The Best Baked Kale

Let’s face it. Things just aren’t the way they used to be.
Life before Instagram seems like 100 years ago.
More even. Life before smartphones: was there even life before smartphones?
The first iPhone was released in 2007 — a time when dinosaurs still prowled the Earth.
Smartphones have changed the way we live, they have collapsed so many things we use every day into a little block made of plastic, metal, and glass.
They have changed the very notion of what a phone is. It's no longer a device to make phone calls: A smartphone is an all-purpose pocket-size computer we can use to direct (and control) our lives.

And kale? What was life before kale? Seriously, what did urbanities and hipsters eat before the advent of kale?
Oh, the horror!
Luckily we don’t have to worry about it because nowadays we have IG, smartphones, and (more importantly) kale.
And we love kale, from salads to smoothies we put it everywhere. Am I right?

However, despite what you (and I) may think, kale is not going to solve all of our problems, but it could put a dent in them.
It’s high in fibre, iron and vitamin A, K and C.
So yeah, good stuff.

Even if you aren’t a huge fan of kale this recipe is going to be a game changer, I guarantee it.
The cooking method (blanching, sauteing, and baking) tames kale's bitterness all the while developing its flavor. The Swiss cheese complements the leafy green astonishingly well.
It’s really just the BEST kale I’ve ever had.
Now, put your pants on and go buy some kale!

The Best Baked Kale                                                                                                                         Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Serves 8 as a side

2 lbs / 900 gr kale
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 ½ tablespoons arrowroot flour (or regular white flour)
1 cup / 250 ml stock (I used beef stock)
¾ cup grated Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons gluten-free breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
1 teaspoon fine grain salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Stem and wash the kale.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kale, cover, and cook for 4 minutes, until tender.
Transfer to a colander, immediately fill the pot with cold water, transfer the kale back to the pot of cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again.
Squeeze a small amount of kale in your hands to extract as much water as possible. Transfer to a chopping board and roughly chop it.
Wipeout the pot and melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Stir in chopped kale and cook for two minutes or until all of the moisture has boiled off and the kale starts to stick to the bottom of the pot.
Lower the heat and sprinkle with flour. Stir for 2 minutes to cook the flour (the flour will stick to the pot, that’s okay!)
Add the stock, ¼ cup at a time, stirring between each addition.
Once all the liquid is added, simmer for 1 further minute. Finally stir in one tablespoons of butter.
Remove from the heat and stir in ½ cup of the cheese into the kale.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and place a rack in the middle.
Lightly grease a baking dish and pour the kale into it.
In a small bowl mix remaining ¼ cup of cheese with breadcrumbs and sprinkle on the kale.
Melt remaining tablespoon of butter and pour it over the top.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden on top.
Serve warm!

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 211 calories, 12 grams of fat, 20 grams of carbs, and 12 grams of protein.