Kale, it does a body good! It's high in beta carotene, vitamin K and reasonably rich in calcium. I've liked kale since I was a child. For some reason, my mother served us spinach from a can. I think the only vegetable worse than spinach to put in a can is asparagus. Yes, mother served canned asparagus too! I digress. Perhaps because it didn't come in a can, mother prepared fresh kale. She usually simmered it in enough water to make "pot likker". That would be for cornbread sopping. I've recently discovered that raw kale is delicious in a salad. My husband said he preferred his cooked. So, I used the rest of the raw kale and cooked it to serve with that roasted chicken.
While a side of cornbread would have been quite good, we settled for oven-roasted potatoes to round out the meal.
While a side of cornbread would have been quite good, we settled for oven-roasted potatoes to round out the meal.
Kale, Simmered with Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar inspired by my mother
1 large bunch of kale
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced (the whole garlic cloves in the photo were roasted w/the potatoes)
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1. Trim kale and discard the stems. Rough chop the leaves.
2. In a large pot, saute the kale leaves in the oil until just starting to wilt. Add the minced garlic and saute for a minute longer.
3. Stir in the water, salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until kale is tender.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar.
ENJOY!
