Kale and Smoked Sausage

The first time I had this dish was on a visit to Australia. Mum and I went to the market with my Grandparents and Mum found a huge pile of this dark green, curly leaved vegetable that were laying flat. She got so excited, as I can now identify with when I discover something from my youth, and she bought several shopping bags full of these "leaves".

All the way home, she and my Oma (Grandmother) were reminiscing about eating this vegetable, which I learned was called kale. The stories of how they had eaten this during the war in Germany when money was sparse, and it was grown in uhr-Opa's (Great Grandfather) garden. They began reminiscing about the different vegetables that uhr-Opa and uhr-Oma grew in the garden, and how they were able to get through the war years on rations but with the addition of the homegrown food, chickens laying eggs, etc., that they not only got through the war years, but they remained healthy. They spoke about lacking in certain items, but finding nourishment; and with what little they had, how it was extended to feed so many mouths in the family.
Kielbasa rope
I think this is something that I have inherently inherited from my Great Grandparents on both sides, and that is taking a small amount of something, and extending it to feed many.

That Saturday at the market in Melbourne, Mum also went to the deli stall and bought several "ropes" of Polish kielbasa sausage which she added to the kale. The fat in the sausage melts out into the vegetable adding a most unique and delicious flavour.

When I was at the supermarket on Saturday, I found some kale, and I became as excited as Mum had done all those years ago in Australia. I grabbed a few bunches of kale and began to formulate my meal.

I have not yet found here the same sort of kielbasa as was sold in Australia, or kielbasa made without pork, so tonight I used a smoked chicken hot dog sausage. You can use turkey kielbasa, or other smoked meat.

As is sometimes the case, I worry how my "comfort food" will be accepted by my husband. Often, what I find comforting in food, is something healthy, and this dish is definitely very healthy, especially for ladies, with the amount of iron found in the dark leaves of the kale.
Bundle of kale
So I did hold my breath as my husband took mouthful after mouthful, and then finally he said "Ummm, this is good!"; and good enough that he would like me to make it again! That always warms my heart.

This is very fast and easy to make, and it sure does warm the kitchen on a cool day. You'll want to ensure that you wash the kale very well and there is often quite a bit of sand and dirt, and I usually remove the stems up to the beginning of where the leaf starts.

I hope that you will try this dish and that you will love it as much as we do. Please remember to post your comments below and if you make this dish, please send me a photo with you and your dish, you may be featured later.

Happy Cooking, Happy Eating!


Ingredients:
3-4 lbs kale, washed very well, stems removed
2 large onions, diced
1 lb Kielbassa or smoked sausage. chopped
1/8 - 1/4 tsp chicken powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
Salt (optional)
1/2 TBSP vegetable oil

Shred the kale very fine1.Chop the kale very fine, to almost a shredded consistency. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large cooking pot, fry onion until golden brown. Add kale and fry to ensure that all the kale has been tossed in oil. The kale will reduce in amount tremendously.
3. Add chicken powder, pepper (if using salt, add now), and water. Stir very well.
4. Add sausage and you can either stir into the vegetable, or let it "steam" on top of the vegetable. Reduce heat to low and cover pot and let cook until the vegetable is completely tender and sausage has expanded.

Serve with boiled, or mashed, potatoes and enjoy the liquid from the vegetables with the potatoes also, there is a lot of flavour and goodness in the water/sauce.