Kale???

257_Lag
257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
Someone just gave me some kale. An entire friggin case of kale!

I've never tried it but I'm willing. I love spinach.

How do you all make this stuff?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • Make kale chips! Take about 3-4 cups kale, spread it out on a baking sheet. Toss with seasonings and some olive oil and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes @ 350 until edges are brown.
  • notyouraveragetalia
    notyouraveragetalia Posts: 223 Member
    Soup! Tons of yummy recipes out there, but I like spicy sausage, kale, and white bean soup.
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    lots of people swear by the chips, but i find kale inedible. i fed the neighborhood rabbits with it. try it cooked and raw and see which way you like it first, then try out a bunch of recipes.
  • SamanthaD1218
    SamanthaD1218 Posts: 303 Member
    I agree with the kale chips suggestion - I LOVE KALE CHIPS! I find that 15 minutes is too long to bake them for, although that could be my oven. You should take them out when the edges just start to brown, which for me is about 8 minutes.

    Tear the kale off the stalks so that you just have the leafy parts, then rip them into bite-sized pieces. I either spray them with Pam or drizzle on a little olive oil, then season with whatever you like. Try salt and pepper, or parmesan cheese, or seasoning salt, or cajun seasoning, etc. Then bake at 350 degrees until the edges are just slightly brown and you're all set!

    I'm one of those people who find raw kale way too bitter to eat, but kale chips (to me) are really yummy. Good luck!
  • SonyaKou
    SonyaKou Posts: 33 Member
    Oh man, I love Kale. So good and wonderful for your body. Great source of Iron, Calcium and Fiber.

    Every time I make a head of Kale into Kale chips my husband has them down within two days. Super easy to make.
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe.html

    A friend of our even found that they can be done up in the microwave, but I've also heard about problems with sparks and such so be cautious before you try that.

    Some of my other favorite recipes: Kale in soups, kale with onion and sausage in butternut/ acorn squash/sweet potatoes, Kale and bacon in scrambled eggs, basically Kale and any sausage/turkey sausage anything is awesome. The two are the soul mates of the food world. I posted several recipes below. I have made variations of all of them, but I usually keep it a bit simpler and use lower fat versions. The full fat versions will cover the taste of the Kale much better, and that was what I started off with to introduce it into our diet. Now my husband and I love the taste of it.

    http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/10/sausage-potato-and-kale-soup/
    http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kale-and-White-Bean-Soup-106153
    http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/chicken-garden-soup
    http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Acorn-Squash-with-Kale-and-Sausage-51203850
    http://www.npr.org/2011/03/16/134564893/bacon-greens-and-egg-scramble
    http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/bloody-mary-beef
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    I just steam it, salt it and eat it as a side dish at dinner.
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    Lot's of ideas here, thanks everyone. Chips looks like the first thing to try. (easiest)
  • bohemian124
    bohemian124 Posts: 152 Member
    I love kale.

    I like kale chips, especially seasoned with nutritional yeast or balsamic vinegar. Curly kale is my favorite for chips.

    Kale salad is good too, but you have to massage it to make it edible. Otherwise you will chew and chew and chew. I julienne the kale, rinse it, then massage it between my fingers for 2-3 minutes using either salt or lemon juice. I know, it sounds weird, but it makes a huge difference in texture. Dino or tuscan kale is my favorite for salad.

    I also love it roughly chopped and sauteed in olive oil and garlic, maybe some red pepper flakes. I'll eat it like that as a side or toss it into whole wheat pasta with lemon juice, tomatoes, capers, etc. Any type of kale works here.

    I also made a killer mac n cheese with a ton of kale and swiss chard one time. It was so good, but probably not MFP approved.
  • UncreativeMe123
    UncreativeMe123 Posts: 52 Member
    I throw it into my smoothies almost daily. I also like soup that has Kale in it.
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  • Elainejk21
    Elainejk21 Posts: 121 Member
    If you love spicy, I just made this recipe last week and it was fab. I omitted all but 1 teaspoon of EVOO and the whole thing was ~350 cal. You could easily omit the corn as well.

    http://greenbeandelivery.com/healthytimes/recipes/sauteed-kale-corn-hot-sauce/

    Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet. Add garlic and sauté for a minute or so. Add corn and continue to sauté until corn starts to brown in spots, 2 minutes. Add kale* and a pinch of salt and pepper, continue to sauté for an additional minute, then add the apple cider vinegar. When the kale has turned bright green and begun to wilt, remove from heat. Add a few dashes of hot sauce or sriracha (if using). Toss gently and serve.

    Serves 4

    *Try substituting other leafy greens like collards or chard.

