Tag Archives: dinner

Another take on raw kale salad

Posted on by

I entered a local online bake sale via Instagram yesterday. I baked my mom’s Toffee Bars recipe. Fingers crossed! In order to counter the amount of sugar I consumed yesterday, I needed something savory and, a bit more nutritious (hey, I had to sample the bars!). Enter, my go-to lunch when working from home: raw kale salad with random raw vegetables and toasted spicy hazelnuts (these are the DuChilly variety which don’t have that bitter taste and are quite addictive. I got them in Seattle at Pike Place Market last Fall when I was there with Mary). The key is after chopping the dino kale, massage the olive oil into the mix so you can evenly coat the kale and not use so much oil.

A Few Notes

In this instance, I used a orange pepper. Previously, I used red and yellow, just because I’ve been hooked on the sweetness of peppers lately and, for color. (Yea, I’m weird like that). I’ve also used the florets of the broccoli before, but tend to like using the stalks instead because I like their crispness. Lately, I’ve used roasted, spicy hazelnuts in this salad, but, raw ones or almonds work too. Overall, I want a crisp, light, and colorful salad to remind me of warmer days. As for the olive oil and red wine vinegar, use your best judgment. I tend to like a lighter, not heavy dressing on the salad.

Raw Kale Salad

  • 1 bunch of Lactino Kale, washed, chopped
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 broccoli stalk, trimmed, sliced
  • 4-5 radishes, chopped
  • 1/2 of a orange pepper (or red or yellow for color), diced
  • 1 Half of an avocado, diced
  • 1/4 C. toasted hazelnuts (or almonds), chopped
  • 1/3 C garbanzo beans
  • 1 TB, plus a splash of extra virgin olive oil
  • A few dashes of red wine vinegar

Rinse the kale and then finely chop it, add to your bowl. At this point I add a few dashes of olive oil and then massage it into the kale leaves so they are coated. Add remaining ingredients, toss with more olive oil if needed and another dash or so of red wine vinegar.

Asparagus, Basil, Almond Pesto

Posted on by

I just threw this together and I have to pat myself on the back for this one, it’s deliciously spring-like. The toasted almonds give it a nice, light crunch. It’s very fresh tasting with the addition of a squeeze of lemon juice too. I’m thinking it would also be good as a dip or on pizza and in calzones. I didn’t add any cheese because I like to keep it vegan and let people add their own cheese if they wish.

  • 1/2 C. toasted almonds
  • 1 bunch of asparagus, blanched
  • 1 small to medium size bunch of basil, washed
  • 1/4 – 1/2 small clove garlic
  • Up to 1/3 cup of olive oil
  • juice from half a lemon

Toast the almonds over medium heat but don’t let them get too brown. (You don’t want burnt almonds, you want to toast them until the oils are released from the nuts. You can tell by the smell). Blanch the asparagus (place trimmed asparagus in boiling water for 2.5 minutes, then remove and submerge asparagus in ice cold water in a bowl). Add the asparagus, basil, toasted almonds, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic to a food processor and puree until smooth. You may have to add more olive oil to make pesto smoother. Also, the amount of garlic is up to you. I barely used 1/4 of a clove because I think it overpowers the other flavors. If you’re putting the pesto on pasta, set aside a 1/2 cup of the past water and add it to the pasta/pesto to thin out the dish. The addition of hot pasta water makes for a creamier consistency.

asparaguspesto

Spicy Lentils with Kale and Pearled Couscous

Posted on by

So, it’s around dinner time and I’m hungry. I look in my (almost bare) cupboard and find a can of lentils and two cans of diced tomatoes, one plain and one with jalapenos. I know that in my fridge I have some kale, onion, garlic, carrots and a parsnip. I also remember that I have some pearled couscous as well.

Hmmm.

What can I do with this?

So, without a recipe I sauté half the onion and two cloves of garlic, add some diced carrots and the parsnip. Then I decided to add an entire carton of Kitchen Basics Vegetable stock and add a bay leaf and a few dried hot peppers along with the kale and can of lentils (rinsed and drained). In the meantime I’ve also cooked the couscous and set it aside, figuring I’ll add at least half of it to the soupy stew mixture.

The recipe that follows can be altered with whatever veggies you have on hand. If you’ve got a sweet potato or raisins, add them. If you have no couscous, then skip it. It’s all about using what you have….and not being afraid to try something new. Now go pour yourself a glass of wine and have some fun!

2 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ yellow onion chopped
1 parsnip, cubed
1 bunch of kale (or collards or spinach)
Handful of baby carrots, diced
1 can of lentils
1 can of diced tomatoes w/zesty jalapenos
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 container of vegetable stock or broth
2-3 dried chili peppers
A dash of thyme
A dash of chili pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup cooked pearled couscous (cooked)
Salt and pepper to taste

*I’m betting that a handful of yellow raisins or even dried dates would be quite tasty as well.

Sauté the garlic and onions with cooking spray or a Tablespoon of olive or canola oil. Add the parsnip and carrot and cook until tender. Add the carton of vegetable stock/broth and the two cans of diced tomatoes. Add kale and wait until kale softens then add the lentils. Let simmer on low for 20 minutes or so until the veggies are soft and the kale is tender. Add the couscous and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Serve and eat.