Kale Pesto

- One big bunch of kale, washed and spun dry
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 2 small cloves or 1 large clove garlic, peeled and halved
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (pignoli) – you can also use toasted walnuts and toasted pecans work, if that’s all you have on hand
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. In the meantime, trim the kale by removing the stem from the leaves (here’s a quick video on how to trim kale). Stack the the long leaves and cut into 1″ wide pieces. If I am feeling really lazy, I just tear them into the 1″ wide pieces. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Once the water is boiling, add salt to it and then add the kale leaves. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the leaves are bright green. Using tongs or a spider (my preferred method of extraction here), immediately place the leaves in the ice water bath. After 30 seconds, remove to a colander and wring dry, removing all the water from the kale. A handy way to do this is by placing the wet kale in a clean, dry dishtowel and wring dry over the sink.

Add kale to the food processor. Add garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan and process to a paste. With the motor running, add the olive oil  to desired consistency. Add pepper to taste.

Kale Pesto Salad

Technically a deconstructed pesto, this easy salad comes together in minutes and is my favorite way to prepare – and eat – kale. It’s even better when made with fresh, just picked kale…from my CSA at Sport Hill Farm or a friend’s garden. The credit for this recipe goes to our dear friend Bobbi. She is responsible for introducing us to the pleasure of eating raw kale. Then again, anything that includes Parmesan, lemon, olive oil and pine nuts sounds delicious to me.

A note re: the recipe: as this is a salad, the measurements are a bit loose. Measure to taste. Surprisingly, leftover kale salad keeps for a day or two in the refrigerator and still tastes good.

Kale Pesto (Deconstructed) Salad

- One big bunch of kale, washed and spun dry
- Extra virgin olive oil, maybe 4 tablespoons (a few turns of your salad bowl)
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (pignoli)
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (use your vegetable peeler or take the easy route and buy the shaved Parmesan from Trader Joe’s)
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Trim the kale by removing the stem from the leaves (here’s a quick video on how to trim kale). Stack the the long leaves and cut into 1″ wide pieces. If I am feeling really lazy, I just tear them into the 1″ wide pieces. Place in salad bowl.

Pour the extra virgin olive oil over the kale and toss, being sure to cover each piece of kale so it glistens with the oil. Squeeze the lemon (to taste) over the kale and toss. Add the toasted pine nuts and shaved Parmesan. Toss. Add a few twists of the pepper grinder.  After one final toss, serve.

Enjoy and feel good knowing you are doing your taste buds and body a favor by eating kale.

So last week, I had a hankering for a really good black bean burger. And I didn’t want one that was made with all sorts of preservatives and ingredients I couldn’t pronounce, because yes, I was considering frozen Morningstar Black Bean Burgers (which are pretty good). I asked myself, “Self, how hard can it be to make a tasty black bean burger reminiscent of The Vortex?”

In about forty minutes, I made some easy, healthy black bean burgers with ingredients from my pantry. Warning: eating these burgers require both hands and a fistful of napkins.

Tex-Mex Black Bean Burgers

- 2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

- Half of one medium onion, or a single small onion, diced (red, white, yellow, even 2-3 shallots are fine)

- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

- 1 tsp, plus 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or canola oil, divided

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 2 or more Tbsp. taco seasoning (I prefer Penzeys Spices’ Bold Taco Seasoning. You can substitute any taco seasoning you find at the grocery store in the spice aisle)

- Salt, to taste

- 1 tsp chopped cilantro leaves (or not, if you prefer)

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, mash the black beans using a potato masher. In a skillet on medium heat, heat 1 tsp of the oil and when hot, add the onion (or shallot) and saute until translucent, about  6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant. Remove from the heat. Add the onion/garlic mixture to the beans. Add the chili powder, taco seasoning and cilantro to the beans. Mix well and taste for salt and seasonings, adjusting to your preference. Don’t worry if the mixture is a bit dry at this point. When satisfied, add the flour and the beaten egg and mix well. With your hands, score the mixture into 6 portions and form 6 patties.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 3 Tbsp. oil over medium-high. When hot, place the patties into the pan and do not flip (I repeat, do not flip) for 4 minutes. Flip after 4 minutes and cook for an additional four minutes on the other side. If using cheese, top patties with cheese for the last minute, cover to let cheese melt.

Meanwhile, prepare your toppings:

- Shredded or sliced cheddar or jack cheese

- Toast the buns

- Sliced red onion

- Shredded or torn lettuce

- Salsa

- Guacamole (I make a quick one: mash one ripe Haas avocado and add 1 clove minced garlic, a handful of chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime or lemon juice, 1 tsp chopped onion, salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.)

Assemble your burger and enjoy!

One of my favorite things about winter is homemade soup. They’re easy to make, you can toss pretty much anything in them and with vegetable-based ones, you can leave them in the refrigerator and eat them for days. Add a hearty salad and bread and you have a complete meal. I recently challenged myself – it was a weeknight and I didn’t want to be in the kitchen more than one hour including clean up – to make a nutritious soup with only what I had in my kitchen. “Minestrone My Way” was born.

With relish, I put to use these ingredients that were lying around and had no obvious or near-term plans for consumption:

• - a 28 oz. can of plum tomatoes with basil I had accidentally bought a while ago
• - I think the last of my kale from the Sport Hill Farm CSA that I froze in September
• - the last cup of a bag of Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend (Israeli style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa)
• - my last can of cannellini (white Italian kidney) beans

Substitutions can easily be made and I have listed them in the ingredients below. I usually heat the broth and water to speed up cooking time. I am positive this soup freezes well. This is probably not even close to a minestrone but that’s what it reminded me of. As we ate our “Minestrone My Way,” a mixed salad dressed with a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette and crusty, cheesy garlic bread, my husband and I looked at each other and both shouted out at the same time, “When you’re here, you’re family!” We’re apparently starring in our very own Olive Garden commercial.

