Kale Egg and Celery Salad Saute

Using a helping of leftover Celery Salad, I sauted it with kale and an egg mixed with egg white. Turned out to be quite tasty.

Saute 2/3 Cup of celery Salad with 1/4 Cup chopped onion

Celery Salad - makes 2 servings
3/4 cup Celery, raw, sliced
1/3 cup Cranberries, dried, fruit juice sweetened
1/3 cup Green pea, frozen, thawed
3 tbsp Parsley, raw, chopped fine

1.5 tbsp Yogurt, nonfat, plain

1 tbsp Pecan, dried, chopped fine

1.5 tsp Lemon juice

1/8 tsp Salt

1.5 tbsp Mayonnaise, reduced fat

Add, cover and wilt the kale:
1 tsp black pepper, ground,
1 cup Kale, raw
2 tbsp Wine, white table

Beat together, and then scramble in the mixture:1 Egg white

1 Egg, whole

Serve with:

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Rated a 4.56 on the Kale Scale.

Eggplant Curry on a Bed of Kale

I've never cooked eggplant for dinner before. Yes, I've cooked up babaganouj as a dip - delicious. Yes, I've eaten eggplant dishes in Egypt and Turkey - very yummy.So tonight, after having this eggplant sitting on my counter for a week, staring at me, I decided to just do it. Using as a guide, a recipe from The New Moosewood Cookbook. The recipe called for 2 eggplants; and served on a bed of rice. I opted to serve on a bed of kale, instead. I started eating, I told myself to imagine I was in another country, but as I took a couple bites, I realized, the end result was very good, even in my own kitchen!

This recipe makes 2 SERVINGS. The nutrition info is for 1 SERVING.

Saute until seeds start to brown a bit:

1 tbsp Olive oil

1 tbsp Sesame seed

Add, and continue saute until onions are translucent:

1/3 large Onion, chopped up

1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper, ground

1 tsp Cumin, ground

2 tbsp Mustard, prepared, spicy brown

1/2 tsp Turmeric, ground

1 tsp Curry powder

Add, cover and simmer. Stir occassionally. Add more water, if needed. Cook until the eggplant is sort of translucent, soft, melding with rest of ingredients:

3/4 Eggplant, raw, unpeeled, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 tbsp Vinegar, balsamic

1 fl oz Wine, white table

2/3 cup Water

1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup frozen peas and carrots

Put each serving on:

1 cup Kale, each leave cut down the spine, and then cut into thin slices perpendicular to the spine.

Rated a 4.69 on the Kale Scale.



Kale and Z'aatar Chx

The spice z'aatar from Middle East is thyme, sesame seed and some other stuff. I've done several versions of "Z'aatar Chicken." Tonight I was cooking up about 3/4 lb of thin sliced, with intentions of putting a little piece in my lunch each day this week. In making the chicken, I shake the pieces in a bag with some of the z'aatar, cinnamon, cardamon, coriander, chili powder, chinese five spice, nutmeg. I alter the choice of spices each time. Usually doing about 1/2 to 1/4 tsp for each, except the z'aatar which is usually about 2-3 tsp. Shake and fry in 1-2 tsp olive oil. 

Steam/wilt in microwave for up to 2 minutes:

1 cup Kale

1/4 cup peas

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp white wine

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp Mrs Dash

Sprinkle of water if needed to help with the steaming

After steaming, add:

2 tsp parmesan, grated

2 Tbsp chopped walnut

Serve with 1/3 cup of already prepared Z'aatar Chicken.

Rated a 4.6 on the Kale Scale.

Curry Squash Kale

This started with a recipe from Sunset Magazine for Cashew, coconut, and pumpkin curry. I was catching up on my reading saw 2-3 reader letters raving about this vegan recipe. So dug up the recipe. I didn't have a pumpkin, but I did have an acorn squash which I substituted in. Here is the jist of the recipe - I cut the magazine version in half and made 2 servings. I am listing the ingredients for 1 serving.  The rice pushes the calorie count by about 175!  Next time I'll leave out the rice.

