Learning to like vegetables - Kale
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find fresh Brussels sprouts at the Farmers market lately, so we’ll take a detour in our vegetable journey and explore one that I learned to like last winter - kale.
I’m trying to lose a few pounds and part of my program involves striving to eat more vegetables. In the summer that’s easy. Salad mix, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, celery, broccoli, beans, and peas are plentiful and fresh. I rarely need to set foot in the supermarket for anything other than crackers and wine. In the winter, however, the number of vegetables available at the farmers market shrinks dramatically. One of the vegetables that’s available nearly all year in Seattle is kale.
Kale is a leafy green. It’s actually in the same family as cabbage and brussels sprouts. There are two varieties of kale that we typically find at the farmers markets: purple and green. I like the purple just because it looks so pretty. Kale’s beauty hides a wonderful secret - a healthy mix of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
One cup of cooked kale contains the following:
- Over 1300% of your RDA of Vitamin K
- Over 190% of your RDA of Vitamin A
- Over 85% of your RDA of Vitamin C
- 10% of your RDA of fiber (3 grams)
- Almost 10% of your RDA of Calcium
All this for only 36.4 calories per cup!
So how can you enjoy this nutritional powerhouse? Well, I have a favorite recipe to share with you. I’ll give you a hint in photo form.
Yes, that’s right. Garlic! Everything is better with garlic!
1 bunch kale
3-4 tablespoons of your favorite oil (I use grapeseed oil)
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
Pinch of salt
Red pepper flakes
Splash of red wine vinegar
Rinse the kale, remove the stems and tear into medium sized pieces. Pat the kale dry (this is important). In a large wok or deep pan, heat half of the oil. Add the kale, a little bit at a time, stirring as it wilts. If you try to throw in wet kale, it will splatter everywhere!
As the kale wilts, add a little bit of salt, cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes.
Remove the kale from the pan and place in a covered dish to keep warm. Add the other half of the oil and then throw in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for just a minute or two and pour the cooked garlic and the remaining heated oil over the kale. Toss to coat and add a splash or two of red wine vinegar. Enjoy immediately.
