Butternut Squash and Kale Mash with Toasted Walnuts and Sage (gf, veg, v option)

Leave a comment November 20, 2014 Lauren

Greetings, hungry blogosphere! Today’s post is sinfully tasty vegetarian feast and a retooled version of a recently republished Ree Drummond recipe. That Ree Drummond? The accidental country girl-slash-Pioneer Woman? Yep, that one, I luh her. I’ve subscribed to her blog for years (haven’t seen the show so I’m absolved if it’s terrible). She’s a very funny writer who cooks like a real person who feeds other real people in real situations and really loves real food. No “poached quail eggs in nests of freeze-dried seaweed” from The Pioneer Woman. Phew! “Thanks, Ree!” cried happy stomachs everywhere.

another reason I like Ree: she occasionally punctuates her posts with cheeky pictures like this one

The Pioneer Woman’s butternut squash and kale recipe is no exception to her practical/delicious formula. It’s simple, fast, healthy, hearty, and can be used in roughly one bajillion ways. Get a load ofof Ree’s fabulous suggestions for using the mixture: in quesadillas! stirred into risotto! in a grilled cheese sandwich! in a pita with chicken! puréed with broth to make soup! tossed with bowtie pasta, olive oil, and Parmesan! as an appetizer, on crackers with goat cheese! alone, on a plate!

Basically, regardless of which of the bajillion ways you serve this dish, it will be delicious, so make a big pot. I added onion, sage, and walnuts to my version and we enjoyed it with turkey cutlets Dave made. He was the Marlboro Man to my Pioneer Woman as we cooked. Ree Drummond joke. NBD.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND KALE MASH WITH TOASTED WALNUTS AND SAGE

Inspired by The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1 12-oz bag chopped kale, or 1 head kale, roughly chopped with stalks removed
1 bag cubed butternut squash or 1 butternut squash, cubed and peeled with seeds removed
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/4 tsp chili powder
a few grates of fresh nutmeg
cracked black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup raw walnuts

Directions:

In a deep saucepan or cast iron skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium. When the butter has melted and is slightly foamy, add the onion and sauté until translucent. I love this smell.

Add the butternut squash, salt, sage, nutmeg, and chili powder and saute about 5 minutes, until all sides have had a some time with the direct heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover with a lid, steaming for 5 more minutes until the squash is soft. The steaming makes this dish a mash; if you’re looking for a more caramelized consistency, be patient and sauté until golden brown.

While the squash steams, toast the walnuts in a small nonstick skillet over medium, tossing so they don’t burn. They’re done when they’re a fragrant, toasty brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the butternut squash is soft, remove the mixture to a large bowl and return the pan to the stove, turning the heat back up to medium high. Add 2 tablespoons water and bring to a simmer. Add the torn kale leaves and stir around for a few minutes, letting them wilt. If they get dry, add another tablespoon water.

When the leaves have wilted and broken down (break them! break their spirit!), stir them into the squash, tasting for seasoning and grinding in as much pepper as you’d like. Top with the toasted walnuts and serve!

Quickie: Peanut Butter & Cinnamon Greek Yogurt Dip (veg, gf)

20 Comments March 11, 2013 Lauren

does a body good

PEANUT BUTTER & CINNAMON GREEK YOGURT DIP

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups fat free Greek yogurt
3 tbsp natural peanut or almond butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp- 1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon (two large dashes)

Quickie: Broccoli Slaw, Grilled Bok Choy, and Rice Noodle Salad with Salmon and Avocado (pes, gf)

Leave a comment February 21, 2013 Lauren

We had about an hour to buy and make dinner last night, before my beloved and long-lost husband was shipped out again ahead of a winter storm for work. I felt obligated to fill him with omega-3s and veggies before he left, really laying down HARD the enticing groundwork to get him to come back. I like the guy! Hang out with me and eat delicious dinner salads! Come back! Here’s what my feminine wiles and I came up with:

BROCCOLI SLAW, GRILLED BOK CHOY, AND RICE NOODLE SALAD WITH SALMON AND AVOCADO

Ingredients:

Lemon-sesame vinaigrette recipe below.

1 bag broccoili slaw (we bought our ingredients at Whole Foods; their version is julienned broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage)
1-lb salmon plank
1 1/2 tsp jerk seasoning or other all-purpose seasoning or 1 tsp soy sauce mixed with 1 tsp honey
1 tsp honey (no need to add this if you used soy sauce)
1 bunch green onions, sliced and a few inches of green tops discarded
3 oz cooked or uncooked vermicelli rice noodles (you could instead use 1.5 cups of cooked brown rice)
handful shredded carrot, optional
1 head bok choy, washed and root cut off
1 avocado, sliced
sesame oil

Directions:

Disclaimers: This is mostly a quickie entry because I was cooking like the wind and neglected to take any step-by-step photos. So this is where your spectacular imagination comes in!! Really. Right now. Another note- I labeled this a vegetarian entry because the salmon could easily be left out or replaced with tofu or edamame. Here’s what we’re doing: MAKE NOODLES, MAKE SALMON, TOSS VEGGIES, DRESS AND SERVE. Let’s get started.