Minestrone My Way

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (substitute with red or white onion)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tsp. dried oregano (substitute Italian seasoning or basil)

1 28 oz. can plum tomatoes with basil, cut into bite-size pieces and juices reserve  (substitute with plain or Italian diced tomatoes to reduce chopping)

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (substitute kidney beans)

1 cup Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend (substitute with pastina, orzo, any small-shaped pasta or even spaghetti broken into bite-size pieces)

1/2 bunch kale, washed, stems removed and cut into ribbons or bite-size pieces (substitute with 6 oz. bag baby spinach)

32 oz. (4 cups) vegetable broth (substitute with water)

2 cups water

A few dashes of Tabasco (optional), salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven on medium. Once hot, add onions and saute until soft and translucent, 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add oregano, crushing it in your hand as you drop it in the pot (this releases the flavor of the herb). Add the chopped tomatoes and reserved juices, stir and raise heat to high. Add broth and water. Once boiling, add Harvest Grains Blend (or pasta) and kale. Reduce to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes. (If using spinach, add spinach at the end of the 10 minutes because it will cook much faster than kale.) Add beans and stir gently, taking care not to break the beans. Add Tabasco (if using), salt and pepper to taste.

Easy Vegetarian Chile Rellenos

Late last month, I was driving home after a soul and belly-nourishing weekend with friends in Stamford, NY when I stopped at a little farm stand outside of Woodstock. The stand had tons of gorgeous, locally grown apples, butternut squash, pumpkins, onions and potatoes, among other things. The glossy, deep green poblano peppers caught my eye. I was surprised to see them – I had thought it was too late in the season for peppers. Poblanos, often called pasillas, are mild chile peppers sold at some supermarkets, specialty food stores, farmers’ markets and Latin markets.

My husband adores chiles rellenos so I thought I would make a healthy, non-fried version for him that week once he returned home from a business trip. I wanted to amp up the protein for the peppers so instead of using a traditional cheese filling, I opted for a filling made with black beans and Morningstar Farm’s “Veggie Crumbles,” a textured protein/soy alternative to ground meat. Crumbles cook up super quick and adapt well to many recipes where you would use ground meat. They take on the flavor of whatever spices you are using in your recipe. My favorite way to use Crumbles is in tacos. If you haven’t tried these yet, I highly recommend them. They’re available in the freezer cases of most supermarkets and health food stores. (Hint: Target sells Crumbles for about $3 a bag in their freezer cases, while grocery stores offer them for about $5 a bag.) The current debate about the health benefits vs. risks of soy has not deterred me from eating Crumbles. My vote: eat soy in moderation.

You will undoubtedly have leftover filling; use it  in quesadillas or stuff more peppers. The prepared and baked peppers freeze well.

4-6 fresh poblano peppers, washed and dried
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (white, yellow or red), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bag Morningstar Farm’s Crumbles (do not defrost)
1 15/16 oz. can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz. can organic fire roasted diced tomatoes and juice – I prefer Muir Glen. If you can’t find Muir Glen, substitute regular diced tomatoes
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1 cup frozen roasted corn (do not defrost) – I use Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find frozen roasted corn, substitute kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn, 1 small can of canned corn or 1 cup of regular frozen corn kernels
Up to 3 Tbsp. taco seasoning – I prefer Penzeys Spices’ Bold Taco Seasoning. You can substitute any taco seasoning you find at the grocery store in the spice aisle
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack, pepper jack or Mexican blend cheese
1 cup bottled enchilada sauce – I use Trader Joe’s

For the peppers:

Preheat your broiler on high or if you have a gas stove, turn on 2-3 burners. Under the broiler, place the peppers on the rack. On the stove and using tongs, place the peppers directly on the burners, 2-3 per burner depending on size of burner. For both broiler and burner methods, roast peppers for 3-5 minutes on each side, carefully watching them so they don’t burn. Using tongs, turn them every few minutes to ensure even roasting on each side. You are looking for the peppers to have mostly a black, charred, waxy skin; at this point, they are done. Immediately place peppers in glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, gently remove and discard charred skin. Lay the peppers flat on a surface and gently, with a sharp paring knife, cut a slit down the length of the pepper, being careful not to cut through the bottom of the pepper. You are creating a “boat,” in which you will place the filling. Set prepared peppers aside on a plate or cutting board.

For the filling:

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once shimmering (it’s hot enough at this point), add diced onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add Crumbles and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes, until Crumbles begin to soften. Add 2 TBsp. taco seasoning, reserving the last Tbsp. for the end, and stir to coat evenly. Add drained black beans, corn and olives and combine. Add fire roasted diced tomatoes and juices and combine. Cover and cook for about 6-8 minutes, until Crumbles have completely softened and resemble ground meat. Taste and add up to 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning, salt and pepper as necessary. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove mixture from stove and place in bowl to cool for 15 minutes (use this time to clean up or check email).

Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 8×8 glass baking dish. On a cutting board or plate, gently fill peppers with 3-4 Tbsp. filling so they are bursting but not overflowing and are easy for you to move to the baking dish. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 enchilada sauce across the tops of the peppers. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and seal tightly. Bake the peppers for 25-30 minutes, until cheese melts. Remove foil and place under broiler for 3-5 minutes, until cheese browns and is bubbly.

Serve with warmed tortillas and beans. In the photo above, I served a can of Trader Joe’s Cuban black beans alongside the peppers and tortillas. These yummy beans are already seasoned so all they require is a reheat on the stove. (It was a Friday night, I was tired!)