Has anyone tried Kale?

I'm looking for ways to get more iron in my diet and have recently discovered that dried parsley & thyme are great sources with is fab cuz I love to sprinkle those over my dinner anyway. Another one that keeps popping up on high iron lists is kale, has anyone tried it? Is it nice? How do I cook it and last but not least has anyone got any yummy recipes that incorporate kale?
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Replies

  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    I'm looking for ways to get more iron in my diet and have recently discovered that dried parsley & thyme are great sources with is fab cuz I love to sprinkle those over my dinner anyway. Another one that keeps popping up on high iron lists is kale, has anyone tried it? Is it nice? How do I cook it and last but not least has anyone got any yummy recipes that incorporate kale?

    Only in my shakes. Stem and all.

    Cooking the stem on it's on taste like broccoli to me
  • Zuppa Toscana

    Ingredients
    • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
    • 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers
    • 1 large diced white onion
    • 3 pieces bacon, chopped
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 1 of a bunch of kale
    Directions
    1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
    2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the onions are soft.
    3. Add chicken broth to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
    4. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
    5. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve.
  • NiceSpydr
    NiceSpydr Posts: 47 Member
    Kale is very common to eat in the UK. For lots of great recipes, check out: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search.do?keywords=kale
    Personally, I think it's delicious AND flexible to accompany many different types of meals.
  • acd_04
    acd_04 Posts: 2 Member
    I chop it up into little peices and add it to any soups I make in the crock pot. I find you can't taste it at all this way. You can also bake it and make kale "chips." Add different seasonings for more flavor. I also like it in my smoothies.
  • akp4Him
    akp4Him Posts: 227
    LOVE the recipe above!!! Very good!!
  • amazon35
    amazon35 Posts: 98 Member
    I love Kale and collard greens! They're yummy. Spinach is very bland compared to these 2. You can buy kale by the bag now like spinach or lettuce. And the directions to cook it is on the bag. I simmer mine all day with a turkey neck.
  • droneofvelvet
    droneofvelvet Posts: 290 Member
    Love to juice kale, cut it up in a salad, even steam it.

    Spinach has many of the same benefits and it's easier to find, by the way :)
  • nomicat77
    nomicat77 Posts: 132 Member
    Creamed Kale is awesome! or throw kale in any soup or stew,. or blend in a green smoothie
  • thevegankelly
    thevegankelly Posts: 85 Member
    We make baked kale chips all the time. They have the crispness of potato chips and a little bit of salt, so it feels like junk food but it's actually really healthy.
  • cpudoc64
    cpudoc64 Posts: 135
    Haven't tried Kale but have tried Chard which I think are similar.
  • 82ale
    82ale Posts: 32 Member
    Yes and I rather be fat than eat kale.
  • Jonesingmucho
    Jonesingmucho Posts: 4,902 Member
    I pull stem off and wash each leaf, dropping it in big stockpot. There's like a 1/4 cup of water in the pot with all the leaves at the end or add enough water or broth to have about a 1/4 c. Chop up some cooked bacon and throw in the pot with a few generous shakes of hot sauce.
    Cover the pot so that the water steams the leaves maybe 15-20 mins. Even the juice is yummy.

    Another splash of hot sauce or vinegar when you plate it and DELISH!
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
    Oh yeah, love kale .......

    Wash it, discard the "spine", chop leaves into big pieces and add to soups or stews ...... or cook it stovetop with a bit of vegetable, chicken or beef broth ...... or chop into small pieces and eat it raw in a salad :drinker:
  • leighdiane91
    leighdiane91 Posts: 225 Member
    I put kale in my smoothies with frozen pineapple, cottage cheese and some Bolthouse Green machine. i think it takes like a slightly sweet salad in a cup lol.
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
    Kale is awesome! I like the dinosaur kale variety, and used to make kale chips in the oven. As to your iron goals, are you vegetarian? Lean beef is a good way to gain iron, and you basically keep your bases covered eating it once or twice a month.
  • Tastes nasty, but add some cashews and lemon juice.
  • lisadlocks
    lisadlocks Posts: 212 Member
    I boil it with chicken stock and just season to taste and just eat. I sometimes steam it and then add light coconut milk and curry. I also break it up into pieces and add it to my white beans. I love Kale!
  • Markguns
    Markguns Posts: 554 Member
    Kale is BITTER ... and is a natural laxitive.
  • I make a smoothy every morning with greens, sometimes kale, sometimes spinach, sometimes both. It is surprisingly good! I have a Vitamix blender, which blends everything very smooth.

