KALE & HEARTY

So; kale is now sexy. It’s cool. It’s the cruciferous kid with the swagger; the one all the other plants can only dream of being. Who could have seen this coming? I mean, kale has always been so green and geeky.

We shouldn’t be that surprised.  Other vibrant greens brimming with unlocked personality have had their time with the in-crowd. (Think of George H. Bush proclaiming he HATED broccoli. Love it or hate it, suddenly broccoli was HIP!) Why shouldn’t kale, this power-plant, be prom king for a day?

KALE, CAESAR!

(My adaptation inspired by Bon Appetit. So you know it’s gotta be good.)

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

8 anchovy fillets

2 large garlic cloves

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 scant cup good quality, extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated Pecorino-Romano, divided

Dash of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large bunch kale, thinly sliced (about 9-10 cups) 

1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and finely chopped

(A note about anchovies: Even if you’re a die-hard “never touch the stuff” anchovy hater, I strongly encourage you to try them here. Their briny umami blends in so completely with the dressing, that it takes this dish over the top. If you truly can’t stomach the thought of anchovies, add a tablespoon of Worcestershire and a another couple tablespoons of the Pecorino-Romano.)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender or food processor (I love my mini-processor for this). Blend until smooth. Add the olive oil, a bit at a time, and blend until emulsified. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Chill. (This will keep for a couple of days.)

Toss the kale and dressing together, top with remaining cheese and the chopped egg. 

ALL HAIL THE KALE!

HOME, SWEET HEALTHY HOME

This a a great post-vacation boost. (You know that lethargic, bloated, more-fatigued-than ever feeling? Even though you’re back from your get-a-way and supposed to feel rested!) So, here to nourish overstuffed, under exercised bodies is this nutrient dense, meal-in-a-bowl salad!  And best of all, it doesn’t seem like a punishment! It’s absolutely scrumptious. Even more so the following day. So rest up and eat up.

 

It will be like you never said good-bye.

WHEAT BERRY SALAD

• 21/2 cups wheat berries
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, julienned
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• Sea Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper

DRESSING:

• 1/3 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar (I used a combination)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1/4 cup caper berries, rough chop
• 1/2 cup olive oil ( I happened to have a blood orange flavoured olive oil, which worked perfectly. But a touch of citrus zest would do the trick.)
• Dash of sea salt
• Hit of freshly ground pepper

Cover wheat berries with water and add a little salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. It will take the wheat berries about 11/2 or 2 hours to soften. Drain any water that may remain. (You could soak the wheat berries overnight to reduce cooking time.)

 Cool the wheat berries slightly, place in a salad bowl with remaining ingredients (up to the dressing) and toss together gently until the wheat berries have “de-clumped”.

Add the salad dressing, toss again. Let the salad hang out for a few hours or overnight to let the flavours get to know each other. Take the salad out of the fridge in plenty of time to come to room temperature. Much better than refrigerator cold.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE.....

WRITTEN ON AN OLD OVEN MITT?

by Shelley Kary

When my good friend (and superb hostess!), Theresa, had the girls over for dinner, much oohing and aahing occurred over a particularly tasty fresh bread she served. We were, of course, doubly impressed when Theresa revealed she had baked it herself. I mean, who does that anymore?! When I asked her to please share the recipe she happily obliged. BY PRODUCING THIS OVEN MITT! As you can see, this mitt is mature and much loved (a fate we can all only hope to achieve), which only makes me more grateful to Theresa for sharing (both the bread and the recipe). I feel I’ve been let in on a glimpse of her Irish family history and in so doing, managed to glean a little “insider information”. 

I’ll take it. And then I’ll bake it. I’m hoping you will too. The mitt stops here. 

Theresa’s Oven Mitt Real Irish Soda Bread

(It has since been revealed to me that Theresa substituted her own variations to the original recipe. Since this is the deliciousness I experienced, the modified version appears below.) 

2 cups wholewheat flour

1 cup wheat bran

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup ground flax seed

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet or cover it with parchment paper. In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg a bit and mix into the olive oil and the buttermilk.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Lightly knead with your hands. Don’t overdo this part! 

Form dough into a round and place on a baking sheet. (Theresa likes to cut a cross on the top, just because!)

Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

THE GANG'S ALL HERE. OR NOT

You know how weekends can be. How to predict who’s popping in when? How many? How few? What level of hunger?

For this reason I’ve grown extremely attached to “one pot make-aheads”. When I have something lovely bubbling away on the stove,  my entire nervous system gently unwinds. The aroma, the sense of accomplishment, the absence of fear. The whole gang can show up, or part of the gang, or none of the gang. I have adequate sustenance for any  scenario. Of course, if NO ONE shows, we could be eating salmon chowder until, well, until next weekend. When the process begins again. 

CRABBY SALMON CHOWDER

1/2 pound bacon, cut into bite size pieces

2 large onions, chopped 

A couple stalks of celery, with leaves, chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels 

A pinch of red pepper flakes

4 large cloves garlic  minced

 A couple sprigs of thyme

A couple sprigs of rosemary

A couple of medium sized potatoes (about 1/2 pound), cubed (about inch cubes)

1 cup broth, (chicken or vegetable)

2 cups whole milk 

3/4 whipping cream

1 28 oz can tomatoes, drained (San Marzano preferably)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1pound fresh or frozen wild salmon, skin removed, cubed (if you happen to have Bay Seasoning, sprinkle a little of this on and let it sit on the salmon while you prepare the rest of the chowder. It adds another depth of flavour) 

1cup crabmeat

1/2 cup fresh minced dill

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Sauté bacon. Transfer with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels.

