What do you do with kale?

Aray82

FI brought home some kale from the grocery store yesterday, thinking we could do something with it as a side for when we make pulled pork sandwiches later this week because the store didn't have collard greens in stock. We're both new to kale--I've had it but never cooked it and FI has never eaten it.  

I was thinking of sauteeing it with some onions or garlic in olive oil, or possibly trying out a sea salt and vinegar kale chips recipe I found on Pintrest...I've also got some chickpeas, some fresh and canned tomatoes, broccoli, apples, and strawberries, and a decent selection of spices and seasonings. Ideally, I'd prefer not to make an additional trip to the store, but willing to if it's just one or two basic things and would make a huge difference. I learn new recipes and improve on technique every year, but eventually I'd like to reach the level of my old roommate, who would just be like, "Hey, so I noticed there was (random ingredients that you would never in a million years think would go together) in the fridge so I made this really delicious (quiche/salad/stew/bread)--want some?"

Any reliable kale recipes you like?

JCbride2015

I prefer kale just sautéed very simply.  You'll need kale, olive oil, garlic, and water or chicken broth.

1. Cut the leaves off the stems and tear into a few pieces per leaf (they will cook down, so not too small).  

2. Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into a pan and add some minced garlic (a clove or two) to the cold pan.  Heat the oil and garlic on medium heat until the garlic sizzles, but don't let it turn brown.  

3. Add the kale and stir so the leaves are coated with the oil/garlic.

4. Pour about a quarter cup (more if you have a ton of kale) of water or chicken broth into the pan, cover, and turn the heat up to high so the liquid boils.  Let it boil for about five minutes, then take the lid off.

5. Keep stirring and sautéing until the liquid is cooked off and the kale is tender.

ETA: Salt to taste right at the end.  If you use water, you might want some salt; less or none if you used chicken broth.

Kale chips are yummy too, but they're a bitch to get right.  You have to watch them like a hawk.

Aray82

JCbride2015 said:

I prefer kale just sautéed very simply.  You'll need kale, olive oil, garlic, and water or chicken broth.

1. Cut the leaves off the stems and tear into a few pieces per leaf (they will cook down, so not too small).  

2. Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into a pan and add some minced garlic (a clove or two) to the cold pan.  Heat the oil and garlic on medium heat until the garlic sizzles, but don't let it turn brown.  

3. Add the kale and stir so the leaves are coated with the oil/garlic.

4. Pour about a quarter cup (more if you have a ton of kale) of water or chicken broth into the pan, cover, and turn the heat up to high so the liquid boils.  Let it boil for about five minutes, then take the lid off.

5. Keep stirring and sautéing until the liquid is cooked off and the kale is tender.

ETA: Salt to taste right at the end.  If you use water, you might want some salt; less or none if you used chicken broth.

Kale chips are yummy too, but they're a bitch to get right.  You have to watch them like a hawk.

Thanks! We do have chicken broth as well, so that'd be good. That's what I figured with the chips--I can never get oven fries quite right so I imagine kale would be a lot fussier.

Maggie0829

Throw it in the trash because eww!

But I have heard that it is a pretty bitter green so you need to definitely cook it to get rid of the bitterness.

Aray82

And, sorry about the double-post--looks like the glitch is still on  

LadyMillil

Maggie0829 said:

Throw it in the trash because eww!

But I have heard that it is a pretty bitter green so you need to definitely cook it to get rid of the bitterness.

I've been eating it raw in salads recently and I don't notice a bitter taste.

Salad recipe (I don't measure this stuff)

Shredded kale or half kale half lettuce

Shredded cabbage (red, green or both)

Chicory

Sliced brussel sprouts

Sliced broccoli

Roasted pumpkin seeds

Dried cranberries

Poppyseed dressing

DH LOVES steamed kale with a little butter

HaileyDancingbear

I like to make Kale chips.  Place them on a cookie sheet, spray with pam or any other buttery non-stick spray (Or drizzle olive oil if you wanna be all healthy and stuff) and sprinkle a little salt.  Bake in the oven for a few minutes, just until they get crispy. 

