Kale: The Champion of Green and Leafy
May 24, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Miami
• 0 Comments
Kale: The Champion of Green and Leafy
Popeye has some serious competition from kale for his dearly loved green of choice. Spinach may be “strong to the finich”, but kale may pack an even stronger nutritional punch.
We’ve all heard the experts say that we need to eat more green leafy vegetables. They are rich in nutrition and assorted health benefits. We know all this, but for some reason, we just aren’t following their advice. We thank them kindly for their advice and pass over the greens at the grocery on our way to potatoes or corn to fulfill our daily vegetable requirements. Corn and potatoes are great, but they are far from green and leafy.
Another benefit of kale for Florida culinary schools is that it is a winter vegetable and is available fresh and local in your grocery when other vegetables are out of season.
Nutrition Powerhouse
One cup of kale contains only 36 calories but it provides 5 grams of fiber, 15% USRDA of vitamin B6, 40% magnesium, 180% vitamin C, and 1,020% vitamin K. It is also an excellent source for the minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
Uses for Kale
Outside of substituting recipes for nearly any other green, there are a variety of ways to use kale and receive it’s incredible nutrition benefits:
- Kale Chips – Potato chip are literally one of the worst foods that you can eat. Try making some kale chips to satisfy your craving for salty and crunchy snacks. Tear leaves into chip size portions, coat in some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake at 375 degrees F until crunchy.
- Sautéed Kale – Sautéed kale makes an excellent side dish or addition to most entrees. Chop the kale and sauté with 1 tablespoon of organic butter, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, and a few red pepper flakes. It is terrific in an omelet with mushrooms and tomatoes.
- Bean, Ham, and Kale Soup – The easiest way to add kale to your diet is by adding to soups. It makes a great addition to most any soup, even chicken noodle, but one of the best ways to enjoy is with navy beans, smoked ham, carrots, onion, and a vegetable or chicken stock base.
- Kale Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette – Normally this treatment is for spinach, but kale makes an excellent substitute. Be sure to remove the thick center stem and any thicker ribs. Cut the kale into bite-sized pieces and toss with your favorite bacon vinaigrette dressing.
In culinary arts schools students can learn to appreciate both the flavor and benefits of this great green.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Miami. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Miami offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in the Miami, Florida area. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Miami for more information.
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