Kale And Squash Food

KALE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the tough, fibrous ribs from the kale leaves and discard the ribs. Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Reserve any tender stems and finely chop. Keep the leaves and chopped stems separate.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the kale leaves to the boiling water and cook until tender and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the kale to the ice water bath. Once completely cool, drain well. Bring the water back to a boil, then add the squash. Cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well and reserve the pot.
• Place the pot over medium-high heat. Melt the butter, then add the reserved kale stems, garlic, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the kale leaves, squash, heavy cream, cream cheese, Parmesan and nutmeg until well combined and smooth. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Stir together the breadcrumbs, parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined, then sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake until golden brown and bubbling at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, KALE AND FARRO SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Put the squash and red onion on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with your hands to coat well and spread out on the baking sheet so they don't steam. Roast, tossing halfway through, until the squash is fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
• Put the raisins in a shallow bowl and pour the vinegar over them. Soak, tossing them every now and then, for at least 15 minutes. Drain the vinegar into another small bowl, pressing down on the raisins to squeeze as much vinegar out as possible. Add mustard, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste to the vinegar. Drizzle in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Whisk until thick and emulsified. Set aside.
• To assemble the salad, in a large bowl, add the farro, chicken, cheese, walnuts, raisins, squash and red onions, kale, dressing, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss together until evenly coated with dressing. This is one of those salads that gets better as it sits.

HEALTHY SQUASH AND KALE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until just browned and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the kale, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook until the kale is bright green, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and continue to cook until the kale is wilted and most of the broth is absorbed, about 5 minutes more. Add the squash, zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to combine with the kale. Continue cooking until the squash begins to soften, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mayonnaise.
• Toss the cooked vegetables, brown rice, cheeses, 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs and the egg in a large bowl until mixed. Spray a 9-inch square or 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread the mixture in the bottom of the casserole and top with the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bake until the squash and zucchini are tender and the top is browned and crisp, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.
• Make-Ahead Tip: Freeze the baked casserole for up to 2 weeks. Cover with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F until hot, 35 to 45 minutes.

TOMATO SOUP WITH SQUASH AND KALE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon, onion and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until softened, about 1 minute.
• Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper to the pot; bring to a boil. Add the squash and kale; return to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash and kale are very tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
• Meanwhile, combine the oyster crackers, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the paprika and a big pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Toss until evenly coated. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet and bake, stirring once, until lightly browned and toasted, about 10 minutes.
• To serve, divide the soup among bowls and top with some of the spiced oyster crackers. Serve the remaining crackers on the side.

GNOCCHI WITH SQUASH AND KALE

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the squash and cook, stirring, until slightly soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.
• Preheat the broiler. Add the chicken broth to the skillet. When it starts to simmer, stir in the kale and cook until it wilts slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the gnocchi, stirring to coat. Cover and cook until the gnocchi are just tender, about 5 minutes.
• Uncover and stir in 1/4 cup parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan; transfer to the broiler and cook until golden and bubbly, about 3 minutes.

SQUASH AND KALE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick, saute the onions in 2 teaspoons of the oil for about 5 minutes, until softened but not browned.
• Add more oil, if necessary, to prevent sticking.
• Using a wooden spoon to avoid breaking the grains, add the rice and stir until it is well coated with oil.
• Add the wine, if using.
• When it is absorbed (it won't take long), ladle in 2 1/2 cups of the simmering stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently for 2 to 3 minutes between each addition, until the rice has absorbed the liquid.
• Add the squash and the kale and stir.
• Continue adding 1/2 cup of broth every few minutes for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until all of the stock has been added and the rice is tender but firm.
• Add the nutmeg, lemon peel, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove the risotto from the heat, stir in the cheese, and serve immediately.
• Enjoy!
• Variations:.
• In addition to or in place of kale, add any of the following:.
• chopped Swiss chard, cabbage, radicchio, or fresh fennel, chopped celery, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, green peas, green beans, or even seedless black grapes.
• This is great served with fish or chicken!

BALSALMIC KALE AND SQUASH SAUTE

Steps:

• Bring Olive Oil to med heat in Saute Pan and add onion. Cook until slightly translucent and add sugar. Stir until the onion is well caramelized and add balsamic and stir until evaporated.
• Strip Kale of main ribs and any substantial axial ribs. Slice into 1 inch ribbons and add to onions. Reduce heat cover and allow to wilt slightly (about 10 minutes). Add tomatoes and squash and stir to coat. Cook until squash has slightly softened, add broth and cover on med-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Broth should be almost totally absorbed.

KALE AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use butter to lightly grease a large (2 1/2-quart) gratin dish.
• Peel the squash, then cut it crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kale, still slightly damp, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, until it has wilted. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 45 to 60 seconds, until it is fragrant.
• Place half of the sliced squash in the prepared gratin dish; season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Combine the nutmeg, allspice and thyme in a small bowl.
• Place the kale over the squash and sprinkle with half of the nutmeg-thyme mixture. Top with the remaining squash and sprinkle with the remaining nutmeg-thyme mixture.
• Pour the cream over the vegetables; cover the gratin dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for about 45 minutes, until tender.
• While the vegetables are baking, combine the panko bread crumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in a small bowl.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Discard the foil from the gratin dish and use a spatula to press down on the mixture. Sprinkle the bread crumb-cheese mixture over the vegetables. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
• About Kale:.
• It's best to buy kale just before you are going to use it, because it tends to get flabby and bitter after a few days' refrigeration. Store it in an open plastic bag in the coldest part of the fridge.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND KALE SOUP

Steps:

• If desired, sautee onions undil tender and then add the rest of the ingredients except salt and pepper.
• Otherwise, just dump all ingredients except salt and pepper in a pot.
• Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer. Let it simmer on medium-low heat about 15 minutes. It is done when squash cubes are soft but still hold their shape. If desired, add salt and/or pepper to taste.
• Note: I don't measure when I make this soup, the amounts of ingredients don't need to be exact.

PUY LENTILS, SQUASH & KALE

Steps:

• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the bay leaf and lentils, and cook for 12-15 mins until the lentils are tender but still have some bite. Drain, put in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and the lemon juice, then combine.
• Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed frying pan or skillet that has a lid, along with the sage and remaining oil. Add the squash and some seasoning, then stir to coat them in the butter. Put the lid on and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 mins or until just tender, adding a splash of water if you need to stop it catching.
• Add another splash of water to the pan along with the kale. Put the lid on to steam for 3-4 mins until the kale is tender. Put the lentils on a serving platter and arrange the squash and kale on top. Garnish with the parsley and hazelnuts and squeeze over 1 tbsp lemon juice from the remaining lemon wedges, to serve.