Doesn't that look like a delicious and nutritious breakfast? Australian nutritionist and blogger Kathryn Elliott writes Limes and Lycopene, where she's doing a series called 31 Days to a Better Diet, and I thought of this breakfast dish when I read the post where she advised Include Vegetables in Every Meal. If you're trying to eat more vegetables (and you probably should be!) starting the day with a breakfast casserole that includes vegetables is a great idea.This recipe is a variation of the Swiss Chard and Mushroom Squares I made a while back, using some of the Red Russian Kale from my garden. This is the same plant I used raw when I made Red Russian Kale and Red Cabbage Slaw, but this time the kale is sauteed with red onions, and then cooked more when the dish is baked. If you don't have a vegetable garden with this variety of kale, you could make this with any type of kale, but it may need to be sauteed a bit longer with thicker types of kale.

I used enough kale to fill my salad spinner, which would be about one bunch of kale if you got it at a store or farmers market. Remove stems from kale and wash well and spin dry.
Pile kale leaves up on top of each other and cut into thin strips, about 3/4 inch wide. You'll probably need to do this in several bunches.
Then turn the cutting board the other way and cut the strips so the kale is chopped into squares that are a bit less than an inch square.
After the onion and kale are sauteed briefly, place in a bowl and add eggs, cheese, bread crumbs, and a dash of Spike seasoning.
Pour into baking pan that's been sprayed lightly with olive oil or nonstick spray to keep the eggs from sticking, and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.
The breakfast casserole is done when the eggs are set and the top is lightly browned. Serve hot, with sour cream or salsa if desired.
Red Russian Kale and Red Onion Savory Breakfast Squares(Makes 6 servings, Recipe adapted from Regina Schrambling's Collard Squares.)
1 bunch Red Russian Kale, chopped, or use any other variety of kale
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (1/2 tsp. teaspoon minced garlic)
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Tamari or other soy sauce
1 C grated cheese (I used a blend of low-fat cheese called Pizza Cheese which has mozarella, provolone, romano, and parmesan)
1/4 cup 100% whole wheat bread crumbs (optional; I've made this successfully without the bread crumbs)
6 eggs, beaten well
1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
Preheat oven to 350F. Cut off kale stems and discard, then wash kale leaves and dry well. (I used a salad spinner.) Pile kale leaves up on top of each other and cut into strips about 3/4 inch wide, then turn cutting board the other way and cut again so you have squares just under an inch square. Chop onion into pieces about 1/2 inch.
Heat olive oil in large heavy frying pan, then add onions and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute about 2 more minutes, then add kale, turning over as it wilts and sauteeing about 5 minutes, or until kale is significantly wilted and softened.
Put sauteed vegetables into large bowl and add Tamari, cheese, bread crumbs, beaten eggs, and Spike seasoning. Stir gently until ingredients are well distributed. Spray pen with olive oil or nonstick spray and pour in egg mixture. (I was cooking it in my Oster Toaster Oven, and used a pan that's 11.5 X 7.5 inches.) Bake 20-25 minutes until eggs are well set and the top is lightly browned. Serve hot. This is good with low-fat sour cream or salsa.
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Heat olive oil in large heavy frying pan, then add onions and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute about 2 more minutes, then add kale, turning over as it wilts and sauteeing about 5 minutes, or until kale is significantly wilted and softened.
Put sauteed vegetables into large bowl and add Tamari, cheese, bread crumbs, beaten eggs, and Spike seasoning. Stir gently until ingredients are well distributed. Spray pen with olive oil or nonstick spray and pour in egg mixture. (I was cooking it in my Oster Toaster Oven, and used a pan that's 11.5 X 7.5 inches.) Bake 20-25 minutes until eggs are well set and the top is lightly browned. Serve hot. This is good with low-fat sour cream or salsa.
South Beach Suggestions:
This veggie-laden breakfast option is good for any phase of the South Beach Diet or any other Low-Glycemic eating plan.
More Breakfast Ideas to Help You Eat Your Veggies:
Swiss Chard and Mushroom Squares
Mushroom and Feta Breakfast Casserole
Egg Burritos to Die For
Mushroom-Lover's Frittata with Spinach and Cheese
Artichoke Rosemary Frittata
Eggs and Kale Parmesan from Gluten Free Bay
Frittata with Tuscan Kale from Lucullian Delights
Kale Frittata from The Inquisitive Palate
Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Kale and Miso, Sunnyside Up from Life in Recipes
Parsnip, Carrot, and Kale Frittata from I Heart Kale

44 comments:
Thanks so much for this great kale recipe!!! We belong to an organic food coop and are getting a lot of kale and chard right now...and I have run out of ideas. These are all great! BTW, is there a taste difference in the red russian kale and the curly green kale? The leaves of the curly green kale (don't know the specific name) are more coarse. Thanks again!
Danyele, to me the Red Russian Kale tastes milder and less bitter than regular green kale, although the flavor is similar. I would'nt use regular kale for a recipe where the Red Russian Kale is used raw, but I think in a dish where the kale is cooked you can substitute them.
This looks great!!!!
Mary, mom to 10
Think I could do this with all swiss chard?
Mary
Great Info. I just made the decision to try to SB Diet again. I forgot to look over the book and wanted to start today. Your archives have been very helpful to get me started. Love the recipes too. Wish me luck!
