Simple Kale Supper

Based on my last post regarding cooking techniques, I decided to try steaming kale instead of stir-frying for this recipe it in order to retain as many healthful molecules as possible.

I love just looking in my refrigerator and cleaning out ingredients to come up with something tasty, healthy, and easy for supper. This "Simple Kale Supper" fits that bill.

(Photo: Kale from our community garden - almost too beautiful to eat!)

Ingredients:
• large bunch of kale, chop
• bunch green onions, slice
• 1 large tomato, small dice
• ~1/2# firm tofu, drain, pat dry, cut into 1-inch cubes
• brown rice (Use left-over rice in the refrig if you have it ! If you don't, start a large amount before you start chopping your other ingredients).
• ~1 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying vegetables and tofu.
• Optional sauces: soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, peanut sauce, sweet-sour sauce.

Special note: These ingredients are what I had available. Use what you have: for instance you might have a small amount of left over chicken, beef, fish, or even some dried beans, in addition to many other little bits of fresh vegetables you wish to use up. You may have some left-over pasta or grains of some type instead of needing to cook up some rice. I have even served stir-fried vegetables over torn up toast pieces in order to use up a loaf of bread. Be creative - don't feel beholden to my recipe!

Directions:
1) Start the rice cooking if that is what you are going to serve the vegetables over. I admit to just loving my rice steamer. I can get the rice started, plan on finishing up the recipe in ~1 hour and then forget the rice. No worries about having it overcooked or undercooked.

(Photo: Rice Steamer)

2) Drain, pat dry and chop the tofu.
3) Chop your vegetables

(Photo: Tofu and vegetables chopped and ready to go)

4) About 15 minutes before your rice steamer is finished, steam the kale in a steamer just until wilted and tender (no more than 5 minutes). Save the water in the bottom of the steamer for soup broth later in the week. Or freeze for use at some future date.

(Photo: Vegetable steamer - I love this gadget!)

5) About 5 minutes before your rice cooker is ready to "ding", start heating the oil in your wok or pan for stir-frying the tofu and vegetables. Quickly stir-fry the vegetables and tofu until the tofu is browned and the vegetables are hot. Add the steamed kale, stir to distribute evenly.

6) Spoon ~1 cup of the rice on each plate and split the vegetables and tofu in half and distribute over the rice. (I will put extra rice into freezer bags to have for a quick supper (i.e., my own fast food) in the future).

7) These ingredients as pictured served two hearty dinners. Increase amount of tofu and vegetables for more servings or for left-overs to have for lunch tomorrow.

(Photo: Simple Kale Supper)

Steaming the kale is an extra step, but not really excessively time-consuming. It does result in one additional pan and the steamer that need to be washed, but they are easy enough to do by hand without even taking space in the dishwasher.

Simple, easy, healthy, beautiful and you cleaned out your refrigerator without any delicious and costly vegetables going "slimy" and into the compost pile.

Where kale is more than decoration on my plate!

Diana Dyer, MS, RD

What's in kale and how to keep it there!

(Photo: Fall harvested kale from our community garden, multiple curly varieties)

A reader recently asked a good question about which cooking methods cause the most loss of nutrients in kale; specifically he was wondering about the relative benefits of raw versus steamed kale. Reading a number of research studies investigating this question in Brassica vegetables shows a variety of answers. However, here are abstracts from two recent articles:

(1) Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE B, 2009 Vol. 10(8):580~588, Yuan GF, Sun B, Yuan J, Wang QM. Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds of broccoli.

The effects of five domestic cooking methods, including steaming, microwaving, boiling, stir-frying, and stir-frying followed by boiling (stir-frying/boiling), on the nutrients and health-promoting compounds of broccoli were investigated. The results show that all cooking treatments, except steaming, caused significant losses of chlorophyll and vitamin C and significant decreases of total soluble proteins and soluble sugars. Total aliphatic and indole glucosinolates were significantly modified by all cooking treatments but not by steaming.

In general, the steaming led to the lowest loss of total glucosinolates, while stir-frying and stir-frying/boiling presented the highest loss. Stir-frying and stir-frying/boiling, the two most popular methods for most homemade dishes in China, cause great losses of chlorophyll, soluble protein, soluble sugar, vitamin C, and glucosinolates, but the steaming method appears the best in retention of the nutrients in cooking broccoli (I suspect the same will be true for kale and other Brassica vegetables).

