7 recipes for kale creations that aren't just salads & bull; hello healthy

If you've never tried kale, now might be a good time. This green leafy vegetable is extremely high in nutrients and vitamins, making it one of the most popular superfoods.

Kale has actually been a common consumption since ancient Roman times and has been circulating as a trendy vegetable substitute for spinach in various parts of the European continent for decades. Not many people know that kale comes from the cabbage family - a family of broccoli, cauliflower, and collards.

Why should you eat kale?

Kale and spinach are two superfood vegetables that can support all of your diet efforts, but when it comes to nutritional value, both kale and spinach have different strengths. Spinach has nearly half as many calories per serving than kale - 33 kcal per 60 grams of kale. Even so, calm down. Both are unlikely to result in weight gain. The high fiber content in spinach makes it the best food for those suffering from dietary problems.

Including kale in your diet will provide adequate nutrition to support healthy skin, hair and bones, as well as healthy digestion, as well as reduce the risk of heart disease. Other health benefits that kale may have include improving blood glucose control in people with diabetes, lowering the risk of cancer, lowering blood pressure, and lowering the risk of developing asthma.

Kale vs spinach: which one is superior?

Spinach beats kale in the percentage of iron and magnesium content per serving needed for the body. Spinach also ranks higher for its folate content, a very important nutrient for pregnant women or women who want to become pregnant. Folic acid has been linked to a reduced risk of small gestational ages, a term used to describe babies who are smaller than the usual number for the number of weeks of gestation.

But, even though spinach's nutritional content is very strong, that doesn't mean that kale doesn't have an advantage at all. These curly green vegetables are higher in protein and calcium (60 grams of kale provides 9 percent of your total daily calcium requirement, compared to 3 percent of spinach) - two nutrients also necessary for optimal body health. But it turns out, it's its vitamin content that makes kale deserve the title of the most popular superfood. This dark green leafy vegetable has more than four times the amount of vitamin C and more vitamin A (9 percent and 206 percent of the daily recommended amount) than the same serving of spinach. Vitamins C and A are nutrients necessary for healthy eyes and skin. One serving of kale contains an impressive 907 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin K, an essential nutrient for bone protection and blood clotting.

Plus, anyone who has ever cooked spinach knows very well that this plant has a really annoying shrinking habit. For this reason, you will need at least 650 grams of raw spinach per serving to meet all the nutritional content of spinach that your body needs. You only need about 100 grams of kale to make one serving. Not only that. Kale won't shrink dramatically when cooked. Kale is also heavier and denser than spinach, which means you only need to eat a small amount of kale to feel full.

Want to start trying kale, but confused about how to work around it in your diet? Check out a number of healthy recipes below.

Healthy cooking recipes using kale

1. Kidney bean soup and kale

Prep time: 30 minutes

Number of servings: 6 people

Calories: 250 kcal

What you will need:

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 150 grams of chopped onions
• 65 grams of carrots, cut into medium size
• 50 grams of chopped celery
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, split in half
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 950 ml ready-to-eat liquid vegetable broth, halved
• One bunch of kale (about 450 grams), remove the roots
• 15 ounces of black beans, boil, rinse, drain, divide
• 15 ounces of kidney beans, boiled, rinse, drain
• 1/2 tsp black pepper seeds, grind and grind
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (alternative: apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

How to cook:

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Pour in olive oil; shake the pan so that the oil coats the inside of the pan. Stir in the onions, carrots, celery and sauté for 6 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add 1/4 tsp salt and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add three cups of stock (@ 240 ml) and kale. Bring to a boil; Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes or until kale is crisp-soft.
2. Place half the black beans and remaining vegetable stock in a blender or food processor; puree. Add the black bean puree, remaining whole black beans, and kidney beans to the soup pot. Add pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, let stand for 5 minutes. Add the remaining salt, vinegar and rosemary. Stir well. Serve hot.

2. Kale chips

Prep time: 30 minutes

Servings: 1-2 servings

Total calories: 84 kcal

What you will need:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free soy sauce (tamari sauce)
• 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 400 grams of kale, heat the leaves
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

How to cook:

1. Preheat oven to 218ºC.
2. In a container, put the kale and pour the olive oil, soy sauce and vinegar; stir well. Divide the kale portions evenly in 2 thin roasting pans; bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until crispy golden, stirring occasionally. Lift.
3. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve.

