Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale + Tomato Cream

I don't love calling a meal a "bake" but that's what this is and it's delicious and healthy so I'm just going to go with it. I've never been into casseroles but a hearty meal like this full of healthy things is something I can always get on board with. Especially when I only have one pan to clean up!

I couldn't love this recipe any more if I tried. It's the ultimate weeknight meal for the Fall- easy, healthy and all of the good Fall flavors. We had it on regular rotation in our house last Fall and it's made it's way back to our menu again. It's loaded with the good stuff- roasted butternut squash, Italian sausage and tons of kale. The coconut milk in the tomato cream is an unexpected twist and it all bakes up perfectly in the oven in my cast iron skillet. 

Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale + Tomato Cream
recipe from Paleo Running Mama

3.5 cups chopped butternut squash
olive oil
1 lb. sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
3-4 cups kale, roughly chopped
1 egg, whisked
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400. 

Toss squash with a Tablespoon or so of olive oil, and a little salt and pepper to season. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. 

In a large skillet (I use my cast iron), cook sausage and onions. When sausage is almost cooked through, add marinara and coconut milk. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer on low. 

Add kale and toss, allowing it to wilt and soften. Once butternut squash is done roasting, remove pan from heat and add squash to the sausage, tomato and kale mixture. Toss everything evenly. If you are baking it in a separate dish, pour into baking dish. Drizzle whisked egg mixture over everything and gently toss to combine. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bake is golden brown on top and set.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Balsamic Vegetables + Grilled Chicken Kale Bowl

 This kale bowl is everything. I like to think of it as my idea of a perfect healthy meal. I took the flavors from one of my favorite early recipes and revamped them into this healthy, one dish dinner. Kale bowls are one of our favorite go-to meals. It's a great way to use up any fresh vegetables that you have on hand, just finish it up with a piece of grilled protein and you have a complete meal! I finished this one off with some lightly toasted panko for extra crunch and it added the perfect bite! And if you really want to add some extra punch, roast a few garlic cloves to throw in. 

Use your judgement with the veggie amounts. I roast enough for each bowl plus a little extra for lunch the next day.  your week off to a healthy start with this hearty and healthy bowl of goodness!

Roasted Balsamic Vegetables + Grilled Chicken Kale Bowl

Roasted Vegetables:
Eggplant, diced
Cauliflower, cut into florets
4 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
Red onion, quartered
Plum tomatoes, quartered
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt + pepper, to taste

Grilled Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt + pepper

Kale, washed and torn
1/4 cup panko, toasted

Mix olive oil, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Transfer to a large ziploc bag with the chicken breast. Marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet or roasting pan with parchment paper. 

Toss vegetables in a bowl with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and light salt and pepper to season. Spread evenly on baking sheet or roasting pan and roast for 35-40 minutes. 

While the vegetables cook, grill the chicken either outside, or indoors on a grill pan. The chicken should be 170 degrees in the center at the thickest part.

To toast panko, spread evenly on a small skillet on medium heat, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss frequently, for 5-7 minutes, until panko is toasted.

Once vegetables are done, prep your bowls! Layer kale, vegetables and top with sliced chicken breast. Finish with a sprinkle of toasted panko. 

If you want more of a dressing to finish off your kale, try using this Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with Pecorino as the your kale base.

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea + Kale Salad

Cauliflower often gets the shaft when it comes to vegetables and it really isn't fair. I'm sure many of you grew up eating it boiled or steamed resulting in a somewhat mushy and blah blob and then, well, I don't blame you for not liking it. But roasting it? Roasting cauliflower opens a whole new world, one that I cannot get enough of. It becomes sweet and slightly crisp on the edges and with just a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper, is simply good. 

This recipe inspiration came as I was flipping through Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook, "It's All Good". Roasted cauliflower and chick peas is where I started and kale seemed like the perfect third ingredient. Tossing the warm, roasted veggies with the raw kale slightly wilts and softens it, without losing the crunch. Mark, who doesn't jump up and down at even roasted cauliflower, went back for seconds of this salad.

With cauliflower in season now, pick up a head and try this tasty salad. If you're still not convinced, check out these tasty ideas from Cooking Light. I'm determined to make cauliflower lovers out of all of you. 

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea + Kale Salad

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 can organic chick peas/garbanzo beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed

2 Tbsp. good olive oil

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

generous pinch of salt and pepper

Large bunch of kale, washed and chopped

3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. dijon mustard

1/4 cup good olive oil

salt + pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss cauliflower, chick peas, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes.

To prepare the kale for the salad, wash and cut along the rib of the leaf. Place on a cutting board and roughly chop. 

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper.

When the cauliflower and chick peas are done roasting, toss in a large bowl with kale and dressing.

Warm Bacon and Mushroom Kale Salad + A Poached Egg

We can go ahead and categorize this as one of the most interesting and unique things I have ever made. The recipe sparked my interest on Local Milk (via Pinterest) and when I read the recipe to Mark he was all for it! Kale stands up perfectly to the warm bacon and mushrooms and a warm bacon vinaigrette is icing on the cake! Things start to get a little crazy when you add a poached egg on top but it was actually quite surprising and quite delicious.

Don't knock it until you try it.

Bacon and Mushroom Kale Salad + A Poached Egg

1 bunch of kale, washed and torn
small carton of Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
6 slices thick bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Pour Olive Mushroom + Sage Extra Virgin Olive Oil or other good olive oil
red wine vinegar
salt + pepper, to season
eggs, poached

In a medium saute pan on medium heat, cook bacon until nice and crisp. Do not remove grease from pan. While the pan is still hot, add garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Make sure the stove is below medium-low heat so that you don't burn the garlic. Once the garlic is soft and fragrant, set aside.

