Seared Kale Recipes

SAUTEED KALE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

QUICK PAN-FRIED KALE

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse the kale in cold water, soaking it in the water if it seems gritty or sandy. Tear the leaves into chunks and discard the stems.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and quickly stir it around to avoid burning. Throw in the kale and use tongs to move it around the skillet. Sprinkle in plenty of salt and pepper and the red pepper flakes. Continue cooking until the kale is slightly wilted but still a little crisp, about 2 minutes. Drizzle over some sesame oil and toss.
• Transfer the kale to a plate and serve it to anyone who has a hankering for a huge dose of beta-carotene and vitamin K!

MY FAVORITE SAUTEED KALE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and let them sizzle a bit in the oil.
• Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored.
• Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine.
• Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all (most) the liquid has evaporated. I like the kale to still remain bright-ish green.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

MEDITERRANEAN KALE

Steps:

• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan, and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the kale, recover, and steam until just tender, 7 to 10 minutes depending on thickness.
• Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Toss steamed kale into dressing until well coated.

SAUTéED KALE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add garlic, and cook until soft.
• Add kale to the pan, turn the heat to high and add the stock. Use a spoon to toss the greens in the oil and stock, then cover and cook for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, until it is soft and wilted, but still quite green. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has evaporated, another 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and peppers, add vinegar and toss to combine.

SEARED KALE SALAD WITH BROWN BUTTER-TOASTED PINE NUTS AND SMOKED BACON

Steps:

• Roughly chop or tear kale into bite-size pieces.
• In a large skillet, add just enough oil to coat the bottom and heat over a high flame until it smokes. Add just enough kale to make one layer. Cook kale until it is slightly softened and bright green but still crunchy, giving it a toss every couple minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer kale to a large bowl, and allow it to cool; it will continue to soften. Cook the rest of the kale in batches, wiping out your skillet after each batch.
• Coat the skillet with oil. Set it over low heat and add shallot. Sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt, then pour in the wine and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Let the liquid reduce until it has almost but not quite evaporated, about 10 minutes. Pour the contents of the skillet over cooked kale and allow it to cool.
• Return the cooled skillet over low heat and add bacon. Slowly render the fat until bacon is crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined dish to drain. Add to kale.
• Top kale with raisins and nuts. Squeeze lemon over the top and add Parmesan to taste. Toss all to combine.

SAUTEED KALE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add kale and salt and toss until well combined. Cover, reduce heat, and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

STEAMED KALE

Steps:

• Trim kale, discarding the thick ribs and stems. Chop leaves. In a Dutch oven, saute kale leaves in oil until wilted. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. , Stir in the water, salt and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until kale is tender. Remove from the heat; stir in vinegar.

SEARED KALE

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoonoil over medium heat. Add garlicand cook until translucent, about15 seconds. Turn heat to highand add kale in batches. Seasonwith salt. Press down firmly witha spatula to sear leaves. Transferto a plate. Repeat with remainingoil and leaves. Let cool completely.

SEARED KALE

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent, about 15 seconds. Turn heat to high and add kale in batches. Season with salt. Press down firmly with a spatula to sear leaves. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and leaves. Let cool completely.

SEARED FISH WITH CREAMED KALE AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Prepare your fish: Pat the fish dry, then salt the skin side to help draw out moisture. Set on a plate and refrigerate, uncovered.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Prepare your kale: Pull the leaves off the stems and tear leaves into bite-size pieces. Wash vigorously, drain, then set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium. Add the leek, thyme and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 7 minutes.
• Stir in the cream and bring to a boil over high. Continue to cook on high until thickened, about 5 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve set over a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, strain the sauce, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. (You should have about 1/2 cup sauce.) Set aside the solids and return the sauce to the saucepan. Whisk in the mustard and stock concentrate, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
• Discard the thyme sprigs and stir the cooked leek mixture into cooked rice, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Once the sauce is done, blanch the kale in the boiling water until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain and rinse under cold water. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess liquid. Add to the strained cream, then season with salt and pepper. Cover, and warm over low, stirring occasionally.
• Cook the fish: Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Pat the fish dry a second time, then season the skin with pepper, and the flesh with salt and pepper. Add to the hot oil, skin-side down, and cook until the skin is crispy and golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully flip the fish and cook until the outside starts to turn golden, but the thickest part of the fish is still slightly translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Divide the rice (if using), creamed kale and fish among plates and serve immediately.

BASIC STEAMED KALE

Steps:

• *Note: some cooks prefer to leave kale ribs and stalks intact-your choice. Depending on the variety of kale, if the stalks and ribs are thick, I remove them. A salad spinner is handy for washing the kale.
• Shred kale finely and place in a steamer basket fitted in a pot. Don't forget to add a couple inches of water to the pot!
• Throw in the garlic.
• Bring water to the boil. Cover pan, reduce heat to low and steam kale for approximately 10 minutes, or until tender.
• Remove from heat to serving dish. Toss with a little bit of oil of choice, if desired.
• Season with salt and cracked black pepper to taste.