    Sample Recipe:

    I kale leaf (or handfull of baby spinach leaves, chard, or any green leafy)
    1cup water
    1 whole apple (cut the whole thing into quarters, and toss in, seeds and all)
    1/4 lemon
    2 tbsp honey
    lots of ice

    blend until very smooth and drink while fresh.

    It's a great way to get your greens and re-train your body to crave them.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    We stir fry kale a couple of times a week in various ways. LOVE kale.

    We love sauteed kale, white bean, and gorgonzola tacos.
  • Leigharev
    Leigharev Posts: 9 Member
    Kale is fantastic! I am also a fan of kale chips. Easy to make and so good!
    http://www.simoneanne.com/journal/2012/10/cheesy-vegan-kale-chips/
  • nataliescalories
    nataliescalories Posts: 292 Member
    I adore kale chips, but I always found kale I sautéed at home too bitter...until...I discovered that you should massage it (a serious massage, like kneading dough). It cuts the bitterness right out. I also prefer it chopped up. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/10/food/la-fo-calcook-20120310
  • JaceyMarieS
    JaceyMarieS Posts: 692 Member
    I like kale! I use it interchangeably with mustard greens, turnip greens and Swiss chard. It can be subbed for spinach, but needs to be cooked a little longer. It can be subbed for collard greens, but can be cooked for less time.
  • sgv0918
    sgv0918 Posts: 851 Member
    skinnytaste.com has a kale, white bean, and ground turkey soup recipe. I liked it alot
  • xaMErica
    xaMErica Posts: 284 Member
    Red Kale is GROSS!!! My fiancé got some for me to try.. O.o He couldn't do it either... Regular green kale is good though! My aunt bakes it with lemon juice and EVOO =)
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
    I adore kale chips, but I always found kale I sautéed at home too bitter...until...I discovered that you should massage it (a serious massage, like kneading dough). It cuts the bitterness right out. I also prefer it chopped up. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/10/food/la-fo-calcook-20120310

    The bitterness of kale (or any leafy green) can be avoided by blanching! Submerge in boiling water for 10-15 secs and the bitterness really dies down. Also it stops the veggies from paling in color..and maintains that bright green.

    But in my experience...Kale, Chard, go great with some white beans, good tomatoes, and olive oil. They are intrinsically meaty, and have great "bite". all around almost my favorite veggie.
  • AnnieMeredith
    AnnieMeredith Posts: 20 Member
    kale chips are actually my entire reason for being
  • kimleroy
    kimleroy Posts: 50 Member
    I love it sauteed.... Tear or chop it up coarsely, then boil it for about 5 minutes. Drain, submerge in ice water, then drain again. Heat up a little bit of olive oil in a pan and add some chopped up garlic. Once the garlic starts to brown a little, throw in the kale and a tablespoon or two of dried cranberries. Saute a few minutes until the kale is tender and its all hot. Super delicious! The sweetness of the cranberries pairs nicely with the kale, and the cooking takes away a lot of the bitterness I find.
  • I like to tear it into bite size pieces and toss with some extra light olive oil and tsp of sea salt, then bake till crispy. Lovely chips!
  • cornfritter22
    cornfritter22 Posts: 230 Member
    I didn't read all the responses so this might be a repeat sorry.
    Anyway, my man makes Kale Soup which has become my favorite soup of all time

    Kale
    Kielbasa
    potatoes
    season

    LOL, I know it's so vague, but if you do a search for Portuguese Kale Soup you should be able to find a great recipe. Sorry I don't have more detail. I just wanted to give you/kale a shout out :)