MairePoppy

They make a chopped salad at my local grocery store with fresh kale, broccoli, carrots, ranch dressing, topped with Frenches Onion Rings. It's delicious. 

You should soak the kale in water and rinse a few times to remove all the sand and cut the thick spin out of the leaves because it's bitter.

Aray82

Maggie0829 said:

Throw it in the trash because eww!

But I have heard that it is a pretty bitter green so you need to definitely cook it to get rid of the bitterness.

Yeah I don't think FI was quite aware of kale's reputation when he bought it He eats a good amount of veggies, but mostly very mild, unassuming things (carrots, lettuce, celery and the like).

Aray82

HaileyDancingbear said:

I like to make Kale chips.  Place them on a cookie sheet, spray with pam or any other buttery non-stick spray (Or drizzle olive oil if you wanna be all healthy and stuff) and sprinkle a little salt.  Bake in the oven for a few minutes, just until they get crispy. 

Those sound amazing if I could get them to be non-soggy and non-burnt. I may try it with just a few leaves from this batch and see how it goes...

Aray82

LadyMillil said:

Maggie0829 said:

Throw it in the trash because eww!

But I have heard that it is a pretty bitter green so you need to definitely cook it to get rid of the bitterness.

I've been eating it raw in salads recently and I don't notice a bitter taste.

Salad recipe (I don't measure this stuff)

Shredded kale or half kale half lettuce

Shredded cabbage (red, green or both)

Chicory

Sliced brussel sprouts

Sliced broccoli

Roasted pumpkin seeds

Dried cranberries

Poppyseed dressing

DH LOVES steamed kale with a little butter

Oh yes, butter! FI does like using butter as an alternative to olive oil (says we use EVOO too much and he gets tired of it) and it would be good for introducing a new veggie. And I am definitely saving this recipe for the future--sounds like a perfect late summer/fall side

theartistformerlyknownas

Maggie0829 said:

Throw it in the trash because eww!

But I have heard that it is a pretty bitter green so you need to definitely cook it to get rid of the bitterness.

Nooooo! It's great raw. It just needs a little acid to break it down. Massaged kale salad is DELICIOUS. Remove the stalks, chop it up a bit, drizzle with a little olive oil, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, squish it around with your fingers, and let it sit for a few minutes. It'll get all tender and delicious. I like to toss chopped apples and dried cranberries in it, or avocado and grapefruit.

It's great in smoothies too! Or use it anywhere you'd use spinach. I put it in colcannon last year for St Patrick's Day instead of cabbage!

beethery

In my case, if I find it in something my mom made, I pretend I like it.

Otherwise I pretend it doesn't exist I wish I liked more vegetables.

Cookie Pusher

I posted this in the other thread: I just chop it up and saute it in a little bit of oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I made bacon yesterday, so I actually sauted the kale in the leftover fat. I eat it just like that or mix it into mashed potatoes. I also throw it in soups and stews. 

FI was hesitant to try kale at first, but I mixed it into the mashed potatoes with a little bit of onion (it's a traditional Irish dish called colcannon). Since he'll eat anything with potatoes in it, he tried it. Loved it. Now I use more kale than potatoes!

wandajune6

I can't make a decent kale chip. I love cooking it with garlic, olive oil, and chicken stock like the PPs.

If you're in a cold place, it's great in brothy soups. I add it to minestrone or anything tomato-y though it works well in anything.

ohannabelle

What Lolo said. Really good as a salad, but stick your fingers in the bowl and rub the leaves gently with the dressing, and let it sit for a while. Yum. I'm not crazy about the texture of cooked leafy things, but raw, it's great.

freebread03

MairePoppy said:

They make a chopped salad at my local grocery store with fresh kale, broccoli, carrots, ranch dressing, topped with Frenches Onion Rings. It's delicious. 

You should soak the kale in water and rinse a few times to remove all the sand and cut the thick spin out of the leaves because it's bitter.

Ditto on cutting out the middle "vein"-it's very bitter so definitely remove it before you cook.  I think Kale is super yummy if you sautee it like others are suggesting with some garlic. Yum!

