PHOTOGRAPHY Jasper Yu Art DIRECTION & STYLING Nikki Ho THE DISGRUNTLED CHEF 26B Dempsey Road (tel: 6476-5305)
HOW TO PREPARE IT
1 Make two long cuts down the back of each leaf to remove the stem. Discard the stems.
2 Wash the leaves to remove excess chlorophyll (it makes the kale taste bitter) and any grit caught in the “frills”. Dry thoroughly with kitchen towels or in a salad spinner.
3 Tear each leaf into bite-sized pieces.
*Kale is available at selected Cold Storage and Market Place by Jasons supermarkets
FRY IT
Kale can be sauteed, but making a frittata (an open-face omelette) with it is much more appetising.
Try this recipe:
• Rub bite-sized pieces of 10 kale leaves with a little olive oil.
• Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large non-stick pan, add 1 diced onion and cook for 15min until soft. Add the kale and 2 cloves of chopped garlic, and cook for 2min until the kale has wilted, then remove from heat.
• In a baking dish, add the kale, and pour a whisked mixture of 8 large eggs and 3 tbsp milk over it in an even layer, then bake at 180 deg C for 15-20min until eggs are set.
STEAM IT
The optimum time for steaming kale is 3-5min, which keeps it tender and retains its bright green colour. Understeamed kale is chewy and bitter.
Try this recipe:
• Make a sesame dressing: Mix 3 tbsp of lemon juice, 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp of crushed sesame seeds, 1 tbsp of white miso, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 3 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil, and salt, to taste.
• Place two bunches of steamed kale on a plate, top with a block of silken tofu, and drizzle the sesame dressing over.
MICROWAVE/BAKE IT
This gives you crunchy kale chips, a guilt-free alternative to potato crisps.
Try this recipe:
• Toss one bundle of kale evenly with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add sea salt and curry powder to taste.
• Spread the leaves on a non-insulated cookie sheet or a pizza crisper pan with perforations. These pans are most effective in producing crisp chips.
• Sprinkle more sea salt over, then microwave on high for 3min or bake at 180 deg C for 10min.
BOIL IT
Boiling kale softens it and makes it suitable for blending into soups like gazpacho, a chilled vegetable soup.
Try this recipe:
• Blanch 4 cups of bite-sized kale leaves for 30 seconds.
• Puree the kale with 2 cups of chopped fennel bulb*, 1 cup of peas, 1 clove garlic, cup of chopped onion, an avocado, juice of 2 lemons, and a pinch of cayenne pepper and sea salt, until smooth.
• Chill the gazpacho for at least 1 hour or overnight. To serve, add chunks of 1 green apple or pear, portion into two bowls, then drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
*Commonly used in Italian dishes, the fennel bulb is a vegetable with a bulbous base and feathery leaves. It is available all year round at major supermarkets, Holland Village Market and Tekka Market.
JUICE IT
You can also get your daily dose of nutritious kale in this tasty green juice recipe by Bridget Chen, owner of Punch Detox Singapore.
Juice together:
• 1 cup of roughly chopped kale
• 2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
• cup of broccoli florets
• 2 apples, unpeeled and cut into chunks
• 1 handful of parsley
• 1 slice of ginger
This story was first published in Simply Her November 2014.