Winter Vegetables: Kale

Kale is really an all star vegetable right now. It's super popular, and in your face, but I feel like in order to eat this veggie, you have to make it work for you. I see tons of recipes pairing it with all sorts of things, which is great. But I find that I have better luck using new produce when I integrate it in recipes I already know and love.

Once you have your kale cut in manageable portions (or bites) and cleaned of its thick tough stems, you can do anything with it. 

I like to pan sear kale in garlic and olive oil for a minute and then cover and let the steam cook it all the way through.  If I don't pan sear it, I soften it in boiling water for a few minutes- not too long; you don't want the water leeching the nutrients!

Kabocha over warmed Kale with Parmesan and Sunflower Seeds

Winter Vegetables: Kabocha

Welcome to another installment of winter vegetables. Kabocha is another fun squash, similar to butternut. Actually, it's really easy to confuse Kabocha with Buttercup squash. Here is a great website that explains the difference.

Now that you have been educated in squash, let's talk background. Kabocha is a Japanese squash. A friend of mine had made Kabocha squash for me a year or so ago, and it was so good that I actually crave it.

Imagine my delight when I found  Buttercup and Kabocha piled high in the veggie section of my local grocery store. My small world just got bigger!

After several texts with questions pestering her on how to prepare it, I treated it very similar to Butternut squash: chopping it in half, peeling it, cubing it, then sautéing it with garlic and onions and cooking in chicken broth  to soften. Kabocha is beautiful because it keeps its shape well. It's creamy, but not as creamy as butternut squash, and has a sort of starchy quality and texture. Once softened, I added a tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce, and a tablespoon of brown sugar. It's just enough sweet-n-salty to knock this dish up a few notches.

Now that you have made squash you can eat a big bowl full as a stand alone squash side, or perfect over warm greens.  Or, puree it and enjoy as a soup!