Lemon Kale

 

Ingredients

Scale

• 6 cups packed kale, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ghee (or butter was fine)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1–2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Instructions

1. Wash and pat try the kale, then tear the leaves off the stem and shred into small, bite-sized pieces
2. Heat ghee/butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the kale (stems first for a few minutes, then leaves). 
3. Add the lemon juice and garlic
4. Continue tossing the kale until slightly wilted, roughly 5 minutes
5. Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate to store

Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes with Kale)

•  2 lbs Yukon Gold (or russet) potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch think (traditionally peeled, but I like the skins)
• 1 1/4 t salt, plus for cooking potatoes
• 8 oz curly kale (I just used kale from my garden)
• 8 T butter
• 1/4 t pepper
• 8 scallions, sliced thin (3/4 c)
• 1 1/2 c whole milk

1. Place potatoes and 1 T salt in large saucepan, add water to cover by 1 inch and boil on high. Reduce to medium and simmer until tender, 18-22 minutes. 

2. Stem kale and slice stems thinly. Cut leaves into 1 inch pieces. Melt 6 T butter over medium and add stems, salt, and pepper, cooking about 6-8 minutes until stems soften. Add leaves and scallions and cook about 1-2 minutes (leaves wilted and scallions softened). Add milk and increase to high heat to simmer. Remove from heat. 

3. Drain potatoes, return to saucepan and mash. Gently fold in kale mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving bowl and create a depression in the center with remaining 2 T butter. Serve. 

Kale Au Gratin

Ingredients (were originally doubled):

onion

2-3 garlic cloves

1 cup heavy cream

1 rosemary sprig

3/4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 3/8 tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus seasoning to taste

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus seasoning to taste

2 large bunches of Tuscan kale and/or Swiss chard (1–1 1/4 lb. total)

1/2 lemon

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

3 oz. high-quality sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (panko or I like Schar GF)

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Step 1 (Cream sauce): 

In a large pot, add a few T diced onion (or more if you like), 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, heavy cream, rosemary sprig, salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and garlic are very soft, 15–20 minutes.

2. While cream cooks, remove ribs from 4 medium bunches of (Tuscan) kale (I actually like cutting up the ribs and including them with my thousand head kale). Tear leaves into big pieces and wash. It’s okay if some water still clings to the leaves—this will help them wilt later. If you don’t have a bowl big enough to hold all of your greens, pile them on a baking sheet instead.

3. When cream is ready, pluck out rosemary sprig and discard. Finely grate zest of ½ lemon into cream and stir in ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes. 

4. Either heat a large (as large as possible—12" is the goal) ovenproof skillet over medium OR just add the Kale to the cream sauce and transfer to a small baking dish (7x11 is what I used). Add some of the greens, cover skillet (use a baking sheet if you don’t have a lid), and cook until wilted, 3–4 minutes. Scoot wilted greens to one side of pan. Keep adding until all in the pan, covering pan, and cook to wilt, 3–4 minutes. Add lemon juice and cream sauce if you cooked the kale separately from the sauce. Remove from heat and place skillet on a rimmed baking sheet or transfer to oven safe pan.

5. Cut sharp cheddar cheese into ¼"-thick slices (or just used shredded). Combine bread crumbs, extra-virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and add on top of kale. Bake at 350 until cheese is browned and bubbling and panko is toasted, 50–55 minutes. 

Kale with bacon and apples

Very similar to bacon brussel sprouts that seem to be common at restaurants and holidays. 

Ingredients

• 3 thick-cut peppered bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium chopped Honeycrisp apple
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 8 cups torn kale leaves
• 2-3 tablespoon (cider) vinegar (lemon is also good, could try other acids)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to hot skillet; cook until crisp and fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons bacon drippings from skillet.

2. Add apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and gradually add kale. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drizzle with vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Kale Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• One 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3/4 pound (shiitake) mushrooms

• 5-6 cups coarsely chopped curly kale leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups (day-old) cooked short-grain white rice

• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2-4 T oyster sauce (soy sauce is an ok sub)

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add the ginger, scallions, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the kale and garlic, season with salt and stir-fry until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cooked rice and stir-fry until heated through, about 3 minutes.

2. Make a well in the rice and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the eggs. Cook without stirring until the eggs begin to set at the edge. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs until just set. Stir the eggs into the rice along with the vinegar and oyster/soy sauce. May need to add more salt or soy sauce to season appropriately.

