Delightful Kale Pastries

Kale pastries and butternut squash soup

There is a local Washington farm that is still growing kale in a greenhouse, and I’ve been snatching it up every time I see it at our local food co-op.  (If you are local, I’m talking about the fabulous PCC Natural Markets).  Usually I simply make sauteed kale with some raisins and pine nuts, but tonight I felt like fancying it up a little.  So I thawed out some of my favorite Aussie Puff Pastry dough and made these luscious little kale pastries.  They made a fabulous accompaniment to our dinner of butternut squash soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed*
• 1 large bunch kale, finely chopped
• 1 small onion (or 1/2 large), finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup water

Preparation:

Lay puff pastry on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  Cut into 9 equal squares.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic, and sautee until translucent but not browned.  Add kale, along with a splash of water, and stir.  Cover with a lid and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add water several times during this process, so that the kale does not stick to the pan.  Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast flakes.  Stir to combine.

Place a heaping tablespoon of the kale filling in the middle of each pastry square.  Pull two opposite sides of pastry together over the top, overlapping slightly.  It helps to lightly moisten the pastry where the edges touch.  This will keep the pastry from unfolding as it bakes.

Bake pastries at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, until tops are golden brown.  Serve immediately.

* Each sheet of Aussie Bakery’s puff pastry dough is about 7 oz.  If you are using a different brand, just be sure to cut pastry into equal-sided squares.  I used only one sheet of pastry dough in this recipe, and had some kale mixture leftover, so you could probably make 2 entire sheets of pastry for a yield of 18 kale pastries.

Spinach and Pine Nut Rotini

My family has had the flu this week so I haven’t had a chance to plan menus, make grocery lists, or go shopping.  So tonight was one of those times when I perused the refrigerator and the pantry looking for something to make.   There was a bag of baby spinach in the refrigerator, so I decided to toss that together with some ingredients I always have on hand: pasta, garlic, olive oil, canned tomatoes, and pine nuts (I keep a Costco-sized bag of them in my freezer).  The end result was quite delicious!  I’ll definitely be adding this combination to my recipe box.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole wheat rotini
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes*
• 1 bag fresh baby spinach
• 1/4-1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted**
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Boil pasta according to package directions.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add chopped garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the tomatoes and their juices, and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add cooked pasta and stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss in fresh baby spinach and let sit over low heat until spinach begins to wilt.  It will seem like a lot of spinach at first but it will shrink down a lot!  Add toasted pine nuts and serve immediately.  Keep extra virgin olive oil on the table for drizzling over each individual serving for a nice touch!

* If you cannot find petite diced tomatoes, then drain the juices from regular stewed or diced tomatoes directly into the skillet, then transfer tomatoes to a cutting board and chop before adding to the dish.

**To toast raw pine nuts, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and put directly under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.  Watch these closely or they will burn!

Vegan Get Well Soup

When omnivores get sick, they eat chicken noodle soup.   Up until now, our vegan version of chicken noodle soup has been Top Ramen, so inexpensive and it always hits the spot!  (The Oriental Flavor Top Ramen is vegan.  Don’t buy the Maruchan oriental flavor, it contains beef broth!).  The problem with ramen is that the seasoning packet is not only extremely high in sodium, but it is full of chemicals and preservatives.

So this week when my husband and son became sick with the flu, I decided to try a healthier version of our favorite ramen!  I threw out the seasoning packet, used my own broth, added some fresh garlic, and kale for the grown-ups, and it was a hit.  Garlic has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, and kale is a powerhouse of nutrition, containing large amounts of vitamin K, vitamin A, and calcium, as well as smaller amounts of many other vitamins and minerals.  What more could you want when you are sick?

Next time I might try making this soup with another type of noodle, such as soba noodles or whole wheat linguine, and toss out the ramen altogether!  But here’s the recipe I used this time around:

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 large bunch of kale, de-stemmed and coarsely chopped*
• 5-6 cups water
• 4 tsp vegetable bouillon**
• 2 packages Top Ramen noodles
• salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and sautee for a minute or two.  Add kale and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes to allow kale to wilt.  (You might want to add a splash of water while kale is cooking).  Add the rest of the water and bouillon (or prepared broth, if desired).  Bring to a boil, and add ramen noodles.  Cook for 3-5 minutes.  If you use an unsalted or lightly salted broth, you may need to add salt at this point.  I didn’t add any with the bouillon that I used.

