Squash kale pasta, sun-dried tomato artichoke dip pasta, kielbasa kale pasta

 

Dave says kale plants are like cats. They just move in. Certainly that's true in one corner of the yard where one plant went to seed one year and now we have kale. Lots and lots kale. It's one of the last things standing each year and one of the first sprouts back. 

Kale was one of those things that somehow got left behind on the boat when our particular German ancestors came over. Cabbage in the form of sauerkraut came along, but only the meat and potatoes part of the East Friesian standard of sausage, potatoes and kale made the trip, at least where our people settled. Hence the cardiac case rate in central Iowa. So I try to sneak a certain amount of the kale largesse in where I can.

Winter squash and kale pasta with pecan breadcrumbs
From Bon Appetit, November 2021

Ingredients
½ cup finely chopped pecans
½ cup panko
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon, divided
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 large butternut squash (3-ish pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
12 ounces spaghetti or other long pasta
6 garlic cloves, slice thin
1 large bunch kale, ribs and stems removed, cut into chiffonade
½ cup butter
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated
¼ cup chopped parsley

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans and panko on a rimmed baking sheet and cook 7 to 9 minutes until toasted, tossing once. Watch carefully to avoid overbrowning. Transfer to a small bowl and toss with lemon zest and 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Increase oven temperature to 400. Roast squash on a rimmed baking sheet large enough to spread cubes in a single layer. A half sheet works well, or you might need two smaller pans. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once part-way through the cooking time.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until just al dente. Drain, but reserve some pasta water.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large deep skillet. Cook garlic until fragrant but not browned. Add kale and kook a few minutes to wilt. Add 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water, cover and cook until kale is completely wilted, about 4 minutes. Add butter to pot and stir until melted. Add Parmesan and additional cooking liquid if needed.

Remove from heat and toss with lemon juice, squash and parsley. Serve topped with breadcrumb mixture. Serves 4 to 6.

Rating: Very nice. Bright lemon flavor and nutty flavor and crunch factor from the topping. I'd make this one again.

 

When I first saw this recipe, I thought yum! And my second thought was, yay!, I already have caramelized onions on hand, because there's no way those onions are cooking in the time listed in the original recipe. (For a dissection of the Big Lie about caramelized onion cooking time, check out this Slate article. Preach. Best and truest line from writer Tom Scocca: "In truth, the best time to caramelize onions is yesterday.") And one more plug for crockpot caramelized onions here.

My third thought, once I read it more closely, was that original version was essentially sausages on a small bed of pasta, and I happened to be more in the mood for pasta with a small bit of meat in it, so I rearranged accordingly. 

I liked it well enough that I made it again the next week, this time biting the bullet and taking the hour to get the onions truly caramelized from scratch and adding in some of the kale abundance.

Caramelized onion kielbasa kale pasta
Adapted from this recipe in the Star Tribune Taste section by Meredith Deeds.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
½ cup panko
14 ounces kielbasa, cut into half moons
1 pound farfalle or other short pasta
2 cups or more chicken broth
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cups chopped kale leaves
1½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
¼ cup chopped parsley

Method
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat in a large skillet until softened. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions become a deep brown color, another 40 minutes or more. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt remaining butter in a small skillet. Toast panko in butter until lightly browned. Set aside.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until nearly al dente.

Meanwhile, in another large deep skillet, brown kielbasa on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. In same pan, heat chicken broth, cream and Dijon mustard for about 10 minutes until saucy, adding kale after 7 minutes so it has a chance to wilt. Stir in cooked onions, kielbasa and 1 cup Gruyere. Add pasta and cook until al dente, adding pasta cooking water as needed. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve topped with toasted panko, remaining Gruyere and parsley.

 Rating: I put this in the keeper pile. The sauce is creamy and mustardy, giving some of that German sausage on a bun flavor. Very good hearty cold weather dish. Absolutely needs those caramelized onions, and don't be tempted to skip the panko topping.

 

 

 

This next recipe got its start from deciding what to do with some leftover artichoke dip after guests left. Now I just make it on its own.

Sun-dried tomato and artichoke pasta with kale
Adapted from the dip recipe in “Casserole Crazy” by Emily Farris.

Ingredients
1 13.75-ounce can artichoke hearts, chopped
6 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (oil packed or recipe ready)
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ of a large onion, minced
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
½ tablespoon dried basil
3/4 cup plus ¼ cup grated Parmesan, divided
2 cups chopped kale leaves
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Cayenne pepper, salt
1 pound pasta
½ cup crème fraiche

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, onion, cream cheese, mayonnaise, basil, ¾ cup Parmesan, kale, crushed red pepper flakes and cayenne and salt to taste. Transfer to a greased 2 quart casserole and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving some pasta cooking liquid. In a large pan, combine drained pasta, baked artichoke dip, crème fraiche and most of the remaining Parmesan. Add more cooking liquid and salt as needed to make a sauce. Serve sprinkled with some more Parmesan.

Rating: If you liked the hot artichoke dip ubiquitous at '90s parties, this one is for you. Sun-dried tomatoes and cayenne pepper add a bit of punch and kale adds a bit of color.

 

Mexican potato cheese tomato soup

 

 

Sonoran style potato cheese tomato soup

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 supper squash (green or yellow), cut into ½-inch pieces
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces (peel any skins you wouldn’t want to eat)
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons dried oregano (or ⅓ cup fresh leaves)
1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
½ cup whole milk or half and half
10 ounces queso fresco, cut into ½-inch pieces

Method
Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot. Sprinkle salt over  onion and pepper and cook over low heat until starting to soften. Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Add squash, potatoes and broth. Increase heat  to medium high to bring to a simmer. Reduce to medium and cook until potatoes are very tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Add cherry tomatoes and cook until warmed through but not bursting, about 3 minutes. Stir in oregano and vinegar and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Season soup to taste with salt if needed.

