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 & Cauliflower Curry with Chickpeas

December 10, 2014 · by ·

main-curry

If you’re anything like me, you run in to roadblocks in the kitchen almost every day. What to make, ingredients to have on hand, cooking time, etc. It’s life. We get by. Even if dinner ends up as cereal with milk, there usually aren’t too many disgruntled customers.

If you follow my dinner posts on Instagram, you probably already recognize some of the usual suspects in my kitchen. From throwing in an egg for protein to tossing every vegetable in the pan – dinner can be anything. Play with the flavor.  Swap out the veggies. Switch your proteins around. It’s all good.

You also know that I love curry. From a haphazard cabbage curry to a polished palak paneer, curry rocks. When served over Basmati rice, it is perfect. It’s one of those dishes that spring from nowhere on a busy evening. You can take advantage of whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand and it’s quick to prepare. Add in a protein and go to flavortown and you’re there. Your dish has arrived. Dinner is served.

Well it happens that way in my head. A few more steps are thrown in. But like I said above, a great curry can be born from whatever you have lying in your fridge. Well, most of the stuff. Don’t try and make a curry out of marshmallow fluff! Did I just admit to having marshmallow fluff in my house? Oops.

This curry I’m sharing with you, like the others, was born out of necessity. Some amazing Tuscan Kale was taking over some valuable real estate in my fridge and I didn’t want it to go bad. My husband wanted something with chickpeas. I wanted the kale. It’s cooperation. Or something like that. Regardless, it tasted great, it’s a great vegan curry and it cooks up super fast.

I heated up a large pan with some olive oil and add in some onion, garlic and traditional curry spices.

Next I added the cauliflower and it it cook a few minutes to soften. About 5 minutes.

I then added the Kale and Chickpeas. The kale will wilt pretty quickly.

After that, I added the canned tomatoes and some vegetable broth.

I let the mixture cook for another 5-10 minutes – letting all of the flavors meld while simmering.

While everything cook, I had some basmati rice going in my rice cooker.

Dinner took about 20 minutes to cook. It was perfect – especially for these chilly days.



Hope you enjoy!

Tuscan Kale and Cauliflower Curry with Chickpeas
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp. curry powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • half teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tsp teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1-2 tsp. chili flakes (optional)
  • 1 small head of cauliflower, washed and broken up in to florets
  • 1 bunch of Tuscan Kale, washed and chopped
  • 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup vegetable broth
Instructions
  1. Heat up the oil in a large pan.
  2. Add in the onions, ginger and garlic and let soften a bit. About 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat.
  3. Stir in the spices and add the cauliflower florets.
  4. Cook about 4-5v minutes to allow the cauliflower to soften.
  5. Add in the kale and the chickpeas. Stir well to mix up the spices. Allow the kale to wilt a bit. About 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Stir well and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
  7. Taste and season as necessary with salt and pepper.
  8. Serve with warm Basmati rice.
  9. Enjoy!

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Filed Under: curry, Dinner, Gluten Free, indian, Vegan · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Massaged Kale and Persimmon Salad

February 13, 2014 · by ·

persimmonandkalesalad

I’m always looking for ways to liven up the typical winter fare. I try to cook seasonally as much as possible, but I end up just craving different vegetables after a few straight days of root vegetables. What’s your solution for the winter fruit and vegetable rut?

I find that a leafy and yummy salad can save the day. Changing up your and adding new and interesting ingredients can boost it to a new level.

I love a good massaged kale salad. I tend to always stick to my reliable butternut squash and kale salad, but I wanted something a bit different. I had some Tuscan Kale in my fridge. Tuscan Kale has a bit of a different texture than the traditional kale. The leaves are darker and a little less curly.

I decided to pair it with some radicchio and endive, which I knew needed to be used up.

I was about to toss some butternut squash in the oven, yet again, when I glanced at my fruit basket. I had some beautiful, juicy persimmon waiting to be eaten. Persimmon are a fall and winter fruit. It’s one of my favorite fruits. I had a hunch that the persimmon would pair well with the kale and slightly bitter radicchio.

persimmon

I washed, cut and trimmed the Tuscan Kale. I transferred it to a large bowl and massaged it with some light sprinkle of sea salt.

tuscan-kale

I washed, peeled and sliced up some of the persimmon. The peel of the persimmon can be an irritant for some people.

I mixed up the softened kale with some red onions, radicchio and endive. I topped that mixture with the persimmons and some goat cheese. I love the way chèvre cheese adds a nice creaminess to a salad!

I made a simple olive oil and lemon dressing to go with the salad. I mixed the juice of one lemon with olive oil, salt, pepper, dijon mustard and a small bit of maple syrup.

The salad was delicious! I’m so glad I stepped away from the squash for the night.



Massaged Kale and Persimmon Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
  • 4-5 cups of Tuscane Kale, stems removed, cut up
  • 1 small head of radicchio, chopped
  • 2 small heads of endive, chopped
  • 2 persimmons, peeled and sliced or subed
  • chèvre goat cheese
  • sea salt
Salad Dressing
  • Juice of 1 Lemon
  • ⅔ cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp. dijon mustard
  • salt
  • ground pepper
  • 2 tsp. maple syrup
Instructions
For the salad
  1. Place the washed, cut and stemmed kale in a large bowl
  2. Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt over the kale
  3. With your hands, massage the kale for a few minutes to break down and soften the kale. You can see how I did it here.
  4. Once the kale is ready, add in the chopped radicchio and endive
  5. Add in the persimmons and goat cheese
  6. Mix up the dressing ingredients in a separate container and shake well

persimmon-and-saladt

Filed Under: Dinner, kale, Lunch, persimmon, recipes, Salads · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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