Dilled Kale

I've recently been experimenting with dill, most likely because I love Hungarian Mushroom Soup and dill dip. Actually, the inspiration for the recipe below probably came from the hot Hungarian sausage I was using; you know, word association. I also figured if dill tastes good as a dip for vegetables, then it will probably taste good with cooked kale. And it was good. It added a subtle flavor to the dish and I think rounded it out nicely.

Dilled Kale

1 tbsp olive oil
1 hot Hungarian sausage link (about 1/3 lb)
1 c chopped onion
1 tbsp dill
2 tsp Hungarian paprika

1 large bunch kale, washed and sliced into 1 inch strips

1 tomato, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
Add the sausage and cook until starting to brown.
Add the onion and cook until starting to brown.
Add the dill and paprika and cook until fragrant.
Add the kale and cook until soft, but not mushy. You may need to cover the pan for a little bit to get the kale to start wilting so that you can turn them. I use a tongs to turn.
Add tomato, salt and pepper and cook until tomato is warm.
Remove from heat and serve hot.

Beet and Mushroom Fry

Looking in my refrigerator tonight, I realized that there were a few items I needed to use up before I go shopping again. Sometimes those random foods can be combined to make a delicious meal (and sometimes not... that has happened to me before). Tonight my random ingredients consisted of some mushrooms, kale, beets and asparagus. I also noticed some bacon grease I needed to use. I would not replace the bacon grease, as it adds a lot of flavor to the meal. If you don't have any on hand, just fry up some bacon (maybe put some in the dish) and store the rest to be used in your eggs in the morning. The last ingredient was thanks to Tendercrop Farm. I just made a trip to their awesome market down in Massachusetts this weekend, where I picked up some kielbasa they make there. It is the perfect kielbasa because it is smoky and flavorful without being an odd shade of red (hello food coloring to standardize the appearance of mass produced foods). Also, it isn't greasy like so many kielbasas on the market right now. It's pretty much perfect and I know people who have never liked kielbasa who love Tendercrop Farm's kielbasa. It's perfectly matched with the ingredients I had on hand. I served the fry over some leftover Potatoes-on-the-Grill, but you could just boil a few potatoes instead or maybe grate them and throw them into the pan with the beets. In the end, this was a fast meal and quite satisfying.

Beet and Mushroom Fry

4 tbsp bacon grease
8 inches kielbasa, quartered lengthwise and then sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3 portabella mushrooms, chopped
2 beets, grated
2 c shredded kale, washed
8 spears asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the bacon grease in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add kielbasa and cook until it starts to brown.
Add garlic and cook briefly.
Add mushrooms and cook until water is released and starts to cook off.
Add grated beets and cook until ingredients are sizzling in the pan and not simmering in their own water.
Add kale and asparagus and cook, stirring constantly, until asparagus is tender but not overcooked.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over potatoes.

Mango-Blueberry Smoothie

Apologies for a couple days of silence; I have been living on leftover Shepherd's Pie and Lemon Caper Pasta for a few days now. Not that I am complaining, these are some delicious leftovers. Sadly, due to some laziness and late nights, my breakfast the past couple days has been uninspired. I believe I had yogurt with a banana and walnuts one day and this morning I put together some leftover "Potatoes on the Grill," spinach and cheese which I microwaved once I got to work. Determined to make tomorrow morning more interesting, I whipped up the smoothie below tonight so that I can take it for my breakfast. It is not the most beautiful color, sort of a muted purple-green color. But, I did taste it and I am excited for breakfast! The blueberry and mango worked well together. I added a lot of kale for extra vitamin goodness. I love that you can add this vegetable to just about any smoothie and the flavor is not altered. Also, the carrot juice melts into the background; I think because mango and carrot share some similar flavors. The blueberry definitely jumps out at you on this smoothie, unlike the others I have posted before. All in all, quite a tasty smoothie for something I threw together with what I had in the house. Don't you love when that happens?

Mango-Blueberry Smoothie
(makes about 3 servings)

1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 c frozen blueberries
4 oz extra soft tofu
3 c chopped kale, washed
1 c carrot juice
1/2-1 c unsweetened soy milk

Place all ingredients in a blender (start with 1/2 c of the soy milk) and blend until smooth. Add more soy milk if it is too thick.

Berry Smoothie

Lately I have been drinking smoothies for most of my lunches. I like being able to get extra fruits and vegetables while also feeling full. Plus, it is easy to drink at my desk. I workout during most of my lunch breaks, so a quick lunch that is desk-suitable is perfect. I recently saw this smoothie recipe on the New York Times and it inspired the smoothie below. It is bright pink and not too sweet, which is perfect in my opinion. The recipe makes about four cups, so you can cut it in half to make just enough for one serving.

Berry Smoothie

1/2 c frozen blackberries
1/2 c frozen mango
1/2 c frozen blueberries
2 tbsp chopped ginger
1 3-4 inch beet, washed and cubed
3 leaves kale, washed and torn into pieces
1/2 c yogurt
3 oz silken tofu
1 c water (or a little more, if needed)
1 tbsp honey

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Potato Leek Soup

A while back I made this soup and posted it to my social networking profile so that I wouldn't forget it. I'm now moving it over here for others to enjoy.

