Tuscan Kale with Garlic & Lemons

I love organic kale and Tuscan kale is my favourite kale to eat and cook with as it needs no draining after cooking like most greens.

It’s quite bitter so I love to pair it with garlic and lemon (and parmesan cheese) to offset the bitterness.

You do need to de-stem the kale as the white stem is tough and not edible (you can use it for flavour, added to stews and broths).

Leftovers: leftover kale reheats well and I love to add it in my pan with my morning eggs. You can also add the kale to any stews or soups. You can also freeze any cooked kale (in ice cube trays) to ‘greenify’ most things.

This is a versatile side and I love it with rice dishes like this Spring Pilaf (here)

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 bunches Tuscan kale, white rind removed, leaves shredded & washed (no need to dry the leaves)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• pinch smoked chilli flakes (opt)
• 1 large lemon, zest and juice
• salt & pepper

1. Add the oil to a saucepan (with a lid) and heat to a medium heat, add the garlic, chilli flakes, squeeze of lemon and two generous pinches salt and pepper, stir until fragrant, 3 minutes. TIP: keep an eye on the garlic, we want to cook the garlic without colouring it as burnt garlic is bitter.
2. Add the washed leaves to the pan and stir to combine with the garlic and the oil. The excess water on the leaves will be enough moisture to wilt the kale, if your kale is dry, add 2 tablespoons water to the pan.
3. Staying on a medium heat, cover the pan and let the kale cook for 3 minutes. Carefully remove the lid, the kale should be dark green and wilted, have a taste and decide if you want your kale to cook a bit longer, add the lid and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
4. When you are happy with the kale, season with the zest of lemon, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt & pepper. Enjoy!