Micro- and macroelements, vitamins and acids contained in kale. What are its beneficial properties for health, are there any contraindications to the use of this vegetable. How to prepare first courses and salads from it. This cabbage is widely used to create sports nutrition products, in therapeutic diets for cholecystitis and pancreatitis. It is indispensable for those who work out in the gym, want to burn excess fat and finally stop hiding their body under several layers of clothing.
Note! Kale is a great alternative to meat for vegetarian, vegan, and raw food aficionados. It has everything you need for such a diet, except for vitamins B12 and D.
Harm and contraindications to the use of kale
Kale, along with spinach, contains a lot of oxalates, which, when ingested, can crystallize. The formed granules are poorly removed from it, settling in the gallbladder and kidneys. That is why such a vegetable should not be considered primarily suffering from pyelonephritis and microliths, gallstone disease.
Care should be taken with the curly-haired inhabitant of the garden in the following cases:
- Diabetes … Everything is quite clear here, since the leaves contain a lot of sugar.
- Colitis … Raw cabbage injures the inflamed mucous membranes and in this case can even lead to the appearance of a duodenal ulcer.
- Gastritis … With such a disease, it is allowed to eat boiled or stewed vegetables in small quantities and without salt.
- Individual intolerance to the product … Ignoring this contraindication of kale cabbage can lead to nausea, vomiting, weakness, which usually occurs 2-3 hours after eating. Also, allergies often appear, the skin turns red and itches.
Note! A stale vegetable that has lain in a warm place for more than 2-3 days can cause harm. Therefore, you need to store it only in the refrigerator in cling film or plastic bag for no more than a week. Freezing of chopped feces for the winter is allowed.
Calais recipes
Only the leaves are suitable for eating - the stems are too tough, and there are practically no nutrients in them. The former are mainly used for cold and warm salads, soups, borscht, cutlets. This vegetable is baked and stewed extremely rarely, but pickled and salted quite often. Since it does not have a pronounced taste, it should be supplemented with other ingredients - carrots, onions, cheese, meat, etc.
Here are just a few interesting recipes:
- Cutlets … Twist one bunch in a meat grinder, the same amount of carrots and white onions "Sterling". Then combine everything, add 1 tbsp. l. semolina, 2 tbsp. l. fat sour cream, a little dill, salt and pepper to taste. Then pour flour or breadcrumbs onto a plate, roll the cutlets in them and fry them in a large amount of refined vegetable oil until golden brown. If the dough is falling apart, you can drive in 1 egg. Next, transfer everything to an enamel pan, fill with gravy (3 tablespoons of tomato + 50 ml of water + salt and pepper) and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Borsch … Prepare veal broth and season with salt and pepper. Then go to the frying - peel, grate and fry 1 each carrot, onion and beet. Next, pour home tomato (100 ml) into the pan, increase the gas and, after boiling the dressing, remove it from the stove. Now peel the potatoes (2 medium), dice and add to the broth. Pour chopped cabbage here, which will need no more than 0.5 kg. Boil the borscht for 15-20 minutes, before serving it, add chopped dill and sour cream to the tureens.
- Cold salad … Wash 200g cherry tomatoes, one avocado and one red pepper. Then finely chop them, and then the cabbage itself (300-500 g). At the end, mix everything together, add sea salt, garlic and olive oil - all to your liking. Stir the mixture and place on large plates. Decorate the sides with Adyghe cheese or feta.
- Warm salad … You will need to cut a small pumpkin into 4 parts, remove the pulp from it, boil it for 10-15 minutes. Next, it must be mixed with chopped kale leaves (no more than 1-2 bunches), 4 chopped garlic cloves, 2 tbsp. l. coconut oil. Finish with salt, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil to your liking. Now all this needs to be transferred to a baking sheet, greased with corn oil, and left in the oven on for 20 minutes. You should have 4 servings in total.
- Smoothie … All you need to do is peel one pineapple, wash 100g blueberries and 300g cabbage. All this is crushed and placed in a blender bowl, preferably submersible. Then choose the highest speed and beat the mass until a homogeneous gruel of the type of puree is formed. If it comes out highly concentrated, add 20% water. At the end, pour the drink into a glass, insert a cocktail straw into it and enjoy the amazing taste. It's just perfect for weight loss!
- Vegetable soup … Place in boiling water (2 L) cherry tomatoes (50 g), canned peas (3rd part), one diced carrot and onion rings. Boil these vegetables for 20 minutes, and then add cabbage twisted in a meat grinder (about 200 g) to them. Then season the soup with salt and pepper and let it rise, covered, for 10 minutes. At the end, you can add one grated cheese and beat it like mashed potatoes.
- Pancakes … They are prepared in almost the same way as cutlets, however, the mass should be more liquid. Therefore, you need to grind 500 g of leaves, add kefir (100 ml), salt and pepper, 2 eggs and 0.5 cups of flour. Now you just need to put the dough in a well-heated frying pan, drizzled with oil, and fry like ordinary pancakes. Before they cool, they can be brushed with butter and sprinkled with fresh chopped dill.
Important! It is quite possible to make your own changes to kale recipes by adding your favorite ingredients. The only thing you shouldn't experiment with is fish, which doesn't go well with such a demanding vegetable.
Interesting facts about kale
Surprisingly, eating as little as 100 grams of raw vegetable per day can easily replace 300 grams of meat. At the same time, there is no harmful cholesterol, a high percentage of carbohydrates and fats that clog blood vessels. The protein found in feces leaves is considered one of the most easily digestible and beneficial for humans.
In Australia, some varieties of this cabbage are grown exclusively for decorative purposes, to decorate lawns in front of houses. At the same time, in Italy, California and Scandinavia, she is almost the most desirable "guest" in the refrigerator, actively used to prepare the first and second courses.
In appearance, kale does not at all fit into the "Cabbage" family, it rather resembles greens, which in fact it is. Due to its varied composition, it is quite possible to put it on a par with salad, spinach, cilantro and basil. This sheds light on why many raw food aficionados make green smoothies and smoothies with them.
How to cook kale - watch the video:
Considering the health benefits of kale, it’s just weird not to include it on your menu. And even if you are not going to eat this kinky vegetable every day, it will reflect on your health in the most positive way.
