Hotsy Totsy Steamed Kale

Quick and easy this was. The hotsy totsy part is adding 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of chili powder to this concoction. But that paired nicely with the pineapple and Ras El Hanout.

Steam 1.5 minutes in microwave:

2 brussel sprouts, cut up
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, cut up
1 clementine, peeled and segmented, those cut in half
4 green onions, white part sliced thin
1 oz white wine
1/2 tsp Ras El Hanout
1/8 to 1/4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dukkah (the Egyptian nut crumbles)

Add, and steam 2 minutes more in microwave:

1+ cup kale, purple and green, ripped to bite size pieces.

Serve and dust with a bit more dukkah.

Rated a 4.65 on Kale Scale

Purple Kale Saute

For holidays, I spiced some mixed nuts and this involved warming the spices in fying pan in olive oil (cumin, ginger, cinnamon, curry, chili powder, cayenne).  This left a nice spicy residue in the saute pan into which I put the ingredients for this dish. Yummy!  I did not account for the bits of left over spice in the nutirion count.

Saute
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion
2 brussel sprouts, chopped up
1/2 cup pineapple, fresh and chopped up
1 fingerling potato, chopped up

Add and cover, lower temp and cook 5 minutes or so
1.5 Tbsp of pomegranate juice
 
Uncover, and let the water that condenses on the lid, go into the pan.

Add, cover, and steam until wilted to your desire
1 cup purple kale, ripped to bite size pieces
 
Serve!

 Rated a 4.67 on the Kale Scale.

Purple Kale Citrus Salad

Wanted a quick side salad to go with salmon.  I used organic purple kale. Deep purple.

Toss, layer or mix up, then serve:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces
2/3 cup pineapple chunks, cut up
1 clementine, peeled, halve the segments

Serve with 2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette

Rated a 4.45 on the Kale Scale.

Dukkah Dusted Kale

Dukkah, pronouced do-ah, is an Egyptian/Middle Eastern dipping spice - often used when dipping bread in olive oil, and then dipping in the dukkah.  Often made with hazelnuts, it can be made with a variety of nuts and spices. It's more that the final result is a jar full of a crumbly spiced nut topping.

Someone asked me if I had ever tried any, and no, so I got to researching. This is the best explanation I've found to far.  I pulled out the Egyptian cookbook I bought in Egypt (which is written in Spanish as it was the only version left at the airport souvenir shop), and found its recipe for Dukkah, which I chose to follow, more or less.

I used walnuts, as I thought that was what nueces meant in spanish, and I would use hazelnuts next time. I mixed sesame, coriander seeds, walnuts, cumin seeds. Toasted in oven for about an hour at 175-200f. And then put 1/3 at a time in the blender and ground it up, but not pulverize.

I made the dukkah yesterday, and used it today for this recipe.

Steam, 2 minutes in microwave
1 cup kale, ripped to bit size pieces
2 tsp cooking sherry

Mix steamed kale with
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
6 green olives (castelverano)
3 black olives

Serve mixed up kale and veggies on plate and
Dust with 2 tablespoons of kale.

Rated a 4.7 on the Kale Scale.

Fast Food!

Friend made big pot of soup and gave a frozen portion to me. I saved it for this week. Made two servings. No calorie count.  Dinner was served within 5 minutes.

After soup thaws, put portion in glass bowl. Top with 1 cup kale, ripped to bite size pieces.

Microwave for 2.5 minutes. Stir kale into the soup.

Microwave again 1 minute.

Serve with a few Ak-Mak crackers. Yum!


Rated a 4.8 on the Kale Scale.

Warm Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

I was on the hunt for a "mexican salad" for a potluck, and found this. Turns out this warm salad works perfectly paired with a bed of kale.

This recipe is cut in 1/2 from the original. I get about two 1. 3 cup servings - it took that much to provide the proper kale coverage for my liking.

Make quinoa
1/4 cup quinoa
3/4 cup water
Bring to a boil, then simmer til water is absorbed.

Cook sweet potato
1 big sweet potato (about 1/2 to 2/3 lbs. I used one weighing 300 grams).
Peel sweet potato, dice into 1/2 inch pieces. Cover with water, bring to boil; cook til tender about 15 minutes.  Drain well.

Toss the quinoa, and sweet potato with
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1.5 tbsp green onion, chopped fine
2 oz can of sliced olives
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup mined fresh cilantro
6 cherry tomatoes, halved

Whisk together and mix into the vegetables
4 tbsp lime juice (the juice from 2 fresh limes)
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp chipolte chili powder

Serve on a bed of 1 cup steamed kale.

Rated a 4.7 on the Kale Scale.