6 yukon gold potatoes, washed and cubed
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 large leek, dark green part and roots removed, chopped fine and rinsed
1/3 c celery, washed and chopped
6 cups chopped kale, washed
2 tsp chicken flavor better than bouillon
salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, put potatoes and garlic clove. Cover generously with water and put over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender. Drain, reserving the liquid.
While potatoes are boiling, put porcini mushrooms in a 2 cup measuring cup and fill with hot water. Let soak. When tender, remove porcini mushrooms and dice. Reserve the liquid.
Once potatoes are draining, return soup pot to the stove and put over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add leek and celery and cook until very tender. Add porcini mushrooms and kale and cook until kale is wilted but still bright green.
Return potatoes to the pot, pour in reserved mushroom liquid. Then add reserved potato liquid. You want to cover generously with liquid, so you may need to add additional water. Add bouillon, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cook for a few minutes, then remove from the heat. Using an immersion blender, very carefully blend the soup until smooth (depending on how finely you chopped the leeks, celery and kale, this might take a while). Once blended, return to heat and bring to temperature desired for serving.

And an alternate option:

Alteration: Replace porcini mushrooms with 3 cups fresh cremini mushrooms, chopped. Sautee mushrooms with leek and celery. One downside is that the mushrooms float and take a while to blend. It might be a good idea to process with an immersion blender before adding liquid and potatoes back to the pot (or with only a small amount of liquid). When using cremini mushrooms, add extra water to replace mushroom liquid.

I'm Sure This Has a Fancy Name; I Just Call It Delicious

Wanting to use up the small, tender zucchini I received in last week's share, I decided to experiment. Shredded zucchini, finely chopped kale, ricotta, and eggs and I found myself enjoying something between a frittata and that spinach and artichoke dip every restaurant now makes (from a can, I suspect). I ate it with some whole grain bread, but it stands up pretty well once slightly cool. I'm thinking I'm going to try it again and use it in a sandwich, maybe with some fresh tomatoes and basil. (I just ate lunch and am hungry just thinking of this).

Zucchini and Kale "Frittata"

3 small zucchini, shredded
salt
1 tbsp bacon grease (or olive oil)
6 c finely chopped kale
2 eggs
1 c ricotta
1/4 c green onion, sliced
2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
2 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
large pinch each of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss shredded zucchini with a sprinkle of salt and let stand in a sieve.
Melt bacon grease in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Add kale and cook until wilted and not watery; remove from heat.
In a bowl, beat eggs well, then mix in ricotta, green onion, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and mix until smooth.
Squeeze excess moisture out of the zucchini, then mix into the egg and cheese mixture.
Add kale to bowl, mix, then pour ingredients back into the skillet and spread evenly across the bottom.
Place skillet in oven and let bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until set and starting to just brown on the edges.
Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.

Bonus Day

I have tomorrow off, so I thought I would post two things today (ooo). Last night I had breakfast for dinner, but without any syrup requiring breads (I don't have any syrup at the moment, bummer). Instead I made an omelet and a potato-kale scramble. Do you call it a scramble if it doesn't include eggs? Hmm... Anyways, it was delicious and accomplished 2 goals: finish the last of the spinach from the share the week before last and knock down one bag of kale from last week's share. I didn't have any bread for toast (should probably go shopping), but I found a large boiled Yukon Gold potato in my refrigerator. Ah leftovers, how you save the day more often than not.

Spinach and Cheddar Omelet with Potato-Kale Scramble

2 tsp butter, divided
3 eggs
3 tbsp green onion, sliced thin
1/2 c spinach, washed and chopped
1 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/2 c cubed cooked potato (cold)
3 c kale, washed and torn into pieces
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In a pan over medium heat, melt 1 tsp butter.
In a bowl, beat eggs well.
Mix green onion and a pinch each of salt and pepper into the eggs.
Spread butter in pan evenly, then pour in eggs.
Once the eggs are well set, but still slightly wet on the top, use a spatula to flip.
Sprinkle spinach and cheese on one half of the omelet, then turn other half over to cover. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Place 1 tsp butter in the same pan and add garlic.
Once garlic is fragrant, add potato and kale.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then stir while cooking (using spatula to scrape any browned potato from the bottom of the pan).
Once potato is hot and kale is wilted, transfer to plate and eat while warm.

I think I also mentioned that I was going to make some coleslaw with all the cabbage I had left from two weeks ago. I researched a variety of recipes in my old cookbooks. I find, when you're looking for something classic, the old cookbooks are always the best. Too many cookbooks today try to make things less fat (eat less) or time (I enjoy cooking, so I don't necessarily need all my meals done in 10 minutes) or are trying to reinvent recipes (which I have no problem with, I do that a lot, but again, looking for classic). Also, if I'm looking to experiment myself, I like to know how people typically make something and to think of variations all on my lonesome.