Pan seared potatoes

•  1 T oil
• 1 lb potatoes (fingerling cut in half or red/gold cut in cubes)
• 1/2 t salt
• 2/3 c tightly packed cilantro (I used 2 frozen cubes)
• 2 t lime juice
• 1 t vinegar (I used apple cider, original said white wine)
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1/4 c low fat sour cream
• cheese, as desired

1. Heat skillet on medium-high with 1 T oil, add potatoes. Cook 6 minutes until brown, then cover and reduce to medium, cook 6 minutes. 

2. Sprinkle potatoes with salt. Combine next 5 ingredients in a blender or just add to pot if used frozen cilantro. Top with sour cream or can stir in with cheese. 

Potato, Sausage, and Kale Soup

•  1/2 lb pork sausage (I liked the Sage one)
• onion, finely chopped
• 2 t chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t pepper
• 2 medium red or yukon gold potatoes
• 2 c sliced fresh kale
• 4 cups liquid (original said 3 c milk and 1 c heavy cream but I just eyeballed it and subbed in some chicken broth with the milk and cream)
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1/4 c broth or water

1. Cook sausage and onion until sausage is no longer pink and onion is tender. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except last two and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender (10-15 min). 

2. Mix cornstarch and liquid until smooth, stir into soup and cook 1-2 minutes, until thickened. 

Roasted pumpkin

 Pumpkins: most recipes call for about 15 oz at most. One small pumpkin is often at least 3 lbs. 

1. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds (reserve for pepitas, I roasted about a cup of seeds with about a T of five spice powder, 1 t sugar, 1 t olive oil, 1/4 t salt). 

2. Cut in slices and place on a baking sheet. If the slices are just a few inches thick, this limits the baking time to about 25-30 minutes, otherwise might be up to 45 minutes with bigger segments. Roast at 350 until fork tender and light golden.

3. Peel off skin and through pumpkin pieces in a blender or just store for later. Many recipes call for you to process in a blender with the other ingredients so no need to blend it now and later both. Can also just mash it if it is truly cooked to fork tender. Can be stored in freezer. 

This is a good resource with visual:

Best Pumpkin Puree Recipe - How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree (thepioneerwoman.com)  

Bacon Parmesan corn chowder

 6 oz bacon (or pancetta)

 1 medium onion, diced

 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced

 1 ½ tbsp whole grain mustard

 ¼ cup dry white wine (sherry worked fine as well)

 3 medium (Yukon gold) potatoes, diced (russet was fine)

2 c corn

3 c stock (chicken or other, for corn stock-see below)

 ⅓ cup heavy cream

 kosher salt, to taste

 coarsely cracked black pepper, to taste

 chives, thinly sliced for garnish

 shaved parmesan cheese, for serving

 

1. In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium high heat. Cook until browned and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta bits and reserve for topping. Remove all but 2 T fat. To the rendered fat, add the onions and garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, 5-6 min. Add the whole grain mustard and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

 

2. Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add corn, potatoes, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Add stock, bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.

 

3. Once the potatoes are tender, add heavy cream and stir to combine. Remove from heat (optional: using an immersion blender, blend the soup for 10-20 seconds making sure to leave some potatoes and corn intact). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with reserved pancetta, thinly sliced chives and parmesan cheese curls.

 

Original zwilling recipe had a first step for making your own corn stock: Using the back of a butter knife, scrape down 4 corn cobs into a stock pot, releasing the excess liquid and any extra kernels left over on the cob. Once done, the cobs should look dry and be free of any corn pieces. To make the corn stock add the chicken stock to the scraped corn mixture, cut cobs, 1 3 in piece parmesan rind and 1/2 lemon zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once the flavors have melded together, remove the corn cobs, shaking out any excess stock, discard the cobs and if you desire you can strain the stock.

https://kitchenwindow.com/recipe/zwilling-pancetta-parmesan-corn-chowder/

Chicken and Rice with Feta

 1 lb chicken (can use rotisserie chicken or breasts, thighs, etc.)

 ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste

 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

 3 tbsp oil

 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced into half moons

 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

 1 ½ cups long grain rice

 1 bay leaf

 3 cups low sodium chicken broth

 6 oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch length

 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

 ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh dill (or dried 1 t)

 1 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh oregano (or dried 1/2 t)

 ⅓ cup crumbled feta

 

1. Season the chicken if not already seasoned. If it's not already cooked, heat 1 tbsp. of the oil on medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook on one side about 3 minutes, until browned. Flip and cook on the other side about 3 minutes, until browned. Remove to a plate

 

2. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 1 tbsp. oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, remaining ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and rice and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and the rice is lightly toasted, 1 minute.

