Potato Kale Soup

 

Wondering where I have been with no posts?  Lost in the land of complications of my tumor and also lost without internet access for a week or so.  Glad both of those issues are resolving!

 

This is a recipe I found on the Kitchn blog and modified it only by using coconut oil rather than olive oil and then turned it into a puree.  Yep, another green puree with my go-to vegetable of kale.  The kale in the garden is tender and keeps producing abundantly, even in these days of 40 degree weather. Tom harvested the tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, and peppers last weekend.   I found myself saying "goodnight tomatoes, goodnight zucchini, goodnight potatoes, goodnight peppers" in my rendition of the children's book "Good Night Moon."  The ritual of saying goodbye to an abundant garden year is always difficult for me. 

 

He also harvested all of the winter squash since a hard freeze is forecast in the next few nights.  Watch for some posts with winter squash!

 

Whipping up a batch of this warming, nutritious soup is wonderfully easy.  Then, grab your favorite bowl and spoon. Dig in and then dream of many soups to come to take the chill out of your bones.    



potatoes, thyme, rosemary, kale from garden

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups water
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 bunch kale, destemmed, and cut into thin ribbons (about 3 cups)
freshly ground pepper




chopped kale

Preparation:
Sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add water and all other ingredients, except kale.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes until the potatoes are almost tender.  Remove the sprigs of rosemary and thyme and the bay leaf.  Stir in the kale and simmer for ten minutes until the kale is tender.  Puree to desired consistency and add freshly ground pepper.  I sprinkled some soft goat cheese on mine.  Try whatever fits your Pzazz-o-meter today. 

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 85
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 0  mg
Sodium: 414  mg
Total Carbs:12 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 3

Cauliflower & Potato Soup with Kale Crumbles

On October 30,  I posted the recipe for Cauliflower Soup with Kale Crumbles, and I promised the next post would be for another version of it that added potatoes.  Well, here it is.  Potatoes are one of my favorite foods,  but they often have an undeserved bad nutritional reputation.   They are easy to digest, which make them a winner with me, but they are also extremely nutritional.  They contain complex carbohydrates along with proteins, vitamins, and minerals such as vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium and iron.  Pzazz for sure!  When I made the soup this time, I used Pacific low-sodium vegetable broth, which substantially reduced the amount of sodium in the soup and I thought the flavor was improved.  Pzazz again!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 
About 1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
2 cups peeled, cubed potatoes (about 1/2" cubes)

Preparation:

Melt oil in a deep soup pot. Add the chopped onion and saute until translucent. Meanwhile, cut cauliflower florets into smaller pieces. When the onions are translucent, add the cauliflower florets, the chicken broth, the potatoes and the seasoning. Cover and simmer on low until the cauliflower pieces and potatoes are very tender.  Puree with an immersion stick or other device of your choice.  Garnish with kale crumbles, or you could add them prior to pureeing.   

To make the kale crumbles, simply chop a bunch of kale into bite sized pieces.  Use whatever variety of kale you prefer.  I like the Lacinato Kale best.(Lacinato kale is also known as Dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale, or black kale.) Then put them into a bowl and spray with olive oil cooking spray and season with just a dash of salt and pepper.  Stir to distribute the olive oil spray and then spread them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.  Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 8 - 10 minutes, until crispy.  Crumble into the soup.
  


Nutrition per serving:   (includes kale crumbles)                                       

Servings per recipe: 4
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 138
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 249 mg 
Total Carbs: 28 g 
Dietary Fiber: 8 g
Protein: 6 g

Kale Blueberry Kefir Smoothie

Our niece Emma and her family from Boston were visiting us on Monday and Tuesday.  As she looked at the abundance of kale growing in Tom's vegetable bins, she told me how she has been making kale and kefir smoothies for breakfast. It made me wonder why I haven't made one recently.  Last summer I posted my Mud Slide smoothie, using kale, blueberries, a frozen banana and soy milk and how much I loved it. So I decided to whip up a kale and blueberry kefir smoothie yesterday morning.  Pzazz for sure!  And so simple!  

If you aren't familiar with kefir, (properly pronounced keh-FEER)  it is a close cousin to yogurt, in that they are both cultured dairy products.  But kefir it is a fermented milk drink with curds that are much smaller than those found in yogurt,  therefore it is easier to digest for those whom are lactose intolerant. Like good quality yogurts, kefir contains probiotics. (I provided a link to the Mayo Clinic Health website for a discussion on the possible benefits of probiotics and prebiotics.) 

