Tuscan Kale with White Beets and Farro

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
 
Author:
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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Creamy Mashed Parsnips

There is often that dinner scene in the movies. The one where everybody sits around a massive wooden table passing around platters of steaming food. The food I prepare is rarely seen in those movies. You never see Ryan Reynolds asking Mila Kunis to “please pass the tofu curry” It just doesn’t happen. They always have amazing bowls of pasta and plates piled high with filet mignon. There’s always a big salad and a serving dish of peas. Why are there always bowls of peas?

Another food that makes it to the big screen family dinner is mashed potatoes. You can always hear the splat of the potatoes as they hit the plate. Peas and mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are homey. There’s something about the creaminess and warmth of the potatoes that tell you that you are home. We never eat mashed potatoes though.
I was looking for that warm and creamy texture when I came up with tonight’s side dish. My kids are not big potato fans and neither am I. This creamy parsnip mash fit the bill.
Creamy Mashed Parsnips
Ingredients:

5 parsnips
1 medium potato
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup non-dairy sour cream
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
3 tsp. garlic powder
salt
ground pepper

Directions:

Peel and cube up the potatoes and the parsnips.

Place in a pot.

Cover the cut up veggies with some salted water.

Bring the pot to a boil. Turn down to medium and cook for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Turn off the stove.

Drain all but about a tablespoon of the cooking liquid.

Add in the sour cream and olive oil.

With an immersion blender, puree the parsnip mixture.

Add in the spices. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve!

These were great paired with a stew and its’ gravy.

Enjoy!

Creamy Mashed Parsnips

Maple Roasted Chicken with Roasted Root Veggies

Really. it has been way too long. I really have been cooking. I haven’t just been feeding my kids fish sticks and mac and cheese out of a box. Though I have to admit, there have been many days where that is the only thing I feel like cooking. No, it’s not what you are thinking…I am not pregnant. All is ok.

Maple Roasted Chicken with Roasted Root Veggies
Ingredients:
2 medium red potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, sliced
1 large pasrnip, sliced
1 onion, cut up
1 turnip, cut up
1 sweet potato, cut up
2-3 shallots, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
Maple Syrup – approx. 1/4 cup
Dijon Mustard – 2-3 tbsp.
Olive Oil – 1/4 cup
Ginger Paste – 2-3 tbsp.
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Rosemary and Thyme, chopped
Chicken – either whole or cut up
1 Lemon, juiced if using chicken portions, cut in half, when using a whole chicken

In a roasting pan, lay out your cut veggies. Pour on a couple tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and a portion of your chopped herbage . Mix them up a little bit.

Lay the chicken on top of the vegetables. Consider the vegetables a sort of nest for the chicken. If using a whole chicken, fill the chicken cavity with the halved lemon, some herbs, and a few garlic cloves. If using chicken cut in pieces, sprinkle lemon juice, salt, and pepper over the chicken.
Mix up the maple syrup, ginger, mustard, olive oil, garlic, and herbs. Pour over the chicken.

Place in a 375 degree oven covered for an hour. Remove the foil after an hour. Place back in oven for another 45 minutes. Enjoy!
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