Have you seen kale in the vegetable aisle lately? Chances are you would have, it is one of the ‘on trend’ vegetables this autumn. Kale is a variety of cruciferous vegetables. It has thick stems and typically curly, green leaves that do not form a head. Like many green leafy vegetables, kale is a nutrient powerhouse — it’s a great source of many nutrients including fibre and vitamins A, C and folate. It is very similar to a cabbage so can be prepared in a similar way — it can be served raw as part of a salad or served cooked. However, unlike many green leafy vegetables, kale is very robust and needs dressing (and time!) to soften its leaves if eaten raw.
Pick up some kale next time you are doing your vegetable shop and try these two simple recipes. They’re quick, they’re tasty and they’re healthy!
Tasty balsamic kale salad
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries, roughly chopped (or currants)
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 2 bunches kale, washed and sliced (remove tough stalks before slicing)
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 60 mL olive oil
- 20 mL seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Method
- Whisk balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper together.
- Stir in cranberries and pour over sliced kale and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes
- Toss through Parmesan just prior to serving
Kale with oyster sauce
Ingredients
- 2 bunches kale, washed and tough stalks removed and leaves cut in half crossways.
- 60mL oyster sauce
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 50 mL light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 20 mL vegetable oil
- 10 mL sesame oil
Method
- Mix together oyster sauce, garlic, soy sauce and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
- Place vegetable oil and sesame oil in a frypan and heat on high for 30 seconds and pour over kale
- Drizzle oyster sauce mixture over kale and serve immediately.
2 comments
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April 22, 2014 at 11:28 am
Lauren
Kale seems to have just come out of the wood work fairly recently and now there is so much interest around it and the benefits it provides. I was curious to know more about the superfood so I did some research. My god I knew it was good but I didn’t quite understand how amazing this leafy green vegetable could be. There are three different types available to consumers; curly, dinosaur and ornamental. The latter are new types that have emerged since the late 19th century, they tend to be a little sweeter and more delicate than traditional curly kale so could be utilized in salad for example.
I got heaps of interesting information on the following website:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38
It details a full overview of the extensive health benefits associated with consumption of kale, the history, storage considerations, cooking tips ect. This website has given me a new appreciate for the vegetable and I would recommend anyone interested in finding out some more info to check it out. Especially as Kale is coming into its prime season in the middle of winter- Spring. I sure plan to start using it regularly in my winter recipes!
April 18, 2013 at 9:23 am
lealc
The article ‘Green leafy kale a growing trend in foods and drinks’ discusses the increasing consumption of kale, including the use of kale as an ingredient in a variety of products and also to make chips!
http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2013/04/17/green-leafy-kale-a-growing-trend-in-foods-and-drinks.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AustralianFoodNews+%28Australian+Food+News%29