Butternut Squash & Kale Latkes

December 3, 2015 · by ·

latkesmainbutt

So I’m here bringing you another epic latke post. The corned beef & cabbage latkes were a big hit all over the place, but I just had to follow it up with another latke that seemed more like the me you all know. I needed to include some of my favorite fall comfort foods. That falls to the humble squash and the not so humble green kale.

I’ve got a ton of squash in the house thanks to my CSA. Late fall tends to be filled with a variety of greens, squash, onions and potatoes. Not a bad deal for Chanukah. But this butternut squash was lording over my kitchen and begging to be used. I typically just roast squash in the oven and serve on it’s own or in salads, but changing it up a bit can be good for me. And kale goes with everything.

I peeled and sliced the squash and then shredded it in my food processor along with some shallots.

I then chopped up the kale in the Cuisinart as well.

I squeezed out the liquid of both veggies and then mixed everything together with some egg, flour, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.

mixed

I then got to frying. Flipping over when it got crispy and browned a bit.

frying

I drained on a paper towel lined cooling rack.

draining

These latkes are fabulous served with a sprinkling of room temperature goat cheese. I love the creaminess that the chevre brings to the latke.

Try it! You’ll like it! Enjoy!



Butternut Squash & Kale Latkes
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut up in chunks for the food processor
  • 3 shallots
  • 3 heaping cups of cut up Tuscan Kale, washed and stemmed
  • 3 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 extra large eggs
  • 4 tbsp. flour (all purpose or your favorite gluten free blend}
  • additional salt and pepper as needed
  • oil for frying
Instructions
  1. Peel and chunk up the butternut squash. Shred with shredding disc in food processor.
  2. Add the shallots to the processor.
  3. Transfer both to a large mixing bowl.
  4. Chop up the kale in the food processor and then add to squash mixture.
  5. Squeeze any liquid out of the kale/squash mixture
  6. Stir in salt, pepper, flour and eggs
  7. Form in to latke patties and fry - flipping once when browned on each side
  8. Drain and cool on a paper towel lined cooling rack
  9. Serve with some goat cheese
  10. Enjoy!

butternut squash and kale

 

Filed Under: Appetizers, Chanukah, Gluten Free, hanukkah, latke, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuscan Kale with White Beets and Farro

August 10, 2015 · by ·

kaledish

I know it’s been a while. I apologize for that. Life gets in the way, as it tends to do.

I have some good stuff coming your way though. Even some giveaways! So I hope you’re all still around.

So in addition to be finally sharing a fabulous dish with you today, I’m also excited that it’s been three years since our fabulous group of Kosher Connection food bloggers came together. I can’t believe it’s been three years! And in those three years, we’ve all grown. It’s amazing to see what our little foodie group can do and where we’ve been.

So today, we’re having a virtual potluck meal of sorts. And I’m bringing a fabulous vegetarian side dish to the table.

Summer in the kitchen, for me, is an exciting  time. The food that I serve is all about what’s in season and as much as possible, what’s local. My CSA pick-up is on Tuesdays and I tend to hit up the various local farmers markets Thursdays and Sundays. I’m thankful to have some amazing options near by.

This dish I’m sharing with you and with my Kosher Connection family is inspired by some greens I had a local restaurant and something I’ve played with over the past several weeks. You can change up any aspect of this dish based on what you have on hand. The greens are interchangeable with any hearty summer green – from kale to swiss chard to spinach to collard greens – you can play with it. I used beets today, but this dish is also wonderful with Japanese Turnips, radishes and other flavorful roots. Additionally, that farro can also be swapped out. I happened to have some ready made farro in my fridge from shabbat cooking, but you can also use quinoa or barley or whatever grain you prefer. The point is to use what you have – the freshest of what you have and to enjoy it.

The white beets that I used can be hard to find, but if you do see them, buy them. They are so great. If you can’t find them though, I’ve used Japanese Turnips in this dish. The taste is obviously not the same, but it’s another great root vegetable that works well against the greens.

