Christmas Kale

Kale... my new found love. Green kale, red kale, dino kale... kale in soups, kale in salads, kale steamed, kale sauteed...
Here is one of my favorite kale recipes, which I have appropriately named, Christmas Kale. I make this vibrant red and green salad two different ways- one sauteed and one raw - both are healthy and delicious. As we crunch on cookies and lap up the eggnog we could all use a guiltless holiday treat of Christmas Kale.

Christmas Kale Salad Two Ways

Cold – Raw
Ingredients

- 1 large bunch kale (green kale or dinosaur kale or combo)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons craisins

Wash the kale well and use a pairing knife to cut the leafy greens away from the stem. Discard the stems and cut the greens into bit size pieces. Place the greens in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Add more of any ingredient if necessary. Let the mixture marinade for 10 minutes up to 1 hour, tossing every so often. Toss in the crasins and pine nuts 5 minutes before serving.

Warm - Sauteed
Ingredients

- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large bunch kale (green kale or dinosaur kale or combo)
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons craisins
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Wash the kale well and use a pairing knife to cut the leafy greens away from the stem. Cut the greens into bit size pieces and set aside. Cut the stems into bite size pieces. In a medium size skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced stems into the hot oil and sauté over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the greens and reduce the heat to medium/low. Season with a bit more salt and pepper and sauté the greens, stirring, until wilted. Turn the heat off and add the pine nuts, craisins and lemon juice. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil. Serve warm.

A Vegan Day

Try these recipes (free of all animal products) to satisfied both your belly and your conscience.

Breakfast- Healthy Vegan Chocolate Banana Muffins
Lunch- White Bean and Kale Soup
Dinner- Basic Tostadas




Healthy Vegan Chocolate Banana Muffins
I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty these muffins turned out, considering there is no sugar or oil. These are breakfast muffins, so they are not terribly sweet. They pair well with a cup of coffee in the morning, or serve as a healthy and satisfying treat in the afternoon or evening.


Makes 9

Ingredients

- 1/3 cup agave
- 1 1/2 medium bananas (about 3/4 cup), mashed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat spelt flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup soymilk
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 9 muffin tins with paper liners.
In a medium size bowl, combine the mashed banana with the agave and vanilla. Add the spelt flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon mix until just combined. Gently stir in the soymilk until just combined. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips and almonds. Divide the batter amongst the lined muffin tins. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the muffins sit for 2 minutes in the tin, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. These muffins will keep in an airtight container for approximately 3 days.


White Bean and Kale Soup
This soup is very basic and very easy to make. Of course you can make your own vegetable stock or make the beans from scratch, but for a super quick and healthy soup I use canned beans and store bought stock. Just be careful to buy a veggie stock that is low in sodium and without preservatives.


Serves 8

Ingredients

- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 medium size leek, chopped
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 4 medium size stocks of celery, chopped
- 4 medium size carrots, chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- 5 cups water
- salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 large bunch kale (about 8 cups), rinsed well, chopped
- 2 ten ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed well in a colander

In a large stockpot heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and the leeks and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped celery, carrot, and sweet potato and cook 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute more. Add the vegetable stock and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the kale and cannellini beans and let simmer until the kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Taste for more salt and pepper. Serve warm.


Basic Tostadas
You can top your tostadas with all sorts of things, but I keep mine really basic, with a bit of brown rice, beans and raw veggies, and lots of fresh salsa and guacamole.


Serves 4

Ingredients

- 4 sprouted or wheat tortillas
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
- 1 can beans (refried or black), heated in a medium saucepan
- 8 cups romaine lettuce, shredded (about 1 head)
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Fresh Salsa
- 1/3 cup diced white onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
- 1 small jalapeño, seeds removed, diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, diced
- juice from 1 lime
- 3 medium size tomatoes, diced
- salt and pepper
Guacamole
- 2 ripe Hass avocados
- 1 -2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon of fresh salsa

