Kale with Balsamic Vinaigrette

One of the running jokes on Alton Brown's Quarantine Quitchen (Tuesdays on YouTube) is that his wife Elizabeth will put kale in almost anything.  My kale plants have been decimated by larvae, which also ate all my cucumber sprouts.  I even gave up and used non-organic pesticide on them, which didn't help.  Fine, I bought kale.

Most of the kale recipes on this site have used it in conjunction with other ingredients.  This one is all about the kale itself.  I was thinking of this as a side along the lines of sautéed spinach.  Full disclosure, I didn't actually use my balsamic vinaigrette recipe in this.  I used the leftover tomato-water vinaigrette with a bit more balsamic.  If anything, following the recipe in this post will produce an even more flavorful dish.

And yes, I did have it as part of a Latin America-themed meal.  There is nothing wrong with a sautéed greens dish alongside plantains and a quesadilla.

1 bunch (about 6 leaves) kale
1 Tb olive oil
*1/2 C diced onion
*1 clove garlic, minced
kosher salt
*1 batch (about 3/4 C) balsamic vinaigrette

1.  Remove kale leaves from stem and chiffonade.  Rinse well and set aside until ready to use.  I keep the stems in the broth bag in the freezer, to use if I'm low on celery.

2.  In a wide, deep skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about one more minute.  Add kale and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Cover, lower heat to medium-low, and go away for ten minutes.

3.  Stir kale and pour in dressing.  Stir again, recover, and allow to simmer another 10 minutes, or until mostly soft.  The kale will turn slightly brown from the color of the vinegar.  It's fine to have a little crisp texture, but you want this easy to chew.  Serve hot, either on its own or as a topping for pasta.

Difficulty rating  π