Leaves You’ll Love
by Tom Herndon
Poor vegetables. Often neglected by diners for the protein, starch and dessert. My response to people who say they dislike a particular food, is “You just haven’t had it prepared well.” Greens, with their powerful healing properties, deserve to be star players on your plate.
Below are recipes featuring Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, Nori, and my favorite green leafy food – kale. Kale has many variations, all earthy and flavorful with a wonderful crisp, complex texture. My favorite is featured in the recipes below. It’s called by many names: Tuscan, cavolo nero, lacinato, black, and dinosaur.
Some of these recipes have olive oil, ghee and/or bacon. Fat improves the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins and phytochemicals found in kale (and other green veggies), like A, D, E and K.
Baked Kale Chips
serves 4
I know this sounds kinda odd, but these are highly nutritious and truly addictive. And oh so simple to make. They’re also pretty when presented bunched into a decorative vase or tall glass.
12 large Tuscan kale leaves, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half, center ribs and stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 250°F. Toss kale with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes for flat leaves and up to 33 minutes for wrinkled leaves. Transfer leaves to rack to cool. NOTE: Be careful and check the leaves from time to time. Some are heavier and wrinklier will take longer to bake, others are smaller, flatter or lighter and will bake that much faster.
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Pasta with Cavolo Nero Pesto
serves 4
This is SO good. Most people think of pesto as the traditional style made with basil and pine nuts from Genoa. In this recipe the sweet and nutty flavors of the cavolo nero replaces both of those ingredients.
2 1⁄2 lbs. cavolo nero, trimmed
4 cloves garlic
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1 lb. dried GF pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add cavolo nero and 2 cloves garlic; cook until bright green, 3–4 minutes. Drain; transfer cavolo nero and garlic to a food processor; pulse to a purée. Pour in 1⁄4 cup of the oil while pulsing to form a pesto; transfer to a bowl.
Crush remaining 2 garlic cloves with sea salt until it forms a paste; stir into pesto with 1⁄4 cup of the oil.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta; cook until al dente, 10 minutes. Drain; add hot, drained pasta to the bowl of pesto and toss to coat. Serve drizzled with remaining 1⁄4 cup of oil and salt and pepper to taste.
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Massaged Kale Salad
serves 2
What? Massaged kale? Yes! Gently massaging the kale breaks down the cellulose walls, releasing the water and ‘cooking’ the kale, softening it into a state of lusciousness.
1 bunch kale, stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons raw honey
Freshly ground black pepper
1 mango, diced small (about 1 cup)
In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage with your fingers, rubbing the leaves, until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.
In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.
Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the mango and pepitas. Toss and serve.
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pears and Thyme
serves 8
This is the perfect Winter side dish, especially for those who hate Brussels sprouts – the sweetness of the pears and the smokiness of the bacon make all the difference. Vegetarians and vegans can omit the bacon and use olive oil instead of ghee. Check out the Swiss Chard recipe below for tips on using smoked paprika to get that wonderful, smoky flavor.
2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
¼ pound bacon, chopped into ¼” dice
2 red Bartlett pears, cored and cut into wedges (local Bosc or green Bartlett pears work well, too)
6 shallots, quartered (or regular sliced onions)
10 fresh thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons ghee (or olive oil)
sea salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 425. On two large rimmed baking sheets, toss Brussels sprouts, bacon (if using), pears, shallots, thyme, and oil; season with salt and pepper.
Roast until Brussels sprouts are tender and browned, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Toss with lemon juice and serve warm.
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Kimbap (Korean “Sushi” Rolls)
Serves 4
Kimbap means “Seaweed Rice” or simply known as the Korean sushi roll. Korean style sushi roll is similar to the Japanese one, but difference is in their ingredients. This is a popular street food that’s been around forever and can be very kid-friendly. Plus, you get all the wonderful minerals from the sea.
4 Nori sheets
2 cups cooked rice
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 carrot, julienned
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 8 long strips
2 eggs
1 cup good tuna
1/2 pound spinach, parboiled, drained and sprinkled with rice vinegar
When rice is almost cooled, mix with sesame oil and salt. Stir fry carrots briefly with a dash of salt. Stir fry cucumber with a dash of salt. Whisk eggs until evenly yellow and fry into flat omelet. Cut cooked egg into long strips. Drain and rinse tuna, unless oil is really tasty. Using a bamboo sushi roller or a piece of tinfoil, lay the dried seaweed shiny side down. Spread about ½ cup of rice onto 2/3 of the seaweed, leaving the top 1/3 bare (if you moisten your fingers or a spoon to pat down the rice, you’ll get less of a sticky mess).
Lay ¼ of the carrots and 2 cucumber strips crossways around 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the seaweed. Lay ¼ of the other fillings down on top of the veggies. Rolling from the bottom (as if you’re rolling a sleeping bag), press down to make the fillings stay in. As you continue to roll, pull the whole thing down towards the end of the bamboo mat or foil. Spread a tiny dab of water along the top seam to hold the roll together, tightly roll to the end. Set aside and continue with other seaweed sheets.
You can slice the rolls sushi-style (pictured), or leave whole like a hand-held wrap. Other fillings can include thinly sliced onions pre-pickled in rice vinegar, stir-friend zucchini strips, shredded chicken or pork (really any leftover meats), sprouts, green onions, avocado, daikon strips, and you can spice up the tuna into an Asian-style tuna salad. Fillings are endless, use your imagination, but stay to the Asian flavors because they work better with the Nori.
NOTE: Sans Gluten Free Grocery in San Rafael has wonderful toasted sheets of Nori made from the highest grade of seaweed. Perfect for Kimbap.
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Swiss Chard with Raisins and Almonds
Serves 4
1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick (1 cup)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (or 3 slices of bacon – smoked paprika is a great vegan substitute to add that smoky flavor)
4 bunches Swiss chard, center ribs removed and leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped center ribs (use the thinner, more tender sections)
1/2 cup veggie or chicken stock
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (omit if almonds are a problem)
!/2 cup raisins
If you’re using bacon, slice strips into 1/2-inch pieces and render (sautee on med-low) until crisp. Drain fat and reserve bacon.
Cook onion and stem pieces with 1/4 teaspoon salt in 2 tablespoons oil (or use bacon fat) in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring, until softened. Sprinkle with paprika (or bacon, if using) and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chard in batches with stock, stirring frequently, until chard is tender, about 7 minutes. Season with salt.
Dry roast almonds in a small, dry pan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle almonds and raisins over chard.
I recently found out I have IBS, but I love greens and have had to give up many of the veggies I used to eat. Kale was one of my favorites, but kills my stomach, will the cooked Kale have the same effects as the dehydrated Kale or will it be easier to digest?
Trying to find receipes that contain organic whole foods, gluten free & IBS friendly ingredients is really tough!
EJ,
Thanks for your note. IBS is serious business and I’m happy you’re taking care of yourself. I spoke to Willie and she says that if it’s the protein in kale that bothers you, then it won’t matter if it’s dehydrated or fresh. Dehydrating does not remove the protein. Sorry, I too love the stuff.
Chef Tom