Italian Sausage with Fall Veggies

Easy, filling and flexible, this dish takes full advantage of whatever fall root vegetables you have on hand.

Ingredients

• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced
• 1 small sweet potato, cubed
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound uncooked Italian sausage links
• 1/2 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. In a large roasting pan, combine the parsnips, sweet potato, red onions, garlic, sage, pepper and salt, and drizzle with vegetable oil. Toss to coat. Pierce each sausage link four times on one side with a paring knife, then turn over and pierce four more times. Place the sausages on the vegetables and cover the pan tightly with foil.
2. Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover the pan, stir and turn the sausages, and roast for 15 minutes longer, uncovered. The vegetables should be tender when pierced with a paring knife; if the vegetables are in larger chunks, they may need more time to cook. When the vegetables are tender, add the kale to the hot pan and stir, then roast for 10 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestion

This is an easy and filling fall dish, and the ingredients are very flexible. Substitute your favorite root vegetables for the parsnip and sweet potato, or use any type of link sausage.

Authored by Stronger Together. Reprinted with permission by www.strongertogether.coop

Photo courtesy of strongertogether.coop

Kale-Walnut Pesto with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

No need to wait until summer's basil bounty to make pesto—you can enjoy a flavorful kale pesto any time of the year. Valued as much for its taste and texture as its nutrients, this kale pesto is simple and robust and is delicious tossed with pasta or as a sauce for pizza or a crostini. This is also an excellent use for extra kale from the garden or CSA share—and it freezes well to boot.

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch kale (about 6 cups of leaves)
• 5 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a small dish and add boiling water, just to cover. Set aside while they soften.
2. Strip the kale greens from the thicker ribs. Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the kale to the water and blanch for 30 seconds or less. Remove the greens immediately and place in an ice bath.
3. Remove kale from the ice bath, squeeze to remove the water then place it in a food processor. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and add those, along with the garlic, Parmesan, walnuts, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, to the food processor.
4. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil, scraping down the sides as needed. Adjust the salt to taste.

Serving Suggestion

Toss with pasta and top with additional Parmesan and toasted walnuts, if desired, or use as a sauce for pizza or crostini.

Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop.

Goddess Quinoa Bowl

Veggies, whole grains and Sriracha tahini dressing make this flavorful, easy, one-bowl meal a perfect addition to your weeknight dinner rotation. This recipe is very versatile - swap ingredients for your favorite veggies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa or bulgur
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon tamari sauce plus 1 teaspoon, divided
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
• 1 bunch Tuscan kale, thinly sliced
• 2 large carrots, shredded
• 2 medium avocados, halved and pitted

Preparation

1. Cook the quinoa or bulgur. In a small pot, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, then add the grain. Return to a boil, and if using quinoa, reduce the heat to low and cook for 14 minutes, covered. For bulgur, bring to a boil for 1 minute, then cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Fluff the finished grain with a fork.
2. While the grain cooks, place the tahini, cider vinegar, one tablespoon each tamari, honey, Sriracha sauce and water in a small bowl and stir with a fork until smooth. Add a bit more water if the dressing is too thick.
3. Place the pumpkin seeds in a small sauté pan and swirl over medium-high heat. When they begin to pop and become fragrant, stir in the tamari. The tamari will coat the seeds and the pan will be dry. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
4. Place a quarter of the cooked grains in each of four low, wide bowls. Arrange the raw kale and carrots on top of the grains, then slice the avocado halves in the skin and carefully scoop them out with a spoon. Fan half an avocado over each bowl. Top with sauce and pumpkin seeds.

Serving Suggestion

Grain and noodle bowls are the way to go for simple, flexible meals. The easy tahini dressing has enough Sriracha sauce to make it exciting, but if you don't like it hot you can always cut the amount in half. Customize with your favorite cooked or shredded veggies, proteins or sauces.

Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop.

Goddess Chickpea Salad with Kale

Creamy and crunchy this salad is packed with protein. Enjoy by itself or stuffed in a whole wheat pita. If you don’t have green goddess dressing on hand, substitute your favorite dressing. 

Meal prep trick: place the dressing at the bottom of the mason jar, top with salad to avoid soggy greens.

Photo Credit: Food, Pleasure & Health

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup packed thinly shredded kale
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup slivered red onions
• 1/4 cup green goddess salad dressing
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, kale, cherry tomatoes and red onions. Pour the green goddess dressing over the mixture and toss to coat.
2. Grind fresh black pepper over it all and mix, then taste and add salt if desired. Serve immediately, or store, tightly covered for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Serving Suggestion

This salad is also delicious wrapped in a tortilla or stuffed in a whole wheat pita. If you don’t have green goddess dressing on hand, substitute your favorite dressing.

Kale & Blood Orange Salad

Via A House in the Hills

Ingredients

• 4 medium blood oranges
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed
• 1/2 cup slivered red onions
• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled or cubed

Preparation

1. For the dressing, zest and juice one of the blood oranges into a small bowl or jar. Taste the juice. If it is very tart, add a tablespoon of lemon juice; if it is very sweet, use two tablespoons blood orange juice and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil and whisk well or shake to combine. Set aside.
2. Roll the kale leaves up, cut crosswise into thin ribbons and place into a serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the kale and use your hands to toss, then massage for a minute or two to tenderize the leaves.
3. Peel and segment the remaining blood oranges, either with your fingers or with a knife, cutting between the membranes to make neat sections. Cut each segment into 2 or 3 pieces and add to the bowl with the kale. Add the red onions and feta, toss to mix and serve. 

Serving Suggestion

This salad is a great make-ahead, since, unlike many tossed salads, it keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Serve with roasted meats, or top with leftover cooked sliced chicken for a hearty lunch salad. Substitute navel oranges for the blood oranges if you prefer; just be sure to use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with the sweeter navel orange juice in the dressing.

Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop

DIY Kale Chips

Photo Credit: Cathy L Woods

Kale chips are a fun way to eat more leafy greens. When you make them at home, you can choose your level of crispiness. Bake them just a little less time, and there will be softer parts and crispy parts, but if you bake them to full crispiness, they’re almost like tortilla chips.

Ingredients

• 1 pound kale, stems removed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or other oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• (Optional flavorings) 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, or a pinch of cayenne, or 1 teaspoon of your spice blend of choice 

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Wash and dry the kale, remove the stems and save for another use (use in a veggie soup or juice them, for example). Tear the leaves into 2-3 inch pieces and put in a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt. Toss to coat completely.
2. Spread the kale on two large baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, then reverse the position of the pans. Bake for 15 minutes, to desired crispness.
3. While the chips are still hot, toss with optional flavorings, if using, and let cool completely to crisp. Store in a tightly covered container for up to a week.

Authored by Robin Asbell. Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop