Do I have any kale haters out there??
No really though…don’t be shy. Put up your hand!
Ahhhh there you go. I knew you were out there.
First things first…I’m not here to judge. I get it. Kale is sometimes chewy, sometimes tough, sometimes bitter…and, sometimes, it gets stuck in your teeth.
I admit it…there’s a lot not to love about kale.
But if you read my post in July when I extolled the virtues of kale (you can read all about it here), you’ll see that it is definitely a powerhouse when it comes to nutrient dense food.
So how are we going to make this incredible food source easier to swallow (like, literally)??
Kale can be excellent in salad (you can check out my roasted carrot and kale salad here), but, if you’re making a salad with it, it’s best if you either use very tender (aka young) kale or you must massage the heck out of it to break down the fibres and make it more easily digested.
Sometimes, that’s a lot of work.
I’ve always had bags of kale in my freezer (because I grow so much of it) and, when I have a smoothie for breakfast (check out my smoothie recipe here), I add some form of greens. I used to always just add a handful of frozen greens, but I found that the fibrous texture of kale makes it more difficult to break down in a smoothie (even with a high powered blender like mine).
So, I decided to see what would happen if I blended them into ice cubes first. Well, it turns out that they become a tad bit easier to digest which makes it easier for the nutrients to get into your bloodstream before they exit your body. Make sense??
So, whether you use this curly kale…
Or this dinosaur kale (also known as Tuscan kale/lacinato kale/cavolo nero)…
…you too can make some of these ‘vitamin cubes’.
You’ll want to get your kale looking like this below (just a few minutes in a high powered blender with some water)…
…pour it into ice cube trays and you have yourself teeny cubes that are like popping a vitamin (but better…and cheaper!!).
Once they’re frozen, pop them out and keep them in a large freezer-safe gab so you can drop a few into your morning smoothie and feel better about breakfast. Heck, you can even throw them into your soup or into your shakshuka or whatever your heart desires. These small cubes are full of kale goodness as well as Vitamin A, K and C!!
Maybe just not into your vanilla buttercream.
But, then again…
Kale Ice Cubes
Ingredients
- 8 cups prepared kale (ribs removed, washed and rinsed)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place 1/2 the washed kale into a high-power blender (you can also use a food processor), cover and pulse on high; when the kale has been broken down and reduced by half, add the rest of the kale and pulse again.
- Add the water and pulse until the mixture is uniform (note: this may take a bit of time to get everything pureed - if you have a blender with a wand that pushes the kale down while it's blending, use that. If not, you may have to stop and scrape down the sides a few times).
- Once the mixture is creamy and somewhat smooth, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze for at least a few hours (until cubes are solid). Turn out cubes into a larger freezer bag and use in your smoothies or add to your soups for added nutrition!
