Kale. .. . . So healthy. . How do you like yours???

Jade_Butterfly

Okay so this was my first time ATTEMPTING. . .lol. . . to make kale chips. . . I'm afraid I didn't do a great job of it. . . TRIAL AND ERROR. . I guess. ..

I want to learn to use kale and I am afraid that I am not very good at it. . . I don't know what to do with it other than steam it. . . Or put it in a salad. . .

So I would love hints on high nutritional value veggies and how you cook them.Thanks in advance

healthyjen342

BUMP!

fridayjustleft04

The only thing I've used kale for is chips..put it on some parchment paper, spray with nonstick (olive oil flavor for me), season them with salt, and throw them in the oven until crispy..simple.

Twinmom1221

A friend brought Kale chips to our party the other night. At first I laughed at him becuase who brings baked lettuce to a party, but they were great. He said he took the stems out, washed it, and put it though a salad spinner to get all the water off. He put them on a baking sheet and spritzed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and baked at 350 until they were starting to brown. They were amazing.

NotGoddess

I add it raw to my turkey wraps instead of using lettuce. I haven't tried cooking it yet, so if someone has a good method, post it!

eelamme

There is a suasage and kale soup made with tomatoes and potatoes that my fiance loooooves.

Murphk323

kale, bosc pear slices, red onion, cucumber, sliced almonds and raspberry vinagrette dressing.

elizabethblake

I used the dehydrator to make kale chips last summer, they are addictive! One of my coworkers puts a handful into his fruit smoothie and swears it gives him an energy boost.

Shae3891

I actually mix it into my smooties can't taste it and I hardly notice a difference in texture

kaitimae

Chips chips chipssss is the only way I have ever or care to eat kale. YUM!!! Tips for kale chips... make sure you rinse the kale really well, and then DRY it really well. (Maybe throw it in a salad spinner, if you have one.) Spray with cooking spray, or toss with a little olive oil. Spice it with whatever spices you like. Bake. If you find your kale chips are soggy, cook them longer and/or turn up the temperature. Make sure to stir them, and watch so they don't burn. You want the edges to be brown, but not brown all over the leaf. Lastly, make sure you get the kale with the curly/wrinkly edges.

ItsMeLori

I have chopped it up and used it in a smoothie. Called a Green Smoothie

2 cup chopped kale
1 cup frozen mixed fruit
1 cup almond milk
water if needed
You can add whey protein if you want

sundancer1966

We use it for many things.

We add to smoothies.

One of my favorite things to do with it is saute (nonstick pan, very little pam) with onion, garlic, black beans and red chard. add favorite spices. YUM.

I also break it apart - stems out, and add to veggie soup.

Sometimes just steammed with a bit of lemon juice is nice.

Have been buying vegan Kale chips, thanks all for the hints on how to do it myself :happy: :happy:

Gary6030

Look up the healthy version of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup. It uses kale. I made it once before it was tremendous but I can't find the recipe now.

melsinct

I made an awesome side dish the other day. It is a kale and potato hash...so delicious (and easy!). The recipe is from EatingWell.com http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/kale_potato_hash.html


Kale & Potato Hash
Serve as a side with a steak or pork chops or set a poached egg on top for a hearty breakfast or brunch.

4 servings, 1/2 cup each | Active Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients

* 8 cups torn kale leaves, (about 1/2 large bunch; see Tip)
* 2 tablespoons horseradish
* 1 medium shallot, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups cooked shredded potatoes, (see Ingredient note)
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Place kale in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and finely chop.
2. Meanwhile, mix horseradish, shallot, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add the chopped kale and potatoes; stir to combine.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the kale mixture, spread into an even layer and cook, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes and returning the mixture to an even layer, until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes total.

Nutrition

Per serving : 240 Calories; 12 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 8 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 30 g Carbohydrates; 6 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 244 mg Sodium; 651 mg Potassium

Tips & Notes

* Tip: A 1- to 1 1/2-pound bunch of kale yields 16 to 24 cups of chopped leaves.When preparing kale for these recipes, remove the tough ribs, chop or tear the kale as directed, then wash it--allowing some water to cling to the leaves. The moisture helps steam the kale during the first stages of cooking.
* Ingredient Note: Fresh, partially cooked, shredded potatoes for hash browns can be found in the refrigerated produce section and sometimes in the dairy section of most supermarkets. Alternatively, boil potatoes until they can just be pierced with a fork but are not completely tender. Let cool slightly, then shred.

bananamac

Kale smoothies! Seriously, they're amazing. I used to have one every morning for breakfast.

Try this (makes 2 large smoothies):

1 banana
4 cups chopped kale (you can go with less when you're starting out)
1 - 2 cups mango chunks, or pineapple chunks, or a mix *
orange juice, or water **

Pulse the banana and the kale until the kale has turned to mush (you may need to add a bit of juice or water).
Add the fruit, and blend, adding juice/water until you get the consistency you want.

* using yellow fruit like mango and pineapple means you get a vibrant green smoothie... you can use berries with delicious results, but the smoothie is closer to a swampy mud colour.

