Today, as you will see, is all about cooking with kale – one of the most nutritious greens you can find in the market or grow in your own garden.
Kale belongs to the big family of cruciferous vegetables, which includes broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, mustard greens, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, all types of cabbages, radishes, turnips, and arugula.
All cruciferous veggies are rich in those antioxidant nutrients that are essential for health and preventing disease — but above all, kale is king! In fact, the levels of antioxidants in kale beat out broccoli, its closest competitor, by about 2:1!
All types of kale are also packed with cancer-fighting phytochemicals, and in test-tube studies, extracts of kale have been shown to block the growth of six different kinds of human cancer cells. Kale also contains a good amount of fiber, calcium, vitamin C and a bunch of other important nutrients.
So, there is no doubt that kale is truly a super food! However, it might be a challenge to figure out what to do with it. It is one of the most strong-flavored greens and can taste a little bitter to some people. Kale’s flavor is actually due to all of those health-protective phytochemicals packed into each leaf. In the land of leafy greens, the more nutrients a plant contains, the stronger its flavor will be.
If you already love kale – great! Eat more of it! But if you are out there having some doubts, stay with me – I’ll show you some delicious ways to enjoy these nutritious greens!
An important thing to know about kale is that it loses its nutrients rapidly after harvest, so to get the biggest nutrient bang from your buck, buy freshly harvested kale at the Farmers Market and eat it within just a few days. If you buy kale in the grocery store look for greens that are bright and fresh. Yellow or wilted leaves indicate old, worn out kale that has lower levels of nutrients and may also have a stronger, more bitter taste.
There are lots of varieties of kale, and they vary in flavor and texture. For kale newbies, tender leaves of baby kale might be good to try, if you can find it. Like other baby greens, baby kale is milder, sweeter and less chewy than the full-grown varieties.
A simple oil and vinegar dressing goes well with this salad, or you can try a slightly sweeter dressing like this honey-mustard vinaigrette. Both honey and mustard tone down the strong flavors of dark greens..
There are so many more ways to add kale to your diet, like making it into a delicious smoothie with a little bit of fruit to sweeten it up a bit.
Remember, all of these recipes, and more, are available by clicking on the links below.
Until next time, Cheers!
or click here to watch Cooking with Kale on YouTube.
Download the Tarragon or Basil Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe: tarragon-or-basil-honey-mustard-dressing.pdf
Download the Massaged Kale Salad Recipe: massaged-kale-salad.pdf
Download the Powerful Green Smoothie Recipe: powerful-green-smoothie.pdf
Download the Zesty Kale Chips Recipe: zesty-kale-chips.pdf
Download the Kale and Beet Pesto Recipe: kale-and-beet-pesto.pdf
Download the Quick Minestrone with Kale Recipe: quick-minestrone-with-kale.pdf