If you want kale that tastes good

you’ve got to know how to buy it. The more fresh your vegetables are the better they’re going to taste, and the same goes for Kale!

Curly kale needs to have soft leaves. The stem needs to be turgid (stiff and have some water in it), not limp. And if the kale is yellowing or feels crispy on the edges, then it’s old or its been in the sun for too long, and it’s not going to be very tasty.

Something else about kale

is that it can get kind of…smelly if you don’t store it correctly. So you want to get it into the refrigerator in an airtight container as fast as possible. My sentiment is if I’m going to do that anyway, I might as well take the final steps and prepare it so it’s ready to go when I need it.

I like to steam curly kale a little before eating it.

It reduces the bitterness a bit and makes it easier to digest. Cold steamed curly kale is great as a base for nutrient-rich salads.

I’m a big advocate

of preparing food, especially vegetables, in advance. If you can do some things right after getting home from the grocery store, all the more speedy you can be when it comes to mealtime.

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Here’s what I do with Kale when I get home from a shopping trip

to have it ready for the week:

  • First, run the kale under a shower of water to help loosen the dirt. The water is caught into a giant bowl where the kale will sit for a while and the dirt will further loosen.

I don’t love spending tons of time in the kitchen and I like to be fast. So letting the water do some of the work for me while I do other things in the kitchen is going to help me to be efficient.

  • While the kale sits, start the water boiling in the steamer.
  • After a few minutes, dump the old water and inspect the leaves to make sure there are no big chunks of dirt sitting in the folds. Do this while running fresh water over it (again getting two things done at once).
  • De-stem the leaves. (Take the leaves off the stem.) You can do it quickly by folding the leaf in half.
  • When you’re finished de-stemming, you’re ready to start steaming the kale.
  • I usually have lots of kale which doesn’t all fit into the steamer at once, so I’ll do a few rounds of steaming. I put as much kale in the steamer as it can hold, and then take it out and swap with a new batch.

You only need to steam the kale 30-40 seconds. Just long enough to turn it brighter green and soften it a bit. You don’t want to cook it until it is dark green or limp because then it loses its taste.

Once all of the kale is lightly steamed put it into an airtight container, seal it up and stick it in the fridge. When you’re ready to make side salads or a salad meal, your kale will be ready for you!

One cup of fresh (or steamed) kale gives you:

684% of your recommended daily dose of Vitamin K, 206% Vitamin A, 134% Vitamin C, 9% Calcium, 9% Vitamin B6, 6% Iron and 5% Folate.

It’s also a good source of

Dietary Fiber, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Magnesium and Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

 

Want more healthy, fast food ideas?

And do you want to eat more vegetables every day? Check these out:

 Watch Video #1

How to prep carrots for optimal taste and ready when you are.

Watch Video #2

How to prep celery so it tastes great and lasts a long time.

Watch Video #3

Sugar snap peas are a sweet, protein rich crunchy snack

Watch Video #4

Peppers are often an overlooked, colorful, sweet, crunchy, veggie snack.