Kale is the trendiest member of the cabbage family and the healthy foodie’s favourite, with good reason. It’s packed full of skin-benefitting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Kale is high in vitamin C, an antioxidant needed to make collagen, the protein that gives our skin its structure and stretch. The amount of collagen our body produces declines as we age, so it’s a good idea to keep our diet topped up with foods that support collagen production.
Vitamin C is water-soluble, meaning it dissolves in water and the body can’t store it so we need a regular supply from our diet. Stir-frying kale uses no water so helps to preserve the vitamin content. You can eat kale raw for the most nutritional value, but lightly cooking it makes it easier on your digestive system and less bitter.
Kale is also high in the antioxidant beta-carotene. The body takes this beta-carotene and converts it into vitamin A, giving our immune system a boost and helping to keep our skin and vision healthy.
Kale is a good plant-based source of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, selenium and potassium. Many people with skin issues benefit from reducing dairy in their diet. Eating kale and other green leafy vegetables is a great way to get calcium if you’re minimising dairy.
That’s an awful lot of goodness from such a little leaf.
This recipe is one of my favourite ways to eat kale. It makes a great side dish or a meal on its own.
Ingredients
1 red onion, sliced
1 bag (200g) kale, washed
½ cucumber, sliced
1 block feta cheese, chopped or crumbled
Extra virgin olive oil
Serves 2 – 4
Directions
Slice the onion, cucumber and feta cheese. Remove any obvious tough stalks from the kale then wash and dry the leaves.
Heat a little olive oil in your frying pan or wok. Add the onion and sauté until it’s almost cooked to your liking. Add the kale and continue to sauté for a further two to three minutes, or until the kale starts to wilt. Remove from the heat as soon as the kale starts to wilt to preserve as many nutrients as possible.
Kales tastes best when it’s still a nice bright shade of green so you don’t want to overcook it.
Remove from the heat and divide into serving bowls. Top with the sliced cucumber and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle with some extra olive oil and serve.
Serve as a main meal or a tasty side dish.
Tip: I like this dish hot but it also works well cold. Just remove the kale and onions from the heat to cool before adding the rest of the ingredients.