Over the weekend I spent a couple of hours surfing the net. I was on a mission: finding some good kale recipes. Almost immediately I saw an amazing article title: Kale, the Beef of Vegetables. Of all the odd titles I have stumbled across recently, this has to top the list!
My first thought. of course, was, “no wonder I don’t particularly like it!” Then I cracked up (I do tend to amuse myself, easily). Look, I’m really, really, really trying to eat it and like it. Damn it! It is so good for my body that I should at least eat it and hopefully, learn to like it!
When I finally quit laughing at myself, I settled down and read the article. It was yet one more in a long series of articles extolling the virtues and benefits of kale. Did you know that it is full of :Dietary Fiber
- Protein
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B – Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), B6 and Folate (B9)
- Vitamin C
- Minerals Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese and Sulfur
- Omega-3 fatty acid
- Lutein
It has anti-inflammatory properties, regulates estrogen, fights cancer and wards off heart disease. All great reasons to eat it. But the most compelling reason of all is that we have a whole bunch of it growing in our garden!
My problem with eating kale is that it is tough and chewy, slightly bitter and has a huge stem up the middle of the leaf that never seems to soften.
I have chopped and steamed it, chopped and sautéed it in olive oil and garlic, hidden it in casseroles and thrown it in soup. No dice! All the objections remain.
Interestingly, most people who have actually tried it tell me they love it. My friend Nicki uses it to make tacos. My Mom likes it steamed. My friend Sue eats it in salads. And even David will eat it just about anyway it is fixed and like it.
Either they really do like it or there is a conspiracy and they’re lying to me (seems unlikely). Evidently, I am the lone holdout. About the only way I “enjoy” it down is juiced with large amounts of carrot, apple and ginger. The color is amazing and the taste is pretty well covered by everything else.
I AM determined to find a way to use this stuff and enjoy it. I keep looking at recipes. They all seem to involve soup, salads and stir fry. None of which seems really interesting. I have, however, found one that sounds interesting: Kale Chips. I am going to try it out this week and I’ll let you know how it works out.
If anyone has a kale recipe for me; PLEASE let me know! I’m about to be eaten by all the kale plants in our garden. The phrase and the idea of being eaten by kale plants has a nice symmetry, but really it seems like such an ignoble ending.
If you have a really good blender (think Vitamix), start with 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth, add 3 big kale leaves, 2 celery stocks, a huge handful of parsley, half a bell pepper, 2t garlic powder, 1t onion powder, 2 t Braggs Aminos, 1 t worchestershire sauce, and 2 roma tomatoes. Blend with ice cubes to keep it cold. I LOVE IT, and don't like much else kale. Actually, you can stick whatever veggies you have in there. I think the key is the parsley and seasonings.
For those who aren't vegan, you can also put a couple of raw eggs in there for more protein. Can't even tell they are there.
The chips are delicious, but I wonder sometimes if you miss some of the nutrients in the baking process.
Nene, kale chips ROCK the planet! Did you try making the tacos? I just ate Kale for four of my six meals the past two days. You've gotta find a way to like it. Yum!