How to Prepare Farmers Market Produce
The following recipes were put together for those who want to enjoy a
broader range of fresh vegetables available from local farmers markets,
but aren't perhaps quite sure how to prepare some of these foods. Please
feel free to submit your recipes for these or other produce you buy at
your local farmer's market!
One of the most abundant produce items you'll find during the winter are greens, also called bitter greens, or "bitters." This group includes veggies like collards, kale, arugula, mizuna, escarole, endive, and non-bitters, like lettuce, cabbage, bok choy, etc.
The trick to enjoying greens, especially bitters, is to get fresh greens from a farmer’s market. Nutritional values drop rapidly, as does taste and texture. With this class of vegetable, timing is everything. The difference of a single day in most greens is like night and day.
Even though many of these veggies are called bitter greens, they shouldn't actually taste bitter. They should have a robust flavor that is enhanced through cooking. Truly bitter vegetation is due to sun/heat exposure, late season harvesting, and poor or exhausted soil.
The following list is alphabetical, and covers most of the most common greens available at your local farmers markets.
Arugula Pesto Recipe
INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed
• 1/2 cup of walnuts
• 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced
METHOD
1. Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.
2. Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.
3. Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
4. Mortar and pestle method (photo pictures pesto produced this way): Combine the nuts and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.
5. Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.
6. Mix with freshly prepared pasta of your choice*. You may need to add a little bit of water or more olive oil to mix the pesto more evenly with the pasta.
Makes enough pesto sauce for an ample serving of pasta for four people.
Arugula Salad with Cannellini Beans
This is a quick and delicious warm salad that can be either a light lunch, or a side dish to a nice steak or pork chop dinner.
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons white wine
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups arugula
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook the garlic in the hot oil about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, sage, and thyme; increase the heat to medium-high and simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cannellini beans and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until beans are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Arrange the arugula on a serving platter. Spoon the bean mixture over the arugula. Top with the shaved Parmesan cheese if desired.
Arugula is a pungent, peppery salad green that has been widely used in Italy since ancient Roman times. It was virtually unknown in the United States until the 1970s when it, along with other exotic mesclun greens from the Mediterranean region, such as radicchio and mache, caught the wave of interest in the new style of seasonal cooking known as California cuisine -- and rode that wave into the periphery of the mainstream American diet. Arugula is now widely available in farmers markets, even though it is still seldom seen in the average American supermarket.
To the uninitiated, arugula can take some getting used to, though it is an easily acquired taste if properly presented. In relatively small quantities, shreds of arugula can add a touch of spice to any salad without overwhelming it. It is also excellent as the dominant or even sole green in a salad with fruit or a fruity dressing to offset its pungency. To those who find it a bit too peppery for their taste, a portion of the arugula in any of these recipes can be replaced with spinach.
The following is an excellent dressing for an arugula and/or spinach salad. For more layers of flavor complexity, add walnuts and/or feta cheese and/or crumbled bacon.
Apple Vinaigrette
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons grated sweet or purple onion
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup finely chopped apple
1. Whisk together sugar, vinegar, onion, mustard, salt, oil, and apple, or pulse a few times in blender.
2. Refrigerate salad greens and dressing separately until serving time.
Arugula and Pear Salad
Dressing:
2 tablespoons minced shallot
3 tablespoons vegetable broth
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Salad:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 firm red Bartlett pears
5 cups butterhead lettuce (Bibb or Boston)
washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups arugula, trimmed, washed and dried
1. To prepare dressing, whisk shallots, broth, oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. To prepare salad, toast walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
3. Just before serving, cut pears into 16 slices each. Place in a large bowl. Spoon on 1 tablespoon of the dressing and toss to coat. Add lettuce, arugula and the remaining dressing; toss well. Divide among 8 plates. Top with walnuts.
Arugula, Orange and Red Onion Salad
2 bunches arugula, washed and trimmed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 large navel oranges, peel and white pith removed, cut into segments
8 very thin slices red onion, separated into rings
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Drizzle the arugula with half of the olive oil and the lemon juice; toss to coat and divide among 4 salad plates.
2. Arrange the orange segments and onions on top, dividing evenly. Drizzle with remaining oil and season with black pepper.
Arugula, Orange and Fennel Salad
Salad:
1 large fennel bulb
1 red onion, shaved paper thin
2 cup mandarin orange segments
6 bunches fresh arugula
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
Vinaigrette:
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon turbinado or other brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Trim off the top off the fennel bulb.
2. Slice the fennel and onion paper thin.
3. To prepare the vinaigrette, combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk.
4. Toss the arugula, fennel and onion with vinaigrette, divide among serving plates and top with mandarin orange slices, walnuts and, if desire, pomegranate seeds.
Grilled Fig and Arugula Salad
8 large black mission figs or 12 smaller green figs
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for brushing figs
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 lb. arugula
1/2 lb. ricotta salata, grated
1/4 lb. proscuitto, julienned
1. Rinse and trim stem end of figs and split lengthwise.
2. Whisk olive oil into 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Toss arugula with vinaigrette.
3. Lightly brush figs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil figs one minute on each side. Remove figs from heat and toss with remaining 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar.
4. Place figs on a bed of greens then sprinkle with cheese and Proscuitto and serve.
Arugula and Red Pepper Pesto
1/2 lb. arugula
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 roasted red peppers
1 cup toasted piñon nuts
1 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 cup olive oil
1. Blend everything together in a food processor, stopping to scrape sides and processing again. We like the pesto rich, salty and oily. A few cloves of sweet roasted garlic are a nice addition.
2. Older arugula can be bitter; this pesto can be cut with fresh spinach for milder flavor.
3. Spread on pizza crust, and top with cheese & veggies; toss with hot pasta (ziti is a particularly good vehicle); add to sour cream for a dip. You can freeze the pesto in greased ice cube trays for easy-access portions.
Arugula and Olive Pesto
3 cups arugula
1/2 cup best-quality extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped kalamata olives, or other oil-cured black olive
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
1. Place all ingredients except cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
2. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in the cheese. Taste for seasonings adding salt or pepper as desired.
Makes enough sauce for one pound of pasta.
Linguine with Arugula, Pine Nuts & Parmesan Cheese
1 pound linguine
1/2 cup olive oil
4 ounces arugula, trimmed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add arugula and stir until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
3. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add arugula and toss well. Add 1 cup Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste; toss well.
4. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately, adding additional Parmesan, if desired.
Bok Choi/Choy, Pak Choi, and other similar greens can not only be used in various stirfry recipes, but also used as celery in many dishes, such as chicken or tuna salad, or stuffed with cream cheese or peanut butter and jelly for a yummy snack!
BOK - CHOY NOODLE SALAD
1 bok choy
1 bunch green onion
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. sesame seeds
1 c. cashews
3/4 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. vinegar
1 c. oil
1/2 c. sugar
Cut up bok choy and onions. Saute 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup sesame seeds, 1 cup cashews and 3/4 cup slivered almonds. Add to bowl after sauteed.
Mix together 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 cup oil and 1/2 cup sugar. Pour over items in bowl. Break up by hand Ramen noodles into bowl and do not cook the noodles or use the flavor packet inside. Shake and stir salad very well.
Ginger-Garlic Bok Choi
6-8 baby bok choi (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. rice wine or sherry (optional)
sprinkling of toasted, crushed sesame seeds
Prepare the bok choi by washing it well and chopping it into bite-sized pieces. Splash a little of the water into a wok or deep skillet, heat, and throw in the garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 3 minutes and then add the bok choi and the remaining water and stir. Cover and cook until the bok choi is bright green and tender-crisp, about 4-6 minutes.
Remove the cover and add the sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine. Stir and serve, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. If you can’t find kochu chang in your area, here’s what you do:
Kochu Chang Substitute
4-5 tbsp. red or brown miso
1 1/2 tbsp. red paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. sugar
Mix all ingredients together well. This is less spicy than the real thing, so feel free to add more cayenne.
STIR-FRY BOK CHOY
Baby bok choy has a sweeter flavor than adult varieties. For a lighter taste, feel free to stir-fry the baby bok choy in olive oil. Low-sodium chicken broth can be used in place of water.
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
•4 bunches baby bok choy (basically, 1 bunch per person)
•2 slices ginger
•2 tablespoons soy sauce
•1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
•1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
•1/4 cup water
•A few drops sesame oil
•1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil for stir-frying
Preparation:
a. Wash the baby bok choy and drain. Separate the stalks and leaves.
b. Cut the stalk diagonally and cut the leaves across.
c. Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add ginger and stir-fry briefly, for about 30 seconds, until the ginger is aromatic.
d. Add the bok choy, adding the stalks first, and then the leaves.
e. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, and salt, and stir-fry on high heat for 1 minute.
f. Add the water, cover the wok and simmer for about 2 minutes.
g. Stir in the sesame oil and serve.
Serves 4.
Broccoli Raab with Caramelized Onions Recipe
Ingredients
•Olive oil
•1 yellow onion, sliced into slivers, lengthwise (with the grain)
•1 large bunch of broccoli rabe (raab, rapini), rinsed and cut into 2-inch long pieces
•2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
•1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
•Salt
•Freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions, spread out in a thin layer. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened and then lightly browned. (Tip: to speed up the caramelization process you can sprinkle a pinch of sugar over the onions.) If the onions start to dry out at all, lower the heat (you can add a little water to them too.) They should brown, but not get dried out.
2 After you start the onions, bring a large pot of water to a boil. The onions take at least 15 minute to cook, so you'll have time to get the water boiling. Salt the water (about a tablespoon of salt for 3 quarts of water). Prepare an ice bath, fill a large bowl half way with ice water. Add the rabe to the boiling water. Blanch for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the boiling water and put in the ice bath to stop the cooking. Shocking the rabe with ice water will also help keep the rabe bright green colored.
Note that some people blanch their rabe, some do not. Rabe can be rather bitter, so blanching will help take the edge off of the bitterness. If your rabe isn't particularly bitter, or you like bitter greens, you can easily skip this blanching step.
Drain the ice water from the rabe. Use a clean tea towel to gently wring out the excess moisture from the rabe.
3 Once the onions are lightly browned, remove them from the pan to a bowl. Using the same pan, add another Tbsp of olive oil and heat the pan on high heat. Add the chili flakes. Once the chili flakes start to sizzle, add the garlic. Once the garlic just starts to brown at the edges add the broccoli rabe and the onions. Toss the rabe mixture so that it gets well coated with the olive oil. Cook on high heat until most of the moisture is gone, about 5 minutes if you blanched first, a minute or too longer if you skipped the blanching.
Serves 4-6.
Quick Skillet Style Collards with Bacon and Onions
The most traditional way to cook up collards is to wash them well and then boil them in a really big pot with fatback. This method dates back to when most folks had gardens and loads of collards greens on hand plus big families where food had to be cooked in bulk. While cooking down collards in a pot is still a great way to make collard greens, smaller batches in a big skillet are quicker and easier to make.
Crazy Good Quick and Easy Southern Collard Greens with Bacon, Sausage & Wild Rice
(This recipe gets a major thumbs up! It would be good cooked in a dutch oven over a fire.)
Ingredients:
•Mess of collard greens (around 12 cups finely sliced)
•5 slices of bacon (I used Pat's!) (Could use a couple more strips I think.)
•1-2 cups sliced pepper, radishes, peas, anything you might have that you can stir fry that will taste good with greens.
•1 TBS butter (if the bacon is pretty lean and does not leave much grease in the pan)
•1 Vidalia onion or about ¾ cup (other types are okay too) (Could use 2 onions if you like caramelized onions.
•1/4 - ½ tsp salt
•1/4 - ½ tsp pepper (fresh ground is best)
•2 TBS red wine vinegar
•Hot sauce to taste
•Brown sugar to taste
•You might even try adding a little fresh ginger.
Directions:
1.Start cooking the rice. I used a wild rice mix. Takes about 25 minutes.
1. Wash collard greens well and allow to drain. Can also dab a bit with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
2. On chopping board, cut up center to remove hard stem from collards (since these do not cook a long time in a pot).
3. Take collard green leaves and chop fairly fine.
4. Slice peppers, radishes, etc.
5. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.
6. Remove bacon, crumble and save for end of recipe.
7. Chop onion and sauté with peppers/radishes/peas in the bacon grease (adding a little butter if the bottom of the skillet is not well covered with fat) until translucent or onions are clear looking.
8. Add greens and stir to coat.
9. Sprinkle brown sugar (and ginger if using) over greens once they have been coated with grease
10. Cover (clear lid is good for checking) and cook for 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat or until collards are soft and limp but still bright green.
11. Cook Sausage while the greens are simmering.
12. When greens are almost ready, sprinkle on the salt and pepper and splash on the red wine vinegar (may want more than listed – suit to taste).
13. Add a little hot sauce like Louisiana brand hot sauce. Go light, until you see hot much bite you like in the greens.
14. Add bacon back to greens before serving.
15. Add sausage to the rice and serve with a side of the greens.
16. Use any leftovers in an omelet the next morning. We scramble eggs and warm up the leftovers and serve it in warm corn tortillas. Mmmmmmmmm!
Awesome Excellent Cider Vinegar Brown Sugar-Braised Collard Greens
My own take on skillet braised greens. I wanted a recipe that used little to no bacon fat. You can use collards or kale or any mix thereof! Try this with other bitter greens like escarole.
Ingredients
•Peanut or other light nut oil. Canola or olive ok for those allergic to nut oils.
•2 large chopped onions.
•3-4 medium sized peppers, your choice of type and flavor and quantity. I use 2 Big Jim, 2 banana, and 2 jalapeno peppers.
•1 garlic clove, minced or 1 Tbsp minced garlic.
•2 tablespoons brown sugar divided.
•¼ c. cider or rice vinegar.
•Pinch sea salt.
•Pinch ground red pepper.
•Pinch black pepper.
•1 mess collard or kale, or any mix of similar bitter greens finely chopped, center rib (stem) removed.
•1 c. sliced or slivered almonds, peanuts or cashews.
Preparation
1.Stirfry nuts in oil until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2.Slice onions and peppers and stirfry in hot oil until onions become translucent.
3.Add ½ of brown sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, chili oil, red pepper, Add more oil if needed.
4.Begin adding greens. Coat well with oil.
5.Add remaining brown sugar.
6.Keep stirring greens until tender, but still light green.
7.Add nuts.
8.Serve hot as a side dish.
Kickin' Collard Greens
"If you like greens you will love this recipe. The bacon and onions give them a wonderful flavor. Add more red pepper for a little more spice."
Ingredients
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•3 slices bacon
•1 large onion, chopped
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon pepper
•3 cups chicken broth
•1 pinch red pepper flakes
•1 pound fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces
Directions
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan. Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.
2. Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.
Collard Greens with Bacon Recipe
Chef's tip: don't overcook the bacon. It should be barely brown around the edges and still somewhat raw-looking in the middle.
Ingredients
•4 strips thick-sliced bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
•1 small yellow onion, chopped
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•2 Tbsp sugar
•1 teaspoon kosher salt
•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•Several dashes hot sauce
•1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
•2 pounds collard greens, stems removed, sliced into 3-inch-wide strips (can substitute kale or chard)
•1 cup chicken broth (or water)*
Method
1 Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the bacon in the skillet until it just begins to brown around the edges, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook until they have softened and are just starting to brown.
2 Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and hot sauce. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
3 Add the collard greens and the chicken broth (or water) and bring to a simmer. Reduce the temp to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the collard greens have wilted and have lost their brightness. Season to taste with additional vinegar and hot sauce. Serve with some of the pan juices from the pan.
Serves 6 to 8.
Collard Greens Recipe
Ingredients
•2 lbs collard greens, tough stems discarded, leaves chopped
•2 Tbsp medium onion, chopped
•1 large garlic clove, minced
•2 teaspoons bacon fat
•2 Tbsp olive oil
•2 Tbsp dark sesame oil (Dynasty or comparable)
•Chili pepper flakes, a pinch
•Salt, a couple pinches
•Sugar, a couple pinches
Method
1.Use a large skillet with a tight fitting cover.
2.Melt bacon fat and heat olive oil on medium heat. Sauté onion until transparent, a couple of mintues. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
3.Mix in the greens, sesame oil, chili pepper flakes, salt, and sugar. Cover and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes.
Serve with barbecue sauce. Serves 4.
CURLY ENDIVE & GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH BACON DRESSING
8 oz. bacon slices
Olive oil
8 c. torn curly endive
6 radicchio leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
4 oz. soft fresh goat cheese (Montrachet), cut into 6 slices
1/2 c. red Zinfandel wine
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels. Pour pan drippings into measuring cup; add olive oil if necessary to measure 1/2 cup. Divide endive and radicchio among 6 plates. Top each with slice of goat cheese. Crumble bacon and sprinkle over goat cheese. Return drippings and oil to skillet and heat for 1 minute.
Whisk wine and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup hot bacon drippings into the wine and mustard. Season to taste with pepper. Spoon warm dressing over salads and serve.
GRILLED TERIYAKI CHICKEN
4 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp. minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. bouquet garnish
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. seasoned pepper
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
2 black peppercorns
2 (2 1/2 to 3 lb.) boiler fryers, halved
Garnishes and lemon slices
Curly endive
Combine first 11 ingredients in a large shallow container; mix well. Add chicken; cover and chill 8 hours, turning chicken several times. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade. Remove and discard bay leaves. Grill chicken, covered, over hot coals (400 to 500 degrees) for 50 to 60 minutes or until done, turning and basting often with marinade. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 4 to 8 servings.
BROWN DERBY COBB SALAD
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
1/2 bunch watercress
1 sm. bunch curly endive
1/2 head Romaine
2 tbsp. minced chives
2 med. tomatoes
2-3 cooked chicken breasts, skinned & diced
8 slices cooked & diced bacon
1-2 avocado, peeled & diced
3 hard cooked eggs, diced
1/2 c. Roquefort cheese, crumbled
Chop lettuce and greens. Mix in large bowl or individual shallow bowls. Add chives. Arrange rest of ingredients across top of greens. Sprinkle with cheese. Chill. Serve with Special French Dressing or your favorite. Makes 6 servings. Hot rolls and you've got a complete meal.
SPECIAL FRENCH DRESSING:
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. olive oil
3/4 c. vegetable oil
Combine and shake well before using. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
VEGETABLE CHRISTMAS TREE
2 bunches curly endive
Florist picks
1 (9-inch) plastic foam cone, about 1 1/2 foot tall
Cherry tomatoes
Cauliflower, separated into flowerets
Cucumber, sliced
Carrots, cut into 2-inch sticks
Radish roses
Wooden picks
Wash and separate endive, and remove the tough ends of each leaf. Begin to form the tree by attaching leaves to the bottom of the cone with florist picks, and more upward, completely covering cone with endive.
