Tag Archives: kale

The Food Matters Project: Acorn Squash Ravioli

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Since I cut most dairy out of my diet, there are certain things I’ve missed, and ravioli is invariably one of them. Most restaurant raviolis are stuffed with mascarpone or ricotta cheese, and even butternut squash ravioli usually have cheese in the stuffing. But lately, I began to wonder why cheese should get to be the only thing stuffed inside a delicious pasta pocket. So tonight, I did a little experiment to see if I could make a good ravioli with acorn squash, inspired by this week’s Food Matters Project recipe. My gnocchi success last week had me feeling brazen, so rather than using wonton wrappers like many recipes recommended, I decided to make my own pasta dough.

And the result? While not incredibly pretty, I think they came out well for handmade, sans pasta machine. Even D, who loves his cheese, said they were great and very filling.

Acorn Squash Ravioli

1 acorn squash
ground nutmeg, to taste
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/2 red pepper, sliced
3 small leaves kale, chopped
juice of 1/4 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cut the acorn squash in half, scoop out the seeds and strings and put both halves face-down in an oven-safe dish with an inch or so of water underneath to keep it from burning. Roast until very soft when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes.

2. Let the squash cool until you can handle it and scoop out the flesh inside. Mash it well with a fork, then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste (go easy on the nutmeg and taste as you add it, as it can be strong). Fledgling tip: This step can be done in advance; I did it the night before to make things faster.

3. Mix together the flours in one bowl with a sprinkle of salt and the eggs and water in another. Slowly add the flours to the liquid bowl, stirring to combine. Add more water or flour as needed until it forms a thick dough. Knead it several times then let it rest for 20 minutes or so in the fridge.

4. Break the dough into thirds and roll one of them out on a flour-dusted work surface until it’s no more than 1/8 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into large squares, about an inch and half to two inches wide and tall. Put a teaspoonful or two of the squash mixture in the middle of the dough, then lay another square on top. Pinch the edges of the ravioli together using a fork, then wipe off excess squash that may have squeezed out. Lay the ravioli aside, then continue until you work your way through that section of dough and roll out the next. Once you start to get the hang of it, salt a medium to large pot of water and bring it to a boil as you work through the rest. Note: I didn’t end up using all the squash, so I put the rest away to use later this week.

5. Once the water is boiling, put the raviolis in the water in batches — don’t crowd them, but how many you can fit will depend on the size of your pot (I could fit about 6 or 7 in each batch). Give the water a quick stir after putting them in so they don’t stick to the bottom. A minute after each ravioli floats to the top, it’s done.

6. Put the butter and sage in a saucepan and let it melt over low heat. Put the peppers and kale in there and let them sauté. Add the lemon juice and some salt and pepper. As the ravioli finish in the pot, transfer them to the pan with the butter and give it an occasional stir. Add a bit of water from the ravioli pot if the mixture starts to stick, and stir occasionally.

7. Once all the ravioli are done, stir them in the pan to coat them equally with the sauce. Serve immediately.

See more recipes inspired by this week’s Food Matters Project here, and see the original butternut squash chowder recipe at Prairie Summers. And in case you’re wondering, here’s my go-to butternut squash soup recipe.

Related posts:
The Food Matters Project: Whole Wheat Carrot Gnocchi
The Food Matters Project: Baked Sweet Potato and Corn Cakes with Thai Dipping Sauce
The Food Matters Project: Quinoa with Braised Beef, Parsnips and Carrots
Butternut squash soup

The Food Matters Project: Whole Wheat Carrot Gnocchi

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If you’d told me 3 years ago I’d even be attempting to make gnocchi — by hand — I would have been amazed. I never dreamed I could make homemade pasta then; the idea that I would be making it in my own kitchen, by myself, would have been crazy. At that point I was proud of myself for being able to successfully cook a piece of fish.

This recipe was somewhat easier than I would have thought, but it was definitely time consuming. Between peeling and chopping the carrots, waiting 45 minutes for them to cook, shaping and cutting the dough, this was a labor of love.

whole-wheat-gnocchi-carrot-brussels-sprouts-roasted-tomatoes

But I can now say I’ve made gnocchi from scratch! And if I can do it, anyone can.

Whole Wheat Carrot Gnocchi, adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 large leaves kale
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cover the chopped carrots with water and bring it to a gentle boil. Cover and cook until the carrots are very tender, about 45 minutes.

2. Drain the carrots well, reserving the boiling water in a large bowl. Return the carrots to the dry pot and put over the lowest possible heat on the stove to dry them out, for about 10-15 minutes. Mash them when done, then stir in salt and pepper.