* I made this soup in two pots, one with kale, one without.  My kids are not fond of kale and I wanted to prepare a nice comforting soup that my sick 5 year old would enjoy.

** I used Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base for this soup.  It makes it really taste like the Chicken Noodle Soup I remember.  Better Than Bouillon also makes a basic vegetable base as well.  This is my favorite kind of bouillon – it is a paste rather than a powder, so it dissolves wonderfully.  The ingredients are wholesome and recognizeable as well!

Homestyle Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie has always been my favorite holiday pie! The first time I tasted a vegan tofu-pumpkin pie, my heart sank. Though it was good, it didn’t taste like the pumpkin pie that I had known and loved my whole life. After MUCH trial and error, I have finally found a way to make a vegan pumpkin pie that tastes just like the traditional thing! And it happens to be very simple to make, too. If you’ve ever been disappointed by a vegan pumpkin pie, please give this one a try!

Ingredients:

• 1 8-inch or 9-inch unbaked pie crust (homemade or storebought)
• 1 14-oz can pureed pumpkin*
• 1 cup plain soy milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 – 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• vegan whipped topping, if desired

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine canned pumpkin, soy milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and spices in a large bowl, and mix very well with an electric mixer (alternatively, you can combine these ingredients in a blender). Pour into unbaked pastry shell, and bake for about 60 minutes. The pie will still be jiggly when you take it out of the oven, but it will firm up as it cools. Cool completely on a cooling rack, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving. Serve chilled and top with vegan whipped topping if desired.**

* I have had the best results using canned pumpkin such as Libby’s for this pie, as the consistency of cooked and pureed pumpkin can vary so greatly. However, if you prefer to cook your own pumpkin, simply substitute 2 cups thick pureed pumpkin for the can of pumpkin.

** Soyatoo soy whipped topping (pictured above) is a delicious vegan alternative to whipped cream, and can be found in some supermarkets such as Whole Foods. You can also make your own whipped topping by creaming silken tofu and sweetener in a food processor.

Scalloped Potatoes

Here is another “veganized” comfort food from my childhood – I’ve definitely been on a casserole kick lately, must be all the rainy weather we’ve been having in the Pacific Northwest! Many people seem to think that white potatoes are devoid of nutrition, but that is not the case at all! If you leave the skins on (as I do in this recipe) they contain hefty amounts of iron, as well as potassium, vitamin C, fiber, and even protein! So dig right in, it’s good for you!

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp unbleached white flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)*
• 3 medium baking potatoes

Preparation:

Lightly grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, set aside.

In a medium saucepan, on medium-high heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Stir in flour mixture. Quickly add soy milk, all at once, and continue to stir and cook until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in nutritional yeast, if desired. Set aside.

Wash potatoes well, and slice thinly (please don’t peel them!). Place half the sliced potatoes into the prepared casserole dish. Cover with half the sauce. Layer the remainder of potato slices on and cover with remainder of the sauce.

Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

* I’ve once again mentioned nutritional yeast as an optional ingredient in this recipe, but the casserole is good without it as well. I’ll add nutritional yeast to just about anything savory, but I promise, you can cook delicious vegan food without it if you have difficulty finding it, or it just isn’t your cup of tea!

Chickpea Divan

One of my favorite dishes growing up was Chicken Divan…a combination of chicken, broccoli, and a creamy sauce. I have “veganized” the recipe using chickpeas, and it is just as rich and creamy as the original!  Tonight I served this dish over quinoa, but it is also delicious over a bed of brown rice.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked, drained chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 large stalk of broccoli, chopped into florets and lightly steamed
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine
• 6 Tbsp unbleached flour
• 1 tsp ground sage
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 3-4 Tbsp dry white wine
• 1/2 cup soy cream or soy milk*
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (optional)**
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 – 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread cooked brocolli florets across a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish, and pour chickpeas over the top.  Set aside.