Attach vegetables to endive-covered cone with wooden picks, arranging in desired pattern to resemble a decorated Christmas tree. Place tree on a tray and arrange extra vegetables around the base. Serve with your favorite vegetable dip.
INDIVIDUAL BEEF WELLINGTONS
1 lb. med. mushrooms
1/4 c. butter
1 med. onion, minced
3 c. fresh bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme leaves
Salt
Pastry for 4 (2 crust) pies
1 (4 lb.) beef rib eye roast
2 eggs, separated
Water
Curly endive for garnish
Preserved or fresh kumquats for garnish (opt.),
Remove stems from 10 mushrooms, set aside. Mince remaining mushrooms and the extra stems. In large 12-inch skillet over medium heat, in hot butter, cook minced mushrooms and onion 5 minutes, until all liquid is evaporated. Stir in bread crumbs, pepper, thyme and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; divide into 5 equal pieces.
Trim fat off roast; cut meat in half lengthwise; slice each half crosswise into 5 equal pieces. Dry with paper towels.
On floured surface with floured stockinette covered rolling pin, roll 1 piece pastry to 14 x 11 inches; cut 2 rectangles 6 1/2 x 10 inches; reserve scraps. Place 1/3 cup of mushroom mixture in center of pastry rectangle. Top with piece of meat.
Sprinkle meat lightly with salt; top with 1 whole mushroom. In bowl with fork, beat egg whites with 2 teaspoons water; brush pastry edges.
Fold pastry over meat and mushroom; overlap edges, press to seal; place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate while preparing remainder. Roll out pastry scraps; with sharp knife, cut into designs. Brush backs with egg white; arrange on pastry. Refrigerate.
About 35 minutes before serving: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In cup, beat egg yolks with 2 teaspoons water; brush over pastry. Bake 25 minutes for rare, 27 minutes for medium-doneness. With pancake turner, place Wellingtons on warm platter with curly endive and, if you wish, preserve kumquats. Serve immediately.
PASTRY FOR 2 CRUST PIES:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. shortening
5 to 6 tbsp. cold water
In medium bowl with fork, lightly stir together flour and salt. With pastry blender cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in cold water using fork until pastry holds together. With hands shape in a ball and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Use the measurements in the recipe above.
Escarole is a bitter green, but can be less so when grown shielded from the sun. In general, lighter green leaves indicate a milder flavor. Thinly sliced tomatoes are a great accompaniment. Many bitter greens can be sweetened with a little sugar or brown sugar.
Escarole Siciliano
Ingredients
•3 tablespoons olive oil
•2 medium heads escarole - rinsed, dried and chopped
•1/2 cup lemon juice
•2 tablespoons capers
•1 pinch salt
•10 kalamata olives
•ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add escarole; cook and stir until greens begin to wilt. Stir in lemon juice. Add capers, salt, and olives; cook and stir for another 15 seconds. Season with black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Braised Escarole with Garlic and Lemon
Cook time 25 minutes. Serves 4.
Ingredients
•1 head escarole, about 1 pound
•1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•1 tablespoon unsalted butter
•4 garlic cloves, sliced
•1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•2 bay leaves
•1/2 lemon, cut in thin slices
•2 cups water or chicken broth
•Pinch sugar
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Break off the leaves of the escarole and wash them individually, taking care to remove any soil at the base of the stems. Shake the leaves dry, stack them up, and slice the escarole crosswise into ribbons about 1 1/2-inches wide.
Place a large deep skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Toss in the garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and lemon slices; cook and stir for a couple of minutes, tossing to combine. Nestle the escarole into the pan and sauté until it begins to wilt and shrink down, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the escarole with a pinch of sugar and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the water and cover the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes until the escarole is tender.
ESCAROLE, ORANGE, AVOCADO SALAD WITH SCALLIONS
8 cups chopped escarole
2 (11 oz cans each) mandarin oranges, drained, liquid reserved
1/2 head of fennel, thinly sliced
1 diced avocado
3 tbsp. reserved mandarin liquid
1 minced shallot
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs large scallops
In a large bowl, combine escarole, mandarin oranges, fennel, and avocado. In a bowl, whisk together mandarin orange liquid, shallot, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a lg skillet over med-high heat. Add scallops to pan and cook 2 minutes per side. Top salad with scallops and drizzle with citrus dressing. Gently toss to coat.
SAUSAGE AND WHITE BEAN ESCAROLE SOUP
3 cans small white bean (navy bean)
1 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casing removed (hot and/or sweet)
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 cups chicken broth or bouillon cubes according to package (1 cube for 2 cups=3 cubes)
1 head escarole (about 1 pound), chopped
grated parmesan cheese (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
Prepare the bouillon according to package directions, or use homemade broth or soupbase to make 8 cups.
Brown the sausage in a 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often to break up sausage. Remove the sausage from the saucepan with a slotted spoon. Drain well and pat dry to soak up extra grease.
Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and beans. Heat to a boil.
Return the sausage to the saucepan along with the escarole. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the escarole is tender
Taste and adjust seasonings. Salt is probably not needed, since the sausage is salty enough. Serve with the grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper. This is a heartier soup or chunky soup which eats like a meal.
ESCAROLE & SAUSAGE OVER MACARONI
1 lg head escarole (1 lb)
1 lb italian sausage (sliced 1/4"-1/2")
3 cloves garlic
1/8 c. olive oil
salt & pepper
grated parm. cheese
Wash escarole and break into small pieces. Boil until tender (apx. 20 min). Set aside. Fry sausage,salt, pepper, and garlic in oil. 3. Add boiled escarole and serve over macaroni. (Top with parm. cheese)
** I might suggest rather than boiling, that you cook the sausage first, and then wilt the escarole in the sausage grease with the garlic salt and pepper. That way you keep the good stuff the greens provide nutritionally. Will be more tasty as well.
**You might also add a little brown sugar, some chili oil or red pepper flakes if you want it hot. We buy hot Italian sausage for this type of recipe. It says 20 minutes to wilt, but I doubt it will take that long if you stir fry it in a skillet. Maybe 5 -10 minutes. It only takes a few minutes for collards which are much tougher than escarole.
BAKED ESCAROLE PARMIGIANA
2 head escarole, washed, drained & cut in sm. pieces
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. corn or olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
4 oz. Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
Steam escarole with water covered for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and layer in baking dish, 9"x5", with a sprinkle of bread crumbs, olive oil, garlic, salt and Parmesan cheese between each.
Place Mozzarella on top; bake 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.
**I might add tomatoes and/or tomato sauce to this recipe.
ESCAROLE PIE
3-4 lb. pizza dough
3 lb. escarole
1/2 lb. chopped black olives
3 cloves garlic1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. hot pepper (optional)
1/8 lb. anchovies (optional)
1/8 lb. chopped Italian sausage (optional)
Wash and boil escarole well. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Fry garlic in oil. Add olives and any of the optional ingredients. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Mix escarole with olive mixture. Split dough into 2 pieces. Flatten first piece onto greased cookie sheet. Spread mixture onto dough. Flatten 2nd dough and put on top of mixture. Press down on sides with fork. Spread oil on top of dough. Bake in 350 degree oven, covered with foil for 10 minutes; uncover and prick top with fork all around. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.
ESCAROLE SOUP WITH MEATBALLS
3 lbs. escarole
1 lb. beef cubes
1 carrot, chopped
1 sm. onion, chopped
1/2 c. chopped celery
2 eggs
1/4 c. Romano cheese
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
MEATBALLS:
1 lb. ground beef
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. Romano or locatelli cheese
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 tbsp. parsley
2 eggs
Wash escarole thoroughly. Place it while moist in a covered saucepan and cook about 6 minutes or until almost tender; drain. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add beef cubes, carrots, onions, and celery. Simmer at least 1 hour; meat should be tender.
Combine all ingredients for meatballs. Roll into 1-inch balls. Brown in oil and drain; add to soup and cook an additional 10 minutes; add escarole.
In separate bowl, mix eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir into soup. Remove from heat and allow eggs to cook a few minutes in hot soup before serving.
ESCAROLE WITH GARLIC AND BREAD CRUMBS
2 heads (about 2 lb.) escarole
1 c. chicken broth
6 tbsp. olive oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced
2 tbsp. pine nuts
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
Salt & pepper to taste
Clean escarole and cut into bite-size pieces. Cook in chicken broth until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Toss escarole with 2 tablespoons olive oil and place in a shallow serving dish. Keep warm.
In a skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add garlic and pine nuts and cook 1 minute. Add bread crumbs and cook until crumbs are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle crumbs over escarole and serve at once. Makes 6 servings.
PASTA WITH ESCAROLE AND BEANS
1 lb. Penne pasta, or Ziti
Bunch of Escarole, washed and ripped up
16 oz. can white kidney beans (Cannellini)
1/2 c. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled up
Cook pasta, drain. In saucepan saute garlic in oil. Add escarole. Saute until tender. Add beans, salt and pepper. Toss with cooked pasta. Sprinkle with bacon and Parmesan cheese.
PAN FRIED RAVIOLI AND ESCAROLE OR SPINACH
1 lg. egg
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 (13 oz.) pkg. frozen ravioli
4 tbsp. oil
1 sm. head escarole or spinach (about 4 c.)
1 lg. garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (8 oz.) can whole tomatoes
Dip ravioli in egg and bread crumbs. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet. Add ravioli and cook 2-3 minutes each side until brown. Remove from pan and keep warm.
In same skillet, heat remaining oil. Add escarole or spinach, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes. Stir frequently. Add tomatoes with their own liquid, breaking them up as they cook, about 3 minutes. Return ravioli and heat through. Then serve.
Old World Escarole and Beans
Ingredients
•2 slices bacon
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1 head escarole, coarsely chopped
•2 cloves garlic, pressed
•1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth
•1 (15.5 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
•1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
•2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the bacon and reserve the drippings in the pan. Add olive oil to the drippings and heat for 1 minute. Add the escarole; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and continue cooking and stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth and beans, and season with red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Ladle into bowls to serve and top with the crumbled bacon and Parmesan cheese.
Restaurant-Style Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
•1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage
•2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
•3/4 cup chopped onion
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups kale - washed, dried, and shredded
• 2 tablespoons chicken soup base
• 1 quart water
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Place sausage links onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cut links in half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices.
3. Place onions and bacon slices in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. Set aside.
4. Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken soup base, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes.
5. Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.
Sweet and Savory Kale
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 4 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups stemmed, torn and rinsed kale
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard, sugar, vinegar, and chicken stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the kale, cover, and cook 5 minutes until wilted.
2. Stir in the dried cranberries, and continue boiling, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by about half, and the cranberries have softened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sliced almonds before serving.
Tuscan Kale with Caramelized Onions and Red-Wine Vinegar
Tuscan kale, also known as cavolo nero (black Kale), dinosaur kale, and lacinato kale, is sweeter and more tender than regular kale, which can be used instead but may require more cooking time.
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons
• 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 pound Tuscan kale, middle stems removed, leaves cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Directions
1. Combine oil, onion, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large saute pan; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until onion is soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Add vinegar to pan, and raise heat to medium-high. Add kale, 1/4 cup water, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until kale begins to soften, about 3 minutes. As the pan becomes dry, add another 1/4 cup water, and cook until the kale is tender, about 3 minutes more. Serve immediately.
Sweet Pepper Pasta Toss with Kale
Ingredients
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked bow tie pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup roughly chopped kale
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pinch dried basil
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in red pepper, yellow pepper, kale and garlic. Season with basil, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender.
3. In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with skillet mixture. Sprinkle with feta cheese to serve.
Portuguese Beans with Kale and Linguica
Ingredients
• 2 (16 ounce) packages dry pink beans
• 1 pound bacon, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 2 pounds linguica sausage
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 2 cloves elephant garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried savory
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
• 3 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, finely chopped
Directions
1. Place the pink beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the beans; pour fresh water into the pot, covering the beans by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer gently.
3. Place the bacon into a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook and stir until the bacon has released its grease and has browned, but not become crisp, about 10 minutes. Once done, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and stir into the beans. While the bacon is cooking, peel the skin off of the linguica and discard. Cut the sausages in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4 inch thick half moons. Add the sausage to the skillet, and cook until the sausage has browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and stir into the beans.
4. Stir the onion and garlic into the remaining grease and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir the onions and garlic into the simmering beans along with the black pepper, savory, cumin, and paprika. Cover and continue simmering for 4 hours.
5. Stir the kale and chipotle pepper into the beans, and continue simmering 1 to 2 hours until the beans have broken up and thickened to your desired consistency.
Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
• 1 cup dry navy beans
• 1 large bunch kale, rinsed, stemmed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound spicy linguica sausage, sliced
• 1 cup chopped shallots or onions
• 4 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
Directions
1. Place the navy beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before using.
2. Cook the soaked beans in a pressure cooker in 4 cups of water for 25 minutes. Use the natural release method to release pressure. Do not drain.
3. Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and simmer until kale is bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a strainer, and cool under cold running water. Set aside.
4. Heat olive oil over medium heat in the soup pot. Brown the linguica slices on each side, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add shallots to pot and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Pour in a splash of chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits of sausage.
5. Return the sausage to the pot along with the beans and their cooking liquid. Stir in the chicken broth. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add the kale and cook about 4 minutes longer. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.
Baked Kale Chips
Ingredients
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.
Raw Kale Salad Recipe
Ingredients
One bunch of kale
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
Fresh squeezed juice of two lemons
One teaspoon of olive oil
One teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Directions
1.) Rip the leaves of the kale apart into a large bowl and remove the stem.
2.) Add the lemon juice and sea salt.
3.) Thoroughly mix by hand or with a spatula for 20 minutes.
4.) Add the cayenne, oil, and balsamic vinegar.
5.) Mix for another 2 minutes.
At this point the kale is ready to eat. I always like it most on the second day though. If I am making this as a dish to pass, I make it at least 6 hours before the start of the party to allow the ingredients to properly complement each other.
Kale has earned a spot on many nutritionists’ lists of Top 10 Healthiest Vegetables. As a member of the Brassica family of plants, along with the likes of broccoli and cabbage, it is chock full of phytochemicals that are believed to help prevent cancer.
It’s also extraordinarily high in carotenes, which are a good source of Vitamin A, which is good for everything from vision to bone growth, and Vitamin K, which is good for the blood. It’s nutritional attributes don’t stop there. Kale is also an excellent source of raft of other nutrients, including Vitamin C, manganese and calcium. Best of all, kale is good to eat – and is easily incorporated into a wide array of dishes.
The best variety of kale for cooking, in my opinion, is an old Tuscan heirloom known by a variety of names including lacinato, or cavolo nero, or blue or black or dinosaur kale, the latter because of its crinkly texture. Baby red Russian kale is the best variety for salads.
Spicy African Kale and Yams
1 large bunch Kale, 4 cups chopped, pressed firm
4 cup Garnet yam, rinsed well, chopped
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
2 cup Purple cabbage, sliced
1 ½ cup Onion, chopped
3 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon serrano chile, seeded and diced
Hot Sauce, to taste
1. Rinse and drain kale well. Steam kale and yams. Kale should still be colorful and yams should still have some firmness.
2. While kale and yams are steaming, place oil in a large sauté pan and heat on medium high. Add onion, garlic, ginger and chili pepper, cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add cabbage and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add small amounts of water if necessary to prevent sticking. Place in a large mixing bowl with remaining ingredients, add kale and mix well.
4. Add yams and gently mix well.
Chinese Sesame Kale
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound kale (about bunch)
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Salt and pepper, if desired
1. Mince the garlic cloves. Wash the kale and shake it over the sink. It should remain a little wet. Remove and discard the stems from the kale and tear it into bite-size pieces. Save the stems for another use, such as vegetable stock.
2. Heat the sesame seed oil in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic to the hot oil and sauté for about 20 seconds. Add the kale and water to the garlic and oil, and cover the skillet.
3. After 1 minute, stir the kale, then re-cover. After 1-2 more minutes, when the kale is wilted, stir in the soy sauce and sesame seeds. If desired, add salt and/or pepper to taste.
Austrian Kale
2 bunches kale, washed
1 clove garlic, minced
½ medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon oil
1 ½ cup chicken stock or bouillon
4 medium potatoes, quartered
1 stalk celery, chopped
Sour cream, for garnish
1. Cut the kale leaves into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Blanch them in lightly salted boiling water for one minute. Set aside.
2. Saute the garlic and onion in the oil until lightly browned. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, celery, and blanched kale. Simmer together until potatoes fall apart and lose their shape. Stir; season with salt and pepper, garnish with sour cream and serve.
Braised Tuscan Kale
4 bunches kale, stems removed
Salt as needed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ white onion thinly sliced
½ rosemary sprig
1 dried small red chile
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
¼ cup chicken stock or water
1. Coarsely chop the kale leaves and blanch them in boiling salted water, about 3 minutes, then drain.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and add the onion, rosemary and chile. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. When the onion is translucent and starting to color, 3 to 5 minutes, add the kale.
3. Cook the kale over medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often. The kale will turn a deep, almost black color, become soft and then almost a little crisp. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. If the greens get too dry during the cooking, stir in a little stock or water.
4. Spoon into a serving bowl and serve.
Italian Pork Chops with Kale
2 lbs kale
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
4 thick pork chops
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 cup hot water
1 small can tomato paste
1. Soak kale and rinse it thoroughly then simmer for 20 minutes in pot of salted water.
2. While kale is cooking, heat oil in large, deep skillet. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes over low heat. Add pork chops and saute for 5 minutes on each side, then season with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds.
3. Dissolve tomato paste in hot water and add to pork chops. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes, adding water if sauce gets too thick.
4. Drain kale and stir into tomato sauce. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
Bean and Kale Soup
1/2 lb. dried Great Northern beans
Water as needed
Olive oil as needed
1 onion, chopped
2 small carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
4 cup shredded kale (1 small bunch)
1 boiling potato, diced
2 cup chopped Swiss chard bunch (1 small bunch
1 large tomato, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1. Place beans in large saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Let stand at room temperature overnight.
2. Drain beans and return to saucepan. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 1 hour 30 minutes, reserving liquid. Transfer half of beans to food processor or blender and puree. Reserve remaining whole beans.
3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute 5 minutes. Stir in kale, potato, pureed beans and enough reserved bean cooking liquid and water to make 6 cups. Heat over medium heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
4. Add chard, tomato, garlic, rosemary, parsley, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until chard is tender and flavors are well blended, at least 1 hour, adding additional bean liquid if soup is too thick. (Soup should be quite thick.)
5. Stir in reserved whole beans and simmer until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. (Can be cooled and refrigerated overnight.) Ladle into heated soup bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top each bowl of soup with spoonful of olive oil, if desired.
Caldo Verde (Portuguese Kale-Potato-Sausage Soup)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and minced fine
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 large potatoes
2 quarts cold water
1 pound chorizo or similar sausage
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lb. kale, chopped
1. Saute the onion and garlic in three tablespoons of oil. Add potatoes and sauté for five minutes. Add water, cover, and boil gently for 20 minutes until potatoes are falling apart.
2. Meanwhile, chop and fry the sausage in a skillet and drain, then add the kale, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper, and simmer for five minutes. Stir sausage and kale into pot of boiled potatoes. Cook for about 20 more minutes and serve with dark bread.
Chinese kale is a wonderful green that is milder than collards with a sweet cabbage/brassica type taste. The leaves are generally smaller and smoother than collard greens. This green can be used in any green recipe!
Stir-Fried Beef with Chinese Kale
Method :
• Marinate beef with rice wine, 1/4 teaspoon salt and corn flour. Leave for 10 minutes.
• Bring a pot of water to the boil then add some salt and cooking. Blanch Chinese kale and drain.
• Heat a wok with cooking oil and stir fry garlic until fragrant.
• Add beef and stir fry for 5 minutes. Season with sugar, fish sauce and salt to taste.
• Add Chinese kale and mix well.
• Serve with steamed rice.
Chinese-style Kale with Tofu
Ingredients:
• 1 large bunch kale (I used 10 ounces of my frozen kale, feel free to substitute any other brassica greens like collard or turnip greens)
• 1/2# extra-firm tofu (drain and cut into 1-inch size cubes)
• 1-2 roasted red peppers (from a jar or frozen) - cut into slices/pieces
• 1-2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dry mustard powder, or more to taste
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. dried red chili flakes (1 teaspoon is very spicy!) or chili sauce from a jar (the kind with seeds)
• 1-2 Tbsp. soy sauce (I always look for the low-sodium variety)
• 1/4 tsp. toasted (dark) sesame oil (just do a couple of shakes, rather than actually measuring this - no need to waste any coating the measuring spoon!)
• Optional: 1 Tbsp. rice wine or Shaoxing (Chinese cooking wine
Method:
1. Thaw and drain the frozen kale (I do this in a colander over a bowl to catch any thawed liquid to save for future stock), or remove the large stems from the fresh kale and chop into strips about 1-1/2″ wide; wash and set aside in a colander to drain (save that liquid for future stock also).
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot (such as a dutch oven or a wok), heat about 2 Tbsp of oil (add more if it doesn’t cover the bottom of the pan) and 1/4 tsp (a few dashes) sesame oil over medium-low heat.
3. Add the minced garlic and cook GENTLY until the garlic is browned, turning the heat down as necessary so it doesn’t burn. If you are using the dried chili flakes, add them to the oil and cook them for about 30 seconds to bloom the flavor. Add the mustard powder and stir out any lumps.
4. Add the tofu cubes, cook until starting to brown a little on the edges.
5. Add the roasted peppers pieces and the kale to the pot and stir to coat with the seasonings. It’s ok if the kale is a little wet; the moisture will help it steam and cook down. The kale probably won’t fit all at once if using fresh kale, so cook it for a few minutes until it cooks down and then add the remainder. You can cover the kale to assist the steaming process; just make sure to stir it often enough so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
6. When the kale is tender but still green, add 1 tbs soy sauce and the chili sauce, if using. Stir and taste for seasoning, adding the remainder of the soy sauce per taste if desired. You may also want to add a dash or two more sesame oil, chilis, or more mustard powder to taste. Optional - add a small splash of rice wine or Shaoxing as well, increasing the heat for a moment to cook off the alcohol. (I did not add this)
Serve over brown rice for a complete meal, however, we might also have some fruit such as our homemade applesauce, either plain or our "fire-in-the-belly" style for a little more zing.
This recipe makes enough for 2 hearty eaters or 3 people if you are serving other items with it. Enjoy your kale and along with the health benefits from the mustard, another Brassica veggie!
The taste of mizuna has been described as a "piquant, mild peppery flavor...slightly spicy, but less so than arugula. It is also used in stir-frys, soups, and nabemono.
A vigorous grower producing numerous stalks bearing dark green, deeply cut and fringed leaves. They have a fresh, crisp taste and can be used on their own or cooked with meat. The Japanese are fond of them pickled. Highly resistant to cold and grown extensively during the winter months.
Wok Sautéed Mizuna with Minced Chicken
Serves 4 to 6
Mizuna is a small, feathery, pointed green leaf in the mustard green family. It has a slightly bitter flavor and is often included in field green salad mixes. You may substitute watercress, baby spinach leaves, mustard greens or kale. The mizuna leaves are added last and barely cooked. If substituting kale, add it a bit earlier in the recipe, with the carrot and onion, so it will be tender. Any way you decide to prepare this dish, serve it with basmati rice or short grain brown rice.
Ingredients
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, very finely chopped
2 teaspoons canola or peanut oil
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 pound mizuna, trimmed
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
Method
In a medium bowl, mix egg white with 1/2 teaspoon of the tamari, garlic and chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Heat 1 teaspoon of the canola or peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 4 to 6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and appears opaque. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in wok. Add carrots, onions and water chestnuts and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add remaining 1 teaspoon tamari, chile paste, lime juice and mizuna and cook, stirring often, until slightly wilted.
Return chicken to wok and toss well. Garnish with green onions and serve.
Mizuna and Minced Chicken Stir Fry
3/4 lb chicken breast
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Shao Xing rice wine
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp white pepper
3/4 lb mizuna
Salt to taste
Pulse the chicken breast in a food processor to mince it finely until there are no large pieces remaining but do not grind into a paste. Or alternatively mince it with a chef's knife. Mix the minced chicken with soy sauce, wine, cornstarch, sugar, and white pepper and set it aside to marinate.
Meanwhile, trim the ends off the mizuna. It's easiest to keep the mizuna in a bunch and trim the ends off all at once then untie the bunch to wash. My mizuna was pretty dirty, so wash it a few times to loosen and wash away any dirt on the stems and leaves.
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken
and stir fry until it is fully cooked through, about 4 - 6 minutes. When the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the heat and add the mizuna. Toss the mizuna in the hot pan with the chicken and it will start to wilt and cook down, season to taste with salt.
Serve with rice.
Pancetta, Mizuna, and Tomato Sandwiches with Green Garlic Aïoli
yield: Makes 6 servings
If you can't find green garlic, just blanch a regular garlic clove in boiling water
for two minutes to soften its bite.
Ingredients
Aïoli
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped green garlic or 1 regular garlic clove, blanched
• 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise, divided
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Sandwiches
• 2 (3-ounce) packages thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon; about 30 slices)
• 12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices brioche or egg bread, lightly toasted
• 1 large bunch mizuna or arugula, torn into 2-inch pieces
• 3 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
Preparation
For aioli: Blend olive oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel in processor until garlic is minced. Add 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and blend well. Transfer to small bowl; whisk in remaining mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
For sandwiches: Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange pancetta slices in single layer on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Place toast on work surface. Spread with aioli. Divide mizuna among 6 toast slices; top with tomatoes, then pancetta, dividing equally. Top with remaining 6 toast slices, aioli side down. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.
Bok Choy, Mizuna, Arugula or Spinach in Black Sesame Seed Dressing
Boiled Asian greens served with a black sesame seed dressing
Makes 2 to 3 servings as a side dish
Ingredients
• 7 ounces green leaf vegetables, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon shoyu (soy sauce)
• 5 tablespoons black sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup dashi (fish stock), see recipe below
Directions
1. Gather all the stem parts of the vegetables in one hand and slip a rubber band over the bottom part of the stems, so that all the vegetables are held together in one bunch. Alternatively, tie the bunch with cotton kitchen string.
2. Bring plenty of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add some salt and simmer the vegetables until firmly cooked, about 2 minutes. To do this, first place the tied stem part in the boiling water, holding the leafy top part with tongs or a pair of cooking chopsticks. After counting to about 30, plunge the leafy part into the water and cook the vegetables for the remaining 1 1/2 minutes.
3. Remove the vegetables from the water and cool under running cold tap water. When the vegetables are cooled, squeeze firmly to remove excess water.
4. In a medium bowl combine 1 teaspoon shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) and 2 tablespoons dashi. Marinate the vegetables in the mixture and set aside.
5. Heat a skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add the sesame seeds and toast until the seeds are plump, about 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Transfer the sesame seeds to a Japanese suribachi mortar or food processor and process while hot until the color becomes gray and releases a fragrant aroma.
7. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons dashi, 1 to 2 teaspoons shoyu, and sugar to the sesame seeds in the suribachi and blend. (If using a food processor, transfer the processed sesame seeds into a bowl and combine in the bowl with the shoyu, dashi and sugar.)
8. Remove the vegetables from the marinade, squeeze firmly to remove excess water. Cut the vegetables into 2-inch lengths. Dress the vegetables with the sesame dressing. Serve the salad in a communal medium-sized bowl or individual small bowls.
Dashi: Japanese Fish Stock
Yields 2 quarts stock (I think you can buy fish stock in the asian/oriental foods section of most food stores.)
Ingredients
• 2 quarts water
• One 6-inch square kombu (kelp)
• 1 cup tightly packed katsuobushi (bonito fish flakes)
Directions
1. Wipe the kombu with a damp cotton cloth or paper towel.
2. In a large pot, bring the water and kombu almost to a boil over low-medium heat.
3. Cook the kombu for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the kombu and preserve for the dashi preparation.
5. Add the fish flakes all at once and count to 10.
6. Turn off the heat, skim off any foam, and let the mixture stand for 2 minutes.
7. Strain the stock through a sieve lined with a tightly woven cotton cloth.
8. Discard the bonito flakes, or preserve them for the second stock.
9. Refrigerate the stock, tightly covered, for up to four days, or freeze it.
Easy pasta recipe with bacon, mizuna, and hazelnuts
Makes 6 servings
8 slices (8 ounces) thick, smoked bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 medium onion, cut in half and sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch mizuna, roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
1 pound flat or shaped pasta such as fettuccine or bow ties, cooked al dente in boiling salted water and then drained, saving about 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar, or to taste (or substitute white wine, sherry, or balsamic vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
In a large (10- to 12-inch) skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon strips until crisped. Remove all but 2 tablespoons bacon drippings from the pan. Turn the heat to high. Add the onion and garlic to the bacon and sauté briefly, about 2 minutes.
Add the cooked, drained pasta and toss until the pasta is heated through. Add mizuna and toss just until mizuna begins to wilt. The pasta should be very moist (but not saucy) and should toss easily. If not, use 2-3 tablespoons or more of the reserved pasta cooking water. (If you forgot to save it, just use hot water.)
Sprinkle the pasta with the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning with more vinegar, salt, and pepper as desired. Transfer to a hot pasta bowl. Sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts and serve immediately.
Sauteed Mizuna & Shells Recipe
Your search for a winning Sauteed Mizuna & Shells recipe ends at this place. Stock up on plenty of bags of cheese as you will want to make this Sauteed Mizuna & Shells time and again. This Sauteed Mizuna & Shells is a lovely way in which you can express your gratitude to your aunts, moms, grandparents and friends for teaching you recipes. Try it out!
Ingredients
1 pound (435 g) mizuna, rinsed and drained
12 ounces (340 g) medium-size dried pasta shells
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup (40 g) grated Parmesan cheese
How to make Sauteed Mizuna & Shells
1. Trim off and discard bare stem ends and any yellow or bruised leaves from mizuna; then chop leaves coarsely and set aside.
2. In a 5- to 6-quart (5- to 6-liter) pan, cook pasta in 3 quarts (2.8 liters) boiling water just until tender to bite (10 to 12 minutes); or cook according to package directions.
3. When pasta is almost done, heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart (3.8- to 5-liter) pan over high heat.
4. Add mizuna and stir until leaves are wilted (2 to 4 minutes).
5. Drain pasta and place in a warm serving bowl.
6. Add mizuna; mix lightly, using 2 forks. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and cheese; mix again
Spiced Fillet of Beef with Mizuna Salad
Ingredients for beef
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons dried hot red pepper flakes
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 1/2 pounds center-cut beef tenderloin roast (fillet of beef), trimmed and, if necessary, tied
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For salad
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced shallot
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces mizuna or baby arugula, trimmed
Preparation for beef:
Whisk together oil, lemon juice, shallot, and salt in a bowl, then add pepper to taste. Untie beef if necessary, then slice. Toss mizuna with dressing and serve beef topped with salad.
Chicken Breast Stuffed with Mizuna and Bleu Cheese.
Super easy recipe. Use Arugula or escarole instead of or mixed with Mizuna to add a stronger or more peppery taste. This recipe is for 3 large chicken breasts. Adjust to taste and size of recipe. Served with a side of sautéed greens.
Stuffed Chicken Breast Ingredients:
Directions:
Sautéed Greens Ingredients:
Sautéed Greens Directions.
This part’s more chef’s choice than exact measurements. Start when there’s 20 minutes left on the timer.
MIZUNA SAUTEED WITH CHICKEN
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1-1/2 tsp soy sauce, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, finely chopped
2 tsp canola oil, divided
1/3 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/3 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chile paste
1 TBS fresh lime juice
1 lb mizuna, trimmed
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
In a bowl, mix the egg white with 1/2 tsp of soy sauce, minced garlic and chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Heat 1 tsp of the canola oil in a wok or heavy skillet over high heat. Add the chilled chicken mixture and cook, stirring frequently for 4-6 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to a serving plate and set aside.
Heat the other teaspoon of canola oil in the wok on high and add the carrots, onions and water chestnuts; cook for 1 minute.
Add the remaining soy sauce, chile paste, lime juice and mizuna and cook, stirring often until mizuna is wilted. Return chicken to the wok and heat through. Garnish with green onions and serve. I really love this mizuna recipe.
ASIAN GREENS WITH GINGER MISO DRESSING
A hand-crafted dressing of ginger, miso, tahini (sesame paste) and lemon adds a creamy balance to organic baby spinach, mizuna, red and green Chard and red mustard greens. Tangy daikon radish, sweet carrots and crisp scallions complete this Asian delight. Enjoy this easy mizuna recipe.
Dressing:
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
2 TBS white miso
3 TBS tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup water
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
Salad:
5 ounces baby Asian salad mixed greens with mizuna
1 small radish, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
1 carrot, cut into 2-inch-long slender sticks
2 green onions (white part only), chopped
For the dressing, place ginger, miso, tahini, water and lemon juice in a blender and blend until completely smooth. The consistency should be similar to cream. Strain the dressing through a fine sieve to remove ginger fiber.
For the salad, divide greens among serving plates. Arrange radish and carrot on top, then sprinkle with scallions.
Drizzle one to two tablespoons of dressing over each salad and serve. Delightful mizuna recipe.
MIZUNA RECIPE FOR MOZZARELLA SALAD
12 small balls of mozzarella cheese
1 large tomato, seeded and sliced
1 bunch mizuna, trimmed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
In a large bowl, toss the mizuna and tomato slices with the fresh basil and olive oil. Serve on a salad plate with a few mozzarella balls and season with a few drops of lemon juice and salt/pepper to taste.
MIZUNA RECIPE WITH GRILLED MUSHROOM SALAD
Dressing:
2 TBS fresh lime juice
2 TBS fresh orange juice
2 TBS fresh grapefruit juice
1 tsp fresh lime zest
1 tsp fresh orange zest
1 tsp fresh grapefruit zest
3 TBS rice vinegar
1/4 cup homemade soy sauce
1/8 tsp white sugar
Combine all ingredients and pour into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Cool to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
14 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
5 cups mizuna leaves, trimmed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
canola oil
Heat your grill and brush the mushrooms with the canola oil. Grill for 4 minutes on each side, and tear or cut into bite-sized pieces.
In a large salad bowl, lightly toss the mizuna with the 1/2 of the salad dressing. Place on a salad plate and top with some grilled mushroom and drizzle with more dressing before serving.
BLUE CHEESE and CHICKEN MIZUNA SALAD
3 fresh peaches, halved and pitted
4 TBS canola oil, divided
1 tsp white sugar
1-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1/3 cup sherry or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 cup mixed greens
5 cups baby mizuna leaves
2 cups chicken
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Toss the peaches in half of the canola oil - and sprinkle with sugar - and place flesh side down on a hot grill. Sear until it has grill marks and flip. Grill for 1 minute on the skin side and place on a plate. Set aside.
Then add the chicken to the same bowl and (add more oil if you need to) and toss with canola oil and place on the grill. Grill until juices run clear. Remove and place on a plate. Set aside.
Heat up 2 TBS olive oil in a heavy skillet and add the minced shallots. Saute until they are translucent. Add the vinegar and reduce by 1/3. Remove and add the remaining olive oil and let cool. Add the blue cheese crumbles.
In a large salad bowl, lightly toss the mizuna with the mixed greens, onion and grilled chicken. Add half of the chilled vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly.
Place the salad on a plate and toss with a peach half and drizzle with remaining salad dressing.
SMOKED SALMON and MIZUNA SALAD
12 slices of smoked salmon around 2-3 inches long
Salad:
4 cups mizuna leaves, trimmed
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh flat parsley, chopped
3 TBS fresh chives, chopped
20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced in thin rings
1 yellow or green bell pepper, seeded and sliced in thin rings
Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette:
1 roasted red pepper*, seeded
4 tsp Dijon mustard
2 oz red wine vinegar
6 oz extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lime vinaigrette:
2 fresh limes, juiced
2 oz canola oil
*Seed and slice a red pepper and drizzle with olive oil; season with kosher salt. Place in the oven at 400 degrees and roast for 20-25 minutes or until light brown in color. Roughly chop for the salad dressing.
Whisk the lime juice and canola oil together and season with kosher salt to taste.
Toss the salad ingredients with the lime vinaigrette and put in the refrigerator to chill.
In a blender or food processor, add the Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar together. Add the roughly chopped roasted red pepper and process until combined. Slowly add the olive oil and process again. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pile the salad ingredients on a salad plate and place a slice of smoked salmon on top. Drizzle with the roasted red pepper vinaigrette and dig in!
Easy Mashed Rutabagas
Flavorful mashed rutabagas make a great side dish to any meat or poultry. These are delicious with potatoes and ham or a pot roast.
Ingredients:
• 2 to 3 pounds rutabaga
• water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Peel rutabaga; cut into chunks. Put the chunks in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for abou 25 to 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and let them dry in a colander or in the pan with the top ajar.
Mash the rutabagas with the butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
Serves 4 to 6.
Yankee Pot Roast
Ingredients:
• 4 to 5 pounds beef roast
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 cup diced rutabaga or turnip
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 1/4 cup sliced celery with leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In Dutch oven or heavy kettle, brown meat on all sides in hot shortening. Sprinkle with salt. Add water and sliced onion. Cover and simmer for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Add remaining ingredients; simmer for 30 minutes more, or until vegetables are done.
3. Remove meat and thicken liquid with flour and water paste
a. To thicken: Stir a few tablespoons of water into a few tablespoons of flour and stir until smooth. Stir hot liquid while adding small amounts of flour paste until thickened as desired.
b. Taste and season Yankee pot roast with salt and pepper to taste. Yankee pot roast recipe serves 6 to 8 people.
Rutabaga Apple Casserole
Ingredients:
• 3 cups peeled sliced rutabaga
• 2 med. apples, sliced
• 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
• 3 tbsp. butter
• Salt
Preparation:
Cook rutabaga slices in boiling salted water until just tender; drain. Place half of slices (rutabaga) and half of apple slices in greased 1 quart casserole. Sprinkle with half of brown sugar and dot with half of butter. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat layers. Bake, covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
4 to 6 servings.
Apple Rutabaga
This rutabaga and apple scallop is baked in the oven.
Ingredients:
• 6 cups shredded rutabaga, about 1 1/2 pounds
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored, chopped
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
Preparation:
Mix turnip, about 3/4 or the chopped apple, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle remaining apple over the top of rutabaga; dot with butter. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours, or until rutabaga is tender. Serves 6.
Family Turkey Pie
Ingredients:
• 1 pound rutabaga, cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup frozen lima beans or butter beans
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 chicken flavor bouillon cube or equivalent granules or base
• 4 cups cooked turkey, cut up
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg white, beaten
Preparation:
About 2 hours before serving, cook rutabaga and sliced carrots until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in frozen lima beans and cook until thawed and separated. Drain vegetables well.
Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add mushrooms and cook until browned; remove to a large bowl. Add 1 more tablespoon of butter to the skillet; add 2 tablespoons water. Cook chopped onion until tender. Mix milk with flour until smooth; stir into onion mixture with Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and bouillon. Cook, stirring until sauce boils and thickens. Boil 1 minute. Reserve 1 cup turkey. Stir sauce, carrot mixture, and remaining turkey into mushrooms; spoon into a deep 3-quart casserole. Top with reserved turkey.
Preheat oven to 375°. Roll pastry to a round about an inch larger than top of casserole; trim as needed. Brush rim of casserole with egg white. Place pastry over filling; pinching edge for tight seal. With a sharp knife, cut several slits in pastry top; brush with egg white. Place the turkey pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until filling is hot and pastry is browned; cover the top with foil if browning too quickly.
Cinderella Pumpkin Bowl with Vegetables and Sausage
"This gorgeous pumpkin creation will make your step sisters turn green with envy. It's chock full of seasonal veggies and will feed a hungry crowd at any holiday table. The Cinderella pumpkin is a variety that is flattened and deeply ribbed. They usually grow 25 to 30 lbs. Mine was more like ten pounds and it was still wider than a cookie sheet. I think the recipe would be quite doable with several small pumpkins like the sugar ones, for individual servings or for a smaller group. I prepared the veggie filling prior to filling the pumpkin."
Original Recipe Yield 12 servings
Ingredients
• 1 whole (10 pound) Cinderella pumpkin
• 1 (16 ounce) package kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic - minced, or amount to taste
• 2 cups parsnips, peeled and cubed (optional)
• 2 cups rutabagas, peeled and cubed (optional)
• 2 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped (optional)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 2 zucchini, cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 cups canned or frozen corn
• 2 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked white or brown rice (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/2 (1.25 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 (1 ounce) packet dried Italian seasoning
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Cut around the top of the pumpkin to make a lid. Use a large metal spoon to scoop out the inside membrane and seeds.
3. Place the pumpkin on the prepared baking sheet, and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 1 hour, then lower heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
4. Meanwhile, place the sausage in a deep pot over medium-high heat. Cook until evenly browned, turning frequently, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic; cook and stir until translucent and tender, about 5 minutes. If desired, stir in the parsnips, rutabaga, and/or the cabbage; cook until the vegetables are almost ender, about 5 minutes. Add the red and green peppers, broccoli, zucchini, and corn. Pour in the chicken broth, add the rice, and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in the parsley, red pepper flakes, onion soup mix, and Italian seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Keeping the pumpkin on the baking sheet, spoon the vegetable-sausage mixture into the pumpkin, and replace the lid. Loosely cover the pumpkin with aluminum foil.
6. Cook the pumpkin in the preheated oven until the flesh is tender, about 4 hours. Scoop some of the pumpkin flesh away from the sides to combine with the vegetable mixture. To serve, place the pumpkin on a serving platter, and remove the lid to ladle out the contents.
I never liked Swiss chard, until several years ago I had some that had been freshly picked from a friend's garden. It was so sweet and buttery I couldn't believe it was actually Swiss chard. It was then I learned that freshness was the key determinant to whether chard was delectable or detestable. Last night we had Swiss chard that we had picked up from Whole Foods. It was good, quite good. But not nearly as fantastic as the chard we had a week ago that we had bought from the farmer's market. So here's a hint. If the thought of Swiss chard leaves you uninspired, get some from a farmer's market that has been freshly picked. It is sort of like the difference between white corn picked that day, or the same corn two days later. The tastes don't even compare.
Swiss Chard Recipe
INGREDIENTS
• 1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard
• 1 small clove garlic, sliced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp water
• Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon butter
• Salt
METHOD
1 Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Remove the toughest third of the stalk, discard or save for another recipe (such as this Swiss chard ribs with cream and pasta). Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips.
2 Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add olive oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it). Add salt to taste, and a small amount of butter. Remove the swiss chard to a serving dish.
Simple Swiss Chard
By: THERESA_M
Original Recipe Yield 2 servings
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stalks discarded, leaves cut into wide ribbons
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Heat the olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until tender and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and balsamic vinegar; cook and stir until the chard is wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
SHERRY'S POTATO-SWISS CHARD CURRY
3 medium red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1" pieces
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cups chopped Swiss chard
1 (14.5 oz can) diced tomatoes, undrained
Place potatoes in a large pan, cover with water. Bring to boil. Boil 4-6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, sugar, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper.
Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard and tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, simmer 4-6 minutes.
BRAISED SWISS CHARD
1 bunch Swiss chard
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can of Del Monte tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Clean Swiss chard with water. Cut off stems. Do not dry leaves; allow moisture to remain after washing.
In a skillet, braise the garlic in the olive oil until golden. Add Swiss chard, braised until wilted. Add tomato sauce.
Cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
Salt and pepper to taste.
SWISS CHARD OR SPINACH PIE
2 1/4 lbs. Swiss chard or 2 1/2 lbs. spinach
6 eggs
2 1/2 or 3 dry onions, sliced, sauteed in 1/4 c. olive oil until soft
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. dill (optional)
1 lb. filo
3 squares butter, melted
1/4 c. olive oil
Mix oil and melted butter together after butter has cooled.
Clean and wash Swiss chard or spinach, drain, dry completely. Chop Swiss chard or spinach, green onions, put in large mixing bowl with the sauteed onions. Add crumbled cheese, Parmesan, add slightly beaten eggs to mixture, white pepper and dill. Mix well.
Grease an 11 1/2 x 17 1/2 inch baking pan with butter and oil mixture. Add 6 pastry sheets on bottom of greased pan, spread each with the oil and butter mixture, sprinkle with the Swiss chard or spinach mixture alternating the pastry sheets and spinach or Swiss chard mixture. Cover with 6 individually buttered sheets. Pour the remaining butter and oil on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool and cut in squares.
SWISS CHARD WRAPS
9-10 Swiss chard leaves, at least 9 inches
1 lg. tomato, sliced and cut in half
1/2 c. Mozzarella cheese, grated
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. onion flakes
Salt and pepper
Steam Swiss chard for a few minutes. Do not overcook. Open leaves and brush on olive oil lightly. Put tomato slice in center of leaf - top with pinch onion - salt and pepper and one tablespoon cheese. fold leaf around tomato - this will hold together well.
Put on grill until hot - can turn once. Works best if you use a 2 sided grill that holds food in place. This can also be cooked in oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet.
CRISS CROSS SWISS CHARD AND STEAK
2 lbs. round steak
12 lg. Swiss chard leaves
10 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Parsley flakes
3 ripe tomatoes
1/4 c. oil
Wash and clean Swiss chard and set aside to drain. Cut steak in square pieces. Season with salt, pepper, parsley flakes and minced garlic.
Wrap each piece of steak with 2 pieces of Swiss chard, criss crossed, roll and tie with household string.
Lightly brown about 5 cloves of garlic in oil. Use a large roasting pan. Place rolled steak and chard in pan adding 3 cut ripe tomatoes on top. Simmer covered for about 1 hour. Uncover and cook another 15 minutes until excess water evaporates.
SWISS-CHARD BAKE
1 1/2 lb. Swiss chard
1/2 onion, minced
2 tbsp. butter
4 eggs, well beaten
1 c. buttermilk
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Few drops of pepper sauce
1 pkg. shredded cheddar cheese
Wash and peel stems from chard and drop in boiling water. Cook about 3 minutes before adding the leaves. Cook another 3 minutes. Remove from water and cut into pieces. Cook onion in butter a few minutes. Then add the Swiss chard to skillet with onion and butter stirring constantly to the flavor of onion and butter. Set aside.
Beat eggs, add buttermilk, flour and salt and pepper. Mix well together. Combine cheese. In greased casserole place a layer of chard and a layer of cheese until all in dish. Cover with egg mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
SWISS CHARD PATTIES
1/2 c. cooked Swiss chard, chopped
1 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. olive or cooking oil
Drain chopped cooked chard well. Mix thoroughly with crumbs and cheese. Add egg and seasonings. Shape into 3-inch patties about 1/2-inch thick. Fry in hot oil until golden brown on both sides.
SCALLOPED CHARD AND POTATOES
1 bunch (about 1 lb.) Swiss chard
4 med. sized baking potatoes
1/4 lb. melted butter
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. minced onion
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Wash chard under running water and pat dry. Cut stems out of each leaf; slice stems into 1/4" pieces and place in a large bowl. Stack leaves and cut across in 1/2" strips; add to stems. Scrub potatoes and slice into 1/8" slices (6 to 7 cups); set aside about 1 1/2 cups to go on top of the casserole mixture, stir, and set aside.
Use about 3 tablespoons of the butter to generously grease a shallow 2 quart baking dish. Add remaining butter to chard mixture, stir and set aside.
Line bottom of casserole dish with a layer of sliced potatoes to cover. Top with a layer of Swiss chard.
Beat together eggs, milk, garlic salt and pepper, minced onion and cheese.
Pour half of the egg mixture evenly over contents of dish. Top with another layer of potatoes. Pour over remaining egg mixture. Sprinkle with an extra tablespoon of grated cheese, if desired.
Spray top of casserole with olive oil spray to keep it moist.
Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes or until top is lightly browned.
One of the most abundant produce items you'll find during the winter are greens, also called bitter greens, or "bitters." This group includes veggies like collards, kale, arugula, mizuna, escarole, endive, and non-bitters, like lettuce, cabbage, bok choy, etc.
The trick to enjoying greens, especially bitters, is to get fresh greens from a farmer’s market. Nutritional values drop rapidly, as does taste and texture. With this class of vegetable, timing is everything. The difference of a single day in most greens is like night and day.
Even though many of these veggies are called bitter greens, they shouldn't actually taste bitter. They should have a robust flavor that is enhanced through cooking. Truly bitter vegetation is due to sun/heat exposure, late season harvesting, and poor or exhausted soil.
The following list is alphabetical, and covers most of the most common greens available at your local farmers markets.
ARUGULA
Arugula Pesto Recipe
INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed
• 1/2 cup of walnuts
• 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced
METHOD
1. Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.
2. Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.
3. Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
4. Mortar and pestle method (photo pictures pesto produced this way): Combine the nuts and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.
5. Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.
6. Mix with freshly prepared pasta of your choice*. You may need to add a little bit of water or more olive oil to mix the pesto more evenly with the pasta.
Makes enough pesto sauce for an ample serving of pasta for four people.
Arugula Salad with Cannellini Beans
This is a quick and delicious warm salad that can be either a light lunch, or a side dish to a nice steak or pork chop dinner.
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons white wine
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups arugula
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook the garlic in the hot oil about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, sage, and thyme; increase the heat to medium-high and simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cannellini beans and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until beans are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Arrange the arugula on a serving platter. Spoon the bean mixture over the arugula. Top with the shaved Parmesan cheese if desired.
EIGHT GREAT ARUGULA RECIPES
Arugula is a pungent, peppery salad green that has been widely used in Italy since ancient Roman times. It was virtually unknown in the United States until the 1970s when it, along with other exotic mesclun greens from the Mediterranean region, such as radicchio and mache, caught the wave of interest in the new style of seasonal cooking known as California cuisine -- and rode that wave into the periphery of the mainstream American diet. Arugula is now widely available in farmers markets, even though it is still seldom seen in the average American supermarket.
To the uninitiated, arugula can take some getting used to, though it is an easily acquired taste if properly presented. In relatively small quantities, shreds of arugula can add a touch of spice to any salad without overwhelming it. It is also excellent as the dominant or even sole green in a salad with fruit or a fruity dressing to offset its pungency. To those who find it a bit too peppery for their taste, a portion of the arugula in any of these recipes can be replaced with spinach.
The following is an excellent dressing for an arugula and/or spinach salad. For more layers of flavor complexity, add walnuts and/or feta cheese and/or crumbled bacon.
Apple Vinaigrette
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons grated sweet or purple onion
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup finely chopped apple
1. Whisk together sugar, vinegar, onion, mustard, salt, oil, and apple, or pulse a few times in blender.
2. Refrigerate salad greens and dressing separately until serving time.
Arugula and Pear Salad
Dressing:
2 tablespoons minced shallot
3 tablespoons vegetable broth
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Salad:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 firm red Bartlett pears
5 cups butterhead lettuce (Bibb or Boston)
washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups arugula, trimmed, washed and dried
1. To prepare dressing, whisk shallots, broth, oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. To prepare salad, toast walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
3. Just before serving, cut pears into 16 slices each. Place in a large bowl. Spoon on 1 tablespoon of the dressing and toss to coat. Add lettuce, arugula and the remaining dressing; toss well. Divide among 8 plates. Top with walnuts.
Arugula, Orange and Red Onion Salad
2 bunches arugula, washed and trimmed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 large navel oranges, peel and white pith removed, cut into segments
8 very thin slices red onion, separated into rings
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Drizzle the arugula with half of the olive oil and the lemon juice; toss to coat and divide among 4 salad plates.
2. Arrange the orange segments and onions on top, dividing evenly. Drizzle with remaining oil and season with black pepper.
Arugula, Orange and Fennel Salad
Salad:
1 large fennel bulb
1 red onion, shaved paper thin
2 cup mandarin orange segments
6 bunches fresh arugula
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
Vinaigrette:
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon turbinado or other brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Trim off the top off the fennel bulb.
2. Slice the fennel and onion paper thin.
3. To prepare the vinaigrette, combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk.
4. Toss the arugula, fennel and onion with vinaigrette, divide among serving plates and top with mandarin orange slices, walnuts and, if desire, pomegranate seeds.
Grilled Fig and Arugula Salad
8 large black mission figs or 12 smaller green figs
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for brushing figs
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 lb. arugula
1/2 lb. ricotta salata, grated
1/4 lb. proscuitto, julienned
1. Rinse and trim stem end of figs and split lengthwise.
2. Whisk olive oil into 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Toss arugula with vinaigrette.
3. Lightly brush figs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil figs one minute on each side. Remove figs from heat and toss with remaining 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar.
4. Place figs on a bed of greens then sprinkle with cheese and Proscuitto and serve.
Arugula and Red Pepper Pesto
1/2 lb. arugula
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 roasted red peppers
1 cup toasted piñon nuts
1 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 cup olive oil
1. Blend everything together in a food processor, stopping to scrape sides and processing again. We like the pesto rich, salty and oily. A few cloves of sweet roasted garlic are a nice addition.
2. Older arugula can be bitter; this pesto can be cut with fresh spinach for milder flavor.
3. Spread on pizza crust, and top with cheese & veggies; toss with hot pasta (ziti is a particularly good vehicle); add to sour cream for a dip. You can freeze the pesto in greased ice cube trays for easy-access portions.
Arugula and Olive Pesto
3 cups arugula
1/2 cup best-quality extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped kalamata olives, or other oil-cured black olive
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
1. Place all ingredients except cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
2. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in the cheese. Taste for seasonings adding salt or pepper as desired.
Makes enough sauce for one pound of pasta.
Linguine with Arugula, Pine Nuts & Parmesan Cheese
1 pound linguine
1/2 cup olive oil
4 ounces arugula, trimmed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add arugula and stir until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
3. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add arugula and toss well. Add 1 cup Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste; toss well.
4. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately, adding additional Parmesan, if desired.
BOK CHOI/PAK CHOI
Bok Choi/Choy, Pak Choi, and other similar greens can not only be used in various stirfry recipes, but also used as celery in many dishes, such as chicken or tuna salad, or stuffed with cream cheese or peanut butter and jelly for a yummy snack!
BOK - CHOY NOODLE SALAD
1 bok choy
1 bunch green onion
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. sesame seeds
1 c. cashews
3/4 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. vinegar
1 c. oil
1/2 c. sugar
Cut up bok choy and onions. Saute 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup sesame seeds, 1 cup cashews and 3/4 cup slivered almonds. Add to bowl after sauteed.
Mix together 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 cup oil and 1/2 cup sugar. Pour over items in bowl. Break up by hand Ramen noodles into bowl and do not cook the noodles or use the flavor packet inside. Shake and stir salad very well.
Ginger-Garlic Bok Choi
6-8 baby bok choi (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. rice wine or sherry (optional)
sprinkling of toasted, crushed sesame seeds
Prepare the bok choi by washing it well and chopping it into bite-sized pieces. Splash a little of the water into a wok or deep skillet, heat, and throw in the garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 3 minutes and then add the bok choi and the remaining water and stir. Cover and cook until the bok choi is bright green and tender-crisp, about 4-6 minutes.
