Crispy Kale Chips

Crispy kale chips are satisfyingly crunchy, slightly salty, and oh so addictive. No, that's not a typo- I am talking about kale, that dark green, leafy and sometimes a tad bit bitter vegetable that makes some people run away screaming from their plates.
Kale is in the same family as brussel sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, cauliflower and broccoli and also contains powerful antioxidant properties- a super food, if you will. It's a vegetable that's very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and calcium. Just eating kale makes me feel virtuous and healthy. As with most moms out there, I'm always trying to find interesting and delicious ways to prepare foods that are not only healthy, but also in a way that is enjoyed by my family. This recipe fits both requirements nicely. Not only are my girls eating kale, but they're loving it, requesting this recipe and eating two heads of kale in a sitting! My youngest daughter helped to make our kale chips almost completely by herself. Include your 'little helpers' in choosing their kale from the market, chopping (with assistance if necessary), and making their chips and I'm pretty sure they'll eat it up too!

Crispy Kale Chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Wash and dry kale leaves

chop kale into bite size pieces

For each head of kale, drizzle with 1-2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper to taste. Gently mix with your hands, making sure pieces are seasoned and oiled

spread onto a baking sheet in a flat, even layer

pop into hot oven and 'roast' for about 20-25 minutes, until crisp and dark green

enjoy! :)

*For flavor additions, you could add a sprinkle of garlic or onion powder, chili or ground cumin. Experiment and have fun with your kale!

Inspired Chinese Chicken Salad

Happy Chinese New Year! :) To celebrate, I'm sharing a recipe that Chris and I are currently obsessed with. We've made it for our lunch two days in a row and eaten every single bit from the salad bowl. It's an inspired Chinese Chicken Salad that I found in Food and Wine magazine. Fresh, crunchy, delicious and fast- this is one recipe you'll want to share too! Kung Hei Fat Choi- Happy 2011 year of the rabbit :)


Chinese Chicken Salad (serves 2-3)
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. plus 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. light soy sauce
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. Tabasco
one 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced or 1 tsp. ground ginger
1 small garlic clove, minced or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1-2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (I use a rotisserie chicken)
3 stalks green onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1/2 c. unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
one small head of romaine, cut into 1/2 inch ribbons
1/2 head of Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
lime wedges for serving

In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, Tabasco, ginger and garlic.
In another large bowl, toss the lettuce, green onion, celery, cabbage, shredded chicken, peanuts, and cilantro. Add the dressing to coat (don't worry, you will have left over dressing for tomorrow! hahaahaa) and toss all together. Serve and eat immediately

Salade Nicoise

Ask 10 people what ingredients comprise a Nicoise salad, and you may get many different answers. Typically, a true salad Nicoise consists of haricot verts, anchovies and potatoes, but has evolved to sometimes include tuna or even salmon, boiled eggs, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, capers and/or onions.
This salad traces its origins to Nice, France- and therefore, I believe it should be full of big, assertive flavors to mirror the bold and saucy culture found along the coast. If you've ever been to Marseille or Cassis, you know exactly what I mean.
Because the salad has several different components it's a labor of love and won't be ready in just a few minutes. But, because it's a composed salad with varied textures and flavors, your taste buds will thank you with every bite. I like to dress each component before layering on a platter. The recipe for garlic aioli follows, and is, in my opinion an absolute must for this salad. Trust me, you won't get the same garlicky bold flavor without it. Eating this makes me think of warm sunny days by the ocean. All I need with it is a nice glass of wine and maybe even a chunk of toasted bread.

Salade Nicoise (serves 4)
1 lb. haricot verts, lightly blanched but still crunchy
1 lb. baby new potatoes
4-6 anchovy fillets, rinsed
1 can of albacore tuna, drained
5 soft-center hard cooked eggs
basil leaves
head of lettuce
2 tomatoes, cut into 6 pieces each
assorted marinated olives
premade french vinaigrette (or recipe follows)
garlic aioli (recipe follows)

Boil 1/3 cup of water, and a pinch of salt and add baby potatoes. Cover tightly and steam, stirring occasionally until fork tender. Drain water if any remains and toss lightly with vinaigrette while still warm. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, tear lettuce and basil into slightly bigger than bite size pieces and toss lightly with vinaigrette. Arrange on large platter. Lightly dress and toss blanched haricot verts and lay in a section over the lettuce. Cut boiled eggs in half, arrange on platter and season with salt and pepper. Drape the anchovy fillets over some of the eggs. Mound the drained tuna in the middle of the lettuce leaves. Lightly toss cut tomatoes with vinaigrette and arrange in another section over the lettuce. Arrange cooled baby potatoes over lettuce. Sprinkle the olives in the last available section over the lettuce.
Serve immediately at room temperature with the garlic aioli, making sure to get a little bit of everything. Bon Appetit!

Simple French Vinaigrette
1 shallot, finely diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
3-4 T. red wine vinegar
salt, pepper to taste
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Add all ingredients and shake together to create vinaigrette.