3. Mix the flours in another large bowl, then add the mashed carrots. Put the boiling water back in the pot and bring it back to a boil.

4. Mix the flours and carrots until combined. Test the dough when the water is boiling by taking a pinch of it and adding it to the water. If it holds its shape, you have enough flour. If not, add more until it does. Turn off the heat on the boiling water for now once you’ve got the right mixture.

5. Roll out a handful of dough on a clean, floured work surface into a rope shape about 1/2 inch thick. Cut one-inch pieces from the rope and put each chunk on a baking sheet. Continue this until all the dough is used, then put a towel over the cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or up to 2 hours.

6. When you’re almost ready to take the gnocchi out of the fridge, bring the water back to a boil, adding more if you don’t have enough in the pot. Put the olive oil and butter in a saucepan over low heat.

7. Once the water is boiling, add the gnocchi in batches so that they don’t pile up on each other. (I needed about 4 batches to get through my tray.) Turn the heat down a bit so it’s not boiling too vigorously, and give them a gentle stir. Wait for them to float to the top, which takes a few minutes. About a minute after they float up, remove them with a slotted spoon and put them in the pan with the olive oil and butter. Keep working in batches until they’re all transferred to the pan, stirring the pan occasionally so they are all coated with the oil and butter.

8. In the meantime, wash and chop the kale leaves. Once the last batch of gnocchi is done, briefly cook the kale in the boiling water. Once it’s softened, after about 3 minutes, move it to the pan with the gnocchi.

9. Add the chopped basil to the pan and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese and your choice of sides (we used roasted brussels sprouts and roasted tomato wedges).

See the original recipe at Eats Well With Others, and see more takes on the recipe from the rest of the Food Matters Project members here.

Market Finds: Turkish Eggplant

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One of my favorite Capitol Hill activities is exploring Eastern Market, and I’ve decided to share some of my best finds here. Check back each week for something delicious, unusual or downright fun, along with how I prepared it and where you can find it.

My first trip back to the market after vacation turned out very productive. I got heirloom tomatoes, broccoli, cilantro, and these fun Turkish eggplants.

turkish eggplant

These adorable little guys came from Sunnyside Farm set up on 7th St. SE, towards the north half of the market. They’re a regular staple on weekends, but they don’t come for Tuesday evenings.

I’d never seen Turkish eggplant before, so I asked about them and the stand owners recommended roasting and stuffing them as an appetizer. I used a ground beef and mushroom stuffing and threw some chopped kale in there for color.

To prepare the eggplant, I cut off the stems, cut each eggplant in half and scooped out a hole in each half.* I drizzled olive oil over a baking sheet and put them all hole side-down in the oil, then flipped them back face-up. I roasted them for about 20-30 minutes in the oven at 450 F. Your oven temps may vary, so make sure to check on them and take them out when they’re soft and browned.

Meanwhile, I prepared the stuffing. We had some cooked ground beef left over from dinner last night, so I chopped this up smaller and added some chopped mushrooms and chopped kale to the mixture. This all got sauteed in olive oil with a big clove of pressed garlic. You want to make sure to chop everything pretty small here so they can fit inside the hole you scooped from the eggplant.

When the eggplants were done, I put a spoonful of stuffing in each and sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on top. I stuck them back in the oven for just a few minutes at 300 F, until the cheese was melty.

Turkish eggplant with beef, mushroom and kale stuffing

The flesh of these eggplants is very smooth, and the skin retained its color through baking. They’d probably be great anywhere you’d use regular eggplant — curries, eggplant parmesan, even chili. I’d try the stuffing with lamb, too, and some sweet tomatoes would likely be great to offset the slight bitterness of the eggplant. For a vegetarian version, I’d recommend focusing on the mushrooms.

Fledgling tip: If you’re making any stuffing that includes mushrooms, it’s important to cook the mushrooms first because they let off a lot of water when they cook down, which will create a flash flood in your dish!

* Since I hate waste in the kitchen — especially when it’s delicious eggplant meat! — I chopped up the scooped out meat and sauteed it in olive oil with a clove of garlic as a topping for an open-faced sandwich with avocado! This tided me over until the eggplant was roasted.

eggplant avocado sandwich

Recipe: Purple chili

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Purple chili

I still had a beet left over after making beet chips for The Food Matters Project, and I was trying to figure out a creative use for it that wouldn’t involve turning on the oven. I’d used root vegetables before in chili, so why not try a beet chili?

