Kale has been an important food since Roman times, and a long time common vegetable in Europe.
Kale is a member of the wild cabbage family, such as collard greens, broccoli and many others.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin is found in many vegetables and Kale is one of them, and besides the protein, fiber and vitamins, kale is low in oxalate acid.
For myself Kale was one of those greens which never ventured beyond a garnish. Spinach (high in oxalate acid) was my favorite green until I was advised to try a new eating style, meaning eating foods on a low oxalate acid list.
So, when I left the doctor’s office I held a two page list of vegetables, not to eat due to the high oxalate acid. In hand and out the door I left with a list of foods I once called all my favorites, veggie’s and nuts. Wow!
So!, I did lots of homework gathering information of do’s, don’ts and why, eat low oxalate veggie’s, as well as seasonings to use in smaller amounts, All this information was cross related to help people, with one type of disease or pain.
Finding tested and proven meals was few, yet once the understanding of change
was accepted and taste was accomplished, making meals was becoming enjoyable again.
Example: Replacement for red tomatoes, is yellow tomatoes
spinach is kale
raisins is golden currants and the list goes on….
Looking for good informational Low Oxalate Acid cookbooks are few, yet one I can recommend is “The low Oxalate Cookbook Book Two, by The VP Foundation” http://www.thevpfoundation.org/vpfcookbook.htm .
The recipes in the cookbook are done by individuals, with little bits of stories, and the front
part of the book gives up to date or latest information of test completed.
With that said, My replacement for spinach became Kale. There are many varieties of kale but most are coarse like cabbage so cooking it takes a wee bit longer, unless I remove or cut out any large ribs from the center of the leaves. I make healthy juices, smoothies and sautéing, so replacement of spinach was do-able. One of my favorites is kale in minestrone soup.
For myself, I do something a little different with kale that is not found in many recipes, when the ribs in the center of the leaf are large I pre-cook or blanch the greens and put it in the refrigerator so its ready for smoothies to reduce the crunchiness.
Better Homes and Garden has a nice white bean soup dish with kale that I can cook
ahead of time, for later outings such as day trip or camping,
it keeps well in the ice chest, or hot food carrier dish.
http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/how-to-cook-kale/ ,
For myself, I try not to waste any part of the kale, if the stems are thick,
I remove the leaf for lighter cooking and use the stems for stews, soup, or juices.
If you have not tried the veggie Kale, try it, soon with your favorite seasoning and veggies of color like yellow peppers.and white onions with a few fresh mushrooms, if you like.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38 will give you more
quick information about history, how to purchase and what to look for with Kale.
Thank you for stopping in…
Angels do know! 