Roasted Kale with Lemon & Garlic

Roasted Kale is lemony, salty, crunchy on the edges and generally out of this world delicious. It gets devoured in minutes and none of our kids complain. In fact, everyone always asks for seconds. So guess what we make ALL THE TIME! I kind of gave it away right?

It’s also a great way to easily add more healthy cruciferous vegetables into your daily diet. And when we can fill up our plates with vegetables that taste this good, it’s easy.

It can be a challenge to get kids to eat their dark, leafy greens. Every kid has their own “picky eater list” of foods they refuse to eat. Lots of healthy green veggies seem to end up on their lists, and kale is better known as a punchline than a kid favorite. That being said, this Kale might just change some minds.

Roasting Kale vs Kale Chips

Roasting kale is similar to making Kale Chips. But the two methods have their differences. Kale chips are light and crisp. They actually “crunch” when you bite into them. And they require the kale to be completely dry before preparation. Any moisture on the kale will take away from that chip-like texture. That’s where roasted kale becomes a little bit easier when you’re tight on time.

Your kale doesn’t have to be completely dry before roasting. I just rinse it and use a salad spinner before roasting. The salad spinner doesn’t get it completely dry, but it does the trick. And it’s fast! You could also rinse it and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Roasted kale will be tender and flavorful. And the edges will be crisp like the chips.

Cruciferous Vegetables?

There is a lot of buzz about cruciferous vegetables and glucosinolates. These chemicals naturally occur in cruciferous vegetables. Aside from giving the veggies their deep aroma and slightly bitter flavor, glucosinolates are also being explored for their anti-cancer properties. Studies show reductions in inflammatory markers and certain cancers in lab rats, but human studies haven’t yet definitively established the same link.

Either way, we know that vegetables are the centerpiece of a healthy diet. Eating our greens helps with weight management and increased regularity. And when they taste this good, it’s easy to let them fill up our plates 🙂

Cruciferous Vegetables Include:

• Kale
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Collard greens
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Bok Choy
• Chinese Cabbage
• Radish
• Arugala
• Kohlrabi
• Watercress
• Mustard greens
• Rutabaga
• Turnips
• Horseradish
• Wasabi

Preparing the Kale

Don’t eat the stems! If you’ve never made kale before, you’re not alone. For decades, it was better known as a garnish, not a side dish. But kale has stolen the vegetable spotlight for years now. Its firm leaves can stand up to cooking and roasting. Or they can be massaged into a tender salad.

When cleaning kale, rinse it under cool water and work the dirt away with your fingers. You can soak it in a salt or vinegar water bath first. But only rinsing is completely necessary. Gently tear the leaves away from the firm stem in the middle of the kale.

The thin part of the stem at the top will be fine to eat. But the thick stem that begins about 1/4 of the way down the kale leaf will need to be discarded, because it is tough and bitter. Dry the kale leaves in a salad spinner or pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Paper towel will do the trick, too.

Want more delicious dinner ideas? Check these out:

• Cornmeal Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Lemon Dill Cucumber Salad (Creamy)
• Salt n’ Vinegar Roasted Chickpeas

Roasted kale is super simple to make. It is full of lemon and garlic flavor. And it’s sure to please vegans and non-vegans alike. We hope you love it as much as we do!