I don't know about you, but I had to learn how to like kale. The texture is tough, the flavor is bitter, and until it was promoted as "the BEST, HEALTHIEST, vegetable EVER!" I rarely encountered it beyond a garnish on a plate and in the seafood case at my local grocery store. Like many of you, I climbed on board the kale band wagon and started working it into my recipe rotation. 
A few years ago I discovered Trader Joe's Spinach & Kale Bites. They sounded delicious so I took the idea and created my own version of their recipe. They are so versitile. I use a small cookie scoop to create meatball sized bites and a larger scoop to make larger "patties" that I recently used as "buns" for an edible flower sandwich I recently featured at a cooking demonstration. They are easy to make and can be cooked and frozen with great results. Give these a try!

​Makes 24 1 ounce portions

1 small onion, diced, about ½ cup
2 Tbs olive oil
4 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
2 cups (packed) with fresh kale, spine removed
2 eggs
1/3 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
dash of cayenne pepper
½ cup fresh flat leafed parsley leaves
½ cup fresh basil leaves
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
4 tsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush a baking pan lightly with olive oil. 
   
   
2. In a medium sauté pan place the olive oil and diced onion and cook over low heat until soft and translucent, about 5-8 minutes. 

 

1. Using a food processor, combine the eggs and cream cheese and blend until smooth.  Add the spinach, kale and herbs and process until smooth.  Add the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasoning to the kale mixture and mix again. 

 

1. Using a 1 ounce cookie scoop, portion the mixture onto a baking pan.  Flatten each slightly and brush with melted butter.  Bake until firm, about 10 minutes.   Serve hot or at room temperature.  Refrigerate or freeze for later use.

 
Ways to serve:  Serve as a side dish, hors d’oeurves, or with sauce as a vegetarian alternative to meatballs.  Use a larger scoop to make larger patties to use in place of bread for a sandwich.

I recently presented my program "Feasting from Our Local Farms" at the Amherst MA library. What a lovely town and a very friendly group of library patrons! I prepared my recipe "Ginger Marinated Kale". Recipe is a favorite of mine, there is something about the Ginger Marinated Kale recipe that has me craving it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Try the recipe and let me know if you too become addicted to it.
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Don't be afraid that this recipe makes too much.  You will love this recipe so much that you will be eating it morning, noon, and night!  The beauty of marinating your kale is that it will taste better as time passes.  Keep your kale salad refrigerated for up to 5 days!  Each day add something different to your salad...sliced peaches, diced tofu, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, cold shrimp, cold chicken...anything you like!

Makes 12 servings
​
8 Cups of de-veined and chopped Kale 
¼ cup red onion, diced
1 glove of garlic
½-inch piece of ginger root
1/3 cup olive oil 
1 -2 tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/2 cup of water
¼ cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
Pinch or two of cayenne 

1.  Place the chopped kale and red onion in a large bowl.
2.  Using a blender, combine the remaining ingredients to create a marinade.  Toss the kale with the marinade.  You can eat your dressed kale immediately, but this is best when refrigerated for 4-5 hours before eating.  
This salad can be stored in the refrigerator and eaten for up to 5 days.
 

Makes 6-8 servings

1 pound soba noodles, cooked and drained (follow the package directions)
4 scallions, chopped
1 large red pepper, cored, seeded and sliced thinly or 1 bag frozen sliced peppers, thawed
2-3 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
3 Tbs toasted sesame oil
 
 

1. Place the cooked noodles, veggies, and cilantro in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil together in a small bowl.
3. Pour the sauce over the soba noodles and veggies and toss to coat.  This can be served warm or cold.

Substitutes and additions:

• Use whole grain thin spaghetti or brown rice instead of soba noodles.
• Add shredded chicken, cooked shrimp, or tofu for more protein.  

Tip #1...Dry your stuffing bread ahead:
Drying the bread before making the stuffing is crucial for texture and flavor. If you plan ahead, you can simply leave the bread cubes out on the counter for a few days to become stale. Otherwise, spread them out on baking sheets and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 60 minutes. Let the bread cool before using in the stuffing. 
Tip #2...Cook your stuffing outside of your turkey:
Cut down on turkey cooking time by cooking your stuffing outside of your turkey.  
Tip #3...Prepare your stuffing ahead and reheat:
I love to prepare side dishes and desserts ahead of time if at all possible.  Stuffing is the perfect cook ahead item.  The stuffing can be assembled in the baking dish, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. To bake, let the stuffing stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and proceed to bake as directed in step 3 of the recipe below.

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), plus extra for baking dish
4 medium ribs celery , chopped fine
2 medium onions , minced
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 2 teapoons dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
3 pounds high-quality sandwich bread (white), cut into 1/2-inch cubes and dried (see note)
5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
4 large eggs , beaten lightly
2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
 
 Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a very large mixing bowl.
2. Add the dried, cooled bread, stock or broth, eggs, salt, and pepper to the vegetables and toss gently to distribute dry and wet ingredients evenly. Turn mixture into buttered 15-x 10-inch baking dish.
3. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: If you want a stuffing that is moister, drizzle the dressing with some of the turkey pan drippings or more chicken stock.