Community Kitchen: Not Your Ordinary Cabbage

Kale is one of those foods that many people don?t have a clue what to do with. You may have seen kale used for decoration-stuffed down in ice on a salad bar, between the containers, or sometimes it?s the greenery in a meat or seafood case. Kale is in season from the middle of winter into about early spring, but you can usually find it all year around.

This recipe is one of my comfort foods. I actually requested my mom make this with Christmas dinner. It?s a recipe that I rotate often in my house. It?s surprisingly quick, tasty and healthy.

Kale holds up well when cooked. It maintains its shape, is slightly chewy and tastes like mild, earthy spinach. In recipes like this it also lends a subtle sweetness.

I don?t want to bore you with the nutrition information, but basically it?s one of the healthiest vegetables around. It?s an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and many phytochemicals. It also contains a substantial dose of fiber. It?s very low in calories- about 35 calories for 1 cup (chopped, raw).

This recipe is my all time favorite way to prepare kale, but it?s also great when put into soups, stews or stir-fries. You can also steam or saut? it just like you might prepare fresh or frozen broccoli.

KAYLA'S KALE WITH PASTA

Whole grain penne pasta, 1/2 of a 14.5 ounce box (look for pasta that is at least 50 percent whole grain)
1 tablespoon olive oil
?-1/2 cup cooking white wine
3 garlic cloves, minced
? of medium yellow onion, sliced
1 pound kale, washed, stems removed and chopped into about 1 inch pieces (about 1 large bunch)
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
3 tablespoons capers (you can find capers is most grocery stores, usually by the olives)

Cook penne according to directions on package. Usually 7-8 minutes for al dente pasta. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a stock pot over medium heat or you can use a Dutch oven. Add garlic and onions to pot and cook until onions are soft. Add kale, stir and slowly add the cooking wine. Add sun dried tomatoes and capers. Stir well and saut? for about 10 minutes. Add cooked, al dente pasta to the pot until heated through. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper if desired.

Variations: I have accidentally left out the onions in this recipe a few times and it was just as great. This recipe is also great when you want to leave out the pasta. Feel free to add more vegetables. Add sweet peppers or fresh, diced tomatoes to meet that 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day that?s recommended. For those of you that want this as a main dish or need more protein with your meal; add grilled chicken, chicken or turkey sausage.

Source: http://www.columbiatribune.com/weblogs/community-kitchen/2012/jan/14/not-your-ordinary-cabbage/

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