There are still plenty of people who are not kale fans. I get it. It’s a little chewy, and very unlike crisp romaine or iceberg lettuce. But this is a dish that gets rave reviews at potlucks in our neighborhood, and believe me, you better be on your A-Game when you bring food to potlucks around here. We are surrounded by amazing cooks. Jill adopted this recipe from one on the NYT cooking site, and it is a year long favorite.
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
⅔ cup Olive Oil
⅓ cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 tsp Salt
5 Garlic Cloves, gently pressed with the flat end of a knife
Chickpeas
14 oz Chickpeas (1 Can), drained and rinsed
2 tsp Olive Oil, or olive oil spray – enough to coat the chickpeas
2 tsp Seasoning – We use Penzey’s Turkish Seasoning, but a mix of salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic will always be good!
Salad Ingredients
4 cups Kale leaves, removed from stems, chopped, and massaged. There is some debate about massaging kale, but vigorously squeezing the kale leaves a few times makes them a little more approachable. I'm a fan.
2 cups Sliced Unsalted Almonds, Toasted
1.50 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese (Optional – Omit it to make this vegan)
2 Avocados, cut into bit sized pieces or slices
So many other ingredients can be added – Quinoa, tomatoes, fresh peas, you name it!
Directions
Roast the Chickpeas
We use our air fryer for this, but it’s easy to use your oven too. Lightly coat the chickpeas with olive oil, add Turkish Seasoning or Spice Mixture. Cook at 400 degrees for for 15-20 minutes, turning at least once, until browned and crispy.
Make the Dressing
Mix Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Salt, and Garlic Cloves. Remove garlic cloves after 20-30 minutes.
Preparing the Salad
Mix dressing and kale. Add all remaining ingredients and mix again. You may want to lay the avocado on top, as people may argue they did not get their fare share of avocado. This may or may not have happened in our house a few times.
I originally saw this recipe in Ina Garten’s Cook Like a Pro cookbook, but I have since seen it on Food Network and on the NYT Cooking site. They are all copying a recipe from the Charlie Bird restaurant, and it’s worth it. Chewy farro pasta (and you sound like quite the culinary expert when you say you’re cooking farro in your house), fresh herbs, and lemony goodness. You have to try it! (Picture from Barefoot Contessa – https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/charlie-birds-farro-salad)
Ingredients
Farro
1 cup Dried Farro (You’ll find it in the pasta or the rice section of your grocery store)
1 cup Apple Juice or Cider
2 Bay Leaves
2 tsp Salt
Dressing
½ cup Olive Oil
¼ cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper (Table Grind)
Salad Ingredients
1 cup Fresh Parsley, destemmed and and chopped
1 cup Fresh Mint Leaves, Roughly chopped
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, chopped or quartered
4 Radishes, as colorful as you can find, sliced thinly. (Adjust number based on your appreciation of radishes!)
⅔ cup Pistachios, slightly chopped
2 cups Arugula, chopped
½ cup Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Directions
Preparing all ingredients
Cook the farro in 1 cup of apple cider and two cups water, adding two tsp salt and two bay leaves. Cook until all liquid is absorbed. Remove bay leaves and cool. The apple cider is key to this recipe. It adds depth and sweetness to the salad.
Make the dressing by mixing all ingredients together, and set aside.
Chop all salad ingredients.
Take a wedge of Parmesan cheese and create slices. I use a vegetable peeler for this.
Making the Salad
Restir the dressing, then mix it in with the farro. The dressed farro will soon spread its goodness to the rest of the salad.
Mix in all ingredients except arugula and shaved parmesan.
Fold in the arugula, and then lay the parmesan slices on top.
One of the few restaurants we can actually walk to is Kristy’s Village Cafe. When we do, we usually start by splitting a Quinoa Salad that is just fantastic. I like it so much that I’ve copied it, and we now eat it three or four times a month at home. Here is a not-too-complicated copy cat recipe for four people. The quinoa makes it a potential meal in itself, especially when you add a protein on top or on the side. This recipe calls for a balsamic vinegrette, which you can make yourself or purchase.
Ingredients
The Quinoa
1 cup Quinoa – any kind will do. We typically use tri-color. This is more than enough and will leave you leftovers if you want it.
Dressing
½ cup Olive Oil
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
¼ tsp Salt and Pepper
Greens and Stuff
6 cups Arugula
2 cups Cherry Tomatoes, cut in halves or quarters
6 oz Fresh Mozzarella cheese, cut into small pieces (You can use other cheeses, but the Moz works well)
1 Avocado, sliced into bite size pieces (1/2 inch or so)
⅔ cup Pistachios – chopped
Directions
Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the box. We cool it down in the fridge before mixing it into the salad. My friend Laurie spreads it on a baking sheet and browns it to provide some extra crunch. I have not yet tried that, but I will!