Cook basmati rice.

Cook acorn squash in microwave until it's about 2/3 done, so that you can still get some cubes out of it. Follow your oven's instructions.  Use 1/2 of the squash.

Saute until brown

2-3 tsp olive oil

1/4 onion, sliced

Add and continue for a minute:

1 Tbsp  diced green chiles (canned)

1/2 tsp  cinnamon

1/2 tsp  turmeric

1/2 tsp  cumin seed

1/2 tsp  curry powder

Add and cook until squash is soft, and spices meld together:

3 oz of coconut milk (lite) 

1 bay leaf

1/2 acorn squash, cubed (to the extent you can get cubes out of the cooked squash; otherwise use the squash scrapings)

Cook 1 cup Kale (in bite size pieces) in microwave for 90 seconds.

Serve by putting kale on the plate, top with about 3/4 cup cooked rice and then top with the curry squash mixture, and then top with 1/4 cup roasted cashews.

Rated a 4.646 on the Kale Scale.

Sweet Potato Hash Kale with King David Apple

I started with a recipe off internet for Savory Sweet Potato Hash. As I was making it, I realized I had a small leftover from yesterday morning's scramble. So shift gears. I left out the bacon, and only put in a portion of one sweet potato, and bit of onion along with the scramble leavings. Turned out to be pretty good!

Saute:

1 tsp Olive oil, amore

1/3 cup Onion, chopped

¾ cup Sweet potato, diced

1 tsp Black pepper, ground

Add and continue:

¾ small King David apple w/skin, diced

Add and keep cooking till sweet potato and apple are done:

1/3 cup Soy milk

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp thyme

Add and heat through:

1 cup Scramble leftover (with fake sausage, corn, tomato and egg)

1 tbsp Parsley, raw

1 tbsp Pecan, dried, raw

Add, cover and wilt Kale:

2 fl oz Cranberry pomegranate juice, POM

1 cup Kale, raw

Rated a 4.6 on the Kale Scale

Kale Inundated with Blockhouse Cafe Lentil Soup

Had one of our Design Meetings at the Blockhouse Cafe last week, and took a bowl of their dee-licious Lentil Soup home for dinner. Added 1 cup of Kale (chopped up) and it was dinner!  Talk about fast food,  nutritious and tasty too. [No calorie count today.]

Rated at 4.7 on the Kale Scale.

Sweet Potato Persimmon Kale Saute

It's sweet potato time, so I decided to do a savory concoction (as opposed to a sweet one). Very filling, and quite tasty. 

Saute:
1/2 cup Sweet potato, raw, diced
1/3 cup Onion, raw. Chopped

After a bit, add a little liquid, cover, lower heat, and continue to cook
1 tbsp Wine, white table

Add, and continue saute:

1 fruit Persimmon, Japanese or Hachiya, raw, peeled and chopped

6 olives Olive, castleverano, pitted, halved

Add, scramble to bits:
1 medium Egg

Add on kale on top, add the liquid, lower heat, cover and wilt the kale as desired:
100 gram Kale, chopped to bite size pieces

2 fl oz Cranberry pomegranate juice, Pom (100% juice)

2 fl oz Water

Rated a 4.77 on the Kale Scale.

Whole Wheat Mac 'n' Kale

Needed some fast food - Amy's Macaroni and Cheese to the rescue. Used their whole wheat version, and mixed in 1+ cup of Kale into the serving.  The box says it makes 2.5 servings, but, in reality, it made only 2 servings (big ones, but not overly huge). I adjusted the calorie count to accommodate this.

Follow box directions for Whole Wheat Mac ' n' Cheese. 

Wilt Kale - 1.25 cups of ripped to bite size pieces of Kale in microwave.

Mix mac and kale. Put 1/2 the mac in a bowl and mix in the kale.

Serve and enjoy.

Rated a 4.67 on the Kale Scale.

Butternut Squash Ravioli On A Bed of Kale

This was quick and easy, made with some ready to prepare food items.  The result was delicious! I'll have the leftovers tomorrow.