    Ingredients

    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
    1 ear of corn, kernels removed
    1 bunch kale, washed, dried, and chopped into bite-sized pieces
    Salt and pepper
    1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    Hot sauce or sriracha (optional)
  • Quirky_but_nice
    Quirky_but_nice Posts: 102 Member
    I've just planted a load of kale for the winter. Never tried kale in the summer as there are way too many more tender things to eat then.
  • hipsdontlie1
    hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
    I love braised kale as a side to a meal. Fry garlic, onion in some olive oil. Add some red pepper flakes depending on if you like spicy or not. Tear up some kale into medium size pieces and add to the pan. Add a 1/4 cup of chicken broth and cook until the kale softens!
  • merisaOct3
    merisaOct3 Posts: 197 Member
    Hate kale chips. The only way I will eat it is in soup. The sausage/white bean one that was posted is good. Any variation on a "tuscan" soup.

    Thanks for the reminder... I accidentally got a bunch in my produce delivery last week and keep putting off using it. Will have to make soup... in August... *sigh* ;)
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    Someone just gave me some kale. An entire friggin case of kale!

    OK I'm going to need details on this statement. I gotta say this sounds a little bit like a fabricated story just to get people to talk about kale.

    I own a business and we sell to a lot of farmers. I was loading up a customer and his truck was packed to the gills. To make room for the last box we were loading into his truck he grabbed a full case of kale and gave it to me. He gave me a box of cantaloupes also but we know how to eat them :tongue:
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Boerenkool! Boiled with potatoes and garlic sausage, and then loaded with gravy or mustard or Maggi!
    :heart: :heart: :heart:

    http://www.thedutchtable.com/2010/10/boerenkool-met-worst-kale-potatoes-with.html
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,966 Member
    I cook it like spinach. Chop stems into half inch segments and coarsely chop the leaves. Rinse and leave some water clinging to the leaves. Heat up a little butter or olive oil and toss the chopped stems in first. Sautee for a minute or two. Toss in some chopped garlic, then quickly wilt down the leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Done.
  • enitsirhck
    enitsirhck Posts: 36 Member
    Heat up a pan, throw some chopped bacon in to fry, when it's about half done throw the washed and chopped kale on top, stirring every ten or twenty seconds to let it wilt and get the good bacon flavor all over it. Or soups.
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,010 Member
    I usually do chips or in smoothies as previously stated but you can throw it in almost anything. I'm putting some in veg fried rice for dinner tonight.
  • KarmaZen7
    KarmaZen7 Posts: 16 Member
    Kale is my favorite green to put in smoothies!
  • ASH2038602
    ASH2038602 Posts: 215 Member
    I like to make kale chips also. I also cook lentils down in some chicken stock and red pepper flake and add the kale. I also like them sauteed. I add them to my eggs in the morning sometimes if the farmers market doesn't have any good spinach.


    http://blackgirlsguidetoweightloss.com/recipes/meet-the-veggies-kale-learn-my-trick-for-sauteeing-without-drowning-your-kale-in-oil/
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
    go easy on the Kale if you have any thyroid issues....
  • Put it in juices.

    Sautee it with olive oil and garlic.

    Eat it in salads.

    Kale chips are awesome too.
  • I make a salad with Kale every day for lunch. I just use it in place of lettuce or whatever. :)
  • fanceegirl75
    fanceegirl75 Posts: 620 Member
    I love Kale. If you have Pinterest you can find a ton of great recipes there. Kale chips are great, I use it for salads, sautee it, put it in soup. There is really a lot you can do with it. Enjoy!
  • sophiek1964
    sophiek1964 Posts: 79 Member
    I don't have measurements but this is the way I like to eat it Mediterranean style. Cut out the stems and chop it up. Sautee minced garlic in olive oil. Add Kale and diced tomato and some chicken broth and cook on medium until tender. Add more chicken broth if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then I like to squeeze fresh lemon all over it.
  • AztecKermit
    AztecKermit Posts: 27 Member
    I put Kale in smoothies a lot as well as in soups.
    Because it often takes me longer to work through it than it stays fresh I chop some of mine up and bag it up in the freezer.
    I add it to vegetable stir fry and have it thinly sliced in salads.
  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member
    Cut out the heavy spines out of the leaves. Wash well. Stir fry in olive oil and garlic. Serve with balsamic vinegar.
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    If you love spicy, I just made this recipe last week and it was fab. I omitted all but 1 teaspoon of EVOO and the whole thing was ~350 cal. You could easily omit the corn as well.

    http://greenbeandelivery.com/healthytimes/recipes/sauteed-kale-corn-hot-sauce/

    Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet. Add garlic and sauté for a minute or so. Add corn and continue to sauté until corn starts to brown in spots, 2 minutes. Add kale* and a pinch of salt and pepper, continue to sauté for an additional minute, then add the apple cider vinegar. When the kale has turned bright green and begun to wilt, remove from heat. Add a few dashes of hot sauce or sriracha (if using). Toss gently and serve.

    Serves 4

    *Try substituting other leafy greens like collards or chard.

    Ingredients

    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
    1 ear of corn, kernels removed
    1 bunch kale, washed, dried, and chopped into bite-sized pieces
    Salt and pepper
    1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    Hot sauce or sriracha (optional)

    This I need to try! We live in a farm area (hence the gift of kale) and corn is plentiful now. I love how vinegar tastes "salty" when it's not. Low sodium guy here.