Sweet Potato Kale #3

Third and final serving variation on recipe from Sunday. Tonight, I ripped up pieces of kale, put them on dinner plate and then put the serving of sweet potato on top. Sprinkled around some water, put the steamer cover on on the plate. Microwaved 2 minutes.

Yum.

Rated a 4.66 on the Kale Scale.

Sweet Potato Kale Redo with Brussel Sprouts

Working with the leftovers from yesterday's recipe. I added 2 brussel sprouts, chopped up, to 1 serving of Sweet Potato with Fresh Kale. Instead of putting the serving on top of fresh kale on a plate, I mixed the kale in with the leftover serving, and heated it all in the microwave for 2 minutes.  I'm doing a picture, mostly to document, indeed, that bright green is brussel sprout parts.

Added a Tbsn of white wine and a bit of water to help wilt the kale and heat it all as it was being cooked.

Rated a 4.6 on the Kale Scale.

Sweet Potato Joy with Fresh Kale

The basic recipe started with the Sweet Potato recipe on page 325 of my hard bounc 1975 version of the Joy Of Cooking.  I offer here a variation on that recipe. You can look the original up at the Library - it is very good, and makes a great no-added-sugar addition to any holiday meal. So, too, does my variation... :) 

This is really not a kale recipe exactly, but rather a recipe to which one can apply a cup of kale and carry the kale down the gullet, quite nicely.

One could use this as a side to protein, such as fish, or other.

This recipe makes 3 servings (for me).

Ingredients - all will be divided into two layers.

• 2 sweet potatoes, medium+
• 1 packaged cup of Del Monte pineapple chunks (comes in plastic cup that is really only 7 oz). No added sugar, just pineapple juice.
• 1 pear, cored and diced
• 4 figs, dried, cut up
• 1/2 cup cherries (I used dried bing cherries, but you could use fresh if you want. The nutrition count is for fresh cherries)
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp Ras El Hanout spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients - go on top of casserole

• 1/3 cup pineapple juice from the pineapple cup above. 100% juice.
• 1 Tbsp butter, diced and sprinkled over the top

Ingredients for each serving - 1 cup of kale ripped to bite size pieces.

Boil until so tender, the jackets will slip off - about 40 mins. Knife or fork inserts easily when done.

• 2 Sweet potatoes, medium+ in size. Fits in Revereware 3 qt pot with water to cover.  Drain and pour in cold water. When you can hanle them, slip the potato skins or jackets off.

Assemble the casserole in 1 and 1/2 qt casserole dish

• Make two layers starting with sweet potato, then pineapple sprinkled over, then cherries and fig sprinkled over, then cinnamon and ras el hanout, top layer with pecan.
• On the top, sprinkle around the diced butter.
• Pour over the whole casserole, the pineapple juice.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Serve on a bed of fresh kale (1 cup) per serving.  I used purple kale.

 Rated a 4.64 on the Kale Scale.

How well do kale and applesauce go together?

Kale and applesauce go quite well together, surprisingly. Of course you have to use enough applesauce, and toss in a clementine and spices to make it so. I was thinking, how could you fit kale into a dessert when one doesn't use added sugar, and doesn't like to fake out with artificial sweeteners? What I came up with was actually a fruit-ish salad, not really dessert. But, it worked.

I used purple kale; it's what I had. I minced it up with my Pampered Chef food chopper. Made a mess of the cutting board. I used 2 little cups of Mott's applesauce - their Healthy Harvest Granny Smith. I added the little clementine with cinnamon and ras el hanout to make it more palatable.

This recipe is for 1 person. A stronger person than I who really, really likes kale, could perhaps do with less applesauce. Despite the rating, I would do this again, it was a super easy way to get the kale eaten.

Mince
1 cup kale

Put in bowl and mix

1 cup of Mott's applesauce
1/2 the kale

Repeat with rest of applesauce and kale

Add
1 clementine, peeled, with each segment cut in half
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ras el hanout spice mix

Serve with dinner.

Rated a 4.49 on the Kale Scale.

Brussel Sprout Kale with Egg and Spices

This started with a review of the supplies in refrigerator. That half and half is still good, but then I found in the freezer, frozen corn, and a bag of frozen kale. Both something I had bagged up before a little vacation 2 weeks ago. Found a couple little potatoes, and to my dismay, more brussel sprouts. So I left the half and half out of the deal, and here's what I did.  This was a good camouflage for the sprouts, too.

Saute:
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
3 brussel sprouts, chopped
2 fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp Mrs Dash
1 tsp zaartar (thyme and other spices. Mediterranean mix)

Add, lower to simmer and cover:
.5 oz white wine
3 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 oz water

After about 5 minutes, add, cover and wilt:
1.15 cup kale, ripped to bite size pieces. I used frozen. By the time I was ready for this step, it was almost thawed. Just put it all in and it will be cooked.
1/2 cup corn kernels (these too, frozen, but thawed in the simmer)
2 tsp sherry
2 Tbsp water

Make room in the middle and fry one egg.
Add more pepper

Serve with couple shakes of worcestershire sauce.


