Kale Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I have no idea what took me so long to realize how great sweet potatoes are outside the mashed side dish of the Thanksgiving variety. I mean, to me no turkey feast is complete without sweet potatoes, so maybe I haven't been giving enough credit to their versatility. These sweet potatoes have everything to offer: flavour, texture, and fibre. I couldn't get enough, and neither will you.

I found one single stuffed potato half to be pretty filling, but it could still make for a hearty side dish. The kale and chick peas offer some nice bulk to the sweet potato flesh, and I ended up having a little bit leftover (which took no encouragement for me to gobble it up while they baked). Keep an eye on them if you choose to broil the cheese on top - I got distracted and ended up over-broiling half of my potatoes. They still tasted great but were much less pretty to look at. For that reason I haven't included broiling in the cooking directions, do so at your own risk!

Kale Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Author: Amanda
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 6 hearty sides

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 bunch kale, washed, shredded into bite size pieces with woody stems discarded
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups + 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 1/4-1/2 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions Brush sweet potatoes on all sides with olive oil and bake at 350F until fork tender, about one hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cool to handle, split each potato lengthwise and remove the flesh, leaving enough border to maintain shape. Mash with up to 1/2 cup butter for added richness. In a skillet over medium heat, heat remaining olive oil and wilt kale, saute with garlic, chick peas, and spices. Incorporate mixture to sweet potato mash and add shredded cheese. Spoon mixture into sweet potato shells and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350F for an additonal 30-45 minutes, until cheese browned. Serve.

Step-by-Step Photos

Brush the scrubbed potatoes with olive oil and roast at 350F until fork tender. This took me about an hour.

Meanwhile, wilt the kale with the garlic, chick peas, and spices. Wilt the kale by keeping the lid on so the steam does most of the work for you. It should only take a few minutes, so you can do this while the potatoes are roasting or you can wait until they are finished. Your call.

Once the potatoes are roasted and cool enough to handle, split them in half lengthwise and scoop out the delicious flesh. Leave enough so that you don't compromise the integrity of the shell - otherwise it will be difficult to fill them back up again.

Mash the scooped potato flesh with up to 1/2 cup of butter. I started off with 1/4 cup and ended up adding some more for a little bit of a richer texture, but that can be left up to you.

Combine the wilted kale, mashed sweet potatoes, and shredded Monterrey Jack cheese in a mixing bowl.

Return the filling to the sweet potato shells and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes. The cheese should be bubbly and beginning to brown.

Serve.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Everything about this salad just tastes so fresh. I am pretty big on texture, and just love how each bite of this has so much to offer in that department. It comes together pretty quickly, too - you can get all of the veggies chopped up before the quinoa is finished cooking, and it's great hot or cold, which makes it a breeze to pack for a lunch at work.

Like most of my vegetable-based recipes, I only happened to have chicken base on hand (I need to find a good vegetable-but-no-mushrooms one to keep in the house), so to make this recipe vegetarian or vegan use vegetable broth/stock/bullion, or just use water and add a bit of extra salt. There are enough spices involved that you shouldn't miss out too much. I am addicted to the chipotle powder I used in the Black Bean Burritos waaay back in one of the first posts of this blog, but if you can't substitute with a chipotle chilli in abdo sauce, just omit that or add a dash of cayenne pepper for some heat. also cooked my quinoa in my rice cooker and have had no concerns with it (just set and walk away! Easy!).

Southwest Quinoa Salad
Author: Amanda
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 6+

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked quinoa (I used 2 scoops for my rice cooker)
• 1 teaspoon chicken or vegetable soup base
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder (not cayenne pepper!)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1 bell pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt, to taste

Directions
Cook quinoa per package instructions if required. If cooking quinoa, add chicken or vegetable base plus all dry seasonings to quinoa to cook with the seasonings. Prepare all added vegetables and black beans, finely chop the cilantro, and combine in a bowl. Add cooked and cooled quinoa to mixture and mix well to combine. Mix olive oil and lime juice together (add dry spices here if quinoa is already cooked and spices could not be added then), and drizzle over salad and combine well. Salt to taste. Serve.

