Tag Archives: kale

Rainbow Kale Salad

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My husband isn’t a kale eater by nature, though he’s always willing to try what I prepare. He understands the wisdom in this route. The first time I tossed this salad his reaction surprised me — he nearly devoured the entire bowl, stopping occasionally to offer a comment or question.  This is pretty good and this is kale?  I knew we had something.

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Farro with Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale and Pomegranate

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This recipe was chosen as a Community Pick on the award-winning blog, food52.  Follow this link to check it out…

Earthy, nutty-tasting farro gives substance to this hearty dish—brilliant as a side, but able to easily stand on its own as a main course too (consider adding cooked beans like cannellini or chickpeas for even more heft).  The sweet potatoes, onions and nuts are roasted to add deep flavor, and the pomegranate seeds offer a gorgeous pop of color and a sweet-tart surprise in each bite.

Farro is an ancient strain of wheat from Italy that’s becoming more and more popular in the States.  You’ll find it in many high-end markets, such as Whole Foods (look in the bulk food section).  I prefer semi-pearled grains—they cook more quickly then the whole-grain product, while retaining much of the bran and fiber content.  Substitute spelt, wheat berries or brown rice if you like.

You can use ordinary lemon juice if you’re unable to find Meyer lemon in the market.  Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and orange, and its juice is sweeter, less tart, than lemon.

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Middle Eastern Style Chickpeas with Greens

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Middle-Eastern Chickpeas with Spinach

This recipe found its inspiration, once upon a time, in the Moosewood Cookbook series, essential references for anyone who strives to reduce meat consumption, but demands a dish full of mouthwatering flavor.  You can adapt and substitute freely—try just about any green you have on hand, or a different bean like white cannellinis or dark red kidneys.  Or toss in a cubed carrot or other winter roots as you sauté the onions and peppers.  In summer months eggplant or zucchini would be a perfect addition.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 sweet bell pepper, seeded and cubed
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • pinch of saffron (optional)
  • 1 ½ cups chopped tomato (fresh or canned)
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • Salt
  • 1 bunch coarsely chopped greens, such as spinach, kale or chard
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method:

  1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, add onion and cook soft, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add bell pepper, garlic and spices. Sauté for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently.  Add tomato and cook until tomato breaks up and becomes soft and most of its liquid has cooked off.
  3. Add chickpeas, about ¼ cup of water and one half teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.  Cook for 10 minutes, adding some water if mixture starts to stick to pan.
  4. If using spinach, turn off the heat and stir in the leaves, until just wilted.  If using more substantial greens such as kale or chard, cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat.  Add lemon juice and more salt to taste.
  5. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
  6. Serve with Middle Eastern flat bread, couscous or rice, for instance Persian Green Rice.

Potato and Kale Cakes with Rouille

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From Bon Appetit Magazine, January 2011

These delightful cakes remind me loosely of aloo tikki, a potato-based mainstay of Indian snack foods called chaat – perhaps a distant American cousin? My daughter pointed out that these cakes are also reminiscent of the Irish potato and kale (or cabbage) dish Colcannon (a recipe for which can be found in our archives).

Such golden, smooth and starchy gems are sure to satisfy our comfort food cravings during cold winter months – but not in an over-the-top way like the potatoes mashed with an entire stick of butter that we ate at Christmas. I admit it’s true, but the dish did serve 13 people (including a few hungry teenagers).

Ingredients:

Roille –

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 2 tsp tomato paste
  • 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper

Cakes –

  • 1 ½ lbs unpeeled russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • 2 Tbsp (1/4 stick) unsalted butter (to lighten, you might consider cutting down on this a bit)
  • 1 tsp coarse kosher salt, divided
  • 3 ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
  • ½ lb kale, center rib and stem cut from each leaf, leaves coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Method:

  1. Rouille – Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  2. Cakes – Cook potatoes in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 25 min. Drain; return to pan. Add milk and butter. Mash until smooth. Season with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Transfer 3 cups mashed potatoes to large bowl and cool (reserve remaining potatoes for another use – snack opportunity!).
  3. Heat 1 ½ Tbsp oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion softens, about 5 min. Increase heat to med-high and add kale and thyme. Toss until kale wilts, about 5 min. Add kale mixture, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper and nutmeg to potatoes; blend. Cool mixture for 30 min.
  4. Shape potato mixture by ¼ cupfuls into ½ inch-thick patties. Arrange on a baking sheet.
  5. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add cakes and cook, without moving, until cakes are brown and crispy on the bottom, 3-4 min. Carefully turn cakes over and cook until brown on bottom, 2-3 min. Transfer to plates. Top each cake with dollop of rouille.

Easy Sautéed Greens

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This basic recipe works with all kinds of leafy greens (and thinking slightly outside the box, even chopped broccoli). Add some toasted pine nuts for serving if you like or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Fold into cooked grains like nutty Italian farro or earthy brown rice. Serve on top of pasta with shaved Parmesan or stir into a pot of cooked lentils such as soupy, Indian mung dal or chewy, French lentilles du Puy.

Ingredients:

  • Greens of choice, thoroughly rinsed, stems removed and roughly chopped into large pieces
  • Minced garlic to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Method:

  1. Heat a skillet on medium and add olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. Add minced garlic and red pepper, if using, and sauté lightly for a few seconds.
  2. Add greens (it’s good if they have a bit of water on them from rinsing) and sauté until tender, stirring occasionally. Greens will cook down in volume – add uncooked leaves to pan in batches if they don’t fit all at once.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Serve as is (see headnote for serving ideas), or toss in some rinsed and drained, canned cannellini beans during the last few minutes of cooking and another drizzle of olive oil before serving. Add a splash of high quality wine vinegar or lemon juice if you like.
  5. For an Asian inspired twist substitute bok choy stems and leaves, or other Asian greens. Sauté with some minced fresh ginger (along with garlic) in olive oil with a bit of toasted sesame oil. Add a dash of rice wine vinegar and soy sauce at the end of cooking.