Discard all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Sauté onions and celery in the bacon fat until very brown. Add  corn, pepper flakes, a little salt and pepper, and let it all brown on medium heat for about 8 minutes. Add garlic and herbs and sauté for another couple of minutes, until fragrant.

Add the potatoes, sprinkle with a little salt and sauté with the other vegetables for a couple of minutes.  Add the liquids, tomatoes and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  

(At this point, everything can just hang out for a good long time on low heat. But save the following steps until just before serving)

Add the salmon and reserved bacon. 

Cook just until salmon turns pink. 

Remove the sprig of thyme and rosemary

Add lemon juice and dill. Taste for salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with a bit more dill and serve!

'NACH'O AVERAGE POTATOES

As everyone knows, the whole purpose of preparing a lavish feast is to surround ourselves with the people we love. (Or is it the other way around.....? I can never remember.) Nevertheless, in our family, love of food and each other is so intertwined that at times we seem unable to distinguish between the two.
The good news-bads news scenario is that one of us always seems to be coming or going. Which naturally equates to the perfect excuse (welcome home or farewell) for feast and fun!
We paired these potatoes with a highly acclaimed Hot Sauce Turkey, and couldn't decide which one was actually the main course.
(Check out upcoming Disheveled Chef blog for Hot Sauce Turkey recipe).

                                                  'NACHO'O AVERAGE POTATOES

12 Large Russet Potatoes
2 cups sour cream
4 tablespoons hot sauce
8 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (more or less, according to your taste. Or sub parsley)
1 tablespoon onion powder
11/2 cup crushed nacho chips (your choice of flavour, I used chipotle. Yum!)
(plus reserved nacho chips for sprinkling)
4 cups shredded mexican-blend cheese (plus extra for sprinkling )
Salt
Pepper

Toppings (Optional)
Salsa
Sour Cream
Guacamole

Scrub potatoes, pierce a few holes in them with a fork, and bake at 425 F for about 11/4 hours, or until soft. When they're cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthways. Then scoop out the insides, leaving about a 1/4 inch of potato around the edge. Place scooped out potato in very large mixing bowl.

Lightly mash the potatoes, and stir in the rest of the ingredients until well combined (keeping aside the reserved nacho chips and cheese). Be careful not to over mix though, as the potatoes could get gluey. Taste for salt and pepper, adjust if necessary. Also, if filling appears too dry, you could add more sour cream or even a bit of milk.

Now, evenly distribute filling in all the potato shells. Sprinkle with the reserved nacho chips and cheese.

Place on large baking sheet (with this amount you'll need two). Bake at 425F again for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melty. I like to switch racks halfway through.

Serves 24 (ideally)
Serves 12 (realistically)

Roast Eggplant Bruschetta Chicken

Although I love the organic produce delivered to my doorstep each week, at times it can be a bit of grab bag. Last Friday, upon discovering an immense eggplant lurking amongst the yummies, I knew to expect unrest around my kitchen table. My husband (usually a staunch fan of my culinary skills) had thus far rejected all my wily attempts to fool him into enjoying the purple pretty.

However, this particular concoction met with applause. Success! The flavours of the chicken drippings, the tangy acidity of the tomato mixture, the oven browning prior to adding the other ingredients...these things all added up to transforming the eggplant into something beyond a mere vegetable (well, actually a fruit, but that’s a whole other blog) and into a silken carrier of scrumptiousness.

Roast Eggplant Bruschetta Chicken

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, halved

1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise, about 1” thick

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt

Pepper

1 28 oz can good quality tomatoes, drained

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup capers

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper 

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.  Brush a large baking sheet with olive oil. Lay the eggplant slices atop. Brush eggplant with the with a bit more olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 5 minutes.

In the meantime, brush chicken breasts with remaining olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Lay chicken on top of eggplant slices and roast for about 10 minutes, or until chicken is nicely browned.

Remove chicken/eggplant baking sheet from the oven, and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Combine remaining ingredients, breaking up the tomatoes a bit. Pour this mixture over the chicken. 

Return entire thing to the oven and roast for about another 40 minutes or until chicken is  no longer pink.

Great spooned over rice, pasta or baby roast potatoes

GOING GREENS

Today the world is green, and so too, must be our dinner plates! It’s the time of year to sprout fresh ways with, well, fresh things. As in chard greens, beet greens, kale, baby spinach, grown-up spinach.....mix and match till your heart’s content (and, oh yes, your heart will be content). Mother Nature is helping out in the kitchen big-time this summer, so let’s take advantage.

(I’ve used spinach in this recipe, but you could happily substitute any green of your choice. Also, you will have success making it a couple of hours ahead, if you cook everything just up to the point of wilting the spinach. That way it can hang out on the stove as you get on with the rest of dinner.)

SAUTEED ONION, TOMATOES AND SPINACH

¼ cup olive oil

2 large onions, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 large beefsteak tomatoes, large dice

8-10 cups spinach

½ cup kalamatas, pitted

3 scallions, minced

Splash of red wine vinegar

Drizzle of white truffle oil (optional, but advised)

Heat olive oil to medium high. Add the onions and the mushrooms, sauté. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Turn the heat down slightly after the initial browning and let them go for a while, until deeply browned and sumptuous.

Add tomatoes and garlic and let them cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Toss in the spinach, kalamatas and scallions. Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the spinach has wilted.

For the grand finale add the red wine vinegar and truffle oil (if you don’t happen to have truffle oil lingering in the cupboard, a bit more olive oil or a dab of butter will do the trick).

Consume with great gusto!