Garlic Aioli
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
3-4 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with a little bit of salt

Put egg yolks in a bowl and stir with a whisk until slightly thickened. Add a spoonful of oil at a time, whisking well as an emulsion begins to form. Continue whisking until finished sauce is as thick as softly whipped cream. Add salt, pepper and garlic, stir and let aioli sit for a few minutes to incorporate all the flavors. Serve immediately with salade Nicoise.

Roasted Asparagus and Prosciutto

Prosciutto is simply the Italian word for ham. To make prosciutto, a quality piece of ham is salted and then air dried for up to two years. After curing, prosciutto is sliced into paper thin pieces which are usually slightly transparent. It is typically eaten uncooked, on charcuterie plates, wrapped around fruit and vegetables, or in salads. Prosciutto tastes slightly salty and sweet, but has a soft almost melt in your mouth texture. It is simply delicious and best eaten alone or paired with another ingredient that lets its flavor shine through.
Roasted asparagus and prosciutto isn't so much a recipe as it is a method for putting together a beautiful and tasty appetizer. Don't stop at combining prosciutto with asparagus- here's a few other easy ideas:
*wrap pre-boiled baby potatoes in prosciutto, sprinkle with pepper and roast until crisp
*bundle prosciutto around beautifully ripe figs and drizzle with honey
*pair prosciutto with cut honeydew or cantaloupe
*simply arrange on a platter with cheeses, olives and grapes for an easy appetizer
*enclose scallops with prosciutto and caramelize over medium high heat until tender
*fold prosciutto around chicken or fish and bake until done. The proscuitto will create a crisp crust that helps keep the meat juicy
*toss prosciutto in cooked pasta with creme fraiche and lemon zest

you get the idea, right? Prosciutto is a super easy and versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed in so many ways. And now, without further pause, here's the 'recipe' for roasted asparagus and prosciutto. Mangia!

olive oil
prosciutto
asparagus spears (woody bottom stems removed)
freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, wrap asparagus with prosciutto, place in a roasting pan, brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. When all asparagus are ready, roast in oven for about 10 minutes (depending on thickness of asparagus) or until asparagus are tender but still firm enough to pick up with fingers. No overcooked veggies, please! Eat immediately

Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts

In my stocking this Christmas I was happy to find a great little cookbook, Everyday Tapas A Collection of over 100 Essential Recipes. Flipping through the pages, I noted several recipes I wanted to try right away. Among them was green beans with toasted pine nuts.
Tapas has become really popular over the past couple of years but if you're not familiar with tapas, basically it's savory little nibbles that are usually eaten pre-lunch or pre-dinner (much like an appetizer). Originating in Spain, they can be made from different ingredients- seafood, eggs, cheese, vegetables, nuts, meats and olives. Sometimes they're served with dipping sauces to add an extra layer of flavor but are almost always served with a glass of wine, beer or sherry.
For this recipe, instead of serving before our dinner, I made it as a side vegetable dish to go along with our pork. It was nothing short of delicious! The flavors melded together beautifully- the slightly crunchy green beans glistened with the sauce, the carmelized onions and garlic lent a note of sweetness, the paprika added just enough warm spice and the toasted pine nuts were little crunchy tidbits. I hate to admit this, but the green beans stole the show. Seriously, it outshined the main dish. If that's not enough incentive to try this recipe, I don't know what possibly could.

Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 c. pine nuts
1/2-1 tsp. paprika
3/4-1 lb fresh green beans (I used haricot verts)
1/4 onion, minced (I used red onion for color)
1/2 garlic cloves chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste
lemon wedege
1/4 c. vegetable or chicken broth

Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottom skillet, add the pine nuts and cook for about 1 minutes, stirring all the time and shaking the skillet, until light golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pne nuts from the skillet, drain on paper towls and then transfer to a bowl. Set aside the skillet with oil. Add paprika to the pine nuts, stir together until coated and set aside.
Trim green beans and remove any strings if necessary. Boil in hot water for 3-5 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain in collander. (* Note- I use haricot verts and because they are much thinner and less firm than green beans, I skip this entire part, adding straight to onions in the later step)
Reheat the oil in the skillet (on medium heat), add the onion and cook for 5-10 minutes or until softened and starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the beans and broth to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing together with the onion until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze lemon over beans, add toasted pine nuts and toss together. Transfer to serving bowl.

Baked Portobella Caps with Melted Goat Cheese

If you're like me, chances are you probably over-indulged during the holidays (and still intend to do so up until New Years). No need to beat yourself up about it, I've got the perfect solution for a meatless, low carb and low calorie dinner you can have ready to eat in under an hour. Baked Portobella Caps with Melted Goat Cheese taste indulgent and rich but is a meal you can feel good about- I've adapted this recipe from the South Beach Diet Cookbook. Anyone who's had portobella mushrooms knows how hearty they are, and as such are often a great substitute for traditional meat in burgers. Pair the 'meaty' mushrooms with the tart flavor of goat cheese, crunchy pine nuts and zesty marinara sauce and you've got a sure fire winner.