Step-by-Step Photos

Cook the quinoa with soup base and seasonings. I used my rice cooker, which did a wonderful job. You could also cook the quinoa on the stove with a pot per package directions.

Once the quinoa is cooked, give it a good stir to fluff it up and set it aside to cool.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Combine in a large bowl with the cooked and cooled quinoa and the black beans.

Combine the olive oil and lime juice in a small jar or container and pour over the salad.

Stir well to incorporate the dressing, and salt to taste. This will keep well in the fridge for a few days, and can be eaten straight out of the fridge or heated up depending on preference. I usually eat it cold.

Serve.

Margharita Risotto

If I see margharita...well, anything, it's usually my first pick on a menu. There's something so comforting and satisfying about the classic tomato/mozzarella/basil triad that gets me every time. And this combination transitions into a very solid risotto. This risotto recipe was actually the first recipe my boyfriend asked for unsolicited, so I hold it close as a personal achievement. He calls it "the pizza risotto" which is a pretty catchy alternative name in my opinion.

I happened to have chicken stock on hand for the risotto, so that is what I used. For a vegetarian version (per the tag), simply substitute vegetable stock instead. I have also made this recipe with a small can of diced tomatoes if I don't have fresh tomatoes on hand, and I find the taste difference to be minimal. Much like the Bacon & Goat Cheese Risotto, the only drawback with a traditional risotto is standing in front of the stove babysitting it while the rice transforms into a starchy, magical sauce. Any leftovers (if there is any left over!) keep and reheat excellently. I served the risotto with some greens and balsamic reduction, but it certainly stands on its own as a meal or as a side.

Margharita Risotto
Author: Amanda
Difficulty: moderate
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1 cup risotto rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tomatoes (I used tomatoes-on-the-vine)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes(optional)
• 2-4 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup shredded pizza mozzarella
• ~20 leaves fresh basil (depending on size and preference)
• salt and pepper to taste
• freshly grated Parmesan or Savrano cheese, for serving

Directions
Dice the onion and tomatoes into small pieces. Mince the garlic. Melt the butter over a saucepan over medium heat, and add red pepper flakes if desired. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the risotto rice, diced tomatoes, thyme and white wine. Allow the tomatoes to cook down and for the wine to be absorbed by the rice, stirring frequently. Once most of the liquid has been absorbed, add the stock 1/2-1 cup at a time, continuing to stir frequently on medium heat. Once rice has reached a desired consistency, turn off the heat and add the pizza mozzarella, torn fresh basil leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Servce.

Step-by-Step-Photos

In a saucepan over medium heat, begin melting the butter in a saucepan. I tend to add my red pepper flakes early so that the fat has a chance to take on some of the flavour. I usually like a pretty good kick, so don't use that many if you aren't a fan of heat.

Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, usually not more than five minutes.

Add the white wine, rice, and dried thyme.

And the diced tomatoes.

Stir frequently with a wooden spoon. The tomatoes should begin to cook down and start losing their shape.

Add hot chicken or vegetable stock 1/2-1 cup at a time, repeating when liquid is absorbed. Using hot stock will help speed up the cooking time. Continue to stir frequently to ensure the risotto doesn't stick to the bottom of the saucepan.

Continue adding hot stock until the desired consistency is reached. I left mine a little on the saucy side this time around, partly because I love the sauce and partly because I was getting impatient and hungry. It happens.

Turn off the heat and add 1 cup of shredded pizza mozzarella. The cheese will also thicken up the sauce a little.

Stir well to combine, and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Tear the fresh basil leaves into smaller pieces and add them to the risotto. Give it one last good stir to fully incorporate the basil into the dish.

Devour.

Kale Chips 101

I will never forget my first encounter with kale chips. I had just flown a redeye from Abbotsford, BC to Toronto, ON, and as I stumbled through the airport at four in the morning on my layover, I couldn't help but notice that every store was selling the same thing: kale chips. Kale chips everywhere. This was my first impression of Eastern Canada. After a quick google search, I realized how easy they are to make from scratch and I haven't looked back.