A difference between yogurt and kefir is that yogurt has bacteria that act as food for the beneficial bacteria already residing in a healthy digestive system.  But kefir, on the other hand, can actually repopulate the digestive system with the healthy bacteria required for good digestion.  

In this smoothie, I used blueberry flavored kefir, which also has some sugars in it, so that is probably not as healthy as my Mud Slide Smoothie.  However, it was quick and easy, and I barely have any blueberries from our garden this year, so this was a good substitute.

The combination of probiotics and kale was a divinely healthy way to start a gorgeous summer day in Duluth. When I went out to the garden early in the morning to harvest some kale, I was awed by the beauty of the morning dew still clinging to the leaves.

Sorry for my digression from food to beauty.  Back to the smoothie.  If you are new to "green smoothies",  you might want to increase the amount of blueberry kefir to 1 cup or something similar to gain the right amount of sweetness.  Also, I like Nancy's Organic Kefir, but Lifeway Kefir is also good and usually substantially cheaper.  I'll try it with a different flavor of kefir another day.  And maybe add half of a frozen banana, which always makes smoothies so creamy and velvety.  Yum!

Ingredients:
1 cup lightly packed finely chopped fresh kale, stems removed first
1/2 cup blueberry kefir

Preparation:
Put the kale and kefir into a Magic Bullet or similar device and process until all kale is finely pulverized.  I put a small amount into a covered Mason jar to see how well it would keep in the refrigerator and it was still very fresh looking and tasting at noon. Now I wish I had made more.

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: About 3/4 cup
Calories: 116
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 92 mg
Total Carbs: 20 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 8 g

Currant Kale Soup

Garden Kale

This is an adaptation of Dark Leafy Greens with Caramelized Onions, Raisins, and Pine Nuts from Rebecca Katz's cookbook, One Bite At a Time.  When I turned this into a pureed soup, Tom thought it was even better than its original form.  Maybe it was the melding of the flavors in the pureed form that made it so delectable.

I used kale as the greens both times I made it.  Swiss chard or beet greens or any other type of dark leafy greens would work well.  
Remember, kale is a natural cancer "phyter" with all of it's phytonutrients.  And it is abundant in Tom's vegetable garden right now, as you can see in the photo.  Its rumply green leaves are simply beautiful! I am adding a label of "kale" to my recipes that include it, to make it easier for you to find more of these healthy possibilities.  

Just a quick note about preparing kale:  a quick and easy way to de-stem kale is to rip the leaves from the stem by holding the bottom of the stem in one hand and pulling the leaves up from the bottom with your other hand.  Quick and efficient. The stems can be tough, so it is definitely best to remove them unless the kale is still very tender and young.  

 Ingredients:
6 cups destemmed and chopped kale
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 small red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
pinch of sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup currants (or raisins)
1 Tablespoon toasted pine nuts (optional)
1- 2 cups water to achieve desired consistency









Preparation:
Cover the chopped kale with cold water and set aside until ready to use.

In a large, deep saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt.  Saute for 3 - 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to low and cook slowly until the onions are caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, just until aromatic. Add the currants and stir for about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with 2 Tablespoons of water to loosen all the flavorful bits from the bottom.

Drain the kale.  Begin adding the kale to the pan with a pinch of salt, continuing to add as many greens as will fit in the pan. Add the water and cover and simmer until the greens are tender, 5 - 7 minutes. Add the pine nuts.

Puree in a blender, Magic Bullet or VitaMix or with an immersion stick, adding  vegetable broth or water to get the desired consistency.  I made a small batch so I used the Magic Bullet.  Next time I think I will make a large batch and use the VitaMix.  The velvety texture created by the VitaMix is uniquely wonderful and full of Pzazz!

Currant Kale Soup

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 2
Serving Size: About 1 1/2 cups depending on
how thick or thin you make it
Calories: 283
Total Fat: 11 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 361 mg
Total Carbs: 25 g
Dietary Fiber: 6
Protein: 8 g

Kale Sweet Potato Hash Soup

I have a recipe for a scrumptious kale-sweet potato hash that my family thoroughly enjoys.  So today I decided to turn it into a soup.  But I wanted to make it quick and easy, so modified it by using onion powder, garlic powder, and jarred roasted red peppers rather than taking the time to saute onions, garlic and red peppers.  Even with these shortcuts, the soup was delicious.  And it fulfilled my daily quota of one vegetable from the brassica rapa family (kale), as well as healthy sweet potatoes.  It was the leftover sweet potatoes I had from another day that originally inspired me to try this today.  


