Deliciously Organic - Carrie Korem, FNTP

Healthy recipes, nutrition and thyroid disease information written by Carrie Korem, FNTP

Creamed Kale and Eggs

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One of my favorite grain-free breakfast recipes is creamed kale and eggs.

Creamed Kale and Eggs

I don’t count calories anymore. I used to ride the low fat bandwagon and stressed over every little morsel that touched my lips. I felt trapped. I couldn’t enjoy food, obsessed over how much weight I might gain. Then I learned about eating whole foods, and especially the benefits of healthy saturated fats. I learned that as you eat, your body will tell you when to stop. Really.

First it’s important to understand that there isn’t a single study which proves that healthy saturated fat causes heart disease. Really. Here’s a clip that skims the surface of this heavy topic.

After I realized what I had believed for years was a myth, I got rid of all of the processed oils (vegetable oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and margarine). I slowly began eating saturated fats from healthy sources such as: coconut oil, organic butter, ghee (also known as clarified butter), palm oil, and lard. I also moved away from processed foods like pasteurized and homogenized milk, half and half (yes, this is processed), low-fat anything that came in a container. I replaced them with whole milk, whole creams, and whole fat yogurts.

I ate these new foods and felt full and satiated in a way I’d never felt before. My body responded quickly and let me know when it was time to stop.

Creamed Kale and Eggs

I also learned that different fats are made of different fatty acid chains. Butter is a short-chain fatty acid which is used quickly for energy, is rarely stored as fat, and contributes to the health of the immune system. Coconut oil and other tropical oils are medium-chain fatty acids, also used quickly for energy, are not stored as fat, and contribute to the health of the immune system. Then there are the long-chain fatty acids which are usually stored as fat in the body. Vegetable oils (such as canola and corn) fall into this category. When I reduced my intake of long-chain fatty acids and consumed more omega-3 fatty acids than omega-6 fatty acids, my body slowly began shedding the cellulite and my body shape drastically changed.

I also always believed it was “calories in, calories out” but I’ve learned that doesn’t seem to be true, either. The kind of foods we eat make the difference.

Recently, I gave up eating grains. Now that my body doesn’t continually experience spikes in blood sugar (from whole grains), I’ve realized I don’t need to watch my calories at all. My cravings disappeared and there are many times when meal time comes but I’m not hungry yet, so I wait. My mind is clear, I don’t have the “afternoon slump”, (I’ve lost 20 pounds) and I’m free to eat and enjoy! No more stressing about how much I might gain, or how bloated I might be. That’s all gone. It’s a sweet taste of freedom.

Have you experienced a drastic shift since switching to whole foods? What about trying to go grain free? Is it hard to wrap your brain around the idea that (good) fats are good for you, or that it’s not necessarily “calories in, calories out”? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

For further reading/viewing:

What if Fat isn’t so Bad? No one’s ever proved that saturated fat clogs arteries, causes heart disease (MSNBC)
The Skinny on Fats (Dr. Mary Enig) 
Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
Fat Heat (Documentary) – Can also be viewed on Hulu and Netflix
Eat Fat, Lose Fat  by Dr. Mary Enig
Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It – Gary Taubes
Wheat Belly – Dr. William Davis
Deep Nutrition – Catherine Shanahan

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Creamed Kale and Eggs

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If you’d like to have this as a “quick” breakfast, cut your leeks and boil the kale the night before. In the morning, turn on the oven, sauté, and bake.

