Feb 08 2010
Quick Fix: Super Easy Kale With Pecans Recipe
Easy Kale With Pecans Recipe
It has been forever since I’ve posted a recipe, and I apologize. The thing is, I’ve been really busy. And when I’m busy my meals don’t tend to be super interesting or fancy.
But they are definitely delicious.
Kale has been my favorite instant meal lately. I can usually find three different kinds–curly, Tuscan (aka dinosaur), and red Russian–and they all work with this recipe. You can also substitute chard or any other sturdy greens to mix things up. If you want to make your life even easier look for kale with smaller, young leaves so the stems are tender enough to leave in while cooking.
The key to making a plain green vegetable worthy of an entire meal is adding something with protein or fat (preferably both). Nuts work perfectly, as do any kind of beans or lentils. This recipe calls for pecans, which are wonderful, but I usually use roasted pistachio nuts since they don’t need to be chopped. I was out of pistachios today since I ate so much kale last week (these things happen).
For me this meal is a perfect lunch. Alternatively you can serve it as a side dish and it can serve a few people. If you would like a little more substance serve it with lentils and brown rice or quinoa. I will sometimes have sardines or smoked mackerel or trout on the side.
Super Easy Kale With Pecans Recipe
Serves 1-3 people. 10 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch kale or chard
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or pistachios
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Sea salt to taste
Start by mincing your garlic, just to make it a tiny bit healthier. Rinse your greens and place them all on a cutting board oriented in the same direction. If the leaves have very thick stems you may want to remove them as explained here. Personally I buy greens that are fresh and tender enough that I rarely bother removing stems.
Pile the greens on top of each other. Starting at the tip of the leaves, cut 1 inch strips until you have cut the entire bunch. If you are using Tuscan or red Russian kale, a lot less chopping is necessary because the leaves are thin and only need be cut in one direction. If your leaves are wide, cut them into 1-2 inch squares. It’s okay if your greens are still wet, the water will help them steam.
Using a pan with tall sides and a lid, add the nuts and turn it on medium heat. Lightly toast the nuts, stirring regularly with tongs. After 2-3 minutes, add olive oil to the pan and allow it to heat up. Add your chopped greens to the pan, sprinkle generously with sea salt and toss with tongs. Cover.
Stir the greens occasionally so they don’t burn, always replacing the lid after stirring. Continue cooking the greens as they wilt and turn dark green. If they start to burn lower the heat, add 1-2 tbsp of water and cover again to steam.
Kale is done cooking when it is dark green and the stems are tender. Unlike spinach, it is very difficult to over-cook kale because it retains its crispness very well. Before turning off the heat, use tongs to clear a space in the center of the pan and add your minced garlic in a single layer. Allow the garlic to cook until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds, then mix it up with the kale and nuts. Add half cup of beans or lentils at this point if desired.
Continue to cook greens uncovered for another minute or two. Taste test a leaf for saltiness and adjust to taste (be careful if you are using chard, it is naturally salty and easy to over-season).
Serve immediately.
Who loves kale as much as I do?
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Tags: dinosaur kale, kale, red Russian kale, time
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I only started eating kale the last few years, but I love it. This sounds like an easy and tasty way to fix it. Can’t wait to give it a try.
I’ve got dino kale & pistachios from my CSA this week, perfect timing!
My favorite right now is adding chick peas and preserved lemons to my kale, along with some garlic and olive oil. Yum!
Oh damn! I have all those ingredients. Sounds delish. You just throw them in like a stir fry?
I pretty much follow your recipe, but add the chickpeas and couple tablespoons water with the kale , and then I add the diced lemon with the garlic at the end.
Thanks! You inspired an amazing dinner tonight. Romanesco, beet greens, chickpeas, black quinoa, preserved lemon, garlic and Moroccan spices. Yum!!
Oh how I wish I loved kale! It would make healthy eating SO much easier… But alas, greens are not a category of food I like all that much…
Oh no! Really? How have you had them cooked? Where do they come from. The greens from my farmers market are as sweet as candy….
I’ve sauteed them mostly, but I also steamed them a couple times. (Once I made kale chips.) My farmer’s market is closed ’til April, so I buy them in the organic section at my local grocery store or at Whole Foods.
Well, if you’re ever in SF you’re invited over for kale
Love food like this! Unfortunately I’ve had to cut back on nuts because they’re making me break out lately. Sigh. Now, do you soak your nuts? I have been reading about how important it is for digestibility.
Ha ha, love to talk about nut soaking. Actually, I’m not into that sorta thing. Here’s one of my favorite articles about why http://www.hollyhickman.com/nuts/
I love, love, love kale. And I just made this for dinner, with pistachios, and I added chickpeas at the end. Served with brown rice. The husband and I both adored it. We adored it so much that I had to comment. It’s the third recipes of yours that I’ve made, and my favorite so far. Thank you!
Awesome, thanks for letting me know
I cook this several times a week and also love to add chickpeas or other beans. It’s also great with tahini drizzled on it at the end.
I love this recipe! We made it a few times, using kale and pistachios – they have a very complimentary flavor. I shared a very slightly different version of kale & pistachios on Inspired Eats.
Thanks for sharing it
I’ve seen kale several times at my grocery store and never knew what to do with it. Now I know
I love this dish and I cook it for anyone who says they don’t like Kale! On suggestion of previous poster, tonight I will try adding chickpeas (my daughter will love it!)