Kale, kale everywhere!

Eat your greens! Well, kale to be more precise. My veg bed is bubbling over with greenliness (is that a word?! If not it should be) and the most delicious (and the only one ready more importantly) is the most nutritious of them all, curly kale.

Kale is packed full of all sorts of nutrients, namely vitamins B, C, E and K. It is high in the vitamin B folate which gives us energy….for homeschooling…. and keeps our blood cells nice and healthy. Vitamins C and E are both powerful antioxidants and really importantly at the moment as they’re great at supporting our immune system.  However kale is most well know for its high content of vitamin K, helping to heal any wounds. As with many green veg the healthiest way to cook is kale is to steam it, this way you’re making sure all those vits are staying right where they should be. 

So how to consume this healthy little number. I’ve popped a couple of recipes below, both of which are very popular in this house with children and parents alike.  The kale crisps are super quick and easy and are just like the ones you have to remortgage to buy in Prêt…I promise. With a sprinkling of maldon salt they are delicious with an aperitif. 

The pesto is just an awesome way to pack some real flavour into your weeknight pasta, or stir through soups and casseroles. You could also toss it through some buttered jersey royals if you so wish! We had a dollop with our barbecued bavette the other night too….luxurious or what?! The kale gives such an earthy flavour to the pesto, it actually tastes healthy.

What’s more with this pesto recipe you can really play with it depending on your taste buds.  Add more garlic or fewer capers.  I’ve made this one without pine nuts or Parmesan to make it as friendly as possible for all diets. 

Of course you can just steam the kale, and serve as a good old dose of greens on the side of any meal….which is exactly what we’re doing tonight! Have fun with it…
Fondest love Lucy xx

Kale Pesto

200g kale 

1 shallot 

2 cloves of garlic

Handful of fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried

1 1/2 tblsp capers

1 tblsp red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tblsp Dijon mustard

3 tblsp olive oil 

salt and pepper

1. Strip the leaves off the stalks. An easy way to do this is to fold over the leaves onto each other and cut the stalk off-see pic, and put into a food processor. 
2. Roughly chop the shallot and garlic, and add to the kale with the oregano. 
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, apart from the oil, season and blitz. 
4. Add the olive oil slowly stirring after 2 tblsp and then add more if needed. 
5. Pop into a jam jar and keep in the fridge, or use straightaway! Stir though hot pasta for a quick mid week supper. 

Kale Crisps

3 large handfuls of kale

Olive oil

Maldon salt

1. Preheat your oven to 160 C.  Strip the stalks as in above recipe and rip the leaves if particularly big. Wash and dry the kale thoroughly. 
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread the kale leaves out in a single-ish layer, you might need two trays if you’ve done more. 
3. Drizzle a little olive oil over the leaves and mix with your hands so all the leaves are slightly oiled. 
4. Put into the oven for approx 15 mins or until the leaves are crispy but still green. 
5. Sprinkle with Maldon salt and serve straightway!