Mary, I adapted this from a recipe with swiss chard, so the swiss chard would work just fine.
SMB, good luck on South Beach. Glad the blog is helpful for you.
You know what, Kalyn? You could bake these in muffin tins, like you do with your egg muffins. I was thinking of doing exactly that with grated zukes and onions and eggs, kinda individual frittata-style.
Top photo is stupendous.
CC, I think that's a great idea. (And I do have plenty more kale!) Thanks for the photo comment; I'm usually so critical of my photos, but I did like that one. :)
what a coincidence. i just came here from kathryn's blog. this is a keeper of a recipe. thank you. i always prefer savoury breakfasts to sweet.
I really love this, I am a big fan of Kathryn's blog too and this is a great way to get extra veggies in. I once made your mini egg muffins too, they were delicious.
I make a similar dish and have used kale from my garden with success. I have also used Swiss chard in it, yesterday to be precise. I agree with you, Kalyn: it's delicious and nutritious.
This reminds me a lot of a kale and onion frittata I make that has just enough eggs to bind it all together. I alway go for the lacianato kale for its meatiness, but the last time I made it, my local farmer "made" me taste all the different kales they were growing (one was the red Russian). I was floored by how different each of them tasted, and how sweet many of them were. I love learning things like that from farmers.
Looks wonderful! I have really enjoyed using kale this year ~ it is kind of new for me.
Thanks,
Sharona May
I've always found kale to be a bit bitter -- which is certainly a function of how I cook it -- so I'd never have considered this for breakfast! But it looks delicious, and I'm committed to eating more dark leafy greens this year. So I'm going to give it a try.
Lydia, I do think some types of kale are a lot more bitter than this type. See Lia's comment above.
oh gosh i always love savoury baked goods...thanks for the recipe. i'll give it a try...maybe not with kale (i havent seen such kale in markets around here)...i'll think of another veggie to throw in
and of course, if you dont eat it all for breeakfast, it goes perfectly well with a salad for lunch too!
Looks and sounds lovely. I will try it this weekend when I have more time.
you just inspired me to plant my kale seeds!
That sounds sooo tasty and ideal for a kale fiend :) I wish we got that Pizza Cheese here in the UK, what a great combo of flavours!
I have never heard of Red Russian Kale! It sounds amazing though!
Not only delicious and nutritious- but a thing of beauty.
Looks like an amazing brunch..since I don't care for breakfast.
I have been eating breakfast more lately though.
I laughed when I read red Russian kale, what other colour could it be?!!! I've never had kale, but understand that some is around from time to time. There are some dishes I'd like to try, so I'll look a bit harder.
I will often use up the veggies from the night before in a breakfast scramble. This dish is definitely one for my files and, my garden is overflowing with kale right now.
I enjoy eating savory dishes like this for breakfast and lunch. I appreciate notation for Tamari (we use the wheat free version) and the option to withhold the breadcrumbs thereby making it gluten free.
Ooooh, with some sour cream this would be just perfect! I've never tried red russian kale, so I'll just use regular green.
I recently made this with spinach instead of kale and it was fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing. :)
Kalyn - I've made this recipe twice in 3 days... it's that good. Our CSA delivered red russian kale and I had no idea what to do with it. This recipe is going in my "keeper" file, and my guests were impressed. Thank you!
Melaney, so glad you are enjoying it!
I loved this! I also got a csa box with kale, along with green onions, so i used that instead of red onions. fabulous!
Two comments in a row from women named Melanie who got tried this after getting kale in their CSA box! What are the odds? So glad you liked it!
I love kale and it is super nutricious but I never know what to do with it! This looks delicious to me but breakfast? I call this dinner!
Another great recipe! I made this with fresh grated mozzarella and parm cheese and Italian breadcrumbs, and I also included the stems of the kale (added to sautee pan a bit earlier than leaves). I also ate it with salsa. Wonderful!
Stef, that sounds great. Glad to know you enjoyed the recipe.
How long with this last after cooking if stored in the refrigerator?
This will stay good for at least 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Be sure not to microwave too long when you reheat it, or the eggs will get rubbery.
Thank you for always coming through for me, Kalyn! I signed up for a farmshare and got a big bunch of Red Russian kale, with no idea what to do with it. Hmmm, I thought, where would I find some good kale recipes? But of course! At Kalyn's!
I already love your breakfast egg muffins, so I am sure I will enjoy my kale and onion breakfast squares.
I do hope you will enjoy it, and very jealous to hear that you're getting CSA veggies at this time of year.
Just took this out of the oven. Yum, and had to steal a taste. Made it in muffin form. They are delicious!! Made it with curly greem kale and spanish onion. Will keep them for afternoon snacks or as breakfast with a bowl of fresh berries. Thank you!
Island Girl, so glad you liked it.
I got a bunch of Red Russian Kale in my CSA box today so I finally got around to making this. Of course I got Kale all over the place because I used too small of a skillet, but it is absolutely delicious. Thanks for another great recipe!
Debbie, glad you liked it. I am definitely growing that Red Russian Kale this year!
Me and my mom made this and added 14 eggs carrots and tomatoes on top, we'll see how it turns out. looks good!
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