Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup

This soup isn’t healthy in the least, and I make no apologies for it. The more butter, the merrier. And don’t forget the heavy whipping cream! This is an easy recipe to follow and can be on the table in about 35-40 minutes. Save it for those bitter cold winter days when all you want to do is snuggle up on the couch with a warm blanket. Makes about 6 servings.

What you will need:
3 large baking potatoes
lots and lots of butter. I didn’t measure here, so I’m assuming maybe 3 T? Maybe more??!
1 leek
1/2 a bunch of lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan or dinosaur kale)
1 c heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 packets of Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Mushroom Soup Mix
3 1/2- 4 c water
1 c potato flakes

In a pot, bring water to a boil. Dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes and add them to the boiling water (cutting them into smaller pieces before boiling them cuts down on cooking time). Boil for about 15- 20 minutes, or until they are done. Meanwhile, in a separate large pot, melt butter over medium low heat. Chop the leeks and add them to the pot. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chop the kale into 1/8 inch pieces. Once the potatoes are done, drain and add them to the pot with the leeks, along with the kale, heavy whipping cream, water, and the packets of Lipton onion mushroom soup mix. Turn the heat up to medium, add the potato flakes and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve garnished with scallions.

Warm Lentil Salad

This warm salad is an easy, one pot, recipe that will be done and ready to eat in less than 25 minutes. It makes for a great lunch or dinner on the go (just throw it in a container and grab a fork!), and you can switch up the seasons to your liking. And, you can always freeze the leftovers! The measuring is up to you, so make as much or as little as you want, measuring isn’t important here!

What you will need:
lentils
kale
carrots
celery
onion
seasonings (I used a few twists of the lemon pepper grinder, a pinch of green curry powder, Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids and garlic powder. Other great suggestions- yellow curry sauce, bbq sauce and hot sauce mixed, a cube of vegetable bouillon, or Italian seasoning.)

In a medium size pot, bring water to a boil and add lentils. Chop the kale into small leaves and chop the carrots, celery, and onion and add to the pot of lentils. Continue to boil for 20- 25 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. If there’s any excess water, drain it. Add seasonings and serve!

Mushroom, Lentil and Kale Stew (Vegan!)

This hearty stew is full of fresh veggies like onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms and kale. And it’s vegan, too! Lentils are full of fiber that will help keep you fuller longer and help keep you warm on those chilly winter nights. I like to make this stew with intentions of freezing half of it for when I don’t have time (or don’t want) to cook. This recipe yields a lot of stew, so I’d recommend freezing some of it if you don’t have intentions of eating it throughout the week. This is also a great recipe to make on the weekend when you have a Saturday afternoon free since this crock pot recipe is time consuming.

What you will need:
a large crock pot and medium pot
8 oz crimini mushrooms
1 T vegetable oil
1 c red lentils
1 c green lentils
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
1/2 of an onion
5 c vegetable broth (preferably mushroom based)
1/4- 1/2 lb of kale

Turn crock pot on high heat and start to melt the butter. Cut the crimini mushrooms in half and add to the crock pot, stir and continue to cook for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add the red and green lentils to the pot. Cook for 20 minutes and drain any excess water. You can also chop the onion, celery and carrots while the lentils cook. Set lentils aside. Once the mushrooms have cooked for 45 minutes, add the onions, celery and carrots and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop kale into thin slices, then cut those slices in 3rds. Add 5 cups of vegetable broth to the crock pot and add the kale and cooked lentils. Continue to cook for about another hour and a half or until the kale has wilted and the carrots and celery have softened. Serve with crusty, buttery toast on a chilly winter day.

Pomegranate and Pistachio Kale Salad with a Honey Goat Cheese and Fig Balsamic Dressing

Start off the new year right with this colorful, easy to make, simple salad that’s rich with antioxidants and vitamins from chia seeds, pomegranate seeds and kale. An aged fig balsamic vinegar acts as the perfect base for the dressing, but any rich, flavorful balsamic vinegar will do. This salad will last for a couple of days in the fridge, too, so you can eat healthy all week!

