The Blog

Sharon here….. Since switching over to the primal lifestyle I have been trying all sorts of new things, including the vegetable kale. It certainly is something I was not familiar with, but had read lots about the health benefits so thought I’d give it a go. I’ve tried a few ways of cooking it so thought I’d share one that has been most successful with the family taste testers.

Not all the family loved this recipe to start off with. Mainly because the first few times I made it the kale was too tough. The next time I made it I put in too much Balsamic vinegar …..opps! I have it sorted now.

I got the basics of this recipe (Pressure Cooker Braised Kale and Carrots) from Nom Nom Paleo’s App. There are some great recipes on there and it has the foodie touch to it, which I love!

The original recipe calls for red pepper flakes and cooks it in a pressure cooker but I didnt have either so I didnt add them. I also adapted it with a Thermomix method.

Sauted Kale

• 1 tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil.
• 1 large onion sliced
• 4 small carrots cut into rounds
• 4 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
• 1 large bunch of kale, washed and finely chopped (about 8 packed cups)
• I cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• Balsamic vinegar for drizzling.

Instructions

• Prepare the kale (see notes) and steam it for 18-22 minutes.
• Meanwhile melt the ghee or coconut oil in a large frying pan
• Add the sliced onion and chopped garlic. Cook for 7 minutes or until the onion starts to brown
• Add the carrots and cook for another 2 minutes
• Drain the kale and add it to the frying pan.
• Add the chicken stock and simmer for another 8 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle with balsamic vinegar for a little sweetness.

Thermomix Method

• Put the garlic into the TMX bowl and blitz for 5-10 seconds on speed 10. Remove and set aside.
• Steam the carrots and kale on Varoma for 20-25mins on speed 1.
• Melt the Ghee or coconut oil in a large frying pan
• Add the sliced onion and chopped garlic. Cook for 7 minutes or until the onion starts to brown
• Drain the Kale and carrots and add them to the frying pan.
• Add the chicken stock and simmer for another 8 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle with balsamic vinegar for a little sweetness.

Note: I found that when I chopped the kale coursely it tended to be tough. Only two of us ate it without worrying about it. So I now chop it as fine as I can and cut the stalks out of the middle.

Verdict: Once I got the Kale right I had no problems getting the kids to eat it. Especially on top of mashed sweet potato and some of the juices from the pan on top. Balsamic vinegar can be a pretty strong taste. So instead of getting complaints put it on the table for individuals to add it themselves.

Tweet