 Kale
is another one of those oft-overlooked vegetables that delivers a huge
nutritional bang for your buck. It is a hardy vegetable that grows
through much of the year, but it’s best and sweetest in the
wintertime.
Kale is in the same family as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and collard
greens, which more than live up to their reputation as some of the
world’s most nutritious foods. Like these other leafy greens, kale is
chock full of health-promoting phytonutrient sulfur compounds, which
have been shown to prevent several different types of cancer. Kale is
full of vitamins and minerals such as manganese, fiber, calcium,
copper, and potassium and vitamins A, C. E, and B6, which make this a
very wise addition to any diet. Kale is high in carotenoids such as
lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect the eyes from UV light
damage, much like sunglasses, and help protect against cataracts.
Studies show that just 3 servings a day of green leafy (such as kale),
yellow, and cruciferous vegetables per day can help improve mental
function, reducing age-related mental decline by about 40%.
DID YOU KNOW:
-Kale actually becomes sweeter with light frost, and therefore freezes very well!
-The cultivation of kale goes back over 2000 years and probably originates in the Mediterranean.
-Kale is often used as a garden prettifier (“ornamental kale”). Ornamental kale is also very edible!
HOW TO CHOOSE AND STORE KALE:
Look for smaller bunches of kale; they tend to be more tender. Leaves
should have stong colours and be crisp and unwilted/unblemished. Wrap
kale in damp paper towels and store in the crisper in a plastic bag.
Kale will stay fresh like this for about a week.
HOW TO EAT KALE:
Wash well—kale can be gritty, and the dirt can hide in the crevices of
the leaves. All of the kale is edible but you can cut the leaves off
the stems if you like. I find kale most palatable when cut into small
pieces, as opposed to whole leaves.
NUTRITIONAL INFO PER 1 CUP BOILED KALE:
Calories – 36
Fat – 0
Sodium – 29mg (1% RDA)
Potassium – 296mg (8% RDA)
Total Carbohydrate – 7g
Dietary Fiber – 10% RDA
Protein – 4.9% RDA
%RDA Vitamins & Minerals:
Vitamin K – 1327.6%
Vitamin A – 192.4%
Vitamin C – 88%
Manganese – 27%
Calcium – 9.4%
Magnesium – 5.8%
Iron – 6.5%
Vitamin E – 5.6%
Thiamin – 4.7%
Riboflavin – 5.3%
Niacin – 3.3%
Vitamin B6 – 9%
Folate – 4.3%
Pantothenic Acid – 10%
Copper – 20%
RECIPES:
Easy, healthy recipes for kale:
<>-Add small pieces to soups and stews.<>
-Sautee kale lightly with a small amount of olive oil and as much
garlic and thinly-sliced onions as you like. Drizzle with lemon juice
or balsamic vinegar before serving.
-Top homemade pizzas with small pieces of kale.
-Mix small pieces of kale in with cooked, whole-grain pasta, toasted
pine nuts, and a little bit of olive oil. Season to taste.
Potato/Kale/Soysage Casserole
This is not one of the healthier recipes I’ll post here, but it is my
absolute favourite way of cooking kale. I adapted this recipe from a
very carnivorous and decidedly heart-attack-inducing recipe I found
some time ago, and this is a MUCH healthier version.
6-8 medium-sized potatoes (I used russet)
about 1 cup of vegetable broth
about 1/2 cup of soymilk
salt
parsley
garlic
dill, and/or basil to taste, and/or seasonings of your choice
about half a bunch of kale (I use black kale, which I find the most appealing), chopped fine
1 package vegan cheese (I use Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack), grated
1 large onion, cut into thin strips
1 package vegan soy sausage slices (I use Tofurkey Kielbasa) sliced into small rounds
Directions:
Boil the potatoes till soft and mash them with the broth, soy milk, and
seasonings. (I always mash mine with the peel, but use your own
judgment). Steam the kale for about 10 minutes, or until crispy-soft
(I did this in a bamboo steamer over the boiling potatoes). Mix the
potato mixture with the kale and all but about 1/4 of the cheese.
Sautee the onion until soft, and mix in the soysage slices until warmed
over. Top the potato mixture with the onion/soysage mixture, and
spread the rest of the cheese over the whole thing. Put the whole
thing on the top rack of the oven on the highest temperature setting
(broil on mine) until the cheese melts. If you are not using vegan
cheese that melts well, just broil it for about 5 minutes.
Serve with a nice salad.
Filling, and VERY yummy!
Serves: about 8
Preparation time: about 30 min
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