Instead of creamed spinach, try this creamed kale recipe, a classic with slightly more substance but equally perfect as an easy side dish for dinner!
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“I think I’m going to get a little bit more of that kale. And that something I’ve never said before!” said my sister-in-law as she got up from the table to head to the kitchen. Apparently my sister-in-law hates kale. That is, until I made it. I personally like kale but I don’t make it often enough and I certainly don’t make it for company that much. But I was hosting Thanksgiving dinner for my family and the meal tends to be pretty heavy with meat and carbs. And though I’ve made Brussels Sprouts and Green Beans as side dishes, creamed kale is one of my new favorites, a great and tasty greens to go on the table.
I had been planning on blogging about my creamed kale recipe for awhile, ever since Thanksgiving when my sister-in-law told me she loved it. I promised her that I’d get it up on the site but then the holidays came around, and well, you know how it is. I get side tracked with presents, travel and getting sick. Yeah, I was that person on the plane coughing up a storm. Sorry United Flight 500 to Indianapolis Christmas Eve. I was that person. Trust me, I didn’t want to be on that plane that much either.
But January is here and though I had a slightly relapse with my sinuses (damn you weak constitution), I’m finally on the mend (I hope) and ready to tackle the new year with verve and zest. And with the new year, I’ll probably be making creamed kale fairly often. Hopefully my sister-in-law will too. She has been wanting me to post about it since I served it because she thinks she should eat more kale. “It’s suppose to be so good for you, but I don’t like how it tastes! Except I love this!” she declared. Well here you go. No promises on it being good for you though. I mean, it IS made with cream. And butter. I think those both may negate the good stuff in the kale. But who cares when it tastes this good!
Creamed Kale
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Lacinato Kale (sometimes called Dinosaur Kale) about 4 bunches
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/2 stick or 57 g
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large stockpot 2/3rds with water. Sprinkle salt in the water until it’s salty (like sea water). Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. While the water is heating up, remove the tough stem from the kale and then slice the kale into 1-inch wide ribbons. Roughly mince the garlic cloves and chop the onions.
- When the water has boiled, place the kale ribbons in the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, occasionally stirring the pot to make sure all the kale is submerged. Once the time is done, empty the pot into a large colander, letting the kale drain, then rinse it with cold water until the kale is cool enough to handle.
- Once the kale is cool to the touch, melt the butter on high heat in large skillet then reduce heat to medium and add the minced garlic. Let it cook for 30 seconds then add the onions. Cook until the onions soften, about 2 minutes or so.
- Add the kale, squeezing out as much water as possible first, then add the cream and nutmeg. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the cream reduces a bit. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper (I went with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper but your taste might vary). Serve immediately.
Nutrition
If you like this creamed kale recipe, check out some of these other kale recipes from around the web (that aren’t kale chips!):
Simply Recipes’ Kale with Seaweed, Sesame and Ginger
Food Republic’s Kale Latkes
The Year in Food’s Harvest Salad with Delicata Squash and Kale
Foodie Crush’s Kale and Cabbage Coleslaw with Marcona Almonds
What’s Gaby Cooking’s Hot Kale and Bacon Dip