For the love of KALE!!

[redkitty]

I just love Kale! I had no clue how much I would love it until I cooked it for the first time last year. Now I try to eat it 2-3 times per week.

Did you know that one cup of kale contains just 36.4 calories, but provides 192.4% of the daily value for vitamin A??!!! How fabulous!

I've steamed it but how I love it the most is lightly sauteed with a tiny bit of salt and pepper. For me, it's a great replacement for carby grains or pasta.

How do you love your Kale?


Some great reading on Kale here...
WHFoods: Kale

[GB]

I love it too RC! I like mine steamed with some chopped garlic and salt and red pepper flakes. For the liquid I use chicken stock. Then just before serving I throw in some sliced garlic. i could make a meal out of the stuff.

[jennyema]

I chop up a whole head of kale and cook it with my pot roast.

[BreezyCooking]

The first of my two favorite recipes using kale:


GREEK PENNE PASTA WITH KALE AND FETA

1 pound penne pasta (Barilla is my favorite brand), cooked according to package directions & drained
1 block/container of Feta cheese, chopped/crumbled
Approx. 24 Kalamata olives, pitted, & roughly chopped **
Approx. 1 pound Kale, rinsed, stems removed & discarded, & leaves roughly sliced/chopped
1 red onion, peeled & chopped
A few dollops of extra virgin olive oil for sauteeing
Dash or so of chicken broth or water
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

While the cooked pasta is draining in a colander, heat the olive oil & saute the onion until soft but not brown in the pot the pasta was cooked in. Add the kale, stir a bit, & add a dash or 2 of chicken broth or water to prevent burning. Add chopped olives & stir until kale has wilted down. Add cooked pasta, feta cheese, & crushed red pepper & stir again until pasta is heated through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

** Pitting the olives is accomplished easily by simply placing your broad kitchen knife (sharp side away from you) over each olive & briskly hitting down on the knife with your hand. Olive will break open & pit will be easy to remove.

[BreezyCooking]

And the second:


PORTUGUESE KALE & TURKEY SAUSAGE SOUP

One medium onion, peeled & chopped
One pound of kale, de-ribbed & roughly sliced/chopped
1-1/2 quarts or so of chicken stock (if not homemade, I usually use one carton + one can of Swanson's)
Two medium potatoes, peeled & diced -OR- two cans of cannelini/white kidney beans, rinsed **
One package (usually 12 to 16 ounces) turkey kielbasa sausage, sliced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large soup pot add enough olive oil to coat the bottom & saute onion until starting to soften, but not brown. Add sliced sausage & continue sauteeing until everything is just starting to brown a little. Add chicken stock & diced potatoes (if using) & simmer until potatoes are tender - about 15 minutes or so. Add kale & continue cooking until kale is tender. (** if using beans instead of potatoes, add chicken stock & bring to a simmer. Add kale & cook until tender; then add beans & stir gently until beans are just heated thru.) Add salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste & serve.

[GB]

Originally Posted by BreezyCooking

PORTUGUESE KALE & TURKEY SAUSAGE SOUP

I love this stuff!!!

[silentmeow]

I grow swiss chard every year but tried kale this year and love it. Put it in everything! I, and I, repeat I alone...love it steamed with butter, salt and pepper. My husband hates it but I'll get him converted through creative cooking! We need to write a cookbook on how to hide kale!

[jpmcgrew]

I adore kale and have cooked it alot on the job.You can cook some bacon drain the fat if you like then saute some onions in bacon cook with kale with a bit of garlic maybe some chicken stock.Another is with onions and a squeeze of lemon when its done,Another is onions,sultana raisins and a sweet wine.Pretty much any way you cook spinach the same goes for swiss chard.Toasted pinon nuts are a nice touch and feta cheese is good as well.

[buckytom]

as mentioned, kale works really well in soups. it won't disintegrate into the soup if cooked a little too long.

here's a soup using kale that i posted a while ago. Two Potato Soup ... re-posted

[redkitty]

mmmm....breezy's Greek Penne recipe sounds tasty!

I've used it in soups too but prefer is sauteed cause it's more crunchy.

Happy to hear some of us love Kale!!!