Minced pork, tofu and carrot on a bed of kale

I’ve discovered kale.  Completely mystified by it to begin with, I knew that people liked to juice it and to put it in the oven to make kale crisps.  I bought a packet of kale crisps sometime ago and did not take to it to be honest, it was like eating air.  When I closed my mouth, it disintegrated, disappeared into nothing and for that reason, I’ve never cooked with kale before.  Until I watched a programme highlighting the nutrients within kale and coincidentally saw it on offer at Tesco.  With the programme very much still in the back of my mind, I bought a bag and started experimenting with it. 

We love spinach in our household, recommended by all the CNS nurses and health professionals’, kale actually contains more nutrients than spinach which makes it a winner in my mind.  The nutrients in kale can help boost wellbeing and prevent a range of health problems.  It is high in fiber, low in fat and high in iron which is great for my mum whilst undergoing chemotherapy to replenish the red and white cell blood count which transports oxygen around the body and stimulates cell growth.  Kale is filled with antioxidants, is an anti inflammatory and high in vitamin K which supports bone health and prevents blood clotting.  It is a superfood which I have tried to integrate into our diet as much as possible and here’s a recipe I created on a whim which allows kale to be the start of the show and really packs a punch.

Ingredients – serves 2

300g minced pork

200g soft tofu

1 medium sized egg

1 medium sized carrot

4 handfuls of kale

Soy sauce

Chopped parsley

Pepper

Chia seeds

Teaspoon ginger

1. In a bowl, beat the egg and then add the minced pork and tofu before mixing together. 
2. Grate the carrot and ginger and add to the mixture. 
3. Finely chop the kale or chop using a blender if you have one and add to the bowl. 
4. Season the mixture with chopped parsley, soy sauce and pepper.
5. Line a plate which can be steamed with the remaining kale leaves, place the mixture on top of the bed of kale, pressing firmly down to ensure the mixture lays flat and is evenly spread within the plate.
6.  Sprinkle the top with chia seeds and steam for approximately 30 minutes