There are two things to keep in mind when making your own kale chips: you must ensure the kale is dry before adding the oil, otherwise they will not be as crispy. And unfortunately, homemade kale chips don't have too long of a shelf life. I would recommend eating these they same day they are made. However, they are addictive enough that the lacklustre shelf life shouldn't be an issue.

The beauty of making your own snack food is that you can customize it exactly how you want it. In this case, I used my boyfriend's favourite seasoning: it's made by an oil company but seems to be a seasoning salt with cumin and cayenne pepper added. I've made them previously with regular seasoning salt and garlic salt for similarly delicious results. I've heard that Parmesan cheese is also a good topping, but I haven't gotten around to trying that yet. This is a pretty open recipe - don't be afraid to tailor it to your tastes.

Kale Chips

Author: Amanda
Difficulty: easy
Makes 1 batch (enough for two people)


Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• seasoning of choice

Directions

Wash the kale well and cut or rip into slightly-larger-than-bite-size pieces and discard the woody stems. Dry thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel. In a medium sized mixing bowl, massage 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil into the kale with your hands, ensuring that all of the leaves are evenly coated. Add the seasoning to taste, and mix again. Lay out on baking sheets so that the chips are not touching and bake at 300F for 15-20 minutes, until leaves are crispy and not wilted. Remove from pan and serve immediately.

Step-by-Step Photos

Wash the kale well and tear into pieces that are a little bigger than bite-sized. They will shrink in the oven as they roast. I like to line my mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel and put the kale directly into the towel so I can dry it off thoroughly.

Fold the towel up and work it into the bowl to dry off the kale leaves. Kale is pretty tough, so you shouldn't have to worry about tearing your chips even if you are a little vigorous.

Once the kale leaves are dry, remove the towel and drizzle in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to taste (and depending on the size of your particular batch of kale). Use both hands to "knead" the oil into the kale - this helps to ensure the leaves are evenly coated which results in a more uniform chip. Add the seasoning, but use less than you you think you need. The chips will shrink down as they roast, concentrating the seasoning a little. Mix up the leaves again to ensure an even distribution of seasoning. At this point you can cover up the chips and store in the fridge to use the next day if desired - there is no discernible difference in kale chip quality.

Preheat the oven to 300F, line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper, and lay out the chips in an orderly fashion. My bunch of kale made enough for 4 pans of chips.

Roast at 300F for 15-20 minutes, or until the chips are crispy and not wilted.

The chips should slide off the parchment paper with ease and are ready for immediate, guilt-free snacking.

Turkey Quinoa Salad

Turkey and cranberry sauce are two of my favourite things, especially in winter months. When my mom would roast a turkey, she would always freeze the leftovers so we could have turkey through the rest of the winter, rather than eating it continuously and possibly suffering from turkey burn-out. In my family, it wasn't cranberry sauce unless it still had the indentations from the can it came out of, so I was pretty blown away the first time I tried making cranberry sauce on my own - what a difference! This year I made a batch of Spiced Red Wine Cranberry Sauce from Serious Eats, and split it up into smaller portions to freeze so I could pull it out as needed.

This quinoa salad takes a lot of its flavour from the Spiced Cranberry Sauce, but if making a recipe before making another recipe doesn't work for you, you can probably get away with using your ordinary canned cranberry sauce with a dash of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and maple syrup or brown sugar. It won't quite be the same of course, but you will still have the essence of the dish. I also ended up using only half of the dressing in the salad - if you can't see yourself utilizing the leftovers then make a half batch of the dressing (it's really good on just about anything though).

I had originally planned to use feta in the salad, but after I started making it I realized I didn't have any more feta in the fridge. The cheddar is still great, but feta would be amazing, in my humble opinion. Feel free to substitute accordingly.

