Using kale for my non-kale loving readers.
Jim Gaffigan says in his standup routines that kale is like bug spray; he looked at a can of bug spray and it said “made of kale.” He even talked about a lady who “snuck some kale” in a soup, and he wanted to throw the bowl at her.
In my unsophisticated opinion, he is right about kale being bitter, but that is until I was schooled on how to make it a decadent leaf in your salad. Thank you Zupas, my brother-in-law’s least favorite place to eat. Cover it with cilantro lime, olive oil, etc. and WA-LA! It’s digestible and down-right TASTY!
With this memory of that delectable protein, quinoa bowl over a bed of smothered kale, I asked Parker to pick up some kale from Costco on his way home. Once it was home, I remembered that I wasn’t Zupas. I had to re-create that salad using the raw material?
Challenge accepted.
GREEK CHICKEN SALAD A LA KALE
I have no picture because I ate every bite, but that’s a good sign right? (I hadn’t intended on posting this at the time obviously.) First I mixed the kale with romaine lettuce in a large mixing bowl. I added olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pretended I was working at Zupas. How’s the coverage? Good? -Check. Move it down the line.
I threw in diced red onion, feta cheese, and halved cherry tomatoes from Costco (they last the longest). What dressing you might ask? Just my favorite Tzatziki sauce, again from Costco. Somehow, I can’t have feta without wanting it.
Last, I added rotisserie chicken breast and squeezed lemon juice on top of it for good measure.
MM’ MM’Good! Experiment= Success!
Notes:
- I buy my rotisserie chickens from Costco rather than Walmart because they are $3.00 cheaper; my mom does the same from Sam’s Club and she freezes extra ones since she lives so far from the store (it helps that she has an extra freezer).
- I also always keep rotisserie chicken on hand because it’s Elsie’s favorite food, and it’s already made and not processed.
- This was an S-meal for any THM eaters out there (THM is a diet I’m enjoying to get the baby fat off ).
Next up?
CHICKEN, RICE, & KALE SOUP
Someone warn Jim and buy me a shield because I made two soups this week using kale. Sneak attack Parker! I was sick with the world’s longest-lasting sinus infection with an added cough so I took my aunt’s suggestion and made Chicken, Rice, and Kale Soup.
How did this come to be?
I was making the soup by throwing chicken stock mixed with bouillon (because I only had one can of stock on hand), rotisserie chicken, and frozen, leftover parboiled rice into the pot. Then, I realized it looked ugly because it had no color, and who wants ugly soup? Not me.
In comes kale to the rescue! I remembered that I had the bag in the fridge from my Greek Chicken A La Kale Salad, so I threw it in! Presto! Better than Campbell’s or Progresso. And prettier too.
Note: THM E-Meal.
CURRIED LENTIL SOUP
I also added kale to my Curried Lentil Soup. Basically, this was a repeat soup story from above, so just re-read the above and then click this title for the recipe.
Don’t expect a picture though because lentils are ugly no matter how well they are cooked; they were even ugly at a gourmet Indian restaurant we visited a few years ago when I ordered them. They tasted divine though if you love Indian food. Don’t judge a book by its cover? I think lentils may have more license to complain.
Note: THM E-Meal.
Last in line?
TUSCAN CHICKEN WITH WHITE BEANS & KALE
I know what you’re thinking. Not another rotisserie chicken… But no, This time I sauteed chicken breasts using a non-stick spray and balsamic vinegar, removed them from pan, and set them aside to make the rest of the magic happen.
The basic description is sauteing diced onion and red pepper with minimal olive oil, throw in some cherry tomatoes, and at the end add some kale. Once tender, add in pizza sauce (less processed sugars), white beans, thyme, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Add the chicken back in to let it finish cooking in the Tuscan juices and then serve!
Note: THM E-Meal.
So what did I discover? The results of the challenge are in!
KALE WINS!
Even Baby Elsie loves it!
UPSIDES TO KALE
- Kale lasts longer than lettuce or spinach, which is great for small families or garnishes.
- It can be used in raw materials, sauteed for pan-fried dishes, or be “snuck” in soups to add a pop of color or to pretend you’re eating more veggies.
- The downsides are below, but this time, we don’t care about the downsides because we don’t have to tell anyone that “green stuff” is kale. Anti-girl-food husbands, boyfriends, and children don’t need to know.
DOWNSIDES TO KALE
- I’m not sure that a couple of leafs per serving of soup actually counts as “more veggie.”
- Jim Gaffigan disagrees with me.
WHAT PLEASANT EXPERIENCES OR HORROR STORIES HAVE YOU HAD USING KALE?
Please feel free to comment and share for a good cause. We have to cut kale some slack. 😉
Happy Eating!
Sarah @PlantFamilyCo
Plant Family Co. 
I think the down side to Kale is the idea some people have, that it’s the only food you should ever eat.