I washed and peeled the beets and then I sliced them thinly with a mandoline. I then put them in the hot pan with some olive oil, shallots and garlic. Once the beets had softened, I added in the chopped greens. I added some salt and pepper to taste and stirred everything together. Greens don’t take long to cook.

white beets sliced

cooked beets

kale

Once everything was ready, I took everything off the heat and then stirred in the farro. And the dish is ready. It’s that easy. And it’s good. Hope you enjoy!

mixed




Tuscan Kale with White Beets and Farro
 
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Recipe type: side dish
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 3 cloves garilc, chopped
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • 2 white beets, washed and peeled
  • 1 bunch of Tuscan Kale, washed and chopped
  • 1 cup cooked Farro
  • Additional salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Wash and peel the beets.
  2. Slice the beets thinly. A mandoline is a great tool for it.
  3. Heat up the olive oil in a large pan.
  4. Add in the sliced beets, shallots and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes until soft
  5. Add in the chopped kale, salt and pepper. Stir and let the kale soften. Remove from heat when cooked.
  6. Mix in the cooked farro
  7. Serve

kale with white beets

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Filed Under: Appetizers, Salads, Side Dish, Vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Arugula Pesto

October 1, 2014 · by ·

pasta-with-arugula-pesto

If my 10-year-old self could see me now, I wonder what she’d say.

I was a picky eater with a pretty developed flavor palate. My parents are foodies, but at 10, I was anything but. My parents had a rule that we had to try everything. We couldn’t just stick out our tongue. I remember several evenings around the family dinner table where it was a total battle of wills to just take a bite of the mahi mahi or two bites of the curry. Who knew?

At age 10, all I wanted was a crunchy iceberg salad at dinner. Instead, I had a plate of mesclun and arugula greens. I remember the requests to “finish the arugula on the plate and then….” I didn’t believe in arugula at age 10. Why does this strange lettuce have to have so much flavor?! Arugula, really?? Who knew that I would grow up to be this person that seeks out arugula. Heck, I even grow arugula on my fire escape! That’s how much I love it!

In the off season, I tend to buy the bags of baby arugula from Trader Joe’s. Arugula is in season now – as are a variety of other greens. And I’m in salad green heaven.

Arugula is a fantastic green characterized by its amazing slightly peppery flavor. It’s also sometimes called roquette or rocket greens.

fresh-arugula

Last week, as I came upon the farmer’s market outside my office, I spotted some beautiful greens and I had to have them. I eagerly bought two bunches. Of course, when I came home and picked up my CSA, there were a couple more bunches. This whole lot of arugula was in addition to a bag of baby arugula sitting in my fridge. Um. I think I had more arugula that I needed. I mean, I love salads, but this much arugula was making me twitchy.

I decided to make a pesto out of the greens. My husband usually turns down a basil pesto, but I had a hunch that the lighter flavor of the arugula leaves would be more to his liking. And I was right!

I washed and dried a few cups of the greens and pulsed it in my Cuisinart along with some garlic, lemon juice, pine nuts, salt, pepper and olive oil. It took all of two minutes.

Arugula-cuisinart

I added the pesto to some pappardelle that I tossed with some sautéed shallots, garlic, mushrooms, chickpeas and additional lemon juice. I sprinkled on some red pepper flakes and ground black pepper and dinner was served. Dinner was a success. I stored the rest of the pesto in my freezer. I am totally making this again. If only arugula season was year-round.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Arugula Pesto
 
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Ingredients
  • 3.5 cups of arugula leaves (you can include some of the stems), washed
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup toasted pine nuts
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • additional salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Place everything except for the olive oil in to the bowl of a food processor.
  2. Process everything then slowly pour in the olive oil until everything is processed and mixed together.
  3. Taste the pesto and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
  4. Enjoy! Add this pesto pasta or use as a pizza topping. The options are endless.

Arugula-Pesto-Long-as-Smart-Object-1

 

Filed Under: arugula, Dinner, Gluten Free, pesto, pine nuts, recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Summer Squash & Caramelized Onion Frittata

July 24, 2014 · by ·

summer-squash-frittataToday is the day after CSA day. A kind of day where I’m still getting down from that high of checking out all the amazing farm-fresh goodness that came from my weekly share. If you follow along on Facebook or instagram, you know all about my weekly CSA share posts. So you may already know about the abundance of summer squash I’ve been getting the past few weeks. It’s amazing. I love supporting a local farm through the CSA and also love knowing that all the vegetables and eggs that I’m eating came from less than an hour away from  me.

