Kale with Miso and Mushrooms
Adapted from a dish by Portland chef Trent Pierce.
| 4 T | butter, divided |
| 1 | large shallot, thinly sliced |
| 2 cloves | garlic, thinly sliced |
| 4-6 c | packed kale (about 2 bunches Tuscan kale, stems removed, roughly chopped) |
| 1⁄2 c | shiitake mushroom tops |
| 1 T | low-sodium soy sauce |
| 1⁄4 c | dry vermouth (or dry white wine or fino sherry) |
| 1⁄2 c | heavy cream |
| 1 T | shiro (white) miso, or more to taste |
| sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper |
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, sturdy pan over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook over low heat until they are transparent
but not golden, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the kale in stages and continue to cook for a few more minutes until it’s all wilted and glossy.
In a small pan on medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add mushrooms and cook until softened and cooked through, about 5 minutes, adding more butter if the mushrooms seem too dry. Stir in soy sauce, cook another minute and turn off the heat. They will be salty and savoury.
When kale is wilted and soft, increase the heat to medium high, add vermouth and cook until it’s just evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the cream and miso, stirring until completely incorporated. Reduce heat to medium and cook about 2 more minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and coats the kale.
To serve: Place kale on a warm platter and drizzle with the cooked mushrooms.
Serves 6-8.
Kale Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh is traditionally made with parsley; try this kale version for variety.
| 1⁄2 c | bulgur wheat |
| 1-2 bunches | curly kale |
| 1 large bunch | mint, chopped |
| 2-3 | spring onion, finely sliced |
| 1⁄2 | cucumber, diced |
| 4 | Roma or 8 cocktail tomatoes, deseeded and chopped |
| pinch | ground cinnamon pinch ground allspice |
| sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper | |
| 6 T | fruity olive oil |
| juice and zest of 1⁄2 medium lemon | |
| 1⁄2-1⁄3 | c feta cheese, crumbled |
| 1 | small head lettuce, leaves separated |
Place bulgur wheat into a glass bowl and just cover with boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Chop kale in a food processor until finely chopped.
The bulgur by now should have taken up all the water and be quite tender.
Fluff with a fork then fold the kale, mint, spring onions, cucumber and tomatoes into the bulgur. Add spices and seasoning, then dress with the oil and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning, remembering that the feta is salty.
To serve, place lettuce leaves on 4-6 plates, spoon tabbouleh on to the lettuce, and scatter feta and zest over.
Serves 4-6.
Kale Gratin
This rich baked kale was inspired by a dish created by Seattle chef Renee Erickson.
| 2-3 medium bunches | Tuscan kale, ribs removed, chopped into approximately 3-inch pieces/td> |
| 3 c | heavy cream (minimum 33 per cent) |
| sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper | |
| 1⁄2 t | freshly grated nutmeg/td> |
| 1 c | grated young Sylvan Star Gouda |
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Whisk seasoning into cream and reserve. Pile the kale in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; it will be piled high, but will shrink down during cooking. Drizzle cream mixture over the kale, and cover with the grated cheese. Place the gratin dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips as the gratin cooks. (You could surround the dish with a foil “collar” for the first half of cooking to catch all the drips and prevent a kale avalanche to the cookie sheet.) Bake for about 1 hour, until the dish has cooked down to an unctuous creamy mess and the cheese is brown and crispy in spots. Serve hot.
Serves 6-8.
Tarte à l’Oignon (Onion Flan)
Andrew Fung, exec chef, X1X nineteen
| 1 recipe | pâte brisée (below) |
| 1 recipe | Béchamel sauce (below) |
| 1 half | large onion, emincer (to cut half an onion crosswise in long thin strips, as opposed to chopped) 3 strips bacon, diced |
| salt, pepper, nutmeg, thyme | |
| 1 egg |
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Prepare and line 8-inch tart pan with pastry. Reserve in fridge.
Sweat onion in butter, oil, salt, pepper and thyme on low heat for 40 minutes until transparent with no colour. Sauté bacon, drain, and reserve. Combine onions with béchamel sauce. Gently incorporate bacon, then egg. Pour filling into crust. Bake in 450°F oven on bottom rack for 25-30 minutes. Take ring off during last 5 minutes to brown edges, set on cooling rack and keep warm.
Serves 6-8.
