As I made my way through the (we will not name the number) bowl of creamed kale, I came to a very important realization.
Creamed kale tastes like it is really, really bad for you. It tastes like it is full of cream and cheese. Two things I adore, but when I’m eating kale, I like to think I’m doing something good for my body.
When I thought about the ingredients, I realized that there was a chance this creamed kale was actually healthy! I didn’t believe it at first either, because it certainly doesn’t taste it, but when I worked out the nutrition facts, I was left with a side dish that has about 100 calories per serving and a bonus of 10 grams of protein! I’m not one to get caught up on whether something is healthy or not during the holidays, I think it’s best to enjoy the celebration and eat the foods you enjoy, but this dish lets you have the best of both worlds.
Another bonus of this dish and not that I would ever condone this, but say you’ve got an uncle who is a little hesitant when it comes to kale. Maybe its your in-laws, I won’t tell. You could trick them into eating, and liking kale. Sometimes I hear things like, “why do you like hippy food?” or “why do you eat like a rabbit?” and I feel the need to retaliate. I know, it isn’t right. But its totally fun.
Enjoy your rabbit food Uncle Mike. 
Per serving: 118 calories, 6 g fat, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein. *Can be made ahead of time, just re-heat and serve. **Recipe adapted from Real Food, Winter 2008
Ingredients
- 2 bunches kale
- 1/2 onion, sliced paper thin
- 3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- Wash kale and remove stems.
- Roughly chop.
- Pour 2 cups water in large pot with onion slices and garlic.
- Bring to a boil and boil for about 2 minutes.
- Lower heat to medium high, and add kale to pot, sprinkling with salt.
- Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Drain kale-onion mixture and press all water from it.
- Add cheese and cottage cheese to food processor (or blender) and process until smooth.
- Add butter and kale-onion mixture to food processor and process to desired consistency.
- Serve hot with shredded parmesan cheese if desired.
Hint: To easily remove stems from kale, grab bottom of leaf in right hand and pull down with left hand.
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{ 15 comments }
This looks amazing – I love creamed spinach and don’t eat it when it’s not homemade because I know it’s full of fat… this looks like a wonderful alternative!
Genius! I love kale unadorned with creamy sauce, but this takes it to a whole new level! I’m still not sure my kids will it it, but that just mean more for me
Emily. Seriously. Looks SO GOOD! I used to be world’s biggest creamed spinach fan, but then fat became the devil and I haven’t had it in years – even after I relaxed with the food habits. I can’t wait for the holiday craziness to calm down so I can whip up a bowl
Yes, it is good anytime of year!
OMG!! I can hardly wait to go to the grocery store and buy the ingredients for this! And so much protein?! I love that! Thanks for sharing!
yum yum YUM!!!
I never thought to make creamed kale…this is genius! I cannot wait to try it
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Love this recipe! I never really thought to use kale for the spinach but this is such a great idea.
OH my gosh! This looks fantastic!!! Holy comfort food batman!!
I think I will make this at Christmas when I’m at my In-Laws…I’m a HUGE fan of sneaking veggies into foods….Take my whole wheat cinnamon buns with Butternut Squash puree for instance!! Sneaky Sneaky!
What a great idea to use cottage cheese instead of cream!! Amps up the protein and the calcium! I’ll have to give this a try.
Can’t wait to try this! I might even be able to get my boyfriend to eat kale if its covered in cheese
Omg! Yes! I love your blog even more b/c of this recipe
I greatly appreciate all the info I’ve read here. I will spread the word about your blog to other people. Cheers.
Heart Healthy Recipes
This sounds so good! I was picturing it as a dip too. Great substitute for spinach especially considering kale has sailed the charts to one of my fave veggies.
I love this idea – especially the retaliation!
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