Kale & Potato Enchiladas With Salsa Verde

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Normally when you think of enchiladas, you think of beans, meat, and cheese. But in my attempt to make a healthier version, I used kale, potato, and mushrooms. They came out pretty good! Mainly because rolling anything up in a tortilla and covering it in sauce is fail proof, and DELICIOUS.

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped kale, stems removed
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed small
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 garlic glove, minced
Good pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
7 medium tortillas

Salsa Verde:
12 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
1/2 yellow onion
3 garlic cloves
1 jalapeño, seeds removed
Handful of cilantro
1 lime, juiced
Olive oil

Start by making the salsa verde. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeño in some olive oil, and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. Place in a blender with the lime juice and cilantro, and blend until smooth. Set aside.

For the enchiladas, boil the potatoes until fork tender, and cook the mushroom in a skillet until slightly browned. In a large skillet, sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, about 3 minutes or so. Add the kale and cook until wilted, then toss in the mushrooms, potato, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and let cook for a few more minutes.

Pour some of the salsa verde in the bottom of a baking dish. Fill each tortilla with a good helping of the vegetable mix, and place them side by side in the dish, covering them with the rest of the sauce.

Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. To serve, plate enchiladas and drizzle with some hot sauce, feta cheese, and fresh cilantro!

Sweet Potato & Kale Gnocchi With Shiitake Mushrooms

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I’ve never attempted homemade gnocchi before and thought it would be a fun Wednesday night experiment for me. I had some kale, a huge sweet potato, and a bag of fresh shiitake mushrooms from my CSA bag this week, so I figured I would use those as my main ingredients. I got my first surprise then I cut into my sweet potato to realize it was white, but after some investigating it turns out sweet potatoes are technically white, and YAMS are the orange ones. So there was that. My next surprise was how easy it was to make gnocchi from scratch! The dough was very easy to make, it was rolling them out and cutting them that took a little longer, though the whole thing probably took 30 minutes.

I chose to make a simple brown butter sauce as I didn’t want to take away from the actual flavor of the gnocchi. I ended up squeezing a lemon over it in the end which I think added some necessary acidity to the dish. Overall a successful pasta party for one!

Ingredients:
2 cups sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup laminate kale, deveined/blanched/chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
Good pinch of cayenne pepper
Good pinch of ground sage
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 lemon, for serving
Shaved Parmesan cheese, for serving

Get a pot of salted boiling water going and add the sweet potato. Cook until fork tender, then drain and mash in a separate bowl. In another pot, simultaneously blanch the kale by boiling for a minute or two then rinsing under cold water to stop the cooking process. This will help keep it nice and green. Chop the kale very well then add to the bowl with the potato. Mix in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Next, add 1/2 cup at a time of flour to the mixture until you have the consistency of pasta dough. You want it to be somewhat elastic and a little sticky, but able to hold its shape. I used about 1 1/2 cups. Divide the dough into 5-6 smaller balls.

On a floured surface, roll each ball out with both hands until you have about a 12 inch long, 1/2 inch diameter wide log. With a floured knife, slice about 12 (1) inch pillows and press them between the backs of two forks to give them that ribbed look.

In a pot of salted boiling water, add a splash of olive oil (to help with the sticking) and toss in about half of the gnocchi. They may stick to the bottom of the pot, so it helps to swirl them with a spoon in the water for the first minute. Cook the gnocchi for about 5 minutes or until they float to the top, then give them one more minute before removing with a slotted spoon.

While the gnocchi is cooking, sauté the shiitake mushrooms in some olive oil. Don’t mix them around too much, as it’s nice to get them a little caramelized on the sides. Add a 1/2 stick of butter, along with the cayenne, sage, red pepper flakes, and a little pepper. Cook until the butter has browned and has a nutty fragrance to it. Make sure not to overcook it though, it can happen fast!

Plate some gnocchi and pour a bit of the brown butter and mushrooms over top. Add some fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and a light squeeze of fresh lemon. Enjoy!

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Parsnip Latkes With Caramelized Onion & Horseradish Cream

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Oh latkes. I latke you A LOT. Crispy potato goodness smothered in sour cream, how could someone not love you? When I got potatoes and parsnips in my CSA bag this week, my sister recommended I make some latkes. She’s the smart sister, clearly. So I did just that! I didn’t even plate them when they were finished, I just ate them right off the cutting board, adding dollops of (horseradish) sour cream and sweet caramelized onions. And with my Rumours record playing in the background and a big glass of wine in hand, it was a perfect little Tuesday night at home!

Ingredients:
1 large yukon gold potato, peeled
2 medium parsnips, peeled
1 egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (plus more if needed)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
1 tablespoon horseradish, or more to taste

Start by grating the potato and parsnips. Place in a paper towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Place the gratings in a bowl and add the minced garlic, chives, egg, flour, cayenne, salt and pepper. Form into patties with your hands and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add a bit of vegetable oil. You want enough that it’ll slightly fry the latkes without making them too oily. Fry the latkas in batches, about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown with a little crisp. I like to push mine down with the spatula to flatten them a little to help get them crispy. Let drain on a paper towel for a minute or two before serving.