Those of you who have cooked with beets before know they dye everything purple… everything. I figured if you can’t fight it, join it, so I made a lovely purple chili. Regular chili powder is fine here, but chipotle chili powder added a smokiness that balanced the earthy beets beautifully.

Purple chili

1 tbsp oil
1 beet
1/2 large (or 1 small) eggplant
1 hot pepper
1/2 onion
1-2 ears corn
2 leaves kale
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup cooked white beans
1 tsp chili powder or chipotle chili powder (or more, to taste)
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Peel and slice the beet into chunks. Put it in a food processor and pulse until it’s shredded.

2. Chop the onion, hot pepper and eggplant.

3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the beets, onion, hot pepper and eggplant.

4. Cut the corn from the ears and chop up the kale. Add those to the pan, then add the tomatoes with their juices.

5. Add the white beans, chili powder and salt and pepper. The amounts here will vary depending on the spices you’re using, but taste as you go and adjust the levels.

6. Simmer until thickened and all the vegetables are cooked through. Serve with cornbread or over rice.

Serves four, or two with leftovers.

We added some cooked chicken to D’s helping of this chili, but keep in mind if you add meat that it will probably need a heavier dose of the spices.

Related posts:

Spicy weeknight turkey chili

Smoothie of the Week: Sweet tart smoothie

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I’m puckering up and my mouth is watering just thinking about this smoothie as I write this. The tartness here comes from kiwi and a splash of lemon, so it isn’t overwhelming, balanced with mango for sweetness and a leaf of kale for nutrients and color. I’m quite beginning to enjoy drinking green smoothies!

Sweet tart smoothie kiwi kale mango orange juice lemon

Sweet tart smoothie

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh mango
1/2 cup orange juice
1 leaf kale
2 ice cubes
juice of one slice of lemon

Combine all ingredients in a smoothie mixer and blend. If you find the smoothie cup is filled to maximum capacity with the ingredients before the ice, blend it a bit first to take down the level and then add the ice cubes after and blend again.

Serve with a lemon slice as garnish, and squeeze on top of smoothie.

Serves one.

Related posts:

Green peach smoothie
Coconut banana smoothie pops
Purple smoothie

Smoothie of the Week: Green peach smoothie

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This smoothie was not made with green peaches, contrary to its name. It was made with regular peaches and dyed green by kale.

I’ve mentioned using kale in smoothies before, but this is certainly not the only leafy green you can use. Swiss chard and spinach also work great. You might be asking why greenery should go in a smoothie in the first place, and the answer is that it’s an easy way to get a ton of extra nutrients. And it’s not a punishment to drink it, either: if you put kale in a smoothie with a ripe banana, I promise you will not be able to taste it.

The trick when you’re making a smoothie with greenery is to remember your color palette and measure your ingredients accordingly. When you mix green foods with yellow foods (like peaches and bananas), you’ll end up with green. When you mix green foods with red foods, you may end up with brown. If the color is making your stomach turn, pouring it into an opaque glass doesn’t mean you’re a wimp. You’ll eventually grow to love your green smoothies so much that the color won’t matter. This one turns out a vibrant, rather pretty green.

Smoothie ingredients

Green peach smoothie

1 ripe banana
1 leaf kale, washed and stemmed
1/2 peach
1/2-1 cup orange juice
ice, as needed

Put the first three ingredients in your smoothie maker. Add orange juice, starting with 1/2 a cup. If you have a smoothie maker that measures the ingredients in a glass like this, a good rule of thumb is to put in the other ingredients first and then fill the cup with juice until it gets to about the halfway point.

Blend and add more juice and ice as needed to get the consistency you want.

Serves one.

Green peach smoothie

Smoothie of the Week: Purple Smoothie

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I mentioned that I got a smoothie maker for Christmas, and as the days have been getting hotter, it has been getting more and more of a workout. I decided to start a weekly chronicle of the smoothies we’ve been making. Tell me about your favorite recipe in the comments and I’ll try it out!

Purple smoothie (raspberries and kale)

I love vegetables, but I love them even more when they’re disguised as fruit. This smoothie takes on a beautiful red-purple color because of the raspberries and a tart flavor with plain yogurt, and you can’t even tell there’s kale in there. I’m calling it Purple Smoothie because that sounds more delectable than raspberries and kale. Try adding strawberries and blueberries for a berry blast.

Purple smoothie

1 leaf kale, washed, stemmed and torn into pieces
3/4 cup frozen raspberries
3/4 cup yogurt
1-2 ice cubes

Pulse all ingredients in a smoothie maker or blender until smooth. Garnish with raspberries if desired.

Serves one.

