Kale Craze

The end of Nutrition Month is here! I can't believe it’s already March 30th! This week has been exciting for Clinical Nutrition. Not only did we have a delicious Nutrition Month celebratory potluck (which I unfortunately neglected to take photos of), but we were also lucky to have Dr. Joe Schwartz join us as a guest speaker today. He was so informative and quite humorous... The perfect combo in my eyes! If you missed out, there is no need to worry! His talk was recorded so you can check it out later.


Back to the potluck... Katherine brought a kale and brussels sprout salad that was such a huge hit that there wasn't even any left for me to try! She circulated the recipe though, so I thought I'd share with all of you. A crowd pleaser amongst dietitians, nutrition technicians, interns and foodies... Must be a keeper! ;)


Katherine used:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot (or red onion)
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated (or more)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunches of kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
• 12 Brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely grated sharp old cheese like parmesan

And mixed it up!


Some tidbits about kale:

• Kale is packed with antioxidants!
• It’s a source of beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and lutein.
• Kale is actually a form of cabbage. 
• Kale has a hearty taste and can be used to intensify the taste of salads (like Katherine’s).
• Kale actually freezes well, unlike other greens. Freezing, even if it’s just for a few hours overnight can bring out a sweeter taste.
• Kale has tough center stalks, so remove these before cooking.

Another recipe I have for you is a bean soup with kale (appropriate given this chilly weather!). This recipe makes about 8 servings and provides antioxidants, phytochemicals, fibre AND about 11g protein per serving.


Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 8 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cups chopped raw kale
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cans of white beans, undrained
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup chopped parsley

Directions:

1. In a large pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil, and sauté 8 garlic cloves and 1 chopped onion. 
2. Add kale in and sauté. 
3. Add: 
• 3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups of white beans (cannellini or navy)
• 4 chopped plum tomatoes
• 2 tsp of Italian herb seasoning
• And some salt and pepper. Let that simmer for about 5 minutes. 
4. In a blender, mix the rest of the beans and broth until smooth.
5. Stir into the soup and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Enjoy!