Remove the cover and add the sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine. Stir and serve, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. If you can’t find kochu chang in your area, here’s what you do:
Kochu Chang Substitute
4-5 tbsp. red or brown miso
1 1/2 tbsp. red paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. sugar
Mix all ingredients together well. This is less spicy than the real thing, so feel free to add more cayenne.
STIR-FRY BOK CHOY
Baby bok choy has a sweeter flavor than adult varieties. For a lighter taste, feel free to stir-fry the baby bok choy in olive oil. Low-sodium chicken broth can be used in place of water.
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
•4 bunches baby bok choy (basically, 1 bunch per person)
•2 slices ginger
•2 tablespoons soy sauce
•1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
•1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
•1/4 cup water
•A few drops sesame oil
•1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil for stir-frying
Preparation:
a. Wash the baby bok choy and drain. Separate the stalks and leaves.
b. Cut the stalk diagonally and cut the leaves across.
c. Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add ginger and stir-fry briefly, for about 30 seconds, until the ginger is aromatic.
d. Add the bok choy, adding the stalks first, and then the leaves.
e. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, and salt, and stir-fry on high heat for 1 minute.
f. Add the water, cover the wok and simmer for about 2 minutes.
g. Stir in the sesame oil and serve.
Serves 4.
BROCCOLI RAAB
Broccoli
Raab is called by many names, such as rappini or rabe. It is a small
turnip green that doesn’t produce a bulb. This tasty vegetable is a
bitter green, and is typically blanched or boiled very briefly before
being added to a recipe to dull the bitterness.
However,
this will lower the nutritional value and possibly bland the color and
dull the taste. I prefer to sautee bitter greens and simply add a little
sweetener such as brown sugar or even a small amount of Stevia. This
preserves taste, texture and color.
Raab can be cooked just like any other bitter green. I have left most recipes as is with directions for boiling.
RAAB WITH SAUSAGE
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound fennel or spicy/sweet Italian sausage links, cut into pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Directions
- Brown sausage. Remove and set aside.
- Add peanut oil if there isn’t enough grease remaining in pan.
- Add garlic to saucepan, and cook approximately 30 seconds.
- Add broccoli rabe and ½ of the lemon juice.
- Sautee until leaves are tender but still bright green.
- Return sausage to pan and mix.
- Add in remaining olive oil and lemon juice before serving.
SAUTEED BROCCOLI RAAB
Ingredients
- 4 bunches (12 to 16 ounces each) broccoli rabe, stems trimmed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup raisins
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Directions
Working
in batches, cook the broccoli rabe in a large pot of boiling salted
water until crisp tender, about 1 minute per bunch. Transfer the
broccoli rabe to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Reserve about 1/4
cup of the cooking liquid. Strain the cooled broccoli rabe and set
aside.
Heat
the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and
red pepper flakes, and saute until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the broccoli rabe and toss to coat. Add
the reserved cooking water, the raisins, and cook until the broccoli
rabe is heated through and the stems are tender, about 4 minutes. Season
with salt, to taste. Just before serving, toss the mixture with the
pine nuts.
FETTUCCINE WITH SEA SCALLOPS AND BROCCOLI RABE
2/3 lb. fettuccine
2 c. coarsely chopped broccoli rabe (bitter broccoli greens), heads and leaves
2 cloves garlic
16 jumbo sea scallops, quartered
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 c. coarsely chopped broccoli rabe (bitter broccoli greens), heads and leaves
2 cloves garlic
16 jumbo sea scallops, quartered
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In
a large pot, cook fettuccine in salted water until al dente. Two
minutes before pasta is ready, add broccoli. Drain, reserving 1 cup
liquid.
Meanwhile,
in a large skillet, saute garlic and scallops are brown, 1 to 2
minutes. Add fettuccine and broccoli, and dry. Add a little reserved
liquid. Season.
NOTE: If serving this as a main course, double recipe.
BROCCOLI DE RABE CON LINGUINE
1 broccoli de rabe bunch, cut 1 inch off bottom stem and discard
1/2 c. olive or corn oil
4 clove garlic, chopped or minced
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed hot pepper; optional
3/4 tsp. salt
1 med. tomato, chopped sm.
8 oz. water
1/2 c. olive or corn oil
4 clove garlic, chopped or minced
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed hot pepper; optional
3/4 tsp. salt
1 med. tomato, chopped sm.
8 oz. water
Wash
broccoli well, do not dry. Place into 2 quart pot. Add rest of
ingredients. Cover pot and cook on medium heat until broccoli is tender
(fork must pierce broccoli easily), approximately 20 minutes. Set aside.
Cook linguine according to instructions on package; drain and pour
broccoli sauce over and serve. Makes 4-6 servings.
NOTE:
To remove skin from tomatoes drop tomatoes in boiling water for 30
seconds to 1 minute. Then place them in cold water for couple minutes,
then skin can be removed.
PENNE WITH SAUSAGE & BROCCOLI RABE
1 lb. of penne pasta
1 lb. sweet sausage
1 bunch fresh broccoli rabe
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can chicken stock
1 tbsp. cornstarch
3 to 4 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. sweet sausage
1 bunch fresh broccoli rabe
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can chicken stock
1 tbsp. cornstarch
3 to 4 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Clean broccoli rabe and steam or boil in water. Strain and set aside.
2.
Cook sweet sausage in frying pan, adding a little water so it does not
burn. Cover pan and cook until sausage is no longer pink. Set sausage
aside and cut each sausage link into 1/4 inch diagonal slices.
3.
In sausage drippings, saute minced garlic. When garlic is golden, but
not brown, add can of chicken stock. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Put cornstarch in small bowl and add a ladle of chicken stock. Mix and stir until thick and smooth.
5. Add cornstarch paste into rest of stock and continue to cook for 10 more minutes, stirring continuously until thickened.
6. Boil pasta and strain. Place in serving bowl.
7.
Combine cut up sausage, 3 to 4 sundried tomatoes broken into bits and
broccoli rabe. Stir into sauce and top over pasta. Serve with grated
Parmesan cheese.
BROCCOLI RABE WITH LEMON & GARLIC
1 1/2 lb. broccoli rabe, wash & discard coarse stem ends & yellow leaves
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. fresh grated lemon rind
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. fresh grated lemon rind
In
a heavy kettle cook the broccoli rabe covered in very little water
until stems are tender. Saute garlic in butter over medium heat 3
minutes. Drain the broccoli rabe, toss with garlic mixture, parsley,
salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon rind. Serves 4.
Broccoli Raab with Caramelized Onions Recipe
Ingredients
•Olive oil
•1 yellow onion, sliced into slivers, lengthwise (with the grain)
•1 large bunch of broccoli rabe (raab, rapini), rinsed and cut into 2-inch long pieces
•2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
•1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
•Salt
•Freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions, spread out in a thin layer. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened and then lightly browned. (Tip: to speed up the caramelization process you can sprinkle a pinch of sugar over the onions.) If the onions start to dry out at all, lower the heat (you can add a little water to them too.) They should brown, but not get dried out.
2 After you start the onions, bring a large pot of water to a boil. The onions take at least 15 minute to cook, so you'll have time to get the water boiling. Salt the water (about a tablespoon of salt for 3 quarts of water). Prepare an ice bath, fill a large bowl half way with ice water. Add the rabe to the boiling water. Blanch for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the boiling water and put in the ice bath to stop the cooking. Shocking the rabe with ice water will also help keep the rabe bright green colored.
Note that some people blanch their rabe, some do not. Rabe can be rather bitter, so blanching will help take the edge off of the bitterness. If your rabe isn't particularly bitter, or you like bitter greens, you can easily skip this blanching step.
Drain the ice water from the rabe. Use a clean tea towel to gently wring out the excess moisture from the rabe.
3 Once the onions are lightly browned, remove them from the pan to a bowl. Using the same pan, add another Tbsp of olive oil and heat the pan on high heat. Add the chili flakes. Once the chili flakes start to sizzle, add the garlic. Once the garlic just starts to brown at the edges add the broccoli rabe and the onions. Toss the rabe mixture so that it gets well coated with the olive oil. Cook on high heat until most of the moisture is gone, about 5 minutes if you blanched first, a minute or too longer if you skipped the blanching.
Serves 4-6.
COLLARDS
Quick Skillet Style Collards with Bacon and Onions
The most traditional way to cook up collards is to wash them well and then boil them in a really big pot with fatback. This method dates back to when most folks had gardens and loads of collards greens on hand plus big families where food had to be cooked in bulk. While cooking down collards in a pot is still a great way to make collard greens, smaller batches in a big skillet are quicker and easier to make.
Crazy Good Quick and Easy Southern Collard Greens with Bacon, Sausage & Wild Rice
(This recipe gets a major thumbs up! It would be good cooked in a dutch oven over a fire.)
Ingredients:
•Mess of collard greens (around 12 cups finely sliced)
•5 slices of bacon (I used Pat's!) (Could use a couple more strips I think.)
•1-2 cups sliced pepper, radishes, peas, anything you might have that you can stir fry that will taste good with greens.
•1 TBS butter (if the bacon is pretty lean and does not leave much grease in the pan)
•1 Vidalia onion or about ¾ cup (other types are okay too) (Could use 2 onions if you like caramelized onions.
•1/4 - ½ tsp salt
•1/4 - ½ tsp pepper (fresh ground is best)
•2 TBS red wine vinegar
•Hot sauce to taste
•Brown sugar to taste
•You might even try adding a little fresh ginger.
Directions:
1.Start cooking the rice. I used a wild rice mix. Takes about 25 minutes.
1. Wash collard greens well and allow to drain. Can also dab a bit with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
2. On chopping board, cut up center to remove hard stem from collards (since these do not cook a long time in a pot).
3. Take collard green leaves and chop fairly fine.
4. Slice peppers, radishes, etc.
5. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.
6. Remove bacon, crumble and save for end of recipe.
7. Chop onion and sauté with peppers/radishes/peas in the bacon grease (adding a little butter if the bottom of the skillet is not well covered with fat) until translucent or onions are clear looking.
8. Add greens and stir to coat.
9. Sprinkle brown sugar (and ginger if using) over greens once they have been coated with grease
10. Cover (clear lid is good for checking) and cook for 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat or until collards are soft and limp but still bright green.
11. Cook Sausage while the greens are simmering.
12. When greens are almost ready, sprinkle on the salt and pepper and splash on the red wine vinegar (may want more than listed – suit to taste).
13. Add a little hot sauce like Louisiana brand hot sauce. Go light, until you see hot much bite you like in the greens.
14. Add bacon back to greens before serving.
15. Add sausage to the rice and serve with a side of the greens.
16. Use any leftovers in an omelet the next morning. We scramble eggs and warm up the leftovers and serve it in warm corn tortillas. Mmmmmmmmm!
Awesome Excellent Cider Vinegar Brown Sugar-Braised Collard Greens
My own take on skillet braised greens. I wanted a recipe that used little to no bacon fat. You can use collards or kale or any mix thereof! Try this with other bitter greens like escarole.
Ingredients
•Peanut or other light nut oil. Canola or olive ok for those allergic to nut oils.
•2 large chopped onions.
•3-4 medium sized peppers, your choice of type and flavor and quantity. I use 2 Big Jim, 2 banana, and 2 jalapeno peppers.
•1 garlic clove, minced or 1 Tbsp minced garlic.
•2 tablespoons brown sugar divided.
•¼ c. cider or rice vinegar.
•Pinch sea salt.
•Pinch ground red pepper.
•Pinch black pepper.
•1 mess collard or kale, or any mix of similar bitter greens finely chopped, center rib (stem) removed.
•1 c. sliced or slivered almonds, peanuts or cashews.
Preparation
1.Stirfry nuts in oil until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2.Slice onions and peppers and stirfry in hot oil until onions become translucent.
3.Add ½ of brown sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, chili oil, red pepper, Add more oil if needed.
4.Begin adding greens. Coat well with oil.
5.Add remaining brown sugar.
6.Keep stirring greens until tender, but still light green.
7.Add nuts.
8.Serve hot as a side dish.
Kickin' Collard Greens
"If you like greens you will love this recipe. The bacon and onions give them a wonderful flavor. Add more red pepper for a little more spice."
Ingredients
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•3 slices bacon
•1 large onion, chopped
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon pepper
•3 cups chicken broth
•1 pinch red pepper flakes
•1 pound fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces
Directions
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan. Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.
2. Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.
Collard Greens with Bacon Recipe
Chef's tip: don't overcook the bacon. It should be barely brown around the edges and still somewhat raw-looking in the middle.
Ingredients
•4 strips thick-sliced bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
•1 small yellow onion, chopped
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•2 Tbsp sugar
•1 teaspoon kosher salt
•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•Several dashes hot sauce
•1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
•2 pounds collard greens, stems removed, sliced into 3-inch-wide strips (can substitute kale or chard)
•1 cup chicken broth (or water)*
Method
1 Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the bacon in the skillet until it just begins to brown around the edges, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook until they have softened and are just starting to brown.
2 Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and hot sauce. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
3 Add the collard greens and the chicken broth (or water) and bring to a simmer. Reduce the temp to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the collard greens have wilted and have lost their brightness. Season to taste with additional vinegar and hot sauce. Serve with some of the pan juices from the pan.
Serves 6 to 8.
Collard Greens Recipe
Ingredients
•2 lbs collard greens, tough stems discarded, leaves chopped
•2 Tbsp medium onion, chopped
•1 large garlic clove, minced
•2 teaspoons bacon fat
•2 Tbsp olive oil
•2 Tbsp dark sesame oil (Dynasty or comparable)
•Chili pepper flakes, a pinch
•Salt, a couple pinches
•Sugar, a couple pinches
Method
1.Use a large skillet with a tight fitting cover.
2.Melt bacon fat and heat olive oil on medium heat. Sauté onion until transparent, a couple of mintues. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
3.Mix in the greens, sesame oil, chili pepper flakes, salt, and sugar. Cover and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes.
Serve with barbecue sauce. Serves 4.
ENDIVE
CURLY ENDIVE & GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH BACON DRESSING
8 oz. bacon slices
Olive oil
8 c. torn curly endive
6 radicchio leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
4 oz. soft fresh goat cheese (Montrachet), cut into 6 slices
1/2 c. red Zinfandel wine
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels. Pour pan drippings into measuring cup; add olive oil if necessary to measure 1/2 cup. Divide endive and radicchio among 6 plates. Top each with slice of goat cheese. Crumble bacon and sprinkle over goat cheese. Return drippings and oil to skillet and heat for 1 minute.
Whisk wine and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup hot bacon drippings into the wine and mustard. Season to taste with pepper. Spoon warm dressing over salads and serve.
GRILLED TERIYAKI CHICKEN
4 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp. minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. bouquet garnish
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. seasoned pepper
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
2 black peppercorns
2 (2 1/2 to 3 lb.) boiler fryers, halved
Garnishes and lemon slices
Curly endive
Combine first 11 ingredients in a large shallow container; mix well. Add chicken; cover and chill 8 hours, turning chicken several times. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade. Remove and discard bay leaves. Grill chicken, covered, over hot coals (400 to 500 degrees) for 50 to 60 minutes or until done, turning and basting often with marinade. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 4 to 8 servings.
BROWN DERBY COBB SALAD
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
1/2 bunch watercress
1 sm. bunch curly endive
1/2 head Romaine
2 tbsp. minced chives
2 med. tomatoes
2-3 cooked chicken breasts, skinned & diced
8 slices cooked & diced bacon
1-2 avocado, peeled & diced
3 hard cooked eggs, diced
1/2 c. Roquefort cheese, crumbled
Chop lettuce and greens. Mix in large bowl or individual shallow bowls. Add chives. Arrange rest of ingredients across top of greens. Sprinkle with cheese. Chill. Serve with Special French Dressing or your favorite. Makes 6 servings. Hot rolls and you've got a complete meal.
SPECIAL FRENCH DRESSING:
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. olive oil
3/4 c. vegetable oil
Combine and shake well before using. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
VEGETABLE CHRISTMAS TREE
2 bunches curly endive
Florist picks
1 (9-inch) plastic foam cone, about 1 1/2 foot tall
Cherry tomatoes
Cauliflower, separated into flowerets
Cucumber, sliced
Carrots, cut into 2-inch sticks
Radish roses
Wooden picks
Wash and separate endive, and remove the tough ends of each leaf. Begin to form the tree by attaching leaves to the bottom of the cone with florist picks, and more upward, completely covering cone with endive.
Attach vegetables to endive-covered cone with wooden picks, arranging in desired pattern to resemble a decorated Christmas tree. Place tree on a tray and arrange extra vegetables around the base. Serve with your favorite vegetable dip.
INDIVIDUAL BEEF WELLINGTONS
1 lb. med. mushrooms
1/4 c. butter
1 med. onion, minced
3 c. fresh bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme leaves
Salt
Pastry for 4 (2 crust) pies
1 (4 lb.) beef rib eye roast
2 eggs, separated
Water
Curly endive for garnish
Preserved or fresh kumquats for garnish (opt.),
Remove stems from 10 mushrooms, set aside. Mince remaining mushrooms and the extra stems. In large 12-inch skillet over medium heat, in hot butter, cook minced mushrooms and onion 5 minutes, until all liquid is evaporated. Stir in bread crumbs, pepper, thyme and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; divide into 5 equal pieces.
Trim fat off roast; cut meat in half lengthwise; slice each half crosswise into 5 equal pieces. Dry with paper towels.
On floured surface with floured stockinette covered rolling pin, roll 1 piece pastry to 14 x 11 inches; cut 2 rectangles 6 1/2 x 10 inches; reserve scraps. Place 1/3 cup of mushroom mixture in center of pastry rectangle. Top with piece of meat.
Sprinkle meat lightly with salt; top with 1 whole mushroom. In bowl with fork, beat egg whites with 2 teaspoons water; brush pastry edges.
Fold pastry over meat and mushroom; overlap edges, press to seal; place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate while preparing remainder. Roll out pastry scraps; with sharp knife, cut into designs. Brush backs with egg white; arrange on pastry. Refrigerate.
About 35 minutes before serving: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In cup, beat egg yolks with 2 teaspoons water; brush over pastry. Bake 25 minutes for rare, 27 minutes for medium-doneness. With pancake turner, place Wellingtons on warm platter with curly endive and, if you wish, preserve kumquats. Serve immediately.
PASTRY FOR 2 CRUST PIES:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. shortening
5 to 6 tbsp. cold water
In medium bowl with fork, lightly stir together flour and salt. With pastry blender cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in cold water using fork until pastry holds together. With hands shape in a ball and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Use the measurements in the recipe above.
