As kale’s self-appointed PR person, it gives me great honor to highlight for you today’s guest at the big kid’s table! KALE!!!! I live, breathe, and dream about plants, and in particular, the leafy greens. I don’t just eat kale every day, I think most of the cells in my body are made of kale! Which, in full disclosure, is actually accurate as we are quite literally, what we eat!

Today’s recipe is amazing any time of year but is particularly magical when you can harvest garden-fresh kale and just-picked apples. But these ingredients are easy to get at any grocery store. Let’s take a closer look at the health benefits of kale.

Kale contains a variety of nutrients including vitamins, minerals, protein, calcium, phytonutrients, amino acids, and fiber. It is known as a “superfood” which is a much sexier term for “functional” food which means a food that is consumed for a particular reason, such as reducing disease risk, lowering cholesterol, increasing fiber consumption, obtaining a specific nutrient. Many of the health benefits of kale and the crucifers, come from the phytonutrients including glucosinolate, polyphenol, carotenoid, or terpenoid groups. One cup of kale supplies more than 70 percent of the RDI for vitamin C with only 20 calories. That’s more vitamin C than an orange!

Serving size: 4

Ingredients:

¼ cup veggie broth, may be more

1 medium leek, white parts only, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and torn into pieces

1-2 medium apples, cored and diced

1 Tablespoon olive oil or veggie broth

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

½ cup walnuts, chopped

Salt and pepper, optional

Directions:

Warm a large pan on medium heat, then add veggie broth. Sauté leek and garlic, stirring to avoid burning, for about 5 minutes. Add kale. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to add the kale in two batches as it cooks down. Continue cooking until kale is wilted and tender, about 10 minutes.

Add additional veggie broth or water 1 Tablespoon at a time, as needed, to prevent garlic from sticking. Add the apples and olive oil and cook another few minutes until everything is warm. Remove from heat. Stir in balsamic vinegar and top with walnuts. Salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve warm. Leftover will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Options for this recipe:

·      Add a can of navy beans when you add the apples to make it a main dish

·      Top with crumbled vegan cheese

·      Replace the leek with red onion for a stronger onion taste

Want to learn more about kale? Check out my full blog post (including references) at https://www.fullbloomacres.com/blog/welcometobigkale