Prepare pasta and kale:

- Boil water, put in the ravioli (Cucina Fresca, Butternut Ravioli)

- Turn the heat down and top the pot with a steamer on top of which you put 1.3 cups of kale. As the kale wilts,
put it on the serving plate.

Prepare the marinara:

I used a Marinara Sauce made by Souper Natural. Made in Tigard, with all natural ingredients, and no sweetener, no sugar product.

- Heat up the sauce in microwave or on stovetop.

Put things together:

- Strain the pasta, and return to the pot.

- Add the heated marinara sauce, stir.

Serve:

Put about 1/2 the pasta with about 1/2 of the sauce

on top of the bed of 1.3 cups of kale on the serving plate.

Theoretically, the ravioli package has 2.5 servings (I used 1.25), and the marinara sauce has 4 servings (I used 2).

Rated a 4.76 on the Kale Scale.

Elephant Beans With Squash and Steamed Kale

I have several concoctions that I've not yet put in this diary, because I just haven't had the time to do the official documentation. But, one by one here they come.

Tonight, I used a can of Elephant Beans in Oil from Turkey which I purchased at Barbour World Foods a couple weeks ago.  The label says "pilaki" as a sub title, which means "a style of Turkish meze and may refer to several dishes that are cooked in a sauce made out of onion, garlic, carrot, potato, tomato or tomato paste, and olive oil" as per Wikipedia. The ingredients on my label were: Elephant beans (like a huge lima bean but texture like a kidney), tomatoes, onion, carrot, pepper, tomato paste, mint and spices. 

Yesterday I cooked and peeled a butternut squash, with the intention of making a squash casserole. But, I forgot to get the rest of the recipe ingredients, so had to change plans which brought about this tasty dish.

This recipe makes two servings.

Saute:

1 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup Onion, raw

Add and saute  more:

14 oz Elephant Beans in Oil, Selena Brand

1.25 cup Butternut squash, raw

5 item Tomato, grape, Tastini

1/4 tsp Seasoning blend, Mrs. Dash

1/4 tsp Black pepper, ground

5 leaves Basil, fresh

4 tbsp Sherry, dry

Add and make bit of sauce:

1/4 cup Soy milk

1 fl oz Wine, white table

1 oz Jarlsberg cheese, chopped up, let pieces melt in

Steam (2 min in microwave) and put on plate:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

Put on top of the Kale, one half of the bean mixture

Serve with 1/2 tsp sesame seeds and dollop of non-fat greek yogurt (both optional and not included in calorie count).

Rated a 4.74 on the Kale Scale. Very tasty!

Plum Good Kale Salad

A tasy variation on ingredients hanging around in the 'fridge.

Layer or just pile in a big bowl:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

1 Plum, chopped

10 Tomato, grape, halved

1.5 oz Jarlsberg cheese, chopped into pieces

Dress with:
1 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Rated a 4.68 on the Kale Scale.

Fresh Corn and Kale

This paired nicely with some salmon that I had for dinner. It was fairly quick to put together.

Shuck the ear of corn, and microwave in a glass dish that will hold all ingredients. 2 min:

1 ear Corn, yellow

Add to the dish, the liquid and put kale and cabbage on either side of the corn. Microwave 2 more minutues:

1 cup Kale, chopped to bite size pieces

1/3 cup Red cabbage, chopped

2 tbsp White wine

1 tbsp Vinegar, balsamic

Cut the corn off the cob, and leave the corn kernals in the dish with the kale. Add the following and microwave 1-2 minutes:

9 item Grape tomatoes

1/2 tsp Black pepper, ground

1.5 tsp Butter

Serve with a topping of:

1.5 tsp Walnut, english, chopped fine

Rated a 4.64 on the Kale Scale.

With the weather getting cooler, creating a quick stir fry type of mixture is ok. Heating up the kitchen not a problem when it's in the 60s and misting.

