My garden overfloweth … with kale. It’s  hard to keep up with the quantity we’re harvesting every weekend!  Kale for breakfast, kale for lunch, kale for dinner. But that’s ok with me – I love it. It’s always surprising to me how many people never even think of eating kale. I’m not sure why, since it’s so flavorful and easy to prepare.

So today I’m sharing some of my favorite kale recipes from bloggers, along with my much-requested Spicy Kale Chips, pictured above. Whether you grow your own or buy it, kale is good stuff. Enjoy.

Spicy Kale and Split Pea Soup from The Recipe Renovator

My own Spicy Kale Chips

Kale and Navy Bean Pasta with Smoked Paprika from The Domestic Divas Blog

Maple Mustard Kale with Apple and Onion from Bran Appetit

Garlic Kale from Savvy Eats

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad from 101 Cookbooks

Kale and White Bean Soup from Sassy Radish

Kale and Toor Dal from Fat Free Vegan

Kale and Beet Salad with Raisins and Almonds from The Taste Space

 

I’ve made plenty of potato salads with vinaigrettes, but for an occasion like the 4th of July, I like to go back to a more traditional American style. Alas, mayo is not the heart-healthiest of foods, so I substituted Greek yogurt and olive oil. I got the idea of a yogurt dressing from this New York Times recipe, which was good but not all that exciting. I jazzed it up with lemon, coarse-ground mustard, pickle relish and onions. The result was as American as, well, potato salad!

Of course, if I’d wanted to be truly traditional I would have used celery, but some just-picked snap peas came into my possession, so I just had to use them. And it was a good thing, because hey added the perfect amount of crunch and color, as well as a slight sweetness.

Another thing that took this salad to the “fantastic” level was a tart garlic-dill relish from McClure’s. You could use regular old pickle relish, but this relish is fantastic – and not at all sweet like the grocery store variety. I didn’t use a lot of it, but you could really taste the pickle-ness in every bite.

Hope you try this healthy potato salad on the 4th – it’s sure to set off some flavor fireworks in your mouth.

Potato Salad with Snap Peas and Yogurt

2 pounds Yukon Gold or red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
1 pint sugar snap peas
1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon light eggless canola mayonnaise (Spectrum makes this)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon coarse-grain dijon mustard
1 heaping tablespoon pickle relish (see above)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup minced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, olive oil, mustard, relish, lemon juice, onion, parsley, salt and pepper.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Pull the string down the length of the snap peas. add them to the boiling water and blanch for about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon, and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water. Let sit until they are completely cold, then drain well. Chop into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.

Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 12-14 minutes. Drain. Add the potatoes and snap peas to the dressing and gently stir. Adjust salt to taste. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for later use.

Serves 8-10

My friend Jeff (amazing artist, by the way) makes a big pot of quinoa every week and eats quinoa salads for lunch every day. It’s a brilliant idea, because it’s easy, nutritious, and let’s not forget, cheap. So with Jeff as an inspiration, I created this Quinoa and Black Bean Salad. You can make it on Sunday, then you’ll have the perfect brown-bag lunch for most of the week.

This salad is fresh and tangy, thanks to the radishes, cilantro and lime, and a tad sweet from the corn and red bell peppers. The Aleppo pepper give it the requisite kick. And of course, with both quinoa and beans, this is a protein-packed dish.

You can use this as a base recipe for all kinds of quinoa and bean salads. I could see using mango instead of corn, for a slightly sweeter variation. Or for a Mediterranean-style salad, omit the corn and use chickpeas, parsley and lemon instead of black beans, cilantro and lime. Oh, the lunch possibilities….

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

2 cups quinoa (recommend no-rinse variety)
1 ¾ cups water
1 red bell pepper, diced small
¼ cup thinly sliced spring red onion or scallions
5 radishes, sliced paper thin using a mandoline
1½ cups fresh corn (from about 2 ears)
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (optional but great!)

Combine the quinoa and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 12 to15 minutes, until you see the little white spiral “tail” appear on each kernel. The quinoa should be just tender, but still with a little crunch. Drain off any excess liquid.  Cool.

Blanch the corn kernels in boiling water for one minute. Drain.

Combine the quinoa with all ingredients. Adjust salt and lime juice to taste, and serve. Can be served chilled or at room temperature. Note: for leftovers,  you might want to squeeze on some more lime juice when serving, to freshen up the flavors.

Serves 6, or up to 12 if you are serving as a small side dish

P.S. Please use the nice little buttons below to share this recipe. Stumble, tweet or whatever you feel like doing!

Jun 13, 2011

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

When rhubarb’s in season, I dream about strawberry rhubarb pie. It seems like such a  simple and homey dessert, but if you don’t overwhelm it with sugar, the tartness makes it seem more sophisticated somehow.

In this strawberry rhubarb pie, lemon juice and a bit of orange zest highlight the tartness, while cinnamon and allspice play off the sweet notes. It’s the perfect balance.

This was the first time I tried a vegan version of my famous pie crust. I was worried that substituting soy milk for the regular milk in the recipe would change the crust, but it was just as delicious. It once again fooled several of my guests, who were convinced they were eating a rich butter crust until I let them in on the vegan secret.

Photo prop fun: thanks to my friend Pam for this super cool tea towel. Friends who give me table linens are the best!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Filling:

2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar, depending on whether you want a “very tart” or “pretty tart” pie
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon orange zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into large chunks
3 ½ cups rhubarb, cut into ½-inch slices

Crust:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (see note below)
1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (see note below)
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup organic canola oil
6 tablespoons soy milk (regular flavor, not vanilla or unsweetened)
½ teaspoon sugar

Note: Measure the flour by pouring or gently spooning into your measuring cup – do not scoop the cup into the bag of flour!

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, salt and orange zest. Add the lemon juice and fruit, stirring gently to combine.

Whisk the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the oil in a glass measuring cup and add the soy milk, without stirring. Pour this mixture into the flour and stir briefly, just until combined. Divide the dough in half and form two balls. Roll the pie crust out immediately; do not refrigerate this dough.

Place a 15″ piece of wax paper on your work surface, putting a few drops of water under the paper to keep it from sliding around. Put one ball on the paper and use your hands to press it into a 6-inch circle. Top with another piece of wax paper and roll it out with a rolling pin to a 12-inch circle (the edges may extend beyond the top and bottom of the wax paper slightly, but you can loosen it with a knife when you lift the dough.)  If your circle is uneven, simply tear off a piece from one part and add it to another – it’s easy to make repairs, before or after the dough is in the pan.

Remove the top sheet and turn the dough over into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing to remove any air pockets. Pour in the filling. Roll out the second disc between fresh wax paper and place it on top of the pie. Fold the top crust under the bottom all the way around, and crimp the edges. Cut some slits in the top and sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake about 50 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling. Cool 4 or more hours before serving.