How to eat kale? page

[dragonmamma]

I'm sort of embarrassed to be asking this...how is kale prepared and eaten?

Is it like spinach; can be eaten raw or cooked? Does it need to be washed really well? Does it taste like spinach? Is it worth my while to go out of my way to buy kale as opposed to using spinach like I usually do? Is it interchangeable in recipes?

[Stabby]

Wash it as well as you would other greens I choose to steam it most of the time or saute it with other vegetables in coconut oil or butter. I don't think that it tastes very good raw and in most cases, light cooking of vegetables increases nutrient absorption. Eating it with a fatty oil like coconut or olive oil increases nutrient absorption and I advise you to use spices copiously.

[kennelmom]

My new favorite way: drizzle with olive oil, salt and whatever spice you like (paprika and cayenne for me!)...bake on a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes (until desired crispness is reached).

I also recently made this, which was really good: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/b...ipe/index.html

[Beef Cake]

I saute mine with olive oil, sea salt, ground pepper and minced garlic. I pre-heat the pan on medium. I clean the Kale while the pan is heating and I dry it with a towel. I then add the olive oil and give it a swirl or two for 30 seconds. I then add the garlic to slightly roast it. Then the kale goes in and I let it sit for about a minute before I start stirring it around. It will shrink quite a bit, so use more Kale than you think you need.

[Allbeef Patty]

I love it stir fried. If you take the time to get the pan as hot as you can (I'd use bacon fat, but it's gonna smoke no matter what you do), just drop your clean kale in there and toss it around with some garlic. Do small batches. If you do too much at one time, you'll be steaming it. Each batch should be done in seconds. Just slightly more cooking time than spinach, much less than collards.

[Allbeef Patty]

Oh. And there are lots of different kinds of kale, especially if you're eating local organic. Sometimes it's better to cut the thicker stems out as you're preparing the kale to be cooked. If you have greens whose stems you want to cook (like swiss chard, never throw those stems away), you might still want to cut them out so you can put them in earlier so they'll cook through without overcooking the leaves. Make sense?

[Suki]

Saute onions and garlic in some bacon fat. Add Kale and drizzle red wine vinegar and a squeeze of lemon. I eat this almost everyday. SOOOO good.

[Barb]

Kale is more bitter tasting than spinach. If you don't like the bitterness, put it in a big pot of boiling water for 2 minutes and then drain. Many of the bitter compounds will be leached out in the water. Proceed to cook however you like. I like to cook my kale with olive oil, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and garlic. I simmer my kale for an hour or two - I have read that the calcium and minerals are more easily absorbed from really well cooked greens. Throw in some bacon or fat back for a really tasty treat!

[soniayak]

Kale chips! They are so fab and crunchy and delicious! Just toss them in some EVOO and sea salt and then spread on a cookie sheet. Roast for about 15 minutes at 300 degrees in the oven. FAB!

[dragonmamma]

So...more bitter than spinach. Sounds like if I mix it with a bunch of other veggies and spices (and my beloved coconut oil) it should be just fine. Thanks, everyone!