After digging around, I found that a "boiled dressing" was a classic for coleslaw. It's not actually boiled, but it is cooked in a pan and then allowed to cool before dressing the vegetables. I took ideas from a few different recipes and settled upon adding mustard seeds and celery seeds to the dressing. For the vegetables, I added shredded zucchini, kohlrabi, and carrots. I also met someone once who salted the vegetables and allowed them to weep before adding the dressing, so I also did that. After a few days, it's gotten a bit watery, but the first couple days it was delicious. Eaten with some cold cooked chicken, it was a nice summery meal.

Classic Coleslaw

6 c finely shredded cabbage (mixture of green and napa cabbages)
2 zucchini, shredded with a grater
1 kohlrabi bulb, peeled and then shredded with a grater
1 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp butter
3/4 c half and half
1/4 c vinegar
1 c onion, sliced paper thin
2 c carrot, shredded with a grater

Place cabbage, zucchini, a kohlrabi in a salad spinner and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and toss.
While vegetables are sitting, place other 1/2 tsp salt, mustard seeds, celery seeds, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar and flour in a sauce pan and whisk together.
Add egg yolks to seasonings and mix well with a whisk.
Slowly add half and half, whisking smooth.
Add butter and vinegar, then turn on heat to medium-low.
Stirring constantly, cook dressing until it starts to thicken.
Remove from heat, then pour into a Pyrex measuring cup and put in the refrigerator to cool.
When dressing is cool, rinse the vegetables with water and spin dry.
In a large mixing bowl, combine these vegetables with the onion and carrots. Stir well.
Pour dressing over the vegetables and mix well.
Place in the refrigerator and allow to sit for at least 2 hours before serving.

The Goodness of Garlic

I was pretty much famished by the time I got down to making dinner last night. Due to some exercise related protesting from my legs, I decided to take it easy last night. So instead of the planned bike ride, I took my pups for a long, leisurely walk (read: I was in too much pain to walk fast). While this did result in a great deal less pain today, it also meant it was late when I got home. Whilst on the walk, I was dreaming of pizza and wine (having to walk by a pizza parlor did not help). Knowing the state of the vegetables in my refrigerator (many), I passed up pizza and instead made pasta. I whipped up a garlic cream sauce, sauteed some kale and parboiled some pea pods, mixed it all, and topped it with a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese before eating. It definitely hit the spot and made me happy that I didn't cave to the enticing pizza perfume.

Pasta with Garlic Cream Sauce and Vegetables

2 c pea pods, washed, cut in half
1 tsp oil (I used a basil olive oil)
1 1/2 c kale, washed and chopped
2 oz pasta (I used dried because I didn't have any fresh)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil (again, I used the basil olive oil)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
4 tsp flour (this is a reduction, I actually used 5)
salt and pepper to taste
1 c milk
cheddar cheese, shredded

Put pea pods in a pot, cover with water and place over high heat.
Bring to a boil, cook for about 2 minutes, then drain.
In the same pot, put a generous amount of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add a large pinch of salt, stir, then add the pasta to cook. Cook to al dente as directed on the package.
While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tsp oil.
When oil is shimmering, add kale and stir fry until wilted, then remove from heat.
Once pasta is done cooking, pour into a sieve and let drain.
Place that same pot over medium low heat and add butter and 1 tbsp oil.
Once the butter has melted and is crackling, add garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic just starts to turn golden.
Add flour, salt and pepper and stir until smooth. Let this bubble, stirring, for about a minute.
Slowly add the milk, whisking until smooth.
Cook until sauce thickens, then add the pea pods, kale, and pasta and toss.
Before serving warm, top with cheddar cheese.

Oh internet

So, apparently there is a conspiracy to prevent me from updating my blog on a daily basis. Enter "loss of Internet for the weekend." Well, despite the inability to post, I did not fast over the weekend, far from it. I have too many vegetables to eat! So many, in fact, that I incorporated them into my breakfast. Enter "the breakfast sandwich." It's oh so delicious and envied by other breakfast sandwiches that lack its vitamin richness. Or so we can imagine in our little world of walking-talking breakfast sandwiches. I imagine those fast food ones would be the kids getting picked on. Or, maybe I have it backwards and they're actually the popular kids and my little guy is the outcast. Good thing it's all in our imaginations. Except the sandwich; it really is tasty!

Egg and Kale Breakfast Sandwich

2 slices hearty whole grain bread, toasted
1 tbsp cream cheese
1 tsp butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp black pepper olive oil
6 medium to small kale leaves, washed and torn in half
salt and pepper to taste

Once bread is toasted, spread 1/2 tbsp cream cheese on each slice.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add butter.
At the same time, heat a small cast iron pan over medium-high heat and add the oil.
Once the butter is melted and sizzling, tilt pan to spread and then crack the eggs into the pan. Break the yolks and salt and pepper "to taste."
Once the oil is shimmering in the other pan, tilt pan to spread and then add kale.
While your eggs are cooking, occasionally stir the kale until wilted. Remove from heat.
When eggs are mostly done, flip and cook the rest of the way.
When eggs are done, put kale on one slice of the bread, top with eggs and then the second piece of bread.
Eat while hot.