Turkey Quinoa Salad

Author: Amanda
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 4

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups turkey or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
• 1/3 cup white cheddar in very small cubes (or crumbled feta!)
• 1/2 bunch fresh spinach, chopped with stems removed

Cranberry Dressing

• 2 heaping tablespoons Spiced Red Wine Cranberry Sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Add quinoa and stock to a small pot and bring to a covered simmer for 10-12 minutes, then turn off the burner and allow the residual heat to continue cooking the quinoa for an additional 4-7 minutes until desired firmness is acquired. Allow the quinoa to cool, and combine with the turkey, walnuts, white cheddar or feta, and spinach. In a small mason jar combine dressing ingredients and shake well. Pour half of the dressing onto the quinoa mixture and stir well. Serve.


Step-by-Step Photos

Any time I have tried to roast a whole bird, it goes terribly. And given that I'm not a huge fan of white meat anyways, I went and bought a couple of turkey thighs and it was the best idea. I rubbed these down with some olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper, and dried sage and baked at 375F for about an hour. One thigh gave me my two cups of turkey for the salad, and after deboning the meat, I made stock with the leftovers - it was enough for the recipe and I had enough left in the freezer for a future meal! But if you already have turkey leftovers or are crunched for time, prepared chicken stock is more than acceptable to use as well.

Bring the quinoa and stock to a covered simmer for 10-12 minutes, then allow the residual heat to finish cooking it. Once it's done, fluff it with a fork and set aside to cool.

If needed, toast the walnuts in a small pan on low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Combine the turkey, spinach, walnuts, and white cheddar in a large bowl with the quinoa.

Combine the cranberry sauce, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a mason jar. Shake well to combine. (Doesn't it turn a pretty colour!?)

Add the dressing, and stir well to combine.

Serve and enjoy! This salad will keep in the fridge for at least a couple days - if it lasts that long!

Pomegrante Chicken Curry Salad

Oh man. I devoured this salad, and it might just be my new favourite way to eat pomegranates (short of just stuffing them in my face, of course). This recipe came about when I had some leftover curry mayo and roasted chicken to use up. I'm not the biggest meat eater, but when I do eat it I prefer to have it incorporated into a dish, rather than have it be the feature. And when I usually make chicken salad, I tend to migrate towards the recipes that have fruit in there (usually grapes). I didn't have any grapes in the house, but I had dried cranberries...and one lonely pomegranate. Luckily for me, it turned out to be the best idea.

I ended up folding this chicken salad into a wrap with a healthy dose of mixed greens. The avocado adds a lot of richness and the curry flavour is potent enough that I found I didn't need more than a couple tablespoons for a satisfying meal. If you wanted to throw in a stalk or two of finely chopped celery, I can see adding some wonderful crunch! This salad would also be great served with crackers or on field greens for a lower-carb option.

Pomegranate Chicken Curry Salad

Author: Amanda
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 chicken breast, cooked
• 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 bunch green onions
• 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded
• 1 batch curry mayo (recipe follows)
• pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Curry Mayo

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash cayenne pepper

Directions

Combine curry mayo ingredients together and set aside. Section pomegranate in a bowl of water and remove the seeds. Set one half cup of seeds aside for recipe. Dice chicken breast into 1/2 inch sized pieces. Dice avocado, deseeded jalapeno pepper into small pieces. Slice green onion into small pieces. Add chopped walnuts if desired. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl with curry mayo, and serve.

Step-by-Step Photos

The easiest way to deseed a pomegranate is to cut a portion off - aim for about 1/3 of the fruit or so, and submerge it in water. That way when you go to peel off the seeds from the flesh they should pop off fairly easily and won't burst and turn your kitchen into a murder scene. Extra white bits should float to the top so they are easy to discard. Put 1/2 cup aside for the salad and go to town on the rest while you prepare everything else.

Dice the chicken, avocado, and jalapeno pepper. Slice the green onions. Throw them all in a bowl with the pomegranate seeds. If you are using walnuts, throw them in too. I didn't think of them until after I had made the salad and once I put them in I knew it was a good decision.

Mix up all the ingredients with some curry mayo and pepper. I had the curry mayo from a couple of days before, so I don't have pictures of it, unfortunately. Now it is ready to serve!

I had my wrap with some hummus and cucumber sticks and a dry vanilla soda. I can't wait to make this again before pomegranates go out of season!