Kale: A Vegan Obsession

In the past months, there has been a dramatic uptick in the mentions of kale - both within and outside of the vegan world. And for good reason! Kale absolutely rocks. It is the poster child for "nutritious and delicious."

Now, I still sense some skeptics in the room. I don't blame you - not so long ago I too was a kale n00b. People kept telling me to eat it raw. Raw kale? Blegh! "Marinate" it in salad dressing, they'd say. And I'd think, what, are you joking?!

I was quickly turned to the green side, but I eased myself in with this simple, lightly cooked recipe. If you're new to kale, or you're just looking for a delicious new preparation, give it a shot!

Mel's Simply Delicious Kale:

• coarsely cut / chop one head of kale - I like to cut it up with my kitchen shears
  
• in a large skillet with a lid, combine kale, about 1 Tbsp olive oil, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mirin rice wine - depending on how big a head of kale it is and personal taste
• bring up to simmering over medium low heat, then put on lid and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes (this is also to your preference - however much done you like your kale)
• turn off heat and let cool** to room temperature; transferring to another container will speed up this process. keep all liquid from cooking in with your kale
• once cooled, add juice of one lemon, about 1 Tbsp
• chill, serve cold

Makes 2 to 4 servings... or 1, depending on how much you like kale. Did I just eat an entire head of kale? Yes, yes I did.

**Kale is a good source of iron, and iron is best absorbed in the presence of vitamin C. However, vitamin C is easily destroyed by heat. Therefore for the best nutritional impact, it's best to let the kale cool before adding your lemon juice and to serve this dish cold.

Enjoy!