Kale, the super food ~

So my darling, tiny Pilates teacher, Jackie, has been singing the praises of Kale for months now during our twice-per-week classes. I have to admit, before Jackie's raving, I had never eaten Kale nor paid much attention to it as I perused the produce aisle at the grocery store. But after listening to her excitement about this super-food and all of it's nutritional value, health benefits, and how it's so simple to prepare, I decided that it was time to expand my world of vegetables and give Kale a try...but of course, I had to put my own gluten-free spin on the recipe.

I highly recommend buying a big, leafy bunch of Kale this weekend and giving it a try - it's delicious and there are so many ways you can "taste it up" and so many options for combining it with a yummy protein (grilled shrimp for example) and starch (Basmati rice) for a complete meal, or just a snack.



(I buy this garlic salt at the San Francisco Ferry Building farmer's market -it's the best!)


(This is a tasty GF soy sauce, but very salty -doesn't take much)

To create what you see above, use the following recipe:

- 1 Bunch of fresh Kale (organic if you like)

- 1/2 Fresh lemon

- 1 Leek

- 2 Tbsp. of organic Olive Oil

- 2 Tbsp. of sesame seeds

- 2 Tbsp. of gluten-free soy sauce (organic Tamari gluten-free)

- 1 Tsp. of fresh garlic salt (Allstar Organics)

Slice 1/4 of the white end of the leek into thin spirals and saute in large pan with olive oil until they turn a yellow-golden color. After washing the Kale, slice each leaf off the stem (run the knife down either side of the stem) - essential to the flavor of the Kale. If you leave the stem on, its bitterness will ruin the dish - trust me! Then slice up the Kale into large pieces and toss into the saute pan with the leek. Add your gluten-free soy sauce, sprinkle in the sesame seeds and garlic salt to taste. Make sure to thoroughly mix the Kale with all the ingredients for 3 minutes. (Shortening the cooking time ensures that more of the nutrition is not cooked out). After 3 minutes, the Kale should turn a darker green and a bit wilted but still maintains it's shape.

Remove the Kale from the saute pan into the bowl/dish of your choice and squeeze 1/2of a fresh lemon over the dish. The lemon is the key and brings out an incredible flavor.

Enjoy!