Mix together flour, sage, salt, and pepper.  In a heavy pot, melt Earth Balance margarine over medium heat.  Add flour mixture and stir to combine.  Add vegetable broth and stir with a wire whisk until no lumps remain.  Continue stirring until mixture is thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat and add soy milk or soy cream, white wine, and vegan mayonnaise, if using.

Pour sauce evenly over chickpeas and broccoli.   Mix breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast together, if using.  Spread over the top of the casserole, and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.  Serve over brown rice or quinoa.  Enjoy!

* Soy cream can be hard to find in U.S. supermarkets, and I ordered mine online from Pangea.  I used Alpro Soya Vegan Heavy Cream, which is more readily available in Europe.  If you cannot get vegan cream, I would recommend using unsweetened soy milk in its place.

**My favorite vegan mayonnaise is Vegenaise.  It is such an amazing substitute and can be found in most supermarkets!  This ingredient is entirely optional and of course adds a lot of fat and calories to the dish, but it really gives it a little extra something.  Try it both ways and see what you prefer!

Spaghetti Sauce

My family eats a LOT of spaghetti – it’s nutritious, it’s easy, and the kids love it. I have to admit, spaghetti is usually one of our “hurry-up” meals, so I tend to use a store bought jar of spaghetti sauce 99% of the time! However, we just got back from a trip to visit my grandparents, and they sent us home with a big box of delicious home-grown tomatoes, fresh-picked from their garden! So tonight our family was in for a treat — homemade spaghetti sauce.

Here’s a good, basic spaghetti sauce recipe:

Ingredients:

• 6-8 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped*
• 1 medium onion (or 2 small), finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 6-oz can tomato paste
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tsp dried parsley**
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp natural sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-based pot. Add onions and garlic, and sautee over medium heat until tender. Add water, tomatoes, tomato paste, dried herbs, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well and bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes (longer is fine).

Uncover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has reduced to the desired consistency. Spoon over a pile of whole wheat spaghetti*** and enjoy!

* To peel tomatoes easily, make a small criss cross mark on each tomato with a sharp knife. Bring a pot of water to a boil and dunk each tomato into the water for about 30 seconds. Immediately transfer to a collander and rinse with cold water. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, you should be able to peel the skin right off!

**If you have fresh herbs on hand, by all means use them! You’ll need about 3 times the amount of fresh herbs as dry, and rather than adding them at the beginning, add them toward the end of the cooking time so that they retain their wonderful flavor!

***If you haven’t yet discovered whole wheat pasta, I really recommend it.  Whole grain pasta contains more fiber, protein, folic acid, and b-vitamins than white flour pasta.  In fact, a serving of whole wheat pasta has as much protein as a serving of almonds or peanut butter (7 grams)!  I get mine from Trader Joe’s, as it only costs about $1/pound for organic, whole-wheat pasta, and they carry most shapes — spaghetti, fettuccine, rotini, and penne. You can also find whole wheat pasta at most major supermarkets, though they may be more expensive.  The texture of whole wheat pasta takes a bit of getting used to, but after eating it for several years now, I actually prefer it to the white flour version!

Butternut Squash Soup

Fall seems to be officially here in the Pacific Northwest, and I am so excited! Fall is my favorite season, hands-down! One of the many reasons I love fall is winter squash. Pumpkins, acorn squash, butternut squash, you name it! Butternut Squash was one of the first foods I pureed for my kids when they were babies, and I frequently snuck bites for myself. I’ll post the recipe for butternut squash soup that I made today, but I have to admit that I rarely make it the same way twice! All you really need is a butternut squash and some vegetable broth – it can be as simple as that, delicious in its simplicity. Or you can experiment with different spices — here I used traditional nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon, but sometimes I’ll go with cumin and red pepper. I’ve added soy milk and Earth Balance margarine here for an extra rich and creamy soup. Snuggle up inside on a cold day and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium to large butternut squash
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup soy milk (optional)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 2 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Place halves face-down on a baking sheet or casserole dish, and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate halves face-up, prick with a fork, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until tender.*

Set squash aside until it is cool enough to handle. With a spoon, scoop the squash out of the skin and into a large soup pot. Add vegetable broth and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.** Stir in spices, soy milk, earth balance, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Enjoy!

