The Yin and Yang of K.A.L.E.

The two kinds of kale featured in this blog entry have very different and distinct tastes.  And their looks are somewhat contrasting as well.  The first type of kale called Scots kale is slightly bitter with wider and rounder leaves. The green is more of a matte color and the texture is smooth on your fingertip but crisp when eaten raw.  The second type of kale is called Tuscan kale and it's darker, the leaves leaner and the veins are more visible due to the stem.  The texture on this type is tougher but there's no bitterness and when cooked it slightly resembles spinach.  Kale is certainly receiving a lot of hype and understandably so.  It's chock full of vitamins K, A, C, fiber and minerals such as copper, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus.  No glowing body parts here!  Just glowing skin from healthy, nutritional yummylicious eating!

My previous post consisted of a recipe using kale in a green smoothie and was blended raw with other ingredients.  Listed below is the recipe for this simple, super easy and yummy side dish which I've appropriately titled, "The Yin and Yang of K.A.L.E."  All veggies are Organic, of course.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Scots kale
1/2 cup of Tuscan kale
one half of a small onion
1 cup of mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup of corn
1 Tbl sp of Earth balance soy free Non GMO vegan butter
1 tsp of grapeseed oil
3 Tbl sp of nutritional yeast
3 tsp of dried basil
himalayan salt to taste
pinch of pepper

In a medium size pan over low to medium heat, add butter to melt.  Meanwhile, chop up onion either in long slices or diced.  Whatever your preference. Hey! Maybe you can 'dlice' them!  When finished, mince the garlic or if you're a true Garlic lover (and a fan of convenience) use your garlic press.  Put them all the garlic in the pan to sautee with their BFF: the Onion.  Next, take your mushrooms and slice them thinly.  (To de-stem or not to de-stem?  I love mushrooms so I keep the mushroom intact.  I know. I know.  The fancy restaurants do the exact opposite but personally, I love ALL of the mushroom! I don't discriminate.)  Add them to the onions and garlic.  With the kale (after a wee little shower under the faucet) I would break off the stems (about an inch) and cut horizontally across the leaves about an inch wide. Place in the pan and look to the corn.  I purchased the frozen, organic corn from Trader Joe's.  Put them in to simmer with the rest.  Give it a few minutes then add the remaining ingredients.  Cover pan and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the kale leaves are looking like they're ready to dance inside your mouth.  Because I ate the last of the gluten free, vegan stuffing that my friend, Nalasa, left me I needed a side dish to accompany my mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy.  This. Was. Perfect.  :0)

One last thing, if you wanted to add in some spinach for extra iron I doubt the Kale brethren would mind.  I'll have to come up with a new name for the dish like 'The Lean, Green, Not So Mean Side Dish' or something.  Bon Appetit!