Monthly Archives: November 2015

Spicy Shakshuka With Kale

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I’ve been wanting to try making shakshuka for a while. I love eggs, I love tomato sauce, and I love any excuse to dip bread into something. So it seemed like a perfect meal for me. And it was! Definitely one of my favorite things I have made in a while. So good on a cold fall night, and very easy to make. I added kale to mine, but you could add any greens or veggies you have in the fridge really. I also topped it with goat cheese which I loved!

Ingredients:
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 shallot, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Good pinch red pepper flakes
1 can diced tomatoes (half pureed in a food processor)
1 cup kale, coarsely chopped
2 eggs
Olive Oil
Water, as needed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
Goat cheese, for topping
Bread, for serving

Saute the garlic and shallot in a skillet with olive oil. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the paprika, pepper flakes, turmeric, and dried basil. Next add the tomato sauce (both diced and pureed) and cook until it comes to a simmer. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the kale and cook for another 3-4 minutes. You’ll notice the tomato sauce starts to thicken after a while, so add tiny bits of water as you go to bring the sauciness back to life! Make two little pockets in the sauce, and crack your eggs into them. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the whites are cooked and the yolk is still soft/runny. Continue to add the water as needed.

To plate, scoop the egg and sauce into a shallow bowl. Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and goat cheese crumbles. Serve with some toasted bread!

Brussels Sprout & Leek Cast Iron Pizza

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Guys. Making a pizza in a cast iron skillet is amazing. I’ve never done it before and absolutely loved it. And the best part is that the whole thing takes about 3-4 minutes to cook! Normally I like a thin pizza, but there’s something about this pillowly crust that is heavenly. I didn’t even make it to the table, or to a chair for that matter, I ate half of it just standing in my kitchen like a PRO!

Ingredients:
Pizza dough (you only need half)
1 cup Brussels sprouts, trimmed and washed
1/2 leek, trimmed and washed
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
Smoked mozzarella, sliced
Soppressata, thinly sliced
All-purpose
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Honey, for topping (optional)

I purchased my dough from Whole Foods, as I was feeling lazy, but you can make your own if you like! I simply cut the ball in half and froze the other half for future pizza making.

To start, saute the garlic, leeks, and Brussels sprouts in a little olive oil until the greens have softened a bit. Salt and pepper to taste then set aside. Next, heat the cast iron pan on your stovetop over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Get your broiler going in the oven. Roll your dough out on a floured surface, making it about the size of your skillet. Have your toppings ready and on stand by, because once you place that dough in the skillet you need to add those toppings fast! Gently place your dough into the hot pan. It might not come out perfect, but that is OK. Top with the mozzarella, veggie mixture, and soppressata. Turn off the burner, and place the pan directly into the oven underneath the broiler. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, rotating the pan occasionally, until the crust is bubbling and has a nice golden color with few burnt bits. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before eating.

Serve with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of honey! I used Mikes Hot Honey which I LOVE and totally recommend. You could probably make your own version by mixing in some cayenne pepper with your regular honey if you like. ENJOY!

Brussels Sprout & Kale Caesar Salad

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I love Caesar salad, so when I got Brussels sprouts and kale in my CSA this week, I thought I would try it as an alternative to the usual romaine lettuce used for this salad. Homemade Caesar dressing is so easy to make, and so much tastier then that fake creamy dressing so many restaurants use. Normally you add an egg to the dressing, but I didn’t because I planned on topping my salad with a soft boiled egg. Plus I don’t think you sacrifice any flavor when omitting the egg in the dressing anyway. Next time I might add some crispy pancetta, or maybe some fried capers in addition to the croutons I made!

Ingredients:
2 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and leaves peeled
1 cup laminate kale, shredded
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, soft boiled
French bread, cut into crouton size pieces
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Caesar Dressing:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 oil-packed anchovies
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (plus more as needed)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss the croutons with olive oil, salt and black pepper. Bake for 15 mins or until crispy. Set aside to cool.

In a mortar and pestle, mix together the anchovy, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Add in the lemon juice and mustard and mix well. Very slowly whisk in the olive oil until it thickens a bit, then stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and pepper. Add more lemon juice and/or salt if needed.

For the egg, boil a small pot of water and gently add your egg. Cook them for 7 minutes, then remove immediately and place in a bowl of ice water. This will help stop the cooking process and will leave you with the perfect semi-runny egg!

I decided to quickly blanch my greens to help soften them just a tiny bit. Add the greens to a pot of boiling water for about 15 seconds, then remove and place in a bowl of ice water. Again, this will stop the cooking process. Put the greens through a salad spinner to dry (or pat lightly with a paper towel) then place in a large bowl. Alternatively you can skip this process and just keep the greens raw if you prefer.

Toss well with the Caesar dressing, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with the croutons and soft boiled egg. Enjoy!

Kale Leek & Butternut Squash Pot Pie

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I had a lot of leftover vegetables this week and thought it would be a good idea to use them up in a fall pot pie! It was perfect little meal to make on a Sunday afternoon. If only they made buttery pie crust blankets I could wrap myself in… then Sunday’s would EVEN BETTER. Dare to dream people.

Pie Dough:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for surface)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch black pepper
3-4 tablespoons ice cold water
1 egg (for egg wash)

Filling:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed small
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup kale, chopped
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable)
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Salt, to taste

Start by making the dough. In a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, sugar, nutmeg, and pepper. Add the cold butter and pulse until the texture resembles small peas. Add bits of the water at a time and pulse until the dough is able to hold together when pinched. Make sure not to over mix it though! Pour it out onto a flat surface and form the dough into a disk shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least one hour.

When the dough is almost ready, you can start to make your filling. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the squash and carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake for about 25 minutes or until fork tender. Remove and set aside. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, cook the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until translucent. Next add the leeks, kale, and mushrooms, and cook until softened. Lastly, add in the sage along with the roasted squash and carrots.

In a separate saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle in the 1/4 cup flour. Whisk well for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in about 1/2 cup chicken broth at a time until smooth. In a little bowl, mix together the corn starch with a splash of water, then add that to the broth. Stir for about 5 minutes until thickened. Pour the mixture into the pot with the vegetables, and toss in the white pepper, nutmeg, paprika, and salt to taste. Let cool slightly.

While that cools, roll out your dough on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Pour the filling into your pie dish, and top with the dough. Trim edges as needed, and slit a few holes in the top so it can vent while cooking. Bake in oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If the edges begin to burn or cook too fast, simply cover the edges with some aluminum foil for the remaining time… OR you can get one of these lovely pie crust shields that I use!

Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before digging in. I randomly added a small dollop of sour cream to mine which was delicious!