Kale- What's it like?

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Replies

  • dmlover76
    dmlover76 Posts: 15 Member
    I agree with sistasledge's recipe. I add a little ground pepper to it too.
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
    I buy it at the organic store ..... wash well & get rid of the long "rib" .... rip up or chop up ...... I add to soups, stews .... even put it into chili .... my hubby would have a heart attack if he knew, but he thought it was great :drinker:
  • proctorcj
    proctorcj Posts: 31
    I juice it...My juice contain Kale, Carrots, an apple, piece of ginger knuckle, a lemon and a cucumber.

    Delicious LOL : )~
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member
    I like roasting it like chips. I'm not a fan of it sauteed, and I usually like greens.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Kale is great in a salad or wrap instead of lettuce. It's also good chopped and mixed into sauces, soups or stews. Or it makes a great side dish. Some peopl e steam it, but I like it best sauted in olive oil with garlic. Mushrooms or almond slivers are great additions too.
  • amuhlou
    amuhlou Posts: 693 Member
    To me it's like a tougher cabbage. Some preparations to try -

    1. 'Cooked' in citrus - massage fresh lemon juice in it
    2. Baked - toss with some olive oil and bake
    3. Greens & Beans
    4. It holds up real well in soups too

    If you're NOT juicing it, make sure to separate the leaves from the spine/rib that goes up the middle. It's pretty tough and not good eats.
  • emmeline79
    emmeline79 Posts: 6
    I've been putting it in my smoothies as well, couple leaves of kale, 1/2 a banana, handful of strawberries and some shake mix and it's a great way to start the day!
  • jillbeanschoop
    jillbeanschoop Posts: 61 Member
    I have to put in a vote for the several kale chip recipies already posted. I make kale chips and then put them in a bowl on the kitchen counter. Even my 10 year old daughter grabs a chip here and there as she walks by (of course not my "I hate green things" son.). It's a nice, low-cal snack to have on the counter.
  • apehl
    apehl Posts: 13
    I love raw kale in salads. The leaves can be chewy but if you take time to prepare it, it's delicious! Remove the leaves from the stem, and drizzle about 1 T of olive oil and massage the kale for about a minute. It helps it to break down and soften. I also love that a kale salad will keep in the fridge for a few days, most salads usually wilt but this is great to make ahead of time and have for lunch throughout the week!

    Awesome recipe: http://realgirlskitchen.com/2011/10/21/rgk-cherry-kale-salad/
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eplbDbp6XJQ
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Kale has an amazing flavor! I like to put it in raw with a roast baked in the oven so that it wilts. Fantastic flavor!
  • secrets_out
    secrets_out Posts: 684 Member
    It's a garnish
  • Just_Dot
    Just_Dot Posts: 2,283 Member
    Anyone that tells you that kale chips are the OMGBEST sub for potato chips are frelling liars. Kale chips are the bomb...but they ARE NOT better than yummy potato chips.
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
    I'll also put in a vote for kale chips. We're avoiding the sodium so we tend to flavor with garlic and red pepper, but they make for a tasty crunchy snack - and it's quite healthy with a bit of olive oil. I find the aftertaste from kale to be similar to brussels sprouts... doesn't work for everyone, but I find myself eating them every time I walk by the bowl - and I don't even eat potato chips!
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
    Kale - What's it like?

    Imagine all the things you like about spinach. Cut them in half.

    Imagine all the things you hate about spinach. Double them.

    That's kale!
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    I have kale salad once in a while. It's REALLY bitter, though, so you may want to mix it with some other green stuff.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    It's a garnish
    It's food.
  • ElviraCross
    ElviraCross Posts: 331 Member
    kale chips is my favorite way to eat it!
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    It's a garnish
    It's food.

    What's food to you is garnish to some. Take steak for example... clearly a garnish.
  • MissNations
    MissNations Posts: 513 Member
    If you do kale chips, you can try different seasonings, too. Curry, Creole, Cajun, cayenne, vadouvan, ranch, etc etc


    I just learned this salad recipe this weekend.:

    Rip one bunch of kale into bite size pieces. Drizzle several TBSP of olive oil, juice from one small lemon. Mix. Add half of one avocado in chunks and a large pinch of garlic salt. Massage the avocado into the leaves til everything is mixed/blended. DELICIOUS and totally nutritious.

