Category: Kale

This root vegetable pot pie is a cook-with-what-you-have twist on a classic dish. It’s savory, delicious comfort food chock full of veggies. Use whatever combination of root vegetables you have on hand or prefer.  Serves 5-6  ... Read more »

This recipe is inspired by a recipe for Zebhi Hamli, an Eritrean dish of stewed spinach from the wonderful book In Bibi's Kitchen by Hawa Hassan. Here it's served with Shiro, the beloved Eritrean ground chickpea and tomato stew spiced with Berbere spice mix.  ... Read more »

The slightly spicy harissa dressing in this salad is balanced out by the sweetness of the carrots and raisins and the richness of the cheese and nuts. Of course, feel free to swap in any variety of nuts/seeds, cheese or dried fruit you have on hand.  ... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_20560" align="aligncenter" width="660"] This version uses Brussels Sprout tops which are incredibly tender and sweet and can be used like any sturdy leafy green.[/caption]   This is a delicious way to enliven most greens. I think I particularly like it with sturdier greens like collards and kale but mustard greens are good here as is chard and spinach.... Read more »

When I make this salad my teenage son puts the whole salad bowl at his place and eats straight out of the bowl because he just can't get enough of it. This is quite lemony so start with a little less lemon juice and add to taste if you're uncertain.... Read more »

This dish is comforting and savory. It’s reminiscent of a risotto but uses orzo in place of the rice. I used butternut squash and a green called bietola in the photo above, but this recipe is great template for all sorts of substitutions and adaptations so use what you have!   Serves 4  ... Read more »

Kale chips are a fun and easy snack to make. This recipe uses a lower baking temperature to make sure the kale chips get crispy but don’t burn. I used dinosaur or lacinato kale in the photos above, but use any variety you like. ... Read more »

Any leafy green can be quickly sautéed/braised and dressed with the ever-more-popular spicy chili crisp condiment.... Read more »

A note on tempeh: it's known to have a bitter flavor and boiling has been found to reduce that. Simply add a couple inches of water to the skillet you will cook the tempeh in and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Add the block of tempeh and cook for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the tempeh and pat dry before cooking as desired. You certainly don't have to do this, but if you've found the taste of tempeh off-putting before, try this and see if you notice a difference.   Serves 2-3  ... Read more »

  This is inspired by a recipe from Roots (by Diane Morgan) but is substantially different. It takes a while to bake but otherwise it’s very quick to pull together. This makes quite a bit but it makes a great main dish and is excellent the next day so it seems worth making the whole amount but by all means reduce the quantities if you like.  ... Read more »

This beautiful, verdant dish is adapted from Bryant Terry's wonderful book Vegetable Kingdom. It's greener and richer than this more typical Mexican version and is practically a meal in itself.  I've made it a bit spicy and have added toasted cumin and coriander seeds which make it so fragrant. For a richer dish you can increase the amount of coconut milk and decrease the amount of broth, just as long as the total volume of liquid stays more or less the same.   You can really use many kinds of greens. If you have mustard greens, arugula or mizuna only use a small percentage of them as their strong flavor can overpower. Beet greens, chard, collards as well as parsley, cilantro, or even radish tops would be great. You can top it with an egg and/or other toasted seeds or nuts or stir in some chickpeas and a bit more chopped parsley or cilantro--what I did with leftovers, above.... Read more »

This dish was inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's Palak Tofu but I've adapted and simplified it almost beyond recognition. Typically Palak Paneer employs a silky sauce made with spinach. I use chard and cabbage (not blended) or any combination of leafy greens instead. It has more texture, is deeply flavorful and makes wonderful leftovers.   I love employing Ottolenghi's salted water tofu-soaking method as it infuses the tofu with more flavor, but the dish will still be good if you skip it.... Read more »

This was part of the menu of the very first cooking class I taught in 2008. It remains a favorite. Whether much of it makes it into a dish--of pasta, eggs, beans or simply spread on toast--remains a question. By the spoonful at the counter, however. . .     Variations Kale or collard rapini work well too as does chard or beet greens Use hazelnuts, walnuts or even toasted pumpkin seeds if you don't have almonds You can skip toasting the nuts if you're in a hurry Substitute Parmesan or an aged Asiago if you don't have Pecorino. Add a little lemon zest if you'd like ... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_17896" align="aligncenter" width="660"] A version with 1 sausage (a little goes a long way) and no celery, carrot or leek.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15295" align="aligncenter" width="600"] An all veg version with carrots and celery.[/caption]   This classic combination comes together quickly with either canned or home-cooked beans.... Read more »

This basic kale preparation is delicious as is or can be the beginning of a frittata, or mixed with beans or as an element in a bowl of grains or topped with a fried or poached egg or any number of other variations.... Read more »

15 minutes, start to finish, adaptable and delicious and a good reason for having canned tomatoes and small pasta shapes in the pantry. You can use larger shapes and more of it (more like 3 cups of penne). [caption id="attachment_13629" align="aligncenter" width="438"] This version uses tender spring raab for the greens.[/caption]   Variations You can substitute cooked beans/chickpeas for the sausage, to make a meat-free version. You can use parsley instead of basil Delicious choices for tender greens are spring raab, spinach, chard, turnip, beet greens and/or tender kale greens. Enjoy in any combination. Use fresh tomatoes instead of canned Other great small noodle choices are Pipette rigate, Conchiglie (shell), or Orecchiette. ... Read more »

Talk about a template; minestrone is a bean and vegetable soup and, loosely defined, can use any bean, any shape of pasta (or no pasta), most any vegetable and herb, meat or no meat (diced bacon or a little sausage is good, added when cooking onions) be hearty and stew-like or light and brothy. For me, what makes or breaks minestrone are the beans and the bean broth. You can certainly use canned beans but home-cooked beans with their broth are what gives minestrone its richness and complexity.   Dishes like these are why I try to keep cooked beans (in their broth/cooking liquid) in the freezer and at the ready. It makes a soup like this, that cooks in 20 minutes, taste like it's been simmering for hours--in a good way!   Variations A variety of vegetables are well-suited for this recipe and can be used individually or in combination, such as: a bunch of leafy greens, such as chopped kale or spinach 2 cups trimmed and chopped greens beans 1 cup shelled peas and/or diced fennel 2 cups diced zucchini If adding pasta, use the smaller volume for small pasta shapes like tubes, as pictured, little elbows, orzo, or the larger shells, etc. Any type of garlic is great in this recipe, such as 1 head new garlic, 2 stalks green garlic or garlic scapes, thinly sliced. Vegetable broth or water are a great substitute for bean broth if unavailable or in a pinch. ... Read more »

Use any greens, such as broccoli raab, collards, mustard greens or any other leafy green or sprouting brassica you have.  You can serve this as is, or over rice.... Read more »

This is colorful and delicious and fairly quick to make. You can use any miso, but if yours is red or another, darker kind start with a little less and add to taste, as the darker they are the stronger they get.   I've also included a peanut butter dressing variation, in case you don't have miso. Either version would be a lovely addition to the Thanksgiving table.  ... Read more »

Everyone seems to have a version of this dish. I threw this one together on the fly because as per usual in the winter months I had a delicata squash in the fruit bowl and a bunch of kale in the fridge. You can also use any roasted winter squash you'd like. And use whatever toasted nuts or seeds you have on hand. I've had Tamari almonds around of late and they are a quick, easy contribution to many salads.  ... Read more »