Start by sauting to soften up the cabbage:

2 tsp Olive oil

1/2 cup Red cabbage, chopped

1/3 cup Onion, chopped

Then add:

3 medium Radish, sliced

10 item Tomato, grape, halved

1 pear Pear, cored and chopped

1/2 tsp Black pepper, ground

Add, cover and wilt the Kale:
1 tbsp Vinegar, balsamic, Olive Pit (yum!)
5 tbsp Wine, white table
3/4 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

After putting on plate, top with:

2 tsp Walnut, chopped for topping

Rated a 4.45 on the Kale Scale.

Could have been higher if I'd put more balsamic vinegar and wine in it; and not cook as long as I did.

Pineappple Chicken Kale

Really pretty good! This is another time I first spiced some chx breast tenders by shaking them in a bag with coriander, cardamon, cinnamon, and za'atar a Mid-Eastern spice mix based in thyme, which I got at Barbur World Foods.

Layer or toss, however you want:

1 cup   Red cabbage, chopped5
55 gram   Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

½ cup   Pineapple, cut up chunks from a fresh one

3.75 oz   Chicken breast, za’atar spiced and already cooked

Mix together and dress salad with:

1 tbsp   Olive oil

1 tbsp   Vinegar, balsamic, Olive Pit

[The dressing could have been twice as much and then all the salad pieces would have been wet.]

 

Rated a 4.77 on the Kale Scale.

Indian Lentils with Kale and Red Cabbage

A quick meal, and it was really very tasty and simple to fix. It was so good I was almost done before I remember to take a picture of the mix. I used my Pampered Chef covered dish for microwaving the ingredients.

In the microwave cooker add and then cook 90 seconds on high:

1 tbsp Vinegar, balsamic, Traditional from Olive Pit – oh my it’s good!

2 tbsp Sherry, dry

6 tbsp Water

1 cup Red cabbage, chopped

Add and cook for another 60 seconds:
1.15 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

Add, stir it up and cook for 90 seconds:

1 pack Madras lentils, Tastybite

1/2 carrot Carrot, grated

Serve with dollops of:

2 oz Greek yogurt, non-fat plain

Optional - add Akmak Crackers crumbled up.

Rated a 4.80 on the Kale Scale.

Mango Kale Slaw

I found an interesting recipe at Safeway for using the head of red cabbage that I bought. I thought it was worthy of adding my kale into the mix. So here is my variation of what they called Mango Slaw, and I turned into Mango Kale Slaw.  I bought a greenish yellow mango, and found that ripe comes in various colors. So took a chance, and it tasted fine.

Put in a bowl and layer or toss as you wish:
100 grams, Red cabbage, sliced thin
1.25 cup, Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

one half, Carrot,  big , grated

1 tsp, Green onions, sliced

18 sprigs, Cilantro, sliced

Put in a blender, mix and then stir together with the cabbage mixture:

3/4 cup, Mango, peeled and chopped

1.5 tbsp, Lime juice

3 tbsp, Yogurt, nonfat, Lemon, Cascade Fresh
1/3 tsp. Cayenne pepper, ground

Top with
2 tbsp, Walnuts, chopped

Rated a 4.76 on the Kale Scale.

Kale Olive Salad with Oak Aged Cheddar and Pear

Trying to keep it simple in looking for the right combo to get 1+ cup of Kale a day!  The oak aged cheddar was a nice addition and paired nicely with the pear.

Layer into a salad:

1.25 cup kale, ripped to bite size pieces

12 item tomato, grape, halved

10 olives olive, green, pitted, halved, castlevetrano olives

1 pear, cored and chopped

.90 oz cheddar cheese, oak aged smoked, diced

10 sprigs water cress leaves

2 tbsp olive oil & balsamic dressing, safeway select

Rated a 4.7 on the Kale Scale.

Watermelon Salad

 I got out my scale to make sure I was guesstimating the abount of kale correctly. And found I had ripped up 1.3 cups or 85 grams. Purple kale. I couldn't find anything that rates the various kinds of kale, but I thought the info on Whole Foods was good.  I like the purple or rainbow kale because the hold their shape, and don't wilt.