It also used a bit of the abundant kale from Tom's raised garden beds.  Wow!  Look at all of that kale!  Summer Pzazz for sure!  I have been using much of it to make my other favorite summer kale recipes, including:  
Mudslide 
Kale Coconut Water Drink
Kale Power Drink

Kale 

Adding the sweet potatoes to the sauteed kale

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon coconut oil
2 cups chopped kale
1/3 chicken broth
2 Tablespoons roasted red peppers
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cooked cubed sweet potatoes

Preparation:
Heat the coconut oil over medium heat and add the chopped kale.  Saute briefly, till it wilts.  Add the chicken broth, roasted red peppers, and seasonings and cook until the kale is soft.  Add the sweet potatoes and put it into a Magic Bullet or similar device and puree to desired consistency. I added a bit more chicken broth to make it thinner. The garnish of Greek yogurt and chili powder worked well.

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: About 3/4  cup
Calories: 191
Total Fat:  6 g
Cholesterol: 1 mg
Sodium:  398 mg
Total Carbs:  33 g
Dietary Fiber:  7 g
Protein:  7 g                                                  

Kale Coconut Water Drink

The kale in Tom's vegetable bins is exploding!  The pure taste of tender, fresh kale is undeniably one of my favorite pleasures.  With the abundance of kale, I have the opportunity to try many new ways of exploring it's full potential.  Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, rich in calcium and cancer-fighting compounds.   It contains sulforaphane, which is a well studied phytochemical that may inhibit cancer-causing substances, according to Rebecca Katz, author of one of my favorite cookbooks, One Bite at a Time. 

I have been sharing some of the kale with my friend, Tahirih, who made a juice of kale, grapes and coconut water.  I had never tried coconut water, but was convinced by her that it's slightly sweet flavor was a great compliment to the kale. So I purchased a small container  (11.2 oz) of VitaCoco coconut water and put it with fresh kale and an apple into my VitaMix.  If you have never made a kale drink, this would be an excellent one to introduce yourself to this nutrition packed green drink. I am unfamiliar with the nutritional merits of coconut water, but will explore that another day.  All I know for sure is that this beverage was true summer Pzazz as I sipped it on the deck yesterday in hot, sizzling summer weather! 

Kale in raised garden bin

Ingredients:
1 cup loosely packed chopped kale  (destem it first)
165 grams (just less than 3/4 cup) coconut water  (that's half of the small container I purchased)
1 small apple ( I used a braeburn apple)

Preparation:
Put it all in the VitaMix and watch it whirl.  Delicious and pure!

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1

Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup                    
Calories: 126
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 49 mg
Total Carbs: 30 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 2 g

Kale Power Drink

Kale Power Drink

Tom's early optimism about gardening when he seeded nearly 1000 plants in March has yielded kale that is ready to harvest. He also built raised beds to extend our gardening space and make weeding easier.  They look a bit like 3 over sized caskets in our back yard, but they are definitely filled with life! In the bin with the kale, there are also seeded beets that have started to poke through the soil. Gardening Pzazz!  The type of kale I prefer most is lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan kale, or dinosaur kale. The deep blue-green color of the dimpled leaves is quite stunning. 

                                                                                   

Ingredients:
About 2 cups chopped fresh baby kale
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
1 tart apple, cored and cut into chunks
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup or more fresh parsley
1/2 cup water, if needed to start the VitaMix
1/2" slice of fresh ginger, peeled  (optional)

Preparation:
Throw it all in the VitaMix and watch it whirl!
Drink with gusto or sip with pleasure, knowing you are being filled with life-giving nutrients!

