Czech Republic Comfort Food Recipe for Stuffed Kale Rolls

Ingredients for 12 servings

Kale leaves are natural rollers.

1 bunch of kale, weighing about 1 pound

1/2 cup water

1 pound ground turkey

• Or:  ground beef, chicken, fish, or pork

1/2 cup cooked barley

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 small onion, finely chopped or diced

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh chopped marjoram

• Or:  1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C.; Gas Mark 5).

2. Select 12 of the largest leaves from bunch of kale and coarsely chop the remaining leaves.

• Place only leaves in steamer basket.

3. Add 1/2 cup water to large pot and set steamer basket with kale leaves inside.

• Cover and steam over high heat until leaves are bright green, about 4 to 5 minutes. 

4. While kale is steaming:

• In medium bowl, combine ground turkey, cooked barley, garlic, chopped kale, lemon zest, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes to blend well together.
• Stir in seasonings (marjoram, paprika, white pepper, sea salt).

5. Remove steamer pot from burner as soon as kale turns color to avoid excessive wilting.

• Set leaves on flat surface.
• Deposit 2 Tablespoons of filling on each leaf.

Suggestion:  If any filling is left over, form into patty to be baked in oven with kale rolls or sauté for munching while recipe bakes.

• Fold leaf’s top and bottom first over filling, and then fold sides.

6. Briefly place large baking pan (9×13) in oven to warm.

• Remove and grease with butter, oil, or nonstick cooking spray.

7. Place rolls with seam-side down in pan.

• Splash each roll with 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle each roll with shredded cheese and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and transfer to serving platter.

Servings: 12.

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

freshly picked kale leaves: Molly Elliott (rainydayknitter), CC BY ND 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/10181902@N00/4666326707/

"Krinkly, curved and awesome.": dollen, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/dollen/12512287023/

ornamental kale: Terren, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ornamental_Kale.jpg