Of the hearty "cooking" greens, kale is my #1 favorite!! Here's a favorite one I developed that is not only inexpensive & super easy to make, but is also great for a buffet as it's just as good at room temp as it is piping hot.

GREEK PENNE PASTA WITH KALE AND FETA

1 pound penne pasta (I like the Barilla brand), cooked according to package directions & drained
1 block/container of Feta cheese, chopped/crumbled
Approx. 24 Kalamata olives, pitted, & roughly chopped**
Approx. 1 pound Kale, rinsed, stems removed & discarded, & leaves roughly sliced or chopped
1 red onion, peeled & chopped
A few dollops of extra-virgin olive oil for sauteeing
Dash or so of chicken broth or water
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

While the cooked pasta is draining in a colander, heat the olive oil & saute the onion until soft but not brown in the same large pot the pasta was cooked in. Add the kale, stir a bit, & add a dash or 2 of chicken broth or water to prevent burning. Add chopped olives & continue stirring until kale has wilted down. Add cooked pasta, feta cheese, & crushed red pepper flakes (if using) & gently stir again until pasta is heated through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

**Pitting the olives is accomplished easily by simply placing your broad kitchen knife (sharp side away from you) over each olive a briskly hitting down on the flat side of the knife with your hand. Olive will break open & pit will be easy to remove.

Here's another favorite I adapted for my non-red-meat-eating husband:

PORTUGUESE KALE & TURKEY SAUSAGE SOUP

One medium yellow onion, peeled & chopped
One pound of kale, de-ribbed & roughly sliced/chopped
1-1/2 quarts or so of chicken stock (if not homemade, I usually use one carton + one can of Swanson's)
Two medium potatoes, peeled & diced -OR- two cans of white cannelini beans, drained & rinsed**
One package (usually 12 to 16 ounces) turkey kielbasa sausage, sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large soup pot add enough olive oil to coat the bottom & saute onion until starting to soften, but now brown. Add sliced sausage & continue sauteeing until everything is just starting to brown a little. Add chicken stock & diced potatoes (if using) & simmer until potatoes are tender - about 15 minutes or so. Add kale & continue cooking until kale is tender. (**If using beans instead of potatoes, add chicken stock & bring to a simmer. Add kale & cook until tender; then add beans & stir gently until beans are just heated thru.) Add salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste & serve.

quote:

Originally posted by BreezyGardener:
GREEK PENNE PASTA WITH KALE AND FETA

Be still my beating heart! Thanks so much, Breezy. That's exactly the kind of dish I was looking for, but just didn't know it! My mom will be here next week for a while (therefore I must prepare actual meals for a change) and I predict we'll both love it!

By the way, Breezy, I just have to ask if it would be ok to share this recipe with some potential future kale fans (hardly anyone around here is familiar with it ) ... email me if you like: info at wordcures dot com. Thanks!

Sure - share away. Just don't publish it - lol!! I'm still hoping that someday I'll gather up all my cooking experiments into a book someday.

Thanks!

By the way ... yep, it's macaroni & cheese again!

Hey - there ain't nothing wrong with mac & cheese. In fact, it's one of my favorites. Personally, I like a "4 cheese" version best, but also like additions of diced turkey ham &/or broccoli to beef up the health factor.

And I'm not ashamed to admit that one of my favorite "comfort foods" is commercial mac & cheese (Kraft or Velveeta) served alongside commercial breaded fish sticks.

In context, I just posted a mac & cheese & scapes recipe yesterday on the garlic scape thread. (Left out my secret ingredient - a hot dog.)

Big fan!

I've made kale chips in the dehydrator before which are great, but not everyone has a dehydrator. Here's a recipe for baked kale chips which sounds delicious. It's on my list of things to try.

Kale Chips

Ingredients
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons salt (this makes them pretty salty- you may want to reduce the amount, then sprinkle the chips with salt w)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches kale, rinsed with stems removed

Directions
1. Cut kale into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
2. Mix vinegar, oil, and salt in a large bowl then add kale and mix by hand.
3. Try to get all the leaves covered.
4. Place on baking sheets (I like to use parchment paper for easy clean up) and bake at 350 F until they are crispy.
5. After about 20 minutes, if it looks like they are not sizzling a bit or getting a little crispy, turn up the heat to 400°F.
6. Time for baking varies depending on the size of your chips and desired crispness.
7. The outer edges cook quicker than the pieces from near the stem.


Another way to use kale is to put it in fruit smoothies. I know that may sound strange, but this is known as a "green smoothie." Fruit is combined with dark leafy greens. I usually use a banana, a pear and 1/2 head of kale. It's a good way to get greens into your diet.

I got this recipe from Cooking Light:

White Bean and Sausage Ragout with Tomatoes, Kale and Zucchini

1 tblsp olive oil
2 links italian chicken sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced into 1/2 in slices
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
6 cups chopped, trimmed kale
1/2 cup water
2 cans of cannellini, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp pepper
HEat the oil in a large pan over med high heat. Sautee the sausage and the onion 4 minutes or until sausage is browned. Add zucchini and garlic, cook 2 minutes. Add kale and remaining ingredients, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes.

I've got a recipe for a marinated kale dish. No cooking but it has to marinate in an olive oil lemon juice mix for 2 hours. I'll post it later, gotta go somewhere now.