I’m always searching for ways to make a healthier version of risotto, one of my favorite winter Italian dishes.

Risotto traditionally is made with starchy white rice. That starch is essential to producing a creamy, thick risotto. But I wanted a whole-grain version. Trouble is, brown rice doesn’t release nearly as much starch during cooking, so substituting it often produces risotto that is thin and uninspiring.

It took me a few attempts, but I eventually figured out how to have my whole grains and my thick and creamy risotto. And it was simple. I just needed to add starch.

For two weeks this summer I made it my mission to improve my 8-year-old son’s tolerance of vegetables.

I called it “veggie boot camp.” He called it torture.

My approach was simple. Every lunch and dinner I prepared at least three vegetables. Of those, he needed to select and consume two of them.

His approach was simple, too. Every lunch and dinner he moaned and complained and ate everything else on his plate first, leaving the dreaded vegetables for last. He’d then painfully and slowly force himself to eat them, often while threatening to mutiny.

When I created this recipe, I was aiming for something akin to a saute. What I got was so much better.

When you saute kale, it acts like spinach. That is, it wilts, releases a lot of moisture and becomes very tender. Prepared this way, it’s delicious in stir-fries, tossed with pasta or seasoned and used as a bed for roasted or grilled meats.