  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
  • 1/2 bunch kale, boiled for 8 minutes and patted dry (this reduces the goitrogens in the kale that can inhibit iodine into the thryoid)
  • 1 large leek, washed, and chopped
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
  • 4 large eggs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add leeks and cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add kale and salt. Stir occasionally and cook about 5 minutes. Stir in cream and cook for about 1 minute until hot. Crack eggs over kale mixture and place skillet in the oven. Bake for about 8 minutes, until whites are cooked and yolks are still runny. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: Serves 2

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106 Comments

    • Deliciously Organic

      We drink raw milk from Organic Pastures (a farm out here in CA). I know it's not a choice that everyone agrees with, but it's worked great for our family! :) We are a military family and we move around so whenever we move I find a farm to buy fresh milk from. If that's not an option for your family, you can also look into non-homogenized milk. It's pasteurized, but the fat hasn't been altered (homogenization has been linked to heart disease). Going grain-free with a nut, seed and egg allergy would be challenging. Maybe instead, you could just try to cut the grains back a bit. Breakfast is difficult, but for lunch and dinner, you could do good organic meats, lots of veg, cheeses, rich creamy sauces, etc. Snacks could be kept very simple - yogurts, berries, fruits, cheese, etc. You might also want to look into the GAPS diet. It's a diet that helps restore healthy gut flora and can help with allergies (and in many times reverse them). We've done it with our family and it helped immensely!
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  3. Jess

    I am in agreement with you on all counts! I used to be a religious Calorie-counter. Although I did lose about 40 pounds thanks to monitoring what went in my mouth (and increased my activity), it became obsessive. I had a schedule every day, all day, when I would eat and what I would eat at that time. As I was eating my 120-Calorie morning snack, I'd already start counting down the minutes to my 270-Calorie lunch (which always, always HAD to be 2 and a half hours later). I lost all idea of my hunger cues and couldn't buy or eat anything without analyzing how many Calories, grams of protein, grams of fat, etc. were in it. (I actually recently wrote a blog post about this: http://blankthis.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/learn-to-love-a-filling-breakfast/) I'm having a hard time bringing full-fat things into my life, because I have genetic/hereditary high cholesterol and have been told my whole life to never consume anything full-fat. I drink soy or almond milk at the moment (also, use it in my cereals) because I find it tastes better than dairy milk, but I usually cook with organic whole milk. I now make buttercream, sauces, etc. with full-fat butter. (I'd never purchased a single stick of butter in my life until I was 25! I was so clueless!) I now buy real cream cheese, not low- or reduced-fat... but usually my boyfriend eats that kind of stuff, not me. But, one thing that's helped me along the way is REAL cheese! Like... real, high-quality stuff. It's delicious and I can't believe I avoided it for so long. For a few months, I've been using olive oil and coconut oil for most of my pan-cooked things like eggs, stir-fry, and pasta. I also love eggs and after years of throwing away yolks, I now will have one or two whole eggs each week. (Nothing crazy or over-the-top, but totally delicious!) I just donated blood recently and will be calling for my cholesterol numbers soon to see how my small changes are affecting everything. Sorry for the long comment, but I definitely want to let you know how wholeheartedly I agree with you! Also, I definitely will buy some kale soon and try this recipe!
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  6. Lucy Lean

    I too have been using more coconut oil and butter and less of the vegetable oils - keeping really good olive oil for salad dressings and not cooking with it any more. Cutting out grains has also helped with the feelings of fatigue and bloating - when I do give in and have a piece of baguette with cheese I feel it - and not in a good way. Thanks for sharing all this as always.
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  7. Kristy

    Giving up my daily diet soda and artificial sweetener a year and a half ago was the best thing I ever did. I dropped 5 lbs within a week and noticed my mid day sugar cravings went away, too. At the same time I switched to coconut oil and real organic butter instead of vegetable oil and cooking spray, and I added sucanat as my main sweetener. Along with daily exercise I have successfully maintained my weight which was my goal. I consider this an easy life style change. Grain free... well, not yet...
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  14. Libby

    First, I want to say thanks for your awesome blog. I am a CA native but recently moved to Colorado. My family and I are going the urban homesteading route with our lifestyle and your blog has had great recipes and help. I am a recovering low-calorie , non-fat Foodie, all my life following fat free eating regimens. I have never eaten so good as I do now, farm to table, grass fed, pastured, and raw. I feel good and satisfied and highly recommend the freedom that comes from eating the food God intended for our bodies to eat. I am intrigued by the grain free idea...can you elaborate on this? I currently make all our bread products by hand using all whole grain and natural and organic ingredients. Do you not eat any grains at all?
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    • Deliciously Organic