Make the dressing by mixing all ingredients, or simply use your favorite store-bought balsamic dressing. We love the Stonewall Kitchens Balsamic Fig dressing.
Mix the arugula and quinoa together. Start with 1 cup of quinoa, and add more until you get the mixture you would like.
Add dressing to this mixture and mix in.
Plate and top with cheese, tomatoes, avocado pieces, and pistachios. We do it this way so that everyone gets an even share of topping goodness, so there is no topping envy at the dinner table.
My friend Kim brought this over for Friendsgiving Dinner and it was a huge hit! She told me that she got the recipe from The Silver Palate cookbook and I felt a wave of nostalgia. I used that cookbook so much in the 80s and 90s and I loved it! Somehow, I lost that book an my moves around, so I’m grateful to Kim for reminding me. The recipe feels fresh and filling, and is a great dish to serve at home or at a pot luck.
Ingredients
1 cup Wild Rice
4 cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock
2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
1 Orange, Zest and Juice
⅓ cup Olive Oil
¼ cup Mint, choppedThis is essential. It brightens the whole dish!
1 bunch, green onions, chopped
1 cup Pecans, chopped or halves
1 cup Dried Fruit, Raisins, Cherries, Apricots, or CranberriesCherries and Apricots open eyes and palates more than raisins and cranberries.
Directions
Cook rice in the broth, 30-45 minutes, until done. Don’t overcook!
Add all ingredients. Serve within 2 hours if you can. If refrigerating, let come back to room temp before serving.
When I was 16, my family ventured to Ireland for a 3-week bike trip. It was not a tour, but just my adventurous dad leading us around the country. We camped half the time. We were always hungry after a big ride, and we would love anything our parents would make at camp. This is where my dad uttered his wisdom that I repeat often: “There’s nothing like food when you’re hungry!” Truer words have never been spoken.
When we stayed in bed and breakfasts, which was a nice break from camping, we loved the breakfasts we were served, at least at first. Eggs, bacon (kind of soft, but very tasty), two sausages, a small glass of orange juice, and brown soda bread. After a while, the lack of variety got a little old (definitely a first world problem), but the brown Irish soda bread was something I looked forward to every day. It filled me up and gave me energy for the day, and I absolutely loved it with good creamy butter. 40+ years later, I still do!
I found this recipe many years ago at recipeland.com. I have not changed it, and it is a super easy bread to have in the house any time.It makes spectacular toast in the morning, and goes well with any soup or salad.
Enjoy.
Ingredients
3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1.50 tsp Salt
1.50 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Oats (Old Fashioned is best!)
2 tbsp Dark Molasses
2 cups Buttermilk (or milk with 2 Tbsp lemon or white vinegar that sits for 10 minutes)
Directions
Mix whole wheat flour, white flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
Stir in oats, make a indentation in the middle
Mix buttermilk and molasses together
Pour buttermilk/molasses into middle of dry ingredients. Mix well with sturdy spoon or even your hands.
Knead 4-5 times on a floured surface.
Shape into round loaf, cut the classic cross on top of the bread with a sharp knife – about one inch deep.
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. We like to bake it on a pizza stone.
Reduce heat to 350 for 30 minutes
Take it out of the oven and let cool. It’s excellent served with butter or reheated as toast.
Our friend Sheri loves to entertain in her beautiful home. One of the dishes we have ‘stolen’ from her is her Spanish Rice. It is spectacular and it’s now a regular in our home. The pineapple juice element adds so much to the recipe!
Ingredients
1 tbsp Canola Oil
1 cup Jasmine or Basamati RiceI've been using Basamati more recently – It's less sticky, and seems better for fried rice recipes.
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Taco SauceLa Victoria Taco Sauce is a great refrigerator staple and works perfectly here. Sheri's original recipe calls for tomato sauce, which is really good. But we are taco sauce people now. And when I make it for Asian food, I often use chili garlic sauce!
2 Bay Leaves
2 cups Water
¼ cup Pineapple Juice. This adds fantastic taste. Do it if you can!
Directions
Heat Canola Oil in a skillet or pot that has a cover.
Add rice, salt, and garlic powder to the hot oil. Saute for 5-7 minutes until just browning.
Add taco sauce/tomato sauce/chili garlic sauce Stir to coat all rice.
Add water, pineapple juice, and bay leaves. Stir. When water begins to boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
