Do you like kale? Well, you should. Now there’s a whole book devoted to it; The Book of Kale by Sharon Hanna.

This book will enlighten you on:

1. The history of kale
2. The benefits of consuming kale
3. Tips for growing your own kale
4. Getting your kids involved in nurturing kale
5. Information on kale and recommended varieties

*Fun Kale Fact:  For full health benefits of kale, it should be cooked before consumption. Kale keeps a tight hold on its goodness and heat helps the release of pigments, which allow for better absorption after digestion.

The second half of the cookbook is a plethora of recipes that allow you to add kale to breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, oh, even desserts. Here is a sample below:

Savoury Kale Muffins

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried dillweed
• 3 tablespoon minced onion, shallots or chives
• Pinch cayenne
• 3 cups kale leaves, loosely packed
• 1 1/2  cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Cheese (optional) for topping

In a medium bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Add cottage cheese, dillweed, onion and cayenne, mixing only to combine.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place kale in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple of times until the kale is chopped very finely. Squeeze excess moisture from the kale and add to cheese mixture.

In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients, stirring only enough to blend, a few lumps are okay. Spoon into greased or non-stick muffin pans. Add a small piece of cheese to the top of each muffin if desired.

Bake about 20 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.

Makes 12 muffins

This is a great dish to make ahead and pop in the oven when you’re ready. It was featured in Women’s Day Magazine.

• 12 oz bowtie pasta
• 12 oz broccoli florets
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 package (8 oz) sliced mushrooms
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 bag (5 oz) baby spinach
• 5 ounce(s) (1 1/4 cups) fontina cheese, grated
• 1⁄3 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 1 boned rotisserie chicken, meat diced (optional)

Heat oven to 425 F. Butter a shallow 3-qt baking dish.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, adding the broccoli during the last 3 minutes of cooking; drain and return the broccoli and pasta to the pot.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms and sauté until tender, 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, flour, salt and pepper. Pour into skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes; stir in spinach. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the fontina and 1⁄3 cup of the Parmesan.

Pour sauce into pot with pasta and broccoli and toss to coat. Add chicken, if using. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining fontina and Parmesan.

Bake until the cheese melts and is beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Serves 8

Make ahead:

After completing step 5, let casserole cool for 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

On the night you’d like to serve it, remove casserole from refrigerator and replace plastic wrap with nonstick aluminum foil. Bake in a 425°F oven for 30 minutes; uncover and bake until beginning to brown, 10 minutes.

Here is a complete meal that’s full of nutrients that the whole family will love. This recipe is from The Food Network.

• Cooking spray
• Olive oil
• 4 salmon fillets
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into thin strips
• 2 cups string beans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large roasting pan and large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Season salmon with salt and pepper and place in prepared roasting pan. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, molasses, brown sugar, and garlic. Pour mixture over salmon in pan. Arrange oranges over salmon, set aside.

Arrange potatoes and green beans on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast salmon and vegetables for 20 to 25 minutes (depending on cut of salmon, it might take only 15 to 20 minutes), until fish is fork-tender and potatoes are golden brown and tender. Remove from oven.

Serve the salmon with all of the vegetables.

Serves 4

Summer’s winding down, or we can pretend it is, and here is a soup to celebrate. It’s from the cookbook Super Natural Cooking.

• 1 1/4 cups black beluga lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cups diced butternut squash (1/4 inch dice)
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• Pinch of smoked paprika or pure chili powder
• Torn fresh basil leaves, for garnish
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
• Good-quality olive oil, for garnish

Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the lentils, and cook for 20 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the squash, tomatoes and stock and continue cooking until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the lentils and stir them in, along with the salt and smoked paprika. Let the soup return to a gentle simmer, then taste and adjust the seasoning if need be.

Serve, topped with the basil, Parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 4 to 6