Lacinato Kale

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 2

Parsley in the deck pot

Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup                                                
Calories: 104
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium:  76 mg
Total Carbs: 24 g
Dietary Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 4 g

Gingered Kale Soup

The kale falafel flopped. Does this sound like the start of a Dr. Seuss story?  Nope, it was the tale of my day yesterday.  I had found a recipe for Baked Sweet Potato Kale Falafel on Diana Dyer's blog,   365 Days of Kale .  I thought it was definitely worth a try, because I love kale and the recipe pureed the ingredients before forming them into patties, so I was hopeful it would work for me. In making them, I made only a half batch so thought the ingredients could be processed in my Magic Bullet.  Nope..too small.  So I moved it to the VitaMix.  Nope. Not enough liquid.  So I moved it to my early 1980's food processor.  Just right.  (Now it sounds like the story of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears!) Then the patties stuck to the parchment paper when they were baking, probably because I omitted the coating of sesame seeds.  So I took them out and tried frying them in coconut oil. That helped the process, but they were ugly at best.  Taste was ok, but not as good as I had hoped.  Oh gads......I still had to clean the Magic Bullet, the VitaMix and the food processor I had used, in addition to the the two pans, and the mixing bowl.  I am sure Diana Dyer's Baked Sweet Potato Kale Falafel's were delicious, and I had done something wrong.   If anyone wants to give them a try, here is the link to her recipe for her Baked Sweet Potato Kale Falafel and let me know how you did. Interestingly, I found myself munching on them today.  I think the day of melding the flavors improved their taste, and they provided a much healthier alternative to munching on the brownies I made for Sam who is coming for dinner tonight.

While I was tasting the kale falafel last night, I commented that I wished I had made a kale soup instead.  So that's what I made for tonight.  It's a combination of several other "green soup" recipes I had done and this one turned out superb.  Pzazz after all!  While many of my "green soups" look similar, the taste differences make each one distinct and keep me coming back for more. 

And yes, kale is still available in Tom's garden!   The photo at the top of this post is of the kale harvested on Monday morning.  Beautiful, isn't it! I like Diana Dyer's description of kale as a terrific cancer "phyter" because it is power-packed with phyto-chemicals that promote general good health and have been linked to cancer reduction.   While I don't think I meet her goal of eating at least 1 - 2 servings daily of foods from this power packed family, I certainly aim for one.  I concur with her that this improves my chances of long-term cancer survivorship and I would like to think that this has helped me live for 14 years since first diagnosed with a 14cm pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor in 1998.  Now that is Poweful Pzazz!!!!

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 medium red garnet yam, peeled and cubed
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
4 cups chopped kale
1 small leek, white part only, thoroughly washed and chopped
2 -3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 - 3 Tablespoons grated ginger
About 1 cup water
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Heat coconut oil in pan and add the chopped onion with the salt.  Cook over low heat, stirring several times, until the onions are nicely caramelized, which takes at least 20 minutes, but is well worth the time.
While the onions are cooking, wash the kale and take any tough stems off, and chop coarsely.  Set aside.  Put the garnet yam and the whole garlic cloves in a soup pot with the vegetable broth, and cook until almost tender. Add the kale, leek, ginger and enough water to cover the contents by about 1".  Simmer until the kale is tender.  Add a few grinds of black pepper.  Puree contents in a VitaMix or blender.  

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 3
Serving Size: Generous 1 cup                
Calories: 146
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0  mg
Sodium: 360 mg
Total Carbs: 26 g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 5 g

Zucchini-N-Greens Omelet Filling

This was a trial run of a new attempt to make a satisfying vegetable filling for an egg-white omelet.  To have it turn out so splendidly on my first try was impressive!   That's how easy it was and it filled my desire to start the day with a healthy dose of vegetables.  It combines healthy greens with zucchini, shallots and parsley.  

If you haven't cooked with shallots previously, you are in for a treat.  I was first introduced to shallots at the New Scenic Cafe where the chef cheerfully creates pureed vegetable dishes of the highest caliber to meet my needs. He usually uses shallots as an accompaniment to a main vegetable such as asparagus or zucchini and then adds some type of greens such as spinach or micro-greens.  And the chef graciously tells me the ingredients he used so that I can try to replicate it myself. While I can never equal the fine taste or presentation of the purees he prepares for me, it has inspired me to try new techniques and flavors.  

So what are shallots?  They are often thought to be a variety of onion but they are actually a species of their own. Shallots have a mild taste that combines the flavor of a sweet onion with a touch of garlic.  The beauty of a shallot is that they do not have the firm texture that an onion does when sauteed, so they are ideal for using in a puree.  Tom and I have added shallots to our list of what to plant in the garden next year.  This year, I have been purchasing shallots at the local farmers market and I see them regularly in most grocery stores.