Layer for a salad:

1.3 Cups Kale, purple, ripped to bite size
1 cup watermelon, diced
1 pear, cored and chopped
3 radishes, sliced
2 Tbsp Tuscan Italian dressing (Annies Naturals)

Rated a 4.53 on the Kale Scale.

Plum and Olive Salad

Trying to keep it simple. I started with the green olives, but only 3 left, which is why I added the others. Only 5 left in the bottle, used them all.  I was surprised that this produced such small fiber count. The result was very tasty, though.

Layer as you desire:

1.15 cup kale, raw

1 plum, raw

5 kalamata olives, pitted, halved

3 olive, green, pitted, halved - castleverano

10 tomato, grape, halved

2 tbsp Tuscan Italian dressing, Annie's Naturals

Rated a 4.67 on the Kale Scale.

Fruit Smoothie

This was a bit over the top in using up some fruit in the fridge. Since I only used 1 cup of Kale, and my intention was to eat the kale....I drank the whole smoothie which turned out to be about 3.75 cups. Didn't do it in one sitting, but over the course of an evening.  I did get 100% of my protein for the day!  I had just been to the State Fair and watched the Vita-Mix sales pitch - so I was inspired. But, all I have is an old Waring Blender. However, I was impressed with it's ability to make the smoothie.

In blender, liquefy:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

2/3 cup Skim milk

Add, one fruit at a time, and liquefy after each addition:

1 medium Peach, chopped

1 fruit Nectarine, chopped

1 fruit Kiwifruit, fresh, raw, medium, peeled, chopped

1 fruit Plum, chopped

Add and take a taste:
6 oz Yogurt, Greek non-fat plain, Chobani

If it's not sweet enough or too yogurty (which it was for me), then add:
1 small Banana, peeled

1 fruit Clementine, peeled, chopped

Rated a 4.45 on the Kale Scale. I would have rated it higher, but the calorie count was too high in order to down 1 cup of kale. Next time I'll reduce the fruit and yogurt.

Fruit and Vegie Salad

A flavorful combination that actually worked!

Layer as you desire:
75 gram Kale, ripped to bite size pieces
1 Asian pear cored, and chopped
3 medium Radish, sliced
3 olives Olive, green, pitted. castleverano, halved
9 sprigs Cilantro
2 tbsp Tuscan Italian dressing, Annie's Naturals

Rated a 4.7 on the Kale Scale

Caper Topped Kale

Made this couple nights ago. I like the bonus points for fiber that one gets from avocado, but is so full of fat! They say it is the good kind of fat. And it was a delicious salad!

Layer as you desire, except top with the capers:

1.15 Cup Kale, ripped to bite size
3 Medium Radish, sliced

1 Fruit Avocado, California

1 Whole Tomato, Red, Ripe, chopped

5 Olives Kalamata Olives, halved

5 Olives Olive, Black, halved

1 Tsp Sesame Seed, toasted

1.5 Tbsp Capers, Canned

2 Tbsp, Tuscan Italian dressing, Annie's Natural

Rated a 4.68 on the Kale Scale.

Italian Kale Salad

Italian is the name of the kale. Long skinny dark green leaves. Kind of chewy.

Layer from bottom up or how ever:

1.25 cup,  kale, ripped into bite size pieces
4 medium radish, sliced
1 whole tomato, medium size, chopped
10 olives, black, pitted, chopped in half

1 fruit plum, raw, chopped

2 tbsp,  Tuscan italian dressing, Annie's Naturals

Rated a 4.53 on the Kale Scale.

Melon Kale Salad

Recent salad from couple days ago.  Lots of fruit makes the kale go down...

Layer as you desire:

1.15 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

20 Watermelon balls

3/4 cup Cantaloupe, cubed

1 Kiwifruit, peeled and cubed

1 Nectarine, cored and cubed

2 tbsp olive oil & balsamic dressing, safeway select

Rated a 4.67 on the Kale Scale.