Chickpea Kale Stir-Fry

The main dish we made in the South Arm Kitchen is an Indian infused chickpea stir fry dish.

This Chickpea Kale Stir-Fry is simple to make and yet pack with nutrition. The flavour is bold and the ginger and cayenne gives this dish some spiciness. Serve the chickpea stir-fry with a dollop of lemony yogurt.
Ingredients

  • 4 cups cooked or canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 cups finely chopped kale
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup hempseeds
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 cup plain, 2% Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Source: “One-Skillet Meals” alive #378, April 2014
Serves 4.

For dessert, we made some Almond and Honey Cookies. You can find the recipe here.
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Superfoods Salad

This Superfoods Salad was made for last year’s South Arm fund raiser for the food bank and it was sold out very quickly. Michelle decided to make it at the South Arm Older Adults Cooking Club since it has not be made in the kitchen before.

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This Superfoods Salad is good for a few days in the refrigerator. It is great for potluck too. This ecipe makes approximately 8 to 10 servings. For home consumption, it is recommended to halve the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups quinoa, rinsed for a few times
  • 3 cups water
  • 3/4 cup green lentils (preferably small French green lentils)
  • 4 1/2 cups water

Vegetables

  • 2 large carrots, grated
  • 1/2 bunch kale, finely chopped
  • 1/4 bunch parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

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Dressing

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

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Source: via South Arm Cooking Club for Older Adults

Makes approximately 8 to 10 servings.

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Grilled Coconut Kale

This another recipe from Vij’s Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine by Vikram Vij & Meeru Dhalwala which Michelle shared in the South Arm Older Adults Cooking Club.

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We started off grilling the Coconut Kale but the kitchen became too smokey and we ended with baking it in the oven.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound kale with stem.
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

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Source: this recipe is adapted from Vij’s Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine by Vikram Vij & Meeru Dhalwala

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Kale Crostini

I’m back at the community kitchens after a long break since mid November 2012. The first community kitchen which I attended in 2013 was the South Arm Older Adults Cooking Club.

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Michelle prepared three recipes for this kitchen. The first recipe is Kale or Green Crostini. Michelle picked a kale recipe as kale is in season in winter, although we can get almost all year round in Vancouver.

Eating seasonal is the key to:

  • fresher and more nutrients
  • better flavour
  • better for the environment; i.e reduce carbon foot print for imported ones
  • usually cheaper
  • support local economy

Michelle recommended this website for eating seasonal: www.eattheseasons.com.

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf of ciabatta or baguette bread
  • good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half for rubbing onto the bread
  • 3 cloves of garlic for cooking with the kale
  • 1 bunch of kale, remove leaves from stems (discard stem) and tear into smaller pieces
  • half a lemon for juicing
  • salt and pepper to taste

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Source: this recipe is adapted from Jamieoliver.com

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Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing

Minoo shared three fall ingredients featured recipes in the South Arm Multi Cultural Community Kitchen.

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The first recipe is a Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing. The texture difference between the whole peanuts, ground peanuts, and pureed peanuts in the sauce is one of the things that makes this slaw so wonderful.

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The above is an article that Minoo shared in the kitchen about the interesting culinary uses of Kale. You can click on the image to have a larger view.

Ingredients

  • 2 large bunches curly or lacinato kale, about 2 pounds
  • 2 red bell peppers, cleaned and cut into fine strips
  • 2 carrots, peeled
  • 3/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts, divided
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

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The beautiful carrots were given by Richmond Sharing Farm for the use in the community kitchen.

 Source: via Minoo; Serves 6 to 8

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Pasta with Lentils and Kale

The fall/winter vegetable featured in this recipe is kale. This is in line with the theme of eating food in season for the South Arm Cooking Club for seniors.

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If you do not want to cook the lentils, you can use canned lentils or white beans but rinse them well. Chopped hazelnuts or walnuts or leftover cooked bacon, sausage or chicken can be added for added protein.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup French (small) green lentils
  • 2 cups water
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3/4 pound kale (preferably Tuscan; sometimes labeled as “lacinato”)
  • 3/4 pound dried short pasta
  • grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or toasted breadcrumbs for topping

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Source: this recipe is adapted from Gourmet April 2007

Tips:

Lentils and onions can be cooked up to 5 days ahead and chilled. Cool completely and covered before refrigeration. Reheat over low heat, thinning with water as necessary.