ESCAROLE
Escarole is a bitter green, but can be less so when grown shielded from the sun. In general, lighter green leaves indicate a milder flavor. Thinly sliced tomatoes are a great accompaniment. Many bitter greens can be sweetened with a little sugar or brown sugar.
Escarole Siciliano
Ingredients
•3 tablespoons olive oil
•2 medium heads escarole - rinsed, dried and chopped
•1/2 cup lemon juice
•2 tablespoons capers
•1 pinch salt
•10 kalamata olives
•ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add escarole; cook and stir until greens begin to wilt. Stir in lemon juice. Add capers, salt, and olives; cook and stir for another 15 seconds. Season with black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Braised Escarole with Garlic and Lemon
Cook time 25 minutes. Serves 4.
Ingredients
•1 head escarole, about 1 pound
•1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•1 tablespoon unsalted butter
•4 garlic cloves, sliced
•1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•2 bay leaves
•1/2 lemon, cut in thin slices
•2 cups water or chicken broth
•Pinch sugar
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Break off the leaves of the escarole and wash them individually, taking care to remove any soil at the base of the stems. Shake the leaves dry, stack them up, and slice the escarole crosswise into ribbons about 1 1/2-inches wide.
Place a large deep skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Toss in the garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and lemon slices; cook and stir for a couple of minutes, tossing to combine. Nestle the escarole into the pan and sauté until it begins to wilt and shrink down, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the escarole with a pinch of sugar and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the water and cover the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes until the escarole is tender.
ESCAROLE, ORANGE, AVOCADO SALAD WITH SCALLIONS
8 cups chopped escarole
2 (11 oz cans each) mandarin oranges, drained, liquid reserved
1/2 head of fennel, thinly sliced
1 diced avocado
3 tbsp. reserved mandarin liquid
1 minced shallot
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs large scallops
In a large bowl, combine escarole, mandarin oranges, fennel, and avocado. In a bowl, whisk together mandarin orange liquid, shallot, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a lg skillet over med-high heat. Add scallops to pan and cook 2 minutes per side. Top salad with scallops and drizzle with citrus dressing. Gently toss to coat.
SAUSAGE AND WHITE BEAN ESCAROLE SOUP
3 cans small white bean (navy bean)
1 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casing removed (hot and/or sweet)
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 cups chicken broth or bouillon cubes according to package (1 cube for 2 cups=3 cubes)
1 head escarole (about 1 pound), chopped
grated parmesan cheese (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
Prepare the bouillon according to package directions, or use homemade broth or soupbase to make 8 cups.
Brown the sausage in a 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often to break up sausage. Remove the sausage from the saucepan with a slotted spoon. Drain well and pat dry to soak up extra grease.
Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and beans. Heat to a boil.
Return the sausage to the saucepan along with the escarole. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the escarole is tender
Taste and adjust seasonings. Salt is probably not needed, since the sausage is salty enough. Serve with the grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper. This is a heartier soup or chunky soup which eats like a meal.
ESCAROLE & SAUSAGE OVER MACARONI
1 lg head escarole (1 lb)
1 lb italian sausage (sliced 1/4"-1/2")
3 cloves garlic
1/8 c. olive oil
salt & pepper
grated parm. cheese
Wash escarole and break into small pieces. Boil until tender (apx. 20 min). Set aside. Fry sausage,salt, pepper, and garlic in oil. 3. Add boiled escarole and serve over macaroni. (Top with parm. cheese)
** I might suggest rather than boiling, that you cook the sausage first, and then wilt the escarole in the sausage grease with the garlic salt and pepper. That way you keep the good stuff the greens provide nutritionally. Will be more tasty as well.
**You might also add a little brown sugar, some chili oil or red pepper flakes if you want it hot. We buy hot Italian sausage for this type of recipe. It says 20 minutes to wilt, but I doubt it will take that long if you stir fry it in a skillet. Maybe 5 -10 minutes. It only takes a few minutes for collards which are much tougher than escarole.
BAKED ESCAROLE PARMIGIANA
2 head escarole, washed, drained & cut in sm. pieces
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. corn or olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
4 oz. Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
Steam escarole with water covered for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and layer in baking dish, 9"x5", with a sprinkle of bread crumbs, olive oil, garlic, salt and Parmesan cheese between each.
Place Mozzarella on top; bake 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.
**I might add tomatoes and/or tomato sauce to this recipe.
ESCAROLE PIE
3-4 lb. pizza dough
3 lb. escarole
1/2 lb. chopped black olives
3 cloves garlic1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. hot pepper (optional)
1/8 lb. anchovies (optional)
1/8 lb. chopped Italian sausage (optional)
Wash and boil escarole well. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Fry garlic in oil. Add olives and any of the optional ingredients. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Mix escarole with olive mixture. Split dough into 2 pieces. Flatten first piece onto greased cookie sheet. Spread mixture onto dough. Flatten 2nd dough and put on top of mixture. Press down on sides with fork. Spread oil on top of dough. Bake in 350 degree oven, covered with foil for 10 minutes; uncover and prick top with fork all around. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.
ESCAROLE SOUP WITH MEATBALLS
3 lbs. escarole
1 lb. beef cubes
1 carrot, chopped
1 sm. onion, chopped
1/2 c. chopped celery
2 eggs
1/4 c. Romano cheese
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
MEATBALLS:
1 lb. ground beef
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. Romano or locatelli cheese
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 tbsp. parsley
2 eggs
Wash escarole thoroughly. Place it while moist in a covered saucepan and cook about 6 minutes or until almost tender; drain. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add beef cubes, carrots, onions, and celery. Simmer at least 1 hour; meat should be tender.
Combine all ingredients for meatballs. Roll into 1-inch balls. Brown in oil and drain; add to soup and cook an additional 10 minutes; add escarole.
In separate bowl, mix eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir into soup. Remove from heat and allow eggs to cook a few minutes in hot soup before serving.
ESCAROLE WITH GARLIC AND BREAD CRUMBS
2 heads (about 2 lb.) escarole
1 c. chicken broth
6 tbsp. olive oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced
2 tbsp. pine nuts
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
Salt & pepper to taste
Clean escarole and cut into bite-size pieces. Cook in chicken broth until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Toss escarole with 2 tablespoons olive oil and place in a shallow serving dish. Keep warm.
In a skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add garlic and pine nuts and cook 1 minute. Add bread crumbs and cook until crumbs are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle crumbs over escarole and serve at once. Makes 6 servings.
PASTA WITH ESCAROLE AND BEANS
1 lb. Penne pasta, or Ziti
Bunch of Escarole, washed and ripped up
16 oz. can white kidney beans (Cannellini)
1/2 c. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled up
Cook pasta, drain. In saucepan saute garlic in oil. Add escarole. Saute until tender. Add beans, salt and pepper. Toss with cooked pasta. Sprinkle with bacon and Parmesan cheese.
PAN FRIED RAVIOLI AND ESCAROLE OR SPINACH
1 lg. egg
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 (13 oz.) pkg. frozen ravioli
4 tbsp. oil
1 sm. head escarole or spinach (about 4 c.)
1 lg. garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (8 oz.) can whole tomatoes
Dip ravioli in egg and bread crumbs. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet. Add ravioli and cook 2-3 minutes each side until brown. Remove from pan and keep warm.
In same skillet, heat remaining oil. Add escarole or spinach, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes. Stir frequently. Add tomatoes with their own liquid, breaking them up as they cook, about 3 minutes. Return ravioli and heat through. Then serve.
Old World Escarole and Beans
Ingredients
•2 slices bacon
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1 head escarole, coarsely chopped
•2 cloves garlic, pressed
•1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth
•1 (15.5 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
•1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
•2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the bacon and reserve the drippings in the pan. Add olive oil to the drippings and heat for 1 minute. Add the escarole; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and continue cooking and stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth and beans, and season with red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Ladle into bowls to serve and top with the crumbled bacon and Parmesan cheese.
KALE (ALL VARIETIES)
Restaurant-Style Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
•1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage
•2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
•3/4 cup chopped onion
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups kale - washed, dried, and shredded
• 2 tablespoons chicken soup base
• 1 quart water
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Place sausage links onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cut links in half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices.
3. Place onions and bacon slices in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. Set aside.
4. Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken soup base, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes.
5. Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.
Sweet and Savory Kale
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 4 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups stemmed, torn and rinsed kale
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard, sugar, vinegar, and chicken stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the kale, cover, and cook 5 minutes until wilted.
2. Stir in the dried cranberries, and continue boiling, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by about half, and the cranberries have softened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sliced almonds before serving.
Tuscan Kale with Caramelized Onions and Red-Wine Vinegar
Tuscan kale, also known as cavolo nero (black Kale), dinosaur kale, and lacinato kale, is sweeter and more tender than regular kale, which can be used instead but may require more cooking time.
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons
• 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 pound Tuscan kale, middle stems removed, leaves cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Directions
1. Combine oil, onion, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large saute pan; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until onion is soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Add vinegar to pan, and raise heat to medium-high. Add kale, 1/4 cup water, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until kale begins to soften, about 3 minutes. As the pan becomes dry, add another 1/4 cup water, and cook until the kale is tender, about 3 minutes more. Serve immediately.
Sweet Pepper Pasta Toss with Kale
Ingredients
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked bow tie pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup roughly chopped kale
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pinch dried basil
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in red pepper, yellow pepper, kale and garlic. Season with basil, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender.
3. In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with skillet mixture. Sprinkle with feta cheese to serve.
Portuguese Beans with Kale and Linguica
Ingredients
• 2 (16 ounce) packages dry pink beans
• 1 pound bacon, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 2 pounds linguica sausage
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 2 cloves elephant garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried savory
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
• 3 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, finely chopped
Directions
1. Place the pink beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the beans; pour fresh water into the pot, covering the beans by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer gently.
3. Place the bacon into a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook and stir until the bacon has released its grease and has browned, but not become crisp, about 10 minutes. Once done, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and stir into the beans. While the bacon is cooking, peel the skin off of the linguica and discard. Cut the sausages in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4 inch thick half moons. Add the sausage to the skillet, and cook until the sausage has browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and stir into the beans.
4. Stir the onion and garlic into the remaining grease and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir the onions and garlic into the simmering beans along with the black pepper, savory, cumin, and paprika. Cover and continue simmering for 4 hours.
5. Stir the kale and chipotle pepper into the beans, and continue simmering 1 to 2 hours until the beans have broken up and thickened to your desired consistency.
Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
• 1 cup dry navy beans
• 1 large bunch kale, rinsed, stemmed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound spicy linguica sausage, sliced
• 1 cup chopped shallots or onions
• 4 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
Directions
1. Place the navy beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before using.
2. Cook the soaked beans in a pressure cooker in 4 cups of water for 25 minutes. Use the natural release method to release pressure. Do not drain.
3. Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and simmer until kale is bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a strainer, and cool under cold running water. Set aside.
4. Heat olive oil over medium heat in the soup pot. Brown the linguica slices on each side, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add shallots to pot and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Pour in a splash of chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits of sausage.
5. Return the sausage to the pot along with the beans and their cooking liquid. Stir in the chicken broth. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add the kale and cook about 4 minutes longer. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.
Baked Kale Chips
Ingredients
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.
Raw Kale Salad Recipe
Ingredients
One bunch of kale
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
Fresh squeezed juice of two lemons
One teaspoon of olive oil
One teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Directions
1.) Rip the leaves of the kale apart into a large bowl and remove the stem.
2.) Add the lemon juice and sea salt.
3.) Thoroughly mix by hand or with a spatula for 20 minutes.
4.) Add the cayenne, oil, and balsamic vinegar.
5.) Mix for another 2 minutes.
At this point the kale is ready to eat. I always like it most on the second day though. If I am making this as a dish to pass, I make it at least 6 hours before the start of the party to allow the ingredients to properly complement each other.
SEVEN KALE RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Kale has earned a spot on many nutritionists’ lists of Top 10 Healthiest Vegetables. As a member of the Brassica family of plants, along with the likes of broccoli and cabbage, it is chock full of phytochemicals that are believed to help prevent cancer.
It’s also extraordinarily high in carotenes, which are a good source of Vitamin A, which is good for everything from vision to bone growth, and Vitamin K, which is good for the blood. It’s nutritional attributes don’t stop there. Kale is also an excellent source of raft of other nutrients, including Vitamin C, manganese and calcium. Best of all, kale is good to eat – and is easily incorporated into a wide array of dishes.
The best variety of kale for cooking, in my opinion, is an old Tuscan heirloom known by a variety of names including lacinato, or cavolo nero, or blue or black or dinosaur kale, the latter because of its crinkly texture. Baby red Russian kale is the best variety for salads.
Spicy African Kale and Yams
1 large bunch Kale, 4 cups chopped, pressed firm
4 cup Garnet yam, rinsed well, chopped
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
2 cup Purple cabbage, sliced
1 ½ cup Onion, chopped
3 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon serrano chile, seeded and diced
Hot Sauce, to taste
1. Rinse and drain kale well. Steam kale and yams. Kale should still be colorful and yams should still have some firmness.
2. While kale and yams are steaming, place oil in a large sauté pan and heat on medium high. Add onion, garlic, ginger and chili pepper, cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add cabbage and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add small amounts of water if necessary to prevent sticking. Place in a large mixing bowl with remaining ingredients, add kale and mix well.
4. Add yams and gently mix well.
Chinese Sesame Kale
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound kale (about bunch)
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Salt and pepper, if desired
1. Mince the garlic cloves. Wash the kale and shake it over the sink. It should remain a little wet. Remove and discard the stems from the kale and tear it into bite-size pieces. Save the stems for another use, such as vegetable stock.
2. Heat the sesame seed oil in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic to the hot oil and sauté for about 20 seconds. Add the kale and water to the garlic and oil, and cover the skillet.
3. After 1 minute, stir the kale, then re-cover. After 1-2 more minutes, when the kale is wilted, stir in the soy sauce and sesame seeds. If desired, add salt and/or pepper to taste.
Austrian Kale
2 bunches kale, washed
1 clove garlic, minced
½ medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon oil
1 ½ cup chicken stock or bouillon
4 medium potatoes, quartered
1 stalk celery, chopped
Sour cream, for garnish
1. Cut the kale leaves into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Blanch them in lightly salted boiling water for one minute. Set aside.
2. Saute the garlic and onion in the oil until lightly browned. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, celery, and blanched kale. Simmer together until potatoes fall apart and lose their shape. Stir; season with salt and pepper, garnish with sour cream and serve.
Braised Tuscan Kale
4 bunches kale, stems removed
Salt as needed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ white onion thinly sliced
½ rosemary sprig
1 dried small red chile
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
¼ cup chicken stock or water
1. Coarsely chop the kale leaves and blanch them in boiling salted water, about 3 minutes, then drain.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and add the onion, rosemary and chile. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. When the onion is translucent and starting to color, 3 to 5 minutes, add the kale.
3. Cook the kale over medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often. The kale will turn a deep, almost black color, become soft and then almost a little crisp. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. If the greens get too dry during the cooking, stir in a little stock or water.
4. Spoon into a serving bowl and serve.
Italian Pork Chops with Kale
2 lbs kale
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
4 thick pork chops
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 cup hot water
1 small can tomato paste
1. Soak kale and rinse it thoroughly then simmer for 20 minutes in pot of salted water.
2. While kale is cooking, heat oil in large, deep skillet. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes over low heat. Add pork chops and saute for 5 minutes on each side, then season with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds.
3. Dissolve tomato paste in hot water and add to pork chops. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes, adding water if sauce gets too thick.
4. Drain kale and stir into tomato sauce. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
Bean and Kale Soup
1/2 lb. dried Great Northern beans
Water as needed
Olive oil as needed
1 onion, chopped
2 small carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
4 cup shredded kale (1 small bunch)
1 boiling potato, diced
2 cup chopped Swiss chard bunch (1 small bunch
1 large tomato, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1. Place beans in large saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Let stand at room temperature overnight.
2. Drain beans and return to saucepan. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 1 hour 30 minutes, reserving liquid. Transfer half of beans to food processor or blender and puree. Reserve remaining whole beans.
3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute 5 minutes. Stir in kale, potato, pureed beans and enough reserved bean cooking liquid and water to make 6 cups. Heat over medium heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
4. Add chard, tomato, garlic, rosemary, parsley, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until chard is tender and flavors are well blended, at least 1 hour, adding additional bean liquid if soup is too thick. (Soup should be quite thick.)
5. Stir in reserved whole beans and simmer until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. (Can be cooled and refrigerated overnight.) Ladle into heated soup bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top each bowl of soup with spoonful of olive oil, if desired.
Caldo Verde (Portuguese Kale-Potato-Sausage Soup)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and minced fine
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 large potatoes
2 quarts cold water
1 pound chorizo or similar sausage
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lb. kale, chopped
1. Saute the onion and garlic in three tablespoons of oil. Add potatoes and sauté for five minutes. Add water, cover, and boil gently for 20 minutes until potatoes are falling apart.
2. Meanwhile, chop and fry the sausage in a skillet and drain, then add the kale, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper, and simmer for five minutes. Stir sausage and kale into pot of boiled potatoes. Cook for about 20 more minutes and serve with dark bread.
CHINESE KALE
Chinese kale is a wonderful green that is milder than collards with a sweet cabbage/brassica type taste. The leaves are generally smaller and smoother than collard greens. This green can be used in any green recipe!
Stir-Fried Beef with Chinese Kale
200 g
1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon
1 tablespoon
500 g
1 tablespoon
1/4 teaspoon
1 teaspoon
|
Beef tenderloin, thinly sliced
Red wine
Salt
Corn flour (cornstarch)
Cooking oil
Chinese kale, cut into 5 cm lengths
Garlic, finely chopped
Sugar
Fish sauce
|
Method :
• Marinate beef with rice wine, 1/4 teaspoon salt and corn flour. Leave for 10 minutes.
• Bring a pot of water to the boil then add some salt and cooking. Blanch Chinese kale and drain.
• Heat a wok with cooking oil and stir fry garlic until fragrant.
• Add beef and stir fry for 5 minutes. Season with sugar, fish sauce and salt to taste.
• Add Chinese kale and mix well.
• Serve with steamed rice.
Chinese-style Kale with Tofu
Ingredients:
• 1 large bunch kale (I used 10 ounces of my frozen kale, feel free to substitute any other brassica greens like collard or turnip greens)
• 1/2# extra-firm tofu (drain and cut into 1-inch size cubes)
• 1-2 roasted red peppers (from a jar or frozen) - cut into slices/pieces
• 1-2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dry mustard powder, or more to taste
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. dried red chili flakes (1 teaspoon is very spicy!) or chili sauce from a jar (the kind with seeds)
• 1-2 Tbsp. soy sauce (I always look for the low-sodium variety)
• 1/4 tsp. toasted (dark) sesame oil (just do a couple of shakes, rather than actually measuring this - no need to waste any coating the measuring spoon!)