While the latkas are cooking, sauté the onion in some olive oil. At this time, also make the cream by mixing the sour cream and horseradish together. Set both aside until ready to serve with the latkas!

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

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My nephew is almost 2 years old and really loves his arts and crafts. Easter is next weekend, so I thought it would be nice to dye some eggs with him. I wanted to use all-natural dyes to avoid the chemicals that are in most of the popular dye packs today. I thought it would also be fun for him to see that we made the colors by using vegetables and spices from our own kitchen! It definitely takes a bit longer to prep the dyes, but so worth it in the end. We had such a great time! Some of the colors took a lot better than others (beet, turmeric, and red cabbage were the strongest) while a few others weren’t as successful (spinach did nothing!) I did get a nice green color though when leaving the egg in the red cabbage for a bit then placing it in the turmeric for a bit after that.

If you have leftover dyes, there are a lot of other fun things you can do with it. You can easily dye some fabric, or add it to some homemade play-doh!

Ingredients:
12 white eggs, hard boiled and cooled
3 red beets, peeled and cubed
1/2 red cabbage, chopped (I had a few blueberries in the fridge that I plopped in as well)
2 black tea bags
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 cups spinach (though I find this color didn’t work as well, maybe using frozen spinach or adding fresh basil or ground sage would work better next time)

In separate pots, boil each item with 2 cups of water and a tablespoon of salt for 15 minutes. For the tea, just boil some water and steep the tea bags until dark in color. Once everything finishes boiling, turn off the heat and add a tablespoon of white distilled vinegar. Let cool completely.

Pour each color into little bowls, and make sure you have something underneath in case any spill! It’s amazing how much beets and turmeric can stain. I used glass bowls as well seeing plastic tends to absorb color.

Pork Chops With Sautéed Red Cabbage

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I haven’t had pork chops in a long time, and figured it would be a nice main dish to go with the sauteed cabbage I wanted to make. I feel like pork chops have a bad reputation for all the kids back in the day that had to eat their moms overcooked versions, but if you do it right they’re great! The cabbage was really good as well, I added chopped apples and vinegar which was the perfect balance of sweet and tang.

Ingredients- (serves 2)

Pork Chops:
2 pork chops, bone-in
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon ground pepper

Braised Cabbage:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 small purple cabbage, shredded
1 apple, chopped small
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon honey
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix together the brown sugar, cumin, smoked paprika, ginger, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture on both sides of the pork chop. Wrap back up and set aside on the counter. You want the meat to be room temperature when you cook it. Alternatively, you can put in the fridge if you’re not planning to use right away, but make sure you remove it from the fridge and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before putting in the pan.

To make the cabbage, sauté the garlic in olive oil for a minute or so then add the onions, cooking until translucent. Next add the cabbage and apple, and cook until wilted. Add the vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook until the liquid had been absorbed.

While the cabbage cooks, get your pork chops going. Heat a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet. When it’s nice and hot add the pork. Cook for 5-6 minutes each side over medium heat (not too hot!) then plate and cover with aluminum foil for at least 5 minutes. While it’s resting, the meat will continue to cook, which is why you remove it from the pan a little early. You want the internal temperature to be 145 degrees, otherwise it will dry out. You also do not want to cut into the meat until after it’s done resting, otherwise you’ll lose all those juices that would otherwise be redistributed into the meat while it rests. Meat can be intimidating to cook, but if you follow a few simple rules and take your time, you’ll surprise yourself!

Baked Eggs With Swiss Chard & Sweet Potato

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Last night I was craving some sort of breakfast for dinner, so I made a single serving of baked eggs and had a happy little night to myself. I don’t bake eggs often, and forgot how good it was! It’s so easy too, you just saute a bunch of stuff, crack an egg or two on top, and pop it in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. I think next time I might make some sort of light pesto or sriracha sauce to drizzle on top. YUM.

Ingredients (serves one)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and sliced
3 large Swiss chard leaves, washed and chopped well
1 shallot, chopped
Small handful cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small carrot, peeled into strips
1/4 cup feta cheese
4 tablespoons half & half
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Olive oil
1 egg (or more if you like!)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the sweet potato slices. Cook until fork tender. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, add the shallots and Swiss chard, cooking until the greens are wilted. Toss the sweet potato back in, along with the carrots, tomatoes, paprika, and half & half. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for another minute or so. Place the mixture in a small oven safe dish and top with feta cheese. Crack an egg on top, and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the egg has cooked to your liking. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Lasagna With Sausage & Mizuna

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I absolutely love butternut squash lasagna, it’s a nice fresh twist on the usual tomato based lasagna dish. I made this with friends and we almost ate the whole thing! We decided that next time we make it, we’re going to take it a step further and top the lasagna with a little gorgonzola cheese and sage infused butter. Serious business over here!