      My grain-free journey started with this post: https://deliciouslyorganic.net/chicken-piccata-recipe-30-day-grain-free-challenge/ . I thought it was going to be a 30-day challenge for me, but then I realized that not eating any grains right now is what my body needs. A few years ago I discovered I had an auto-immune disease (discussed here: https://deliciouslyorganic.net/a-whole-foods-thanksgiving-pumpkin-banana-tart/) and since then I've learned that if one is suffering from an autoimmune disease, allergies, etc. it's a good idea to cut out all grains. I hope one day to add some gluten free grain back in my diet, but it might be a while. Until then, I've really enjoyed being creative and seeing what kinds of recipes I can develop without grains. I love a challenge!
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    • Deliciously Organic

      My book has pages and pages of useful information/recipes, and for those who are just starting out into the world of unprocessed, organic foods I think it's the perfect book to get you going. I don't think grains are the enemy, but if you struggle with any type of autoimmune disease, allergies, etc. (as I have been for the last few years - explained in this post: https://deliciouslyorganic.net/a-whole-foods-thanksgiving-pumpkin-banana-tart/) it's best to drop the grains until your body can handle them again. I do hope as my body heals, I can add them back one day, but it might be a couple years. The book is selling really well and has become a great resource for many people! I'm also finishing up grain-free adaptations to many of the recipes in the cookbook that will be available on my publisher's live addendum very soon. I'll make an announcement when they are ready!
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      • Vicki Havener

        Although our family has gone GF since we first purchased your cookbook, we still refer to it often. Many of the recipes have become family favorites. I have also given away 3 copies to help get friends started, who are not interested in GF or grain free diets at this point. The info in the intro alone is well worth the investment. Reclaiming our health is a step by step process and I am proud to say that your first (and we are hoping not your last) cookbook has helped us quite a bit. Thanks Carrie!
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  16. Nancy W.

    I TOTALLY agree with you. I found out about the book, "Wheat Belly" through your blog and have not had any wheat in a couple of months except not thinking at a Japanese restaurant about how soy sauce is loaded with it! My heartburn had really subsided and came back with a vengeance after the Japanese food! I try to eat whole foods but I have fallen prey to substituting high carb gluten free foods for wheat products but I feel I'm headed in the right direction. I use butter, olive oil and coconut oil for cooking. I also have some canola oil that I bought and wonder if it is a good or bad oil? I love your blog. Keep up the good work!
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  18. Karin

    Carrie, You know how I eat so I won't go into that, other than to say, I eat as Carrie has described. After taking the grain out of my diet 7 months ago, I've seen huge shifts and improvements with digestion (suffered from problems most of my life) and joint pain. I can even handle being around others who are eating sweets and grainy savories which I love. I can even cook it for guests....Christmas for me really wasn't a big struggle. When it comes to food, nothing satisfies like nourishing foods. Feeling good gives me a reason to keep eating this way and the cravings, for the most part, go away. It may not be easy in the beginning, but it does get easier! Great post, Carrie!
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  23. Teresa

    This looked so delicious I had to have it *now*...but having no kale or leeks, I had to make some adjustments. So I made a version of this with red onion and spinach and it was DELISH! Can't wait to try the original as I am sure the kale will stand up a bit better than the spinach and the leeks will add a bit more dimension than the onions. I'm seriously considering a 30-day grain free challenge for myself. I've been struggling with slow weight gain over the last 2 years, despite increased activity (running, yoga, pilates, cross-training). In addition, in the last few months I have been experiencing joint pain with increasing severity. I have no official diagnosis of anything, but am willing to consider dietary changes that may help alleviate my pain and get me back to normal. Thanks for all the resources!!
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  27. Simply Complex

