My Own Creations
Easy Kale and Potatoes with Gravy
Ok, I love kale. I love to juice it, I love to braise it, and more than anything I love mixing it with potatoes. This dish is kind of a deconstructed version of the traditional Irish dish Colcannon (mashed potatoes with kale and bacon) with a few fun additions. Just so you know though... when I get creative in the kitchen I dont really measure anything or keep track of what all I am adding, so here is the recipe to the best of my recollection, you may want to play with it a little to get it to suit your tastes:
INGREDIENTS:
1 or more large potatoes (Idaho or several new potatoes)
1 medium bunch of Kale
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tblspns cornstarch
Beef boullion to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cooking fat (butter or oil)
Dice up your onion and mince the garlic and add to a hot pan with your choice of cooking fat (be it butter or oil). Allow them to brown a little before adding your cubed potato (or whole new potatoes) and reduce to a medium heat. Stir occasionally and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes (depending on how big your potato chunks are). Slice the kale into bite sized strips and add it to the pan, sprinkle in your salt and pepper to taste. Stir and allow the kale to wilt a little before adding a 1/4th cup of water and cover. Stir occasionally till the kale is soft and no longer rubbery, adding more water if necessary. Dissolve desired amount of beef bouillon in milk and add the corn starch, mix till the milk is smooth again, no lumps. The bouillon and cornstarch will keep the milk from curdling so you dont have to be too careful with it but you will still want to add it to the pan slowly to keep the pan from dropping temperature to quickly. Let it simmer till the potatoes are fork tender and the milk has thickened into a gravy.
Serves 2-3 adults.
This meal can be made a little heartier, and make it feed more people, by adding cubed corned beef, stew meat, ground beef, sausage, chicken, pork or lamb... just be sure to swap out the beef bouillon for chicken bouillon if you use chicken or pork. You can use either beef or chicken bouillon if you use lamb, or lamb stock if you are lucky enough to have access to it. If you want more gravy you simply up the amount of milk, bouillon, and a tiny bit more cornstarch. If your gravy has turned out too thick, slowly stir in a tablespoon or two of milk at a time till you reach the desired texture. If you would like the gravy to be thicker allow it to simmer a little longer, Enjoy this with fresh apples and some whole wheat bread for a real Irish treat :)
INGREDIENTS:
1 or more large potatoes (Idaho or several new potatoes)
1 medium bunch of Kale
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tblspns cornstarch
Beef boullion to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cooking fat (butter or oil)
Dice up your onion and mince the garlic and add to a hot pan with your choice of cooking fat (be it butter or oil). Allow them to brown a little before adding your cubed potato (or whole new potatoes) and reduce to a medium heat. Stir occasionally and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes (depending on how big your potato chunks are). Slice the kale into bite sized strips and add it to the pan, sprinkle in your salt and pepper to taste. Stir and allow the kale to wilt a little before adding a 1/4th cup of water and cover. Stir occasionally till the kale is soft and no longer rubbery, adding more water if necessary. Dissolve desired amount of beef bouillon in milk and add the corn starch, mix till the milk is smooth again, no lumps. The bouillon and cornstarch will keep the milk from curdling so you dont have to be too careful with it but you will still want to add it to the pan slowly to keep the pan from dropping temperature to quickly. Let it simmer till the potatoes are fork tender and the milk has thickened into a gravy.
Serves 2-3 adults.
This meal can be made a little heartier, and make it feed more people, by adding cubed corned beef, stew meat, ground beef, sausage, chicken, pork or lamb... just be sure to swap out the beef bouillon for chicken bouillon if you use chicken or pork. You can use either beef or chicken bouillon if you use lamb, or lamb stock if you are lucky enough to have access to it. If you want more gravy you simply up the amount of milk, bouillon, and a tiny bit more cornstarch. If your gravy has turned out too thick, slowly stir in a tablespoon or two of milk at a time till you reach the desired texture. If you would like the gravy to be thicker allow it to simmer a little longer, Enjoy this with fresh apples and some whole wheat bread for a real Irish treat :)
Kale Chips
Kale chips are easy, yummy, and good for you too. Here is a basic recipe and some suggested variations.
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
Salt (Sea Salt is recommended)
Pepper
Kale
Directions:
Set your oven to 300 degrees.
When you get your kale you'll want to either buy the pre-washed and pre-shredded stuff if you want smaller chips or you can buy the full leaf kind, either one will do. If the kale is not pre-washed be sure to trim the stems to the base of the leaf with young soft leaves, and trim out the center vein from larger leaves. The stems take longer to cook and will still be rubbery even if the outside edge of the leaf is burnt to a crisp. Let the kale float in cool water for about 15 minutes, agitating the water a couple times to get any debris off the leaves. Shake the leaves of excess water and allow them to drain on a lint free towel for a few minutes.
