Sweet and Savory Kale

Fall and winter give us so many different vegetables that I am always finding something that I want  to try. Variety is nice and this week I chose to try a new kale recipe. I grew up in Alabama on turnip greens and occasionally mustard greens mixed in, but not collards! Mama said they smelled up the house! I agree. But, kale is relatively new to me. I worked with wedding caterers on weekends at one point in my single mom life and shudder to think of the bushels of kale that we threw away after a reception. We used it as a base for fruit and veggie displays. What a waste! I wish I had been more adventuresome then or had more time to experiment.

This was a no brainer especially since I had a half bag leftover from the Minestrone Soup. What else could I do with it? Well, as is so often the case, right on the bag was an interesting recipe. We had it last nite with Herbed Braised Chicken Thighs (recipe in past posts) that includes potatoes, onions and carrots. The kale was a nice change from green beans and we liked the taste combination. Thankfully, my DH is adventuresome when it comes to food!

Sweet and Savory Kale
 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar (I added just a little more)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (1-lb) bag chopped Kale
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sliced almonds, optional ( I left these out)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot. Add onion and garlic; saute until onion softens, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in mustard, sugar, vinegar and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add kale, cover and cook 5 minutes stirring often.

Add cranberries and continue to cook on medium heat, stirring often. The liquid should reduce to about half and the cranberries will plump in about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.