So back to the summer squash. What’s not to love about it? It’s a mild-tasting and very versatile vegetable. Like a zucchini, you can do a lot with it. Add it to salad, chop it up and stir-fry it. The list goes on.

I love the way summer squash looks and I love highlighting the yellow skin when possible. I thought a frittata would be a great way to give this vegetable a lead role. Pairing it with some caramelized onions and some freshly picked basil leaves is a great way to let the summer squash shine.

I sliced up some onions and let them caramelize with some garlic. I then added most of the squash abd let them soften a bit. I poured in some beaten eggs and then added some basil, goat cheese, salt and pepper. I added some more thinly sliced summer squash on top.

I then placed in the oven until set.

The combination of all the flavors is perfect. Knowing that every item came from the farm makes the meal that much tastier. Well the basil didn’t come from the farm. I grew that on my fire escape. Do I get bonus points for that kind of commitment?




Summer Squash & Caramelized Onion Frittata
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, sliced thinly
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 summer squash, sliced in thin rounds
  • 10 cage-free large eggs
  • 8 basil leaves, chiffonade slice
  • ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400.
  2. Heat oil in a large oven-safe pan.
  3. Add onions and garlic to pan and saute on medium low until the onions begin to caramelize. This should take about 20 minutes.
  4. Add salt, pepper and most of the squash rounds to the pan. Leave a handful of the squash to the side for later.
  5. Turn the heat to medium high and let the squash cook for about 5-7 minutes.
  6. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add them to the pan.
  7. Chiffonade cut the basil leaves and add them to the pan.
  8. Place the squash rounds and crumbled goat cheese over the eggs.
  9. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake in the oven until the eggs are set. Should take around 15-20 minutes.
  10. Cool a few minutes before slicing and eating.
  11. Enjoy!

summer-squash-long

 

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, eggs, Gluten Free, Lunch, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Roasted Beets and Beet Greens with Pasta

July 3, 2014 · by ·

roasted beet pasta900

If you’ve been following along on Facebook and Instagram feed, you probably already know all about my CSA and the amazing produce I get each week. I’ve been getting a weekly share from a local farm called Alstedes. Each week it’s like a foodie birthday present. As I pick up the crate of veggies and farm fresh cage-free eggs, I get a huge smile on my face. What am I going to make first out of all the amazing goodies?

I love beets. I love all kinds of beets. The first box that contained beets had me so happy. I had a bunch of red beets from the farmer’s market in my fridge, so when the golden beets came, I was exuberant. I love to see those rings when you cut in to a beet. They’re just so pretty. And the colors? I love it!

beet rounds

I often simply slice or grate beets and put them in a simple salad or side dish, but I decided to include them in something more substantial for dinner. I also wanted to include the beet tops. Did you know that you could eat beet greens? You totally can! Just wash them and eat them raw in a salad, or you can saute them! They’re fantastic and so good for you!

I started out by roasting my beets. I peeled and sliced the beets thinly and tossed in some olive oil, salt and pepper and placed on a baking sheet. I baked at 415 for about 20 minutes – keeping an eye on them so that they didn’t burn.

I cooked up the pasta, reserving some of the pasta cooking water.

I then sliced up both bunches of washed beet greens.

I toasted some pine nuts, then added some olive oil, chopped onion and garlic to the pan.

Next, I added the greens, some salt and pepper.

I love how fast everything cooks up in this dish. The greens take only a few minutes to wilt.

I tossed the cooked pasta in to the pan with a small amount of the cooking water.

I plated the pasta and greens and served with the amazing roasted beets and some goat cheese. So simple, yet so delicious!




