Kale Pasta

Since I am also not normally a big fan of kale I am always on the lookout for new recipes. I found this one today and it was delicious. The whole family loved it. The recipe isn't exactly low fat! I like it for many reasons but one is that you incorporate the water the kale was steamed in into the sauce so the kids are getting the vitamins from the kale even if they aren't eating the actual pieces of kale. I used leftover chicken form a whole chicken I roasted earlier in the week. I feel like this is a good base recipe and you could do some much with it. Next time I would definitely add garlic and more black pepper...I may even try mushrooms or red peppers. Try it out!



1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 pinch sea salt
6 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (3 ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese


Directions

Combine kale, water, red wine vinegar, and sea salt in a saucepan; cook over medium heat until the kale wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain, reserving the liquid. Set the kale aside.

Combine the reserved liquid and the chicken in the saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir the kale, cream, butter, and black pepper through the chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the mixture is hot, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the mixture; cook and stir until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.

Awesome Kale Pesto!

I'm not really a kale lover, so I'm always looking for a new recipe that I might like.  I found one that the whole family loved!  This is from Cook's Illustrated.

Kale and Sunflower Seed Pesto for Cheese Ravioli


Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 1/4 - 1 3/4 pounds Cheese ravioli
Salt and pepper
2 cups chopped kale leaves
1 cup fresh basil
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Raviolis are a convenient weeknight dinner, but because they trap so much water during cooking they can wash out and dilute any sauce that is served with them. To solve this problem, we created some thick, concentrated pestos. These robust sauces loosen and dilute to the proper consistency when mixed with cooked raviolis. As an added benefit, they match the convenience of the store-bought raviolis with which they can be served.

Fresh or frozen ravioli may be used.

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add garlic to water and cook for 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to bowl and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Peel and mince garlic.

2. Add ravioli and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain ravioli and return to pot.

3. Pulse garlic, kale, basil, Parmesan, sunflower seeds, and red pepper flakes in food processor until finely ground, 20 to 30 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. With processor running, slowly add oil until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add 1 cup pesto to ravioli and gently toss to combine, adding 1 tablespoon cooking water at a time, as needed, to adjust consistency. Serve, passing remaining pesto separately.

Favorite Fall Veggie Soup

I'm making this for my family tonight before the kids go out trick or treating. It's one of our family favorites, and a great way to utilize many of the yummy vegetables from our fall farmshare. :) This is good for getting rid of Thanksgiving leftovers, too, FYI.

Winter Vegetable and Roast Turkey Chowder
from Soup's On! by Leslie Jonath and Frankie Frankeny

3 slices of bacon, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large celery stalks, cut into small slices
2 large red potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped Swiss chard or kale
2 cups roast turkey, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced (optional)
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leap parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste


In a heavy 6-8 quart saucepan, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned. Remove with slotted sppon to a plate. Set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons (approx.) of the bacon fat and return the pot to medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Saute until the vegetables are soft but not browned, 3-5 minutes.

Add the potatoes, squash, and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 min. Add the chard, turkey, zucchini (if using), parsley, thyme, and reserved bacon. Cook 5 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I find you don't need much!) Ladle the soup into warmed bowls or mugs to serve.

Kale

Two wicked easy and yummy recipes for using up your kale:

Kale Saute
olive oil
1/2 onion
2 slices prosciutto
1 bunch kale
pepper (optional)

Prep:
Dice 1/2 an onion, set aside. In a large frying pan, heat ~2 Tblsp olive oil over med-high heat. Meanwhile, rinse kale and rip/cut into pieces. (Don't worry about draining it too much after rinsing -- a little water on the leaves is good for cooking.) Set aside.

Cooking:
When the oil is hot, add onion and saute for a couple minutes until tender. Using kitchen shears, snip pieces of proscuitto into pan. Stir a couple times until everything is sizzling. Add kale. Sautee (stirring often) just until everything is wilted/tender, but still nice and green. If needed, add a little water and olive oil to keep things from sticking to the pan. Try not to overcook. Top off with some black pepper if desired. Serve hot.

Shannon Allen's Kale & Arugala Salad
Shannon Allen is the wife of Ray Allen from Boston Celtics. This is what Shannon serves Ray after a rough game w/ lots of bruises. Apparently, kale is one of the best foods to eat to help your body heal from bruising! I was leary of using the combo of these greens raw in a salad (too strong/harsh?) but I was totally wrong. It's sooo yummy.

Salad:
1 c. arugala leaves, cut in thin strips
1 c. kale leaves, cut in thin strips
1/2 c. raspberries
1/2 c. smoked almonds, chopped

Dressing:
Juice from 1/2 a grapefruit
Juice from 1 lemon
2 Tblsp olive oil
2 Tblsp balsamic vinegar

Enjoy!