This puree was born out of my desire to use up some of the last zucchini in the garden, as well as the kale that keeps on producing more leaves as soon as I cut them.   Oh,,,,the gifts that keep on giving!   I also long for vegie filled omelets like I ate BC(before cancer).  My new version of them is to use egg whites for the base and then put a pureed vegetable filling in it. The addition of fresh parsley in this filling certainly added to the vibrant color and taste.  And one morning I used up the second portion of this filling and added a new element of roasted winter squash cubes in the filling as well.  Definitely Pzazz!

Garden Kale

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 Tablespoon chopped shallot
1 Tablespoon chopped green pepper
1/2 cup peeled and sliced baby zucchini
1 cup chopped kale (stems removed)
4 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (approximate)
Sea salt to taste

Preparation:

Garden zucchini

Heat oil over medium heat and cook the shallot until fragrant and lightly browned.  Add the zucchini and green pepper and saute until almost tender.  Add the chopped kale and parsley and saute until wilted, adding a bit of water if needed.  Puree in a Magic Bullet or similar gadget and place on one half of the egg white omelet.  Cover the pan and continue cooking till the egg whites are completely done.  Fold the omelet in half and enjoy!

Nutrition: (for the filling only; does not include the egg white base) 
Servings per recipe: 2
Serving Size: About 1/4 cup
Calories: 74
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 21 mg
Total Carbs: 7 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 2 g

Green Awakening Kale Puree

Green Awakening Kale Puree with Quinoa

Galactic green and outstanding! This simple puree is as versatile as it is nutritious.  Toss it with pasta.  Drizzle it on chicken or fish.  Mix it with quinoa.  Drench your eggs with it. Toss it with sauteed tofu. Mix it with goat yogurt to create a cold soup.  I have had it all of these ways in the past week.  Think of it as a sauce, or a dressing, or a dollop. Think of it as your Green Awakening. It will keep for 3 - 4 days in the refrigerator, waiting for you to discover a new way to ramp up your green vibes.   Washing and de-stemming the kale required enough of my energy, so I used onion powder and garlic powder rather than expending any more energy on chopping onions and garlic.  But maybe after a week of two or three servings of kale daily, I'll have energy to spare! 

The photograph above is the Green Awakening Kale Puree mixed with quinoa with a bit of white balsamic vinegar added for Pzazz!

Red Russian kale from Tom's garden 

Ingredients:
4 cups rinsed,chopped kale leaves
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon onion powder                            
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon or less)

Preparation:
Remove kale leaves from the tough stems.  Rinse thoroughly and chop.  Place in a large saucepan with the water and seasoning and put the lid on the pot. Cook over medium heat until tender, adding more water if needed.  When slightly cooled, puree till smooth and creamy.   When making a double or triple batch, I use the VitaMix to puree it.   To make a single batch, the Magic Bullet will do the trick.

Nutrition:  (for the puree only)  
Servings per recipe: 4
Serving Size: 1/4 cup (approx.,  depending on how much liquid you add)
Calories: 39
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 175  mg
Total Carbs: 8 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 3 g

Kale Salsa

Kale Salsa

Tender garden kale 

The tender young kale in the garden is incredible!  It is beautiful, nutritious, and abundant.  So I want to make the best use of it while it is still so tasty. 

Tom planted three types of kale, and the one that is ready now is Lacinato kale (aka Dino kale) - my favorite.  It has deep green puckered leaves, rather than fringed leaves like the Red Russian Kale that will be ready in the garden in about 2 or 3 weeks.  The type most commonly available in the grocery stores is curly kale.  A quick look at most seed catalogs will show a growing variety of kale since it has gained in popularity as the evidence for its anti-cancer fighting properties become more well known.  It is also incredibly easy to grow and is cold hardy for those of us who have a short growing season.  All types are delicious, and can be used interchangeably in recipes calling for kale.  

Kale is a member of  the cruciferae (cruciferous) family, (also called brassica family). Cruciferous vegetables are unique in that they are rich sources of glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds that impart a pungent aroma and spicy taste. Other commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables are broccoli, bok choy, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kohlrabi, mustard greens, rutabaga, turnips, and Chinese cabbage.  Arugula, horse radish, radish, wasabi, watercress, and tot soi are also cruciferous vegetables.   See Diana Dyer's blog, 365 Days of Kale, for a complete list of all of the vegetables in this brassica family, as well as multitudes of recipes to make them all tasty.  While I can't eat many of the recipes there, I often find inspiration for my pureed creations from her recipes.  As a registered dietician and three-time cancer survivor, Diana Dyer is a fabulous resource for accurate information about the health benefits of the cruciferous vegetables as well as other foods.  

