Thursday, July 4, 2013

This Weeks Vegetable...KALE

Scientific Binomial Name: Brassica oleracea Acephala Group

Usage: Greens are used as you would cooked spinach or used as a garnish.

Selection: Also known as borecole, good-quality kale will have dark-green colored leaves with crisp, rough edges.

Avoid: Avoid greens with leaves that are wilted, yellowing or have dark green patches of slime on parts of the leaves.

Available year-round. Supplies peak December through February.

Washington kale is available June through September.

Kale is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It's also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese


Nutritional information:  Serving size one cup chopped raw, Calories 33, Calories from fat 4

Total Fat.........0                                                Vitamin A.............206%.
Cholesterol.....0 mg                                          Calcium................9%
Sodium...........29 mg                                         Vitamin C.............134%
Total Carbs....7 g                                              Iron.......................6%
Fiber.............1 g
Surgar............0
Protein...........2gm

  • Blanching, steaming and stir-frying are all good cooking methods for kale. It cooks a little slower than spinach.
  • Kale, a crinlky-leafed, non-heading cabbage, is one of the earliest members of the cabbage family to be cultivated. It was known to the ancients and it came to America with European settlers.
  • Once called borecole, the word kale was bestowed by the Scots who are the champion kale consumers.
I have started incorporting Kale into my daily routine.....Here is how I use Kale!!!!!!
  1. In my morning veggie green smoothie.
  2. Rinse it, pat it dry, take off the stalk,  preheat oven 350, spray with cooking spray, sprinkle on your favorite seasonings...garlic powders, pepper, salt, Mrs Dash, chili powders, use whatever you like...bake for 10-15 minutes depending on desired crispness. 
  3. Sautee Kale in a pan with some fresh garlic a little EVOO, and use it as a side for any protein. I also eat sauteed kale with my scrambles eggs in the morning. 
  4. When you make any kind of vegetable soup, throw in a handful of kale.
HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE KALE INTO YOUR LIFE? I REALLY WANT TO KNOW!!!!

1 comment:

  1. Mostly I use it in my breakfast smoothie. I also like to use it when I water saute onions, peppers and mushrooms. I throw in some kale and a little tomato and put it over spaghetti squash. I try to throw kale or spinach into almost anything that I make.

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