kale – OwlCat Designs

May 9, 2012December 16, 2017

Kale #2 with Garlic

Pan roasted garlic lends its flavor to this easy kale side dish.

My favorite kale, hands down is Cavolo Nero or Tuscan kale or Lacinato kale or dinosaur kale (Oh yeah, it has many names). It doesn’t have the frilly edges typical of other varieties, but almost a bubbly appearance. Dark green with a dusty sheen, I find it to be ideal for kale chips, in case you’re looking to make some. If it is young, like from my garden, I eat it raw in salads, it’s that tender! Unfortunately it seems that it is bit harder to get at the store than the curly variety that has become so common, so the picture here is just for recognition sake, and memories until I have more growing in my garden. I made the dish (this time) with the frilly, curly variety. Good either way!

Directions

1 bunch of kale (curly or nero di toscana), cleaned, de-stemmed and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

Remove stems and wash kale, chop or rip into pieces and spin dry.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium, add the sliced garlic and cook just until slightly golden (Don’t let it get black, or it will be bitter).
Add the washed kale, toss, then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water and cover with a lid. (If the kale is young and tender, you need less water/less cooking time)
Cook until the kale is almost done, add the cider vinegar, cover and cook for another 2 minutes, then open the lid and let any excess water evaporate before turning off the heat.

Check these recipes for more kale ideas: Kale #1, Tomato Kale and Cheese Omelette, Kale, mushroom &meatball skillet

March 28, 2012December 16, 2017

Tomato Kale and Cheese Omelette

Not much words, just quick food 🙂

For those mornings, or lunch time, when there is not much time, but you are hugely HUNGRY, (or you will be hungry later if you don’t knock something out quickly and run), and there is no time to make a big production.

You need:

a handful of grape tomatoes, cut in half
a scant cup cooked kale with garlic
1 egg
3/4 cup egg whites
1″x 3″ pc of cheese, (the size of a pack of gum) I think I used asiago, but anything that melts would work
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

How to make it happen

Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet
Scramble the egg with the egg whites and pour into the heated skillet.
Add the cooked kale, the tomatoes and add the chopped cheese over top, cover with a lid and cook until the top of the eggs are set and the cheese is melted. (About 3 minutes)
Grind some black pepper over your omelette and serve

March 25, 2012December 16, 2017

Kale #1 with Golden Raisins

Kale is one of my favorite no-brain vegetables. Not because it isn’t good for your brain or you, no, but because I find it’s so easy to make it yummy that there isn’t a whole lot of thinking involved in figuring out how to prepare it.

In case you’re doubting me on the healthiness of kale, here are some facts:

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K — and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.
Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.
In fact, researchers can now identify over 45 different flavonoids in kale. With kaempferol and quercetin heading the list, kale’s flavonoids combine both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits in way that gives kale a leading dietary role with respect to avoidance of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.
Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Now that’s quite a track record, don’t you think?

This time, I sweetened the deal with some golden raisins that I found hiding in my cupboard, it was just a little handful, had to be used up, as space can be at a premium around here, with all the different food things I want to try. And have you ever noticed how you can almost never find just enough for one meal, as in ‘just to try it’? Yep, so I end up with a whole box of this and a bag of that, barley couscous and mochiko (sweet rice flour) are prime examples of that. So using up and finishing up things always makes me feel good since I might get to try something else!

So simple, healthy and quick, here we go!

Feeds 2 as a side (around here though, I have been known to polish off a bunch of kale by myself, so use your judgement)

Ingredients

1tbs oil
1 bunch kale, washed and de-stemmed
1-2 tbsp golden raisins
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
1 tbsp cider vinegar

Directions:

Strip the leaves off of the stem (discard hard stems) and tear into smaller pieces if necessary. Wash and spin dry using a salad spinner
Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add the washed and torn kale leaves. Sprinkle some salt over top.
Add water and raisins and cover with a lid (even if the lid does not fit down onto the pan, juts balance it atop the kale)
Cook until the kale is soft and reduced in volume. 5-10 minutes. (This depends on the age of the kale plant: If you have fresh kale from your garden in the early spring, it will take a lot less than mid winter, kinda tough plants that overwintered in your garden)
Add cider vinegar, cover and cook another minute or two, then uncover and finish cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated.

February 24, 2012December 16, 2017

Kale Mushroom and Meatball Skillet

The darker the green the more nutritious a plant is, we have all heard that. And as far as color goes, you can’t get much darker than kale. Now for many this is sort of a strange new vegetable. Your Mom never made it unless you happen to be from Northern Europe or maybe Italy. If you grow it in your own garden and it’s young, it can be eaten raw on a salad. But this time of year and coming from the store, the leaves are more made for cooking. Here I made mushrooms and chicken meatballs to round out the meal. All done and only one pot to clean. I am including a simple meatball recipe, but I have also made this using ready made chicken sausage from Carl, my favorite poultry guy at the farmers market.

The true advantage of using sausage is it comes on its own ‘keep your hands mostly clean’ dispenser 😉 just squeeze off a portion and ‘dispense’ into the pan, one meatball at a time, kinda like squeezing toothpaste. (If you go with sausage, make sure you know what is in them, as sausage can be an excuse to use up whatever is on hand… The ones I get are awesome, made from skinless chicken breast meat, spinach, feta and some salt, that’s it! )

leftovers, ready to take to work

Serves 2 hungry mouths

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale
1 lb of chicken breast, ground (or sausage)
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup baby spinach, lightly packed,
1 1/2 cups mixed mushrooms, chopped ( I had shiitake and maitake that needed to be used)
2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

Directions

To make the meat balls:
Mix ground chicken, chopped spinach and crumbled feta in a bowl, and form into ping-pong ball sized meat balls. If you wet your hand a little, the whole thing sticks less. (If you are using sausage, skip this step)
Clean and wash the kale, then separate the leaves from the tough stems. I usually rip the leaf off, or even strip it off the stem by pulling the stem through between thumb and index finger. Or you can use a knife. Cut or tear into pieces
Heat a little oil in a skillet, add the chopped mushrooms and saute until lightly brown.
Add the meatballs, cook until browned on one side.
Pile the kale on top, all of it (if it looks like it is going to come out of the pan, just add half, wait for it to cook down a bit, then add the rest), add 1/2 cup if water, place (or balance, if there’s a mountain in your pan) a lid on top and allow to cook covered.
After 5 minutes, check to see if there is still any water left, if not, add a little more. Cook until the kale is tender and the meatballs are cooked through.
Add apple cider vinegar, toss and cook another 2 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.