Kale & Mushroom Chip Fresh Lasagna (v)

     (made at home recently, for game night)

Ingredients:

2 # crimini mushrooms, sliced thickly
3 T cooking oil
salt & pepper TT

2 bu lacinato kale, sliced 1/2" thick
2 T cooking oil
salt & pepper TT

1 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
1 14oz can tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes)

2 oz nice olive oil
1 bu oregano, chopped
1 T molasses
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 14oz can San Marzano crushed tomatoes

6 sheets fresh pasta, cut into approximately 2" x 4" rectangles
1/2# ricotta cheese
3 medium balls fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the mushrooms with the first 3 T oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on a sheet pan for 30 minutes or until shriveled and crispy like little chips, but not yet burnt. Set aside.
3. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add 1 T cooking oil, then add half of the kale, season with salt and pepper and saute for 6-7 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the kale and the next 1 T cooking oil. Set aside.

4. Heat the saute pan again over medium-high heat, add the last 1 T cooking oil, then add the onions and garlic. Saute for 6-7 minutes, then add the can of regular tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes), cut the heat and stir. Season to taste.
5. Add the San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, molasses, vanilla and oregano. This is the sauce.
6. In a pan, alternate layers of sauce, cheese, kale and mushrooms with the little rectangles of pasta to create little individual lasagnas. Cover them all with sauce, then bake covered in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Uber Thanksgiving Veggies (V)

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash, cut into 1" thick rings and insides cleaned out
1 t olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

4 carrots, cut uniform & bite-sized
1 t olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

2 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 bu kale, ribs removed & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 C water

1/2 C pumpkin seeds
1 lemon, juiced

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rub the acorn squash with the first 1 t olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until well-browned and tender. Set aside.
3. Toss the carrots with the last of the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl.
4. Reduce the oven to 325 degrees.
5. Remove the peel from the squash and cut into large chunks. Add to the carrots in the bowl.
6. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the 2 T cooking oil. Heat up the oil, then add the onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Then add the kale & season with salt & pepper. Cook another 7-8 minutes, add the 1/2 C water and cook the water down.
7. Roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until browned.
8. Add the lemon juice, combine with everything and serve.

Cauliflower-Kale Pasta with Sausage

This one is for those with some confidence, since you'll be sauteeing two things at a time. Which also means it's lots of fun to cook. Shawni and I made this up together and we had this locked down no problem, of course. :)


Ingredients:

1 T cooking oil
4 precooked sausages, sliced in half lengthwise and cut 1/2" thick

2 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, medium diced (1/2" on a side)
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
1 bu kale ribs removed & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 C water

2 C walnuts, chopped coarsely

1 lb. fresh pasta (linguine or fettuccine would work well)

1 lemon, juiced.

Instructions: (read these through a couple of times before you start)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Start a large pot of salted (ocean salty) water boiling over high heat. Start two large saute pans heating over hight heat and add 1 T cooking oil to one pan and 2 T to the other. To the pan with 1 T oil, add the sausage; to the other, add the cauliflower.
3. Brown the sausage and the cauliflower each for about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage and set aside. Reduce the cauliflower's heat to medium-low and cook for another 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. If both saute pans are unburned (no black stuff on the bottom, just brown stuff), deglaze one and add to the sausage or cauliflower (doesn't matter). Heat the other one (or the unburned one, if one got scorched) over medium-high heat and add the last 2 T cooking oil. Add the onion and cook 3- minutes, then add the garlic and kale, and season with salt & pepper. Cook another 7-8 minutes, add 1/2 C water and cook until the water is cooked out.
5. Roast the walnuts for 5-7 minutes or until browned & aromatic.
6. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package, drain and combine with all the other & remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning & serve.

Braised Chicken, Kale and Potato Sandwiches

Cooking skills focus: Braising, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
1/2 t oil
1 yellow onion, quartered and sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 head garlic, peeled & sliced
4 whole chicken legs (or 8 each drumsticks/thighs), meat scored with a knife so heat can penetrate and cook it faster
2 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into small dice (1/4” on a side)
1 bu lacinato kale (also called "dinosaur" kale because of its cool bumpy texture), cut into ½: slices

½ C water
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute 5-6 minutes. Remove to a baking dish and heat the pan again, over high heat.
3. Brown the chicken in the hot pan until well browned and remove to the baking dish. Add the onions, potatoes and kale, and season everything with salt and pepper. Cover the dish and start to braise for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.
4. When the chicken's done, let it cool for a little bit so you don't kill yourself doing the following:
6. Pull the meat off the bones (the bones can still be used for stock), toss with the potatoes and kale, and use the mixture to fill sandwiches or wraps.

Redbor Kale & Pomegranate Salad (V)

Ingredients:
2 T cooking oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 bu redbor kale, ribs removed and leaves cut bite-sized
salt & pepper TT

2 T cooking oil

1 pomegranate, seeds removed
1 orange, juiced

Instructions:
1. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the first 2 T oil and then half of the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the first half of the kale leaves. Cook for 7-8 minutes more, stirring occasionally and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup or so water, stir, and cook until the water evaporates. Set aside and repeat with the rest of the oil, onion and kale. Allow to cool slightly and then add the pomegranate seeds and orange juice. Serve as a salad by itself or on top of other vegetables, meat or eggs.

