Cooking Kale?

[Tiggerwoo]

I've just got back from the supermarket and bought kale for the first time as people on here keep saying how good it is for vegans. Any ideas except for the obvious boiling it on how to cook it as am having it for dinner tonight and want to try and keep all the nutrients in it if poss! Thanks.

[Juice]

greens- I likem' lightly steamed

[Tigerlily]

greens- I likem' lightly steamed

Yep, with a little lemon juice and a drizzle of flax oil.

[Tiggerwoo]

Thanks for the ideas both of you. They both sound good. Off to the shops tomorrow to buy a steamer and lemon juice to try that. Got the flax oil already.

[cedarblue]

you can slice them finely and stir fry as an alternative to pak choi or white cabbage. you can juice them too though they taste reeeeeaal strong!

[thecatspajamas1]

assilembob posted a recipe for mashed potatos with kale in it (in the recipe files). I'm going to try making it as well, as I should really start eating kale.

[PercysLion]

I took a recipe for Kalewiches out of Stepaniak's Table for Two when I tried Kale for the first time. Not only was it super fast and easy, but it was amazingly good. I've been eating about four of them a day and even my super picky, non-vegan SO eats them like it's going out of style.

I like to have them for breakfast since they're quick and you can eat them in the car.

For one or two:
-Steam a handful or so of fresh Kale
-Put it on a slice of bread
-Drizzle with olive oil and salt to taste
-Top with another slice of bread

Enjoy!

[thecatspajamas1]

One time I had kale in a stirfry with buckwheat noodles and some other vegetables I think.

[assilembob]

I got my super dupy anti-veggie ex to eat it!

Kale and potatoes
Cube up 4-5 red potatoes (russet will do but I love the color of the red ones! I never peel my potatoes)
Boil.
While that's going, mince up 2 cloves of garlic and chop up about 1 cup of mushrooms (I use baby bellas or portobellas but any kind works)
Heat a 12 inch skillet with 2 tbsp. Olive oil.
On medium heat, sautee the mushrooms and garlic until the mushrooms begin to release moisture about 2-3 min.)
Add 2-3 cups chopped kale. Make sure to de-stem or REALLY chop up the stems as they are very tough.
Lower the heat to medium-low and sautee until the Kale until its bright green.
When the potatoes are done, add them to the skillet, add in 1 cup veggie broth, cover and let simmer on medium-low for 3-5 min.
Add some pepper and salt. Serve up!
I like to serve with steamed broccoli and carrots.
Sometimes I add lentils...

That's one way I do it...also the garlic-kale mashed potatoes with carrots in the recipe files is mine. I also have mondo stew recipes with kale...I eat a lot of it!
~Mel

[ConsciousCuisine]

I usually steam it and add it to anything...salads, casseroles, pasta dishes...you name it! Or, eat it alone with lemon, garlic, black pepper, Udo's Blend oil or flax oil and umeboshi.

In fact, I just made a dish that had kale in it

2 bunches steamed kale, 1 red onion, 6 cloves pressed garlic, 1 cup peas, 3 small bundles soba noodles, nutritional yeast, umeboshi, green curry and 6 oz. baked seasoned tofu. It was sooooooooo good and my family ate it all up! We also had 2 pounds steamed brussels sprouts with balsamic dressing too

[kriz]

I like it steamed with sundried tomato pesto.

[Tiggerwoo]

I'm spoilt for choice now with all these versions of cooking kale. Thanks everyone!

[rantipole]

I like kale steamed with Annie's Goddess Dressing on it. Also, stir-fried with mushrooms, bell peppers, garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, and turmeric. It's also good to shred up and add to soups.

Cheers,
rant

[harpy]

Make sure to de-stem or REALLY chop up the stems as they are very tough.

This is an extremely good point to note. I thought kale must be some kind of practical joke until I realised the stems needed special treatment if you actually wanted to be able to swallow them It may depend a bit on the type of kale I suppose.

[Tigerlily]

I never eat the stems. I just rip off the leaves.

[thecatspajamas1]

Are collard greens similar to kale, nutritionally? I couldn't find any kale at the supermarket today, but I bought organic collard greens.

[Juice]

Are collard greens similar to kale, nutritionally? I couldn't find any kale at the supermarket today, but I bought organic collard greens.

here's what I found about the two:

Kale- In addition to being an excellent source of vitamin C and beta-carotene, kale is also a good source of iron, vitamin B6, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Collard greens- One of the milder of the sturdy greens, collards are an excellent source of folate, vitamin C and beta-carotene. Collards are especially high in calcium.

[thecatspajamas1]

Thanksies.

[rantipole]

Collards and kale can be cooked almost the same. Kale is a little sturdier, so it can be cooked for longer before it gets too mushy. Collards are a bit more bitter, so some folks don't like them as much. I eat both.

If you like collards and kale, try mustard greens for something completely different. They are mildly spicy and..well...mustardy.

Cheers,
rant

[Tigerlily]

Yeah, endives are a good change too, as well as dandelion greens...but they are quite bitter!

[rantipole]

Ick! I can't stand dandelion greens. Way too bitter. However, they are extremely good for you. They have some of the highest levels of calcium and vitamin A in any food. They make great food for herbivorous pets (rabbits, iguanas, etc.).

Cheers,
rant

[Jane M]

I really like the bite of dandelion greens. Mustard greens are great too.

[kaitlin]

I have an Aroma rice cooker/vegetable steamer. Do I steam the kale using the same amount of water as I would use for cabbage? Also, the last time I tried to steam it, I didn't put anything in the water. Would putting something in there contribute to the flavor? (sorry for the ignorant questions, guys :-/)

[Heartsease]

A nuth'r alternative is to NOT cook them....kale is great in blueberry smoothies....a couple of leaves....as many frozen (or fresh) blueberries as you want to throw in...your veggie milk base (rice,soya,almond,whatever).....and whatever else you fancy (just experiment)........mmm....frozen banana and strawberries and hazelnut butter....oooooooooh....and only two kale leaves...I feel soooooooooooo naughty!

Still....two kale leaves a day is a god thing.