 

3. Add the bay leaf and broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add dill and oregano here if using dried. Return the chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices, cover and simmer 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent it from simmering over.

 

4. Sprinkle the green beans over the top of the chicken and rice, cover again, and continue to cook an additional 3 minutes to steam the beans. Then add the tomatoes, cover again, and cook 1 more minute. Uncover, gently stir in the lemon juice, dill, and oregano (if you haven't already) and adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve immediately with feta sprinkled over top.

 

5. If reheating, add a little broth or water to loosen the mixture.

Coleslaw

 

1 lb of cabbage (1/2 a cabbage), outer leaves removed

2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 c mayonnaise

1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or more to taste

1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or coarse ground mustard

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper or more to taste

salt if needed 

Directions:

1. Shred cabbage and grate carrots into a large bowl or tupperware. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and add. Eat right away or let sit in the fridge for an hour. 

Cauliflower Breakfast Casserole

 1 lb bacon strips, chopped

1 c chopped sweet onion

1 bell pepper (red and/or green)

9 large eggs (4 eggs was fine for a 1/2 recipe)

1 1/2 c ricotta cheese

4 c frozen riced cauliflower (could try substituting some hashbrowns for part of this)

2 c shredded cheddar

1 c shredded swiss

1/2 t pepper

1/4 t salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook bacon. Cook onion and peppers in 1 T bacon grease, 6-8 min or until tender. 

2. Whisk eggs and ricotta in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients and stir. Pour into 13x9 pan (8x8 was fine for 1/2 recipe). Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes. 

Cauliflower au Gratin

 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 lbs), cut into florets

2 T olive oil

1 t salt, divided

1 t pepper, divided

4 T butter, cubed

3 T flour

2 cups 2% milk

1 c shredded swiss

1/2 grated parmesan

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t ground mustard

1/2 t Worcestershire sauce

1/8 t cayenne pepper

Chopped fresh thyme, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375. Place cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper. Toss to coat. Bake for 8 minutes. Stir; bake until crisp-tender and lightly browned, 7-8 minutes longer (keep in mind it will be cooked more in the dish itself). 

2. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly; cook until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in next 6 ingredients and the remaining salt and pepper. 

3. Pour 3/4 c cheese sauce into a greased 2 qt baking dish. Top with cauliflower and remainging cheese sauce. Bake, uncovered until bubbly and lightly browned, 30-35 minutes. 

No can Tater Tot Hot Dish

 Filling

-1 lb ground beef

-10 oz mushrooms

-onion

-1 t. fresh thyme or equivalent dried

-2 medium zucchini (2 c) or other vegetables (green beans)

-1 6oz can tomato paste

-salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

-2 T butter (1 T can be leftover grease from beef)

-2 T flour

-1 T Dijon mustard

-2 c whole milk

-1 c orange cheese

-pinch nutmeg

-1/2 t black pepper

Toppings

-tater tots

-1/2 c cheese

1. Brown ground beef. Add mushrooms and onion (remove some of the grease or add butter, as needed). Cook until soft and tender 5-7 minutes. Add thyme, vegetables, tomato paste, salt and pepper and cook until heated through. Put in a 9x9 pan. 

2. Melt butter in the same pan and add flour. Whisk in mustard for a minute and then milk, until mixture is completely blended and hot. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, nutmeg, and pepper. Pour over beef mixture in pan. Some can be reserved to put on top of tater tots. 

3. Top with tater tots and extra cheese and sauce if desired. It gets a little mushy with sauce on top. Cook for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Cook some of the tots on a separate cooking sheet if you want some crispy ones. 

Cottage pie

Ingredients: 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
8 ounces (cremini) mushrooms, diced
2-3 medium carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef (or lamb for shepherd's pie)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups (beef) stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste (1/2 of a 6 oz can)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or equivalent dried)
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or equivalent dried)
1 cup frozen peas (or peas and carrots)
1 cup frozen corn
Sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Add a crunchy topping? Butter cracker crumbs or crunchy fried onions? Or cook it inside an actual pie crust?

Mashed potatoes for topping (see below):
-2.5 pounds (5 medium potatoes) potatoes (russet, Yukon gold, etc)

-1/4 cup butter
-1/2 cup whole milk, or more as needed
-2 ounces cream cheese
-sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Mashed Potatoes Directions: 
Halve the potatoes and cover with cold water. Salt the water. Bring the potatoes to a boil, and boil until fork tender. Drain the potatoes, and then mash. Season with salt and pepper, add 3 T butter (save the remaining 1 T to put on top) and continue to mash. Mix in cream cheese and milk, and mash until the potatoes are smooth and lump-free. Taste, and adjust the seasoning and milk to your preference.