Another source of sound nutritional advice is nutritionist Rebecca Katz, M.S..  Described as the creative culinary artist who combines great taste with fabulous nutrition, Rebecca Katz'z cookbook, One Bite At a Time, is one of my "go-to favorites" to get possible flavor combinations for my creations.   She states in her cookbook "kale is rich in calcium and cancer-fighting compounds, including anti-oxidents.  Sulforaphane, also in broccoli, is a well-studied phytochemical that may inhibit cancer-causing substances.  Other phytochemicals in kale may protect against breast cancer by reducing the impact of estrogen.  Kale is also beneficial to the function of the digestive and nervous systems." You can find helpful nutritional information, as well as recipes and inspiration at her website, Rebecca Katz.  

If there is one thing I try to do every day I am home, it is to consume dark, leafy greens or other vegetables from the cruciferous family.  (And eat some form of probiotic, such as yogurt or kefir. But that's for another blog post.)  Don't let me mislead you - not all of my habits are healthy.   I indulge in low-fat chips and crackers all too often, since they easily dissolve in my gastric juices and don't require any preparation.  But I have to believe that my daily intake of cruciferous vegetables has contributed to my nearly 14 years of longevity in the face of having a 5-6cm pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor.  I wish I could say that I don't eat the processed snacks at all, but I'm just not "there" yet.  Maybe someday.  But not today.    

I developed this kale salsa today and it tantalized my taste buds, as I ate it with my favorite low-fat multi-grain chip. (Definitely not "there" yet today. I wonder where "there" is???)   Another quick and delicious way to make the most of the garden kale on a hot humid day in Duluth.   For lunch, I made another  Mud Slide ( my combination of kale, blueberries, frozen banana, and soy milk posted on the blog a couple of days ago), so I know I consumed at least 2 cups of chopped kale today.   Try this snazzy, Pzazzy salsa and be "greened" today.    

Ingredients:
1/4 cup prepared salsa (mild or medium)

Potted parsley

1 large stalk celery, leaves included                     
1 cup chopped kale, (thick stem removed)
1/4 cup chopped parsley 



Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a VitaMix or blender and puree until smooth.   

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 2
Serving Size: 1/2 cup  (approximate)
Calories: 36
Total Fat:  0 g
Cholesterol: 0  mg
Sodium:287    mg
Total Carbs: 7  g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 2 g

Mud Slide

Mud Slide

This recipe was born out of need to use the tasty tender kale greens abounding in Tom's vegetable garden, and to sweeten it up naturally for a breakfast smoothie.  The result was an incredibly tasty concoction, but as ugly as the mud slides created by the floods two weeks ago in Duluth!  But that idea created the name for this zany, tasty morning smooothie!   Blueberries, kale, soy milk, and 1/2 of a frozen banana.  You NEED to try this.  Honestly.  Surprise yourself with a delightfully healthy breakfast.  Remember, kale and blueberries both contain important nutrients for maximum health each day.  Ah....grow the food, puree the food, enjoy the day.  Pzazz!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup WestSoy Organic unsweetened soy milk 
   (remember to always use organic soy products since other types contain high levels of pesticides) 

1/2 frozen banana                                               
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup chopped tender kale, stems removed

Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a VitaMix and puree on high until smooth and creamy.

Chopped garden kale

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 1 1/4  cup
Calories: 175
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium:46   mg
Total Carbs: 33 g
Dietary Fiber: 8
Protein: 8

Kale Apple Soup

Kale Apple Soup

Drama Duluth.  That's how I would describe our weather.  First it was "the winter that wasn't" with hardly any snow and average temperatures much higher than usual for the months of December through February.  Then a week of  12" of snow.  Followed by a week of 50- 60 degree weather that coaxed some daffodils to peek through. Today it is a mixture of snow and rain.  Time for a hearty bowl of soup!  I never tire of any variation of kale soup. My favorite type of kale is the Black Tuscan, also known as Black Palm.  Its striking puckered leaves are a beautiful dark blue spruce color.  The ease with which I can remove the leaf from the tough stem is another reason I choose it over the other types of kale when making soup.  The apple in this soup compliments the kale remarkably well, giving it a tart and slightly sweet undertone.  I might not be able to eat an uncooked apple or kale, but pureed together in this soup, it's delectable!  