Roasted Beets and Beet Greens with Pasta
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 bunches of beets (about 6 medium beets)
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Beet Greens from two bunches of beets, washed and sliced
  • additional salt and pepper as needed
  • Goat Cheese
  • parmesan cheese (optional)
  • ¾ pound pasta, cooked according to directions on box (reserving some pasta water)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. Peel and slice the beets in to thin rounds. Toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper and place on baking sheet. Roast in oven for 20 minutes.
  3. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box, reserving some pasta water.
  4. Toast pine nuts in large pan for 2 minutes.
  5. Add in the olive oil, salt, pepper, onions and garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes to soften. Add in the beet greens and saute a couple more minutes.
  6. Mix in the cooked pasta and a couple tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.
  7. Plate the pasta and greens. Top with goat cheese, roasted beet rounds and Parmesan Cheese if desired.
  8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Enjoy!

 

roastedbeets text

Filed Under: Dinner, easy, Lunch, Main Course, pasta, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Portabella and Kale Breakfast Muffins

May 21, 2014 · by ·

Egg Muffins.jpg

Breakfast is the toughest meal for me. I know I need to eat a morning meal, but I am usually out the door and on my way to work before I can even contemplate ingesting anything beyond a mega-cup of coffee. I need a morning shot of protein, but the best time for me to eat it is probably 8:30am, when I’ve already been in my office for about an hour. What do you do for breakfast on the go?

I love egg and cheese sandwiches, but those aren’t particularly healthy on a daily basis and the amount of gluten in those rolls tend to put me to sleep. I often throw a container of Greek yogurt in my bag, but I love the idea of having a warm breakfast.

I decided to try something new. I recently started getting some wonderful local cage-free eggs from a farm through my CSA. I get a dozen eggs each week and decided to put some of these eggs to good use. I chose to prep some gluten free egg muffins that I could freeze for later use. These egg muffins came together quickly. I sautéed some chopped kale lightly with some salt, pepper, and garlic. I placed a little bit of kale at the bottom of each muffin cup. I then added a couple pieces of diced shallot, along with a few pieces of diced portabella mushroom cap. I whisked up the eggs with some salt and pepper. I then poured the egg mixture in to each muffin cup and sprinkled a little bit of cheese over. I baked the muffins until the egg was set. And then that was it! Can you believe it? Super easy to make.

egg muffin collage.jpg

I made a couple dozen and threw them in a ziploc bag. The next day, I grabbed a couple out and put them in a container to bring to work. I heated them up in my work microwave. They were perfect. It was like a stroke of genius! I’m totally doing this again. I’m also looking forward to playing with flavors. You can swap out any of the vegetables for whatever you prefer!


Portabella and Kale Breakfast Muffins
 
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Ingredients
  • ½ tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 cups chopped kale
  • 1 portabella mushroom cap, cleaned and chopped
  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 12 eggs
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. pepper
  • grated cheese, optional
  • oil spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Spray muffin tins with oil spray
  3. Lightly saute kale in olive oil with some salt and pepper to soften a bit. You don't need to cook it, you just want to take the edge off a bit.
  4. Place about a tablespoon of kale at the bottom of each muffin cup. Next, layer some chopped mushrooms and shallots.
  5. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper in a small bowl.
  6. Pour eggs in to muffin cups.
  7. Sprinkle on some cheese.
  8. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, or until egg has completely set.
  9. Let cool a bit and then use a knife to loosen egg muffins from the baking pan.
  10. Eat or freeze for later use.
  11. Enjoy!

Egg and Kale Breakfast Muffins.jpg

Filed Under: Breakfast, eggs, Gluten Free, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tomatillo Quiche

October 28, 2013 · by ·

tomatillo-quiched-baked

I joined an organic co-op this year, and I’ve been loving all of the wonderful fruits and vegetables I am getting. It forces me to get more creative and try new ideas.

Last week, I got a bunch of tomatillos in my vegetable share. In the past, I’ve turned them in to salsa verde for enchiladas. I wanted to try something different this time.

tomatillo

Like other nights, I looked to my pantry and fridge for ideas. I seemed to have a surplus of organic eggs from my co-op, and I also had some cheese on hand. I knew I could turn this in to a quiche in no time.

I washed and sliced the tomatillos along with some bell pepper, onion, garlic and cilantro. I then sauteed the mixture.

saute-tomatillo

I happened to have some pie crusts in the freezer. I added the cheese to the bottom of the pie crust, then added the veggie mixture, then poured over the egg mixture. In to the oven it went.

tomatillo-quiche-uncooked

It came out perfectly.

