Kale White Bean Crostini Food

WHITE BEANS AND KALE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beans with the liquid from the can, lemon zest, 2 cups water and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced and the kale is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Transfer the kale and beans to a serving bowl. Scatter the parsley and chives over the top and serve with lemon wedges.
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KALE & WHITE BEAN CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and drizzle the bread with olive oil.
• In a small bowl, place the cannellini beans. Stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Set aside and let the beans soak up the flavors while you prepare the other ingredients. (Soak for at least 15 minutes, this step can also be done up to a day ahead of time).
• Toast the baguette slices in the oven until golden brown. While the slices are still warm, rub with the open side of a cut piece of garlic. Set aside.
• Chop your kale in half down the center and then into thin slices (in the other direction). It'll cook down a lot but if your slices are too long and stringy they'll be messier to eat. Heat a drizzle of oil in a medium skillet, add the shallots and cook for a couple of minutes until they soften.
• Add the kale and garlic, and cook for a minute more. Add a good splash of white wine.
• Stir, and cook for another 30 seconds or so, until the kale is nicely wilted but still vibrant green. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Mix the cooked kale with the white beans. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Assemble toasts with a baguette slice and a dollop of the kale and bean mixture. Top with the reserved rosemary, red pepper flakes, and a good shaving of parmesan. Taste one and adjust seasonings again - add more herbs if you wish, salt, pepper, or another squeeze of lemon if you like.

CANNELLINI BEAN SOUP WITH KALE AND GARLIC-OLIVE OIL CROSTINI

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot. Add garlic and oregano and cook no more than a minute. Add tomato paste and vinegar, and cook another minute. Add beans and stock and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Add kale and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour. Season, to taste, again with salt and pepper before serving.
• Slice baguette on a heavy angle to create long slices. Toast in a toaster or in the conventional oven. Rub once or twice with half a garlic clove. Season a shallow plate of extra-virgin olive oil with salt and dip each side of bread into the oil. Serve as accompaniment to the soup.

WHOLE-GRAIN CROSTINI WITH BEANS AND GREENS

Steps:

• Prepare a grill or heat an oven to 400 degrees. Use about half the oil to lightly brush each slice of bread. Grill until grill marks appear or bake until golden and slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. (Turning is unnecessary but doesn't hurt.)
• Put remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Add beans and spinach, and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes more.
• Add sage and, if necessary, enough reserved bean liquid to keep mixture moist. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. (You can prepare and refrigerate all of this before assembling crostini; warm gently before proceeding.)
• Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon on top of crostini, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately

KALE AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• If you can get fresh kale from a garden, wash it, shake off excess water, and store it in a partially airtight container in the frig for 3-4 days. As it "ages," it sweetens.
• Heat the olive oil slowly in a large frying pan.
• While the oil is heating, chop the kale in large strips. Set aside.
• Saute onion and garlic over medium-low heat until they begin to turn color. Do not burn.
• Throughout the rest of this prepartion do not overheat the oil. Medium should be the right temperature.
• Stir in the brown sugar, oregano, and thyme. Stir gently for another minute or two until the sugar has disappeared.
• If you need to add a bit more olive oil, do so at this point. You need a thin layer of hot oil covering the bottom of the pan.
• Stir the chopped kale into the hot oil mix. Kale may look to be too much to fit in the pan, but be patient; as you stir it in, it begins to wilt down to a manageable size. Stir the kale gently for a few minutes, just long enough to cook it down a bit. Do not let it become soft.
• Stir in the drained, rinsed beans, the balsamic vinegar, and the salt.
• Lay the tomato slices on top.
• Lay the thinly sliced asiago cheese on top of the tomatoes.
• Turn off heat or turn down very low, cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

BRAISED KALE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush bread slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil; arrange bread on baking sheet. Bake until beginning to color, about 6 minutes. Rub toasts with halved garlic.
• Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and dried red pepper and stir 30 seconds. Add kale and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer until kale is tender and broth has evaporated, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top toasts with kale. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and serve.

KALE, WHITE BEAN, AND PROSCIUTTO CROSTINI

Steps:

• Whisk together 2 tablespoons oil, the vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Add beans, and toss to coat.
• Arrange prosciutto in a single layer in a large saute pan. Cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil, the garlic, and red-pepper flakes to pan, and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add wine and kale. Cover and cook, stirring once, until wilted. Stir in bean mixture and prosciutto, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon onto baguette slices, and drizzle with oil.

WHITE BEAN CROSTINI

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the beans, 1/4 cup oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and process until smooth. Add olives and thyme; process until blended. , Place bread on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with remaining oil. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly. Spread each slice with 1 tablespoon bean mixture. Garnish with olives and thyme if desired.