Ingredients:

2 bunches curly kale, stems removed, leaves torn into 2 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 teaspoons Sriracha sauce, or more if desired

Coarse salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300, with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Wash and dry kale and divide between two rimmed baking sheets (kale will shrink as it cooks).  In a small bowl, stir together oil and Sriraha and drizzle over kale; season with salt.  Using our hands, toss to coat.  Bake until kale is crisp and just beginning to brown at edges, about 35 minutes, tossing kale every 10 minutes.  Let cool on sheets on wire racks. 

To store, keep in a large zip-top plastic bag at room temperature, up to 3 days.

*This recipe is from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food*

Woah, goodness straight to the body.  So happy.

Salad Ingredients:

2- 12 oz. bunches kale, stems removed, leaves cut into thin strips/chiffonade

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided

1 cup whole pecans

 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 Tbs. canola oil

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 medium beets, peeled and grated

1 large turnip, peeled and grated

3 carrots, peeled and grated

2 green onions, cut thin on diagonal

Dressing Ingredients:

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 Tbs. grated lemon zest

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp. honey or agave nectar

Directions:

To make Salad: Place kale in large bowl, and pour olive oil, vinegar, and 1 tsp. salt over top. Gently massage mixture into kale about 2 to 3 minutes by hand, or until kale starts to wilt. Let rest 30 minutes.

Preheat toaster oven to 375 while lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss together pecans, maple syrup, canola oil, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and cayenne in medium bowl. Spread nut mixture in single layer on prepared baking sheet; bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until pecans are brown and fragrant, stirring frequently.  Cool in pan.

To make Dressing:  Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, oil, soy sauce, and agave nectar or honey in bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix everything together in a large bowl and love.

*Adapted from Vegetarian Times*

With leftover balsamic red onions and sauteed kale from the other night, another delicious breakfast sandwich creation was about to happen. 

I steamed the kale that I had sauteed in olive oil with garlic the day before to reheat it.  I also reheated the balsamic red onions that I had broiled the night before.  (note: both of these recipes for sauteed kale and balsamic red onions have already been posted on my blog, so just search for them).  I thinly sliced Romano cheese to place on the toast (Bread Alone has the most delicious whole wheat sourdough), followed by the re-heated kale, balsamic red onions, followed by a poached egg.  

Delicious!

I tend to use up vegetables in the fridge by creating a sandwich of sorts. By either sauteeing, roasting, and/or steaming the vegetable needing to be eaten.  I had a dense, rich pumpernickel bread  leftover from making avocado reubens the other evening.  I toasted the pumpernickel bread, while sauteeing a chopped, stalk removed bunch of kale in chopped garlic and olive oil til tender.  I put the kale on top of the toasted pumpernickel bread, followed by a sliced  meltable cheese which I proceeded to broil for a moment.  Delicious.

Thank you, New York Times Magazine, for printing these fabulous recipes this past weekend.  My mouth was instantly watering as I read about this Indian restaurant Vij’s in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Here is the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/magazine/07food-t-000.html?ref=magazine

And here are two fabulous recipes from this restaurant.

Chickpeas in Star Anise and Date Masala Recipe:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/magazine/07food-t-002.html?ref=magazine

Grilled Coconut Kale Recipe:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/magazine/07food-t-001.html?ref=magazine

This is not only a delicious appetizer with Triscuit crackers, but can also be a wonderful main dish with the right amount of vegetable side dishes.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 (15 oz) cans cooked white beans, rinsed and drained well

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar chees

1 Tablespoon tamari

1/4 teaspoon pepper

salt to taste

1/4 cup chopped almonds

Preheat the oven to 350.  Wash the kale, and remove all the heavy stems.  Fill a saucepan with water, and bring to a boil.  Blanch the kale in the water for a couple of minutes, until it turns bright green.  Remove it from the water, rinse in ice-cold water, drain, and let it cool a little.  Coarsely chop the kale, and set it aside.  In a large saute pan over medium heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil for a couple of minutes, until it is golden brown. 

In a large bow, combine the beans, cooked kale, garlic with the oil, cheddar cheese, tamari, pepper, and salt.  Mix well, and place the mixture in a grease 1 quart baking dish.  Sprinkle the chopped almonds and bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Serve with a crusty, warm bread or Triscuit crackers

Kale is all over the farmer’s market these days, and this leafy vegetable is nice and hearty so it can stay in your refrigerator for a few day.  Sauteed kale is an easy and healthy side dish that you can always count on to compliment your main dish.

I find that one head of kale feeds 2-3 people. Wash the head leaves and remove the stem and thick vein that runs down the center of the leaf. Then stack the leaves on top of each other, roll them (like making a sushi roll), then starting at one end of your roll, cut  the kale into 1/2 inch strips.  Heat 1-2  Tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan,and once heated add 2 chopped up garlic cloves, stirring often.  After a few minutes add the kale, stirring often to get the kale to your ideal tenderness. Once you are there, add lemon juice from half of a lemon and salt to taste. Enjoy!