At this point, I am sure you are saying "ugh, kale, who cares?" ( and I have been there too!) but the health benefits of kale can't be beat, so I made myself learn to love it!...I eat it a few different ways ( kale and goat cheese quesadillas, anyone?) but I wanted to share with you my favorite, immune boosting kale recipe. These are a little bit of work, so I double the recipe, and freeze them. Fabulous eaten with an egg or drizzled with a bit of olive oil...the more garlicky the better!...in some cultures, garlic is an aphrodisiac...well no, I just made that up, but it does keep away evil spirits!
super flaxseed garlic kale rolls
1 cup flaxseeds ( I like the golden kind) ( grind 1/2 cup of this into a powder in grinder. I have a little braun coffee grinder I use just for seeds and stuff, not coffee!)
2 T sugar, agave nectar or honey
1 pkg active yeast
3 cups all purpose ww. bread flour
1 1/2 cups regular ww flour
1 1/2 t.sea salt
1/2 pound kale,chopped and steamed
1 very large head of garlic, or 2 if you are a super garlicky type
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
note: if you are not a kale lover, any green leafy will do...I have made these with broccoli and spinach, and they are great too ( just steam it first) and even once stuffed this roll recipe with apples and a bit of ricotta cheese.
-place the unground 1/2 cup of flaxseeds in a bowl and cover with about 3" of water. Let sit overnight.
-combine sugar ( or agave) yeast and 2 cups warm H2O in a measuring cup. Let stand for 5 min. or until your yeast looks like it is activating
-mix the ground 1/2 cup flax seeds, both flours, and salt ( really all the dry ingredients) in a big mixing bowl. Drain the flaxseeds that were soaking over night, and add them too. Add your yeast/water mixture, and stir until you have a smooth dough. You can add up to 1/2 cup flour as you need to to get a good consistency.
- turn out onto a floured board and knead until dough is smooth and no longer sticks to your fingers, again adding flour as needed.
-shape into a ball, place in a large bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place at least 1 1/2 hours or until it is double in size.
-punch down, shape into a ball again, and let rise again an hour or more.
while you are waiting, chop and steam your kale. You can also take a garlic press and squish your garlic into a small bowl that you have poured the olive oil into. If you are doing double garlic, add more oil as needed...you just need enough oil so you can easily scoop this up with a spoon and spread on the inside of the roll, so dont overdo the oil
when the dough is ready, you can break it up into 7 or 8 smaller balls, depending on how large you would like your rolls. On a well floured board, flatten and stretch each ball so it is approx. 7" long by 3 1/2 " wide by approx 1/2 inch thick. Take a spoon and spread garlic oil all over the surface. Take steamed kale and lay it out on top of that. Now, roll up the roll, like a cinnamon bun or a yodel!. Work the edges together, and place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until when you pick one up and tap it on the bottom, it sounds hollow. You can also sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese, or more garlic, or brush egg or whatever you like on the outside for garnish or finish.
These are really hearty, like a whole meal, or great with a cup of soup or whatever!