Toss the leaves in the olive oil, using your hands for this step is preferable to any other kitchen tool unless you have a salad spinner. You should use enough oil to lightly coat the leaves, they will be a darker green once they are coated. Then add salt and pepper to taste.
Spread in a 1 leaf thick layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. If the edges of the chips are starting to turn brown, they are burning and need to be taken out immediately. If you prefer a flat chip, as opposed to the curly texture of the uncooked kale leaf, you can put another cooking sheet in on top of the leaves to flaten them out as they cook.
Salt and Vinegar
2 parts olive oil
1 part vinegar (any kind will do, balsamic is really tasty though)
Sea Salt
Follow the same instructions as above but whisk the oil into the vinegar then toss with the kale and sprinkle the leaves with salt. Bake and enjoy!
Parmesan Herb
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Finely grated Parmesan cheese
Italian Herb mix
Follow the instructions as listed above but sprinkle with the Parmesan and herb mix while tossing the leaves with olive oil. This recipe should require less salt because of the cheese.
Other Variations
There are hundreds of different variations you can make on the original recipe. Pretty much all you need is the oil to coat the leaves and help them crisp up as they cook. You can make sweet, savory, or even spicy mixes to use on the chips. For ranch or bbq flavors look in the spice section of your grocery store for a powdered mix. Experiment and enjoy!
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
Salt (Sea Salt is recommended)
Pepper
Kale
Directions:
Set your oven to 300 degrees.
When you get your kale you'll want to either buy the pre-washed and pre-shredded stuff if you want smaller chips or you can buy the full leaf kind, either one will do. If the kale is not pre-washed be sure to trim the stems to the base of the leaf with young soft leaves, and trim out the center vein from larger leaves. The stems take longer to cook and will still be rubbery even if the outside edge of the leaf is burnt to a crisp. Let the kale float in cool water for about 15 minutes, agitating the water a couple times to get any debris off the leaves. Shake the leaves of excess water and allow them to drain on a lint free towel for a few minutes.
Toss the leaves in the olive oil, using your hands for this step is preferable to any other kitchen tool unless you have a salad spinner. You should use enough oil to lightly coat the leaves, they will be a darker green once they are coated. Then add salt and pepper to taste.
Spread in a 1 leaf thick layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. If the edges of the chips are starting to turn brown, they are burning and need to be taken out immediately. If you prefer a flat chip, as opposed to the curly texture of the uncooked kale leaf, you can put another cooking sheet in on top of the leaves to flaten them out as they cook.
Salt and Vinegar
2 parts olive oil
1 part vinegar (any kind will do, balsamic is really tasty though)
Sea Salt
Follow the same instructions as above but whisk the oil into the vinegar then toss with the kale and sprinkle the leaves with salt. Bake and enjoy!
Parmesan Herb
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Finely grated Parmesan cheese
Italian Herb mix
Follow the instructions as listed above but sprinkle with the Parmesan and herb mix while tossing the leaves with olive oil. This recipe should require less salt because of the cheese.
Other Variations
There are hundreds of different variations you can make on the original recipe. Pretty much all you need is the oil to coat the leaves and help them crisp up as they cook. You can make sweet, savory, or even spicy mixes to use on the chips. For ranch or bbq flavors look in the spice section of your grocery store for a powdered mix. Experiment and enjoy!
Egg Sandwich with Mozzarella and Orange Marmalade
Ingredients:
1 English Muffin (or other bread)
1 slice fresh Mozzarella
Orange Marmalade
1 Egg
Instructions:
Fry egg, or scramble, according to personal preference and set aside.
Toast English Muffin then place under the broiler with the cheese on one piece to melt the Mozzarella.
Spread Orange Marmalade on the piece without the cheese, add egg and close sandwich.
Enjoy immediately.
Normally I make this with cream cheese instead of Mozzarella, and raspberry preserves instead of Marmalade but both variations are quite tasty. A slice of ham or some bacon can also be added for extra substance.
Tuscan Chicken Panini with Mozzarella and Roasted Red Peppers
Ok, so probably a hundred thousand other people have made something almost exactly like this but here is how I made it:
Makes 4 Sandwhiches
Ingredients:
Tuscan Chicken-
2 Chicken Breasts, raw
2 Tblspns McCormimick's Perfect Pinch Italian Herb Seasoning or equivalent
2-4 Tblspns McCormick's Perfect Pinch Mediterranean Herb Mix (or however much you prefer)
A couple dashes of smoked paprika (regular works too)
1-2 Tblspns Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
8 slices artisan style bread (Olive Oil and Rosemary is recommended)
Fresh Mozzarella, ball large enough to cut 8 slices (Shredded can also be used but it doesn't taste quite the same)
1 small jar of Roasted Red Peppers (You can roast them yourself if you're feeling ambitious)
Instructions:
Trim fat off of chicken breasts if necessary then place them in a sealable plastic bag or container, add dry ingredients and Balsamic Vinegar with just enough olive oil to coat the chicken and allow to marinade for at least a half hour, 24 hours would be even better but its not necessary. If only allowing to set for 30 minutes DO NOT put it in the fridge. Leave it to set on the counter. No it wont go bad in 30 minutes. If you put it in the fridge the meat wont soak up quite as much flavor, so whenever you do a quick marinade (30 mins or less) it is perfectly ok to leave it on the counter as long as it is not excessively hot in the kitchen.
