Sweet & Sour Kale Delight

Ingredients (all organic preferred to avoid toxic pesticides & other residues):

Kale= 1 bunch of kale— “Rainbow Kale” (with the colorful spines & stems, is tasty, healthy & more delicate, while the very dark green & ‘wrinkly’ or ‘puckered’ “Dino (i.e. dinosaur) Kale” packs a somewhat more powerful nutrition wallop. But both can be made the same way, as described here.

= 1/2 a medium size red (preferred) or yellow onion

= 2-3 cloves fresh garlic

= 1/4 or 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

= 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

= 1 tablespoon honey

= 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

= 2 tablespoons dried parsley (or 1/4 cup fresh, chopped parsley)

= 1-1/2 tablespoons dried basil (or 1/4 cup fresh, chopped basil)

= 1/3 teaspoon sweet red paprika

= a knife-tip or sprinkling of cayenne pepper (to taste)

= salt (optional)

= 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

= 1/4 teaspoon or less dried thyme

Cooking Directions:

= First, prepare all ingredients & put them into separate containers:

  • Immerse kale in a big bowl of cold water mixed with 4-5 squirts of liquid Castile Soap (preferably Eucalyptus-infused soap for more effective removal of dust & other garden dirt). Wash well & transfer kale to colander & rinse with cold water. Discard soapy water, wash bowl, refill with clean cold water, immerse kale in it & rinse well. Wash & rinse colander, transfer kale into it, & while the excess water is dripping down, remove the hard ribs (stems) from the leaves & tear the larger pieces for easier cooking.
  • [NOTE: For safe-to-eat fresh salads, as well as for cooked dishes, it is advisable to wash all leafy vegetables (spinach, lettuce, cabbage, Bok-Choi, etc.) the same way.]
  • Chop onion & garlic & place them into separate bowls
  • Cut up fresh herbs & put them together in a bowl. If you mix fresh with dry herbs, they can all be placed in the same bowl.
  • Portion out the spices separately on a plate (in case you need to adjust individual quantities), then blend them together.
  • Pour Apple Cider Vinegar in measuring cup, add honey & stir until honey is completely blended (dissolved in liquid)

= In a soup pot, sauté chopped onion in olive oil (on very low heat, since olive oil is a low-heat fat) until onion pieces turn glassy.

= Add chopped garlic & sauté for about 5 seconds.

= Add kale & stir well to coat with olive oil, onion & garlic.

= Add 1 or 2 cups of spring water & stir.

= Add the herbs, spices, Worcestershire sauce & stir well.

= Simmer on Medium heat until kale is cooked to your liking—but not overcooked or mushy—making sure there is always enough water in pot to prevent burning.

= Stir in Apple Cider Vinegar & honey mix—& keep stirring ingredients thoroughly. Simmer for one more minute or less. (Add water if needed, to prevent burning & to allow some sauce, in case you want to serve the kale with mashed potatoes or pasta.)

= Remove from heat. Serve. Cool what is left over & refrigerate. It keeps fresh, with deepening flavors, for 7-10 days.

= This dish makes a great addition to omelets or scrambled eggs, as well as a reheated side dish for any meal or as saucy topping on starchy foods.

NOTE: Besides being a nutritious “super food,” Kale in general, but this dish in particular is also an excellent digestion aid and systemic cleanser.

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