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
5 large whole garlic cloves
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping
4 sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cups mizuna (or any leafy greens, I just happen to have mizuna on hand)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 package wide lasagna noodles
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start by boiling the butternut squash until fork tender, about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes toss the garlic in the boiling water as well so that it softens. Strain the squash and garlic, then mash in a bowl with 3/4 cup ricotta, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, nutmeg, sage, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Next, saute the onion until translucent, then add the sausage and cook until browned. Toss in the mizuna (or whatever greens you like!) and cook until wilted.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the lasagna noodles per box instructions. I like to add salt and a little olive oil to my boiling water so that the noodles don’t get stuck together. To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the squash mixture on the bottom of a baking dish, followed by one layer of lasagna noodles, then a layer of the sausage mixture topped with some dollops of ricotta cheese. Add another layer of noodles and repeat – squash, noodles, sausage, ricotta, noodles. Top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese and grated Parmesan. Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes or until the top is slightly browned. Let cook for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

 

 

Root Vegetable Stew Over Polenta

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My fridge looked like I was hoarding root vegetables this week, so I decided to chop them all up and see what I could come up with. I ended up sautéing them all together, adding crushed tomatoes, and letting it cook down until it formed a type of stew, which I then poured over some polenta. It was the easiest meal and absolutely delicious – who would have thought! The next night I ate the stew over spaghetti and loved that just as much. I was even contemplating blending it down with my hand blender to make a tomato sauce, but then I ate it all and never got that far.

Ingredients:
1/2 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped
5-6 fingerling potatoes (or 2 medium regular potatoes) chopped
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and chopped
1/2 small white cabbage, chopped
1 28oz can stewed tomatoes
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large heavy bottomed pot, start by sautéing the garlic and onion in a little olive oil for a minute or two. Add the rest of the chopped vegetables, along with the water, pepper flakes, turmeric, parsley, salt and pepper, then cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Next add the stewed tomatoes and mix well, continue to cook for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender. Serve over polenta, pasta, or whatever your heart desires!

Chicken Pot Pie With Black Pepper Crust

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There’s nothing better than a pot pie in the winter! It’s the perfect comfort food during these cold days. Also a great way to use up any root vegetables you have. I cooked this dish with my two friends, which helped expedite all the chopping. We decided to jazz up the dish by adding a good amount of black pepper to the crust, and tossing in some of our favorite spices to the filling. There’s no better way to enjoy a meal then with the ones you love!

Ingredients:
Olive oil
3 medium chicken breasts, chopped
2 large garlic cloves,
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 large parsnips, diced
3-4 medium carrots, diced
5-6 fingerling potatoes (or two regular potatoes) diced
Small handful fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (plus more as needed)
3 cups chicken stock (or broth)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed pink pepper corns
1/4 cup Half & Half, or cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Black Pepper Dough:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 crushed black pepper
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cubed
1/4 cup chilled ice water

Start by making the dough. In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, and fresh crushed pepper. Cut in the cold butter with a pasty cutter, or by using your hands (roll the butter and flour between your fingers until pea sized.) Add the old water one teaspoon at a time until incorporated. Pour out onto a floured surface and form into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Saute the chicken and set aside until you’re ready to add it to the vegetables. Make sure not to overcook it as it will continue to cook in the oven. Add some olive oil to a large pot and toss in the onion and garlic, cooking for 1-2 minutes. Add the carrot, parsnips, celery, and potato. Cook for about 10 minutes or until everything has softened a bit.  Add the red pepper flakes, tumeric, cumin, cayenne, parsley, and crushed pink pepper corns. Cook for another 5 minutes, then add the flour and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Next add the chicken stock, half & half, chicken, and frozen peas. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Take off the heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes. It will continue to thicken at this point.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough large enough to cover the bottom of the baking dish, with enough hung over the sides to cover the top of the pie. Place the dough in the baking dish and poke a few holes in the bottom with a fork. Pour in the filling, then fold the dough over the top. Slice a small hole in the top, then cook in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving!

Curried Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup

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Sunday night was one of those nights I needed to make dinner but didn’t want to leave my house to do it! I had a butternut squash and a can of coconut cream, which was enough to convince me that I didn’t need to go to the grocery store. This soup ended up being delicious! Some of the best unexpected meals start with one simple thought – what can I make without having to remove these pajamas and go to the store?!

Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon powdered sage
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or more if you like the kick!)
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
1/2 cup coconut cream (coconut milk works, too)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil

In a large heavy pot, saute the garlic, shallot, and ginger in some olive oil for a minute or two. Add the butternut squash, carrots, and apple. Drizzle with a little more olive oil then add the curry, cumin, sage, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes then add the chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots and squash are fork tender.

Turn the heat off, then using a hand blender puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can blend in a blender in batches. Add in the coconut cream and mix until fully incorporated. Serve with an additional swirl of coconut cream and a sprinkle of paprika.