sweet potato with kale and an egg | kelly’s kitchen

Hi friends! Welcome back to Kelly’s Kitchen. This week I want to share with you a simple dish that I came up with many years ago when I was single, cooking for one. A specific diet prompted this dish though. I have done a few rounds of The Whole Life Challenge and this dish ticked all the boxes for protein, healthy carbs and leafy greens. Sweet potato with kale and an egg. It is so flavorful, filling and rich – and it’s super healthy! Win-win-win!

The mighty sweet potato is an orange flesh veg, packed with beta-carotene , which means it’s an anti-inflammatory food. Same with the kale; dark green leafy veggies contain antioxidants and polyphenols, folate and vitamin C – all are good for fighting inflammation. Research has shown that eggs can be good for inflammation because of their vitamin D content. 

If you wanted to go one further though, swap out the egg for salmon. Omega-rich fish like salmon, sardines and even trout are great for inflammation. 

I like to wrap my sweet potato in foil. It contains the moisture so the skin stays soft. Bake that sweet potato at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until it’s soft. I wait to cook the kale and the egg until I pull the potato out. It’s going to stay hot wrapped in the foil while I prepare the rest. 

Start your water boiling for the poached egg.  I use a 2 quart saucepan, fill it up about halfway.

Kale

To dress my kale (of which, I am using about a handful), I have chopped fresh garlic (also good for inflammation) and chopped preserved lemon. You can also use lemon zest if you don’t have preserved lemon on hand (you should!). Preserved lemon is salty, so if you use zest instead, you’ll want to add a hefty pinch of salt to your kale. 

Sautè the kale in a pan with a healthy drizzle of olive oil over medium high heat until it softens and wilts a bit. Then add the garlic and the lemon. I like to deglaze the pan with a splash of white balsamic vinegar. At this point, I turn off the heat and let it finish cooking from the radiant heat of the pan. 

Poaching the Egg

By now your water should be boiling or just about to. I prefer the vortex method for egg poaching. Always crack your egg into a separate cup, it makes pouring the egg into the swirling boiling water much easier. A tip for a more well defined white is to crack the egg over a fine mesh sieve placed over a ramekin. Then transfer the egg to a separate ramekin. This removes the watery white what tends to splay in the water. (I don’t often have the patience to do this though…). Another tip I often see is to add a teaspoon of light-colored vinegar to the water. I have only used this method when poaching more than one egg.

Once your water is boiling reduce the heat to medium and use a slotted spoon to swirl the water to create a whirlpool. 

Once I pour in my egg, I set a timer for three minutes. 

After 3 minutes, use a slotted spoon to pull your egg. You want the yolk have the dark yellow translucent color of raw yolk, but to be warmed through and still liquid. I let the egg sit on the slotted spoon to drain off all the water. Definitely pull your egg before the yolk develops the opaque light yellow of a hardboiled egg. 

Plating a Masterpiece!

To plate, unwrap your sweet potato and slice it lengthwise down the center and spread the sides out. I like to use a fork to mash and fluff the flesh. Optional: a pat of butter, or you can do a nice drizzle of olive oil. A little kosher salt and then I pile on my kale. 

Place the poached egg on top, a little more salt, fresh cracked pepper and a shake of crushed red pepper flakes. And that’s it! 

Sweet Potato with Kale and an Egg. How Does it Taste?

The sweet potato is soft and lightly sweet. A perfect foundation for the bittersweet flavor of the kale. The fresh garlic is spicy and savory, while the lemon adds brightness and a little acid. Richness from the egg gives it a creamy lusciousness that is so satisfying! 

There are some great swaps you can make that still keep this dish super healthy. I suggest trying chopped broccoli instead of kale. Broccoli brings vitamin C to the party, so it swaps well for kale. Try poached, grilled or smoked salmon instead of the egg. Salmon is a great protein and it has omega-3 fatty acids. Or you can swap the egg for avocado! You could quarter and roast a butternut squash instead of the sweet potato if you like. 

Definitely try this sweet potato with kale and an egg! Let me know how you like it and if you try any swaps. Looking for something a little less healthy? Can I interest you in my fried chicken sandwich? Thanks everyone for joining me today! Don’t forget you can find me on Instagram and Facebook too! Take care everyone, be well. xo Kelly

Kelly Djalali

is our 40s+ fashion & food contributor. She posts a Daily Look on Tuesdays, writes about Fashion on Thursdays, joins Beth for Fridays with Oscar and shares a new recipe Sunday evenings.

She’s 47, 5’0, and a petite 0/XS.

Kelly also has a food blog called Djalali Cooks, which you can find by clicking the world icon below.

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