PrincessOfHavoc

I give the stem to the resident bunnies who love them. Given as they are devil's soap weed (aka cilantro) fans, anything green and leafy is acceptable.

blabla89

I absolutely love this recipe for kale quiche (protip: throw some ham in it) and it's also really good in a salad with berries, nuts, and a light vinaigrette dressing. Just make sure you cut it into little pieces first.

lovesclimbing

My immediate thought was roast it over the fire like Ori does in The Hobbit after saying "I don't like green food."

tortoisebride

I kind of hate kale's toughness so I tend to boil it to death and treat it like spinach. It works out. That's probably not the advice you're looking for, but if you do that it's certainly versatile. Throw it in a soup, a stir fry, a quiche, an omelette, a pasta sauce, lasagne, a bean thing (beans + spices/aromatics + vegetables- I'm vegetarian so this is a lot of what I eat but idk what the generic name would be). I like it that they sell it pre-cut & pre-washed in big bags so I don't have to process it, either. That's the most obnoxious part of the giant greens IMO. If you're used to working with collards you may be less picky

ElcaB

OMG kale! I've always loved it, but lately I've been trying all sorts of new kale recipes. Some of my favorites (with links):

Kale chips

White bean soup with kale and chorizo (this is to DIE FOR)

The other night, I also made a recipe I call "Throw Random Shit In a Pan and Pray it Ends Well." I sauteed kale, spinach, and asparagus with fresh minced garlic, then added steamed lentils, avocado, hummus, and sriracha. It tasted AMAZING! 

littlemushroom

I love kale chips in the oven.  Wash it really well, dry it really well, and cut out the thick spine in the middle.  Then spray with Pam or toss in EVOO or chili oil and sprinkle with garlic salt.  

The trick to getting them to be crispy and not soggy is not to over crowd the pan.  It needs to be well spaced out on the pan and not touching, otherwise it just steams itself.  One bunch of curly kale from the store usually goes on 3-4 cookie sheets and gets cooked in batches, one sheet at a time.  More than one in the oven at a time, and the kale can produce enough steam to keep it from getting crispy.

Aray82

PrincessOfHavoc said:

I give the stem to the resident bunnies who love them. Given as they are devil's soap weed (aka cilantro) fans, anything green and leafy is acceptable.

Hah--I love fresh cilantro, but I wish it were sold in smaller batches. I use maybe an eighth of the gigantic mass you can buy at the store since anything more is soapy indeed!

Aray82

lovesclimbing said:

My immediate thought was roast it over the fire like Ori does in The Hobbit after saying "I don't like green food."

FI is a hardcore LOTR fan...he'd be up for this!

Aray82

Wow, these all look great! With so many possibilities, we just might be buying kale on purpose from now on

littledog25

 I have to jump in here (sorry, I know I'm very new still, but I can't resist)...

 Kale & Mashed potatoes is a dish I grew up on (it's very popular in the motherland). It looks disgusting, but is AMAZING. You must eat it with sausage of some kind. Don't question it, just do it (I recommend farmers sausage).

 We make it similar to this: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mashed-potatoes-with-kale-recipe.html

hgminor

If you think regular kale is too bitter, baby kale has a milder flavor.  I've started doing green smoothies for breakfast, with two handfuls of kale in them, and I never taste it at all.  OJ, a banana, almond milk, a little honey or agave syrup and some ice cubes and you can get pretty close to a orange julius (but it's green, of course..)

I add protein powder and I am plenty full until lunch time!

mellowmarshmallow

lilybet13 said:

You can use it basically anywhere else you'd use another dark green. We use it in things like pasta, gratins, and stir fries. You could do this like substitutions for other greens or find recipes that specifically call for kale. Baked kale chips are also delicious. I find they work better if everything is preheated.

If you want another cabbage challenge, try Kohlrabi. Weird vegetable, that.

I love kohlrabi! We grew them in my grandpa's garden when I was a kid. I like them raw, but my grandma would also cook them like turnips. I also second roasted kale, but I put a little lemon zest on it as soon as I pull them from the oven. The same method works with green beans and brussel sprouts.