Loads-of-veggie omelet

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Since I generally don’t have a whole lot of time to spend on breakfast during the week, omelets are one of my favorite weekend treats. I don’t really like meat at breakfast (my stomach doesn’t handle it well that early) so I load them up with vegetables, and a trick I’ve been using lately for a super flavorful all-vegetarian omelet is canned tomatoes. I think it’s even better than using fresh tomatoes, and here’s why: you can add a couple spoonfuls of the juice and you have an instant vehicle to add spices while the rest of the vegetables absorb it and get soft.

Here’s how it works:

Heat a sprayed 8-inch non-stick pan over medium heat and add whatever chopped vegetables you like (I use whatever I have on hand, but I really like onions, mushrooms, kale and broccoli). Brown them just a bit (less than 5 minutes), then add a spoonful or two of tomatoes and a couple spoonfuls of the juice. Since the pan is hot, it will probably start bubbling pretty much immediately. Quickly shake in some salt and pepper and garlic powder, maybe some oregano or whatever you like, and I usually add a couple of red pepper flakes, and then mix them all in. As the juice from the tomatoes cooks off, the rest of the vegetables will absorb the flavors of the spices as well as the yummy juice from the tomatoes. If the liquid evaporates before the vegetables are soft enough for your liking, just add a bit more as needed.

Remove the vegetables from the pan when the liquid is all gone and the veggies are soft. You may need to wipe it out quickly and respray it. Heat it back up and add two beaten eggs (I like to use one whole and one white). Once it sets, flip it over and sprinkle some cheese on top, then pile the vegetables up on half of it. Fold the empty half over the covered half and remove from heat once the cheese has melted.

As far as cheese, I will often use a slice of soy cheese just to make it a little heart healthier, because once it’s melted you can’t really tell the difference. But on the weekends, sometimes you need a special treat, and I love to grate a super sharp cheddar over this.

Omelet veggies with tomato and juice

TIP: If you do want to make this during the week, the really time-consuming part is the vegetables, so you could make a pan of these on the weekend and just stick them in the fridge. That way, you just have to make the egg part in the morning, which is relatively easy to do with minimal caffeine in your system.

Black bean burrito bowl

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Yes, I’m a fan of alliteration. But mostly, I was just hungry and tired after a long, rainy run tonight. (But inspired – did anyone else see the view of the Lincoln Memorial and Rosslyn from the Monument this evening? Dark, stormy and awesomely terrifying. Wish I had my camera. But I digress.)

Back to my point. Rainy run ramification: ravenous runner. (Alliteration again; altogether annoying. Okay, I’ll stop now.) I threw together this delicious black bean burrito bowl and it took all of five minutes. Win-win.

Black bean burrito bowl

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canned black beans, undrained
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 leaf kale, rinsed and dried (you could also use spinach, but I prefer kale)
1/4 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup corn
hot sauce, to taste
a liberal sprinkle of taco seasoning
avocado
salsa
plain nonfat yogurt

1. Heat up the beans in a small pot over medium-low heat.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat.

3. Shred the kale into fairly small pieces and add them to the pan with the oil. Stir them often so they don’t burn.

4. As the kale begins to cook down, throw in the rice and the corn.

5. Sprinkle a bit of taco seasoning and a splash of hot sauce over the pan and stir.

6. When the pan mixture and the beans are heated through (it took me about 3-4 minutes), remove from heat and spoon it into a bowl.

7. Top with salsa, yogurt (or sour cream) and sliced avocado.

Serves one.

I know the photo doesn’t have any avocado on it, but that’s because I ate it all last time I made this. (Aka last night.)

Veggie breakfast scramble

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Veggie breakfast scramble

I celebrated DC’s first snow of the season with this veggie breakfast scramble this morning.

Ingredients:

1 egg
2 egg whites
1 tbsp skim milk
1 leaf kale
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
3 tbsp chopped onion
1/2 small tomato
1 oz. cheddar cheese
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

1. Wash and shred the kale, then wash and chop the mushrooms.

2. Beat together the egg, egg whites and milk.

3. Grease and heat a pan.

4. Cook the kale, onions and mushrooms in the pan for about 5 minutes or until the kale has wilted and the onions are soft.

5. Add the eggs to the mixture and stir.

6. Chop the tomato into chunks and add after the eggs. Stir until the eggs are cooked through and the tomatoes are warmed.

7. Grate the cheddar cheese over the scramble and add salt, pepper and garlic powder as needed.

Serves one.

I bet this would be great with some kind of breakfast meat, too, but I didn’t have any on hand. Leave comments if you have any other great scramble additions.