I love the bite of the tomatillo. It has a strong, slightly acidic flavor. It works well with the other flavors in the quiche. I highly recommend this for your next dinner.

sliced-quiche

 

Tomatillo Quiche
 
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Recipe type: Brunch, Dinner, Breakfast
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. oilve oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 6 tomatillos, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 3 tsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 9" Deep Dish Pie Crust
  • ¾ cup shredded cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar and monterey jack)
  • additional salt and pepper as needed
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375.
  2. Heat up the oil in a large saute pan. Saute the chopped veggies and spices for about 7 minutes, until softened.
  3. Beat the eggs with the half and half in a small mixing bowl.
  4. Sprinkle the shredded cheese in the bottom of the pie crust.
  5. Place the veggie mixture over the cheese.
  6. Pour over the egg mixture.
  7. Place the pie tin on a baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for around 35-40 minutes, until the egg has completely set.
  8. Cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
  9. Slice and enjoy!

tomatillo-quiched-baked

Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fermented Radishes

July 9, 2013 · by ·

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Fermented Radishes

I’ve recently been studying up more on fermentation. I am learning all about the benefits of fermented foods in my diet. I’ve made kimchi in the past, and enjoyed it, but I didn’t really realize how good it is for you! I started to delve more in to fermentation when I ended up with excess vegetables in my CSA. I didn’t want to risk wasting vegetables that I may not use, so I looked for ways to prolong their life.

I considered canning my vegetables, but I don’t have the patience to deal with the whole jar sterilization and cooking process. Maybe one day.

I learned that fermentation can be very easy, and doesn’t require as many tools as canning. It’s also far less precise than the canning process.

I then learned about the health benefits . Fermented foods are said to aid in digestion, creating a natural probiotic that helps balance your gut. As food ferments, the foods becomes enriched with good enzymes and vitamins. I kept reading, and as I did, I knew I had to give it a try.

I began my summer ferments with some radishes. I had a large amount of beautiful organic radishes from my co-op share and I knew that they wouldn’t all get eaten in salads. I decided that I’d ferment them using a simple 2%  brine base.

Fermented Radishes

I began by cleaning and trimming these beautiful radishes. Then, I sliced them thinly.

sliced-radishes

I washed my jars well and packed the jars with garlic, dill, my sliced radishes and some peppercorns. I then added some of the liquid brine and  sealed the Bell jars and set them aside in a warm, dark corner.

radishes-in-jars

I checked on them every few days to see how they tasted and to make sure that the radishes were still under the liquid brine, pressing them down if they began to pop out.

I kept them in my dark corner of the counter for 2 weeks, at which time, I determined by tasting them, that the radishes were ready and then placed them in my fridge.

They were done and ready to be used. I highly recommend this simple ferment if you are a beginner at fermenting.

Fermented Radishes


Fermented Radishes
 
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Recipe type: Side Dish, Pickles
Ingredients
  • 2 bunches of radishes
  • ½ cup fresh dill
  • 6-8 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp. peppercorns
  • 4 cups filtered water
  • 2¾ tbsp sea salt
Instructions
  1. Heat up the water in a pot and add the salt. Let the salt dissolve.
  2. Remove water from heat and let cool completely.
  3. Wash, trim and slice radishes thinly.
  4. Pack the radish slices along with the garlic and dill in to the glass jars. There should be a 1-inch clearance between the tops of the radishes and the lid.
  5. Pour the brine over the radish mixture so that the liquid covers the radishes
  6. Some people like to add a weight or a cabbage leaf on top to ensure that the radishes are completed submerged in the brine mixture. You will have some brine leftover.
  7. Seal the lids tightly.
  8. Place jars in a warm and dark space for up to 2 weeks.
  9. Check on the jars ever 1-2 days, burping the jars and resealing them. This is also the time where you take a taste and see if the radish pickles are sour enough.
  10. When the radishes have reached the desired sourness, move the jars to the fridge.
  11. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Filed Under: fermented, Gluten Free, lacto-fermentatiopn, pickles, Side Dish, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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