Tag Archives: kale

Kale & Leek Spanakopita

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Any time I order Mediterranean food, I always get enough spanakopita to feed a small village. It’s so good!! I’ve never tried making it myself, nor have I worked with phyllo dough, so I figured what better time to try then now. I got some kale and leeks in my CSA bag this week, so instead of making traditional spinach spanakopita I used the kale and added some leeks as well. Overall a pretty good experiment! I learned spanakopita is not that hard to make, and phyllo dough isn’t as intimidating as I thought it would be. After eating my weight in these little golden treats, I forced myself to bring the rest to my family before I overdosed in flakey goodness. I have another box of phyllo in the fridge though, so I have a feeling I’ll be back on a spanakopita kick soon.

Ingredients:
1 box phyllo dough, defrosted (20 sheets needed)
1 large bunch kale
1 large leek, greens separated, washed and chopped well
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Get a large pot of water boiling going, then add the kale and a pinch of salt. Simmer for about 4 minutes. In the meantime, cook the leeks in a pan with some olive oil for about 2 minutes.

Drain the kale, and when cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess water. I squeezed mine in a paper towel to make sure I really got out as much water as possible. Chop the kale really well and add to a large mixing bowl with the leeks, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and a good pinch of pepper.

Have your phyllo dough ready to go along with a small bowl of olive oil. It’s important to work fast so that the dough doesn’t stick together. On a large cutting board (or clean counter is fine too) lay a sheet of the phyllo and brush it with olive oil. Add another layer of phyllo and continue with the olive oil and layers of phyllo until you have 10 layers total. Scoop about 1/2 of the mixture onto one end of the phyllo (see photo) and roll it up! Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make the other spanakopita roll with the remaining sheets, then place both in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before you cut them into 6-8 pieced each. EAT!

Broccoli & Kale Potato Cakes With White Wine Poached Eggs

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I saw a recipe recently where they poached the eggs in white wine and I was really curious what it would taste like. I love eggs, and I love wine, so it seemed like a match made in heaven for me. I also saw a few where they poached them in red wine- making the egg a pretty bright red color. I thought it gave the eggs a nice little taste, but it definitely wasn’t as strong of a taste I was imagining. The potato cakes were nice as well, I think next time I may add a little panko to help keep them from breaking in the pan. Overall a happy little Monday meal!

Ingredients:

Potato cakes:
1 small bunch broccoli, chopped (I used purple broccoli)
1 bunch kale, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
10 small potatoes, quartered (I used fingerling)
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste

Onion Sauce:
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
Small handful fresh dill
5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
Pinch of paprika
Salt and pepper
5-6 fresh chives or scallions

Poached eggs:
4 eggs
1 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon peppercorns

Start by placing the potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water. Cook until fork tender, but make sure not to overcook! While those are going, saute the garlic in some olive oil for about a minute, then add the onion and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Next add the chopped kale and broccoli. Cook everything down until softened. When the potatoes are done, drain them and add back into the pot with the butter, egg, Greek yogurt, and some salt and pepper. Smash everything together, then mix in the cooked vegetables. To cook the potato cakes, form the cakes in your hand and place in the pan with some olive oil over medium heat. Flip them around 3 minutes. You want each side to have a little golden crisp to them.

To make the onion sauce, simply place all the ingredients in a pan and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Strain and set the liquid aside.

For the poached eggs- add the wine to a pan along with the bay leave and peppercorns. I put everything loose in there but next time I think I would tie them in a little cheese cloth so that the peppercorns don’t stick to my eggs! Once the liquid is boiling, crack the eggs right into the pan then cover and cook for about one minute. After about 30 seconds check with yolk to make sure it is not overcooking. You want the center to remain a little runny.

To plate, place two potato cakes on a plate and top with the poaches eggs, followed by a good drizzle of the onion sauce. Top with some fresh dill and sliced radishes!

 

Thai Kale Salad With Coconut Chicken & Spicy Peanut Sauce

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This week I went over to my best friend Meghan’s house to cook up a nice CSA inspired dinner. We decided to make a Thai kale salad topped with coconut chicken. It came out super good! She is an amazing cook and has a way of throwing things together that you wouldn’t think to try. We want to make a cookbook someday, so maybe this is the first recipe to get it started! Which reminds me, anyone want to fund our cookbook dreams? We will repay you with good food and a lot of high fives….totally worth it!

