Kale
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Kale is a beautiful, dark leafy green vegetable that is
packed with nutrition and cancer fighting properties. Kale dates back to the
Middle Ages and at that time was one of the most widely found greens in Europe.
Kale is considered a “superfood” because it’s so nutritionally dense. It is
full of fiber, antioxidants and vitamins. Although
kale is nutrient dense, it has the benefit of having fewer
calories than any other food around.
how does it taste?
Kale is an acquired taste for some. Depending on the type of
kale you try, you may notice a slight mild, bitter taste. Some types of kale
can be a bit on the peppery or tangy side, others have an earthy taste. Unlike
large leaf kale, kale with smaller leaves is more tender and mild tasting.
the health benefits
- Dark, leafy greens like kale contain chlorophyll, which help cleanse the body of harmful environmental toxins like smog and pesticides Contains a balanced ratio of calcium and magnesium
- Per calorie, kale has more iron than red meat and more calcium than milk!
- Filled with powerful antioxidants such as carotenoids and flavonoids
- High in vitamins A, C, and K
- Anti-inflammatory
- Contains sulphur and fiber, which helps detox the body and clean out your liver
types of kale
Curly
This type of kale is found in most grocery stores. It’s
sweet and mild tasting, and perfect for kale chips because of its ruffled
leaves.
Ornamental
Its leaves can either be green, white, or purple. They are
very decorative and look great in a flower garden during the colder months.
Typically, these are grown for ornamental purposes and not consumption since
they taste very bitter.
Redbor
It’s a flowering curly kale, which has deep magenta red
leaves. It has a sweet and mild flavour, with a crisp texture.
Dinosaur
Commonly called Lacinato or Tuscan kale; it has dark
blue-green coloured leaves that are tall and narrow. These are a great
substitute for taco shells because of their shape.
how to buy, prepare & store
Look for kale that is firm and has deep coloured leaves with
moist, hardy stems. It should be in a cool spot and the leaves should look
fresh, crispy (unwilted) and have no signs of browning/yellowing or small
holes. Although kale is available all year round, its’ peak season is from
December to February.
Storing
In order to store kale properly, make sure it is left
unwashed in an airtight plastic bag. Store your kale in the refrigerator and it
will last up to 5 days. The older kale gets, the more bitter it tastes.
Prepping
When ready to use, rinse kale leaves under cold running
water. Next, you can either cut the leaves in half and the stems into quarters
or de-stem the kale leaves as mentioned below. You can also squeeze in some
lemon juice to enhance its phytonutrients concentration.
Massaging Your Kale:
When using kale raw in a salad, you may want to consider
giving it a good “massage” beforehand. Massaging helps breakdown the cell
walls, softening it, while making it sweeter. Besides, who doesn’t like a good
massage, right? Simply take 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 table-spoon lemon juice,
a pinch of sea salt (per bunch of kale) and massage gently with your hands for
about 1-2 min. Give your foods
some love and they will love you back!
How to de-stem your kale
Option #1: Grab a stalk of kale with one hand and while
holding onto the stem, rip off large chunks of the leaves with the other.
Option #2: Grab a stalk of kale and run your fingers along
the stem, tearing the leaves off gently from the bottom working your way up.
kale in the kitchen
Massaged
Massage some olive oil into the leaves to soften them up; it
also helps make it easier to digest. Add your lemon juice, sea salt, pepper and
other veggies for a yummy salad!
Baked
Wash, de stem, cut into bite size pieces and let dry
completely. Next, add your seasoning/sauce, you can make
it simple with olive oil and sea salt. Bake at 350F for
10-15 min until crispy.
Slow Cooked
Since kale has tough leaves, cooking it in a broth for a
long period of time softens it up and adds a great flavour to the soup without
shrinking dramatically like spinach.
Blend
My favourite combo is ½ cup frozen/fresh blueberry, 1 frozen
banana, a big handful of kale and 2 cups of water or almond milk. The banana
and blueberries mask the bitter taste of the kale allowing you to better enjoy
raw greens first thing in the morning.
Wrap it
Whether you have celiac disease or just like to avoid wheat
and gluten all together, kale makes a great gluten-free base for a burrito or
wrap.
Sauté it
Follow the KISS rule (Keep it simple silly)... add coconut
oil or olive oil, garlic, low sodium soy sauce and sea salt to a pan and sauté
for a few minutes. To soften up the kale, add some water and cover with a lid
for a few more minutes.
how much should I eat?
At a minimum, include cruciferous vegetables as part of your
diet 2-3 times per week, and make the serving size at least 1-½ cups. Take it
one step further by eating kale and other cruciferous vegetables 4-5 times per
week, and increase your serving size to 2 cups!
Creamy Kale Vegan Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Base
- ½ head romaine lettuce washed and chopped
- ½ head of dinosaur kale washed,
de-stemmed and chopped
Dressing
- ½ cup soaked cashews
- 6 tablespoon of filtered water
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons minced capers
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon coconut aminos
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
1. In a
blender combine soaked cashews and filtered water and blend until you reach a
smooth consistency.
2. Next, in
a medium bowl add in your capers, garlic, lemon juice, coconut aminos, mustard
and pepper.
3. Using a
whisk slowly add in your olive oil to emulsify the lemon juice with the oil for
a creamy texture.
4. Slowly,
add in ½ of the cashew cream (save the other half to add into a pasta sauce or
soup).
5. Sprinkle
about ¼ cup of your parmesan cheese in which will give your dressing a salty
taste and cheesy texture.
6. In a
large salad bowl add in your chopped greens, pour your dressing over and
thoroughly coat all the leaves by tossing.
7. Top with
chickpea croutons and sprinkle some extra vegan Parmesan cheese.
8. Serve
immediately or refrigerate for a couple hours.