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| Forums: September 2011 Kickstart Forum: Learning to Love Kale... | |||
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JamieR
 Location: Mendocino Coast, Northern California Posts: 116 |
Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 4:06 AM I see so many Kickstarters mentioning kale! I know from my reading of all the low-fat vegan doctors that kale is one of those powerhouse super greens that we should all incorporate into our diets. When I started my vegan journey last year, I tried kale a few different ways (in a soup, steam-sauteed) but just couldn't like it. It tastes dark, heavy, and very bitter to me. Now, usually I am a someone who appreciates bitter (I took mustard sandwiches to school as a child!). But I just can't seem to like kale! Can some of you kale-lovers give me some VERY specific techniques/recipes of your favorite kale dishes! I'd like to learn to love kale! September Kickstart Goals: Walk/bike daily, keep up with forum, 100% low-fat vegan experimenting with maximizing FLAVOR!
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| djunamod
Joined: 01/02/11 Posts: 55 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 4:13 AM I don't have a specific recipe, but I seem to recall sauting it with a little water and then when the kale was partly cooked, adding some balsamic vinegar and garlic. I read somewhere that adding something acidic (like vinegar or lemon juice) to greens cuts the bitterness. I'm not a greens person at all (except for romaine lettuce) but I do like kale. I've also eaten it in a salad with a sweet/sour type of dressing (no oil, of course). But I like it cooked better (but then, I was always more of a cooked veggie person). I actually miss kale a bit, as in Israel, they tend to have local and season produce in the stores and kale doesn't seem to be a veggie that is grown locally here (I'm guessing maybe because of the hot and humid climate all year round here). Djuna |
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| sparkledee
Joined: 09/04/11 Posts: 48 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 4:43 AM I'm also getting use to kale (and other dark leafy greens). This week I've had the curly kale and dino kale and much prefer the curly kale. If you're using the dino kale (flatter, heavier leaves) you might want to switch and try the curly kale. Its not as bitter in my opinion. This is how I made a head of kale last night. It's my favorite way so far of cooking it without being in a soup. I put about a cup of organic veggie broth in a 10" skillet with 3 or 4 whole garlic cloves (I smash the garlic to crack it open, but not break it into pieces) then add a whole head of kale to the broth thats been cleaned and torn or cut into pieces however small or large you like it. I bring it to a simmer, cover and cook for about 10 min. The kale absorbs the broth and is delicious! I didn't taste any bitterness as I did with the dino (dinosaur) kale. There's also a recipe for "Massaged Kale" thats very good. Just go to FoodTv.com and type in massaged kale. I'm not sure how many recipes are on there, but I use the one by Aarti Party (with a little less oil). Hope this helps! |
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| kiwi
Joined: 01/03/11 Location: New Zealand Posts: 405 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 6:30 AM I'm a kale fan. I didnt know what it was prior to my kickstart days and you cant buy it in the shops alongside other friut & veggie in my area. However, I can get the plants at the garden centre so I am growing my own. One of my favourite ways of cooking it is steamed. I do admit to a little sprinkle of salt before I start to steam. A little salt does not make it taste salty but somehow helps to bring out the flavour while steaming. I will also eat kale boiled (like silverbeet or spinach). I make sure to pull the leaf off the middle tough stem. I did try making homemade kale chips but that didnt work so well. I have however, used kale as an ingredient on homemade pizza. I place it directly on top of the tomato pasta sauce. It works well there and is a change from my ususal spinach layer. Almost forgot to add - I am growing and eating curly kale. I have not tried the other variety but as the post before me mentions, I have heard it is more bitter. I had a wrap for dinner tonight that included steamed spinach and kale with home made hummus. Yumm Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food - Hippocrates. |
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| vegangirl65
Joined: 08/31/11 Posts: 110 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 6:38 AM I too had a hard time with the leafy greens being bitter. and like you said Kale is a powerhouse and I was trying to find ways to like it. Then I discovered Christina Pirello's (From PBS show Christina Cooks) Kale and red onions. She cooks with a TON of oil and uses brown rice syrup librally, but I modified her recipe and it's AWESOME!! Here it is (I don't really measure). Take a bunch or two of kale and put it in boiling water or steam it just for a few minutes. drain and set aside. Saute a sliced red onion in water. after a couple minutes add a couple cloves of chopped garlic. once that is starting to soften sprinkle in some red pepper flakes to your liking and zest of a lemon and about 1 teaspoon, kind of a heavy tsp, of brown rice syrup, pinch of seas salt. Stir this up and let the onions soften a little. Then add kale on top of the whole thing and cover and low simmer for a few minutes. Stir everything around and enjoy. Usually this makes me 2 or 3 servings because I love it so much!!! This is the only way I eat kale anymore. What I think also makes the difference is boiling it quickly for a little and then putting it in whatever you are using. I have also made it with just garlic and balsamic with a little S&P. I do like it alright that way, but the above is way better!! Hope you like it. Kathy |
