I’m obsessed with kale. There, I said it. I eat (or drink) it practically every day. It’s loaded with tons of nutritional benefits. Google it.

But true confession, I haven’t always been a fan. Several years ago, when I lived in Cincinnati, OH, I belonged to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. And no matter the season, it seemed like we always had lots of kale included in our share. At the time, I didn’t really know what to do with it and frankly had not acquired a taste for it.

Not sure when I turned the corner, but when I began eating more clean vegan meals, I reintroduced kale to my diet. I started by adding it to my smoothies and have branched out from there. Here are a few ways l like it. Once you get hooked, you won’t go back. Trust me.

Green Juice:

Kale Salad:

Kale Chips:

The following are recipe ideas, please improvise with whatever you feel like adding or deleting. There is no right or wrong here. Just eat more kale.

Green Juice

1 cucumber, chopped in large chunks, leave peel on

4 stalks celery, chopped, including leaves

2 small pears or green apples, quartered, peel on

2-3 curly or Tuscan kale leaves, including stems

1 lemon, peel sliced off

Place all ingredients in juicer and juice. Skim foam off top and drink.

Kale Salad

1 bunch curly kale, torn from stem into small bite size pieces

2 Tbsp red onion, minced

2 Tbsp red pepper, minced

2 Tbsp dried cranberries

2 Tbsp pecan pieces

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 Tbsp coconut palm sugar or brown sugar

sea salt to taste

Combine kale, onion, pepper, cranberries and pecans in a large bowl. In a small jar, combine remaining ingredients and shake to make dressing. Pour about 2 Tbsp of dressing (reserve the rest) over kale mixture. Massage the dressing into the kale with your hands. Let marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes or refrigerate until ready to eat. Can be made 1 day ahead.

Kale Chips

1 bunch Tuscan kale, torn from stem into medium size pieces

olive oil

sea salt

turmeric

cayenne pepper

dried lemon peel

Preheat oven to 275. Place kale on baking sheet and drizzle with a very little olive oil. Massage kale leaves to soften. Sprinkle with seasonings and bake until crispy, about 20 minutes.