To make the brown rice, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium size saucepan. Add the rinsed rice and sauté in the olive oil over medium/low heat for two minutes, while stirring. Add scant (just under) 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium/high heat. Stir once, reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Let simmer for 50 minutes, then removed the pan from the heat and let sit 10 minutes more. Do not remove the lid. Fluff with a fork.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil on both sides of each tortilla and place on a large sheet pan. Bake until crisp and golden, flipping half way through baking, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile to make the salsa combine the diced onion, jalapeño, cilantro and tomato with the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
To make the guacamole, cut each avocado in half and remove the pits. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the avocado. Use a fork to mash the avocado with the lime juice, and a tablespoon or so of the fresh salsa. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble the tostada, place one crisp tortilla shell on a plate. Top with the warm rice and beans, lettuce, radish, cilantro, carrot, guacamole and salsa.

Easy Appetizers

Three easy (and delicious, may I add) appetizers that can all be made ahead of of time.

Blue Cheese with Candied Pecans and Blackberries
Roasted Vegetable and Cannellini Bean Dip with Crostini
Parmesan Crackers with Thyme and Black Pepper




Blue Cheese with Candied Pecans and Blackberries

These candied pecans take little time or effort to make and add an elegant touch to a cheese plate. I love the combination of tangy blue cheese with something sweet, blackberries in this case, with something crunchy, candied pecans. Depending on the time of the year I use different cheeses, different nuts and a different source of sweetness- sometimes honey or a good jam. There are endless combinations.

Candied Pecans

Ingredients
- 2 cups raw pecan halves
- 1 egg white
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, gently toss together all of the ingredients and spread out on an unlined baking sheet. Bake the pecans for 20 to 25 minutes or until the nuts are golden brown. Use a metal spatula to toss the nuts half way through baking. Allow the nuts to cool completely on a clean plate, then transfer to an airtight glass jar. These nuts will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Roasted Vegetable and Cannellini Bean Dip with Crostini


This dip is actually better if made a day ahead of time. The flavors seems to meld together better after an overnight visit in the fridge. The crostini, too, can also be made a day ahead of time and kept in an airtight container. That way everything is ready to go.

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, peeled and cut in 1 inch cubes
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 small white onion, peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons pepper
- 1 fifteen ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon to garnish
- 3-4 basil leafs, finely chopped to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a large baking sheet toss together the chopped eggplant, red and yellow bell peppers, and onion with the olive oil and half of the salt and pepper. Bake the vegetables for 35 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the oven and let cool completely.
In a large food processor fitted with a steel blade, blend together the cannellini beans, roasted vegetables, garlic, remaining salt and pepper, tomato paste, and olive oil, until smooth. Taste for more salt and pepper.
Serve this dip in a small serving bowl and drizzle the remaining olive oil and chopped basil atop the dip. Place the dip in center of a large platter with the crostini arranged around it. You can make this dip a day or two ahead of time. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Crostini

Ingredients
- 1 french baguette
- extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the baguette about 1/3 inch thick at an angle. Arrange the bread slices on a large cookie sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until light golden brown and crisp.


Parmesan Crackers with Thyme and Black Pepper


These bite size crackers are so easy to make and are absolutely delicious. Even better, when they are baking your home will be consumed with the fragrance of salty parmesan cheese. These crackers are perfect for entertaining because the dough can be made ahead of time (it will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months). I suggest baking these crackers just before guest arrive, so they too can enjoy the parmesan perfume.

Makes 40 small crackers

Ingredients
- 3 oz fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems and finely chopped


To make the dough, combine the butter, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and thyme in a medium size bowl. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and gently stir until just combined. Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper, and shape the dough into a log (with either round or squared edges). Roll the dough tightly into the parchment paper, and tuck in the sides of the parchment paper, so that the dough is covered completely cover. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and large a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the refrigerated dough in the freezer for 5 minutes before slicing into 1/3 inch slices. Place the cracker slices 1 inch apart and bake for approximately 15 minutes, rotating the sheet pan half way through cooking. The crackers should be slightly golden brown. Remove the sheet pan with the crackers from the oven and allow the crackers to sit on the sheet pan for 1 minute, and then remove the crackers to a wire rack to cool completely.