Mexicanified Kale

Kale is considered a superfood because it is so nutrient packed!

The Benefits of Kale

At just 33 calories, one cup of raw kale has:

• Nearly 3 grams of protein
• 2.5 grams of fiber (which helps manage blood sugar and makes you feel full)
• Vitamins A, C, and K
• Folate, a B vitamin that’s key for brain development
• Alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. (While kale has far less omega-3 than fish, it is another way to get some of this healthy fat into your diet. 
• Lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients that give kale its deep, dark green coloring and protect against macular degeneration and cataracts.  
• Kale contains minerals including phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and zinc. 

I love Kale, and because we don't use a lot of dairy, I try to make sure we have our greens every day for the calcium.  So, this morning for brunch (Atzin woke up late and I was out running errands early this morning so breakfast was late), we had my "paleoified" machacado con huevos and the Mexicanified kale.  I like everything spicy, so this was hot to the taste.  Obviously, if you don't like chile, you would reduce the spicing.  You can sauté Kale any way you want - even as basic as garlic, salt, and pepper.  It's a quick and delicious side or meal. I did measure my spices for you!

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale (chopped) or bag from TJ's already chopped.
1 onion (diced)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 small jalapeño (minced - deseeded if you don't want it to be that hot - I use the seeds because my boy likes it really spicy and for his taste, I never make it hot enough).
1/4 cup cilantro (minced)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp New Mexico green chile powder (I used mild)
salt and pepper to taste
1 TBS Coconut oil (you can adjust this of course and add another TBS, but I try to be really cautious about the amount of fat, even if it's good fat that I use and try to get most of my good fats from foods that have naturally occurring fats like avocado or eggs rather than added fats).  Others may be able to be more generous with their serving of fat.  When I know I can splurge more, I add more good fat to my diet.

Directions
1. Prepare your ingredients that need mincing, chopping or dicing.
2. In a nonstick pan or a cast iron skillet, heat the oil.  Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, cumin, and chili powder.  Sauté a few minutes until onions are translucent.
3.  Add the kale (you may need to add it slowly if it doesn't fit at first depending on the size of your pan - adding more as what you have in the pan wilts -- I use the large skillet I purchased at Costco - it's a great size and all of the kale fits at once before wilted). Sauté until wilted.
4.  Salt and peper to taste.