Kale or Chard - threeways


My boyfriend & I keep a garden at his place that he started with his old roommates about 2 years ago. We thought it was kale re-growing in the corner, but clever Amanda says it is actually chard. We had been cooking the chard in kale recipes all spring (& it is tasty).  I looked up the nutritional value comparison & thought I'd share. Vegans take notice (both offer protein, iron & fiber).   

Also below are three great recipes that we discovered & tried that feature the leafy greens including a frittata (like an omelette meets hash browns), warm Portugese soup (creamy potato & sausage) & addictively crisp, sesame crusted kale chips (that my teenager said tastes better than pringles).  For years I ate these greens soul food style, steamed or boiled with a bit of bacon or ham cooked in for extra flavor.  These three ways to enjoy these healthy, tasty greens are a great change of pace.

Nutritional Comparison -
Kale: 130 calories calories per cup, 1g fat, 7g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugar, 2g protein, 30mg sodium, 354% vit A, 89% vit C, 9% calcium, 6% iron

Swiss Chard: 35 calories per cup, 0 fat, 7g carbs, 4g fiber, 2g sugar, 3g protein, 313mg sodium, 214% vit A, 53% vit C, 10% calcium, 22% iron
Kale & Onion Potato Frittata
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow or white onion, sliced
  • 1 pound kale or chard (stems trimmed away, leaves blanched 3 minutes in boiling water, drained, squeezed and coarsely chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 cups pre-boiled diced potatoes
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat broiler.  Heat oil in a heavy ovenproof 10-inch skillet (preferably cast-iron; not non-stick) over moderately high heat until shimmering and stir in potatoes with ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to moderately low and cook, covered, stirring and turning occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. 
Transfer potatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add onion with a ¼ teaspoon salt to skillet and cook, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add ½ cup water, then add kale by handfuls, cooking each handful, covered, until slightly wilted, about 1 minute, before adding next. When all kale is added, continue to cook, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes. (Check occasionally to make sure water has not completely evaporated and add just enough additional, if necessary, to keep kale from burning.).  Stir in potatoes and season mixture with salt and pepper.
Whisk eggs well with milk, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and pour over vegetables. Cook, lifting up cooked egg around edge to let uncooked egg flow underneath, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until set 1-inch from edge (center will still be loose), 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove lid. Sprinkle cheese evenly over frittata and broil, 5 to 6 inches from heat, until center of frittata is set, 2 to 4 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt/pepper.  Serve with Salsa.

Portugese Kale Potato & Chorizo Soup (Caldo Verde)
  • 1 1/2 lbs fingerling potatoes (preferably no longer than two inches)
  • 1 tbsp bacon fat or lard
  • 1 lb chorizo
  • 2 to 3 dried chili peppers
  • 2 shallots (thinly sliced)
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 3 medium carrots, (chopped)
  • 2 quarts roast chicken stock
  • 2 bunches kale (stems removed and chopped coarsely)
  • 1 to 2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
  • unrefined sea salt (to taste)
  • unrefined extra virgin olive oil (to serve)
Set a kettle filled with clean water to boil, and boil potatoes until tender when pierced with the tines of a fork. Drain the potatoes and set them aside.
In the same kettle in which you boiled the potatoes, heat bacon fat or pastured lard over a medium flame until melted.  Add the chorizo to the pan and fry until thoroughly heated through and well-cooked.  Add the chili peppers, shallots, garlic and carrots to the cooked chorizo and fry with the sausage until they become fragrant and tender.
Pour two quarts homemade roast chicken stock into the kettle, and bring to a simmer. Stir as needed and allow the soup to cook for twenty to thirty minutes or so, add the cooked potatoes and continue to cook for another ten minutes.
About five to ten minutes before you plan to serve the soup, turn off the heat and stir chopped kale, smoked paprika and unrefined sea salt into the soup. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and allow the soup to rest for about five minutes or long enough to wilt the kale.  Serve with a generous portion of unrefined extra virgin olive oil stirred into the soup at the last minute.

Soy and Sesame Kale Chips 
  • 1 bunch kale, leaves ripped from ribs
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 300F. Rinse kale and dry fully with paper towels or a dish towel. Tear leaves off of the rib and tear into bite-sized pieces.  Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and soy sauce. Toss to thoroughly coat.  Arrange leaves in a single layer on two parchment (or foil) lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake until leaves are crisp, about 5 minutes more.



Recipes & Info in this blog were inspired by the following sources, please visit these great sites for more details on kale- http://www.livestrong.com/article/537976-the-nutritional-differences-between-kale-collard-greens-and-swiss-chard/