They repeat it to us ad nauseam but some people still don’t get the message, so it doesn’t hurt to remember that we have to eat seasonal foods. The reasons? In addition to minimizing the environmental impact and saving a few euros, eating seasonal fruits and vegetables ensures that we are eating these foods at their optimal time of consumption, that is, with their best flavor.
And right now there is a vegetable that should be in your kitchen: kale. As indicated by Almudena Peña, co-founder of Supernormal, an organic fruit and vegetable store, this vegetable is planted from July to September and begins to be harvested in November or so.
«We grow the green variety and the purple variety that, although they are similar in flavor, the leaves of the green variety are a little coarser, harder and curlier than those of the red variety, which is slightly smoother. But both are delicious,” he says. The red variety, which is less common, has a reddish/purple color on the stem that leaves a beautiful color on the plate, especially if used in salads. Almudena Peña points out that they will be harvesting kale “until approximately March, always subject to how temperatures evolve.” Kale is a cold vegetable that withstands rain well.
Why you should eat kale
Kale, in addition to being an excellent source of fiber, is rich in vitamins and minerals, essential for a balanced diet. Its vitamins include vitamin K, beta-carotene, folic acid and vitamin B6. However, what really distinguishes kale as a great food is its extraordinary mineral content, especially calcium and iron.
«It contains more calcium than cow’s milk and more iron than beef, making it an ideal option for supplement the diet of those looking for highly nutritious vegetable alternatives. These qualities make kale an essential ingredient on the table of those who prioritize a healthy and balanced diet. Therefore, kale is a very good option for people on a vegan diet.
What to take into account
Kale is safe if included in a balanced diet and consumed in moderation. However, like everything that becomes fashionable as a superfood, it can be subject not only to use but also to abuse, which can lead to some health problems such as interference with thyroid function. Due to its vitamin K content, those who take Sintrom should also take precautions for consumption.
Furthermore, due to its high vitamin K content, its consumption is not recommended for people who are receiving oral anticoagulants.
Recipe 1. Kale and broccoli soup
Kale and broccoli soup.
– 300 grams of kale
– 3 cloves of garlic
– 1 broccoli tree not very large
– Olive oil
– Salt
The first thing in this recipe is to prepare the ingredients. Separate the leaves from the kale stems. With broccoli, separate the heads from the stems; If the heads are very large, split them until they are of a suitable size to eat in one bite; Cut the stems into 3/4cm pieces. Peel the 3 cloves of garlic and cut one of them into thin slices.
Put 1L of water in a pot to boil. When it starts to boil, salt and add the kale and broccoli stems (not the heads!) and the two whole cloves of garlic (not the sliced one). Boil over high heat for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, add the kale leaves and boil them for 3/4 minutes, no more. You have to carefully supervise the cooking of the kale because, if it is overcooked, it loses color and flavor. It is important to remove it from the heat when it has acquired a deep green color and before it begins to “go out.” In general, cooking it for 3 minutes ensures the correct doneness but, when in doubt, it is better to remove it sooner rather than later.
Pour the entire contents of the pot (kale and broccoli stems, kale leaf, garlic and cooking water) into a blender and blend until as fine as possible. Adjust the salt level, strain and reserve.
In a frying pan over medium/high heat, add a splash of olive oil and the sliced garlic. Fry them until they start to brown and add the broccoli heads. Sauté over medium/high heat for 5 minutes. It’s okay if they brown a little. Remove from heat and reserve.
In a bowl, or on the plates you are going to eat on, serve the kale soup and season with the broccoli heads and sliced garlic.
Recipe 2. Pasta with kale
Pasta with kale.
– 200 grams of pasta (spirals or farfalle, which get ‘tangled’ in the kale)
– 8 or 10 branches of kale
– 4 cloves of garlic
-Breadcrumbs
– Extra virgin olive oil
-Salt
The first thing is to prepare the breadcrumbs. We put a small frying pan or saucepan over medium/high heat. We add a splash of oil, just enough to impregnate the entire bottom. We wait 1 minute for it to heat up and add 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Stirring frequently to prevent burning, we roast it until it has acquired a deep brown color, similar to that of the skin of an almond. We remove it from the heat and reserve.
We put a pot of water to boil, and another pot (if you don’t have one, a large frying pan, as deep as possible) to heat over medium heat.
While the water and the pot are heating, we wash the kale and separate the leaves from the stems. We roughly cut the leaves into ¾ cm pieces; We cut the stems into 0.5cm slices. Peel the garlic and cut it into relatively thick slices, 2mm.
When the water starts to boil, salt it and add the pasta. We turn it a couple of times so it doesn’t stick. When the boil returns, add a good splash of olive oil to the other pot (which will already be very hot), it should generously cover the bottom. Next we raise the heat to medium/high and add the garlic. We brown them, stirring with a spoon or spatula, and when they are brown on the outside, we add the kale. We stir, salt, and add a saucepan of the pasta cooking water.
At this point the pasta and kale are cooking at the same time. The kale should be made with little water, just enough to prevent it from burning. If we see that it evaporates, we add more pasta cooking water.
When the pasta has been cooking for more or less 5 minutes, we add (to the pot with the pasta) the kale stems. When the pasta is cooked, reserve a little of the cooking water in a glass, drain it along with the stems, and add them (pasta and stems) to the pot with the kale. Always over medium/high heat, stir well, vigorously, for 1 or 2 minutes. If we see that the whole thing is very dry, we add a little more cooking water.
We serve by adding a splash of good extra virgin olive oil to each portion and sprinkling a little breadcrumbs.
#Kale #kale #vegetable #calcium #milk #include #dish
