Tag: kale

Kale, Tofu, and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Shells with Lemon-Garlic Sauce

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By using beans as the main ingredient in the sauce, you get a hint of hummus taste, extra fibre and protein, and a hearty, satisfying taste. The filling is infinitely adaptable — and amazing with mashed butternut squash and spinach, too.

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Kale, Tofu, and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Shells with Lemon-Garlic Sauce

For the pasta:
1 8oz (226 g) box whole grain jumbo shells (I recommend Tinkyada)
Salted water, for boiling

For the filling:
1 (350 g) package extra-firm tofu, squeezed of excess moisture
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoon large-flaked nutritional yeast
1/2 cup packed sundried tomatoes, chopped (I use no-salt added, sulphite-free ones)
Boiling water for the tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cups finely chopped kale, packed
1 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Fine sea or Himalayan salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

For the sauce:
1 bulb roasted garlic (this is listed first in the instructions)
1 can (398 ml) organic, no-salt added navy beans (about 1 1/2 cups) (I like Eden’s)
1 lemon, juiced (use the same lemon you used for the zest)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons roasted cashew butter
2 tablespoons roasted tahini
1 tablespoon large-flaked nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea or Himalayan salt to taste
Water from the soaked sundried tomatoes (see instructions)

To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (230 degrees C). Thinly slice the top of the whole garlic bulb, exposing the cloves. Wrap in foil. Bake until soft, about 45 minutes.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

While the noodles are cooking, prepare the filling. Crumble the tofu in a large bowl. Stir in the zest and nutritional yeast. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, cook until softened. Add the kale, mushrooms and Italian seasoning. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the liquid. Add the mixture to the tofu, along with the sundried tomatoes. Mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, put all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor. Use only half of the garlic and half of the lemon. Whizz until smooth. Add additional garlic, lemon, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast to taste. Set aside. (I use the whole bulb and whole lemon, although different sizes may be according to taste). Use the sundried tomato water to thin to a sauce consistency.

Once the noodles are cooked al dente, drain well. Assemble them in a 9×13 glass baking dish. Divide the mixture in the noodles. Top with the sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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Curried Zucchini and Kale Soup

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Make this simple soup a full meal by adding 2 cups of chickpeas, and leave it in a chunky purée instead of completely smooth. You can serve this cold or warm. Initially, I wrote the recipe as a cold soup… but I like it warm and cozy with some crusty bread.

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Curried Zucchini and Kale Soup

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon fine sea or Himalayan salt
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth (you can also use water, although you may want to increase the spices)
3 cups packed, chopped kale
2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk (in the can, not coconut beverage)
Zest of one lime
Salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Lime, for garnish
Freshly chopped cilantro, for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the spices and ginger, and continue to heat for an additional one to two minutes, until fragrant. Add the zucchini, and stir until coated with spices, then top with vegetable broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, letting cook until the zucchini is tender, about 12 minutes.

Once the zucchini is tender, add the kale, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until wilted. Remove from heat and using an immersion blender, whizz until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, let the soup cool slightly and purée in batches in a blender or food processor.

Once smooth, add the coconut milk and lime juice, adding salt and pepper to taste. Let come to room temperature and then place in fridge to chill before serving. Garnish with a squeeze of lime juice and cilantro, if desired.

Green Smoothie Creamsicles

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When you’re trying to cool down in the humidity of summer, double your recipe for your daily smoothie and pour half of it into popsicle molds. When that mid-afternoon slump kicks in, you’ll be glad you have a freezer filled with these on hand.

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Green Smoothie Creamsicles

5 large kale leaves, stems removed (about 1 cup)
2 navel oranges, peeled
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze. If you don’t own ice pop molds, use small plastic containers or dixie cups, and push in wooden stir sticks.