This is a warm, comforting fall/winter dish that won’t pack on the pounds.  Kale, the heart of this recipe, packs a powerful nutritional punch.  The addition of apple adds sweetness, and the fennel provides interest and another layer of yumminess.  Serve as a side dish, or make it a main meal by adding protein–chicken sausage goes really well with the flavors.

Recipe for Apple Fennel Kale

1 bunch organic kale, ends trimmed – I used Red Russian but you can use any type of kale available

2 stalks fennel (white part only), thinly sliced then chopped

organic apple, cored and chopped – Any variety you enjoy will do, I used about a cup, adjust to your tastes

1 tablespoon olive oil

Chicken or vegetable stock (with only quality ingredients and sea salt) – This is just to keep everything moist, you’ll probably only need a few tablespoons

Herbes de Provence (blend of culinary lavender, basil, fennel, rosemary, savory, and thyme) – Use whichever of these spices you have

freshly ground pepper

sea salt

Separate the stems of kale from its leaves; pull off leaves by loosely grabbing near stem end and pulling away from you.  Watch the first minute of this video for a demonstration.  Cut stems into quarter-inch pieces.  Add olive oil to deep sauté pan and heat on medium.  Add stems and cook for 1 minute.  Add fennel, a couple splashes of stock, and cook for another minute.  Add apples and continue cooking.  While mixture cooks, prepare leaves by rolling into fat cigar shape and slicing into bite-size strips.  Add leaves, cover pan with lid, and cook for a minute or two.  Uncover, mix ingredients well, and continue to cook until leaves are tender.  Turn off heat and add spices.  Toss and serve.