1 cup of raw kale has 206% of the RDA* of Vitamin A, 134% of Vitamin C, 684% Vitamin K, 121 mgs Omega-3s and 5 grams of fibre (we need between 25 and 40 grams per day). It also has much needed calcium and iron (especially important for women - and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that the calcium in kale is more easily absorbed than from other sources such as milk and spinach.) It's packed with goodness, but is low calorie and virtually fat free. It's good for our bones, our hearts, our eyes, our blood, our digestive systems, and our brains.
Marketers may say "Guinness is Good For You," but scientists, doctors and nutritionists are shouting, "Kale is Amazing For You."
What to do with it? In a previous post, Kale Konfession, I wrote about my adventures in trying to learn how to prepare and enjoy kale and the happy outcomes. Now I need to expand my repertoire, because when you buy kale, you generally get a huge amount of it - we need variety. This time, I made a kale salad and a warm side dish.
KALE & PEAR SALAD
8 stems of Kale (approximately)
1 pear
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
parmesan cheese
Dressing: (may not need all)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
juice of 1/2 orange
pinch of sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Wash kale thoroughly. Remove the hard stem from the leaves and roughly chop leaves into smaller pieces.
Combine in a large bowl, mix dressing through and top with grated parmesan. Lovely, fresh, earthy yet sweet.
5 stems kale, washed and chopped
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup water
3/4 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Add olive oil and kale to a hot pan and sauté.
In a small bowl, whisk together water, peanut butter and soy sauce.
Pour contents into pan with kale and simmer, stirring throughout.
When kale has wilted (4-5 minutes, tops) remove from heat.
Sprinkle rice wine vinegar and red pepper flakes over.
Toss and serve warm.
*RDA = recommended daily allowance