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 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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broiled tomato and eggplant

I made broiled tomatoes to go with breakfast the other day; a quick, simple, and perhaps non-traditional breakfast food that comes together VERY quickly. It's also a great way to use up summer tomatoes. Depending on your individual preference, you may wish to broil the tomatoes for a few minutes for a cooked tomato texture.

Broiled Tomatoes

Ripe tomatoes, cored and halved
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. Set the oven to broil, 500 degrees.
2. Place the tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.
4. Broil tomatoes for 1 minute.

I am by no means an expert on Japanese cuisine. I do know they have a delicious miso eggplant side dish, though the Japanese eggplant is often cooked until soft (and slightly mushy). Until I find a real recipe for this dish, I'll continue to play around with different combinations for the miso sauce. This is my latest version; I like the combination of sweet and salty:

Broiled Japanese Eggplant

Japanese eggplant, in 1/2 inch lengthwise slices
1 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp mirin
1/2 tsp honey

1. Set the oven to broil, 500 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine the miso, mirin, and honey and stir until combined.
3. Place eggplant slices onto a baking sheet, then brush the miso sauce over each eggplant slice.
4. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until slightly browned. At this point, the eggplant should still have a bit of firmness to it.

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try something new!

Last weekend I went out on a culinary limb and made a brussel sprout salad, inspired by this recipe from 101 Cookbooks. I have never really been a fan of brussel sprouts (though I do like them roasted and tossed with salty pancetta and balsamic vinegar), but I admit, these looked like they could be a winner.

I shredded the brussel sprouts and tossed them with a lemon vinaigrette similar to Heidi's. It made for a perfect light lunch paired with leftover roast chicken and bell pepper sticks.

With the said roast chicken, I also made chicken stock from the carcass. Very Martha Stewart of me, I know. But oh, wow, is that stuff good.

Chicken Stock

1 chicken carcass

1 onion, quartered

1 carrot, roughly chopped

zest of one orange

couple sprigs thyme

8 cups water

Place all ingredients in a large pot over medium high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover slightly. Cook for up to 4 hours, adding more water as necessary. Strain and refrigerate until ready to use.

My stock gelatinized, so you may want to heat before using.

A couple of days ago, I made a nice tofu and spinach soup with my stock--so good! To make, bring the stock to a boil, add a handful of spinach, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until spinach is wilted. While this is cooking, cube some silken tofu and place into a soup bowl. Pour stock/spinach over tofu and serve.

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