Kale & Kale Salad

Loaded with antioxidants, calcium and fiber, kale deserves to be as popular as its cousins spinach and chard. Here are some tips on how to get the most from this sometimes intimidating vegetable:

Select: There are seemingly endless varieties of kale, but some of the most common and tasty include curly, Tuscan, and Red Winter. Colors, which range from green to purple, should be as vibrant as possible. Choose a bunch that's crisp and free of tears.

Store: Freshness makes a big difference in quality with this vegetable. New leaves are earthy and pungent, but as they age, they become more bitter. Keep wrapped in a dampened paper towel in your fridge's crisper drawer for no more than three to four days.

Prepare: Give the bunch a quick rinse, then rip the stems and inner veins from the leaves by hand and discard. The stalks are edible but many people don't like the chewy texture (we personally juice the stalks!).

Serve: Kale leaves can be treated just like spinach: sauteed in a pan with a bit of olive oil, mixed in raw salad topped with a vinaigrette, or tossed into a breakfast omelet or soup. Or, make a healthy snack by simply tearing apary the leaves with your hands and spreading them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and work the seasoning in the leaves with your fingers. Bakes at 300F for 7 minutes, or until crisp.

Nutritional value: One 1-cup serving of kale has 33 calories, 1g fiber, 21mcg folate, 329mg potassium.

Kale Salad

This raw kale salad wins over even the most skeptical of hearty-green newbies. It gets better after a night in the fridge. 

Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 bunches kale, ribs removed and leaves sliced into 1/4-inch shreds
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs, toasted

Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper flakes. Add kale and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Add grated cheese and breadcrumbs and toss. Serve.
Cover and refrigerate leftovers for two days.

Serves 8.