Place queso fresco cubes in soup bowls and top with soup. Serves 6.

Rating: A big bowl of comfort when we needed it. I suppose you could skip the cheese, and the milk, but that's a different soup. Store the cheese separately if you're not eating all the soup at once.

 

Slow cooker chicken with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes

 

You'll need something to sop up the sauce with this one. I opted for brown rice, but mashed potatoes or pasta would work as well.

Tuscan garlic chicken thighs with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes
Adapted from Eatwell101.com. The recipe did not specify the type of sun-dried tomatoes. You would think it would be dried and rehydrated given the source, but the recipe showed an ingredient link to oil-packed so I used that.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 to 8 chicken thighs, bone-in
½ tablespoon dried oregano
½ tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
⅓ cup chicken broth
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups spinach, leaves torn if large

Method
In a large deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown chicken on one side. Transfer to a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in oregano, basil, red pepper flakes and top with sun-dried tomatoes.

In the same skillet, add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add cream and broth. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Pour sauce over chicken in crockpot.

Cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on the low setting. Remove chicken thighs and set aside. Stir in spinach and cook about five minutes until it wilts. Serve sauce over chicken. (You may be tempted to just mush in the spinach on top of the chicken in the pot. Resist this temptation, since otherwise you’ll cause the chicken thighs to break down completely in no longer recognizable serving units.)

Rating: Great slow cooker recipe. Really nice flavor, chicken is falling-apart tender, nice colors with the red and green. Fantastic for a weeknight supper, and perfectly passable even for guests. Only downside: since we’re home while it cooks, it smells heavenly for hours before and just like these pan rolls that now I clearly need to make again.

Chicken gnocchi mushroom soup

 

This is an interesting take on chicken noodle soup that comes together in a slow cooker. It makes use of a Parmesan rind, which is a super cheating way to make every soup better. I keep the odds and ends of hard cheeses in a zip-lock bag in the freezer for just such a purpose. Save enough of them and you can make the ambrosia known as cheese broth.

Creamy chicken gnocchi soup

From "Half Baked Harvest Super Simple" by Tieghan Gerard

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small onion, diced
6 carrots, chopped
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, divided, plus more for garnish
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 Parmesan rind
1 16-ounce container mini potato gnocchi
½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
¾ cup whole milk or heavy cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, smashed
4 tablespoons butter
Zest from 1 lemon

Method
Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker pot. Top with onion, carrots, broth, wine, 1 tablespoon thyme, bay leaves, paprika, red pepper flakes, Parmesan rind and season with salt and pepper. Cook on low until chicken is falling apart, 5 to 6 hours.

During the last half hour of cooking, stir in gnocchi, ½ cup Parmesan and milk or cream.

Remove the chicken and shred it. Return to pot.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cut until golden, then stir and cook over high heat until caramelized. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, butter, 1 tablespoon thyme and the lemon zest. Cook until garlic is fragrant. Mash garlic and stir mushroom garlic mixture into soup.

Remove bay leaves. Fight over who gets the Parmesan rind. Serve soup in bowls, garnished with more Parmesan and thyme. Serves 6 heartily.

Rating: Nice flavor. Creamy but not "creamed" soup. The chicken holds up without drying out too much, which can be a tricky thing with chicken breasts in a crock pot. Fairly fast to throw together. It even reheats surprisingly well. It reminds me more of the chicken soup with rice recipe I grew up with. Do people still read that book?

 

Potato celery root soup

 

 

More potatoes, more soup.

Potato and celery root soup
From Lee Bailey’s “Soup Meals”

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 large shallot, coarsely chopped
2 large leeks, washed and sliced, including light green parts
1 rib celery, chopped
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into medium cubes
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
4 cups broth

Method
Melt butter in large, deep pot and sauté onion and shallot over medium heat until softened. Add leeks and celery. Cover pot and cook for 15 minutes over low heat.

Add potatoes, celery root, salt, pepper and 2½ cups broth. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered until potatoes and celery root are tender.

Purée soup until smooth. Add remaining broth and heat through. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Rating: The soup has nice flavor, with a soft celery root flavor that's well tempered by the potatoes and leeks. But there's no getting around the fact that it resembles wallpaper paste more than a little.

Gingerbread muffins

 

Gingerbread in muffin form that you can make ahead? I wanted these muffins to be a candidate for inclusion in the cartoon, "Breakfast at Epiphany's.

Gingerbread muffins
Adapted from “365 Ways to Prepare for Christmas” by David E. Monn

Ingredients

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup buttermilk

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon cloves

⅜ cup solid shortening

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

¼ cup dark corn syrup

Method
Stir baking soda into buttermilk to dissolve. Set aside. Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves together in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat shortening and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and beat well. Mix in corn syrup. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately, beating well after each addition. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a standard 12-cup muffin tin. Spoon batter into muffin cups about ⅔ cup full. (I found a 2-tablespoon measuring spoon worked pretty well.) Bake until they pass the toothpick test, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Note: The original recipe was designed to make 24 muffins, so obviously these can be doubled.

Rating: These taste like a wimpy gingerbread. It's not that they don't taste good, it's just that they really don't deliver the same punch as gingerbread does, so they were somewhat disappointing. Still great to wake up to muffins you can just quickly bake off, but it seriously made me wonder if my spices were too old, until I remembered that I'd just opened a fresh jar of ginger and I'd made other things recently where you could detect the spices just fine. Not sure why that's the case with this recipe, but it mainly just made me wish I'd made gingerbread. But I didn't have to get up as early this way, so that's a win.