Cooking Basics: Kale

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Next up in the Cooking Basics series is the king of all leafy green power foods: kale! This sexy cruciferous vegetable has a TON of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative health benefits, and is delicious to boot! It is on our regular dinner rotation since it’s delicious, healthy, and cooks up quickly.

### All About Kale Kale has exploded in popularity over the past few years, for very good reason. It is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet: it scored highest out of all leafy green vegetables (1000 out of 1000) on the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI), which ranks foods according to nutrient density per calorie. That means when you eat kale you get a ton of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs without a lot of calories. Kale also has a high level of two crucial antioxidants, carotenoids and flavonoids. These antioxidants have been proven to calm chronic inflammation in the body caused by toxins in our environment, and can help prevent cancer. It is a great source of vitamins K and A, and provides 70% of daily recommended value of vitamin C in one serving (about 1 cup cooked). It’s a great source of iron and magnesium, minerals which can help you adapt to stress and give you energy. Lastly, its relatively high protein and fiber content means it’s very filling and can help support healthy digestion. There are a couple of types of kale but the one I eat the most is organic green curly kale. Others you may commonly see at Whole Foods or your farmers market are lacinato (also known as Dinosaur kale) and Redboor kale. If possible, please try and buy your kale organic: it’s on the Dirty Dozen list which means that conventional kale has an extremely high level of pesticides. Buying organic can limit your exposure. Conventional or organic, you can cook all types of kale the same way. ### Cooking Kale The best way to derive all the nutrients kale has to offer is to cook it. I don’t recommend eating it raw on a daily basis because the high fiber and mineral content can upset your stomach if your digestion is weak. It’s best to limit raw kale juices or smoothies to three or four times per week. One of my favorite ways of eating kale is simply sautéed with some olive oil and garlic. This takes less than 10 minutes to whip up and is an easy side dish for busy week nights or any night! First you want to rip the leaves off the stem of the kale - the stem is bitter and inedible.

Then you heat some olive oil and garlic in a medium-sized pan until the garlic is sizzling. Add the kale and a few teaspoons of water to the pan. I’ve never seen any other recipes call for adding water but I like to do it because the kale wilts faster and I find that the end results is more tender and tasty. Cover and let cook for 3-5 minutes, until the kale is bright green. **Voila – less than 10 minutes you have a delicious, cancer-fighting side dish!**

Originally posted here: https://hive.blog/hive-120586/@okann/cooking-basics-kale