggs, 6 tbsp flour, 500g cottage cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, freshly ground pepper, and 1 & 1/2 cups grated tasty cheese.

"Wash, trim and finely chop the silverbeet, then cook, drain and squeeze out excess water. Beat eggs and flour together until smooth, add silver beet, cottage cheese, salt, nutmeg and pepper combining them well. Bake uncovered at 180C 45 minutes; it can be eaten hot or cold. Works well with spinach."

And now to the questions. Rachel from Tauranga asks, "How do you feel about SodaStream machines and yoghurt makers? Do they save money - are they worth it?"

Thrifty asks, "Does anyone have an economical homemade recipe for fabric softener, including the amount to use?"

If you can help out our frugal friends, please let us know by going to oilyrag.co.nz.

You can write to us at:

Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box 984, Whangarei.

-Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Read our wealth of tips at www.oilyrag.co.nz