Kale Recipes

Kitchen.com

Easy Skillet Kale with Lemon & Garlic

YIELD
Serves 4 to 6
PREP TIME
5 minutes
COOK TIME
6 minutes
INGREDIENTS

2 large bunches kale, any variety (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 small lemon
INSTRUCTIONS

Use your hands to pull the kale leaves from their stems. Coarsely chop the leaves. Rinse them, but do not dry.
Heat the oil in large, wide, high-sided sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute (do not let the garlic brown).
Add the kale a few handfuls at a time, stirring after each addition so that it starts to wilt, until all of the kale is added. Stir in the salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and serve.

How to Make the Best Sautéed Kale at Home

Lots of garlic is a must, plus lemon juice, which adds brightness to the inherently earthy green. I also love to use a big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for a nice, spicy kick, but it’s more than OK to skip it if heat isn’t your thing. This recipe works with any variety of kale — be it the deep, dark Tuscan kind or frilled curly kind. You also don’t need any fancy tools to de-stem the kale: You simply pull the leaves from the stems with your own two hands.

Read more: The Fastest Way to Prep Kale for Cooking

I do have one little secret, though. Since kale is so fibrous, it can be difficult to cook down the leaves so that they’re tender and not chewy. Some recipes have you add water or broth to the skillet while you sauté the leaves, but it’s not actually necessary. Instead, after you’ve washed the leaves, leave them damp. The water that clings to the leaves will create steam when you toss them in the hot skillet. As the kale cooks, you’ll cover the skillet for a few minutes; that steam will help wilt and break down the kale perfectly.

I cook mine down just like collards, turnips, mustard greens.

I make sure to add a ham hock or some other smoked meat. Helps to balance out the healthiness.

I just can’t eat it. I believe I’d prefer sautéed grass clippings.

But I will pick a bunch of turnip greens shortly and cook them down with the root and a ham hock.

Pioneer Woman - Kale and Butternut Squash Quesadillas

Love this recipe.



1/2 whole Butternut Squash, Peeled, Seeded, And Diced.
2 tbsp. Butter
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
Black Pepper To Taste
1/4 tsp. Chili Powder (more To Taste)
1 bunch Kale, Leaves Torn, Stalks Discarded
8 whole Small (fajita Sized) Flour Tortillas
Extra Butter For Frying
2 1/2 c. Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated (more If Needed)
Sour Cream, For Serving
Cilantro, For Serving
Pico De Gallo, Salsa, Avocado Slices (optional) For Serving

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add squash and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook for several minutes, turning gently with a spatula, until squash is deep golden brown and tender (but not falling apart.) Remove to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat and add in the kale. Toss it around with tongs and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the cooked squash and gently toss together. Set aside.

In a separate skillet, melt additional butter and lightly brown both sides of the 8 tortillas. Build the quesadillas one by one by adding a layer of cheese topped with a layer of the squash/kale mixture, topped with a second tortilla. You'll have four quesadillas when you're done.

Brown each quesadilla on both sides, adding more butter to the pan to make sure tortillas are nice and golden and yummy.

When the cheese is melted, remove each quesadilla from the skillet and cut it into four wedges. Serve with sour cream, cilantro, pico de gallo, salsa, avocado...or any sides you'd like!

(Note: The butternut squash/kale mixture is also great tossed with a little pasta and olive oil, and topped with Parmesan shavings!)