Kale and fresh veggies frittata

Ok, I crave Kale. I didn’t like it at first. I thought it was tough and bitter, and so inferior to spinach. But I have come around. My roomies don’t agree (they still only crave pizza and bacon) but I simply love Kale—-even early in the morning. I’m always looking for cool Kale recipes to spring on Chris, Camp and Mery in the morning. Especially now that spring is here and everyone is concerned about looking better. While I don't eat eggs anymore, the rest of the household loves them. (I included a great vegan substiute for eggs in this recipe if you want to make this dish vegan.)

I figured this would be a great dish to get my buddies eating Kale and other fresh veggies without even thinking about it. If you're looking to stealthily sneak some health into your house, this is a great recipe to use. And you can use as many veggies as you like. I use kale, mushroom and red pepper.

I’m happy to share it for you today.

Vitamin K(ale)

First, a little reminder about the health benefits of Kale:
Lots of Vitamin K
Lots of Vitamin A, too
Low calorie
High content of iron (even more than steak!)
Powerfully healing antioxidants
More calcium than milk
Good detox food (great for hangovers. That’s how I got the gang to try it)

Kale and eggs (or tofu!)

Like I said, it is spring, and nothing says spring to me quite like a frittata. (Well, I guess sunshine and flowers say spring a little more.)

Anyway, here’s that delicious kale recipe for a morning frittata that really rocks my world. You can even take leftovers to work for a light and healthy lunch. I customized this from a friend’s recipe, and you can do the same. I like the combination of red pepper, mushroom and kale. But you can add yellow peppers, tomatoes or just about any healthy veggie you like.

Kale, mushroom and red pepper frittata

Feeds six (or good for one breakfast and five work-week lunches)

You’ll need:

10-inch pan or skillet
Bowl for mixing the ingredients)
kale (enough to chop and fill 1 cup)
1 red pepper (diced)
1 cup of mushrooms (shitake are amazing in this!)
3/4 cup cheese (Ramono or vegan substitute)
8 eggs (or vegan sub: 1 12-oz package firm tofu, 1/4 cup soy sauce and 4 tbsp nutritional yeast)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons of milk, cream (or soy or almond milk if your vegan)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground pepper (fresh is best)

Here are the easy steps:

Wash kale and then slice/chop it into small pieces
Wash and dice the red pepper (removing all seeds).
Grate 3/4 cup of cheese (Ramano or soy)
In a bowl, whisk together 8 eggs, 2 tablespoons milk or vegan option, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until mixed well. (For vegan option, skip mixing eggs and mix this: Blend tofu, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast in a food processor or blender until well mixed. Mixture will be somewhat thick)
Sprinkle in the cheese, 1 cup of mushrooms and one cup of red pepper. You can also use ground pepper at this point (lightly)
Place your skillet over medium heat.
When it’s hot, add kale and dash with salt. Sauté the kale with a quarter cup of water until tender. Once cooked and tender, add the kale to the egg or tofu mixture
Turn heat to low and add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat the pan
Pour the egg/tofu and vegetable mixture into the pan (be sure to spread out the veggies evenly in the pan—you may need to shake your skillet a bit to level it all off nicely)
For egg dish: Cook the mixture in the pan for 10 minutes, or until it’s set on the bottom and the top is lightly runny (For vegan dish: cook for 45 minutes or until the tofu is firm)
Complete the frittata by putting the pan under a broiler to brown the top (usually 2-3 minuets, but keep an eye on it!)