Ingredients:
1 large bunch kale, destemmed and chopped (5 cups chopped)
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 Tablespoon coconut oil, divided into two portions (or 2 Tablespoons olive oil)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt

Chopped Kale

1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and chopped                
1/4 cup non-fat Fage Greek yogurt
freshly ground black pepper


Preparation:
Wash the kale and remove the tough stems.  Coarsely chop the leaves. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the kale in 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil.  Cook, stirring, until the kale begins to wilt.  Add 2 cups vegetable broth, lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring  occasionally for about 10 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a blender or VitaMix and puree.  In the same skillet that was used to saute the kale, add the remaining oil, the onions and the salt, and cook over medium-low heat until they are just barely turning color.  Add the chopped apples and remaining 1 cup vegetable broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add this mixture to the kale in the blender and puree it all together.  If the soup seems too thick, add more broth or water until it reaches the desired consistency.
Garnish with a dollop of non-fat Fage yogurt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 4

Kale Apple Soup

Serving Size:  1 cup                                  
Calories: 122
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 293 mg
Total Carbs: 19 g
Dietary Fiber: 6
Protein: 4

Beans and Greens Soup

White Bean and Kale Soup (Beans and Greens) 

During the first week following my monthly injection of Octreotide, I need to increase my intake of pureed fiber, particularly food like hummus or bean dips. (Believe me, you don't want to know all of the medical details regarding why this is necessary.)    


But one day last week I was weary of the several varieties of hummus and white bean dips I had consumed and stood with the refrigerator door open for far too long looking for something to satisfy my palate as well as my dietary needs.  Then it came to me.  


I had a small amount of kale in the crisper and had some cooked white beans that I hadn't used for making dip.  I have seen several recipes for kale and white bean soups, but had never ventured to make a pureed soup with those ingredients.  The challenge was on.  What proportions and herbs would yield a creamy, healthy, fiber-filled delectable pureed soup?  Following my culinary instincts, I started chopping, mixing, and measuring....quickly, because I was getting hungry. The resulting soup was nutritionally dense, creamy but low-fat, and yes, definitely tasty. When Tom walked into the house, he asked what I had made that smelled so delicious.  Pzazz!  


Just a quick side-note:   If you use canned white beans rather than cooking your own, choose a brand, such as Eden Organic, whose cans contain no bisphenol-A in the can linings.  

Kale

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked white cannellini beans
2 cups chopped kale (tough stems removed)            
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 - 3/4 cup water
1/2  - 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Preparation:
Cook the kale in the broth until tender.  Add the cooked white beans and rosemary. Simmer until thoroughly heated.  Puree with an immersion blender in a deep container, or puree in a blender.  If a thinner consistency is desired, add a bit more broth or water.  Season with just a bit of sea salt.  (Did you know that typical table salt is bleached, but sea salt isn't.  Sea salt is garnered from the natural evaporation of seawater.  It's far healthier than common iodized table salt and contains more than eighty valuable trace minerals.  Have fun trying the many varieties of sea salt available, each imparting a unique flavor. Tom is my household "expert" on sea salt and he has introduced me to a vast array of fascinating sea salts,)

Simmering soup

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 3
Serving Size: A generous 1 cup
Calories: 163
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 120 mg
Total Carbs: 29 g
Dietary Fiber: 9 g
Protein: 10 g

Kale, Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup

I am still all about "easy" today.  So I looked in the fridge, saw the left-over cauliflower and broccoli soup from yesterday and decided to add some chopped kale to it for extra potency and flavor, and cooked it in the microwave.  All hail kale! 

Ingredients:
2 cups florets of cauliflower and broccoli, chopped
1 -2 cups water
onion powder, to desired taste
garlic powder, to desired taste
1/8 teaspoon Nature's Seasons
4 kale leaves, destemmed and chopped fine
(I prefer to use the Tuscany Kale.  It's lovely to behold!)

Preparation:
Place the chopped broccoli and cauliflower florets in a 4-cup glass measuring cup  Ad water to at least half the amount of vegetables, or more if a thinner soup is desired.  Ad onion powder, garlic powder, and Nature's Seasons.  Microwave at high power until the vegetables are tender.  Add the chopped kale and continue to cook at high power until the kale is tender.  Cool a bit, then puree with an immersion stick blender.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. 

