Best Creamed Curly Kale Recipes

COCONUT CREAMED KALE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 3-quart/9-by-13-inch baking pan, use a fork to stir together the coconut milk, curry powder, ginger and sambal oelek. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a generous grind of black pepper.
• Add half the kale and use your hands to toss to coat. Add the remaining kale, season with salt and pepper, and massage with your hands so that the volume decreases a bit, and the kale no longer extends above the pan's edge. Toss just once or twice so some of the kale is coated in sauce.
• Bake for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with coconut flakes, then continue to bake until the sauce has thickened and the kale on top is crisp, another 10 to 15 minutes, keeping an eye on the coconut flakes to avoid burning. Serve warm.

KALE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the tough, fibrous ribs from the kale leaves and discard the ribs. Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Reserve any tender stems and finely chop. Keep the leaves and chopped stems separate.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the kale leaves to the boiling water and cook until tender and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the kale to the ice water bath. Once completely cool, drain well. Bring the water back to a boil, then add the squash. Cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well and reserve the pot.
• Place the pot over medium-high heat. Melt the butter, then add the reserved kale stems, garlic, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the kale leaves, squash, heavy cream, cream cheese, Parmesan and nutmeg until well combined and smooth. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Stir together the breadcrumbs, parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined, then sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake until golden brown and bubbling at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.

CREAMED CURLY KALE

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice water and set it aside.
• Set a large stock pot full of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the kale ribbons to the boiling water and blanch until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes. Scoop the kale from the water and toss it into the ice bath to stop it cooking and set its color. Let cool, then drain the kale in a large colander. Squeeze any excess water out of the kale and set it aside.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the minced onion. Cook until translucent, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook another 2 minutes. Add the kale and the cream and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens to a sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. Melt in Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
• Serve as is, or process in a food processor to achieve the texture you desire.