Kale with Cranberries
(serves 8)
2 bunches kale, thick stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 T. olive oil
1 T. sweet balsamic vinegar
Steam kale until it is just tender. Heat a small skillet and toast pine nuts until brown, stirring carefully, about 3-4 minutes. Toss kale, pine nuts, and cranberries. Mix olive oil and balsamic vinegar; drizzle over greens and serve hot. (Recipe from Robert Wilmington.)
Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed with Kale & Quinoa
6 servings
3 medium red bell peppers
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 cups lightly packed dinosaur kale, thick stems removed, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 large shallots or 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400°F. Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving them attached. Remove the seeds. Lightly brush the peppers outside and inside with oil; sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper. Place, cut-side down, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake until peppers are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly. Turn cut-side up. Meanwhile, bring 2 cups salted water to a boil in a large wide pan. Stir in kale, cover and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water; squeeze dry. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped shallots (or onion); cook, stirring often, until shallots are golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the kale. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Spread pine nuts in small baking pan and toast at 400 degrees for five minutes. Remove and let cool. In mixing bowl, stir in cooked quinoa, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the filling among the pepper halves. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts. Add 2 tablespoons water to the baking dish. Cover the peppers with foil and bake until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes more. Serve hot.
African Greens, Peanut and Coconut Milk Stew
(serves 6)
3 bunches of kale (or other greens)
2 small hot peppers (habanero or milder ones, depending upon your tolerance for heat), chopped, seeds removed
8 cups chopped meaty plum tomatoes
1 large white onion, chopped
1 c. coconut milk (or to taste)
1/2 cup creamy natural unsalted peanut butter
optional: approx. 2-3 c. chopped cooked chicken, cooked beef, or cubed tofu, if desired
4 tablespoons peanut oil
salt, pepper, and ground hot red pepper to taste
Using a large stockpot, saute the onions over medium heat in the peanut oil until they’re just starting to brown; about 15-20 minutes. Add chopped hot peppers and saute for 5 minutes. Add greens while they are still wet from being rinsed. Stir well. Cover and let steam over heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, onion and 1/2 c. coconut milk. Make sure that greens are just covered in liquid. Add pinches of salt, black pepper and red pepper to taste. Turn heat down and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix peanut butter with remaining coconut milk. Once the greens are tender, add this mixture, along with cooked chicken, beef or tofu if desired, to the pot. Simmer gently for another 10 minutes or so. Serve over rice, grains or cooked cornmeal mush. (Ground nuts, or peanuts, are a frequent addition to African cooking. The coconut milk is an addition which my friend Katrina learned during her visits to Africa.)
Kale, Dates and Bulgar
(serves 6)
1 c. cooked bulgur
2 T. chopped walnuts, toasted
2 T. olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2-3 cloves finely chopped garlic, to taste
1 bunch finely sliced kale, tough stems removed
1/3 c. chopped pitted dates
4 t. white wine vinegar
salt to taste
Toast walnuts in small dry skillet over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes; remove. Add 1 and 2/3 tablespoons oil to large skillet and brown shallots over low-medium heat for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook another 15 seconds. Add the greens, dates, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar, salt, bulgar and cook until heated through. Drizzle with the remaining oil and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts before serving hot. (Cynthia Cottam adopted this recipe from one which called for mustard greens and bulgar. The slight sweetness of fresh kale is complemented perfectly by the addition of dates to this healthy and nutritious side dish.)
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