Why Kale?
Everyone knows kale. Most people though pass it by as being too bland or too tough or even “healthy.”
Speaking of healthy. Leafy greens are extremely healthy, and many are loaded with magnesium. Greens with significant amounts of magnesium include kale, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens and mustard greens. A cup of raw kale, for example, packs nearly 7 mg of magnesium (1.7 percent of the daily value, or DV) and only about 7 calories, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
So why magnesium? Magnesium Is Involved in Hundreds of Biochemical Reactions in Your Body.
It May Boost Exercise Performance.
Magnesium Fights Depression.
It Has Benefits Against Type 2 Diabetes.
Magnesium Can Lower Blood Pressure.
It Has Anti-Inflammatory Benefits.
Magnesium Can Help Prevent Migraines.
It Reduces Insulin Resistance.
Kale isn’t sexy; it’s not the artichoke or leek of the vegetable world, that’s for sure. Kale’s thick, almost rubbery leaves are ruffled and chewy as leather, and its bitter taste requires learned appreciation. Hardy kale, like the scarlet kale pictured here. Here are five ways we like to eat kale.
Raw, in a salad – Kale doesn’t need to be cooked to be enjoyed. If you slice it into very, very fine ribbons it makes a great salad. Its rough texture and slightly bitter taste are the perfect match for lemon and some sharp, salty pecorino.
Cooked and boiled – Kale is a seriously tough green, and while it can be great in raw salads, sometime we like it soft and silky. To get it like that, it’s best to boil it (or braise it). If the idea of boiled greens sounds too Dickensian for you, no fear. They’re actually decadently delicious, silky and smooth.
In a soup – Kale’s sturdy texture makes it the perfect green to throw into a pot of soup. It doesn’t fall apart into moist strings like spinach.
In pasta – Kale is great with pasta; just like in soups it doesn’t wilt too much or lose its toothsome texture when cooked with pasta. We love it with spicy sausage and orecchiette.
As snack chips! – Yes, you can make better-than-potato-chips-snack-chips out of kale. All you do is throw a few leaves in the oven with olive oil and salt, and bake! The result is addictively crisp and salty kale chips. You’ve got to try it!
Full disclosure; the above is from https://www.thekitchn.com/
For more great ideas on how to use kale go to thekitchn.com