After marinading the meat heat up your grill, oven or stove and cook the chicken. If the grill is nice and hot it should only take 4-5 minutes a side for a medium sized chicken breast. The same rule applies to cooking it in a pan on the stove but oven baking takes about 20-30min. Grilling is the preferred method for this recipe. After the chicken is fully cooked remove from heat and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Heat up panini press, George Foreman grill, or pan, brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil and place 4 slices oiled side down on heat. Layer as follows: Mozzarella, Roasted Red Peppers, Chicken, Bread (oiled side up). Toast outside of sandwich, turning as needed to check for doneness.
Enjoy as soon as the panini is cool enough to eat. Cold paninis generally dont taste as good.
Makes 4 Sandwhiches
Ingredients:
Tuscan Chicken-
2 Chicken Breasts, raw
2 Tblspns McCormimick's Perfect Pinch Italian Herb Seasoning or equivalent
2-4 Tblspns McCormick's Perfect Pinch Mediterranean Herb Mix (or however much you prefer)
A couple dashes of smoked paprika (regular works too)
1-2 Tblspns Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
8 slices artisan style bread (Olive Oil and Rosemary is recommended)
Fresh Mozzarella, ball large enough to cut 8 slices (Shredded can also be used but it doesn't taste quite the same)
1 small jar of Roasted Red Peppers (You can roast them yourself if you're feeling ambitious)
Instructions:
Trim fat off of chicken breasts if necessary then place them in a sealable plastic bag or container, add dry ingredients and Balsamic Vinegar with just enough olive oil to coat the chicken and allow to marinade for at least a half hour, 24 hours would be even better but its not necessary. If only allowing to set for 30 minutes DO NOT put it in the fridge. Leave it to set on the counter. No it wont go bad in 30 minutes. If you put it in the fridge the meat wont soak up quite as much flavor, so whenever you do a quick marinade (30 mins or less) it is perfectly ok to leave it on the counter as long as it is not excessively hot in the kitchen.
After marinading the meat heat up your grill, oven or stove and cook the chicken. If the grill is nice and hot it should only take 4-5 minutes a side for a medium sized chicken breast. The same rule applies to cooking it in a pan on the stove but oven baking takes about 20-30min. Grilling is the preferred method for this recipe. After the chicken is fully cooked remove from heat and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Heat up panini press, George Foreman grill, or pan, brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil and place 4 slices oiled side down on heat. Layer as follows: Mozzarella, Roasted Red Peppers, Chicken, Bread (oiled side up). Toast outside of sandwich, turning as needed to check for doneness.
Enjoy as soon as the panini is cool enough to eat. Cold paninis generally dont taste as good.
Ham and Three Cheese Panini
This creation was inspired by a photo posted by a friend of mine of a sandwich she had in San Francisco recently. The sandwich looked divine but I didn't have the exact same cheese they used on hers so I came up with my own combination. This recipe makes a single sandwich.
What you'll need:
2 slices of favorite bread. French, Sourdough, Rye or Pumpernickel is recommended
1-2 slices Swiss Cheese
1-2 slices Provolone
1-2 slices Guda
2-4 slices of your favorite deli Ham
Panini press, George Foreman grill, or pan
Turn on panini press, Foreman grill, or pan on a medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread and set aside. Once press, grill or pan is hot, put the ham on and allow to start to brown a little before flipping*. Once brown on both sides, remove from heat and set aside. Stack cheese and ham on the unbuttered side of one slice of bread. Put the other slice of bread, unbuttered side down, on top of the ham and cheese. Place on heat and allow to toast till bread it golden brown and cheese is melted. Dip in mustard for full deliciousness.
*Browning the ham adds a new layer of flavor in the sandwich. Its really quite delicious.
What you'll need:
2 slices of favorite bread. French, Sourdough, Rye or Pumpernickel is recommended
1-2 slices Swiss Cheese
1-2 slices Provolone
1-2 slices Guda
2-4 slices of your favorite deli Ham
Panini press, George Foreman grill, or pan
Turn on panini press, Foreman grill, or pan on a medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread and set aside. Once press, grill or pan is hot, put the ham on and allow to start to brown a little before flipping*. Once brown on both sides, remove from heat and set aside. Stack cheese and ham on the unbuttered side of one slice of bread. Put the other slice of bread, unbuttered side down, on top of the ham and cheese. Place on heat and allow to toast till bread it golden brown and cheese is melted. Dip in mustard for full deliciousness.
*Browning the ham adds a new layer of flavor in the sandwich. Its really quite delicious.