Rated a 4.58 on the Kale Scale.

Kibbeh and Kale

 

Recently, ate dinner at Tarboush, a Lebanese restaurant.

 

After the wonderful appetizers, we ordered Kibbeh Bi’Sayniyeh which is an oven-baked organic ground beef and bulgur wheat encasing a layer of seasoned Organic ground beef, onions, and pine nuts...served with yogurt. We had one made with ground beef, and another made with pumpkin (vegetarian). The Kibbeh looked like a couple pieces of pie - triangle shape.  It was deee-licious!

 

Took 1 piece of the beef and one of the pumpkin home, along with yogurt from the restaurant.

 

Steamed a bed of kale, broke up and put the Kibbeh on top. Very tasty combination!

 

No nutrition count for this one.

 

Rated a 4.69 on the Kale Scale.

 

Kale with Olives and Dates in Sauce

The half and half is still good, so why waste it? That was the initial thought about what to do with the kale tonight. Thus the following mixture. It was good. Might have been better had I steamed the kale and served the concoction on top, but instead, I put the kale in the saute and wilted it that way. But, still it was good, edible, and tasty.

First of all, packing a cup of kale. This is what it looks like to rip up 3 huge leaves for a cup - and packing it like you would pack brown sugar. Actually measures out to about 1.15 to 1.25 cups, but if you squish and take out the air, it's a stout cup of kale.  For nutrition count, I usually factor it as 1.15 cups.

Tonight, the kale was served as a side dish to baked salmon.

Saute:
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp pepper, ground
1/4 tsp ras el hanout spice mix

Add and continue saute:
8 grape tomatoes, halved
7 green pitted olives, halved (castleverano)
3 dates, pitted and chopped up

Stir in, lower heat, simmer:
1 oz half and half, mixed with next item
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Dressing

While that simmers, rip up into bite size pieces:
1+ cups kale (ie 1 packed cup)

Add the kale, cover and continue to simmer for 2-5 minutes
Uncover, mix up and serve.


Rated a 4.5 on the Kale Scale.

Again with the Brussel Sprouts and Kale

I was inspired by the little potatoes we had at the beach recently. And the organic half and half that I brought home from the beach food share. Plus the pomegranate juice I've had around for a bit.  This little saute turned out ok! It would have rated higher if I had used a different fruit, such as pineapple. But, still - it was good.

Saute, soften up and brown:
2 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise, sliced thin crosswise
3 brussel sprouts, quartered, chopped
1 tsp raw ginger, peeled, chopped up (it started out as more than that with the peel and all)
1 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp Ras El Hanout spice mix

Add, lower heat and simmer:
1/8 cup half and half
1/8 cup pomegranate juice, mixed with the half and half
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette (Cindy's Kitchen at Whole Foods)
15 grapes (red or black, seedless), halved

While the veggies simmer, steam:
1.25 cups of kale, ripped to bite size pieces.  I put the kale on my dinner plate, put over it a microwave steamer cover and microwave for 2 minutes.

Stir saute, and pour over the plated steamed kale.

Rated a 4.49 on the Kale Scale.

Brussel Sprouts with Orange and Kale Saute

Another attempt at brussel sprouts. Turned out ok. Putting fruit with the sprouts works well to camouflage them.

Saute:
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
3 brussel sprouts, chopped
2 clementines, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp Mrs Dash
1/2 tsp Ras El Hanout spice

Add and simmer a bit:
1 oz white wine
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette (Cindy's Kitchen)

Add, cover, and wilt kale as desired:
1 oz white wine (yes, another oz)
1+ cup of Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

 Rated a 4.58 on the Kale Scale.

Brussel sprouts fried egg on steam kale

This was a concoction of a little this and a little that. Turned out to be good!

Saute:
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 brussel sprouts, chopped

After a bit, add:
2/3 cup cooked small potatoes, chopped
1 plum, chopped
1 Tbsp cooking sherry
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Make room in the middle of the veggies and fry to your desired done-ness
1 egg

While this cooks, steam
1 cup kale

Serve by putting the sauted veggies and egg on top of the bed of steamed kale.


Rated a 4.6 on the Kale Scale.

Oatmeal Kale

Breakfast for dinner - and it worked!

Make Oatmeal with:
1/2 c dry 5-grain cereal from Bob's Red Mill
1/2 apple
.5 oz raisins (a mini box)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c yogurt, Dannon Light n Fit Vanilla
1/4 c or less soy milk
1 cup kale, minced. I used a hand blender to mince it, worked great.

