Warm Wilted Kale Salad with Lemon, Garlic, and Ancho Chili

I've been on a kale kick since I had my first delicious kale salad about a month ago now. Kale used to be one of those foods I wanted to like, but never found the right recipe. My success came first when I warmed up to massaged kale salads which soften the leaves and make it a little less bitter. My favorite this week is a wilted kale salad, lightly sautéed in a pan with olive oil and some spices.

This recipe, surprisingly, was my first attempt at wilted kale salad, but the flavors make kale more universally appealing. Nutritional yeast gives it a slight cheesiness while ancho chili powder gives it a bit of roasted smokiness. Feel free to sub in paprika if you don't have ancho chili powder on hand, I think it would be a nice pairing.

Wilted Kale Salad with Lemon, Garlic, and Ancho Chili

Ingredients

• 1 bunch lacinato kale, cleaned and chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• Rounded 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder or paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Method

1. In a large saute pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the kale and saute for about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and continue cooking for another minute or so until the kale begins to turn bright green.
3. Add the nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, ancho chili powder, and garlic powder to the kale, stirring to incorporate the seasoning. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
4. Serve hot.

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Raw Beet and Pear Salad

The first time I tried and liked beets was last fall after trying them in my CSA box. They have a nice sweet earthiness which I really enjoy from time to time. I couldn't resist this recipe by Jamie Oliver with the addition of sweet pears and tangy cheese.

Raw Beet and Pear Salad

Adapted from Cook with Jamie

Ingredients

• 1 medium beet, cut into small matchsticks
• 1 medium pear, cut into small matchsticks
• 2 tbsp feta cheese
• Lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Combine beet, pear, and feta cheese on a serving platter or individual plates.
2. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil, then season lightly with salt and pepper.

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Basic Kale Salad

Happy 2013! The health craze season is upon us which is a great time to explore new foods and try new recipes. I've been using my break to reacquaint myself with my old cookbooks and gather new recipes to try.

I so very desperately have wanted to like kale for a long time. Kale in green smoothies, kale chips, kale salad, anything kale. It's trendy, I suppose, with kale recipes popping up all the time. But as a super nutritious green, I'd like to have several go to recipes that taste phenomenal.

I had a great kale salad the other day at Veggie Grill that was so pretty and delicious, so I was inspired to try my hand again. I came across a simple rainbow kale salad in a vegan cookbook I've had for a few years. This recipe is a great stepping point into the world of kale for non-believers, I definitely recommend you give it a go. The key really is to massage the dressing into the kale for at least a minute; this will soften the leaves, giving a better texture and better flavor.

Basic Kale Salad

Adapted from The 30-Minute Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale, about 10 stalks, stems removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/2 small cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1/2 C roasted nuts, optional
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 tsp maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Combine kale, bell pepper, carrot, and cabbage in a large bowl.
2. Whisk remaining ingredients until emulsified. This will be the salad dressing.
3. Pour dressing over kale mixture. With clean hands, massage the dressing into the kale mixture for about a minute.

Serve as is as a side salad. Make a complete salad meal by tossing with leftover grains and optional protein.

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Raw Zucchini Salad

I'm not generally a big fan of zucchini, I quickly get tired of the taste so it's relegated to baked goods (zucchini brownies, anyone??). It's still early yet this season and I was intrigued by a recipe I saw recently.

This salad is light, refreshing, and good enough that I think I'll make it at least once this summer season! I didn't have shallot on hand, nor did I use slivered almonds or fresh herbs, but it was still good none the less. I think the addition of fresh thyme would be fantastic with the lemon flavor of the salad, maybe next time?

Raw Zucchini Salad

Ingredients

• 2 zucchinis, julienned
• 1 tbsp minced shallot
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Olive oil, about 1-2 tbsp
• Fresh black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 C toasted slivered almonds, optional
• 1/4 fresh herbs (thyme would be lovely), optional

Method

1. Place zucchini in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Toss an additional teaspoon of salt and let stand for about 15 minutes, or until softened and limp.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the shallot, garlic, and lemon juice to make a dressing.
3. Drain the zucchini, then taste for salt, rinsing if too strong. Toss the zucchini with just enough olive oil to coat, then add the dressing.
4. Season with pepper and taste for lemon juice and salt. Garnish with nuts and herbs.

This salad could easily be made ahead of time for guests or a picnic. Store the salted and rinsed zucchini in the fridge, then toss with the olive oil and dressing prior to serving.

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Spring Veggies with Truffle Salt

I love all the great produce that comes out this time of year. It's a breath of fresh air after cooking through the winter months.