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| pippin
Joined: 09/07/10 Posts: 175 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 6:52 AM I love kale. I had never eaten it until about a year ago and since then I have tried it many different ways. Here are three: Braised Kale: Add any or all of the following seasonings: Stir it up again (I use tongs) and continue to simmer over medium heat. Taste to see if it is at a texture you like. I like it a bit chewy so usually 15 minutes is good. Enjoy. +++++ Rice and beans and kale cook brown rice according to directions. I set the timer on my rice cooker in the morning because I like the rice to soak for a long time before cooking starts. When the rice is about 15 minutes from being fully cooked, add a can of your favorite beans which have been drained and mixed. Continue cooking. About 10 minutes from the end of cooking and chopped kale to the rice cooker or pot. Just let it steam and wilt while rice/beans continues cooking. Add any seasonings you like when cooking is completed. Examples are: pinto beans / chipotle powder or chili powder / onion and garlic powder garbanzo beans / curry powder You get the drift. If you have a rice cooker, set it to warm setting for a while to let the flavors meld. If not, I guess I would just turn off the heat, mix it up and let it sit for a few minutes before eating. ***** Kale Wraps Get a bunch of dinosaur kale (big flat leaves) Use the leaves as wraps for your favorite fillings, such as rice and beans, hummus and veggies, etc. Whatever you might put in a regular wrap. |
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| chickadee
Joined: 01/12/11 Location: North Eastern Ontario, Canada Posts: 52 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 7:43 AM Last night we had company and thought I'd make lentil sweet potato stew. It has curry as the spice. I have lots of kale in the garden so thought instead of the green beans that the recipe called for I'd use kale. I cut it into thin strips and put it in the slow cooker with everything else. It was a hit and everyone had seconds, I think that's a first. No one mentioned the kale but there was a lot there - much more then if I'd added beans. |
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cch22
 Location: New York State Posts: 1000 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 8:09 AM Yes after changing my diet to plant strong i learned what Kale was.. now i just love it. To top it off, it is very inexpensive around here... I always want to put it in any soup. I like the chewy texture. I made terrific black bean burgers with a ton of Kale, some leftover fresh corn, and a little tamari sauce & a dash of hot sauce for another layer of flavor. |
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gryphonpro
 Location: Cape Breton, NS, Canada Posts: 239 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 8:17 AM I would never have thought to put nutmeg with kale until I found this recipe: http://blaencamelbox.com/recipes/red-russian-kale-with-orange-and-nutmeg/ madeline yakimchuk
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| DianeJ
Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 134 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 8:45 AM "Wipe" a non-stick pan bottom with just a smidge of olive oil- saute on med-low a very thinly sliced onion until caramalized, could take 10 mins.Add just a bit of water if too dry. Then add chopped kale leaves, a few tbls. water and raise heat a bit to "stir fry" kale, stirring constantly. Do this till kale starts to soften, a minute or two. Add more water if necessary. Cover and steam for a few more minutes if you like really soft kale, or just "stir fry" till done, then sprinkle generously with balsamic vinegar! You will become addicted |
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 8:51 AM We had kale last night with a brown rice/lentil mix. Hubby puts a bit of water and soy sauce in a skillet, adds garlic and onion. When they get a bit softened, he adds the chopped kale and covers and lets it steam/saute until the kale just slightly wilts - not crisp but not mush either. We alternate between "regular" kale and the "lacinato" (curly) type depending on which is a better price in a given week. We also alternate that with chard (regular or rainbow). We've tried some other greens (dandelion and so on) but those sorts are more bitter than we like. Even 13 yr old son likes kale and chard. Who knew? --Deb R |
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deborahjm
 Posts: 162 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 8:52 AM Kale chips are delicious. There are several recipes for the on Food Network and all over the net. Just keep on eye on them because they burn fast. When I made them they were a hit even with the non-veggie lovers. |
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| JamieR
Location: Mendocino Coast, Northern California Posts: 116 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 10:39 PM Thanks for all the great suggestions, everyone! When I have room in my fridge, I'll be trying out your ideas and techniques. Interestingly, I have no problem with dandelion greens; I use them in soup all the time. So far, kale is the only bitter green that I'm having a problem with. Hopefully, with your suggestions, that will be a thing of the past! September Kickstart Goals: Walk/bike daily, keep up with forum, 100% low-fat vegan experimenting with maximizing FLAVOR!
