Healthy Eats: 6 Delicious Kale Recipes

kale

Photos: Bite Me More

All hail King Kale! Celebrate this nutrient-packed superfood with these royally delicious recipes.

Not crazy for kale, switch to spinach try this Spinach & Ricotta Pasta and this easy Spinach & Parmesan Risotto.

1. Lemon Kale Salad with Parmesan, Apples & Pine Nuts (above)

Ingredients
Parmesan Cups
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Kale Salad
8 cups baby kale leaves
¼ cup dried black currants
¼ cup dried cherries
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

Lemon Vinaigrette
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp soy sauce
¼ tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp olive oil

Directions
1) For the Parmesan cups, preheat oven to 350ºF. On a piece of parchment paper, draw 6 ½-inch circles. Flip parchment paper over and place on baking sheet so the ink side is facing down. Place approximately 5 tbsp of Parmesan cheese in each circle and gently spread out to cover the outlined circle. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 9-10 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute. Immediately drape over a small bowl or glass to get a basket shape. Let cool for a few minutes. Remove from bowl and store Parmesan cups at room temperature in an airtight container.

2) For the salad, in a large bowl, combine kale, currants, cherries and diced apple. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. To serve, pile salad in Parmesan cup and top with toasted pine nuts.

3) For the dressing, place lemon juice, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk until blended. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl while constantly whisking, until incorporated.

Serves 6-8

kale-chips(1)2. Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients
1 bunch of fresh kale
Olive oil
Salt

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 300ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2) Remove any large stems by stripping the leaves from the stalk using your hands. Tear your kale into rough, 3-inch pieces.Wash and carefully dry kale leaves thoroughly because wet leaves will steam in the oven versus bake and crisp. Place kale on baking sheets in single layer.

3) Drizzle leaves with olive oil. Using you hands, gently toss the kale and lightly rub the oil into each piece. If you need a little more oil, add it now. Redistribute the kale back to a single layer. Sprinkle on salt and any additional flavorings.

4) Place trays in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate trays as the thin pieces of kale will quickly brown in your oven’s hot spots. Check again after 3 minutes. You will hear the kale sizzling from the oil. Carefully pick up or nudge a chip. You want them to be crisp but not browned. Remove from oven and let cool on the tray.

kale-pizza

3. Kale & Roasted Red Pepper Pizza

Ingredients
Homemade Pizza Dough
2 cups flour
1 pkg (2¼ tsp) active dry yeast
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup warm water
Extra flour for kneading

Toppings
2 tsp olive oil
4 cups kale leaves, stemmed and roughly chopped
¼ cup tomato sauce
2 small red peppers, roasted, peeled and thinly sliced
3oz feta cheese, crumbled
1(5oz) mozzarella ball, thinly sliced
Olive oil, to drizzle
Kosher salt, to sprinkle

Directions
1) For the dough, in a large bowl, combine flour, yeast and salt. Add oil and water and knead lightly to combine ingredients. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 3-5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Place dough in a large bowl that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

2) Preheat oven to 450ºF and preheat a pizza stone for at least 30 minutes before baking pizzas.

3) To prepare the kale, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally just until the leaves are slightly wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

4) To assemble pizzas, divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 10-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Spread the tomato sauce on both pizzas. Evenly place kale and roasted red peppers over the tomato sauce, sprinkle with feta cheese and place mozzarella slices evenly around both pizzas. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the pizzas and sprinkle with salt. Transfer pizza to the preheated stone and bake until cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.

Yield: 2 (10-inch) pizzas

kale-potato

4. Kale & Fontina Double Baked Potatoes

Ingredients
4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
2 tsp olive oil
½ cup water
4 cups chopped kale, loosely packed, thick ribs and stems discarded
2 tbsp butter, softened
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups chredded Fontina cheese
2 tbsp finely chopped green onions
¾ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub the outside of each potato with olive oil and pierce each with a fork several times. Bake 50-60 minutes, until fork tender.

2) While potatoes are baking, in a medium sauce pan, bring ½ cup water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, add kale, cover and cook 2-3 minutes, until kale turns bright green. Drain, dry well and set aside.

3) Remove potatoes from oven and let cool until you can handle them. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh leaving ¼ inch potato flesh on bottom and sides of the potato skin. Place potato flesh in a large mixing bowl and mash with butter, buttermilk and sour cream until desired consistency. Gently fold in cooked kale, Fontina, green onions, salt and pepper. Discard 2 potato halves so you have more stuffing for the remaining 6 skins. Mound the mixture in potato shells, sprinkle each with 1 tbsp Parmesan and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until golden on top.

Serves 6

kale-goddess

5. Kale & Edamame Green Goddess Salad

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups chopped kale
1 cup frozen shelled edamame

Creamy Avocado Dressing
1 ripe avocado
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil

1 ripe avocado, sliced to garnish each serving

Directions
1) Combine quinoa and vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. Place quinoa in a large bowl and set aside.

2) Fill a large pot with about an inch of water. Place a steamer on the bottom of the pot and add the kale and edamame. Cover and steam over high heat for 2-3 minutes, until kale turns bright green and edamame is defrosted. Plunge greens into a bowl of cold water to prevent further cooking. Drain well and set aside.

3) For the avocado dressing, using a food processor or blender, combine avocado, lemon juice, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, garlic, parsley, basil, cumin, salt and pepper. Pulse 2 to 3 times, until well combined. Add olive oil gradually and blend well.

4) Add kale and edamame to the quinoa and toss with avocado dressing. Garnish with sliced avocado.

Serves 4

kale-spinach

6. Kale, Spinach & Quinoa Salad

Ingredients
Quinoa
½ cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 cup water
¼ tsp kosher salt

Spiced Walnuts
1 tbsp butter
1 cup walnut halves
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp water

Lemon Shallot Dressing
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp honey
½ tsp minced shallots
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil

4 cups lightly packed baby kale
4 cups lightly packed baby spinach
1 large ripe avocado, chopped
1 large ripe mango, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Directions
1) To cook quinoa, in a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Place in a large bowl and let cool.

2) For the spiced walnuts, in a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add walnuts, cumin, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Stir continuously for 3 minutes, until walnuts are slightly toasted. Add brown sugar and water and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat, spread on a piece of parchment paper and let cool.

3) For the salad dressing, in a small mixing bowl, whisk lemon juice, sherry vinegar, honey, shallots, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking vigorously until emulsified.

4) To assemble the salad, place kale and spinach leaves in a large serving bowl. Toss with a few tablespoons of dressing. To the cooled quinoa, add chopped avocado and mango, tossing with a few more tablespoons of dressing. Place quinoa mixture over kale and spinach leaves. Top with crumbled goat cheese and spiced walnuts. Drizzle each serving with extra dressing.

Serves 4

 

Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com

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