Kale Chips

Kale Chips Recipe By Amy Bell On February 5, 2009 http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/02/05/superfood-recipe-kale-chips/

• 1 bunch kale – wash, remove stems, and tear into 3 to 4 inch pieces.
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Pinch of sea salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix vinegar and oil, pour over kale and toss to coat.  Sprinkle in the nutritional yeast and salt.  Toss again until kale is evenly coated.  Spread onto a baking sheet, and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until crispy and brown around the edges.

Enjoy by themselves, or try crumbling them up over baked potatoes, pasta dishes, or salads.

NOTE: Kale is in season from the middle of winter to the first part of spring.   During this time it tastes its best, and is most widely available.

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad

This recipe comes from 101 Cooksbooks, http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/raw-tuscan-kale-salad-recipe.html

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad

I doubled up on the breadcrumbs here. Because who doesn't like a bit of extra crunch? That is reflected in the recipe below. And for those of you without access to pecorino, freshly grated Parmesan would be a reasonable substitute.

1 bunch Tuscan kale (for ex: black or lacinato)
2 thin slices country bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs

1/2 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch

1/4 cup (or small handful) grated pecorino cheese, plus adiitional for garnish

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish

Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (scant 1/4 cup or ~50ml)

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking.

Using a mortar and pestle or a knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves).. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.

Adapted from the Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with Chiles and Pecorino recipe in Melissa Clark's In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 5 min

Raw Kale and Broccoli Salad

This recipe comes from The Healthy Vegan 
Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes enough for 4.

Ingredients

• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp maple syrup (or another sweetener)
• 4 stems of kale, chopped
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1 green (or red) pepper, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped*
• sea salt, I used Himalayan salt

Directions

1. Juice the lime into a jar and add the vinegar, oil, mustard and maple syrup. Sprinkle a pinch of salt in, put a lid on it and shake. Leave the dressing aside for the flavors to combine while you assemble the salad.
2. Chop the kale and put it into a large salad bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over it, and massage it with your hands until it starts to wilt. Add the broccoli, pepper and avocado to the bowl. Massage again with a pinch of salt to soften their flavors. (NOTE: I used too much salt the first time I made this dish and it was saltier than I would have liked.  Next time, less salt.)
3. Pour some of the dressing over the salad, toss and serve. 

* NOTE: If you don't have an avocado, try this salad with some white beans to replace the soft texture in this salad. Marinate the beans in the dressing to give them a flavorful punch.

The first time I made this dish I served it with a New York strip steak, sweet potatoes and a salad.  Delicious!!! combination.  Next time I want to pair with marinated mushrooms. (BD 3/17/13).

Kale Smoothie

Continuing on my quest to incorporate kale into my diet.
This recipe comes from 40 Days of Green Smoothies by Becky Striepe

1 banana or avocado
2 T chia or flax seeds
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1- 2 kale leaves with rib removed
1 cup almond milk
5 - 6 ice cubes