Kickin’ It with Kale

(I know, lame title. But how else can you make a green vegetable sound exciting?)

I so admire healthy people. Really. But if you are like me, you would only eat a green like kale if your grandmother who lives in the south makes you on New Year’s Day along with Black Eyed Peas (yes, in the deep south, eatin’ some collards and black-eyes is supposed to bring you money and luck in the New Year). So for many of you, these few meager kale recipes may be old news, but for the rest of you (like me) maybe they will be inspiration to add a little green to your grocery list this week.

Three Ways for Kale

1. As a Side-Dish.

Roughly chop the kale after washing, not including the thick stem part. Sautee in a pan with some olive oil, garlic (fresh gloves or pre-minced out of a jar), salt and pepper, and lemon juice. You can add sliced almonds or pine nuts if you want to add some crunch.

2. Tomato-Kale Pasta

Finely chop the kale, discarding thick stems. Sautee garlic and 1-2 diced onions in a pan with olive oil. After a few minutes, toss in kale and diced tomatoes (2-3 vine ripe). Add salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes until tomatoes are tender. Also, it’s really good if you add some red pepper flakes. It adds some spice, and we really like it that way.

Toss with whole-wheat pasta.

Top with parmesan cheese, optional.

3. Kale Quesadilla
Finely chop kale. Make a cheese quesadilla, but along with the cheese, add the kale to the inside of the two tortillas. Cook lightly in butter on pan until cheese is melted and kale is wilted. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Kale has become a staple buy in the veggie section at the store for us lately. It’s super good for you–lots of vitamins and calcium. My humble suggestion is to buy 2-3 big bunches and chop it all up at once. That way, you can pull it out to add to recipes later in the week with little effort. It’s also a good add-in for pizzas, quiches, soups, and lasagnas. Happy Easy Cooking.