{"id":204075,"date":"2019-02-26T04:43:46","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T09:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=204075"},"modified":"2019-02-26T04:43:46","modified_gmt":"2019-02-26T09:43:46","slug":"making-tender-kale-without-overcooking-or-having-it-swampy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/02\/26\/making-tender-kale-without-overcooking-or-having-it-swampy\/","title":{"rendered":"Making tender kale without overcooking or having it swampy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Kale is among the most nutrient-dense of all vegetables, but it can be difficult to turn the hearty green tender enough to enjoy. (File Photo<\/a>: Ellie & Kepfram\/Flickr<\/a>, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kale is among the most nutrient-dense of all vegetables, but it can be difficult to turn the hearty green tender enough to enjoy. We wanted a simple approach to producing an abundance of tender kale without overcooking the greens or leaving them awash in liquid.<\/p>\n

We started with a generous 4 pounds of kale. To fit them in the pot, we sauteed one-third of the greens before adding the rest in two batches and covering the pot. In less than half an hour, the greens had almost the tender-firm texture we wanted.<\/p>\n

We removed the lid to allow the liquid to evaporate as the greens finished cooking. For flavourings, we added a substantial amount of garlic and chopped onion for aromatic character, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.<\/p>\n

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice balanced the dish. For the best results, be sure the greens are fully cooked and tender while covered before moving on to removing the lid.<\/p>\n

GARLICKY BRAISED KALE<\/p>\n

Servings: 8<\/p>\n

Start to finish: 1 hour, 15 minutes<\/p>\n

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<\/p>\n

1 large onion, chopped fine<\/p>\n

10 garlic cloves, minced<\/p>\n

1\/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes<\/p>\n

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth<\/p>\n

1 cup water<\/p>\n

Salt and pepper<\/p>\n

4 pounds kale, stemmed and cut into 3 inch pieces<\/p>\n

1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus<\/p>\n

extra for seasoning<\/p>\n

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, water, and 1\/2 teaspoon salt and bring to simmer.<\/p>\n

Add one-third of kale, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining kale in 2 batches. Continue to cook, covered, until kale is tender, 13 to 15 minutes.<\/p>\n

Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most liquid has evaporated and greens begin to sizzle, 10 to 12 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Season with salt, pepper, and extra lemon juice to taste. Serve.<\/p>\n

Braised Kale with Coconut and Curry<\/p>\n

Substitute 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger and 1 teaspoon curry powder for red pepper flakes, and 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk for water. Substitute lime juice for lemon juice, and sprinkle kale with 1\/4 cup toasted and chopped cashews before serving.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

Nutrition information per serving: 216 calories; 109 calories from fat; 12 g fat ( 20g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 396 mg sodium; 23 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; g sugar; 11 g protein.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https:\/\/www.americastestkitchen.com<\/span><\/a>. Find more recipes like Garlicky Braised Kale in “How to Braise Everything .”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kale is among the most nutrient-dense of all vegetables, but it can be difficult to turn the hearty green tender …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":204076,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-204075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-food","mauthors-americas-test-kitchen","mauthors-the-associated-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204075"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204075\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}