Baked Portobella Caps with Melted Goat Cheese

*feel free to add any veggies you may have on hand for the filling. Zucchini, squash, bell peppers, leeks or celery would all be great in this recipe as well.


28 oz. marinara sauce
4-6 portobella mushrooms (depending on size)
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
2 T. pine nuts
4-5 cloves chopped garlic
1 carrot, small dice
1/4 onion, minced
3 mushroom stems, small dice
1/2 tbsp. dried italian herbs
salt, pepper to taste
4 oz. goat cheese
1/2 T. olive oil


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the sauce in the bottom of a 9X11 baking dish. Having already removed the mushroom stems for chopping, scrape out the gills with a spoon and discard.
Meanwhile, place a pan on the oven and heat to medium high. Add the olive oil, then the carrot, onion, mushroom stems, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the italian herbs, basil, pine nuts and garlic, stirring for an additional 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add goat cheese, stirring to combine.
Fill the mushroom caps with the goat cheese and veggie mixture.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with the marinara sauce.

Stuffed Zucchini

This is one of my family's all time favorites- we just adore this and I've made many variations of the basic recipe. I first saw this recipe in the cookbook Chocolate and Zucchini- Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen by Clotilde Dusoulier. Her recipe is vegetarian, but I found that adding a sausage that's been taken out of the casing and sauteed before adding the rest of the filling ingredients seems to suit my families taste. I've stuffed it with bulgur wheat, brown rice, cooked orzo, quinoa... depending on my mood and what's leftover in the refrigerator. No matter how many zucchini we happen to make, it never seems like enough because we devour it all in 10 seconds flat (well, not really, but you get the picture)!

Stuffed Zucchini (serves 4 as a light main course)
extra virgin olive oil
4-6 zucchini cut in half and scooped out with a small melon baller or tsp. spoon- reserve zucchini flesh
salt, pepper to taste
1 cup cooked bulgur, orzo, rice, or quinoa
1/8 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 small onion, diced
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 sausage removed from the casing
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
several sprigs of mint, chiffonade

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a casserole dish with olive oil. After you've washed, halved and scooped out the flesh of the zucchini, place in dish and bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly softened but still holding their shape. Chop the flesh and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat and saute the sausage until cooked through. Remove and chop coarsely. In the sausage oil, heat the chopped zucchini flesh, onions, salt, pepper, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, grain of choice and pine nuts until softened and heated through. Add the sausage bits and stir together. Remove from heat and add goat cheese and chopped mint, stirring until blended. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
Stuff the zucchini shells with the warm filling and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes more until heated through and serve immediately.

Miso Glazed Eggplant

Super. Super fast. Super easy to make. Super delicious!
I've been really craving comfort food and flavors these past two weeks. My daughter and I went to Portland and bought Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), mini dried shrimp, soba noodles (noodles made of buckwheat), sweet fermented black beans, mochi (sweet rice cakes) and really good miso paste (fermented soybean paste usually used for making miso soup). My grams used to make traditional Japanese dishes that were so yummy. Thankfully the last time she came up to visit us in Oregon I asked her to cook and hand write her recipe for kabocha (but I'll save that for another post).
Now I had the miso paste and decided to make eggplant with it. When I went shopping at a local grocery store I couldn't find Japanese eggplant anywhere. Japanese eggplant is different than Italian globe eggplant. It's skinny and long and can come in colors of white, light green or purple. It's generally sweeter and doesn't require a soak in water to remove bitterness. When you're having comfort food there's no such thing as substitution in my book. Having not been able to find the Japanese eggplant, I decided to special order it from the store. Luckily it arrived in just a couple of days, so now I was ready to cook. This miso glazed eggplant recipe is so delicious for a couple of reasons. The comfort factor aside, you first saute the eggplant so it softens, creating this silky flesh. After you brush the glaze on top of the eggplant, you broil it, and that makes the best bubbly and tasty glaze ever. Slightly sweet, slightly spicy, but oh so tasty. I'm super excited for you to try this recipe and tell me what you think. :)

Miso-Glazed Eggplant (serves 4)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2-3 Japanese eggplant (about 1 1/2 lbs total)
1/3 cup red miso paste (you can find this in the health food refrigerated section)
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp sake or white wine
1/4 tsp. red chile flakes
cilantro leaves
1 tsp. sesame seeds

Cut your eggplant in half lengthwise and score the flesh 1/4 inch deep. Preheat broiler to high and place rack at least 4 inches from heat source. Heat oil in a skillet or frying pan over medium high heat. Add eggplant, flesh side down and cook until flesh starts to brown and soften, about 3-4 minutes. Turn eggplant over and cook for another minute.
In a small bowl, combine miso paste, sugar, sake and chile flakes. Turn eggplant flesh side up and transfer to a heat proof dish/sheet pan. Spoon or brush mixture onto eggplant. Broil eggplant until glaze starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Let cool slightly, then sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve with steamed rice.