    :drinker:
  • CaWaterBug8
    CaWaterBug8 Posts: 1,040 Member
    Kale is amazing. I haven't tried it cooked because I love it so much raw I haven't bothered.

    Trader Joes sells bags of kale pre-cut and ready to eat whenever you need to trow a salad together quickly and it's flavor is pretty mild and tasty. :bigsmile:


    I love to take the bag an toss it in some olive oil and vinegar and shred some carrots on top for a snack.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    Its like at your local grocery store. Its one of the cheapest things in the place.
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member
    Anyone that tells you that kale chips are the OMGBEST sub for potato chips are frelling liars. Kale chips are the bomb...but they ARE NOT better than yummy potato chips.

    this, and none that I've ever made are suitable for dipping. They're more like... kale crispy bits.
  • HealthierAndFitterMe
    HealthierAndFitterMe Posts: 52 Member
    i will have to say , i don't think it taste the best & i definitely would not use it in a salad . i use kale every morning in a drink i make , which is half a grapefruit , half a medium banana , & 1 cup of kale & a bit of water , the more water you have the more runner it is . i like my drink thick so i don't put to much water in . i put it in the blender & bam . the taste of it takes some time to get use too & it all depends if you like grapefruit or not also . i absolutely love the drink & look forward to it every morning . also , grapefruit i hear is a great thing to add into your diet for supposably it helps you lose weight . (:
  • 916lude
    916lude Posts: 305
    I've been reading up on the major benefits of consuming Kale.

    However, I have never had it and am looking for some suggestions on how to comsume it. Is it okay to use in place of other leafy greens for salad, or is the taste more bitter and require being cooked in certain ways to make it palatable?

    You can sautee it or steam it. Personally I like it raw in a smoothie. A few leaves of Kale (don't include the stalk), blueberries and 2 cups of water.

    You can use mango in place of blueberries to make it super smooth!
  • breezedm
    breezedm Posts: 12
    Kale is the the most awful vegetable on the planet. I am eating it right now sauteed. It makes other vegetables seems like you are eating ice cream. I don't know of any other vegetable I hate. My friend just gave me a recipe for a kale shake: kale, PB2, goji berries, watermelon, and blueberries. I haven't tried it yet, but plan on buying everything this weekend.
  • Jesstruhan
    Jesstruhan Posts: 331 Member
    Delicious! My boyfriend teased me because I grew it in our tiny garden last year and we had SO MUCH.
    I often cut out the stems, cut it into strips or chunks and do a quick sautee.
    I use:
    Garlic or spring onion - just enough for flavor. Sautee in about 1 tbsp olive oil.
    Bacon (optional) - just one or two pieces cut into strips. fry that up, too.
    6 cups of raw Kale. LOTS of it! It wilts when cooked.
    2 tbsp of brown sugar
    about a tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar.
    about 2 tbsp water.

    Fry the bacon, Garlic (or onion) in the oil. If it's fatty bacon you can omit the oil. Cook until starting to crisp.
    Throw the kale on top and follow it up with the water. let that steam. when it wilts a little, give it a stir.
    Add in the brown sugar and vinegar. MUST BE balsamic vinegar or it will not taste right.
    cook that until all of the ingredients are mixed and the kale is sufficiently cooked to your liking. I like mine more crisp, but I like the dark flavors with the sugar. The longer it cooks, the milder it gets.

    You can also cut it into tiny bite-sized pieces and throw it into green salads with some peppery arugula, candied walnuts and a little Gorgonzola. It's LOVELY. hit that with a little vinaigrette and you are good to go.
  • HorseWithNoName27
    HorseWithNoName27 Posts: 188 Member
    I use it raw with spinach in salads that I make for dinner. Spinach, kale, some grape tomatoes, green pepper chunks, peppercini rings and some tuna or chicken make an awesome salad! You can find kale as a raw, complete plant with leaves and stems, or in pre-cut and pre-washed bags at the grocery store. It tastes a little zesty/spicy, similar to collard greens or red leaf lettuce. You can also boil it, steam it, use it in smoothies, or make "chips" out of it. It's really good--try it!

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