Pâte Brisée (short crust pastry)
Most chefs weigh ingredients for accuracy when baking. Keep all ingredients very cold for a flakier crust. Use your own piecrust recipe if preferred.
| 125 g | flour, with a bit more in reserve |
| 60 g | butter |
| 1 | egg yolk |
| 1 pinch | salt |
| 20-25 ml | water |
Sift flour and add salt. Mix the flour and butter together until it resembles small peas. Make a well in center of the mixture and add egg yolk and water. Using finger or fork, turn liquid, gradually adding all flour mixture. Give the dough 2-3 quick kneads to shape into ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours. Use for tart, Quiche Lorraine, etc.
Béchamel Sauce
| 2 T | butter |
| 2 T | flour |
| 1 1⁄4 c | milk, heated |
| salt and freshly-cracked pepper |
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown — about 2 minutes. Add hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Cover with waxed paper if not using right away to prevent a skin from forming.
Red Cabbage with Walnuts
Delicious hot or cold with roast meats.
| 1 | red cabbage, finely sliced |
| 2 T | butter |
| 1 | apple, peeled and grated |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 3 | cloves |
| 1⁄2 c | red wine or apple cider vinegar |
| 1 T | honey |
| handful walnuts, toasted and chopped |
Put the cabbage in a wide shallow pan with the butter, apple, bay leaf and cloves. Cook, stirring, until the cabbage starts to wilt. Add vinegar (be careful not to breathe in the vinegar fumes) then continue to cook until the vinegar is well-integrated. Stir in honey. Cook for a few minutes to allow flavours to blend. Toss over walnuts before serving.
Serve 4-6.
Ginger Cabbage
Fresh and light, a wonderful dish if you feel a cold coming on.
| 1 | medium green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced |
| 1 | medium yellow onion, finely chopped |
| 2 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 T | (heaping) grated fresh ginger |
| 2 T | canola or olive oil |
| 1 T | crème fraîche or plain yogurt |
| sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper to taste |
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pan, then stir in the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add ginger and cook for about a minute. Add cabbage and cook, for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage has softened and caramelized.
Turn the heat to low. Add crème fraîche and scrape any browned bits up from the pan bottom. Cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Uncover, check seasoning and cook, stirring for a few minutes more if it’s too liquid.
Serves 4.
Turnip and Apple Casserole
By pastry chef Lori Grein, recipe development coordinator for Kinnikinnick Foods.
| 1 | large turnip, peeled and diced |
| 3 T | butter |
| 2 | medium apples, sliced and peeled |
| 1⁄4 c | plus 1⁄3 cup packed brown sugar pinch cinnamon |
| 1⁄3 c | Kinnikinnick All-Purpose Flour Blend |
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook turnip until tender (approximately 20 minutes). Drain turnip and mash with 1 T butter. Set aside. While the turnip is boiling, toss sliced apples in 1⁄4 cup sugar and cinnamon.
Oil a 9×13 casserole dish. Place the apple slices and turnip mash in the dish in layers, starting with turnip on the bottom and finishing with apple slices on the top. Combine Kinnikinnick all- purpose flour blend, 1⁄3 cup brown sugar, and the rest of the butter until crumbly, and top prepared casserole dish. Pat crumbs down slightly. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
Serves 6-8.
Roasted Carrots with Vin Cotto, Pistachios and Parmigiano
“Don’t be scared of the slightly burnt carrots, they are the best bits. You can find vin cotto or saba at the Italian Centre Shop.” – Daniel Costa, Corso 32
| 2 bunches | medium carrots, (about 2 lbs) peeled and halved |
| 3 T | extra virgin olive oil |
| 2 knobs | unsalted butter, cut into pieces |
| 1 sprig | rosemary |
| 3 cloves | garlic, peeled and lightly crushed (cloves should remain together) |
| 3 T | vin cotto or saba parmigiano reggiano for grating |
| 1⁄4 c | peeled pistachios |
| sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper |
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place pistachios on a baking tray. Roast for 5-8 minutes, stir frequently to avoid burning. Remove and allow to cool.
Raise the oven temperature to 400°F.
Place the carrots, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, a large pinch of salt and about 15 cracks of black pepper in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until all carrots are dressed. Place the dressed carrots on a baking tray and put in the oven. Roast the carrots for 25-30 minutes or until nicely caramelized, stir often to avoid uneven cooking. Scatter the butter over the carrots evenly, return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the carrots from the oven.
Place the carrots on a platter, pour any roasting juices over the carrots. Top the carrots with drizzled vin cotto, finely- grated parmigiano and pistachios. Serve immediately.
Serves 6-8.