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 2
Serving Size: Approx. 1.25  cups
Calories: 46
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 131 mg
Total Carbs: 8 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 3

Kale-Collards-Broccoli Puree

After a medical appointment last week, my husband and I stopped at the Duluth Whole Foods

Co-op, which is only a few blocks from the medical complex. As I surveyed the hot deli bar, I spied a chafing pan filled with a mixture of sauteed kale, collards and broccoli.  The appeal of those dark, leafy greens and broccoli was tantalizing.  It's reassuring to know that at least sometimes I really crave incredibly healthy food.  I purchased a small portion of these green jewels and brought them home and simmered them in just a bit of vegetable broth, then pureed them with an immersion blender.  I hadn't used very much broth, so a thick consistency was the result, and I refrigerated it.  The next day for lunch,  I spread it on a slice of sourdough bread and topped it with feta cheese and a squeeze of tomato paste. The added benefit of sourdough bread is that it contains healthy probiotics, besides being soft and yummy. I decided the spread would also be great a substitute for lettuce on a sandwich sometime in the future.   

If you are wondering why I can eat bread, but not raw lettuce or even cooked kale or broccoli, it's because the bread will dissolve in my gastric juices, but the greens won't. My gastroenterologist's "rule of thumb" for me is if the food won't dissolve in my gastric juices, then it needs to be able to squeeze through a tube of toothpaste.  Otherwise, it will likely create an obstruction.   See my Food Challenges tab for more information about my dietary challenges, if you haven't already looked at it.  I use coconut oil frequently because, as a medium-chain triglyceride, it doesn't require as many pancreatic enzymes to digest as most fats, which makes it a great choice for people with pancreatic insufficiency. 

When I purchased the sauteed greens, I noted the listed ingredients and the next day I called the Co-op to ask about the proportions of the ingredients.  While the Whole Foods Co-op will not share their recipes, the kitchen chef I spoke with was extraordinarily gracious and friendly and told me that they used an equal portion of kale, collards, and broccoli and sauteed them in olive oil with garlic.  Based on what the cook told me, I made my own version of this today.   This time, I used it as a base for steamed flounder, and again used a garnish of a squeeze of tomato paste from the tube. The taste contrasts were splendid.  I think this greens mixture would also be a healthy sauce for pasta.  Move over pesto!

The convenience of purchasing the cooked greens at the Co-op  last week was most helpful after a long morning of medical appointments, and also provided inspiration for new creations for me.  Yes, I do love the Duluth Whole Foods Co-op!




Steamed Flounder on Kale-Collards-Broccoli Puree

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped kale, thick stems removed
1 cup chopped collard greens
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup vegetable broth
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to desired taste            


Preparation:

Heat coconut oil in pan over medium heat.  Add minced garlic and saute until golden.  Add chopped vegetables and saute until tender, adding vegetable broth a bit at a time, being careful not to create a mixture that is too thin.   Puree with an immersion blender.  To use as a spread, refrigerate overnight.   To use as a base for something like fish, keep it warm. 

Nutrition: (does not include salt, pepper, feta cheese or tomato paste)
Servings per recipe: 3


Chopped greens and broccoli

Serving Size:  1/2 cup                              

Calories: 109

Total Fat: 9 g                                              

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 56 mg

Total Carbs: 6 g

Dietary Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 2 g

Kale-Cottage Cheese Bake

I adapted this recipe from one in North Country Cabin Cooking.  I substituted kale for the spinach, egg whites for the whole eggs, and non-fat cottage cheese for the full-fat variety.  It was a great way to use up the abundance of kale in the garden, and get a mega-dose of nutrients in a tasty way.   I even ate this for breakfast one morning. 


Garden Kale

Ingredients:
10 oz. cooked kale
1 cup non-fat cottage cheese

3 egg whites or equivalent amount of egg substitute      

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle of nutmeg

Sprinkle of paprika

Preparation:

Puree all ingredients, except for the paprika, in a blender.  Pour into a lightly oiled 9" pie plate.  Sprinkle with paprika on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Nutrition:

Servings per recipe: 4

Serving Size: About 3/4 cup

Calories: 131

Total Fat: 4 g

Cholesterol: 15 mg

Sodium: 619 mg

Total Carbs:  6 g

Dietary Fiber: 1 g  

Protein: 18