3. Kale stir-fry

Prep time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Total calories: 100 kcal

What you will need:

• 1 bunch (14 ounces) of kale
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 180 ml low-salt chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• 1/4 ounce grated parmesan cheese (optional)

How to cook:

1. Heat the kale leaves, then roughly chop them. Rinse in a filter container, drain a little but leave a little water.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat. Enter the garlic, stir; saute until the onions are fragrant golden brown (3-4 minutes). Transfer the garlic to a clean container, set aside.
3. Return to heat the oil over medium heat, add the kale and stock. Cover and let cook until the kale is soft (3-4 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving plate.
4. Sprinkle the kale stir fry with fried garlic and grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

4. Cah kale chicken and cabbage

Prep time: 30 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Total calories: 381 kcal

What you will need:

• 100 grams of buckwheat (alternative: vermicelli or wheat noodles)
• 100 grams of kale, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 fillets of lean and skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced ​​lengthwise
• 25 grams of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced ​​matches
• 1 red bell pepper, discarded, sliced ​​lengthwise
• 1 handful of Brussels sprouts (mini cabbage), cut into quarters
• 1 tablespoon low-salt soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or balsamic
• 1 lime, squeeze the juice and grate the skin

How to cook:

1. Cook the noodles according to the label instructions, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet and add the kale and a little water. Cook the kale for 1-2 minutes until it gets wilted (still slightly crunchy). Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold running water to keep the color.
2. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and cook the chicken until golden brown, remove from heat, set aside. Put the ginger, peppers and cabbage in the pan; saute until a little soft. Add the chicken, kale and noodles. Stir it up.
3. Pour the soy sauce, vinegar, grated orange peel and juice with a little water to make a thick sauce. Serve hot.

5. Saute kale with eggs, potatoes and hot sausage

Prep time: 25 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Total calories: 463 kcal

What you will need:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 80 grams of blackpepper sausage, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 100 grams of kale
• 400 grams of potatoes, roughly chopped (medium size)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
• 2 eggs

How to cook:

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat, add the sausages and onions. Fry until the sausages are golden brown and onion wilted.
2. Turn up the heat, add the kale and sauté for 1 minute until the kale starts to wilt. Stir in the potatoes and seasonings (salt pepper and paprika powder) for 5 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and the kale is soft. Sauté and stir occasionally.
3. While waiting for the kale to cook, fry the beef eye eggs or boil them softly.
4. Serve the kale stir fry on a serving plate, add the egg on top.

6. Patties

Prep time: 50 minutes

Servings: 18-20 pieces of cakes

What you will need:

Cake:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and mashed for a puree
• 350 grams of quinoa, boil, drain
• 135 grams of kale, split from the leaf stalks, roll, slice roughly lengthwise
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• Pinch of paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4-6 tablespoons coconut or grapeseed oil

Dip Sauce:

• 75 grams of greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• A little chili grind chilli, for additional sauce

How to cook:

1. In one container, put all the ingredients of the cake, mix together and mix well.
2. Heat the oil in a small frying pan. With a ladle, take out the appropriate amount of dough, form a ball, and put 4-6 patties in the pan. Lightly flatten the top of the cake. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the patties are golden brown. Remove, drain oil, set aside.
3. To mix the dipping sauce, mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
4. Serve warm kale cakes accompanied by dipping sauce and chili grind.

7. Empanadas

Prep time: 80 minutes

Servings: 12 pieces

Total calories: 279 kcal

What you will need:

Empanada Skin:

• 350 grams of all purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 50 grams of unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons of corn oil or sunflower seeds
• 1 orange, squeeze the juice
• White milk, for spread

Stuffing:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 150 grams of lean minced beef / pork
• 150 grams of kale, roughly chopped
• 100 grams of cabbage, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder
• 50 grams of raisins
• 50 grams of roasted almonds or sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp natural honey
• 100 grams of Swiss cheese, diced

How to cook:

1. For filling: heat oil in a frying pan, saute onion until fragrant and wilted. Add meat, saute 3-4 minutes then add kale, cabbage and paprika. Stir it up. Cover the pan and let it cook for 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Enter the raisins, nuts, and honey, season with salt pepper, remove from heat, let cool.
2. For empanada shells: add egg, flour, butter, oil and a pinch of salt to a food processor. Pour the dredge juice. Process until it becomes a smooth dough. Wrap the dough with cling wrap, put it in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat an electric (190ºC) or gas (170ºC) oven. Take the dough, shape it into 12 balls, then flatten it into an even circle (± 12 cm in diameter). Add the cheese to the filling mixture, mix well, and divide it evenly for each skin. Fold the empanada crust in half to cover the filling, then, using your fingertips, curl or twist the semi-circular ends to seal it tightly. (raw empanadas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours)
4. Place the empanada in a baking sheet (spread cooking spray), grease the surface of the empanada with milk. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy golden. Serve warm.