I watched Pepin do an interesting thing with kale today. He stripped the curly..

charlie

Well-known member
leaves from the stems; give them a little salt and a dash of oil; then scattered them on a rack in a jelly-roll pan. He baked them at 250 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

They came out all crispy and crunchy. A great topping for all sorts of things from Chili to flounder Milanese. --or just as a snack.

 
I've been doing this for almost a year now. It really depends on the type of kale as well.

Such a non-guilt-ridden treat.

 
...and speaking of kale, we've been enjoying this dinner: kale with quinoa and sweet potatoes

These are the quantities for the two of us:

Roast or microwave one large sweet potatoes. I like organic Garnet yams. When cool-ish, peel and cut into small bite-size cubes.

Saute 1/2 diced onion in a little olive oil. Add 2/3 C rinsed quinoa and saute for two minutes. Add 1 C + 3 TBL of either water (or chicken broth. I use water with a tsp of organic Better than Broth paste), bring to boil, lower heat, then simmer--covered--for 10-15 minutes, or until all of the broth has been absorbed. Season with a sprinkling of cinnamon, tumeric and coriander (or not).

Rip 1/2 bunch of kale into large pieces, stripping off center stem. Bring 2 cups of water or chicken broth to a boil and braise kale for 5 minutes until soft. Drain.

Serve with a mound of kale, a layer of quinoa, and top with cubes of sweet potato.

You can dress this with a ginger-miso dressing, but we don't bother.

 
Looks good M--here's another we like REC: Creamy Polenta with Kale & Kidney Beans...

Creamy Polenta with Kale and Kidney Beans

Recipe By :Anne Casale
Serving Size : 6

1 1/2 Pounds Kale
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Cup Onions -- Thinly sliced
1 Cup Carrots -- cut in 1/2" cubes
16 Ounces red kidney beans, canned -- Rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper -- Freshly ground
1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
1 1/4 Cups Water
2 Cups nonfat chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 Cup nonfat chicken broth -- (1/2 to 1 cup)
1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese -- Freshly grated

1. Kale leaves should always be stripped from their stems. Either hold the stem with one hand and pull the leaves off with the other hand or run a knife along each side to free the leaves. Wash several times in lukewarm water. Remove from final rinse water and place in a large 6-quart pot. Do not add water, there will be enough clinging to the leaves. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Uncover pot and boil vigorously, stirring down leaves once or twice, until kale is tender. (Small leaf kale may take about 4 to 5 minutes; large leaf kale will take a little longer.) Thoroughly drain in colander. When cool enough to handle, cut kale into 1-inch strips and set aside.

2. In a deep 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over low heat. Saute' onion and carrots until slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Add kale and cook until very tender. Stir in beans, salt, and pepper; cook an additional 5 minutes, partially covered. (This step can be prepared up to 3 hours before serving. Reheat over low heat, partially covered.)

3. In a medium bowl, mix cornmeal and water with a fork until you have a smooth paste

4. In a heavy 3 1/2-quart saucepan, bring 2 Cups broth to a boil and add salt. Add the cornmeal paste, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn heat to low. Cook the polenta, stirring frequently to keep the mixture smooth. If some lumps form in cooking, push them against the sides of the pan with spoon to dissolve. Polenta will be done when mixture is very thick and starts to come away from the sides of pan, about 10 to 12 minutes.

5. Slowly stir in 1/2 cup of heated broth and whisk the polenta until very creamy. At this point the polenta should fall from a spoon in a continuous stream. If still too thick, stir in remaining 1/2 cup of broth, a little at a time, until creamy.

6. Ladle the polenta into 6 soup plates. Spoon kale and beans over polenta. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese over each dish and serve.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 287 Calories; 7g Fat (20.1% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 10g Dietary Fiber; 3mg Cholesterol; 822mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

 
It's absolutely addictive. You can use all sorts of kale

also makes a pretty garnish that tastes great. I also have done a high heat method also that caramelizes it sort of like the cauliflower popcorn but you have to really watch it.

 
Breakfast use

I love kale and use it in many ways. If cooking some in the evening, I try to cook more than I need and it makes a lovely frittata the next morning with any number of other items (halved grape tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, red onion, etc.).

 
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