Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

I feel like I've been a little late to the kale bandwagon, party, bruhaha, whatever you want to call it. The benefits of this powerhouse veggie are hard to ignore, no matter if you're a veggie lover or not.

• Source of ALA (alpha-linoleic acid) which is actually a FAT...in a LEAF. But it's a GOOD fat.


• More iron per calorie than beef.


• More vitamin A than any other leafy green (206% recommended daily vitamin)


• More calcium per calorie than milk


• And according to Shape.com, "many of its top health-promoting compounds are rendered more effective when you eat the stuff in combination with another food. Pair kale with fats like avocado, olive oil, or even parmesan to make fat-soluble carotenoids more available to the body. And acid from lemon juice helps make kale's iron more bioavailable as well."

After reading that last part, I've decided that this recipe from Bon Appétit is pretty tough to beat in the good-for-you department. Add some protein by the way of some grilled chicken and it may just be the most healthy thing you can eat on the planet.

Oh, and it's actually really delicious too!

~Leah

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

Recipe Type: Salad

Author: Leah (from Bon Apetit)

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 2 mins

Total time: 17 mins

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice


• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard


• 1 Tbsp minced shallot


• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated


• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning


• Freshly ground black pepper


• 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced


• 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded in food processor or with a knife OR bag of shredded brussels sprouts (usually around 10 oz)


• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided


• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped


• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino

Instructions

1. Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.


2. Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.


3. Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.


4. Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

Notes

Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.[br][br]FYI, Kale is so hearty that this is one of the very few salads that the leftovers can be saved and aren't a gross mushfest the next day...or two! Bonus![br][br]Shape.com also mentions that "According to the Environmental Working Group, kale is one of the most likely crops to have residual pesticides. The organization recommends choosing organic kale (or growing it yourself!)."

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Spinach Gratin

In my mind, some dishes are definitely "special occasion" dishes. All sorts of factors can make a dish qualify under such category, but I would say the two main ones in my mind are that it's either A. difficult or time-consuming to prepare or B. is so:

• rich


• decadent


• sweet


• buttery


• fatty


• bad for you


• all of the above

 

that I can only allow myself to make it on a special occasion or I'd weigh  5,000 pounds and need to get an angioplasty bi-weekly.

This definitely falls under "special occasion" cooking...not for the difficulty (it's actually quite easy) but for the pure, decadent, moan-inducing richness it embodies.

Did I just say moan-inducing? About spinach?

I did. And I mean it.

You will seriously get asked for this recipe and/or to bring it to special dinners. And DO NOT shy away from it if you don't like creamed spinach. I am one of those odd people that prefer spinach WITHOUT the cream and such and like it very simply dressed with just a bit of butter and salt (maybe a little garlic). But this dish...I could eat the whole pan (and then have to go for that angioplasty).
~Leah

(Note: this calls for buying frozen spinach, but then using it THAWED so give yourself time)

Spinach Gratin

Recipe Type: Side

Author: Leah (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

Prep time: 35 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 8

Creamy on the inside, browned cheesy and melty on the outside, decadent spinach dish.

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1/2 stick)


• 2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions


• 1/4 cup flour


• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg


• 1 cup heavy cream


• 2 cups milk


• About 3 pounds frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted (5 10-oz packages)


• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt


• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper


• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (you can usually find it already grated at larger grocery stores)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


2. Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saute pan (needs to be large enough to eventually fit all of your ingredients in) over medium heat.


3. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened.


4. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.


5. Spray a baking dish with some nonstick spray. Transfer the mixture to the dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can make this dish a few days ahead of time and then just bake it when you're ready to serve. Adjust the baking time if it's cold, though or get it to room temperature before baking.

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