It's a little late in the season for it, but I got some pencil thin asparagus over the weekend and was eager to put them to good use. I threw together a simple chicken and veggie bowl served over rice, keeping the seasonings light and simple to let the ingredients really shine. Lightly browned sweet onion and mushrooms compliment the asparagus not only in color, but also in flavor. I finished with a generous sprinkling of truffle salt to add a little something extra.

I've noticed some non-specialty stores are starting to carry "exotic" salts these days, and while the price tag may seem steep per pound, don't be afraid to try out a new salt or two! I bought a very small container of truffle salt earlier in the year for less than $3 and it's still going strong. If you haven't tried it, it adds a very rich depth of flavor and a little goes a long way, which makes it a great value.

Spring Veggies with Truffle Salt

Ingredients

• 1/4 sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 6 brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 lb asparagus, woody stems trimmed, and cut into 3" lengths
• Oil for sautéing
• Truffle salt

Method

1. Heat the oil in large saute pan over medium.
2. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, then add the onions and continue cooking until browned.
3. Finish with the asparagus, removing the pan from the heat as soon as the asparagus turns a bright green color.
4. To serve, generously sprinkle the veggies with the truffle salt.

These veggies would be great served alongside pork, chicken, or salmon with brown or multigrain rice. Be sure to keep any additional seasonings or flavors light to accentuate the veggies and truffle salt!

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Roasted Beets + Greens

Yep, I went there. Beets have always been a mystery vegetable to me and even though I had previously never encountered one, I was always semi afraid of them. Unfortunately for me, my CSA box this week had a bunch tucked inside. So I did my research and found a couple beet and beet green recipes. One of the first recipe hits had nearly 300 reviews and 4.5 stars, how could I go wrong?

The beet greens have a surprisingly neutral taste, milder than kale even. As such, I think they would make a great accompaniment to other sauteed vegetables and no one would be the wiser. The beets themselves are nice and tender, slightly sweet. I have a feeling I'll be buying beets at least once this fall.

Roasted Beets + Greens

Ingredients

• One bunch beets (about 6), washed and separated
• Olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 C onion, finely chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place beets in a glass baking dish, adding enough olive oil to toss and coat. Cover pan with foil and bake for about 60 minutes, or until beets tender.
2. Tear beet green leaves from the hard red stems, roughly chopping the leaves.
3. After beets are done cooking, saute garlic and onion in olive oil until slightly golden. Add beet greens and cook until slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
4. Slice beets. To serve, place beet greens over sliced beets and add sherry vinegar over the top. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

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CSA Season: collard greens

I signed up for a CSA basket for the season and with it come some vegetables I would not normally try. First up: collard greens.

I've never had collard greens, but I imagine they are in the same category as kale and swiss chard, two greens I have purchased and enjoy cooked up with eggs.

I decided to cook my collard greens in a grill pan with bacon fat, which then turned into a sort of salad. I ate mine plain, seasoned simply with salt and pepper, then added a couple strips of bacon, torn into pieces.

Next time I think I'll make my standard dijon-balsamic vinaigrette and toss with the greens and bacon. I like using an old spice jar to shake up my vinaigrette ingredients, plus it makes a great little storage container and is a convenient way to take a couple day's worth of salad dressing to work for lunch!

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Farmer's Market Orzo Salad

I used fresh from the garden vegetables to throw together this pasta salad: zucchini and yellow squash. These plants yield huge quantities so it's always good to have a few more recipes in your summertime arsenal. I love this salad for its fresh color and all the cheese; I think its a great way to spice up some summer vegetables that become a bit bland and boring by the end of the summer.

Farmer's Market Orzo Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 box orzo pasta (about 4 servings)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 small zucchini, cubed
• 1 yellow squash, cubed
• 3-5 sprigs of thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

Method

1. In a large saucepan, cook the orzo in boiling water for about 9 minutes until cooked. Drain and set aside.
2. Using the same pan, heat the oil over medium low. Add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and grate the cheese. When onions are ready, add the vegetables and thyme and stir, sauteing for three minutes, until the squash and zucchini are slightly cooked but still firm.
4. Add the cheese, then the pasta, and stir until combined. Season once more with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Quinoa Salad

I discovered a bento blog with a huge range of recipes, based around the Japanese bento style lunchbox. And since I'm always looking for something to eat for lunch, I like perusing the site to get ideas.

I decided to make a quinoa salad to go with dinner one night and it turned out pretty well.



It is better with the addition of fresh tomato slices before serving. Next time, I'll do that and substitute some of the italian parsley for basil. It definitely lasts a few days in the fridge, so it's great to make ahead of time for later.

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