Hi! I just bought a big bag of fresh kale

[babylonsister]

and have no idea what to do with it, or even if I like it. I usually sautee' fresh spinach and add it to lots of things but the bags at the store were small, so thought I'd give this a go.
Can you share some hot/cooked ideas for kale, or should I just pretend it's spinach and sally forth as I have been? Thanks!

[Politicub]

1. Love it in soup

You put it in the soup right before it finishes cooking so it wilts. I like to cook it for above five minutes after I add the kale.

And you can add several handfuls to a small pot of soup - wilts down significantly.

This is my sausage kale soup recipe. It's easy to make and customize with whatever veggies you have on hand - zuchini, tomatoes, etc. - but this is the most basic version.

Ingredients
Box of chicken broth
2 Italian sausage links
Bag of Frozen miropoix (if you have it... Kroger carries it and its perfect for soup)
Cup of water
Thyme, oregano, salt and pepper
Kale

Remove casings from Italian sausage and break into chunks. Brown in bottom of pot with a little olive oil.

After it's cooked, add the mirapoix and let it defrost in the browned sausage.

Add the broth, water, a little thyme and oregano. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 mins or so. Season wth salt and pepper.

Add a few handfuls of kale and allow it to wilt.

You can make this with chicken or whatever you have on hand. The sausage tastes especially good with kale, though.

[pinto]

4. I love it with sausage or pork. They just fit together for some reason.

[elleng]

2. 'Bake' it so it becomes like kale chips

is all I've heard, other than using it in a melange like spinach etc. Have fun, and let us know!

[OffWithTheirHeads]

3. Just kook it like spinach. Love Kale

Little chopped bacon fried up, a little water and some viniger of your choice, red wine or Balsamic work well. Bring to a boil add the chopped Kale, cook two min, drain and enjoy!

Cook it, don't kook it. I hate typing on an ipad!

[pinto]

5. A little coarser than spinach, takes a bit longer to cook.

I like it boiled / simmered till just tender with onions, chopped and pan fried with bacon, drizzled with olive oil and baked with sliced yellow onion, in soups of all kinds, tossed into a pot of beans.

[valerief]

6. I steam it. When done, I put butter and garlic on it. Yum! nt

[Warpy]

7. Kale is pretty strong stuff

and about the only way I can stand it cooked as a green is stemmed, chopped and steamed for at least 10 minutes. Then add olive oil, chopped garlic and a little crushed red pepper and cook on low heat for another 5 minutes.

Kale soups were a standard in my hippie days because the stuff was so easy to grow.

The main way I eat it now is dried in a low oven. Just stem, coarsely chop, and put onto a dry cookie sheet into a low (<200F) oven. Stir every 10 minutes and check for dryness. You don't want to toast it, just dry it out. Then it's good out of hand, sprinkled on salads, on mashed potatoes (the best use, IMO) and I've even used it as a side with Chinese food.

[northoftheborder]

8. It takes a big bag of raw kale to result in 5-6 servings of cooked kale. (same as with other greens)

I like to sautee chopped bacon and some onion if have it, in a large pot. Remove & reserve, add some water or broth to pot, add all of kale, with large stems removed. I usually cook it about ten minutes, stirring to let all greens wilt and cook, because it is a big tougher than spinach. Then drain liquid and add bacon & sauteed onions, and some balsamic vinegar. Just eat! or add to soup or other dish you might have that needs some greens.

I never used to like greens, except spinach - scorned it all - even though my mother loved it. But I've taken to Swiss chard and kale. Collards are a little strong to me. Very healthy!

[Texasgal]

9. I love kale garlic bread!

Buy a large loaf of bread in the deli.

Slice long ways.

Butter and garlic the sliced bread and whatever else you may like. I've used a dash of smoked paprika in the past.

Cut you kale into manageable pieces, add to bread.

Add cheddar or goat cheese or feta and some sliced tomato. I've also tried mushrooms.

Put bread together and cover in foil. Stick it in the oven and brown it up. maybe 20 minutes or so?

Slice and experience the YUMMY.

Makes a great side dish or with some soup!

[Granny M]

10. I've had some lovely massaged kale salads.

You rub the kale in the bowl with the dressing until it softens. Google massaged kale salads to get some ideas. Granny says, eat your kale - it's good for you!

[japple]

14. I got a bunch of nice kale yesterday and am going to try a massaged salad.

As the writer of this article says, "Since I always hate the next "hot, new thing!" on principle, it took me a while to start..." and that's where our agreement diverged. I LOVE KALE, but have never had it in a salad. My sister had a massaged kale salad in Charleston and said it was the best kale she has ever eaten. This recipe sounds like what she described. Will report back on the trial run.


http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Food/Stir-It-Up/2013/0711/Citrus-massaged-kale-salad

Massaged kale salad with toasted nuts, dried cherries & Parmesan
Serves 4

2 bunches of kale (about 1 lb), rinsed and dried, center ribs and stems removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise

Juice of 2-3 lemons

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts or almonds

1/4 cup dried cherries, cranberries or currants

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheeses plus some bigger shavings to top the salad with

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place the thinly sliced kale in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil (add more of either thing if you feel like there's not enough to cover everything.) Massage the mixture with your fingers until all of the kale is well-coated and looks a bit darker in color. Let sit for a half hour (or not, if you're in a hurry!)

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat. Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Top with the shaved cheese and serve.

[freshwest]

15. Thanks, I'll give that a try. I haven't really enjoyed my other kale salads. n/t

[hermetic]

11. Stir fried is best, imo

but here is a page that will tell you way more than you ever wanted to know about kale and mid-page there are links to recipes.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38

A Few Quick Serving Ideas
Braise chopped kale and apples. Before serving, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and chopped walnuts.
Combine chopped kale, pine nuts, and feta cheese with whole grain pasta drizzled with olive oil.

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[Retrograde]

12. Colcannon, an Irish potato and kale/cabbage dish

I haven't tried it, but using kale instead of cabbage for cabbage rolls would be interesting. My favorites are kale with white beans and sausage, and just plain steamed kale.

[babylonsister]

13. Thanks, everyone! I

fried up some of it last night, and I like it! It is heartier than spinach, but that's a plus imo. I threw it into some spaghetti and meatballs (yea, some might think that's gross, I prefer to think I'm getting my greens w/o having to make a salad) and it worked just fine. Next experiment will be a kale omlette. I think me and kale could become fast friends!