Tuesday 10 April 2012

Kale, two ways






I have long been intrigued by kale for its vivid green hue and notable health benefits, but frankly have been a bit timid about cooking with it. ....until the food Gods intervened and presented me with two kale recipes to try my hand at. It was a sign!

For Easter we cooked a ham and were left with a hefty ham bone which I decided I would make a soup from. A few of the recipes I found online suggested adding kale. Then yesterday, I received a kale salad recipe in the newsletter from the Toronto Centre Naturpathic Medicine clinic I visited during my pregnancy.

I made the soup today and am going to try out the salad recipe tomorrow.

Both recipes are below.

Leftover Easter Ham and Kale Soup (adapted from various online recipes)
- Simmer leftover ham bone in a stock pot for about 4 hours
- Remove bone from liquid; place liquid in refrigerator overnight
- Remove fat from top of stock the following morning ( it will be hardened, so can be removed quite easily)
- Reheat stock. Once boiling, add a few handfuls of soup mix (dried lentils, split peas, pearl barley, etc.)
- When soup mix is almost softened, add veggies (I added carrots, celery, green beans, and onion)
- Once vegetables are partially cooked, turn off heat
- Add diced leftover ham, a can of rinsed navy beans, and shredded kale
- Add spices (I added a few shakes of Italian seasoning as well as some fresh rosemary, thyme, and ground pepper)
- Serve with crusty bread! Yum!

Kale salad (from Toronto Centre Naturopathic Medicine clinic April Newsletter)
- Massage coarse sea salt into fresh washed and chopped kale leaves
- Add some extra virgin olive oil, chopped fresh garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste
- Add some toasted pine nuts, pumpkin or sesame seeds
- Add dried currants, cranberries, or raisins

UPDATE: I made the Kale salad. It was delicious, but raw kale is deffinitely on the bitter, earth side of the spectrum. The pine nuts add a beautiful creaminess, and the cranberries and lemon juice counteract the bitterness. I used non-coarse sea salt and it worked fine. Next I need to try Kale chips! Yum!

4 comments:

  1. I love kale and often put it into soups and stews. My kids really like it when I make kale chips. You break up kale leaves as if for a salad, toss it with olive oil (a pinch of salt optional), lay it out on a baking sheet and bake it until it is crispy (at about 400). I'm going to have to try your salad recipe-- I've never had it raw before.

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  2. That kale in soup looks delicious! I have only made it very simply - sauteed with garlic, chili flakes, and olive oil! I still haven't made kale chips yet but hear they are amazing. Will have to try it!

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  3. Kale is a key ingredient in a traditional Dutch dish called boerenkoel. My mom was force-fed the stuff as a child a few too many times, so her adult prejudices against it transferred to her children. I'm generally quick to tell people that I do. not. like. kale. Problem? I don't think I've ever even had it?

    Perhaps its time to figure out for myself if I like the stuff?

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  4. Thanks for all the comments regarding Kale! I am encouraged to cook with it all week!

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