Pie Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a large braiser or sauté pan, cook the onion in the olive oil until softened, add the garlic and ground beef, and continue to cook until the meat has browned. (Leave at least 2 T fat in the pan. If there's not enough room, meat can be removed for cooking vegetables and added back in later.) Add the mushrooms and carrots and continue to sauté until the vegetables are just tender.

3. Sprinkle the mixture with flour and stir until coated. Add the red wine and bring to a simmer. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme.

4. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly (about 8-10 minutes). Add the frozen peas and corn.

5. Season well with salt and pepper and remove the bay leaves, rosemary and thyme sprigs.

6. Place the meat mixture into a large baking dish or keep in the large braiser (needs to be big enough or it makes a big mess, bubbling over the top. Try 9x13.) Top with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. Cut up 1 T of butter and top to promote a golden crust. Add crunchy topping if desired?

7. Place the baking dish above a parchment-lined baking sheet to prevent spills. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown. Broil for extra browning, as desired. Garnish with fresh herbs, and serve warm.

Cheddar Ham Soup

It's like a healthier version of mac and cheese, with veggies instead of noodles!

2 C potatoes, diced (and peeled if you'd like)
1 1/2 or 2 C water (or broth)
1/2 c sliced carrot (I made coins and cut bigger ones in half)
onion (I used dried minced onion with broth mixture and frozen chopped onion in cheese sauce)

1/4 c butter, cubed
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 or 2 C milk (I used skim with some heavy cream, recipe says 2%)
1/2 t. salt or much less (depends on if you use salty ham and stock or not)
1/4 t. pepper
2 C cheddar cheese
1.5 C fully cooked ham, cubed
1 C frozen peas (peas and carrots worked fine for us)

noodles, optional (it tastes like mac and cheese, so adding noodles can make it more appealing to kids)

1. In a saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer covered, about 10-15 minutes (depending on size of chunks)

2. In another saucepan melt butter with some more onion for a few minutes. Stir in flour until smooth. Add milk, pepper, and salt to taste. Boil for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Add to undrained potato mixed. Ham and peas can be added to either mixture, if one is finished before the other.

Asparagus with Almond sauce

1 lb fresh or 10 oz frozen asparagus spears
1 T butter
3 T almonds
1 1/4 t cornstarch
1/2 c water (can use the asparagus water leftover)
2 t lemon juice
1/2 t instant chicken bouillon granules
dash black pepper

1. Snap off and discard woody bases from fresh asparagus. Cook in a small amount of boiling lightly salted water for 3-5 minutes, until crisp-tender (it keeps cooking after you take it out of the water so don't let it get too cooked). Drain, reserving 1/2 c water.

2. Melt butter in small saucepan, add almonds. Cook over medium low heat for 3-5 minutes or until golden. Stir in cornstarch. Add water, lemon juice, bouillon, pepper. Cook until thickened and bubbly, then two minutes more. Spoon over asparagus.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 c. broccoli
1 large carrot, finely chopped
3 c. chicken stock
2 c. half and half
2 bay leaves
1/2 t. salt (a little more if using a stock with no salt added)
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. pepper (I used white pepper)

1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. additional stock
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

5-6 bread bowls (8 oz)
Optional: could also crumble bacon or additional cheese on top

1. In stockpot, heat butter and saute onion and garlic until tender, 6-8 minutes. Stir in broccoli, carrot, stock, cream, and seasonings; bring to a boil then simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender (10 minutes).

2. Mix cornstarch and additional stock; stir into soup. Bring to a boil, stirring until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in cheese.

Roasted Cauliflower leaves

1. Take the leaves from a head of cauliflower and rinse them. Pat or shake dry and put in a bowl.

2. Drizzle olive oil over them and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, dill weed, and/or any other spices you'd like to try.

3. Roast in 400 degree oven for 10-20 minutes.

4. The longer they cook, the more they become like chips you can just eat like any other chip. Less cooking time, you can just treat like a warmed salad green of any kind and add nuts, dressing, etc.

Strawberry salad

Romaine or other lettuce/greens

Strawberries, avocado, pecans, feta cheese, other toppings as desired

Dressing: 

1/4 c olive oil

3 T. sugar

2 T. honey

2 T. cider vinegar

2 t. lemon juice

1/4 t. salt

1. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl. 

2. Divide lettuce among bowls or plates and top with sliced strawberries, dressing, etc.