    Sadly, I haven't experienced this yet. We eat a small amount of processed foods (very small) and use all the healthy oils with none of the processed ones. I keep waiting to feel a change because so many people swear by it. I am always hungry (I'm pregnant too, but way more hungry than with my other pregnancies) and it's like I can't stop eating. My body refuses to tell me when that I am full. I have not noticed a change in shape either. I just hope this is all due to pregnancy. The other thing is, if we do eat something really bad, like take-out pizza, I don't feel crappy afterwards either. I want to though, so I can use it as a tool to discourage such splurges. Any idea of what might be going on?
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  29. Nicole

    This is such a great post, Carrie! As you know, I've been on my own journey for a while now and have been learning through trial and error what works for me. What I've discovered most recently is exactly what you're talking about in this post - that eating enough saturated fat, especially coconut oil, is definitely the key to keeping my blood sugar even. Before adding extra coconut oil, I had tried different variations of low-carb whole foods diets, including cutting all grains, sweets, and alcohol completely for a few months. While I always felt better eating limited carbs, I was still having to eat often and didn't have as much energy as I would have liked. I think I was also trying to eat more protein than my body wanted so I wasn't that satisfied with my meals. I was certainly eating plenty of fat through all those different phases, but I wasn't eating much coconut oil at all - maybe using it once a week or so to cook with. When I started using more coconut oil (and butter) daily, I finally started feeling great. My energy level increased so much I could hardly believe it! And all of a sudden I realized I didn't have to snack between meals anymore - sometimes I'm not even hungry when it's time for a regular meal. As someone who suffered from reactive hypoglycemia for years, this feels like a miracle.
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  32. Katie Martin

    Although I feel like I have a relatively good grasp on healthy versus not healthy foods, this post really opened my eyes to a few things I didn't know. I love how you explained the different fatty acids and how they are processed by the body. In general, I applaud your ability to change your diet completely; that is something I don't know if I'll ever be able to do. But I definitely plan on trying to cut down grains and use the fatty acids that are better for the body. Do you have any rules about your fruit intake? I realize that even though they are better for you than processed sugar that they still have a lot of natural sugars in them, and I wondered if that was part of your diet change as well.
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  34. Kristin

    This was incredibly delicious! I've never cooked kale; in fact, I ate it for the first time last week when I tore a bit up and added it to my usual spinach salad. I've also never cooked eggs in the oven like this, so that was new for me as well. I didn't have a leek so I used about a third of a large onion. Seriously, this was one of the best things I have eaten in a long time--can't wait to make it again! ~K
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    • Deliciously Organic

      Any change is good! Switching to half and half from store creamers is a good step and will help reduce your exposure to additives, preservatives, etc. Cream always rises to the top unless it's been homogenized. Homogenization is a process that takes place after pasteurization. In one method, for ex- ample, milk is pushed through small tapered tubes under high pressure to break apart the fat molecules. This is why homogenized milk doesn't have to be shaken because the cream does not rise to the top. Unfortunately, the structure of the fat molecules actually changes during this process. Not only are the new fat molecules difficult to digest, but they have also been linked to heart disease. The reason I say most half and half is processed is because pasteurization (most organic brands are actually ultra pasteurized) and homogenization are forms of processing. Also, milk manufacturers can put anything in milk that is derived of milk. So, they can put oxidized milk powders and such to create the texture they are looking for. I know this is a lot to take in. It's kind of crazy how complicated milk can be! :) Many brands that sell half and half in the stores mix in preservatives, additives, etc. Here is an example: http://www.landolakes.com/product/15102/fat-free-half-half Many organic brands only contain milk and cream, but they still have been processed to some extent. One option is to look into non-homogenized milk also knows as cream-on-top. This milk/cream has been pasteurized, but not homogenized. Again, any change is good!
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  38. Danielle