In another saute pan, add 2 Tbsp. or so of olive oil (I used Pour Olive's Wild Mushroom + Sage). Add pepper to season and saute mushrooms until nice and caramelized. When they are done, finish with a little bit of salt. (Did you know that you should never add salt to your mushrooms until after they are done cooking? Sauteing them sans salt helps to bring out a rich mushroom flavor, something you won't get if you have already salted them).

Transfer garlic to a small bowl, and add a few shakes of red wine vinegar to taste. I also added a tiny bit more olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Combine kale, mushrooms, bacon and vinaigrette in a large salad bowl and toss to combine.

Serve with a poached egg on top! Method found HERE. 

Grilled Zucchini Ribbon and Kale Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette + Crispy Almond Chicken Tenders

Here we go with the kale again. I seriously love this stuff! This time, I paired it with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette and it was divine. Using a mandoline, I cut a small zucchini into thin slices, brushed them with some butter olive oil (my newest Pour Olive obsession) and grilled them for a few minutes on each side. To finish off our salad, the protein of choice was simple chicken tenders coated in almond meal and baked until nice and crispy! 

There is so much you can do with this zucchini and kale combo. For a salad on the sweeter side, add dried cherries and pecans and Pour Olive's dark cherry balsamic. 

Grilled Zucchini Ribbon and Kale Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette + Crispy Almond Chicken Tenders
recipe inspiration found HERE  

1 bunch of kale, trimmed and chopped
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
Pour Olive Organic Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or other good olive oil), for brushing

Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette-
1 clove garlic
2 roasted red peppers
3 Tbsp. good extra virgin olive oil (Pour Olive Picholine is my favorite right now!) 
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a small food processor and blend until smooth. Toss with kale to coat and top with grilled zucchini and finish with chicken.

Crispy Almond Chicken Tenders-
6 chicken breast tenderloins
1/2 cup almond meal
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 egg
salt + pepper, to taste

Pregeat oven to 500 degrees. 

In a small dish (a pie plate works well) combine almond meal, lemon zest, a little salt and pepper. In another small bowl, lightly beat an egg. Make a dipping station and dip chicken tenders in egg, and then in the almond meal, making sure each tender is nicely coated. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes. The tenders will be nice and crispy!

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with Pecorino + Roasted Chicken

Kale is my best food friend. I jumped on the train a few years ago and don't plan on hopping off anytime soon. Mark was not as enamored with this leafy green power food when I first started making kale chips but he is finally coming around. I've been using kale in our salads instead of the usual arugula, baby greens and romaine and it is a wonderful change! Kale leaves are much thicker than other lettuces and not only do you not need as much dressing, but there is no need to waste the extra because leftover kale salad is SO GOOD. Gone are the days of soggy, second day salad. 

In addition to being delicious, kale is one of the healthiest plants you can eat. It's packed with tons of calcium, antioxidants and vitamins A, C and K. Kale chips are an excellent snack! In addition to salads and chips, I also frequently saute kale in good olive oil with some fresh garlic, salt and pepper. So simple, tasty and melty in your mouth all kinds of green goodness. 

This salad is my new addiction. I have made some version of it for my lunches all this week and on Sunday, I may just make a giant batch of it for next week. The flavors are pure and simple, and you really could add anything you want. I originally planned on making a kale salad with lemon pepper chicken, but this New York Times recipe was calling my name. I added shredded roasted chicken thighs for a complete meal.

Kale, I love you.

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with Pecorino
recipe adapted from The New York Times

1 large bunch of Kale
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for garnish
3 Tablespoons Pour Olive Picholine Extra Virgin Olive Oil or other robust good quality Extra Virgin
Juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Trim bottom two inches off kale stems and discard. Slice kale, including ribs, into thin ribbons. This recipe says you should have 4-5 cups. I filled up a large salad bowl. 

Heat olive oil in a small pan. Add panko and cook until nice and toasted. 

In a small bowl, whisk pecorino, olive oil, lemon, salt, red pepper flakes and pepper. Pour over kale and toss to coat the kale. Let salad sit for a few minutes and serve with toasted panko and more pecorino. 

Spicy Kale Chips

I was slightly weirded out the first time I made kale chips, but there is something about them that strangely leaves you wanting more. When the kale is torn into small pieces and roasted, it cooks up to a crispy, chip-like bite that kind of crunches and dissolves in your mouth. Mark's calls them ashes but I call them delicious! Absurd, but good and very satisfying. An addictive, yet healthy snack is a success in my book!

 

A Pour Olive customer came into the shoppe last week and said she made her kale chips with the zesty and spicy Harissa Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Harissa is a hot chili sauce from Tunisia that is made with serrano peppers, chilli peppers, garlic and several herbs and spices such as chili powder, coriander, cumin and caraway. The flavor is outstanding and packed with some heat. This totally kicked my usual kale chips up a few notches. Spicy kale chips are my new go- to snack!

Spicy Kale Chips

Kale, washed and torn
Harissa Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and pat kale dry. Rip into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Toss until all of the kale is glistening.

Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until kale starts to crisp up.

*If you are not local to Charlotte, try making your own spice mix for your kale chips. Add salt to it and sprinkle when the kale is tossed with olive oil.