Dinosaur Pasta Stir-Fry!

Harness the power of the mighty dinosaurs to calm your roaring belly!

Ingredients:
2 T cooking oil
1 onion, julienned
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3 T butter, separated into three 1 T portions
2 C mushrooms, washed & sliced
1 bu lacinato ("DINO") kale, cut chiffonade
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 T soy sauce
1 lemon, juiced

1/2 lb dry pasta, cooked according to package instructions

Instructions:
1. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the first 2 T cooking oil, then the onion and garlic, and some salt and pepper.
2. After 7-8 minutes of sauteeing, add the first 1 T butter and the mushrooms, and saute for 5 more minutes.
3. Add the next 1 T butter, the kale and the bell pepper and saute for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
4. Stir in the soy sauce, lemon juice, and the last 1 T butter and then toss with freshly cooked pasta for a ferociously delicious meal!

Chorizo, Apple & Kale Sandwich

From the September Pike Market Community Kitchen at the Pike Market Senior Center.


Cooking skills focus: Sauteeing, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
1 t cooking oil
6 chorizo sausages (Spanish style, fresh, not cured), sliced 1/2" thick
1 T cooking oil (if needed, see below)
2 bu kale, ribs removed & cut bite-sized
1 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
salt & pepper TT
1 lemon, juiced
3 apples, diced medium (1/2" or so on a side)

Instructions:
1. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. When you can see some wavy smoke lines coming from the pan, add the 1 t oil. Allow it to heat up for a few seconds, coating the pan, and get ready to add the chorizo.
2. Add the chorizo and brown well. reduce heat to medium-high and cook through. Remove and set aside. Heat the pan again over medium-high heat.
3. You will be adding the kale in batches since the pan won't hold all of it at once without being really overcrowded. Before the first batch, if there isn't enough combined oil and fat rendered off the chorizo to coat the bottom of the pan with a decent layer, add up to 1 T cooking oil.
4. Add the kale and garlic in batches, season with salt and pepper and stir gently, cooking each batch for 6-8 minutes or until the kale is well-wilted. When everything's cooked, mix it on a bowl with the chorizo and add the lemon juice. Taste it and season it with salt and pepper if it needs it. Add the apple.
5. Stuff it in a sliced, toasted baguette and eat it!

Taste how the sweetness of the apple complements the spiciness of the chorizo, the tartness of the lemon contrasted with the savory depth of the onion, garlic and kale, and how the textures create a variety of mingled sensations on your mouth. Great job!

Super Vegan Salad

Bonanza of vegetables!

Ingredients:
1 T cooking oil
1 bu lacinato kale, washed and sliced thinly
salt & pepper TT

1 sm yellow onion, sliced thinly
1/2 C vinegar
1 large pinch each salt and pepper

1 C cashews
1 t olive oil
1 pinch salt
1/2 t curry powder

1 lemon, juiced
1 t masala kala or another masala spice blend
1/2 t salt
1/2 C olive oil

1/2 bu celery, peeled & sliced thinly
4 Persian cucumbers, washed & diced
4-5 heirloom carrots, washed & sliced thinly
1/2 C dried cherries

Instructions:
1. Toss the onion with the vinegar, salt and pepper and enough water to cover in a small container. Soak the onions for at least and hour and drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the cooking oil. Add the kale, season and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Toss the cashews with the olive oil, curry powder and pinch of salt. Set aside.
4. Whisk together the lemon juice, masala kala, 1/2 t salt and 1/2 C olive oil.
5. Toss all ingredients together and serve.

Braised Chicken & Kale Sandwich (or, the Sloppy Chickwich)

Hahaha sloppy chickwich. This is another example of how easy, cheap and versatile braised chicken legs are.

Ingredients:
1/2 t oil
1 red onion, quartered and sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 head garlic, peeled & sliced
4 whole chicken legs (or 8 each drumsticks/thighs), meat scored with a knife so heat can penetrate and cook it faster
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 bu lacinato kale (also called "dinosaur" kale because of its cool bumpy texture)
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute 5-6 minutes. Remove to a baking dish and heat the pan again, over high heat.
3. Brown the chicken in the hot pan until well browned and remove to the baking dish. Add the tomato sauce and season everything with salt and pepper. Cover the dish and start to braise for an hour to 90 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the saute pan again over medium heat. There should be plenty of rendered chicken fat in the pan in which to cook the kale. So saute it in the delicious fat for 5 minutes, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to wait for the chicken.
5. When the chicken's done, let it cool for a little bit so you don't kill yourself doing the following:
6. Pull the meat off the bones (the bones can still be used for stock), toss with the tomato sauce and kale, and use the mixture to fill sandwiches or wraps.

You could totally just eat this over rice or pasta, too.

Apple and Kale Bread Salad

Ingredients:

1 loaf bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 yellow onions, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 bunch lacinato kale, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 T oil

salt and pepper TT

½ bunch celery, sliced ¼ inch thick

4 apples, diced

½ bunch parsley, sliced

1 bunch thyme, minced

1 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper TT

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400. Toast bread for 10 minutes.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add oil, onion and kale, and season with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes, or until onion begins to caramelize.

Combine with all remaining ingredients and serve.