Hekp with Kale

[ewatkins]

I tried a kale recipe for the first time and it was a disaster. It was Pasta with White Beans and Kale -- off the CL website a while back.
I expected the kale to cook down like spinach but even after cooking it a little while longer it was still so "crunchy". Plus there was a ton of it! I ate a few bites but it was like a tough salad. I ddin't even try to serve it to DH.
What did I do wrong? Is it supposed to be soft like spinach or "firm". The taste was ok but the texture was not appealing.

[emilycat]

etwatkins,

Kale can definitely get crunchy if it doesn't have enough moisture while it's cooking. If you're satueeing it, a good idea is to add water to the pan, or put a lid on it to keep the moisture from escaping.

Kale's one of my favorite greens, but its texture is decidedly different from that of spinach -- it doesn't wilt nearly as much, and you're right, it is much more "substantial" in texture than spinach. I love it, though; if you want to give it another try, I would suggest steaming or boiling it (the former method would be better, so you don't lose as many nutrients).

I hope this helps!


Emily