This next abstract shows the many points between raw, cooking, consumption, and absorption that influence the potential outcome for health-promotion from eating Brassica vegetables.

(2) Proc Nutr Soc. 2007 Feb;66(1):69-81. Effect of cooking brassica vegetables on the subsequent hydrolysis and metabolic fate of glucosinolates. Rungapamestry V, Duncan AJ, Fuller Z, Ratcliffe B.

The protective effects of brassica vegetables against cancer may be partly related to their glucosinolate content. Glucosinolates are hydrolysed by plant myrosinase following damage of plant tissue. Isothiocyanates are one of the main groups of metabolites of glucosinolates and are implicated in the preventive effect against cancer. During cooking of brassica the glucosinolate-myrosinase system may be modified as a result of inactivation of plant myrosinase, loss of enzymic cofactors such as epithiospecifier protein, thermal breakdown and/or leaching of glucosinolates and their metabolites or volatilisation of metabolites. Cooking brassica affects the site of release of breakdown products of glucosinolates, which is the upper gastrointestinal tract following consumption of raw brassica containing active plant myrosinase. After consumption of cooked brassica devoid of plant myrosinase, glucosinolates are hydrolysed in the colon under the action of the resident microflora. Feeding trials with human subjects have shown that hydrolysis of glucosinolates and absorption of isothiocyanates are greater following ingestion of raw brassica with active plant myrosinase than after consumption of the cooked plant with denatured myrosinase. The digestive fate of glucosinolates may be further influenced by the extent of cell rupture during ingestion, gastrointestinal transit time, meal composition, individual genotype and differences in colonic microflora.

Bottom Line? Enjoy all varieties of kale and other Brassica vegetables using all methods of preparation, however, it seems prudent to consume as much as possible either raw (well-chewed or put into a smoothie) or lightly steamed to maximize their cancer-fighting potential.

Where kale is more than decoration on my plate!

Diana Dyer, MS, RD

Recipe: Eggs with Kale

There is no real shopping list for this recipe. If you have some kale and eggs in the house (or backyard), I am sure you also have enough other vegetables to fill up a pan and whip up this supper, breakfast, lunch, or snack in a jiffy!

I love just looking in the refrigerator, the pantry, the freezer, or even the backyard (or our community garden) to see what I have available to make a quick meal. Although I do enjoy eating "fancy food" and do regularly try new recipes from cookbooks, I don't often cook gourmet recipes from cookbooks, magazines, or TV shows. I guess I prefer eating what are called "rustic" dishes, but I also do have a fully stocked pantry of staples such as brown rice both on the shelf ready to cook but usually also in the freezer already cooked and ready to quickly thaw to complete my own "fast food" meals.

In this case, I had been recently thinking about the recipes I remembered that were included in the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. One of my favorites was a quick and easy one called something like "eggs in a nest" (that may be correct or simply paraphrasing). In any case, it was easy, delicious, and fast, and apparently memorable!

Here are my ingredients as pictured:

• large handful of kale (about 5-6 medium leaves), washed, large tough stems removed, and then cut into strips
• two handfuls of fingerling potatoes, washed, steamed, and then diced
• 1 roasted red pepper, cut into big chunks
• medium handful of flat parley leaves, washed, dried, and chopped coarsely
• very large handful of green onions, whites and greens chopped (probably 2-3 bunches)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 4 eggs (use more if desired)
• Olive oil, enough only to coat the pan (I used my large cast-iron skillet)
• Smoked paprika for shaking over eggs when done


Directions:
• Pour small amount of olive oil into skillet, heat over medium high
• Add garlic and white part of onions, cook until just starting to sizzle and the aroma in the room is intoxicating (just a few minutes)
• Add all other vegetables, stir around in oil, cook for a few minutes until kale is just starting to wilt
• Spread vegetables out evenly into pan, make little depressions in the vegetable medley for the number of eggs you are using
• Break one egg into each depression
• Cover and turn down heat to medium and cook until eggs whites and yolks are done as you like them (this might take 10-15 minutes)
• Sprinkle the eggs with smoked paprika for a lovely smoky, bacon-like flavor and a beautiful color
• If your cast-iron pan is well seasoned, the servings will just slip out with a spatula onto a plate.
• Serve with cooked brown rice or toast, fresh green salad, or fresh fruit for a filling meal.

(Photo: Kale vegetable medley with eggs in their "nests")

(Photo: lid on to help steam the vegetables and eggs)

(Photo: Eggs with Kale, sprinkled with smoked paprika, all ready to serve and eat!)