• Optional: 1 Tbsp. rice wine or Shaoxing (Chinese cooking wine
Method:
1. Thaw and drain the frozen kale (I do this in a colander over a bowl to catch any thawed liquid to save for future stock), or remove the large stems from the fresh kale and chop into strips about 1-1/2″ wide; wash and set aside in a colander to drain (save that liquid for future stock also).
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot (such as a dutch oven or a wok), heat about 2 Tbsp of oil (add more if it doesn’t cover the bottom of the pan) and 1/4 tsp (a few dashes) sesame oil over medium-low heat.
3. Add the minced garlic and cook GENTLY until the garlic is browned, turning the heat down as necessary so it doesn’t burn. If you are using the dried chili flakes, add them to the oil and cook them for about 30 seconds to bloom the flavor. Add the mustard powder and stir out any lumps.
4. Add the tofu cubes, cook until starting to brown a little on the edges.
5. Add the roasted peppers pieces and the kale to the pot and stir to coat with the seasonings. It’s ok if the kale is a little wet; the moisture will help it steam and cook down. The kale probably won’t fit all at once if using fresh kale, so cook it for a few minutes until it cooks down and then add the remainder. You can cover the kale to assist the steaming process; just make sure to stir it often enough so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
6. When the kale is tender but still green, add 1 tbs soy sauce and the chili sauce, if using. Stir and taste for seasoning, adding the remainder of the soy sauce per taste if desired. You may also want to add a dash or two more sesame oil, chilis, or more mustard powder to taste. Optional - add a small splash of rice wine or Shaoxing as well, increasing the heat for a moment to cook off the alcohol. (I did not add this)
Serve over brown rice for a complete meal, however, we might also have some fruit such as our homemade applesauce, either plain or our "fire-in-the-belly" style for a little more zing.
This recipe makes enough for 2 hearty eaters or 3 people if you are serving other items with it. Enjoy your kale and along with the health benefits from the mustard, another Brassica veggie!
MIZUNA
The taste of mizuna has been described as a "piquant, mild peppery flavor...slightly spicy, but less so than arugula. It is also used in stir-frys, soups, and nabemono.
A vigorous grower producing numerous stalks bearing dark green, deeply cut and fringed leaves. They have a fresh, crisp taste and can be used on their own or cooked with meat. The Japanese are fond of them pickled. Highly resistant to cold and grown extensively during the winter months.
Wok Sautéed Mizuna with Minced Chicken
Serves 4 to 6
Mizuna is a small, feathery, pointed green leaf in the mustard green family. It has a slightly bitter flavor and is often included in field green salad mixes. You may substitute watercress, baby spinach leaves, mustard greens or kale. The mizuna leaves are added last and barely cooked. If substituting kale, add it a bit earlier in the recipe, with the carrot and onion, so it will be tender. Any way you decide to prepare this dish, serve it with basmati rice or short grain brown rice.
Ingredients
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, very finely chopped
2 teaspoons canola or peanut oil
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 pound mizuna, trimmed
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
Method
In a medium bowl, mix egg white with 1/2 teaspoon of the tamari, garlic and chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Heat 1 teaspoon of the canola or peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 4 to 6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and appears opaque. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in wok. Add carrots, onions and water chestnuts and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add remaining 1 teaspoon tamari, chile paste, lime juice and mizuna and cook, stirring often, until slightly wilted.
Return chicken to wok and toss well. Garnish with green onions and serve.
Mizuna and Minced Chicken Stir Fry
3/4 lb chicken breast
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Shao Xing rice wine
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp white pepper
3/4 lb mizuna
Salt to taste
Pulse the chicken breast in a food processor to mince it finely until there are no large pieces remaining but do not grind into a paste. Or alternatively mince it with a chef's knife. Mix the minced chicken with soy sauce, wine, cornstarch, sugar, and white pepper and set it aside to marinate.
Meanwhile, trim the ends off the mizuna. It's easiest to keep the mizuna in a bunch and trim the ends off all at once then untie the bunch to wash. My mizuna was pretty dirty, so wash it a few times to loosen and wash away any dirt on the stems and leaves.
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken
and stir fry until it is fully cooked through, about 4 - 6 minutes. When the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the heat and add the mizuna. Toss the mizuna in the hot pan with the chicken and it will start to wilt and cook down, season to taste with salt.
Serve with rice.
Pancetta, Mizuna, and Tomato Sandwiches with Green Garlic Aïoli
yield: Makes 6 servings
If you can't find green garlic, just blanch a regular garlic clove in boiling water
for two minutes to soften its bite.
Ingredients
Aïoli
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped green garlic or 1 regular garlic clove, blanched
• 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise, divided
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Sandwiches
• 2 (3-ounce) packages thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon; about 30 slices)
• 12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices brioche or egg bread, lightly toasted
• 1 large bunch mizuna or arugula, torn into 2-inch pieces
• 3 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
Preparation
For aioli: Blend olive oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel in processor until garlic is minced. Add 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and blend well. Transfer to small bowl; whisk in remaining mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
For sandwiches: Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange pancetta slices in single layer on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Place toast on work surface. Spread with aioli. Divide mizuna among 6 toast slices; top with tomatoes, then pancetta, dividing equally. Top with remaining 6 toast slices, aioli side down. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.
Bok Choy, Mizuna, Arugula or Spinach in Black Sesame Seed Dressing
Boiled Asian greens served with a black sesame seed dressing
Makes 2 to 3 servings as a side dish
Ingredients
• 7 ounces green leaf vegetables, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon shoyu (soy sauce)
• 5 tablespoons black sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup dashi (fish stock), see recipe below
Directions
1. Gather all the stem parts of the vegetables in one hand and slip a rubber band over the bottom part of the stems, so that all the vegetables are held together in one bunch. Alternatively, tie the bunch with cotton kitchen string.
2. Bring plenty of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add some salt and simmer the vegetables until firmly cooked, about 2 minutes. To do this, first place the tied stem part in the boiling water, holding the leafy top part with tongs or a pair of cooking chopsticks. After counting to about 30, plunge the leafy part into the water and cook the vegetables for the remaining 1 1/2 minutes.
3. Remove the vegetables from the water and cool under running cold tap water. When the vegetables are cooled, squeeze firmly to remove excess water.
4. In a medium bowl combine 1 teaspoon shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) and 2 tablespoons dashi. Marinate the vegetables in the mixture and set aside.
5. Heat a skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add the sesame seeds and toast until the seeds are plump, about 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Transfer the sesame seeds to a Japanese suribachi mortar or food processor and process while hot until the color becomes gray and releases a fragrant aroma.
7. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons dashi, 1 to 2 teaspoons shoyu, and sugar to the sesame seeds in the suribachi and blend. (If using a food processor, transfer the processed sesame seeds into a bowl and combine in the bowl with the shoyu, dashi and sugar.)
8. Remove the vegetables from the marinade, squeeze firmly to remove excess water. Cut the vegetables into 2-inch lengths. Dress the vegetables with the sesame dressing. Serve the salad in a communal medium-sized bowl or individual small bowls.
Dashi: Japanese Fish Stock
Yields 2 quarts stock (I think you can buy fish stock in the asian/oriental foods section of most food stores.)
Ingredients
• 2 quarts water
• One 6-inch square kombu (kelp)
• 1 cup tightly packed katsuobushi (bonito fish flakes)
Directions
1. Wipe the kombu with a damp cotton cloth or paper towel.
2. In a large pot, bring the water and kombu almost to a boil over low-medium heat.
3. Cook the kombu for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the kombu and preserve for the dashi preparation.
5. Add the fish flakes all at once and count to 10.
6. Turn off the heat, skim off any foam, and let the mixture stand for 2 minutes.
7. Strain the stock through a sieve lined with a tightly woven cotton cloth.
8. Discard the bonito flakes, or preserve them for the second stock.
9. Refrigerate the stock, tightly covered, for up to four days, or freeze it.
Easy pasta recipe with bacon, mizuna, and hazelnuts
Makes 6 servings
8 slices (8 ounces) thick, smoked bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 medium onion, cut in half and sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch mizuna, roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
1 pound flat or shaped pasta such as fettuccine or bow ties, cooked al dente in boiling salted water and then drained, saving about 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar, or to taste (or substitute white wine, sherry, or balsamic vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
In a large (10- to 12-inch) skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon strips until crisped. Remove all but 2 tablespoons bacon drippings from the pan. Turn the heat to high. Add the onion and garlic to the bacon and sauté briefly, about 2 minutes.
Add the cooked, drained pasta and toss until the pasta is heated through. Add mizuna and toss just until mizuna begins to wilt. The pasta should be very moist (but not saucy) and should toss easily. If not, use 2-3 tablespoons or more of the reserved pasta cooking water. (If you forgot to save it, just use hot water.)
Sprinkle the pasta with the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning with more vinegar, salt, and pepper as desired. Transfer to a hot pasta bowl. Sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts and serve immediately.
Sauteed Mizuna & Shells Recipe
Your search for a winning Sauteed Mizuna & Shells recipe ends at this place. Stock up on plenty of bags of cheese as you will want to make this Sauteed Mizuna & Shells time and again. This Sauteed Mizuna & Shells is a lovely way in which you can express your gratitude to your aunts, moms, grandparents and friends for teaching you recipes. Try it out!
Ingredients
1 pound (435 g) mizuna, rinsed and drained
12 ounces (340 g) medium-size dried pasta shells
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup (40 g) grated Parmesan cheese
How to make Sauteed Mizuna & Shells
1. Trim off and discard bare stem ends and any yellow or bruised leaves from mizuna; then chop leaves coarsely and set aside.
2. In a 5- to 6-quart (5- to 6-liter) pan, cook pasta in 3 quarts (2.8 liters) boiling water just until tender to bite (10 to 12 minutes); or cook according to package directions.
3. When pasta is almost done, heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart (3.8- to 5-liter) pan over high heat.
4. Add mizuna and stir until leaves are wilted (2 to 4 minutes).
5. Drain pasta and place in a warm serving bowl.
6. Add mizuna; mix lightly, using 2 forks. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and cheese; mix again
Spiced Fillet of Beef with Mizuna Salad
Ingredients for beef
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons dried hot red pepper flakes
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 1/2 pounds center-cut beef tenderloin roast (fillet of beef), trimmed and, if necessary, tied
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For salad
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced shallot
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces mizuna or baby arugula, trimmed
Preparation for beef:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Toast peppercorns, cumin, and coriander , then cool completely.
- Grind spices with red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir in kosher salt.
- Pat beef dry and sprinkle with spices on all sides, pressing to adhere.
- Heat oil in a large flameproof roasting pan set across 2 burners over high heat until just smoking, then brown beef on all sides, about 2 minutes.
- Roast in middle of oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center registers 120°F, about 25 minutes.
- Let beef stand in pan 25 minutes. Beef will continue to cook as it stands, reaching 130°F (medium-rare).
Whisk together oil, lemon juice, shallot, and salt in a bowl, then add pepper to taste. Untie beef if necessary, then slice. Toss mizuna with dressing and serve beef topped with salad.
Chicken Breast Stuffed with Mizuna and Bleu Cheese.
Super easy recipe. Use Arugula or escarole instead of or mixed with Mizuna to add a stronger or more peppery taste. This recipe is for 3 large chicken breasts. Adjust to taste and size of recipe. Served with a side of sautéed greens.
Stuffed Chicken Breast Ingredients:
· 3 large boneless chicken breasts.
· 6-8oz favorite bleu cheese.
· 1/2 bunch mizuna finely chopped. Reserve remaining half for sautéed greens.
· 1/8 c. roasted unsalted sunflower seeds.
· 1/8 c. bread crumbs.
· 1/8 c. egg whites.
· ½ c. parmesan cheese.
· 6 slices muenster cheese.
· Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
· Slice
breast along side, making small cuts as you peel chicken back. Do not
cut all the way through. Open chicken breast (should look like a heart)
and place it cut side up in a greased glass baking dish. Repeat with
remaining breasts.
· In a small bowl combine bleu cheese, egg whites, bread crumbs, sunflower seeds and mizuna. Stuff into slits in chicken breasts.
· Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over stuffing, and top with muenster slices.
· Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes until tender.
· ½ mess of greens: collards, kale, arugula, raab, bok choy, etc. finely chopped. I like a mix of types.
· Remaining mizuna, finely chopped.
· 2 sweet onions thinly sliced.
· Any garden goodies you can add to stir-fry, such as peas, beans, radishes, etc.
· ¾ - 1 c. Raw cashews.
· Small amt. chili oil.
· Cider vinegar, redwine or rice vinegar.
· Brown sugar (can use a small amt of Stevia)
· Couple pinches black pepper and sea salt.
· Peanut oil.
This part’s more chef’s choice than exact measurements. Start when there’s 20 minutes left on the timer.
· Lightly brown cashews in peanut oil and set aside.
· Add onions and any stirfry veggies, chili oil, and sauté until onions are slightly transparent.
· Add mizuna, and then begin adding in remainder of greens.
· When greens are coated with oil, add a couple tablespoons of vinegar.
· Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
· Sprinkle with Brown sugar.
· When greens just begin to wilt, add cashews back in.
· Add more seasonings as needed.
· Greens are done when wilted but still bright green.
· Serve hot.
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1-1/2 tsp soy sauce, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, finely chopped
2 tsp canola oil, divided
1/3 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/3 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chile paste
1 TBS fresh lime juice
1 lb mizuna, trimmed
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
In a bowl, mix the egg white with 1/2 tsp of soy sauce, minced garlic and chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Heat 1 tsp of the canola oil in a wok or heavy skillet over high heat. Add the chilled chicken mixture and cook, stirring frequently for 4-6 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to a serving plate and set aside.
Heat the other teaspoon of canola oil in the wok on high and add the carrots, onions and water chestnuts; cook for 1 minute.
Add the remaining soy sauce, chile paste, lime juice and mizuna and cook, stirring often until mizuna is wilted. Return chicken to the wok and heat through. Garnish with green onions and serve. I really love this mizuna recipe.
ASIAN GREENS WITH GINGER MISO DRESSING
A hand-crafted dressing of ginger, miso, tahini (sesame paste) and lemon adds a creamy balance to organic baby spinach, mizuna, red and green Chard and red mustard greens. Tangy daikon radish, sweet carrots and crisp scallions complete this Asian delight. Enjoy this easy mizuna recipe.
Dressing:
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
2 TBS white miso
3 TBS tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup water
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
Salad:
5 ounces baby Asian salad mixed greens with mizuna
1 small radish, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
1 carrot, cut into 2-inch-long slender sticks
2 green onions (white part only), chopped
For the dressing, place ginger, miso, tahini, water and lemon juice in a blender and blend until completely smooth. The consistency should be similar to cream. Strain the dressing through a fine sieve to remove ginger fiber.
For the salad, divide greens among serving plates. Arrange radish and carrot on top, then sprinkle with scallions.
Drizzle one to two tablespoons of dressing over each salad and serve. Delightful mizuna recipe.
MIZUNA RECIPE FOR MOZZARELLA SALAD
12 small balls of mozzarella cheese
1 large tomato, seeded and sliced
1 bunch mizuna, trimmed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
In a large bowl, toss the mizuna and tomato slices with the fresh basil and olive oil. Serve on a salad plate with a few mozzarella balls and season with a few drops of lemon juice and salt/pepper to taste.
MIZUNA RECIPE WITH GRILLED MUSHROOM SALAD
Dressing:
2 TBS fresh lime juice
2 TBS fresh orange juice
2 TBS fresh grapefruit juice
1 tsp fresh lime zest
1 tsp fresh orange zest
1 tsp fresh grapefruit zest
3 TBS rice vinegar
1/4 cup homemade soy sauce
1/8 tsp white sugar
Combine all ingredients and pour into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Cool to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
14 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
5 cups mizuna leaves, trimmed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
canola oil
Heat your grill and brush the mushrooms with the canola oil. Grill for 4 minutes on each side, and tear or cut into bite-sized pieces.
In a large salad bowl, lightly toss the mizuna with the 1/2 of the salad dressing. Place on a salad plate and top with some grilled mushroom and drizzle with more dressing before serving.
BLUE CHEESE and CHICKEN MIZUNA SALAD
3 fresh peaches, halved and pitted
4 TBS canola oil, divided
1 tsp white sugar
1-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1/3 cup sherry or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 cup mixed greens
5 cups baby mizuna leaves
2 cups chicken
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Toss the peaches in half of the canola oil - and sprinkle with sugar - and place flesh side down on a hot grill. Sear until it has grill marks and flip. Grill for 1 minute on the skin side and place on a plate. Set aside.
Then add the chicken to the same bowl and (add more oil if you need to) and toss with canola oil and place on the grill. Grill until juices run clear. Remove and place on a plate. Set aside.
Heat up 2 TBS olive oil in a heavy skillet and add the minced shallots. Saute until they are translucent. Add the vinegar and reduce by 1/3. Remove and add the remaining olive oil and let cool. Add the blue cheese crumbles.
In a large salad bowl, lightly toss the mizuna with the mixed greens, onion and grilled chicken. Add half of the chilled vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly.
Place the salad on a plate and toss with a peach half and drizzle with remaining salad dressing.
SMOKED SALMON and MIZUNA SALAD
12 slices of smoked salmon around 2-3 inches long
Salad:
4 cups mizuna leaves, trimmed
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh flat parsley, chopped
3 TBS fresh chives, chopped
20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced in thin rings
1 yellow or green bell pepper, seeded and sliced in thin rings
Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette:
1 roasted red pepper*, seeded
4 tsp Dijon mustard
2 oz red wine vinegar
6 oz extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lime vinaigrette:
2 fresh limes, juiced
2 oz canola oil
*Seed and slice a red pepper and drizzle with olive oil; season with kosher salt. Place in the oven at 400 degrees and roast for 20-25 minutes or until light brown in color. Roughly chop for the salad dressing.
Whisk the lime juice and canola oil together and season with kosher salt to taste.
Toss the salad ingredients with the lime vinaigrette and put in the refrigerator to chill.
In a blender or food processor, add the Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar together. Add the roughly chopped roasted red pepper and process until combined. Slowly add the olive oil and process again. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pile the salad ingredients on a salad plate and place a slice of smoked salmon on top. Drizzle with the roasted red pepper vinaigrette and dig in!
FARMERS MARKET GREENS
The dressing is a simple and classic vinaigrette. Makes 6 servings.