Boil water and cook rice noodles according to package directions. Rinse and pat salmon dry. Top salmon with 1 tsp honey and sprinkle with jerk seasoning; set aside. Drizzle or brush the bok choy leaves with a small amount of sesame oil. Heat a well-oiled grill pan or saute pan over medium-high. Once hot, grill or wilt the bok choy leaves about two minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board and cut into pieces. Alternately, you could cut and saute in a saute pan for 3-4 minutes.

Turn the heat in the grill pan down to medium. When it has cooled a bit, place salmon in pan skin-side down and cook for 5-6 before flipping. Since you have a few minutes now, you can whip up and dress the salad base. Toss the broccoli slaw, green onions, carrots if you’re using them, cooked noodles or rice, and bok choy in a large bowl. Drizzle with your dressing of choice and toss. Set aside.

When the salmon is done, serve dressed salad in bowls and top with the lovely fish. Garnish with a few slices of avocado. This would be great with: cilantro, other salad greens, chicken, well-marinated flank steak, bean sprouts, more red cabbage or green cabbage… the list goes on and on. Just use what you have in the fridge. It will all work. This is man-hooking salad!

LEMON SESAME VINAIGRETTE: 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp sesame seeds, juice of 1 lemon, pinch of kosher salt, 1 tsp honey. Whisk together. Drizzle in olive oil as desired until emulsified. De. Lish.

Blueberry Hand Pies! Because sometimes, pie is all that will do….

Leave a comment February 4, 2013 Lauren

Alright, here’s my Opus Dei intro: I did make something incredibly healthy this weekend- shout out to Iowa Girl Eats and her Superfood Salad recipe. Delicious! Photo of my version below. After I was full of pomegranate seeds and grilled shrimp and quinoa, I felt a tugging at my heart strings to get crafty and start cleaning and baking. What’s that, heartstrings? Have a Pinterest project fiesta and punctuate it with the baking of mini pies? Well, alright! Let’s make some mini pies (you’ve certainly had worse ideas). Thanks, heartstrings!

So here’s my dinner main course, which, when added along with the salad to my list of meals for the day, was a wash. Maybe. Super-simple, delicious, and fancy. And my coworkers loved them today.

BLUEBERRY HAND PIES

Adapted from a Pinterest pin linking to Pastry Affair

Ingredients:

2 pints fresh blueberries, washed and dried
2 boxes Pillsbury roll-out pie crusts (or double the double-crust Crisco pie crust recipe, if you have time)
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
juice of 1 lemon
zest of that lemon
6 tbsp cornstarch
1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tbsp water
turbinado sugar for topping

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, toss the blueberries with the lemon juice. Add the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon zest and stir carefully to coat, not breaking the blueberries. This recipe would work well with other berries, or with the addition of ricotta cheese for a richer take (1 tsp ricotta, 1 tsp berries). Whisk the egg yolk and water in a small bowl to make your egg wash, and set aside.

ignore the bakign soda and muffin cups- those were for another project in the Pinterest fiesta

ignore the baking soda & muffin cups- those were for another project in the Pinterest fiesta

Meanwhile, roll out your pie crust and use a 5″ diameter (or thereabouts) bowl or jar to cut out little discs of dough. I dusted a cutting board with flour and rolled out my Pillsbury dough a bit to make it stretch. When you’re left with scraps, roll them into a ball with your hands and roll out again. You should be able to use almost all of it, and if you nibble on the little leftover pieces of dough, I won’t judge you. This recipe made 22 pies, so by all means, halve it if you’re not cooking for an office full of dessert enthusiasts, as I was. 11 hand pies is still a whole heck of a lot of hand pies. I mean, you only have two hands.

For each pie: stir the blueberry mix again and spoon a heaping tablespoonful of filling onto the center of a dough disc. If you’re using a larger or smaller bowl to cut discs, adjust the amount of filling used per pie. With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash onto the edges of the disc, in a circle. Fold one half of the disc over, and crimp with the tines of a fork to seal. Place the pies onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and when the sheet is full, refrigerate for 30 minutes. If you make the whole recipe, you’ll fill two large cookie sheets.

never you mind my man hands

After the first batch of pies has been in the fridge for 30 minutes, preheat you oven to 375. Brush the egg wash on each pie, sprinkle liberally with turbinado sugar, and cut a slit or two or a fun shape to vent each pie. I opted to transfer them to new parchment paper at this point. Bake those bad boys for 23-25 minutes and let cool completely before you serve. They may still leak a bit as they bake, depending on how fully stuffed they are, but don’t panic if you see that happening in the oven- they’ll still be filled and delicious. If you can’t wait for them to cool, eat two of them piping hot as your dinner! Best dinner ever! Very good with vanilla ice cream. Store in an airtight container, at room temp.

baking away! notice how they’re facing each other, and not the edge of the sheet in case of leaked filling.

Here’s the IGE Superfood Salad I made in honor of the Super Bowl (and was the only Super Bowl-related thing I did do). I added grated fresh ginger to the dressing and shredded cabbage to the salad. I tossed some shrimp with Caribbean jerk seasoning and cooked them on a very hot, oiled grill pan, about 2 minutes per side. I bought one large pomegranate and just popped the seeds right onto the salad. It was great!