With kale and eggs in your refrigerator or out your back door, cooking does not get much easier than this. Enjoy - yum, yum!

Where kale is more than decoration on my plate!

Diana Dyer, MS, RD

Recipe: Brassica "Tri-fecta" Stir Fry

(Photo: Brassica "Tri-fecta" Stir Fry)

Remember in a previous post that I mentioned I made a stir-fry dish using three different types of Brassica vegetables: red cabbage, baby bok choy, and yellow cauliflower? It was beautiful, easy, and tasty. I think this recipe might be called the Brassica "Tri-fecta" Stir-fry!

Because I always have several Brassica vegetables on hand, this dish really became a way to simply use up what was hanging out in the refrigerator. The baby bok choy had been picked from our garden, and the yellow cauliflower and red cabbage had come from Tantré Farm, one of our area's local organic farms. Thus chopping up those vegetables, adding some onion, garlic, and whatever else might be available to throw in the wok or skillet is an easy supper. I added some firm tofu and served over the mixture rice. Any seasoning could be added, and I chose some sweet curry.

I'm sorry that the yellow cauliflower does not really show up well in the stir-fry photo. It is shaped like regular white cauliflower but is a beautiful soft shade of yellow. The flavor is milder than white cauliflower, but an advantage is the higher level of health-promoting molecules called carotenoids, of which beta-carotene (pre-vitamin A) is just one. Here is what it will look like at your local farmers' market or grocery store. Buy it the next time you are shopping for a new way to include your Brassica vegetables.


All Brassica vegetables are "winners", no need to think about which are the top three for a true "tri-fecta". So choose any from the list on the right side of my blog for your next easy, healthy, and delicious stir-fry dinner! Be sure to make enough to have for lunch the next day, too. Stir-fry recipes may seem time-consuming due to the amount of chopping, but here is the perfect place to enlist the help of your family members. Start your evening "catch-up" conversation at the counter-top instead of waiting for the table-top!

Where kale is more than decoration on my plate!

Diana Dyer, MS, RD

Research: Eat your broccoli and eat some raw

Mom Was Right: Eat Your Broccoli and eat at least some of it raw. Why?

Two studies published this year help us both understand how one of the important molecules we obtain from broccoli (and other Brassica vegetables like kale and all those listed on the right side of this blog) helps optimize our health and also how to maximize the level in our body.

(1) The first study (Oral sulforaphane increases Phase II antioxidant enzymes in the human upper airway. Clin Immunol. 2009 Mar;130(3):244-51. Riedl MA, Saxon A, Diaz-Sanchez D) found that the molecule sulforaphane increases enzymes that cut inflammation in our respiratory system that have been linked to increased risk of allergic rhinits, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This was a human study that used varying doses of broccoli sprouts or alfalfa sprouts to test responses of various enzymes involved in these processes. The broccoli sprouts showed significant increase (~2-3 fold increase over baseline levels) in these detoxifying enzymes while the alfalfa sprouts showed no response.

(2) The second study (Bioavailability and kinetics of sulforaphane in humans after consumption of cooked versus raw broccoli, J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Nov 26;56(22):10505-9. Vermeulen M, Klöpping-Ketelaars IW, van den Berg R, Vaes WH) aimed to determine the bio-availability and kinetics (how fast it is metabolized) of sulforaphane from raw and cooked broccoli.

When consuming 200 grams of raw or cooked broccoli (approx 1/2 pound) with a warm meal, this study shows that consumption of raw broccoli results in faster absorption, higher bio-availability (37% versus 3.4%), and higher peak plasma amounts of sulforaphane, compared to cooked broccoli.

I will still consume some cooked broccoli (quickly stir-fried or very lightly steamed, in each case so the broccoli is still crunchy), but these studies add to data from other studies that at least some of these vegetables that we consume should be raw (and chewed well since that is a necessary step in the release of the sulforaphane molecule, thus developing maximum levels of sulforaphane to be absorbed into our body).

However, variety, variety, variety are still key for both types of foods to eat and preparation methods. It is well accepted that some nutrients or phytochemicals are better absorbed after cooking (lycopene from tomatoes is one example) because the cooking process breaks down the plant's cell walls, thus releasing the intra-cellular molecules to be more available for absorption.

At the very least, be sure to eat the decorative kale leaves that may come on your plate in a restaurant!

Where kale (along with broccoli and all other Brassica vegetables) are more than decoration on my plate!