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| veg4life
Joined: 09/05/11 Posts: 34 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Monday, September 12, 2011 at 1:19 PM The simplest way I have found to eat kale is to add it to my morning fruit smoothie instead of spinach. Here's one recipe: Fantastic Fruit Smoothie 1 orange, peeled, or 2 Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrate Place all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. |
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| sbarkhouse
Joined: 09/12/11 Posts: 1 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Monday, September 12, 2011 at 8:24 PM I love kale too. I've found this recipe and use the sauce to put on all kinds of things from broccoli to brussel sprouts and tonight on some sauteed onions, mushrooms and kale. It's yummy! Tonight I popped the kale into boiling water for 1-2 minutes and then into the frying pan with my onions and mushrooms for a few minutes with the lid on. I took everything off the heat and tossed with the Tahini Miso sauce (recipe below) and a little of the water from the pan I had put the kale in to thin it. Ann Gentry's recipes are mostly vegan. http://www.veria.com/daily-greens-with-tahini-miso-sauce.html Enjoy! |
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| beckyh
Joined: 02/24/10 Posts: 4 |
my favorite (& easy) kale recipe Posted Friday, September 16, 2011 at 9:24 AM tear up a bunch of washed kale, put in a put with some low-sodium V8 & some chili powder or a can of diced tomatoes with chiles; cook till the kale is tender -- done |
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072 |
RE: my favorite (& easy) kale recipe Posted Friday, September 16, 2011 at 9:54 AM beckyh wrote: tear up a bunch of washed kale, put in a put with some low-sodium V8 & some chili powder or a can of diced tomatoes with chiles; cook till the kale is tender -- done While you're getting the low sodium V8, make sure that you're also getting low/no sodium chili powder. Many of the commercial brands are high in sodium. Look for the ones that are ONLY ground chili peppers (of whatever sort you choose - hubby has both chipotle and ancho powders, and we also use a 'fiesta chili powder' blend that has no sodium) --Deb R |
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| kaiasgram
Joined: 04/03/11 Posts: 14 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 3:44 AM And don't forget about Parma as a topping on kale and other veggies, along with your favorite dressing. |
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| DianeJ
Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 134 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 8:35 AM I have read about Parma before. Where do you buy, I have not seen it in any store? Thanks. |
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LaniMuelrath
 Location: California Posts: 557 |
RE: Learning to Love Kale... Posted Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 7:30 PM Hey Jamie, You will acquire more taste for kale as you go along and your tastes morph a little bit. Until then, we had kale tonight with butternut squash and spaghetti squash on the side, also some chunks of flavored tofu. On the kale we sprinkled some excellent aged balsamic vinegar which is actually sweet and it was perfecto! I often cook kale with soup in a pressure cooker: onions, carrots garlic, some tiny lentils and chopped up kale and it is acutally my fave way to eat kale - the leaves get infused with the savory of the other veggies. And it all cooks so fast! Lani Lani Muelrath, M.A. CGFI, CPBN
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