Sunday, June 26, 2011

Kale, It's What's for Breakfast....(Lunch and Dinner too)

This is one of those simple meals that qualifies for the phrase, "Bang for your Buck". It's quick to make, tastes great and gives you a good amount of nutrients. Kale is one of my all time favorite vegetables. Pair it with some onion, Nitrate-free smoked bacon, for it's smoky salty goodness and an egg...viola, great for breakfast lunch or dinner!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lEsMnUvnaCo/TgeRV8ACWHI/AAAAAAAAzCc/TdDAPOOn9lk/DSC_0294-1.JPG There are several varieties of kale , but the three most common are curly kale (the kind we always thought was not edible...just for garnishing plates and salad bars) , red kale, and Lacinato kale . Curly kale has ruffled leaves with a bright green color, a lively pungent flavor with bitter peppery qualities The Lacinato kale is the most common. It is also called “dinosaur kale.” It is made up of dark blue-green leaves with a slightly sweeter, more delicate taste than curly kale. I usually go for the Lacinato when I can find it...easier now that it seems to be "trendy". If you have a Twitter account follow me...I "tweet" under the name @crazy4kale.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QRyW0qBycHY/TgeRV5uUohI/AAAAAAAAzCY/jKPpw2wpgWo/DSC_0328-1.JPG

Kale and Eggs



4 slices of smoked bacon (cut into bit size pieces)
1/2 Lg onion chopped
1 bunch of Kale (cleaned and cut into ribbons)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. (crushed red pepper if you like a "kick")

Cook bacon until crisp tender remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onion to bacon dripping and cook until soft and a bit caramelized. Add Kale and saute until softened. Season to taste.

Cap it all off with an egg. I like over easy fried in olive oil or poached with a soft loose yolk, but you could certain scramble this all together. Such a quick meal that I can now make even faster since I found the "Cut n Clean" Greens at Whole Foods triple washed and ready to go.


Kale is an alkaline food, full of fiber and sulfuric compounds, which have been found to help prevent a wide variety of cancers. Research suggests that the phytonutrients found in these foods also help activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver, which work to neutralize potentially carcinogenic substances. What a great addition to recipes you already make, sneak it into soups and pastas. Move over spinach!

Our favorite salad is, Massaged Kale Salad. When I posted this recipe the first time we liked it...but now we LOVE it. The beauty of the recipe is that it's more of a technique. You can substitute what you have on hand and make different combinations. The one we like the best is a combination of apple, golden raisins, toasted pecans and a smoky blue cheese. I brought it to a food blogger dinner and the host Stephanie of FreshTart.net took this great photo. (scroll down...it's after her killer White Bean Gratin recipe).
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