Steamed Salmon w/ Greens, Corn, & Pickled Vegetables

Happy Friday guys!

We've got a big Labor Day weekend planned, too!  Our great friends Ike & Becca are getting married tomorrow - so congrats to the future Lehrs! 

Sunday, we'll probably head out to World Fest - which showcases the cultural diversity of Louisville by food, music, and shops!  We went last year and had a great time, so looking forward to that one! 

Still don't have any Labor Day plans, but if all else fails, I know we'll be lounging around - which is good enough for me!  Anyway, let's get to today's dish!

We haven't been eating a lot of red meat around these parts.  I don't know why, we've just been opting for lighter meals.  Salmon is always a favorite of ours, and when I saw this simple dish over at Joanne's Eats Well With Others, I knew I had to try it out!


Ingredients:
Adapted from Eats Well With Others' Recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1-inch thick slice of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 cup kale, chopped
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 cup mizuna greens
1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus extra for drizzling
2 6 oz. salmon fillets
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups fresh corn
pickled vegetables

In a large skillet under medium high heat, add both oils.  Add the ginger and garlic powder.  Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add kale, spinach, mizuna, soy sauce, and 3 tablespoons of water.  Saute until the greens start to wilt, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Spread the greens in an even layer in the skillet.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place the fillets on top of the greens in the skillet.  Cover pan and lower heat to medium.  Steam fish for about 5-7 minutes, or until just cooked through. 

You can choose to cook your corn if you'd like, but I'm weird and I like the taste of raw corn.  Divide corn among two plates and top with salmon fillets.  Serve alongside the greens and pickled vegetables.  Drizzle additional sesame oil, soy sauce, and/or remaining steam liquid in pan (it was infused with the garlic and ginger, so it's tasty!).

This was a great meal.  Andy and I both had our plates cleaned on this one.  That's a sure sign of a winner there!

Hope you guys have a great holiday weekend and I'll be back Monday!

Vegetable Barley Soup

I know it's still a little hot outside for soup recipes, but this was too good to pass up.  I'm one of those irrational people that can have soup any time of year - especially when it's chock full of vegetables like this!



The flavor is definitely different, with all of the different herbs involved - but it's definitely a "good" kind of different!

Ingredients:
Adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe

 

4 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups chicken stock
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped 

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

5 cups kale, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped fresh fennel fronds
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
juice from 1 lemon

feta cheese crumbles, optional

Bring 4 cups water, 2 cups vegetable broth, barley, and 1 teaspoon sea salt to boil in large pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until barley is tender, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, chopped carrot, and mushrooms to pan.  Sprinkle with sea salt, and sauté until golden brown, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add onion mixture and remaining 2 cups chicken stock to pot with barley.

Add kale to soup. Simmer until greens are tender, about 15 minutes. Add dill, fennel fronds, and mint; simmer 5 minutes. Add lemon juice. Season soup with sea salt, pepper, thinning with more broth, if desired. Divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle feta cheese over, drizzle with oil, and serve.

 

I even ate this cold for lunch today - and I NEVER eat soup cold.  Now you know it's gotta be good!

Do you guys eat soup in the summer time?  Or am I just a weirdo?

Steak Sauce Kale Chips

I've been wanting to make kale chips for quite some time.  And when I had an over abundance of kale from our CSA, I knew it was due time.  But I didn't want to make any old kale chips.  I needed to kick them up a notch.  And that's where steak sauce comes in.  Who says it's only for red meat?  Whoever did, is quite wrong.  Because it's also a perfect match for kale chips.  I may even go as far as saying that it's a genius idea on my part.  But I won't gloat too much - it is getting late, after all.



Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale
salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
D.I.Y. Steak Sauce

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove stems from kale and tear into large pieces.  Place in a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle steak sauce over kale (about 2-3 tablespoons) and toss to coat.

Line the kale on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until kale is crisp.  Watch it carefully because they can go from crisp to burnt in a blink of an eye. 

And then enjoy the best snack known to man.  Well, maybe that's pushing it... or maybe it's not.  Needless to say, these were darn tasty - so I suggest you try them soon =)  If not the kale chips, the steak sauce itself is worth the time.  I seriously put it on everything!  Have a great rest of your Wednesday night guys!

And don't forget that tomorrow is CSA Thursday so e-mail me at mtlabor85@yahoo.com with your CSA/Farmer's Market/Garden photos/blog posts and I'll include them in the round-up!

Tempeh Stir Fry

I'm happy to say that this Tuesday morning started off a lot better than yesterday's dog fiasco.  The only thing wrong with today (so far) is that Andy happened to take my keys with him to work!  But I didn't have to work today, so it wasn't like I needed them for anything.  And it gives us an excuse to have lunch together so he can give me my keys back.  So win-win if you ask me =)

And boy is it a hot one!  Almost as hot as yesterday's heat index of 114 F!  Seriously?  114!  And as of right now, it's a heat index of 111 F.  Will. NOT. Be. Running. Outside. Today.  As much as I hate running on the treadmill, my butt is not going to be found passed out on the sidewalk (which I know it will be if I attempt to run outside!).

Anyway, we've been trying to eat a little bit healthier around these parts, but still wanting to get our protein in.  Tofu really isn't an option right now for us, I'm still quite unsure about it - I know, I know - it takes on the flavor you put it in and all that jazz, and eventually I'll get over this hump, but right now, we're both on the fence about tofu. 

I've been hearing a lot of good things about tempeh - which can best be described as a soybean cake, so I figured we could safely give that a try!  Whole Foods had a couple different varieties, so we opted for 2 packs of Vegetable Blend Tempeh.  Andy was still a little leary about it, but I told him to trust me on this one!

Ingredients:

Adapted from Post Punk Kitchen's recipe

1 cup chopped collard greens
1 cup chopped kale
2 8 oz. packages Vegetable Medley Tempeh
2 tablespoons soy sauce
juice from 1 lemon
1 cup water
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 shallot, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
small handful of cilantro, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
3 Thai chiles, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
2 golden beets, peeled and cubed
2 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
Barbecue Sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 400F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread beets and potatoes on sheet in a single layer.  Season beets and potatoes with salt and pepper.  Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bake for about 25 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add collard greens and kale.  Simmer for about 8-10 minutes.  Drain greens and set aside.

Crumble up the tempeh into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a large skillet under medium high heat.  Add 1 cup of water, soy sauce, and lemon juice.  Cover and bring mixture to a boil.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is gone.

Lower the heat and push tempeh to one side of the skillet.  Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil on the bare side of the skillet and add shallots, chiles, and garlic.  Sauce for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Mix garlic and shallots in with the tempeh and saute for about 4-5 minutes.

Stir in cilantro, fennel seed, and greens.  Cook for 10 more minutes before mixing in beets and potatoes.  Cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes and serve!  Top with your favorite barbecue sauce, if desired.

This meal exceeded every expectation in my book.  The only thing Andy thought was somewhat off about it was the beets, but he's not as big of a fan of beets as I am, so that's completely understandable.  But he actually liked the tempeh!  So that's a win in my book.

This definitely won't be the last time I ever try tempeh, it's my vegetarian protein of choice as of right now =)

Have you guys tried tempeh?  What's your favorite way to have it?


See you guys tomorrow!

Sauteed Kale w/ Polenta

We've been getting a lot of kale in our CSA lately.  I love kale and usually end up putting it in a soup (it's stellar in soups!), but with the weather being so hot - I just haven't been in the mood for any kind of soup.  Simple and easy is the route I like to take.

And when I saw this recipe on Eats Well With Others, I just knew I had to make it - especially since I'd never cooked with polenta before either.  It just seemed like the perfect opportunity!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Eats Well With Others' recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups kale, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup polenta
1/4 cup smoked gouda, shredded

In a large skillet, heat olive oil under medium high heat.  Add garlic and saute for about a minute or so, until fragrant.

Add the kale, salt, and pepper and saute for about 3-5 minutes, or until kale is slightly wilted, but still green.

Meanwhile, bring about 4 cups of salted water to a boil.  Slowly pour in polenta and stir constantly until thick - about 5 minutes or so.

Spoon some polenta on a plate and top with the kale.  Sprinkle some shredded gouda on top if you want too.

Joanne served this with some braised short ribs (which looks pretty darn awesome too!), but I found this a great dish all by itself.  It's elegant, easy, and super tasty!  And let's just say... this won't be the last time I cook with polenta, either!

Sauteed Greens

Wow, it's already Tuesday?  It feels like forever since I've posted (even though it was only Friday!)  I decided to take yesterday off because #1.  I had to work until 4 yesterday (woohoo for time and a half!) and #2.  We had a cookout with friends, and I just couldn't get away to post.   So I hope you'll forgive me!

How did you guys enjoy the long weekend?

To make up for it, I'll be doing a recipe post today (not normally a recipe post day, if you haven't noticed!). 

The beginning of the CSA season always means that greens are aplenty so I've got to come up with different ways to use them.  But honestly?  My favorite way of preparing greens is just simply sauteed with a little bit of olive oil and garlic.  It really lets the greens shine!


Ingredients:

1 bunch kale
1 bunch rainbow chard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Wash the kale and chard well under cold water and drain.  Remove kale and chard from stems and slice the greens thinly.

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil under medium high heat.  Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add greens and saute until just wilted, about 2-3 minutes.  The color should still be a vibrant green.  Serve right away.

This is a quick and easy side dish that is sure to please!  And if you love greens, like we do, you definitely won't be disappointed!  See you guys tomorrow!

Bratwurst "Stirfry"

 

It's Friday!  Once again, I've got to work until 10:30, so no going out.  Bummer, but I guess in a way, it saves us a little bit of money.  Especially after the expensive vacation we just endured.  Don't really have much planned for the weekend either.  I'm just working a couple hours in the morning tomorrow and the rest of the weekend will be spent studying for a Molecular Biology exam that I have on Tuesday!  Sunday, of course, is football day, and might possibly have a few friends over for some dinner (we owe them for watching out dogs, so what better way to thank them than by feeding them?!)

  

I had some leftover bratwursts from the Currywurst recipe and couldn't just let them go to waste.  I saw this side dish on Guilty Kitchen's blog and decided to use up a few veggies we had lying around!

Bratwurst Stir Fry

Adapted from Guilty Kitchen's Sweet Potato, Kale, & Sausage

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 clove garlic
2 sweet potatoes, left unpeeled and diced
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 bratwursts, sliced into rounds
8 oz kale, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped
sea salt to taste
fresh cracked pepper to taste

Heat a large dutch oven under medium high heat and add oil.  Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes, or until starting to soften.
 

Add in sweet potatoes, garlic, squash, green pepper, and thyme. Sauté for another 5 minutes, or until garlic softens.

Mix mustard and water and add to sweet potatoes. Stir, cover, lower heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

Add in sliced bratwursts and cook for 10 more minutes, or until bratwurst are almost done.

Stir in kale, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 more minutes.  Serve immediately!

I know it's kind of misleading saying that this is a "stir-fry," but I guess to me, a stir fry is more of a culmination of a bunch of ingredients into one dish, rather than something just pan fried quickly.  This was definitely a great use of some of our leftover squash and green peppers.  There were major layers of flavor in this dish and would definitely be a great side, but even better main course!

Enjoy the weekend guys and I'll be back Monday!

Spice-Rubbed Duck W/ Roasted Grapes & Kale

I love me some duck. It's absolutely amazing to be how people can say that it's too fatty or game-y. The fat is where the flavor is people! Stop counting calories and taste the flavor!! That's what food is all about right??? Adapted this from a recipe I found in the Oct. 2009 issue of Bon Appetit.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon fennel
3/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 whole duck (or 4 small duck breasts)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
1 bunch kale, thick center stems removed, and leaves roughly chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 lb. red seedless grapes, stemmed

Now I didn't get off work in time to make it to the butcher's to get pre-cut duck breasts, so I had to buy a whole duckling from the grocery store. This was actually more cost efficient to me, as it was only $12 for the whole duck, as opposed to the $20 something I would pay for 4 nicely cut breasts. Yeah, I would only get 2 breasts out of the duckling, but I couldn't let the rest of that meat go to waste so I used both thighs and legs also. And it was my first time ever cutting a whole duck. It was kind of something amazing, but that's for another day, let's get to cooking...

Grind the first 5 ingredients in a coffee grinder or spice mill. I don't see the sense in buying an extra appliance when 1 appliance doubles as two, so I love my coffee grinder for that.

Score your duck, skin only of course, in a diamond pattern. Sprinkle spice blend all over duck and massage into the meat and skin, but not too rough. You're supposed to cover and chill overnight, but I did it in the morning and cooked the duck later in the evening, so I'd say as long as you give it about 5-8 hours, it's sufficient. Make sure you let the duck sit at room temperature for 1 hour before you start cooking though.

Place 1 rack of your oven in the top third and 1 rack in the bottom third. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add your garlic and saute until starting to slightly brown, about 3 minutes or so. Add your kale, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and let it wilt a bit. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce your heat to low and cover. Cook until the kale is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Then uncover your pot and increase the heat to high and cook until most of broth is evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Watch it carefully though because my kale almost burnt, but I keenly heard the first sizzle and quickly took it off the heat and added a tad bit of broth to save the day. Set the kale aside.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add duck breasts, skin side down, and cook until skin is brown and fat is rendered, about 8 minutes. Then place duck, skin side up, on baking sheet and place in oven. For medium rare, roast about 8 to 10 minutes. If you want it more done, then cook longer. Tent the duck with foil after taking it out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

In same skillet you used to brown duck, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat and add grapes. Roast in the oven until the skin starts to split, about 15 minutes.

Thinly slice your duck breasts, garnish with grapes, and serve alongside kale.


I made this duck the same day that we had out crazy cookoff with a bunch of our friends. We were still stuffed from lunch, but the duck was so worth it to eat, even when we really weren't that hungry. It left us feeling great inside and the duck was perfectly cooked. The grapes were a wonderful accompaniment and when you took a bite of the duck and the grapes at the same time, it was like a party in my mouth. Definitely a must try recipe for all the duck lovers out there! Enjoy!