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped shallot 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3/4 lb mixed baby greens such as kale, mizuna, tatsoi, mustard, arugula, and spinach (16 cups) 1 1/2 oz edible flowers (optional)
Whisk
together vinegar, shallot, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then add
oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Add greens and
flowers and toss until coated well.
MIZUNA SALAD
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or grape seed oil 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon minced shallot or onion Pinch of salt (or to taste) 4 oz mizuna & or baby arugula, trimmed Roasted (unsalted) sunflower seeds
Whisk
together oil, lemon juice, shallot, and salt in a bowl, then add pepper
to taste, and toss with greens. Top with roasted sunflower seeds and
serve immediately.
GREENS WITH HOT GARLIC DRESSING
Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min Makes 10 to 12 servings.
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 1/2 lb mixed tender greens (such as beet, mizuna, and mustard) or mesclun
Heat
oil and garlic in a small saucepan over moderate heat until fragrant,
about 1 minute. Stir in vinegar and immediately pour over greens.
Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Serve right away.
LOBSTER SALAD WITH SPICY LEMON DRESSING
Makes 4 servings.
For Spicy Lemon Dressing
1/4 cup (50 ml) lemon juice 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon finely grated garlic 1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, passed through a sieve 1/2 teaspoon sea salt a little freshly ground black pepper 4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
For Lobster Salad
1 fresh lobster sea salt vegetable oil for deep-frying 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 5 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed 3 ounces (80 g) assorted salad greens (i.e., mizuna, arugula leaves, baby spinach, mustard greens, Swiss chard) 1/4 cup (50 ml) spicy lemon dressing
Make dressing:
Combine all the ingredients except the oil. When the salt is fully dissolved, add oil. Yield: 3/4 cup (150 ml).
Make salad:
1. Have ready a large saucepan of boiling water (enough to cover the lobster) and a bowl of iced water. Add a pinch of sea salt to the boiling water and scald the lobster over high heat for 4 minutes. Plunge the lobster into the iced water, then remove the meat from the shell. Cut into bite-size pieces. 2. Bring about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil in a small saucepan to 320°F (160°C). Deep-fry the garlic slices until crisp. 3. Lightly grill the mushroom caps. 4. Arrange the salad greens, mushrooms, and lobster on a serving dish. Pour the Spicy Lemon Dressing over all and decorate with the garlic chips.
WOK SAUTÉED MIZUNA WITH MINCED CHICKEN
Mizuna is a small, feathery, pointed green leaf in the mustard green family. It has a slightly bitter flavor and is often included in field green salad mixes. You may substitute watercress, baby spinach leaves, mustard greens or kale. The mizuna leaves are added last and barely cooked. If substituting kale, add it a bit earlier in the recipe, with the carrot and onion, so it will be tender. This dish takes on a smoky flavor when cooked in a wok because of the high heat used and the increased surface area of the pan. Any way you decide to prepare it, serve with basmati rice or short grain brown rice. Serves 4–6
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, minced 2 teaspoons canola or peanut oil 1/3 cup minced carrot 1/3 cup minced onion 1/4 cup minced water chestnuts 1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic (Thai chile paste is a good substitute) 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 pound mizuna, ends trimmed 1/4 cup minced scallions to garnish
In
a medium bowl, mix the egg white with the tamari, garlic, and minced
chicken. Mix well to coat the chicken evenly. Marinate, refrigerated,
for 1 hour.
When you are ready to cook, heat 1 teaspoon of the canola or peanut oil in a wok or sauté pan over high heat. Sauté the minced chicken for about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly until the chicken is cooked through and appears opaque. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and sauté the carrot, onion, and water chestnuts for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the tamari, chili paste, lime juice, and mizuna leaves. Cook until the mizuna has wilted slightly, stirring often. Return the cooked chicken to the pan, and mix well. Garnish with the scallions.
GRILLED SHIITAKE MUSHROOM SALAD ON MIZUNA WITH PONZU STYLE DRESSING
4 to 6 servings
Ponzu-Style Dressing:
3 tablespoons yuzu juice (or a combination of fresh orange juice, grapefruit juice, and lime juice)
1 teaspoon finely chopped grapefruit zest 1 teaspoon finely chopped orange zest 1 teaspoon finely chopped lime zest 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar 2 tablespoons mirin 1/4 cup soy sauce Pinch sugar
Salad:
12 shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed Peanut oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 cups mizuna leaves
Dressing:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over
high heat. Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, then
refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Salad:
Heat grill to high. Brush mushrooms with oil and season with salt and
pepper, to taste. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until just
cooked through. Remove from heat and tear into rough pieces. Place
mizuna in a large bowl and toss with a few tablespoons of dressing.
Season with pepper, to taste. Add mushrooms to bowl, toss, and drizzle
with more of the dressing.
GRILLED SPICY FILET MIGNON SALAD WITH GINGER-LIME DRESSING
4 servings
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon chili paste with garlic 1 tablespoon peanut oil 2 (12-ounce) filet mignons Freshly ground pepper
Whisk
soy sauce, lime juice, chile paste, and peanut oil together in a
small baking dish. Add the steaks, turn to coat, cover, and let
marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Remove from the
refrigerator 15 minutes before grilling. Heat grill to high. Remove
steaks from marinade and pat dry. Season both sides with pepper and
grill for 3 minutes per side or until slightly charred and cooked to
medium-rare doneness. Remove from the grill, let rest 5 minutes, and
slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Salad:
1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces 3 cups mizuna leaves, torn into bite-size pieces 1/4 cup chiffonade Thai basil or regular basil, optional 1/2 English cucumber, halved and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices 2 carrots, julienned 5 radishes, thinly sliced 8 each yellow and red cherry tomatoes, halved Ginger Lime Dressing, recipe follows Salt and ground black pepper
While
steak is resting, combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss
with half of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Transfer
to a platter, top with the steak, and drizzle the remaining dressing
over the top.
Ginger-Lime Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon finely diced shallot 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger 2 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons peanut oil Salt and freshly ground pepper
Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit 10 minutes before using.
SPICED FILLET OF BEEF WITH MIZUNA SALAD
Makes 6 servings
For beef
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds 2 teaspoons dried hot red pepper flakes 4 teaspoons kosher salt 3 1/2 pounds center-cut beef tenderloin roast (fillet of beef), trimmed and, if necessary, tied 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For salad
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon minced shallot 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 ounces mizuna or baby arugula, trimmed
Preparation:
For beef:
Preheat
oven to 425°F. Toast peppercorns, cumin, and coriander, then cool
completely. Grind spices with red pepper flakes in an electric
coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir in kosher salt.
Pat beef dry and sprinkle with spices on all sides, pressing to
adhere. Heat oil in a large flameproof roasting pan set across 2
burners over high heat until just smoking, then brown beef on all
sides, about 2 minutes.
Make salad and slice beef:
Roast in middle of oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center registers 120°F, about 25 minutes. Let beef stand in pan 25 minutes. Beef will continue to cook as it stands, reaching 130°F (medium-rare). Whisk together oil, lemon juice, shallot, and salt in a bowl, then add pepper to taste. Untie beef if necessary, then slice. Toss mizuna with dressing and serve beef topped with salad. |
RUTABAGA
Easy Mashed Rutabagas
Flavorful mashed rutabagas make a great side dish to any meat or poultry. These are delicious with potatoes and ham or a pot roast.
Ingredients:
• 2 to 3 pounds rutabaga
• water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Peel rutabaga; cut into chunks. Put the chunks in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for abou 25 to 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and let them dry in a colander or in the pan with the top ajar.
Mash the rutabagas with the butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
Serves 4 to 6.
Yankee Pot Roast
Ingredients:
• 4 to 5 pounds beef roast
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 cup diced rutabaga or turnip
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 1/4 cup sliced celery with leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In Dutch oven or heavy kettle, brown meat on all sides in hot shortening. Sprinkle with salt. Add water and sliced onion. Cover and simmer for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Add remaining ingredients; simmer for 30 minutes more, or until vegetables are done.
3. Remove meat and thicken liquid with flour and water paste
a. To thicken: Stir a few tablespoons of water into a few tablespoons of flour and stir until smooth. Stir hot liquid while adding small amounts of flour paste until thickened as desired.
b. Taste and season Yankee pot roast with salt and pepper to taste. Yankee pot roast recipe serves 6 to 8 people.
Rutabaga Apple Casserole
Ingredients:
• 3 cups peeled sliced rutabaga
• 2 med. apples, sliced
• 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
• 3 tbsp. butter
• Salt
Preparation:
Cook rutabaga slices in boiling salted water until just tender; drain. Place half of slices (rutabaga) and half of apple slices in greased 1 quart casserole. Sprinkle with half of brown sugar and dot with half of butter. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat layers. Bake, covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
4 to 6 servings.
Apple Rutabaga
This rutabaga and apple scallop is baked in the oven.
Ingredients:
• 6 cups shredded rutabaga, about 1 1/2 pounds
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored, chopped
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
Preparation:
Mix turnip, about 3/4 or the chopped apple, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle remaining apple over the top of rutabaga; dot with butter. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours, or until rutabaga is tender. Serves 6.
Family Turkey Pie
Ingredients:
• 1 pound rutabaga, cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup frozen lima beans or butter beans
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 chicken flavor bouillon cube or equivalent granules or base
• 4 cups cooked turkey, cut up
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg white, beaten
Preparation:
About 2 hours before serving, cook rutabaga and sliced carrots until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in frozen lima beans and cook until thawed and separated. Drain vegetables well.
Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add mushrooms and cook until browned; remove to a large bowl. Add 1 more tablespoon of butter to the skillet; add 2 tablespoons water. Cook chopped onion until tender. Mix milk with flour until smooth; stir into onion mixture with Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and bouillon. Cook, stirring until sauce boils and thickens. Boil 1 minute. Reserve 1 cup turkey. Stir sauce, carrot mixture, and remaining turkey into mushrooms; spoon into a deep 3-quart casserole. Top with reserved turkey.
Preheat oven to 375°. Roll pastry to a round about an inch larger than top of casserole; trim as needed. Brush rim of casserole with egg white. Place pastry over filling; pinching edge for tight seal. With a sharp knife, cut several slits in pastry top; brush with egg white. Place the turkey pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until filling is hot and pastry is browned; cover the top with foil if browning too quickly.
Cinderella Pumpkin Bowl with Vegetables and Sausage
"This gorgeous pumpkin creation will make your step sisters turn green with envy. It's chock full of seasonal veggies and will feed a hungry crowd at any holiday table. The Cinderella pumpkin is a variety that is flattened and deeply ribbed. They usually grow 25 to 30 lbs. Mine was more like ten pounds and it was still wider than a cookie sheet. I think the recipe would be quite doable with several small pumpkins like the sugar ones, for individual servings or for a smaller group. I prepared the veggie filling prior to filling the pumpkin."
Original Recipe Yield 12 servings
Ingredients
• 1 whole (10 pound) Cinderella pumpkin
• 1 (16 ounce) package kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic - minced, or amount to taste
• 2 cups parsnips, peeled and cubed (optional)
• 2 cups rutabagas, peeled and cubed (optional)
• 2 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped (optional)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 2 zucchini, cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 cups canned or frozen corn
• 2 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked white or brown rice (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/2 (1.25 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 (1 ounce) packet dried Italian seasoning
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Cut around the top of the pumpkin to make a lid. Use a large metal spoon to scoop out the inside membrane and seeds.
3. Place the pumpkin on the prepared baking sheet, and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 1 hour, then lower heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
4. Meanwhile, place the sausage in a deep pot over medium-high heat. Cook until evenly browned, turning frequently, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic; cook and stir until translucent and tender, about 5 minutes. If desired, stir in the parsnips, rutabaga, and/or the cabbage; cook until the vegetables are almost ender, about 5 minutes. Add the red and green peppers, broccoli, zucchini, and corn. Pour in the chicken broth, add the rice, and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in the parsley, red pepper flakes, onion soup mix, and Italian seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Keeping the pumpkin on the baking sheet, spoon the vegetable-sausage mixture into the pumpkin, and replace the lid. Loosely cover the pumpkin with aluminum foil.
6. Cook the pumpkin in the preheated oven until the flesh is tender, about 4 hours. Scoop some of the pumpkin flesh away from the sides to combine with the vegetable mixture. To serve, place the pumpkin on a serving platter, and remove the lid to ladle out the contents.
SWISS CHARD
Posted by Michele R. I never liked Swiss chard, until several years ago I had some that had been freshly picked from a friend's garden. It was so sweet and buttery I couldn't believe it was actually Swiss chard. It was then I learned that freshness was the key determinant to whether chard was delectable or detestable. Last night we had Swiss chard that we had picked up from Whole Foods. It was good, quite good. But not nearly as fantastic as the chard we had a week ago that we had bought from the farmer's market. So here's a hint. If the thought of Swiss chard leaves you uninspired, get some from a farmer's market that has been freshly picked. It is sort of like the difference between white corn picked that day, or the same corn two days later. The tastes don't even compare.
Swiss Chard Recipe
INGREDIENTS
• 1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard
• 1 small clove garlic, sliced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp water
• Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon butter
• Salt
METHOD
1 Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Remove the toughest third of the stalk, discard or save for another recipe (such as this Swiss chard ribs with cream and pasta). Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips.
2 Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add olive oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it). Add salt to taste, and a small amount of butter. Remove the swiss chard to a serving dish.
Simple Swiss Chard
By: THERESA_M
Original Recipe Yield 2 servings
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stalks discarded, leaves cut into wide ribbons
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Heat the olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until tender and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and balsamic vinegar; cook and stir until the chard is wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
SHERRY'S POTATO-SWISS CHARD CURRY
3 medium red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1" pieces
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cups chopped Swiss chard
1 (14.5 oz can) diced tomatoes, undrained
Place potatoes in a large pan, cover with water. Bring to boil. Boil 4-6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, sugar, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper.
Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard and tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, simmer 4-6 minutes.
BRAISED SWISS CHARD
1 bunch Swiss chard
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can of Del Monte tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Clean Swiss chard with water. Cut off stems. Do not dry leaves; allow moisture to remain after washing.
In a skillet, braise the garlic in the olive oil until golden. Add Swiss chard, braised until wilted. Add tomato sauce.
Cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
Salt and pepper to taste.
SWISS CHARD OR SPINACH PIE
2 1/4 lbs. Swiss chard or 2 1/2 lbs. spinach
6 eggs
2 1/2 or 3 dry onions, sliced, sauteed in 1/4 c. olive oil until soft
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. dill (optional)
1 lb. filo
3 squares butter, melted
1/4 c. olive oil
Mix oil and melted butter together after butter has cooled.
Clean and wash Swiss chard or spinach, drain, dry completely. Chop Swiss chard or spinach, green onions, put in large mixing bowl with the sauteed onions. Add crumbled cheese, Parmesan, add slightly beaten eggs to mixture, white pepper and dill. Mix well.
Grease an 11 1/2 x 17 1/2 inch baking pan with butter and oil mixture. Add 6 pastry sheets on bottom of greased pan, spread each with the oil and butter mixture, sprinkle with the Swiss chard or spinach mixture alternating the pastry sheets and spinach or Swiss chard mixture. Cover with 6 individually buttered sheets. Pour the remaining butter and oil on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool and cut in squares.
SWISS CHARD WRAPS
9-10 Swiss chard leaves, at least 9 inches
1 lg. tomato, sliced and cut in half
1/2 c. Mozzarella cheese, grated
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. onion flakes
Salt and pepper
Steam Swiss chard for a few minutes. Do not overcook. Open leaves and brush on olive oil lightly. Put tomato slice in center of leaf - top with pinch onion - salt and pepper and one tablespoon cheese. fold leaf around tomato - this will hold together well.
Put on grill until hot - can turn once. Works best if you use a 2 sided grill that holds food in place. This can also be cooked in oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet.
CRISS CROSS SWISS CHARD AND STEAK
2 lbs. round steak
12 lg. Swiss chard leaves
10 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Parsley flakes
3 ripe tomatoes
1/4 c. oil
Wash and clean Swiss chard and set aside to drain. Cut steak in square pieces. Season with salt, pepper, parsley flakes and minced garlic.
Wrap each piece of steak with 2 pieces of Swiss chard, criss crossed, roll and tie with household string.
Lightly brown about 5 cloves of garlic in oil. Use a large roasting pan. Place rolled steak and chard in pan adding 3 cut ripe tomatoes on top. Simmer covered for about 1 hour. Uncover and cook another 15 minutes until excess water evaporates.
SWISS-CHARD BAKE
1 1/2 lb. Swiss chard
1/2 onion, minced
2 tbsp. butter
4 eggs, well beaten
1 c. buttermilk
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Few drops of pepper sauce
1 pkg. shredded cheddar cheese
Wash and peel stems from chard and drop in boiling water. Cook about 3 minutes before adding the leaves. Cook another 3 minutes. Remove from water and cut into pieces. Cook onion in butter a few minutes. Then add the Swiss chard to skillet with onion and butter stirring constantly to the flavor of onion and butter. Set aside.
Beat eggs, add buttermilk, flour and salt and pepper. Mix well together. Combine cheese. In greased casserole place a layer of chard and a layer of cheese until all in dish. Cover with egg mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
SWISS CHARD PATTIES
1/2 c. cooked Swiss chard, chopped
1 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. olive or cooking oil
Drain chopped cooked chard well. Mix thoroughly with crumbs and cheese. Add egg and seasonings. Shape into 3-inch patties about 1/2-inch thick. Fry in hot oil until golden brown on both sides.
SCALLOPED CHARD AND POTATOES
1 bunch (about 1 lb.) Swiss chard
4 med. sized baking potatoes
1/4 lb. melted butter
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. minced onion
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Wash chard under running water and pat dry. Cut stems out of each leaf; slice stems into 1/4" pieces and place in a large bowl. Stack leaves and cut across in 1/2" strips; add to stems. Scrub potatoes and slice into 1/8" slices (6 to 7 cups); set aside about 1 1/2 cups to go on top of the casserole mixture, stir, and set aside.
Use about 3 tablespoons of the butter to generously grease a shallow 2 quart baking dish. Add remaining butter to chard mixture, stir and set aside.
Line bottom of casserole dish with a layer of sliced potatoes to cover. Top with a layer of Swiss chard.
Beat together eggs, milk, garlic salt and pepper, minced onion and cheese.
Pour half of the egg mixture evenly over contents of dish. Top with another layer of potatoes. Pour over remaining egg mixture. Sprinkle with an extra tablespoon of grated cheese, if desired.
Spray top of casserole with olive oil spray to keep it moist.
Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes or until top is lightly browned.