** some of my friends use almond or soy milk instead of juice, but I've always preferred the cleaner, less creamy taste of fruit juice or water

scapez

Bumping for all of the yummy stuff!

Vegan_Chick

The easiest way to eat kale if not in a smoothie is to saute it in balsamic vineagr and add some raisins. Even my kids like it!

MelMoly

I use it in soup...all kinds it works! :bigsmile:

cdstadt

Every time I try to make kale chips, they always taste burned.

I'll keep eating it sauteed with tons of lemon juice until someone makes some GOOD kale chips for me!
I've seen recipes that grill kale, so that's probably awesome.

I also prefer turnip and collard greens over kale, so.

writtenINthestars

...the few times I've tried Kale, I didn't like it. But since I know it's very good for me...I'm curious to see what others suggest!

Coco187

I have never heard of kale chips. I will be tring them. But, for those who have never cooked kale. My favorite is to saltee in olive oil just enough to blanch. I love it love it.

ShannonMpls

I don't like kale chips, generally - but I use kale several times a week. If I make a pasta dish, it goes in there. Otherwise...now, you won't believe me that this is not disgusting...but give it a try.

I make a green smoothie with the following:

kale (about 3 cups)
spinach (1.5 cups)
carrot
1/2 cup blueberries
2/3 cup strawberries
1 frozen banana (essential to keeping this from tasting like a kale smoothie)
3 tbsp ground flax seed
water as needed

This makes three small smoothies for my family, and we've started drinking them a couple times a week. Even my 16 month old toddler, who says "Mmmmm!" after sipping it. It's a wretched color but it works!

Try it!

live2dream

I usually juice it with lemon and with some combo of beets, cukes, carrots, apples, romaine...

Have been wanting to try kale chips! They seem to be quite the craze lately!

Also LOVE kale in stirfry...

Jade_Butterfly

I used the dehydrator to make kale chips last summer, they are addictive! One of my coworkers puts a handful into his fruit smoothie and swears it gives him an energy boost.

LOVE this. . I have a dehydrator Thanks.

Jade_Butterfly

I don't like kale chips, generally - but I use kale several times a week. If I make a pasta dish, it goes in there. Otherwise...now, you won't believe me that this is not disgusting...but give it a try.

I make a green smoothie with the following:

kale (about 3 cups)
spinach (1.5 cups)
carrot
1/2 cup blueberries
2/3 cup strawberries
1 frozen banana (essential to keeping this from tasting like a kale smoothie)
3 tbsp ground flax seed
water as needed

This makes three small smoothies for my family, and we've started drinking them a couple times a week. Even my 16 month old toddler, who says "Mmmmm!" after sipping it. It's a wretched color but it works!

Try it!

Right one. . . love it!

gwenmf

bump

sugarsprinkles

I just made the chips, and ate them aaaallllllll! Love them! Thanks for the tip!

TressaBarron

I chop it up (no stem) into little pieces and put it in egg white omelettes. I saute a little onion in the pan, then i put some chopped kale and spinach in just long enough to wilt it, not really cook it through then take it out of the pan and put aside. Then pour in the egg whites, cover the bottom of the pan, cook until almost completely solid, sprinkle the kale and spinach onto the egg and fold it over to make an omelette. It's really good. I was so skeptical the first time I tried Kale. I also dice it up into my salads. I am going to try making the chips over the weekend.

Marquettedominos

My wife and I add it to our green smoothies in out VitaMixer,

grapes 50g
100g fresh pineapple with core
1/2 orange
1 bananna
15g cabbage
50g Kale
50g Organic Spinach
15g organic carrots
15g yellow squash
1 whole skinless Kiwi
1cup water
1 cup ice
Blend away. Makes around 2 20oz smoothies.

We do 1 to 2 of these a day.

chchchangess

definitely smoothies and kale chips (with nutritional yeast!), like everyone else has mentioned. I also make a soup like this at least once a month (minus the potatoes): http://www.manifestvegan.com/2010/01/lentil-kale-and-potato-soup/ and it's awesome. you can pretty much throw it in any soup, kale by itself has such a mild flavor that you won't really notice it. other than that, I sauté it with garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, and whatever spices I feel like at the time and it makes the perfect side dish.

cheesesandwich

I chop it up and put it in a turkey burger! This recipe is SO good:

Ingredients

2 lbs - Ground Turkey
3 cups (750 mL) - Kale, finely chopped
1 each - Egg, large
4 Tbsp ( 60 mL) - Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp (15 mL) - Garlic powder
2 tsp (10 mL) - Onion powder
1 tsp (5 mL) - Thyme, dried
½ tsp (3 mL) - Rosemary, dried
3 Tbsp (45 mL) - Dijon mustard
1 tsp (5 mL) - Salt

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients with your hands.
Form into 8 patties of uniform size.
Place into a non-stick grill or barbeque that has been sprayed with olive oil and cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes on the one side.
Turn over, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until center is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
Serve alone or on a whole-wheat bun (additional calories) with a side of 2-3 servings of vegetables.
Makes 8 servings (160g /serving).