What you will need:
The Dressing
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/8 c olive oil
2 oz honey goat cheese (if honey goat cheese isn’t readily available, add about a spoonful or less of honey to the dressing.)

juice of 1/2 lemon

The Salad
1 bunch of kale (about 1 lb)
seeds from 1/2 of a pomegranate
a few handfuls of pistachios (shells removed!)
a handful or two of chia seeds
2 oz honey goat cheese

In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the salad dressing and whisk until the goat cheese is mixed in (there will be little pieces of goat cheese in the dressing and that’s fine). Chop kale into bite size pieces and add to a large mixing bowl. “Massage” the kale between your hands. This breaks down the cellulose wall making it less bitter and tough while making it easier to eat. A good 5 minute rubdown should do the trick. You can add the dressing before or right after this step, it just depends on how messy you want to get. Add the chia seeds, pomegranate seeds and pistachios and mix. Serve in a bowl with the remaining honey goat cheese crumbled on top.

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Egg-cellent Fried Egg, Goat Cheese, and Fresh Herb Kale Wrap

Initially, this recipe wasn’t intended for a blog post (hence the low quality cell phone picture). I was just hungry and needed a good breakfast void of a lot of carbs but high in protein. I also need to use up the massive amount of kale in my fridge. And goat cheese. Oh my gosh, goat cheese. I used honey goat cheese for this recipe, but really, any type of cheese will do. Makes one serving.

What you will need:
2 eggs
butter for frying
1 large kale leaf
honey goat cheese, crumbled
fresh herbs (i used rosemary. basil, dill and thyme are a couple of good ones, just too name a few)

Warm a frying pan on medium- low heat and coat it in butter. Slowly and carefully crack the eggs directly into the pan, letting the whites pour out first. If the pan is hot enough, the whites will begin to set and keep the yolk centered. Cover the eggs with a lid and continue to cook. They are done when the whites are set and the outer edges are just starting to curl up. I didn’t time this part, but I’m guessing it takes about 4-5 minutes or so. Lay out the kale flat on a plate and carefully transfer the eggs from the pan to the piece of kale. Top with crumbled honey goat cheese (or your choice of cheese), fresh herbs and maybe some scallions, too. Enjoy!

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Vegetarian Meatball Stew

This is a great crock pot recipe full of veggie meatballs, mushrooms, onions, butternut squash, and kale. The rich, savory, mushroom and onion soup broth is really what makes this stew so crave-able. My secret is using Lipton Mushroom Onion Soup packets. It’s a dry soup mix that is very hearty, savory, and buttery, giving it a very French feel. It almost tricked my friend into thinking it was beef broth (even though she knows better!).

The great thing about stew is that you can throw in any vegetables you want. If you’re not a fan of butternut squash, you can always use sweet potatoes or just regular old potatoes. Swiss chard and spinach are also great greens to use if kale’s not your thing.

What you will need:
2 large portobello mushroom caps
1 small red onion (or half of a large one), diced
1 box of MorningStar Farms Veggie Meatballs
10 oz package of frozen butternut squash
2 very large pieces of kale, cut into 1/4 inch strips
2 tbs butter, plus more for sauteing
1 1/2- 2 packages of Lipton Mushroom Onion Soup Mix (depending on taste)
5 cups of water

Turn the crock pot on to high heat and add 2 tbs butter. Dice the two portobello mushrooms (including the stem) into large cubes and add them to the crock pot. Large chunks are good here. It’s a stew, so big, “meaty” pieces are a good thing. Dice the red onion and add that to the crock pot as well. Cook for about 45 mins- 1 hour, or until mushrooms reduce and are cooked through. Meanwhile, In a skillet over medium heat, add butter and veggie meatballs and cook until they are golden brown on the outside and heated through. Set them aside. Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the butternut squash and broth. Continue to cook for another 20 minutes. Then, chop the kale into 1/4 strips and add to the crock pot. Continue to cook until kale is wilted. Add the veggie meatballs and serve with bread and butter.

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Top 10 Ways to Prepare Kale

Do you feel lost in a world full of kale? Eatlocalgrown.com compiled a top 10 list of great ways to prepare kale. Not all of the recipes are meat free, like the kale soup, but it’s easy enough to leave out the meat products or substitute them with beans, lentils, mushrooms or your favorite fake meat.