Main:
1 lb chicken
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup panko (we used a Tokyo style panko mix w/sesame seeds, garlic, onion, pepper & mustard seeds)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs, whisked
4 cups lacinato kale, de-stemmed and chopped
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 large watermelon radish, thinly sliced
6 scallions, whole
4 garlic cloves, roasted whole
Non-stick coconut spray (or regular)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Spicy Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 fresh lime, juiced
2 tablespoons Mike’s Hot Honey (or 2 tablespoons honey and 1/4 teaspoon chili powder)
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup hot water, to use as needed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Make your little chicken station with the coconut and panko mixed together in one bowl, your flour in a separate shallow dish, and your whisked egg in another separate bowl. Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper, then dip it in the flour, followed by the egg, and lastly the coconut panko. Place all the chicken on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another 10 minutes. You’ll want then to be nice golden brown color. During this time, also add your whole scallions and garlic to a separate baking sheet and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the garlic is squishy and the scallions are slightly charred.

While the chicken cooks, make the peanut sauce by simply mixing the ingredients together (expect for the water.) Add tiny bits of hot water until your dressing has the consistency you like.

To assemble, place you kale, radish, carrot, and scallions in a large bowl. Break up the garlic with your fingers and sprinkle that in as well. Add the coconut chicken, and pour over the desired amount of peanut sauce! Alternatively, you can toss the kale in the peanut sauce before plating as well.

 

 

Potato Kale & Goat Cheese Galette With Spiced Honey

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You can pretty much turn any ingredients into a yummy galette! I’ve used a variation of root vegetables in the winter months, and fresh berries in the summer. You can’t really go wrong! The hardest part I think is the crust- it’s important that the butter is very cold when you’re working with it, otherwise the dough will just crumble when you’re rolling it out. A great trick which I recently learned, is to roll the dough out on a large piece of saran wrap then simply flip it over onto your baking sheet when ready! It really helps it from breaking on you.

This one recipe that I threw together tonight was really delicious, but I do think I will add more cheese next time to make the inside gooey-er. I’m thinking if I mix the goat cheese with a 1/2 cup or so of ricotta cheese then it will add a nice texture. I also added some spiced honey which I bought at Bedford Cheese Shop in Brooklyn (or you can buy here) which I thought added a fun kick to it. You could always use plain non-spicy honey as well.

Ingredients:

Dough-
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup semolina flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
3 tablespoons ice water

Other:
3 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 small bunch kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
2 ounces goat cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Spiced (or regular) honey, to drizzle

To make the dough, place the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and salt into the food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the cold butter (make sure it is cold!) and pulse until the mixture is combined and the texture resembles small peas. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time while pulsing, you will know it is done when it sticks together without crumbling. Beware of over mixing! Place dough on a lightly floured surface and form into a disk shape. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sliced potatoes on a baking sheet with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. In the meantime, toss the kale in some olive oil and saute for about 5 minutes.

Remove dough from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface until you have a 12 inch circle. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and put back in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes. Assemble your galette by starting with a layer of potatoes, leaving a 1-2 inch boarder around the edges. Next add the kale, followed by the goat cheese. Repeat with 3 ingredients. Gently fold the sides of the dough over the edges. Place in oven for 30 minutes, then remove and drizzle with honey. Let cool for 5 minutes before eating!

Kale Pesto Pizza With Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese

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I make pizza at home a lot, but I have never tried adding beets before! It wasn’t what I expected, and I loved it. I think it especially tasted great with the kale pesto and goat cheese. I had also never used whole wheat dough before, and was actually a pretty big fan! It added a nice flavor that complimented the rest of the ingredients. Overall a pretty delicious (and healthier than usual) pizza!

Ingredients- (Adapted from A Passionate Plate)

Kale Pesto:
1 small bunch of kale
3 garlic cloves, roasted
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Other:
Whole wheat pizza dough
4 small beets, roasted and sliced
2 small Yukon potatoes, sliced
Goat cheese
Small handful pine nuts, toasted
Olive oil, for drizzle

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice beets in half and place in an aluminum foil “pouch” with the garlic and drizzle with some olive oil. Cook for 20 minutes in the oven or until the beets can easily be pierced with a knife. I used small candied beets so they cooked faster than say a regular size beet which could take 40 minutes or so. While those cook, thinly slice the potato and simultaneously cook those in the oven for 10 minutes, or until slightly browned. In the meantime, de-stem the kale and blanch it for 30 seconds in boiling water, then transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Squeeze out the excess water and place in a food processor with the olive oil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, lemon juice, and roasted garlic from the oven. Blend until you have a pesto consistency, then salt and pepper to taste.

Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface. Spread some of the kale pesto, then top with the roasted potatoes, beets, and goat cheese. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until the crust is slightly browned. Top with some fresh pepper and toasted pine nuts. I also drizzled a little olive oil to finish it off, but this is optional. Enjoy!

