My next stop on the one-way kale train I’ve been lately on was a tasty and versatile savory grain recipe. It was a win-win because of the kale and because I heart savory cooked grains. We were given a generous amount of groats from my husband’w coworker, who bought them by mistake. After Dave made them for breakfast several times with milk, cinnamon, and berries, I thought to myself “self, I bet we could get rid of these more quickly if I paired them with dinner.” And guess what? Well, there were still a LOT of groats left and we’re not quite through them and there are only two of us for Pete’s sake, but the new dish helped us slog through.

I served this with salmon rubbed with my favorite herb rub and cooked in cast-iron. The fish can be grilled or broiled, so cook it however you’d like. The rub takes well to each of those cooking methods. If you don’t have kind coworkers to bless you with a windfall of oat groats, you can find them in the dry goods sections of health food stores or in larger grocery stores. You can usually buy them loose. Also, the groat recipe is vegan!

SAVORY OAT GROATS AND KALE (v, gf)
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 leeks, sliced into matchsticks and rinsed well in a colander
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 cup oat groats
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 large bunch kale, deveined and chopped into ribbons
• cracked black pepper
• a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, the leek matchsticks, and 3 cloves of garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent. Stir in the carrot and the groats, and cook for 1 minute more. Add the stock, water, and salt and bring to a boil; when boiling, reduce heat and cover, cooking for 25-30 minutes.

before….

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil over medium in a deep saucepan. Add the kale and garlic and saute about 3-4 minutes, until the kale has wilted. When the groats have cooked their 25-30 minutes, stir in the kale and garlic, cracked black pepper to taste, and the crushed red pepper. Voila! All done! I like to serve this dish with lemon wedges on the side.

….after!

HERBED SALMON RUB

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dried minced onion
• 2 tsp dried minced garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• salmon fillets, 1-inch thick, skin on
• olive oil

Directions:

Okay, now for the fish! Heat your skillet over medium and add a teaspoon of olive oil. Add all rub ingredients in a food processor and blend well. This makes enough rub for a few go-rounds, so save what you don’t use in the fridge. You’ll be glad you did, this is good stuff right here.

Rub the salmon on both sides with olive oil. Take 1-2 tsp seasoning per filet and rub that onto the salmon flesh. Place the fillets in your skillet, skin side down, and cook 3-4 minutes, until about halfway done (you’ll see the color changing from dark pink to light). Flip over and cook an additional 3 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flaky. If you’re grilling or broiling, prep the same way but don’t flip. This rub is so flavorful, surprisingly so. It’s almost the only way i make salmon at home- I hope you like it! What rubs do you use on fish? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

kale. it’s so hot right now.