King of Kale?!

(from a really cool blog called katheatsrealfood.com)

Hi Positive Eaters,

So the other day someone called me the "King of Kale." I found this a humorous coronation, because I just pictured myself wearing golden robes and with a crown made out of curly leafy protrusions of the superfood. While I may not be a king of anything....Kale certainly is the king of leafy greens.

Kale, is a cruciferous vegetable, and is loaded with more nutrients than you can imagine. This how it stacks up in just a few nutrient categories.

- Kale contains four times more Mg (magnesium) and five times more Ca (calcium) than Brussels sprouts
- 17 times more Vitamin C than carrots and four times more than spinach
- Nearly double the magnesium of spring greens
- More folate than broccoli
- Seven times more carotene than cabbage
(from discoverkale.com)

Kale often freaks people out because it is this huge stalk of green leaves coming at you. But it is actually quite easy to use. You can steam it, stir fry it, work it into dishes...like vegetable lasagna. You can even bake it and make Kale chips. Kale is also shown to have a detoxifying effect and may actually aid in recovering from cancer. Here are a few great recipes.

Sautéed Kale with Smoked Paprika Recipe (from simplyrecipes.com)

I make this all the time!

Kale tends to collect dirt in the leaf wrinkles, so rinse carefully before using. To prep, cut the leaf away from the center rib and stem of each leaf. Discard stems and center ribs.

Ingredients

1 lb fresh kale, carefully rinsed, stems and center ribs cut away and discarded, leaves coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (also sold as Pimenton), sweet or hot
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
Salt

1 Bring a large pot (4 qts) of water to a boil. Add a Tablespoon of salt to the water. Add the chopped kale. Cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2 Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika and crushed red pepper. Add the kale and sauté for several more minutes. Sprinkle on more salt and smoked paprika to taste.

Serves 4.

Kale Lasagna Diavolo (from livestrong.com)

Unbelievable!

Ingredients
1 tsp Olive Oil
8 oz Organic Green Kale
15 oz Fat-free Ricotta Cheese
4 oz Goat Cheese
2 cups Tomatoes Puree
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
6 pieces Whole Wheat Egg Lasagna Noodles
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese


1. preheat oven to 400F. coat 8in square pan with oil.

2. cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water 2min. drain, and rinse uncer cold water until cool enough to handle. thoroughly with out kale, then chop. season with salt and pepper, if desired, and set aside.

3. mash together ricotta and chevre in bowl, and set aside.

4. heat 1 tsp oin in small saucepan over medium low heat. add garlic, and cook 15sec, or until fragrant. add tomato puree and red pepper flakes; simmer 5min, or until thickened.

5. spread 1/4 cup sauce in prepared baking pan. place 3 lasagna noodles on top of sauce. top with half of cheese mixture, half of kale, and 1/3 cup sauce. top with three more noodles, remaining cheese, and emaining kale. top with remaining lasagna noodles, and cover with remaining sauce. sprinkle with parmesan and bake 40min, or until cheese has melted and lasagna is bubbly.

Kale Chips

Everyone loves these...I am not crazy about them...but trust me I am in the minority!

Ingredients

1 Bunch of Kale
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Seasonings of your choice

Preheat oven to about 375*

Tear the leaves off the thick stems into bite size pieces. Spread out on cookie sheets.

Drizzle with about 2 tsp of olive oil
Sprinkle with Parmesan, Asiago or your seasonings of choice. Plus a sprinkle of kosher salt.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until edges are brown and kale is crispy.