Kale

A nutritional powerhouse, Kale is an excellent source of vitamins A,B6,C, K and folate. This green leafy plant is loaded with beneficial plant compounds, minerals and antioxidants. Kale has many possible health benefits including lowering cholesterol levels, improving skin health, type 2 diabetes prevention and improving bone density.

Ideas for how to use different varieties of kale in your daily cooking:
• Curly kale tastes bitter and peppery. It can be used in salads or soup, roasted, blanched or steamed.
• Tuscan or Black kale is sweet and mild, delicious in pasta or stew.
• Red Russian kale is nutty, sweet and earthy, perfect for eating raw so it works well in salads.
• Redbore kale has a mild, cabbage like flavour and gives any dish a pop of colour!

Kale Cesar Salad with Bacon and Homemade Croutons

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients
• 1 bunch of freshly washed dried kale
• 2 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy
• 1 tbsp parmesan cheese

Croutons
• 1 ½ slices of wholewheat or sourdough bread cut into cubes
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Dressing
• 50g natural yoghurt
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ clove of pressed garlic
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Method
1. Combine all ingredients for the dressing together in a mason jar and shake well until combined
2. Cook. The bacon until crisp and remove it to a plate with some paper towels to absorb the excess grease
3. Add the cubed bread to the pan with the reserved bacon grease along with the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss well.
4. Toast until the bread starts to turn a slight golden brown colour and becomes a little bit crispy.
5. Rip kale leaves off the stems and chop into small pieces, toss into a bowl with dressing a massage the kale to soften for about 5 minutes.
6. Add bacon, croutons and parmesan cheese, mix well and serve immediately!