Braised Kale, Three Ways

Who knew?  I LOVE kale!  I remember eating it as a kid because it grew wild in our garden and we were quite poor.  But now, as an adult, I actually choose to eat kale.  It’s also a super food, the highest nutrient content per calorie of any vegetable.  My favorite method to cook it is braised, combined with a sweeter vegetable to balance the natural bitterness of kale (when it’s in season, red kale is not as bitter and tastes great on its own).  Here are three variations that work very well.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients (Variation 1):

• 5 cups fresh kale, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, sliced ¼” thick
• ½ red pepper, sliced (omit for AIP)
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil or other cooking fat
• 2-3 Tbsp water

1.    Heat a skillet over medium-high heat (cast iron is my preference here).  Add coconut oil and celery.
2.    Cook celery until starting to soften, stirring frequently, approximately 8-10 minutes.
3.    Add kale and red pepper with 1 Tbsp water.
4.    Cook, stirring frequently, until kale is dark green and soft, another 8-10 minutes.  Add an extra 1 Tbsp of water every time kale starts to stick.  When kale is done, let any water in the pan evaporate prior to serving (i.e., serve just as kale is starting to stick the last time).

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients (Variation 2):

• 5 cups fresh kale, chopped
• ½ lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cups beet tops and stems (or red chard), chopped
• 1 ½ Tbsp coconut oil or other cooking fat
• 1-2 Tbsp water

1.    Heat a skillet over medium-high heat (cast iron is my preference here).  Add coconut oil and mushrooms.
2.    Cook mushrooms until starting to shrink and look glossy, stirring frequently, approximately 4-5 minutes.
3.    Add kale, beet tops and stems with 1 Tbsp water.
4.    Cook, stirring frequently, until kale and beet tops are dark green and soft, another 8-10 minutes.  Add an extra 1 Tbsp of water if kale starts to stick (might not be necessary depending on the water content of your mushrooms and how many beet stems you have).  When kale is done, let any water in the pan evaporate prior to serving (i.e., serve just as kale is starting to stick the last time).

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients (Variation 3):

• 2-3 small beets, quartered and then sliced into ¼” thick slices
• 5 cups fresh kale, chopped
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil or other cooking fat
• 1-2 Tbsp water

1.    Add beets to a pot with 1” boiling water.  Cover and reduce heat to simmer.  Cook until beets are soft, approximately 20 minutes.
2.    Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat (cast iron is my preference here).  Add coconut oil and kale with 1 Tbsp water.
3.    Cook kale, stirring frequently, until dark green and soft, approximately 8-10 minutes.  Add an extra 1 Tbsp of water if kale starts to stick.  Drain beets then add to kale in skillet.  Let any water in the pan evaporate prior to serving (i.e., serve just as kale is starting to stick the last time).