Kale can be washed and trimmed 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag lined with dampened paper towels.

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Creamy Kale and Vegetable Soup

Michelle prepared a Creamy Kale and Vegetable Soup for the South Arm Seniors’ Kitchen in line with the cruciferous theme. Kale belongs to the cabbage family. Moreover, the kale is harvested from the Seniors’ Community Garden.

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The Creamy Kale and Vegetable Soup is best served with some nice crusty bread. If you like Italian sausage, you can slice it and include it when your are sauteeing the veggies. Or, use farmer sausage but leave out the rosemary.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed or minced (about 2 tablespoons minced)
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, chopped or ground with mortar & pestle
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 2 large potatoes, peeled & diced (or 4 to 5 small potatoes)
  • 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 2 cups white beans, fresh cooked or canned
  • 1 head kale, chopped
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • rind of Parmesan cheese, optional

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Source: Mintgreenapron.com

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Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad

For this community kitchen at Gilmore Park Church, Minoo had a theme of vegetarian dishes. In this kitchen, Minoo wanted to introduce Brussels sprouts which is in season during winter time.

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There were two Brussels sprouts dishes planned for this kitchen; a salad and a warm side dish.

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Here is the excerpt which Minoo shared in the kitchen:

No one knows the origin of Brussels sprouts, though it’s logical to assume they originated in Belgium. Like nearly all vegetables, Brussels sprouts are naturally low in fat and calories.

Unlike most vegetables, Brussels sprouts are rather high in protein, accounting for more than a quarter of their calories. Although the protein is incomplete, i.e. it does not provide the full spectrum of essential amino acids; it can be made complete by eating it with whole grains. This means you can skip a higher calorie source of protein, like high fat meat and occasionally rely on a meal of Brussels sprouts and grains for your protein intake.

Brussels sprouts are loaded with Vitamin A, folacin, potassium and calcium. They are high in fiber; they provide 3 to 5 grams of fiber per cup, and at 25 calories per 1/2 cup cooked. Brussels sprouts are one of those food that will fill you up.

Brussels sprouts belong to the disease fighting cabbage family. Indeed, they look like miniature cabbages. Like broccoli and cabbage; fellow cruciferous vegetables, Brussels sprouts may protect against cancer with their phytochemical property.

Brussels sprouts are also rich in Vitamin C, another anti-cancer agent. You are assured of the health benefits of high in protein and low in fat and calories of Brussels sprouts, so enjoy them while they are in season.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 bunch kale
  • 12 ounces Brussels sprouts
  • 1/2 cup almonds with skins, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan or Romano cheese

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Source: this recipe is adapted from Care 2

Serves 6 to 8

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Sweet Peppers and Kale Pasta

The community kitchen met again at Gilmore Park Church. Minoo prepared 4 recipes for this kitchen.

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For the main dish, Minoo prepared a Sweet Pepper and Kale Pasta. Minoo tried to incorporate the usage of kale in the recipes in the community kitchen. You can check out the nutritional value of kale in this Kale and White Bean Soup post.

This recipe uses fresh tomatoes as they are in season and are really cheap. Due to the mild summer, tomatoes are harvested late this year.

Ingredients

  • 1 x 8 ounce package uncooked farfalle (bow tie) pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 to 6 tomatoes
  • 1 cup roughly chopped kale leaves, discard the stem as they are tough and bitter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pinch dried basil
  • 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
  • salt and ground pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

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Source: via Minoo

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Creamed Kale with Caramelized Shallots

The last kale recipe in the kale feast at the Gilmore Park Church Community Kitchen is a side dish.

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This Creamed Kale with Caramelized Shallots is absolutely delicious, almost like a dessert. It’s creamy and sweet from the caramelized shallots.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped Spanish onion
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 pounds kale, center stalk removed, and coarsely torn into pieces

Ingredients for Caramelized Shallots

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 10 shallots, peeled and sliced, or 40 baby onions, peeled
  • salt and freshly ground pepper

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Source: this recipe is adapted from Food Network, Bobby Flay

Prep time: 30 minutes;  Cook time: 30 minutes;  Serve 6 to 8

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