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How to best use this trendy food.
Kale is all the rage and a huge food trend. From kale chips to kale salads, it is showing up in convenience stores as a snack and on menus at the finest restaurants. It has tremendous health benefits as a green leafy vegetable with lots of vitamins and great taste too. I’ve umped on board and have been testing and tasting kale recipes for weeks. I like to use the big green leaves in salads (remove the stem and core) and the smaller kale leaves in soups and sautéed like spinach. Here are a few recipes that I am making over and over again.
Makes 1 cup
I like to us this on small red potatoes and roast them for about 45 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven. Also, drizzle it oven roasted asparagus or green beans. It makes for a beautiful presentation if you layer quinoa, roasted asparagus and then drizzle it with the kale pesto.
Remove the ribs and stems from the kale leaves. Rinse and then add the leaves to a pot with 1/4 cup of water over medium heat. Cover and simmer until kale is tender but can still hold its shape, about 4 minutes. Drain excess water from the kale leaves, and add to the bowl of a food processor.
Combine the kale, almonds, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until almonds are finely ground. Start by slowly drizzling in the olive oil, and process until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a bowl, and fold in the grated Parmesan cheese. If consistency is too thick, loosen with a tablespoon or two of water. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Serves 4
Any seasonings you like, crushed red pepper, onion powder, seasoning salt, parmesan cheese, minced garlic, etc.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove and discard the thick stems of the kale and tear the leaves into large pieces. Spread the leaves in a single layer on 2 large cookie sheets. Spray the leaves with nonstick cooking spray to coat lightly. Sprinkle with salt and any seasoning of your choice. Bake just until the kale chips are crisp but not browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets on wire racks.
Serves 6
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, with a wooden spoon, until browned. Add the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, carrots, onions and potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the kale and nutmeg. Add the wine to deglaze the pot, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the chicken stock and 2 cups water and bring to boil (for thicker soup, use 2 cups less liquid). Stir in the lentils and cook at a low, bubbly simmer until the lentils are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the rosemary stems and bay leaves. Ladle the soup into bowls
Serves 4
Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic and sesame seeds. In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch the kale until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and cool the kale in the ice bath. Drain well and squeeze dry. Add the kale to the vinaigrette, toss to coat and season with salt.
Serves 4
Combine the quinoa, water and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, and after the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.
Gently simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Keeping the pan covered, let it stand for 5 minutes, or until the remaining water is absorbed.
Remove the lid and gently fluff the quinoa. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the cooked quinoa, kale and avocado. Toss with the dressing, and serve at room temperature or chilled.
Serves 8
dressing:
topping:
For the salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the kale, radishes and fennel. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, zest and a pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Set aside.
For the dressing: Whisk together a pinch of kosher salt, garlic, worcestshire, egg yolk, and olive oil. Set aside. Add a pinch of salt to a large wooden salad bowl..
Add the kale mixture to the dressing and toss to coat.
For the topping: In a sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs. Lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley, and salt. Then sprinkle on top of the salad.