Top 10 Ways To Prepare Kale from Eatlocalgrown.com

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Autumn Salad with Baby Kale, Red Apples, and Smoked Gouda in a Homemade Mustard Dressing

The flavors of fall are upon us, so lets celebrate with great tasting fall food! The richness of smoked Gouda compliments the sweetness of red apple along with the tartness of the mustard dressing beautifully. Paired with yesterday’s recipe of curried butternut squash soup, you’ll have a meal that is guaranteed to satisfy! Makes two servings.

What you will need:
6 oz baby kale
1 red apple, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
3 oz smoked Gouda, diced into 1/2 cubes
4 hard boiled eggs
1 tomato
2-3 spoonfuls of stone ground mustard, depending on personal taste
extra virgin olive oil
apple cider vinegar
Bragg’s liquid amino’s

Prepare the hard boiled eggs. In mixing bowl, combine baby kale, smoked Gouda, red apples and tomato and drizzle with just enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the leaves. Add a touch of apple cider vinegar and a touch of Bragg’s liquid amino’s along with a couple spoonfuls of stone ground mustard. Mix until everything is evenly coated, then add hard boiled eggs. Serve with curried butternut squash soup or any other fall soup and sweet cinnamon toast.

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Curried Butternut Squash Soup paired with Apple, Caramelized Onion and Sage Grilled Cheese

The use of yellow curry and chili powder adds just a subtle kick of flavor to this creamy, autumn soup, while still using the traditional butternut squash soup seasonings of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Pairing it with a smoked gouda and sage derby grilled cheese, sandwiched together with caramelized onions, red apple (sliced paper thin) and baby kale on a sweet, cinnamon bread, makes for the PERFECT combination of fall flavors.

Also, there’s no need to use a food processor for this soup, like most butternut squash soup recipes call for. I’ve found that mashing the butternut squash into the pot after it’s been roasted gives it the best consistency. It felt like eating adult baby food when I once tried blending it in the food processor, and no one wants that.

I used a very small butternut squash for this recipe that made 4 servings.

What you will need:
1 small butternut squash
2c onion soup broth
2 1/2 oz coconut milk
1/3 c yellow curry sauce (my favorite is the one from Trader Joe’s)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of clove
Coconut Greek yogurt to garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the butternut squash on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes or until tender. Remove the seeds and discard. In a pot over medium heat, add the onion soup broth, yellow curry sauce and butternut squash. Mash the squash into the pot with a spoon and add your cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, coconut milk and butter. Serve garnished with coconut Greek yogurt.

Now, to make this delicious, savory grilled cheese, you will need sage derby cheese, smoked gouda, thinly sliced red apple, caramelized onions, and baby kale, all sandwiched between two slices of sweet cinnamon bread. Grill in a pan with butter and serve with curried butternut squash soup.

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Chipotle Corn and Kale Salad

Yesterday was one of those days where I opened up the fridge, looked at the minimal amount of ingredients that I had on hand and thought, “What can I make with this?”. The result was a deliciously satisfying kale salad with a slight kick from chipotle vegenaise. Since I made this on a whim, I didn’t use any measurements for the salad dressing. If you’re having trouble making the dressing, less is always more when you start off. You can always add more if you feel that the dressing is lacking a certain flavor or ingredient, but it’s almost impossible to take away an ingredient once you’ve added too much of it. That being said, this is a very simple and easy salad to make and doesn’t take much time at all. Makes 2 servings.

What you will need:
2 small ears of corn or 1 big ear
1/2 bunch of kale (about 1/2 lb.)
1/2 orange pepper, chopped
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
lemon salted, raw sprouted seeds from Plant Kingdom Bakery
extra virgin olive oil
apple cider vinegar
stone ground mustard
Chipotle Vegenaise
Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and roast the ears of corn for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, rip the pieces of kale into bite size pieces (no need to use a knife!) and add to a mixing bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar and an even smaller drizzle of Bragg’s liquid aminos. Add two generous spoonfuls of stone ground mustard and chipotle vegenaise each, then “massage” the dressing into the kale. Massaging the dressing into the kale will make it more tender and easier to eat. Then, carefully remove the kernels of corn from the cob with a knife and add to the salad along with chopped orange pepper, thinly sliced red onion and lemon salted raw sprouted seeds. Mix all ingredients together and serve in salad bowls.

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