This quick sauté works well
with kale or virtually any
dark leafy green (spinach,
Swiss chard, collards, dandelion greens, etc.) to create a
healthy, delicious side dish.
By varying the seasonings
(subbing in chili-garlic sauce,
curry paste or peanut sauce for
the soy sauce, for example),
you can create an eclectic array
of variations.
This basic preparation
(sans seasonings) can also
work to prep kale for using
in other recipes, including a
delicious egg scramble (see
Web Extra for recipe).
For another classic preparation, sauté kale with small
amounts of bacon for flavor,
then lightly braise in vegetable
stock to soften.
Serves eight:
12 cups kale ( 3 large bunches)
1 tbs. sesame oil
1 cup diced yellow onions
2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tbs. tamari soy sauce
⅛ tsp. ground black pepper
• Wash kale, remove stems
and cut into 1-inch squares.
• Heat a large sauté pan over
medium-high heat and add the
olive oil to just coat the bottom
of the pan. Add onions and
garlic and sauté for one to two
minutes. Stir in kale, ginger and
vegetable stock.
• Cook until the kale starts to
wilt, about two minutes. Stir in
tamari soy sauce and pepper.
Remove from heat and serve.
Raw Kale Salad
Combining finely chopped kale
with lemon and olive oil — then
gently massaging them together
— breaks down kale’s stiffness and bitterness, leaving
you with tender greens bursting with flavor. Don’t skimp
on the chopping: Not having
to chew through large chunks
of raw kale will increase your
eating pleasure.
• Place the kale in mixing bowl.
Add the lemon juice, oil, garlic
and salt. Massage the kale to
soften for about one minute.
• Add remaining ingredients
and toss to combine.
• Allow the salad to rest and
soften for about 15 minutes
before serving.
Chef Cary Neff is the
author of the New York Times
bestseller Conscious Cuisine
(Sourcebooks, 2002).
Serves four:
1 large bunch of kale, stems
removed and thinly sliced
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 minced garlic clove
⅛ tsp. sea salt
¼ cup toasted walnuts
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped kalamata olives
1 tbs. finely shredded basil
experiencelifemag.com
For more kale
cooking tips and
recipes, see the
online version of
this article.
