I rolled into town at 6:00 am after sitting on a plane from SFO all night.

Red-eye flights are. . . interesting.  And exhausting.  Still, it was good to be home and back in my kitchen.

The in-laws were coming over for dinner and we were all craving something vaguely healthy.  I in particular was craving a massive dose of leafy green veggies, so kale was at the top of my list.

The dish I came up with surprised us all - its got a wonderful mix of spicy, sweet and earthy flavors, and if you’re not averse to eating veggies that have been cooked with meat, you can maintain an illusion of being vaguely vegetarian too!

Here are the details:

What you need:

  • three bunches kale
  • one medium onion finely sliced
  • 5 or 6 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 or so cup of white wine
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • crushed red pepper
  • thinly sliced sausage of your choice, though I recommend something with some spice to it - think chipotle, andoullie, chorizo, etc.
  1. wash and shred your kale into bite sized pieces
  2. thinly slice your onion, mince your garlic
  3. in a large pot, heat some olive oil, and when hot add garlic and cook gently over low heat
  4. as garlic starts to brown, add your onions, and cook for about 3 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add more oil if you think necessary.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with about 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper.  You should adjust the red pepper according to the spice level of your sausage.  Cook until the onions start to take on some color and are softened.
  6. Deglaze the pan with your white wine, and give that a few minutes to cook down.
  7. Add your sausage and stir for 3 or four minutes, allowing the sausage to take on some color.
  8. Add your kale along with any water clinging to the leaves and cover your pan.
  9. When you start to see steam escaping from the sides of the cover, turn heat down a bit, stir, and cook covered until kale is tender to your liking.  Stir occasionally.  I like to add a few sprays of bragg’s liquid aminos - if that appeals to you, go for it, otherwise leave it out.
  10. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Eat!  We served this over brown rice and it was wonderful - quick, easy, and reasonably good for you too.