Health, Taken Seriously

Be honest. Do you really eat dark leafy green vegetables? Regularly? Well, you should! They are some of the most nutritious vegetables available, high in lutein (for your eyes), folic acid, calcium, vitamin E, etc. But if you’re like most Americans, you probably haven’t tried half the dark leafy greens out there. Most of us stick to spinach, but don’t forget about kale, collards, swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, boy choy, and romaine lettuce. If you’re not a fan of the bitterness of greens like kale and collards, try a tossing them in a tasty sauce, like the peanut one used in this recipe:

Kale in a Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale (about 0.5 lbs)
• 1 tsp oil
• 2 tbsp hot black tea (or boiling water)
• 1/4 cup organic peanut butter
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

Instructions:

1. Wash and rinse kale but don’t dry it as the water will help it to cook. Cut out the spines of the kale. This is easiest to do by folding the kale and cutting along the spine.
2. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat, then toss in the kale and cover. Cook for eight minutes or until kale is just wilted, stirring occasionally.
3. Mix together the tea or water and the peanut butter in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth.
4. Add the peanut butter mixture to the kale, stirring until combined, and serve.

Filed under: Recipe on November 4th, 2007