Festive Sautéed Kale with Toasted Hazelnuts

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Keeping kale on hand is an absolute must for me. It’s such a versatile vegetable that you can transform into a main salad, side dish or add to recipes for a nutritional boost. So, when I thought about a quick side dish to whip up to take a holiday party, kale naturally came to mind!

Kale is after all one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. It’s rich in vitamins A and C, as well as flavanoids and polyphenols, making it a powerful antioxidant. In fact, one cup of raw kale has more vitamin C than an orange. Kale is also one of the world’s richest sources of vitamin K, with one cup providing 1000 mcg or over 600% of the daily recommend intake for adults. Why do we need vitamin K? It’s critical to blood clotting, bone formation and osteoporosis prevention.

While kale is the hero of this side dish, apples and cranberries add in additional pizzazz, and balance out the slight bitterness of the kale with sweet harmony. Massaging the kale with lemon juice before cooking, will also decrease kales bitter notes. Lastly, toasted hazelnuts add in a warmth and depth of flavor. Please don’t skip this step, as toasting them brings out richness and makes it easy to remove the bitter outer skin.

So, whip out some kale and take this recipe to your next holiday gathering! And don’t forget to take a photo, post it to Instagram and tag #benutrition.

 

XO,

Basheerah

 

 

Festive Sautéed Kale with Toasted Hazelnuts

Prep time: 15 mins     |  Cook time:  10 mins   |   Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 8

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup hazelnuts
  • 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 medium honey crisp apple, cut into small chunks
  • 2 lbs lacinato or Tuscan kale (roughly 2 bunches), stemmed, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 tsp salt (preferably Applewood smoked sea salt)
  • pepper to taste

Directions

Prep:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF (176ºC).
  2. Place hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast 8-10 minutes, tossing once or twice, until fragrant and skins have blistered. Bundle nuts in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove skins. Spread out and let cool, then coarsely chop. Set aside.
  3. Finely chop the shallot.
  4. Chop the apple.
  5. De-stem the kale and roughly chop or tear with hands. In a large bowl, massage the juice of half a lemon into the kale. This will help decrease bitterness.  

Make:

  1. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. When hot, add coconut oil.
  2. Add shallots and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
  3. Add the apples and cranberries and sauté for 2 minutes, just to slightly brown them.
  4. Add kale, water, and salt and pepper, mix well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally.
  5. Remove the cover and continue cooking until most of the water has cooked away. Serve hot and Enjoy!

 

Nutrition Info (per serving):

161 calories (81 from fat), 125mg sodium, 9g fat, 19g carbohydrate, 5g dietary fiber, 6g protein

 

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Basheerah EnahoraComment