* You can bake the squash a day or two in advance and store it in the refrigerator until it is needed, for a faster prep time.

** If you don’t own an immersion blender, go out and buy one! Seriously, though, you can blend this soup in batches in a traditional blender. You will need to be very careful while handling the hot liquid, and may want to wear oven mitts while blending, just in case of any splattering! An immersion blender is generally not too pricey and will be well worth your money if you enjoy smooth and creamy soups – it will take only a minute to blend and is much less messy than using the regular blender!

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Twice-baked potatoes are the perfect combination of creamy mashed potatoes and hearty baked potatoes – the marriage of comfort food and elegance! Potatoes are an excellent source of potassium and iron, and contain a respectable amount of protein, fiber, and vitamin C as well. So dig in!

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 baking potatoes
• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream, homemade or storebought *
• 1 – 2 Tbsp soy milk
• 2 Tbsp finely sliced green onions, green part only
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, or “yellow spice” **
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wash baking potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Wrap each potato in foil and bake right on the oven rack, 40 – 60 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Take them out when they are slightly underbaked.

Unwrap potatoes. Let stand about 10 minutes. Cut a lengthwise slice off of each potato, and discard (or eat it, like I do!). Scoop pulp out of each potato into a large bowl, leaving about 1/2 inch of pulp on bottom and sides.

Mash the potato pulp with a potato masher or an electric mixer on low speed. Add vegan sour cream, green onions, yellow spice, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Add as much soymilk as needed for desired consistency. Spoon mashed potato mixture back into potato shells. Sprinkle tops of potatoes with additional yellow spice and black pepper, if desired.

Bake potatoes for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Enjoy!

* Tofutti Sour Supreme or Better Than Sour Cream are increasingly available at many supermakets and health food stores (buy the Better Than Sour Cream if you can, it does not contain hydrogenated oils). However, making your own vegan sour cream is easy! Simply place a package of Mori-Nu firm silken tofu into a food processor, add 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp canola oil, 1/2 Tbsp agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener), and 1/2 tsp salt, and blend until smooth and creamy.

** “Yellow Spice” is a staple in my house! Place 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes into a coffee grinder or spice grinder, add 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend to a powdery consistency. We sprinkle this on many foods, kind of as a Parmesan cheese substitute. It’s a nice way to get a little extra Vitamin B-12, and it tastes yummy!

Sauteed Kale

Kale is abundant this time of year, and it is oh-so healthy! It is chock full of vitamin A, and has respectable amounts of calcium, iron, protein, potassium, and vitamin C. Not to mention all the phyto-nutrients in that dark green pigment! When I first tried to cook kale, I just steamed it and served it plain, and wasn’t impressed. After some trial and error, I’ve happened on the following way to cook kale – sauteed, and tossed with toasted pine nuts and raisins. Pine nuts make any dish taste delicious, and I especially like the way the sweet raisins contrast with the strong flavor of the kale. Enjoy this one often!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 large bunch raw kale, de-stemmed and chopped *
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted **
• 1/4 cup raisins
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sautee for about one minute. Add kale and sautee until it looks bright green all the way through (about 5 minutes). If your pan is small you may need to add kale in batches, as it will shrink as it cooks. Remove from heat and stir in pine nuts and raisins. Salt and pepper to taset, and serve immediately.

* To easily remove the stems of kale, simply hold kale by the stem (stem facing you), and push the leafy portion down the stem with your other thumb and fingers.

** To toast raw pine nuts, place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes. You will want to check these frequently as pine nuts will burn in an instant! I recommend toasting them as your first step and having them set aside before you begin cooking the rest of your meal. It is just too easy to burn them when you are distracted with whatever else you might be cooking!