 
Rated a 4.53 on the Kale Scale

Kale and Grapes Salad

Simple, and effective. Kale salad to go with a salmon dinner and corn on the cob.

Mix up to your satisfaction:

1 cup purple Kale, ripped into bite size pieces
30 red grapes, halved
2 Tbsp Tangerine Vinaigrette Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen)

Rated a 4.5 on the Kale Scale.

Curried Lentil Stuffed Squash with Kale

This recipe comes from the Eating Well magazine. A bit of a hassle to put together, but quite delicious.  RATED a 4.78 on the Kale Scale.
    My version is 1/2 what the recipe calls for. I made two servings instead of four.  Also, optional is to serve with non-fat greek yogurt, which I did, but I didn't include the yogurt in the nutrition count.

     Follow the cooking instructions in the magazine link. When done, steam the kale and either mix into the lentils and put in squash, OR mix squash guts with lentils and put on bed of kale on plate. Top with optional yogurt.

INGREDIENTS:

1 squash	ACORN SQUASH, RAW
2 tsp	BUTTER
1 tsp	garam masala
1/4 tsp	SALT
1.5 cup	WATER
1/2 cup	LENTILS, RED, DRY
2 tsp	OLIVE OIL
1 tsp	CUMIN SEED (aka coriander seed)
2 leek	LEEK, sliced thin
1/3 cup	ONION, chopped
1/2 carrot	CARROT, sliced thin
1 tbsp	GINGER ROOT, peeled, minced or diced
2 oz	GREEN CHILES, DICED, canned
1 tsp	CORIANDER, ground
1/2 tsp	TURMERIC, ground
1/2 cup	TOMATO, DICED
2 cup	KALE, ripped into bite size pieces

Tofu, Brussel Sprouts and Kale?

Yes! Tofu and kale go well together, and the brussel sprouts are nicely hidden, especially when using a delicious Korma sauce from Tasty Bites.

I call this one Korma Kale.

Saute:
1.5 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup fennel bulb, chopped

After browning, remove onion and fennel, set aside.

Add and brown tofu:
1.5 tsp olive oil
12 oz or 1 box of Mori-Nu Firm Tofu, drained and cut into cubes
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp Ras El Hanout spice mix
1/2 tsp Mrs Dash

When tofu is browned, add:
The browned onion and fennel
5 brussel sprouts, quartered
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 package (7 oz) Good Korma Sauce by Tasty Bites
1 oz white wine

Stir together, cover and simmer for 8 minutes.

Check it, stir and simmer UNcovered 3-5 minutes to reduce liquid.

While the Korma cooks, steam a bed of 1 cup kale, and put on dinner plate.

Serve the Korma mixture on top of thebed of kale.

Rated a 4.79 on the Kale Scale.

Kale Salad with Persimmon, Kiwi and Pineapple

Our long and pleasant run of 70+ F. weather is still with us, and makes for great salad motivation.

Toss, layer or however you like, put these ingredients together:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces
1 persimmon, peeled, cored, chopped
1 kiwi, peeled, chopped
1/2 cup pineapple pieces, chopped

Dust with 1 tsp of coconut flakes

Serve with 4 tsp of Cindy's Kitchen Tangerine Vinaigrette.

Rated a 4.66 on the Kale Scale.

Kale with Pineapple and Brussel Sprouts #2

This is merely a variation on the previous entry with pineapple and brussel sprouts. This one, I added the kale to saute, covered and wilted it with steam from some wine that I added. This was a nice complement to a hunk of wild salmon that I had for dinner.

Saute
2 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup, anise or fennel bulb, chopped
2 leeks, sliced

Add and continue saute
 6 brussel sprouts, chopped up some
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, chopped a bit more
1 tsp Ras El Hanout
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Add, cover and wilt
1 oz white wine
1 cup kale, ripped up bite size pieces

Serve.

Rated a 4.7 on the Kale Scale

What to do with a Brussel Sprout?

Brussel sprouts are not my favorite. However, I've found that pairing them with pineapple and mixing that up with kale - works!  They aren't half-bad this way.  Also, I found a new spice blend at Barbour International Foods - Ras El Hanout which is a Moroccan spice blend. Very tasty!

Saute
2 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup, anise or fennel bulb, chopped
2 leeks, sliced

Add and continue saute
6 brussel sprouts, chopped up some
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, chopped a bit more
1 oz pomegranate juice or other liquid
1 tsp Ras El Hanout
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

While that cooks, steam
1 cup kale, ripped up bite size pieces

Put the kale on plate and top with the saute veggies.

Rated a 4.7 on the Kale Scale

Tomato and Pear Kale Salad

Simple and easy.

Toss together and serve:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces
1 red pear, chopped
1 Brooks plum, chopped
10 grape tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp Tangerine Balsamic Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)

 Rated a 4.58 on the Kale Scale.