Carmelized Fennel, Celeric, and Sunchoke Soup

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I got some celeriac in my CSA bag this week, which I have never cooked with before! It is the root of a celery plant and smells and tastes a lot like celery- but in root vegetable form. I also had some sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) as well as some turnips, fennel, and kale, so I decided to make a soup. It was absolutely freezing today, so it was the perfect thing to make. I sort of winged it, but it came out pretty good! My immersion blender is magic when it comes to making soups, I just love it. A great holiday gift if you have a cook in your life!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 fennel bulb, top cut off and white sliced
1 celeriac, peeled and chopped
3 small turnips, peeled and chopped
2 medium sunchokes, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small shallot, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
3 celery stalks, chopped
Big handful of kale, chopped
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Additional salt and black pepper, to taste

In a large pot, add the olive oil and saute the fennel until slightly browned, about 7-10 minutes. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for another minute or so. Next, add the chopped turnips, celeriac, and sunchokes. Cook for another 7-10 minutes until softened. Pour in the chicken stock and water, cooking the vegetables until fork tender. Add the white pepper and salt. Turn off the heat and with an immersion blender (or a real blender in batches) puree the soup. Toss in the celery, kale, and cannellini beans. Turn the heat back on and cook the soup for another 10-15 minutes, until the kale is wilted. Add additional salt and black pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Fish Tacos with a Kale Radish and Pear Slaw

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Fish tacos are one of my favorite things. I could easily eat 10 of them at Rockaway Taco in the summer time, I don’t care how long the line is! Frying fish isn’t something I do often, but if you’re going to make a fish taco I think it’s definitely the way to go. The toppings are key too, so in this recipe I made a quick and easy slaw with some spicy mayo as well.

Ingredients: makes about 5 tacos

Slaw:
4 small radishes, cut into matchsticks
1 large ripe pear, cut into matchsticks
2 kale leaves, julienned
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Fish:
1/2 lb cod fish
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup beer (I used Red Stripe lager)
Salt and pepper
Canola oil, for frying (I used a part canola part coconut oil mix from Whole Foods)
Corn or flour tortillas, small

Spicy mayo:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sriracha
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Start by making the slaw. Julienne the kale, then cut the pear and radishes into small matchsticks. Add to a bowl and set aside. Place the other 6 ingredients in a separate small bowl and whisk together. Add it to the slaw and mix well (I did a little at a time until I thought it had enough dressing.) Place in the refrigerator until needed.

Next make the batter. Mix together the flour, salt, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the beer. It will look like pancake batter. Cut the fish into 4×1 inch slices. Season with salt and pepper. Heat about 1/2 inch worth of the canola oil in a pan over medium heat. To test if it is ready, dip the tip of a wooden spoon in, if it bubbles right away then it is hot enough to fry the fish. Dip each fish piece in the batter and cover well. Shake any excess batter off gently, then add to the pan of oil. Repeat with all fish. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. If they look like they are cooking too fast, simply turn down the heat. Once ready, remove from the pan and place on paper towel lined rack or plate.

To make the spicy mayo, simply add the mayo, sriracha, and lemon juice in a small bowl and mix well. Now assemble your tacos! Place a little spicy mayo on the tortilla, add some fish, then top with the slaw. Enjoy!

Kale Salad with Peaches, Tomato, and Goat Cheese

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This was one of the best kale salads I ever made! I was inspired when my sister made a peach and tomato salad over the weekend, it was perfect for summer and absolutely delicious. I had some fresh kale, tomatoes, and peaches, so all I had to pick up was the goat cheese. It took about 15 minutes to make and was the perfect mix of sweet and sour.

Ingredients: (makes 2 small salads)
2 large kale leaves, stems removed and julienned
1 large peach, chopped
1/2 large tomato, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
Goat cheese
Salt and pepper

Start by removing the thick stems from the center of the kale. Lay the leaves on top of each other, roll it up, and cut thin slices. Add to a large bowl and set aside. Next make the dressing- add the olive oil, cider vinegar, and maple syrup to a small bowl and whisk well. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the kale and massage it into the kale with your hands for a minute or so- this will help the dressing to soak into the kale and also break down the kale a little so it’s not as tough. Chop the peaches and tomatoes, add it to the bowl of kale, and set aside for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, cut a few slices of goat cheese and add it to a pan over medium heat. You’ll know it’s done when the bottom of the cheese starts getting a little golden brown (about 3 minutes.) Also chop a small handful of almonds and toast those in a separate pan until golden as well. To serve, place kale in a dish and top with the warm goat cheese and toasted almonds!

Kale Caesar Salad

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I love a good caesar salad, and I love kale. So I was pretty excited to give this recipe from Real Simple magazine a shot. Couldn’t have been easier to make! Caesar dressing isn’t the healthiest thing out there, but kale is so incredible good for you that you don’t feel as bad when you’re scooping out mayo and mixing it with cheese. I put some onion in seeing the recipe called for it, but am not a huge raw onion fan. In the future I might leave this out or substitute it for something else like shredded carrots.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Medium bunch of kale, stemmed and leaves chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper

Start by boiling your eggs, as they will take about 10 minutes to cook. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, Djion mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Chop your kale, egg, and onion. Toss together and combine well. That’s it!

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