Sauteed Kale

Greg and I have been on a kale kick, especially Greg.  He requests it.  It seems to be our preferred leafy green these days.  We have it at least a couple times a week.  I like to serve salmon over a bed of sauteed kale, or just as a side dish with anything and everything.  And a bonus, it lasts longer in the fridge than spinach.  

The next part of this post is a trial, I usually talk very little about nutritional components, because I hate preaching, but I'm going to give y'all a little nutrition tidbit on kale.  Let me know what you think.

Kale seems like just another leafy green, but it's actually related to broccoli and other veggies like cabbage and brussel sprouts. I always shoot to include some sort of leafy green in my diet each day because they are such nutrition powerhouses.  

A cup of raw kale has all kinds of goodness in it:

• 5 grams of fiber
• 15% DV of calcium & B6
• 40% DV of magnesium
• 180% DV of vitamin A
• 200% DV of vitamin C
• 1080% DV of vitamin K (Whoa!! Careful if you take blood thinners!)

Wow, eat some kale everyday with a balanced diet and you can throw out that multivitamin!  It's always better to get our nutrients from real food anyways!  

How can it be such an awesome food? 

There has to be a catch right??  

Actually there is.  Kale contains oxalates, which interfere with calcium absorption....BUT this is actually good news because you can.....

SKIP THE MILK AND HAVE WINE!  Ha!  

Here's one of my favorite ways to eat kale (PS: Kale has stronger cholesterol lowering capabilities when it's cooked).

Wash kale thoroughly. Remove the center stem and chop kale.

Saute onion, garlic and red pepper flakes briefly.  Don't let garlic burn.
Add broth, bring to a simmer.

Add kale, cover and allow to simmer until wilted.
I like mine slightly crispy.

I top mine with sea salt, pepper and a little balsamic vinegar!
Enjoy!

Sauteed Kale
Makes about 3-4 servings

2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup broth (or water)
1 bunch of kale, stem removed & chopped
*sea salt, pepper & balsamic vinegar optional for serving.

Heat oil over medium heat, add onion, garlic, & red pepper flakes.  Before garlic browns, add broth and bring to a simmer.  Add kale; cover and cook until wilted and liquid has cooked out.
*I like mine still slightly crisp and I top it will balsamic vinegar, sea salt and pepper!