Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Pressure Cooker Kale

Wow. I haven't loved kale so much since I first had kale with sesame tahini sauce at The Veggie Grill in Irvine. Prior to that I was a firm believer that kale siwas simply too nutritious to be enjoyed, like quinoa. But the Veggie Grill taught me there was something more to kale: when cooked properly and well seasoned, it has a delectable flavor and a texture far superior to spinach.

My brother's latest health food kick is a macrobiotic diet, and the center of his nutritious lifestyle is a borrowed pressure cooker. My mother thought he ought to own one himself, but before she could send him his new pressure cooker he decided to give up his Brooklyn loft and couch surf indefinitely. She decided to regift the pressure cooker as my wedding present. I admit I was skeptical at first, but if I only ever make kale with it I will never regret owning this low tech pot.

I do not have the recipe that The Veggie Grill uses, but I think I've mastered the flavor elements necessary for decent kale: something sweet, something umami (savory), something acidic to soften the texture, and a touch of seasoning. I used a generous splash of worchester sauce, about 1 T. red wine, 1 t. honey, 1 clove garlic, a pile of ginger the size of the clove of garlic, about 1/2 t of soy sauce, and 1 t. sesame oil. Add 1 cup of water to this, place your kale in the pressure cooker (without the steamer plate) and pour the savory liquid over the kale. Once the pressure cooker has heated, allow to cook for 2 - 3 minutes and then cool.

Yum.

No comments: