Baked Kale Chips

It’s so easy to make kale chips! These chips are seasoned to perfection and come out impossibly crispy. Watch out: they disappear fast! Ever made kale chips? Now’s the time to try. This irresistibly salty and crunchy snack makes crispy kale taste like the best invention since sliced bread. The only problem is: they disappear fast! Alex and I like to make up a pan of kale chips as a fun DIY: then we end up devouring them in minutes. Which is all well and good, because these babies are best eaten within a few hours of making them. This healthy snack is perfect for any occasion. Want an afternoon pick-me-up? Need a late night Netflix snack? Kale chips. How to make kale chips Kale chips are very easy to make: you just need to know a few tips to make them come out perfectly. There are lots of ways to make them; here’s what Alex and I like to do for ours: Use Tuscan kale. Alex and I prefer Tuscan kale to curly kale: the flavor is milder and it’s a little sturdier for chips. See below. Wash and thoroughly dry the kale. You’ll want the kale ultra dry […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

It’s so easy to make kale chips! These chips are seasoned to perfection and come out impossibly crispy. Watch out: they disappear fast!

Kale chips

Ever made kale chips? Now’s the time to try. This irresistibly salty and crunchy snack makes crispy kale taste like the best invention since sliced bread. The only problem is: they disappear fast! Alex and I like to make up a pan of kale chips as a fun DIY: then we end up devouring them in minutes. Which is all well and good, because these babies are best eaten within a few hours of making them. This healthy snack is perfect for any occasion. Want an afternoon pick-me-up? Need a late night Netflix snack? Kale chips.

How to make kale chips

Kale chips are very easy to make: you just need to know a few tips to make them come out perfectly. There are lots of ways to make them; here’s what Alex and I like to do for ours:

  • Use Tuscan kale. Alex and I prefer Tuscan kale to curly kale: the flavor is milder and it’s a little sturdier for chips. See below.
  • Wash and thoroughly dry the kale. You’ll want the kale ultra dry so that the oil sticks to it.
  • Tear the kale into “chip” sized bites. Remove the stems, since these get tough and stringy in the oven.
  • Season to perfection. You’ll mix with olive oil, then add salt and onion powder (see below).
  • Bake at 275 for 30 minutes. Place the chips in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at low heat for 30 minutes: you’ll be surprised at how crispy they become!
Baked kale chips

The best kale for chips? Tuscan kale.

After testing with both, we’ve found the best kale for kale chips is Tuscan kale. What is it? Tuscan kale is an Italian variety of kale with dark green leaves and a mild, almost sweet flavor. It’s also labeled as Lacinato kale, dinosaur kale, black kale, or cavolo nero (black cabbage in Italian). It’s called dinosaur kale because the scaly, ridged leaves almost resemble dinosaur skin! You should be able to find Tuscan kale at your local grocery store.

If all you can find is curly kale, you can use that too! Curly kale is fluffier than Tuscan, and it has a more bitter flavor. That bitter flavor mellows out in the oven, but the fluffier texture can make it more brittle. Tuscan kale has flatter leaves, making it more suited to chips.

Tuscan kale

Variations on kale chips: add-ins!

We created these kale chips to have a vaguely sour cream and onion flavor. Of course, you can create endless variations adding any spices you like. Here are some ideas to get your wheels turning; we’d suggest about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon to keep it from being heavy handed:

Tuscan kale

Kale nutrition

Kale chips are a perfect healthy snack when you’re craving something salty, but don’t want to give into a bag of potato chips. Leafy greens like kale are some of the healthiest foods you can eat! Kale is full of nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber. 1 cup of raw kale has 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs (2 of which are fiber), and 3 grams of protein. Because of its low calorie content, kale is among the most nutrient-dense foods on earth.

More kale recipes

Don’t stop with kale chips! There are so many tasty ways to add kale to your diet. Here are some of our top recommendations for eating more leafy green kale:

  • Best Ever Sauteed Kale The best way to eat this healthy leafy green! Scented with garlic and cooked in olive oil until tender, you’ll want to eat it every day.
  • Roasted Kale A tasty, easy side dish! Baked until tender and crispy at the edges, it’s quick to make and a total crowd pleaser.
  • Kale Quinoa Salad This colorful kale quinoa salad is full of healthy ingredients and tastes incredible! Meal prep this easy plant-based lunch idea for meals all week.
  • The BEST Kale Salad This is the BEST way to eat kale! A dressing of lemon, garlic and Parmesan cheese transforms kale into tangy goodness in this Tuscan kale salad.

This kale chips recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Kale chips

Crispy Baked Kale Chips


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  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 2 to 3 servings
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

It’s so easy to make kale chips! These chips are seasoned to perfection and come out impossibly crispy. Watch out: they disappear fast!


Ingredients

  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale (also labeled as Lacinato or dinosaur kale)
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • Heaping 1/8 teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Wash the kale leaves, then dry them as much as possible with a clean dish towel. Tear the kale leaves away from the stems, and into the desired size for chips. In a medium bowl, gently toss the kale leaves with the olive oil.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the kale leaves in a single layer on top of the sheet and sprinkle them with salt and onion powder.
  4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until the kale leaves are crisp. Cool and enjoy immediately! They’re best eaten within a few hours, but if you happen to have leftovers you can store them in a sealed container for 1 day.

  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Vegetables

Keywords: Kale chips

Want more vegan snacks?

If you’re looking to eat more plant-based recipes, healthy vegan snacks are crucial to making it through the day! Outside of these kale chips, here are a few more vegan snacks to try:

  • Crispy Roasted Chickpeas or Crispy Roasted Black Beans They’re the perfect salty snack! They’re combined with savory spices like cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper, and roasted until crispy.
  • Easy Edamame or Spicy Edamame Protein-packed edamame is a tasty protein-packed vegan snack! Edamame are soy beans you eat right out of the pod, squeezing them into your mouth with a satisfying pop.
  • Vegan Snack Bars The perfect wholesome snack! These bars are naturally sweet, featuring oats, chia seeds, and pecans.

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Recipe | Kale & Sweet Potato Quesadillas

There are two things you should know about this recipe: 1. The name is a lie. There’s no queso in these quesadillas. But calling them “dillas” makes them sound like something cutesy off of a children’s menu, doesn’t it? 2….

There are two things you should know about this recipe: 1. The name is a lie. There’s no queso in these quesadillas. But calling them “dillas” makes them sound like something cutesy off of a children’s menu, doesn’t it? 2. Yes, if it sounds familiar, it’s because I made these with leftovers from my Sweet Potato & Kale Wraps. I decided to save the recipe for a rainy day and its day has finally come! So yeah, about #2. We had tortillas and fillings leftover after making those wraps. But, as you saw, I am no burrito wrapper, so the second night around, I made these Kale & Sweet Potato Quesadillas for dinner. Instead of binding everything together with cheese like in a traditional quesadillas, I used mashed sweet potatoes. Is this weird? Okay, fine, maybe it sounds weird, but sweet potatoes and kale go really well together (this is one of my most popular posts, after all!) and so do sweet potatoes and black beans. Oh, and one note about the chorizo: if you can purchase Field Roast locally, use their Mexican Chipotle sausage. Their sausage is made with real vegetables, grains, and spices and it’s minimally processed. (Yes, […]

Kale Quinoa Salad

This colorful kale quinoa salad is full of healthy ingredients and tastes incredible! Meal prep this easy plant-based lunch idea for meals all week. Looking for healthy lunch ideas? Here’s a salad that’s beautifully fresh and saves well for meals throughout the week: kale quinoa salad! Alex and I typically eat pretty boring for lunch, but we’ve been trying to up our game. And we’re thrilled to add this one to our repertoire. It’s full of healthy ingredients: quinoa, kale, peppers, carrots: and then covered in a delicious, ultra tangy dressing! It’s so flavorful and keeps that flavor 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Our lunches just got way more exciting! It also works as a side salad for healthy dinners. What’s in this kale quinoa salad? This kale quinoa salad has limited ingredients. Because our philosophy around here is pretty simple cooking (we even wrote a book about it). Yes, in every recipe we try to use as little ingredients as possible to get the biggest flavor. This salad is plant based and makes a fantastic tasty vegan lunch. Here’s what’s in this kale quinoa salad: Quinoa: Use our stovetop quinoa or Instant Pot quinoa methods to make […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This colorful kale quinoa salad is full of healthy ingredients and tastes incredible! Meal prep this easy plant-based lunch idea for meals all week.

Kale quinoa salad

Looking for healthy lunch ideas? Here’s a salad that’s beautifully fresh and saves well for meals throughout the week: kale quinoa salad! Alex and I typically eat pretty boring for lunch, but we’ve been trying to up our game. And we’re thrilled to add this one to our repertoire. It’s full of healthy ingredients: quinoa, kale, peppers, carrots: and then covered in a delicious, ultra tangy dressing! It’s so flavorful and keeps that flavor 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Our lunches just got way more exciting! It also works as a side salad for healthy dinners.

What’s in this kale quinoa salad?

This kale quinoa salad has limited ingredients. Because our philosophy around here is pretty simple cooking (we even wrote a book about it). Yes, in every recipe we try to use as little ingredients as possible to get the biggest flavor. This salad is plant based and makes a fantastic tasty vegan lunch. Here’s what’s in this kale quinoa salad:

  • Quinoa: Use our stovetop quinoa or Instant Pot quinoa methods to make up a big pot.
  • Chickpeas: Using chickpeas adds plant-based protein. Substitute white beans if you’re not a chickpea fan!
  • Tuscan kale: Kale holds up well in the fridge and is a healthy leafy green! (More below.)
  • Bell pepper: Bell pepper is crunchy and full of Vitamin C.
  • Carrots: Carrot adds another healthy crunch and lovely color.
  • Dressing: The dressing is seriously simple: lots of apple cider vinegar to keep that tangy flavor for days, olive oil, and Dijon mustard.

And there’s one more secret ingredient…

Kale quinoa salad

And, the secret spice!

The last ingredient in this salad is optional, but we recommend it for big flavor. It’s this: 1 pinch of curry powder! We wanted to point this out because it’s not intended to make the salad taste like curry. Instead, it adds a unique complexity that’s almost imperceptible. That’s the key to making this healthy salad taste intriguingly delicious! If you don’t have it on hand, you can skip this part.

It’s easy to meal prep!

This kale quinoa salad is easy to meal prep for healthy lunches throughout the week: or an easy dinner! Here are a few notes on meal prep:

  • The salad stays fresh for 3 days (4 as a stretch). Many salads don’t work in the fridge. But this one is designed for it! Store it in the fridge and it tastes just as good for 3 days (the 4 day it starts to get a little tired, but we still ate what was left!).
  • Easiest way: use leftover quinoa. This salad is easiest to make if you make a big batch of quinoa and then use leftovers to make the salad. This way the quinoa is already cool! But you can also make it the day of.
  • If cooking quinoa day of, use our quick tip for cooling! You’ll need to cool down the quinoa quickly if you make it the day of. Our trick is to spread it on a baking sheet and pop it in the freezer for a few minutes. It cools right down to be able to assemble into the salad.
Healthy lunch idea kale quinoa salad

Variations on kale quinoa salad: mix ins!

There are lots of different additions you could add to this kale quinoa salad to spice it up a bit! Here are some of our favorite ideas:

  • Shredded Parmesan cheese: We tried this and the extra savory it added was delicious!
  • Chopped almonds or other nuts: Nuts add a nice hit of protein. Add these right before serving to keep them crunchy!
  • Dried cherries, cranberries or raisins: Add a sweet and savory element with dried fruit (yum!).
  • Chopped apples: Apples add a crunch and another savory sweet element.
  • Chopped cucumber, celery, or other crunchy veggie: Add a handful of any other chopped veggie for even more crunch.
Tuscan kale

Use Tuscan kale if you can find it

One note on kale varieties! Our favorite variety to use is Tuscan kale. Tuscan kale is an Italian variety with dark green, ruffled leaves. It has a mild and sweet flavor, making it easier to palate than the spicy and more bitter curly kale. It can be labeled as many different things in the grocery. Look for Tuscan, Lacinato, dinosaur kale, or cavolo nero: they’re all the same thing!

How to serve kale quinoa salad for lunch

To make this kale quinoa salad a filling and satisfying lunch, here are a few things we’ve served with it:

Kale quinoa salad

Serve it as a side dish or dinner salad!

Of course, you can serve kale quinoa salad for dinner too! It would be perfect as a recipe for a potluck or pitch-in in the summer. Or it’s an easy side dish for any season. You could also make it into a main dish salad! Here’s what we’d recommend:

Healthy quinoa salad

This kale quinoa salad recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Print
Kale quinoa salad

Kale Quinoa Salad


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This colorful kale quinoa salad is full of healthy ingredients and tastes incredible! Meal prep this easy plant-based lunch idea for meals all week.


Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry quinoa (3 cups cooked)
  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale (also labeled as Lacinato kale, dinosaur kale, or cavolo nero)
  • 15-ounce can chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (or red onion or green onion)
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 2 carrots
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 small pinch curry powder*
  • 1 large garlic clove, peeled and grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus fresh ground black pepper to taste**

Instructions

  1. Make the quinoa: Go to Stovetop Quinoa or Instant Pot Quinoa. Make it in advance OR if serving immediately, bring the quinoa to room temperature: spread it in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze it for 2 to 3 minutes until it cools.
  2. Prep the kale: Chop the kale. Sprinkle the kale with 1 pinch kosher salt. Coat your hands with a few drops of olive oil and massage the kale leaves for 2 to 3 minutes until all pieces are tender.
  3. Prep the other veggies: Finely chop the onion or shallot. Dice the pepper. Peel and dice the carrots.
  4. Mix the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, curry powder, and grated garlic.
  5. Mix the salad: Mix the quinoa and vegetables together with the dressing and the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Add more kosher salt to taste. Stores up to 3 days refrigerated (you may need to add a pinch of salt before serving since it looses saltiness over time).

Notes

*A small pinch adds complexity without the flavor of curry in the salad.

**Optional add-ins: Parmesan cheese, chopped almonds or other nuts, dried cherries, cranberries or raisins, chopped apples, chopped cucumber, etc.

  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Lunch

Keywords: Kale quinoa salad

More easy lunch ideas

There’s always room for more inspiration for lunches, right? Here are some of our favorites:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Spaghetti with Chickpeas & Kale

Spaghetti with Chickpeas & Kale-This easy vegetarian pasta is super satisfying and made made with pantry ingredients! You can have this healthy dinner on the table in 30 minutes! Spaghetti with Chickpeas & Kale My family LOVES a spaghetti night…

Spaghetti with Chickpeas & Kale-This easy vegetarian pasta is super satisfying and made made with pantry ingredients! You can have this healthy dinner on the table in 30 minutes! Spaghetti with Chickpeas & Kale My family LOVES a spaghetti night, and I’ve got to be honest, I do too! Spaghetti is easy to make, budget…

The post Spaghetti with Chickpeas & Kale appeared first on Two Peas & Their Pod.

Black Bean Buddha Bowl with Gingery Lemon Tahini Sauce

Is it just us, or is there something incredibly comforting about a meal filled with beans, rice, greens, and a flavorful sauce?
Inspired by a bowl from Prasad in Portland, we made a delicious gluten-free and plant-based Buddha bowl from simple ingredie…

Black Bean Buddha Bowl with Gingery Lemon Tahini Sauce

Is it just us, or is there something incredibly comforting about a meal filled with beans, rice, greens, and a flavorful sauce?

Inspired by a bowl from Prasad in Portland, we made a delicious gluten-free and plant-based Buddha bowl from simple ingredients.

How to Make a Buddha Bowl

We’re not sure where the term Buddha Bowl originated, and there doesn’t seem to be any set of rules for how to make one.

Black Bean Buddha Bowl with Gingery Lemon Tahini Sauce from Minimalist Baker →

Lemony Green Pasta with Peas & Ricotta

Spring is here! It switched on like a light bulb about a week ago in Kansas City. The daffodils are on their way up, the birds are…

The post Lemony Green Pasta with Peas & Ricotta appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Lemony Green Pasta with Peas & Ricotta

Spring is here! It switched on like a light bulb about a week ago in Kansas City. The daffodils are on their way up, the birds are chirping, and Cookie and I are thrilled. I’m literally humming, “The hills are alive,” on our walks around the neighborhood.

Today, I wanted to share a shockingly green pasta dish with you. It’s easy to make, nourishing and comforting, which is exactly what we need right now. I wouldn’t blame you if you find the color off-putting, but I promise it’s so tasty!

ingredients

The cool thing about this dish is that we use the same pot of water to cook the kale (including the kale stems), pasta and peas. You’ll need to set a few timers. It’s not complicated, but maybe wait to pour another glass of wine until you’re sitting down to eat.

Once it all comes together, this dish almost tastes like deconstructed ravioli. It’s bright green and punctuated with tender peas and creamy ricotta. Make some for dinner tonight?

Continue to the recipe...

The post Lemony Green Pasta with Peas & Ricotta appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Drinking French is Out!

I’m excited to announce that Drinking French: The iconic cocktails, apéritifs, and café traditions in France, with 160 recipes is out! My latest book features recipes for the iconic beverages of France, from café specialties hot chocolate, tisanes and infusions, and chilled chocolate frappés, to classic French apéritifs, recipes to make liqueurs, crèmes, wines, punches and cordials at home, as well as French-themed cocktails from…

Drinking French

I’m excited to announce that Drinking French: The iconic cocktails, apéritifs, and café traditions in France, with 160 recipes is out!

My latest book features recipes for the iconic beverages of France, from café specialties hot chocolate, tisanes and infusions, and chilled chocolate frappés, to classic French apéritifs, recipes to make liqueurs, crèmes, wines, punches and cordials at home, as well as French-themed cocktails from my favorite bars in Paris. To make sure you and your guests are properly fed, there’s a whole chapter of Snacks for apéro hour, such as a Terrine facile (an easy-to-make, meaty terrine), savory Cornmeal-Bacon Madeleines, bite-size Mushroom-Roquefort Tartlets, a recipe for Duck Rillettes as well as another for Chicken Rillettes (spread), one being quite rich, and the other for those who want to eat a little lighter. Or those who can’t get duck. (Writing the book, I thought of everything…and everyone.) And there’s a Kale Crespèu, a specialty of Provence which is perfect for summer with glasses of chilled rosé.

Drinking French starts out as a typical French morning does; at a café with a small shot of coffee or a more leisurely wake-up at home with a steaming bowl of Café au lait. Later in the day, people enjoy other café favorites, such as Citron pressé, Lemonade, Fresh Mint Tea, and if it’s the summer, to beat the heat, nothing beats a chilled Chocolate Frappé. For those needing a little more of a boost, there’s a Coffee Frappé, as well as one that uses one of the most popular liqueurs in France (which, interestingly, isn’t French), in case you want something cool and spirited. But there are dozens of recipes that don’t have any alcohol, making Drinking French enjoyable to all.

Continue Reading Drinking French is Out!...

Blackened Shrimp Kale Caesar Salad.

The most delicious blackened shrimp kale caesar is on the menu today!  It’s a simple yet flavorful recipe. There’s not much in that bowl, but it tastes like heaven! Promise. Pinky swear.  This is one of those salads that doesn’t need much. Clearly! All we have is some massage kale dressed in my favorite caesar […]

The post Blackened Shrimp Kale Caesar Salad. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

The most delicious blackened shrimp kale caesar is on the menu today! 

This blackened shrimp kale caesar is loaded with flavor. Spiced, buttery shrimp pan fried until golden, then thrown on kale caesar salad. Delish!

It’s a simple yet flavorful recipe. There’s not much in that bowl, but it tastes like heaven! Promise. Pinky swear. 

blackened shrimp skillet

This is one of those salads that doesn’t need much. Clearly! All we have is some massage kale dressed in my favorite caesar dressing and some blackened shrimp. 

THAT IS IT.

Oh and a few rogue pieces of shaved parmesan. I swear you don’t need much more. Both the kale and shrimp are heavily flavored. The shrimp acts like the (somewhat?) crunchy croutons to our caesar salad. The kale is chewy enough without being tough. There is texture and flavor and oh my heck what else do we need?

massaged kale caesar salad

The shrimp is easy. You use melted butter and a mix of cajun-ish seasonings and spices to get the flavorful coating. Cook it in a skillet for a few minutes and you’re good to go. I guess if you didn’t want the skillet mess, you could also cook it on a sheet pan for 8 or so minutes like I do with my lime shrimp fajitas

Then you’d have a sheet pan mess, but whatever! It’s worth it for a deeeelish meal.

blackened shrimp

The kale caesar? Well, I don’t even know what to say about that, other than this is my go-to for kale caesars! Sometimes we go through periods of eating this salad once a week. Eddie absolutely LOVES it, I think it’s his favorite salad that I make. 

What I love about it is that it’s super flavorful on its own, but additionally, it makes a great base for practically ANYTHING.

Everything!

Crispy chicken tenders? Done.

Salmon or shrimp? Easy.

Roasted chickpeas? Obviously.

Lots of roasted vegetables? YEP.

This blackened shrimp kale caesar is loaded with flavor. Spiced, buttery shrimp pan fried until golden, then thrown on kale caesar salad. Delish!

Everything you put on this kale caesar complements it well. Or I guess I should say that the kale caesar is what does the complementing, because it’s such a fantastic base! 

This blackened shrimp kale caesar is loaded with flavor. Spiced, buttery shrimp pan fried until golden, then thrown on kale caesar salad. Delish!

It’s the perfect meal to add to your lenten friday line up. It’s also really great for dinner anytime at all. 

This blackened shrimp kale caesar is loaded with flavor. Spiced, buttery shrimp pan fried until golden, then thrown on kale caesar salad. Delish!

And perhaps what I love most: the kale caesar is almost better the next day. YES. It sits in the dressing, basically massages in the fridge and the texture becomes even softer and the taste more flavorful. It’s a salad you can actually prep entirely before if you’d like! Just keep the shrimp separate and then mix everything at once right before eating. 

Winner winner kale for dinner.

This blackened shrimp kale caesar is loaded with flavor. Spiced, buttery shrimp pan fried until golden, then thrown on kale caesar salad. Delish!

Blackened Shrimp Kale Caesar Salad

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Blackened Shrimp Kale Caesar

This blackened shrimp kale caesar is loaded with flavor. Spiced, buttery shrimp pan fried until golden, then thrown on kale caesar salad. Delish!
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 to 4 people
Author How Sweet Eats

Ingredients

kale caesar

  • 1 to 2 bunches of curly green kale, stems removed and torn into pieces
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • shaved parmesan, for garnish

blackened shrimp

  • 1 pound raw peeled and deveined shrimp
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

kale caesar

  • Tear, shred or chop the kale and place it in a bowl. You can actually chop it as much or as little as you like - depends on how you like to eat your kale salad!
  • To make the dressing, add the garlic, yogurt, parmesan, mustard, vinegar, anchovy paste, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a food processor and blend until pureed. With the processor still on, stream in the olive oil until a creamy dressing forms. (This will make more dressing than needed, but you can store it sealed in the fridge for about 3-4 days and stir well before using.)
  • Add about 1/4 cup of the dressing (or even 1/3 to 1/2 cup if you use it on 2 bunches) on the kale to start and toss well to distribute, even massaging it with clean hands. Let it sit for 10 minutes. While the kale marinates in the dressing, cook your shrimp!

blackened shrimp

  • Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and crushed red pepper.
  • Place the shrimp in a large bowl. Drizzle with the melted butter and toss well to coat. Sprinkle the seasoning all over the shrimp and toss well so they are all coated in the spices.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil. Add the shrimp in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches) and cook until golden and crisp on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcook or the shrimp will be chewy!
  • Remove the shrimp and place it on the kale salad. Garnish with shaved parmesan if you’d like!

 

This blackened shrimp kale caesar is loaded with flavor. Spiced, buttery shrimp pan fried until golden, then thrown on kale caesar salad. Delish!

Look at that crisp.

The post Blackened Shrimp Kale Caesar Salad. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Recipe | Sweet Potato & Kale Wraps

Originally these were going to be burritos. Having never wrapped burritos before, they turned out a little flat. I was hoping no one would notice, but as soon as I gave my husband his, he was all, “This doesn’t look like a burrito at all! B…

Originally these were going to be burritos. Having never wrapped burritos before, they turned out a little flat. I was hoping no one would notice, but as soon as I gave my husband his, he was all, “This doesn’t look like a burrito at all! Burritos are round!” So I decided rather than making them again, I’d just call them Sweet Potato & Kale Wraps. I’m lazy like that. These wraps were inspired by a recipe for Portuguese Burritos by MomFoodie. She had mentioned that she felt they were lacking something, so I decided to add a crapload of stuff to the burritos to add flavor. I didn’t want to add cheese, but I needed something to help bind the burrito together, hence the mashed sweet potatoes. I added black beans too and to replicate that smoky flavor the beans have at Mexican restaurants, I added a little smoked Spanish paprika to them. Caramelized onions clearly make everything better, so those went in too. I guess I kind of used a “throw enough things at the wall and eventually something will stick” approach to these burritos wraps. Luckily everything did stick, and although they might sound a little bit weird, […]

Creamy Cauliflower, Mushroom & Kale Pasta Bake {vegan option}

This post was created in partnership with Barilla Pasta Creamy caulifower sauce coating wholemeal pasta, packed full of garlick, mushrooms & thyme, too! This is a perfect pasta bake for those cold, winter days. If you are as much of a pasta bake fan as I am, you’ll love this post. Every year I start to feel a bit blue once winter arrives. All that luscious summer produce is gone and with it, the sunlight has withered away. I’m stuck wondering why the heck we still have to put the clocks back and hour in the winter? It just means the meagre afternoon sunlight becomes even more fleeting. I miss fresh tomatoes, peaches and big bunches of fresh basil 🙁 The upside is the comfort food that always seems appropriate to cosy up with. Miso soup, pie and big bowls of porridge are all top favourites. Anything baked ticks two boxes because a) it’s probably going to involve hot carbs and b) If I close the kitchen door whilst I’m cooking, the whole room gets warmed up and I don’t need to wear a jumper for once! It won’t come as a surprise that pasta bake is a definite winter winner […]

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Creamy Cauli Mushroom and Kale Pasta Bake

This post was created in partnership with Barilla Pasta

Creamy caulifower sauce coating wholemeal pasta, packed full of garlick, mushrooms & thyme, too! This is a perfect pasta bake for those cold, winter days. If you are as much of a pasta bake fan as I am, you’ll love this post.

Every year I start to feel a bit blue once winter arrives. All that luscious summer produce is gone and with it, the sunlight has withered away. I’m stuck wondering why the heck we still have to put the clocks back and hour in the winter? It just means the meagre afternoon sunlight becomes even more fleeting. I miss fresh tomatoes, peaches and big bunches of fresh basil ?

Creamy Cauli Mushroom and Kale Pasta Bake

The upside is the comfort food that always seems appropriate to cosy up with. Miso soup, pie and big bowls of porridge are all top favourites. Anything baked ticks two boxes because a) it’s probably going to involve hot carbs and b) If I close the kitchen door whilst I’m cooking, the whole room gets warmed up and I don’t need to wear a jumper for once!

Creamy Cauli Mushroom and Kale Pasta Bake

It won’t come as a surprise that pasta bake is a definite winter winner for me. You can pack in loads of veggies so you feel relatively healthy – I even snuck cauliflower purée into the sauce because I’m all about that vegetable/fibre life plus it makes it even creamier! I used Barilla’s wholemeal penne pasta and I have to say, it’s my favourite wholemeal pasta I’ve ever tried as it still has a perfect texture (despite the bran) and a light, nutty flavour. As eating dairy-heavy foods can give me stomach cramps, I prefer this cheese-light sauce to something like classic mac and cheese. There’s just a sprinkling of parmesan on top which packs in the umami tang without needing half a block of Cheddar. Garlicky mushrooms and hella fresh thyme bring the flavour in and a scattering of breadcrumbs on top give it that irresistible crispy topping. It’s a perfect dish to shared with friends on a weeknight or Sunday evening when you’re in need of some proper, hearty food.

Creamy Cauliflower, Mushroom & Kale Pasta Bake {vegan option}

Creamy Cauliflower, Mushroom & Kale Pasta Bake {vegan option}

Ingredients

  • 1 small head cauliflower, , outer leaves removed, cut into medium florets
  • 1 small potato, (~100g), sliced 3mm thick
  • salt
  • 250 g wholemeal penne pasta, (I used Barilla)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 200 ml semi-skimmed milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk, (see notes)
  • 200 ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • black pepper
  • 250 g chestnut mushrooms, , sliced
  • 5 cloves garlic, , crushed or finely chopped
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme, , leaves picked & stems discarded
  • 100 g curly kale, , chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • Topping:
  • 4 tbsp breadcrumbs, (see notes)
  • 30 g Parmesan cheese, , grated
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme, , leaves picked & stems discarded
  • a drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

  1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower and potato. Bring back up to the boil over a high heat then turn the heat down to simmer – leave to cook for 8 minutes until the cauliflower and potato are soft. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cauliflower and potato from the water to a large jug or bowl – set aside for later and keep the pot of water on the stove.
  2. Add the pasta to the pot of water and bring back up to the boil (add more water to the pot if needed to cover the pasta). Once boiling, turn the heat down to simmer and leave the pasta to cook for 5 minutes until only just barely cooked on the outside with an uncooked centre. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water in a colander. Set aside in the colander for later. Return the pot to the stove.
  3. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pot along with the flour. Stir over a medium heat until smooth and cook for 1 minute. Combine the milk and stock together in a jug – gradually mix this liquid into the flour-oil paste in the pot, stirring in between additions until smooth. Once all the liquid has been added, bring the mixture to a simmer over a medium-low heat and let it cook for 2 minutes – it won’t be very thick right now but don’t worry!
  4. Pour the hot contents of the pot and the tablespoon of mustard into the jug/bowl containing the cauliflower and potato. Blend using a hand blender until completely smooth and thick. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set the sauce aside.
  5. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
  6. In a medium frying pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and let them cook, stirring occasionally until they’ve shrunk down and are releasing liquid (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic, thyme and a pinch of salt to the frying pan, turn the heat down to low and cook for 1 minute. Add the kale to the frying pan and cover with a lid or large plate. Leave to steam for 5-7 minutes until the kale has wilted down. Remove the lid and take off the heat.
  7. In a medium casserole dish or roasting tin, mix the pasta, mushrooms, kale and sauce. Mix the topping ingredients (except the olive oil) in a small bowl and sprinkle over the pasta. Drizzle with some olive oil, slide the dish into the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until the topping is slightly browned. Divide between bowls and serve hot.

Notes

- To make this vegan: omit the parmesan from the topping and just season with some flaky salt and nutritional yeast instead. Use unsweetened, non-dairy milk in the sauce.

- To make breadcrumbs: take one slice of bread and rub it on the coarse side of a grated to shred it into coarse breadcrumbs.

3.5.3217

3.5.3217

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