Let Them Eat Kale!

We all know the benefits of eating kale. It is one of the most nutrient dense superfoods hanging out in the produce section at the local grocery store. There is curly kale, red kale, Asian kale and baby kale. Which ever kale you choose it has substantial and positive health benefits. I prefer my kale raw in a salad or lightly sautéed with some garlic and balsamic vinegar. 

This is one of my favourite cookbooks and it offers 75 nutritious recipes that will help you include kale into every meal. The recipes span from... Breakfast to Appetizers, Side Dishes, and Snacks,... of course Salads, Soups, Stews and Chilis, Main Dishes and finally Sauces, Salsas and Spreads. Not all the recipes in the book are vegetarian / vegan. Most ingredients you will already have in your pantry which make these recipes much more accessible. The colour photos are glossy, full page, and up close.  

I wanted to share this recipe form the cookbook as I was quite taken with the eggplant, kale, and chickpea combination. If you can not find dinosaur (dino) kale perhaps try another kale that is available.

 Eggplant, Kale, and Chickpea Tacos with Charmoula Sauce

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Serves 3 to 4.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 eggplant, unpeeled, chopped into strips (unpeeled)
6 cloves of garlic
1 x 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 head dino kale 
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 to 8 corn or flour tortillas
Charmoula sauce 

Instructions:

1. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.

2. Add the eggplant and use a spatula to toss the egg plant in the oil/butter to evenly coat. Sauté until the eggplant begins turning brown, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the chopped garlic and chickpeas. Continue sautéing, stirring consistently until eggplant is very brown and begins losing its form, about 5 to 8 minutes.

4. Add the chopped Kale and continue sautéing and stirring until kale has softened, about 5 minutes.

5. In a small separate skillet, heat tortillas one or two at a time over medium heat until warm.

6. Add desired amount of veggie mixture to tortillas and drizzle Charmoula sauce on top. 

Cookbook Footnotes: 
"Dino or Dinosaur kale is the same as Lacinato or Tuscan kale. The leaves are long, dark green and resemble dinosaur skin. The flavour is less bitter than other kinds of kale and easier to chew in its raw form."

Charmoula Sauce
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Makes 3/4 cup of sauce

1 cup parsley
1 cup cilantro
1 cup dino kale leaves
6 to 8 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about the juice of 4 lemons) 

Instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend/process until a thick paste has formed. You can leave the sauce chunky or blend until completely smooth, depending on your preference.

2. If you don't have a blender or food processor, you can finely chop the first four ingredients and whisk everything together until well combined. 

Cookbook Footnotes:
"Charmoula sauce is a traditional Middle Eastern sauce, typically made with parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, and Middle Eastern spices. It is used to marinate fish and poultry, or serve on top of cooked meat and /or vegetables. All ingredients combined make for a sauce that is not only full of nutrients but also helps cleanse the liver."


I will also include this recipe from the cookbook. A simple flavourful stew packed with spicy goodness and of course, kale!   


Indian Chickpea Stew with Kale

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Serves 6 to 8.

1 tablespoon of olive oil or grapeseed oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 x 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, including juices

2 x 15 ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

3 cups vegetable broth (low sodium)

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1 bay leaf

8 cups green kale leaves, stems removed, chopped

Brown rice for serving

Instructions:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onion over medium heat until it begins to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add all of the ingredients except for the kale and stir to combine. Cover and bring the pot to a boil.

3. Once full boil is reached, lower the heat to medium - low and allow the stew to cook at a gentle boil about 15 minutes.

4. Remove the cover from the pot and add all of the kale. It's okay if the pot is very full at this point; the kale will cook down.

5. Put the cover back on and allow the kale to steam about 30 seconds to 1 minute before stirring it into the stew to incorporate it.

6. Cook and additional 2 minutes, then serve over cooked brown rice. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Fast & Simple

Who would have thought that a flip photo cookbook from the Dollar store would offer a lovely selection of recipes. It does and the attached book stand makes it easier to view as you go along re-creating the recipes. There are only 4 sections, Meat & Poultry, Fish & Seafood, Vegetarian, and Desserts. My favourite section is the Vegetarian one, as I am trying to incorporate more meatless and vegetarian meals into our week. Although I am not worried I have a few vegan and vegetarian cookbooks already. 

The introduction has hints and tips for quick cooking, and offers time-saving shortcuts. Most of which I already do and know however there were a few that I took note of. The step by step guide is handy for the novice cook and also the experienced cook. Most of the ingredients one would already have on hand so re-creating these dishes is easy. No complicated ingredients to purchase and fuss with. This is a simple cookbook with easy delicious recipes that are worth a try. 

Although the Goat Cheese Tarts are on my list of recipes to make, I would like to share the Tacos with Chickpea Salsa recipe from this cookbook. Because they look so yummy! 

Tacos with Chickpea Salsa

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Serves 4 

2 firm, ripe avocados

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tomato, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, sliced

1 (15 -16 ounce) can chickpeas, drained

1 teaspoon mild chili powder

8 romaine lettuce leaves

8 taco shells 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra sprigs to garnish

salt and pepper

2/3 cup sour cream, to serve

1. Halve, pit, peel, and dice the avocados and toss with the lime juice.

2. Stir in the tomato and season well with salt and pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown.

4. Mash the chickpeas with a fork and stir in the pan with the chili powder. Heat gently, stirring, for 2 minutes.

5. Divide the lettuce among the tacos. Stir the chopped cilantro into the avocado-and-tomato mixture, then spoon into the tortillas. 

6. Add a spoonful of the chickpea mixture to each taco and top with a spoonful of sour cream. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve immediately. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend! - JD