kale Archives - Saved by the Kale

Hi guys I have found another recipe that you all should try. It makes a great side dish or you could eat it alone as a big salad for lunch! As you may have guessed I am a huge fan of kale and I have recently found that I love lentils so this is a great pairing. The recipe calls for goat cheese, but I don’t really care for it so I just left that out of mine. I found this recipe on Mind Body Green.

I apologize for the quality of the photo it was taken with my phone and poor lighting conditions.

It is quick, simple and really taste great! Enjoy!

Baby Kale and Lentil Salad

Serves 4

1/2 lb lentils

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 red onion, sliced

6 oz baby kale

2 oz crumbled fresh goat cheese

Rinse the lentils then cover with water by 2 inches. Boil the lentils until they are tender, but still whole, about 20 minutes. Drain them and cool to warm.

While the lentils cook, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, oil, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a serving bowl. Stir in the onion and let sit 10 minutes.

Stir in the lentils while they are still warm, then stir in the kale and goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Let’s Chat:

What is your favorite way to use kale? I love to use it in smoothies, but I also cook with it fairly often as well.

Up until last year I had not really heard much at all about kale, but since then I see it everywhere I look! About 6 months ago I decided to give it a try and I have been in love since. What’s not to love? Let’s talk about all the wonderful things our friend kale does for us.

Kale is a Superfood

Kale is widely regarded as one the world’s most powerful superfoods; it is far more nutritious than any other leafy green. But what makes a superfood “super”? First, kale is considered a superfood because it’s a great source of vitamins and minerals. It is a nutritional powerhouse that is packed with flavonoids, which provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. It has very high levels of Vitamins A, C, and K. It only takes one cup of chopped kale to provide you with more than your recommended daily allowance of these vitamins. It also is a good source of Vitamin B6, calcium, thiamine, folate, and iron.

That’s Great, But How Do You Prepare Kale?

So what are the best ways to prepare this green leafy superfood? You can saute, steam, and bake it or eat it raw in smoothies (which is my personal favorite.) You should know that boiling or baking kale can result in lower absorption of isothiocyanates by 18-59%. You will have much higher absorption by eating it raw, steaming or sautéing it. This is important because isothiocyanates combat carcinogens by neutralizing them, reducing their poisonous effect and stimulating the secretion of carcinogens. For these reasons, kale is often included in many cancer prevention diet plans. You can learn more about what makes kale a super food here.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to eat kale…

3-4 cups of raw kale made into a Green Smoothie
Lightly sautéed with a little olive oil and garlic
Sautéed and mixed with a few spoonful of stewed tomatoes. The tomatoes add so much flavor.

So Give Kale A Try

Now that we’ve demystified kale a bit you should feel free to give it a try. Go out to your local market and buy some today. You’ll be glad you did!!

Image credit: Charles Smith via Compfight