Kale Kasha

Another day for solar cooking! It wasn't that hot today, and it was partly cloudy. But, it worked!  Salmon filet, corn on the cob, and kasha also known as buckwheat groats.

I used 1/4 cup of the dry kasha (Wolff's brand) and I added 1/2 cup water, which seemed to get absorbed or disappear. So I added more water, probably 1 cup total. Once cooked, it looked a bit like oatmeal.  I didn't use an egg, which is something recommended by Wolff's. I was unsure how the egg would do cooking in the sun.

I cut the kernels off the corn, mixed it with the cooked kasha, and 1 cup of Kale that I steamed. I added couple of tomatoes before I ate, and topped with yogurt. All in all, I'd have to try Kasha in a couple of ways before I'd put it down as a favorite.  It definitely has possibilities.

Here is what I put in a container, and then solar cooked for couple hours:

1/4 cup Kasha or buckwheat groats
1 cup water
1/4 cup onion, chopped up
1 tsp capers

Once done, combine with:

Kernels cut from 1 ear of cooked corn on the cob

1 cup, Kale, ripped to bite size, and steamed for 90 seconds
10 grape tomatoes, halved

Serve with:

1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup non-fat plain greek style yogurt

Rated a 4.3 on the Kale Scale.

Smoothie Redemption

This smoothie, much improved over the last one!

Blend together and serve:

1 cup skim milk
1/2 blueberries
1 orange, peeled
2 Tbsp cooked quinoa
1+ cup kale
1 oz yogurt, Dannon Lite n Fit Vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Rated at 4.66 on the Kale Scale

Can a Kale Smoothie Go Wrong?

Yes - a kale smoothie seems to have its limits. I'm not sure what made this smoothie one of the worst - it might have been using the Lacinato type kale, or maybe it was using the hemp protein powder, or could have been the two dried figs I tossed in it. It was so thick that the straw stood on its own. And so thick that I just didn't even want to finish the whole serving. Seemed to get thicker as I drank it.

If you want to try this, put in a blender or Vitamix and blend away:

1 cup, non fat milk
3 tbsp 100% Pomegranate juice
1/2 cup, blueberries
1/2 carrot
3 clementines, peeled
2 dried figs
1 cup lacinato kale, ripped up
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp hemp protein powder

Serve and try to enjoy!

Rated a 2.9 on the Kale Scale.

Quinoa in a Kale Smoothie?

Yes! Quinoa works great in a kale smoothie. At least with the vitamix, it is blended to smithereens. I used red quinoa, and in the photo, you can see some red flecks in the drink - that's the blended quinoa. As per my last smoothie, I have some work to do to get to a reasonable calorie count with these liquid meals!

Blend as desired - with Vmix - about 1 minute or so
1 cup non-fat milk
30 grapes
3 clementines
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (red, this time)
1/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt
2 Tbsp POM pomegranate juice
3 pitted dates
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1+ cup kale

Serve and enjoy!

Rated a 4.72 on the Kale Scale.

Kale Smoothie with Hummus

After making hummus for my lunches this week, I several tablespoons in the bottom of the vitamix that I couldn't get at. So I decided to just incorporate the hummus into a smoothie to go with my dinner.  The smoothie with hummus undertones - pretty good!  Yet now that I see the calorie count (yikes!), I realize that the salmon, fresh corn and quinoa I made (in the solar cooker) - added up to a significant calorie intake for 1 meal!!

Put into Vitamix and blend to desired consistency:

3 Tbsp hummus
30 grapes
3 clementine oranges (peeled)
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup non-fat yogurt
1+ cup of Kale


Rated a 4.68 on the Kale Scale.

Lemon Grape Smoothie

And another way to enjoy Kale - vitamix smoothie #8 with Lemon and Grape. I thought the lemon would make it too tart, but seems like I compensated quite well with the other fruit. Delicious!  This one came out pinkish brown due to the black grapes.

Put in blender and blend to your desired consistency (with a vitamix, takes under a minute)

1 cup milk, non-fat
1/2 lemon, peeled
1/2 cup pineapple, raw, peeled, chunks
25 black grapes
4 dates, pitted
2 clementines, peeled
1/2 carrot
1+ cup of kale, ripped up
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Serve and enjoy!



Rated a 4.73 on the Kale Scale.

Watermelon Smoothie

Half of a small watermelon made about 2 cups for a smoothie. The ingredients were added at random from there.

Add and blend as desired (Vitamix took less than a minute)

2 cups watermelon
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, raw
3 clementines, peeled
2 Tbsp Hemp protein powder (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup yogurt, Danon Light'n'Fit vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp hummus
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
10 grape tomatoes
1.25 cups of kale


Rated a 4.67 on the Kale Scale.

Quinoa Corn and Kale

The best of leftovers: making meals in minutes. This one was delicious!

Microwave 4 minutes
1 ear of corn
and cut the kernels off the cob after cooking
Add 1 tsp of butter, black pepper and dash of Mrs Dash

Microwave 2 minutes
1+ cup of Kale, ripped to bite size. I put the kale on the dinner plate, cover with a plastic steamer lid. Works great!

Microwave 2+ minutes
1 cup Solar Quinoa
2 patties, Morningstar veggie fake sausage

Assemble
Place the corn kernels on the kale, on your plate
Add quinoa, and cut up fake sausage patties
Top with 2 tbsp. of non-fat greek yogurt.

Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce.

Rated a 4.75 on the Kale Scale.