Delicious & Simple Spring Greens: Purple Curly Kale

This is my favorite, simple way to make greens of any type. Mix different ones together, such as mustard, kale, bok choi, nettles, dandelions and chard, or go for a single green. I used this delicious baby purple curly kale that I found on the market this week. This type of kale has little yellow flowers which makes the dish not just taste, but also look great ! IMG_0781

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of greens, leaves cut into 1/2-inch slices; stems of soft greens cut into 1/4-inch lengths, de-stem kale (to though)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh, finely chopped ginger (optional)
  • 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, bragg's amino liquid or coconut aminos
  • 1/4 cup of white wine
  • 1 table spoon of olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to tasteIMG_0777

Preparation:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add  red pepper, garlic, and ginger; sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in greens and vinegar; sauté for 3 minutes.
  4. Add wine and soy sauce; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until vegetables are tender. You may have to add a bit of water to prevent the greens from burning on. You can also cover them with a lid, but make sure to first bring the liquid to a light boil for a minute or two after you add the wine so the alcohol can evaporate, otherwise the dish will have an overwhelming and unpleasant wine flavor.

Serves 2

 

Bon Appetit!

 

Lentils with Soba Noodles and Greens

lentils

Lentils with Soba Noodles and Greens (vegan)

This is a simple menu that you can put together in just 20 minutes. However, it does require thinking ahead: you have to soak the lentils. I just cover the dried lentils with water in the morning before I leave for work. Doing that significantly reduces cooking time.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of lentils, green, brown or black
  • Ginger (fresh is best), thumb size
  • Garlic, 4 cloves
  • Curry powder
  • Coriander powder (optional)
  • Turmeric powder (optional)
  • Cumin powder (optional)
  • Black pepper
  • Olive oil
  •  Soba noodles
  • Greens
  • White wine for cooking (2 buck chuck)
  • Sesame oil
  • Soy Sauce
  • Red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation:

  • Heat water in pan for soba noodles.
  • Press garlic, use 2 cloves for lentils, 2 for greens.
  • Saute garlic for lentils in small pan with little bit of olive oil.
  • Add Curry powder (and other spices if you are using them) to warm oil.
  • Grate fresh ginger with lemon zester (very small grater) and add to pan.
  • Drain soaked lentils and add them to pan.
  • Add water (cover lentils well and add water as needed.
  • Cover and cook until tender, add salt or soy sauce to season five minutes before they are done, about 15 minutes
  • Saute garlic in little bit of oil in large frying pan for the greens.
  • Add greens.
  • Add white wine (about 1 cup), add soy sauce and red pepper flakes
  • Cook on low heat with cover on pan until done, about 5 minutes
  • Add soba noodles to boiling water (and a bit of salt), cook until done, about 3-4 minutes (do not over cook!)
  • Drain noodles and add a bit of sesame oil, for taste.

Serve and enjoy!