Diana Dyer, MS, RD

What's in kale? Sulforaphane

(Photo: Curly kale varieties from Tantré Farms at the Ann Arbor, MI Farmers' Market)

This post could also be entitled "Research: Kale and other brassica vegetables may protect against heart disease, too!"

A new study has shown that a compound called sulforaphane, from brassica vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale, may protect arteries from disease by boosting a natural defense mechanism. (Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Sept 2009, “Activation of Nrf2 in Endothelial Cells Protects Arteries From Exhibiting a Pro-inflammatory State”, M. Zakkar, et al.)

Sulforaphane ia a compound most widely associated with broccoli. Highest levels of sulforaphane are found in commercially available broccoli sprouts, but are also present in all brassica vegetables. In this recently published research, sulforaphane as an individual molecule (not from a whole food), was shown to activate a protein called Nrf2 in arteries. While the protein is normally present and active in the inner lining of arteries, in areas of arteries that are susceptible to disease, i.e., the bends and branches of arteries, the researchers found that Nrf2 is inactive, which may explain why those areas are sights for inflammation, an early stage in the development of heart disease such as atherosclerosis.

Both cell studies and animal studies showed that sulforaphane could reduce inflammation at these high risk areas by turning on the activity of the Nrf2 protein. The researchers next steps are to test whether eating a vegetable such as broccoli (or kale or other brassicas) will have the same protective effect for both prevention and reducing progression in already diseased arteries.

Cruciferous vegetables, like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, contain high levels of the active plant chemicals called glucosinolates (see one of my previous blog postings about glucosinolates). The glucosinlates are metabolized in our body into another group of molecules called isothiocyanates, which are known to be powerful anti-carcinogens. The main isothiocyanate from broccoli is sulforaphane.

Considerable previous research regarding the potential benefits of broccoli and sulforaphane have focused on the anti-cancer effects. Epidemiological (population data) and animal studies have shown that diets high in cruciferous vegetables result in fewer instances of certain cancers, especially lung, colon, breast, ovarian and bladder cancer.

This study clearly adds to growing research that including kale and other brassica vegetables in the diet on a frequent, even daily, basis may have multiple health benefits, however, the portion size needed to experience these benefits will likely be much larger than just nibbling around the edges of the decorative kale on your plate once in a while!

As a tip, in addition to all the other brassica vegetables I grow or purchase, I do enjoy eating broccoli sprouts by adding them in salads. I also use them in place of lettuce in sandwiches or wraps especially during the winter if I cannot find lettuce to purchase grown by our local farmers in their hoop houses, which permit nearly year-round production of fresh greens even as far north as Michigan. (Note: I highly recommend obtaining all the various healthful molecules available in our food (many of which have not yet been studied) instead of purchasing a bottle of just one molecule as a dietary supplement.)

Last night I made a stir-fry dish using three different types of brassica vegetables: red cabbage, baby bok choy, and yellow cauliflower. It was beautiful and tasty. I finished it for lunch today. I think that easy recipe might be called the Brassica Tri-fecta Stir-fry! I'll post that recipe and a photo separately.

Where kale is more than decoration on my plate!

Diana Dyer, MS, RD

Transplanting arugula

A friend dug up an aruluga plant to give me a start from her front-yard garden ~10 days ago. It is special - a variety called "Italian Rustic". I definitely would call its flavor 'assertive'! Only a few leaves need be added to a salad to give it some hefty bite.

I dug a big hole, filled it with fresh compost from our back-yard compost bin, watered the hole, and then made room for the plant's roots to spread out before watering again, and finally filling in the top of the hole with the dirt I dug out. It went from perky to flat overnight, and I wondered if I had killed it.

(Photo: transplanted Italian rustic arugula (flat, in the center of the photo), in among some kale, lavender, and strawberries right by our back garage door)

However, I faithfully kept the soil moist in between rains (not soaked). It took a week to become perky again. It must have finally decided that it likes its new home, and this is now what it looks like, just standing straight up, each leaf reaching for the sun, and downright spicy when I pick a leaf to sample. This variety is supposed to be cold tolerant, so I am hoping that having it right by my house, on the south side, in a little warmish micro-climate, will help it winter over so I can dig it up to take to its new home on our farm next spring and then just let it spread by seed popping, just like my friend's had (she had no trouble finding me a new volunteer start to dig up to share!).


Where kale (and other brassica vegetables) are more than decoration on my plate!

Diana Dyer, MS, RD