Kale, a Great Side Dish

I love greens of all sorts, Kale being one of them.  It's such a hearty green that can stand up to long cooking times, and really takes on the flavor of the liquid you are cooking it in.  I will most likely post a few things today...goodness knows I need to do a bit of catch up on my blog.  Tonight I'm making stuffed pork chops, and this little green has been invited to the party.

How I like to prepare Kale is pretty simple.


1 Bunch of Kale
3 slices of bacon diced
About 1/4 of an onion diced
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
2-3 cups of water
Tablespoon of Chicken Base, or instead of water and chicken base, simply use chicken broth.
Salt to taste (be mindful of the chicken base...it's pretty salty!)
Vinegar of your choice to finish

Prepare your Kale.  Now, some people actually pull off just the leaves, and don't cook the stems.  I on the other hand like the texture and keep most of the stem on the plant.  In the pic above you will notice where the leaves start...cut the stems off below that...those are a bit rough.  Next wash and cut up the kale.  Keep in mind, your kale will shrink a LOT when cooked, so small cuts are not necessary.  I usually kind of chiffonade it like i do basil but in 1/2 inch strips.

In a sauce pan, sauté your bacon till almost crisp, then add in your diced onion and cook that for a few minutes.  When the onions are starting to cook add in your greens, red pepper flakes, water or broth and cook for a while.  Now, it's your choice how long to cook greens, I don't like them complete mush, so I check on them now and then till I find the texture I like.  Usually my favorite texture takes about 45 minutes  No rules at this point...it will just depend on your preference.  When I'm ready to serve, I slash some red wine vinegar into it to add a bit of brightness, taste for salt and serve it up.

Eat Well!