Kale was so cool there for a while that it soon suffered the fate of all things we sincerely, deeply, love: backlash hit.
The leafy cabbage came full circle and became virtually a parody of itself. It was soon a kind of shorthand for all that we hate about the sanctimonious clean eaters with their glowing complexions and terminally boring riffs about nut butters.
We’ve reignited our kale-love of late, however, and these three recipes are examples of how much kale can brighten up our day.
The Perfect Kale Crisps from Oh She Glows
Makes 2 trays.
Ingredients:
Approx. 1/2 bunch kale leaves
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 150°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 Remove leaves from the stems of the kale and roughly tear it up into large pieces. Wash and spin the leaves until thoroughly dry.
3 Add kale leaves into a large bowl. Massage in the oil until all the nooks and crannies are coated in oil. Now sprinkle on the spices/seasonings and toss to combine.
4 Spread out the kale onto the prepared baking sheet into a single layer, being sure not to overcrowd the kale.
5 Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 12-15 minutes more until the kale begins to firm up. The kale will look shrunken, but this is normal.
6 Cool the kale on the sheet for 3 minutes before digging in. Enjoy immediately as they lose their crispiness with time.
7 Repeat this process for the other half of the bunch.
Kale and Walnut Pesto from Love and Lemons
About 1 cup.
Ingredients:
small bunch of kale (4-6 leaves, remove the thick part of the stems*)
¼ cup walnuts, toasted
½ to 1 clove of garlic
¼ cup olive oil (or more for a smoother pesto)
juice & zest of one lemon
salt & pepper to taste
optional: grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
Directions:
1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
2 Blanch kale for about 30 seconds, remove and place in the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
3 Dry the kale a bit, squeeze out some of excess water and set on a towel for a few minutes more.
4 Blend everything together in a food processor. Pulse to create a chunky pesto, blend longer to create a smoother one. Taste and adjust, adding more salt, pepper, lemon, olive oil, as necessary.
Kale and Bean Stew adapted from Five Heart Home
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
360g chorizo, peeled and chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 (400g) tins of whole, peeled tomatoes
400ml chicken stock
225g kale, tough stems removed and finely chopped/shredded
1 small bay leaf
2 (400g) cans Cannellini beans, rinsed
A few dashes hot pepper sauce
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1 Place 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add in the sausage. Stir to release the oils from the sausage and then add in the minced garlic and cook for a few minutes.
2 Pour the tomatoes and stock to the pot and increase the heat. Stir in the kale and bay leaf, bring to a boil, cover and then simmer for 5 minutes.
3 Once kale is tender, add the drained beans. Season with dashes of hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper, to taste. Stir and simmer for a few minutes until heated through. Remove bay leaf before serving.