    Mmmm, this looks so yummy! Can't wait to try it. I often do a version of this in the morning where I chop a clove or two of fresh garlic, brown it lightly in a bunch of olive oil in a skillet, then toss in several cups of kale and cook it til it's wilted. (I often need to add a pinch of sugar to my kale when sauteeing, depending on the bitterness of the crop. I find this helps my enjoyment of the vegetable immensely..and it takes just a pinch.) Then crack the eggs on top, cooking to desired doneness. Delicous, and a great way to get in leafy greens! / Also, can't say enough about cooking with cast iron. I made the switch last year and won't ever go back to the nonstick world.
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  42. Joanie

    I love whole foods but am struggling with going to full-fat everything because of the history of high cholesterol in my family and myself. However, I have a really hard time believing that going completely grain-free is healthy for our bodies. Don't you think our bodies need some grains? I know there are better grains than others, but it seems crazy to me to go completely grain free. At times when I've tried to cut back on grains, I find myself raiding the kitchen all night feeling unsatisfied even though I'm full, just because my body has a craving for grains. And if I finally give in and eat some whole grains, I immediately feel much better. Do you have any links to articles or information about grains and why you chose to go grain free? Is it simply for weight loss, or do you believe it is what the body needs?
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  44. Kate

    In addition to a delicious new way to work kale into breakfast, this post reinforced something that just dawned on me a few days ago: I no longer struggle with how much I "should" eat. I ran into an acquaintance at a New Year's party who had finally managed to lose some weight, something everyone knew she'd been struggling with for a while. When I said congrats she replied, quite miserably, "it's all about portion control." I almost blurted out, "that's way too hard!!" but I didn't want to knock her hard work. Like most people my friend thinks I'm "naturally slim", but I sure wasn't slim in the 90's. I too remember the days of counting every fat gram, never feeling satiated, feeling guilty about food and riding the blood sugar roller coaster. Thanks real food for putting an end to all that and thanks Carrie for a great post!
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  46. Mona G.

    LOL....love this article and sent it to my daughter.... (who eats low fat everything almost....not much butter if any at all...she watches what she eats , counts everything....goes by points.....she eats wheat bread, trying to get me to eat it to...I absolutely hate WHEAT BREAD OR WHEAT ANYTHING.....I like white bread, I love my butter, love my Mayonnaise, my full fat yogurt, full fat ice cream, full fat sour cream....she buys only fat free everything......but she has lost weight, but she exercises everyday......and eats all that low fat food.....can't wait to see what she says when she reads this ..... I am using coconut oil, but just can't make myself use LARD.....was raised on it tho :) but I do buy donuts, etc. from the AMISH and I know they use lard.....so guess I am still eating it lol.....
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  49. Becca from It's Yummi!

    This looks flippin' fantastic, Carrie! I can definitely wrap my brain around eating butter instead of oil... oh yeah, low carb love <3 What I CAN'T get myself to give up are grains. I'm a pasta and bread junkie. I've been using Bob's Red Mill low carb baking mix, but I have yet to find a good replacement for real live pasta. I'm sorry, but as good as the ideas to turn veggies like zucchini into pasta are, they just doesn't do the job for me. I'd love suggestions!
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Trackbacks

  22. […] Creamed Kale and Eggs Recipe – Deliciously Organic – A delicious combination of creamed kale and leeks topped with an egg and baked in the oven. … Creamed Kale and Eggs. by Deliciously Organic on January 24, 2012. … Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe; Kale is Great! Coffee Cake Recipe; […]
    to Organic Food Network Kale Recipes « Recipes for Health" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Organic Food Network Kale Recipes « Recipes for Health">Reply to this comment
  23. […] Let’s start with the “why,” because there’s no need for the “how” if conventional options are   comparable. First of all, let me start by saying that we’re not on the low-fat bandwagon. We certainly used to be, and my poor hubby despised skim milk, but now he gets whole milk, full-fat yogurt, real butter and more (within moderation, of course). Why did we make the switch? Because more research is beginning to show that maybe fat isn’t the villain we once thought it was, and all those so-called healthy vegetable oils (high in omega 6) may actually be causing harm. For more reading on the subject, click here to read thoughts from a heart surgeon, and check out some of the links listed in this informative post by Deliciously Organic. […]
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