Braised kale, rye crumble and Feta, I’m still on a “Kale high,” cooking kale several times a week. Honestly, I think I turned into a Kale freak. I love the flavor, eating kale gives me a “feel-good feeling” the other reason is that kale dramatically increases the total nutrient content of my diet.
Most people who eat a healthy diet should get enough potassium naturally. However, many Americans have a potassium deficiency. Kale has a very high level of Potassium and can lower the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
Facts about Kale:
We all know that spinach and kale are good for you, however, here’s the dirty little secret:
According to the EWG, the Environmental Working Group, kale are on the list of the dirty dozen foods, with Kale moving to #3 on the list in 2019. Nearly 60% of kale samples sold in the U.S. were contaminated with residues of the pesticide DCPA. The EWG is listing their dirty dozen foods as well as, the clean fifteen foods on their shoppers guide pesticides . EWG is ranking pesticide contamination of 47 popular fruits and vegetables, a great eye-opening read that has been updated every year since 2004.
The DYI vegetable wash;
To properly clean your produce, make a DIY vegetable wash. It’s very simple to do: fill your kitchen sink with cold water, add 4 tablespoons of baking soda and wash the greens thoroughly and rinse.
Southern Pepper Sauce:
One thing I was taught from a college of mine, Matt Gleason a fellow that knows southern food and is very passionate about his food, is that in the South you add a splash of pepper sauce to braised greens. Southern Peppers “sauce” It is easy to make your own just get small spicy peppers like tabasco, Serrano, or others. In this case, I used dried Chili Japonas, place them in an empty bottle that has been washed well, boil white vinegar and pour over the peppers, cool, and cap. Your Southern Pepper “sauce” will be ready in a few weeks, as you use, keep topping the bottle with vinegar.
I love spicy food so adding a splash of N.B pepper sauce kicks everything up a notch.
Bottom Line:
Wow-what a flavor, kale, the rye crumble, the creamy slightly salty texture of the feta, and the heat from the N.B. pepper vinegar equals a match made in heaven. Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables you can eat, with large amounts of vitamins, minerals, and cancer-fighting compounds. There is an interesting page, Naturopress that speaks more in detail about the benefits of Kale and cold-pressed Kale Juice.
It is well known that we should eat plenty of vegetables as they are full of certain vitamins and minerals, and kale supplies us with an exceptional amount. I think Rudi and Moses my labradors agree, all the stems from the kale get chopped up and mixed with their food, and trust me the bowls are empty in no time.
Braised Kale, Rye Crumble, Feta and N.B Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
Braised kale
- 2 Lb kale
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 oz carrots diced
- 4 oz celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 8 oz chicken stock
- 1 pinch black pepper, ground
- 1 pinch sea salt, fine ground
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil extra virgin
Rye crumble
- 2 slices rye bread
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 pinch sea salt, fine ground
- 1 pinch black pepper, ground
Instructions
Wash the kale
- Pull the leaves from the kale and wash thoroughly in the DIY vegetable to remove any dirt.2 Lb kale
Make the Rye crumble
- Pulse the rye bread in a food processor until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. In a 10-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, caraway seeds and season with salt and pepper. Toast until crispy and crunchy, tossing every 30 seconds (approx. 3 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel to drain off excessive fat. Wash the kale2 slices rye bread, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp caraway seeds, 1 pinch sea salt, fine ground, 1 pinch black pepper, ground
Cook the kale
- Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat, add the onion, cook until translucent add the garlic, diced carrots, diced celery, sauté for about one minute then add the kale in large handfuls letting it wilt slightly before adding more. Toss well, add one cup of chicken stock, cover pot with lid and cook kale until tender. Remove the lid, taste and season with salt and plenty of black pepper, cook over moderate heat until the liquid has almost all evaporated1 small onion, 4 oz carrots, 4 oz celery, 2 cloves garlic, 8 oz chicken stock, 1 pinch black pepper, ground, 1 pinch sea salt, fine ground, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Transfer cooked kale to plate, crumble the feta cheese over the top, drizzle with olive oil finally cover with a nice helping of rye crumble and serve with a splash of N.B. pepper sauce4 oz feta cheese
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate