Katherine’s Lemony Kale Salad
from Cook With What You Have
Serves 2-4

Salad:

1 bunch kale, dinosaur kale is my favorite but any kind will work
Zest of half a lemon
2/3 cup bread crumbs, fine, coarse, whatever you have
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Dressing:

2 cloves garlic, minced and mashed with the side of chef’s knife with some salt into a paste or put through a garlic press
Juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons (start with a little less and increase as needed)
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Remove the ribs from the kale unless the ribs/stems are very tender. I do this by holding the stem end and then pinching and pulling the leaves down the stem. 

2. Stack the kale leaves and cut them crosswise into very thin strips with a sharp knife. Put them in a serving bowl and add the lemon zest.

3. Put 2 teaspoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat and add the bread crumbs and a pinch or two of salt. Toast, stirring often until toasty smelling, a shade darker and crispy.

3. Shake the dressing ingredients together in a jar or whisk together in a small bowl and pour 3/4 of it over the kale and mix well. Let sit for a few minutes or up to an hour. 

4. Add breadcrumbs to salad and toss again. Taste and adjust with more dressing, as needed.

Spring Herb + Avocado Soup
Serves 4-6

This bright and nourishing soup is a balanced meal all on its own, with the avocado’s healthy fat and the optional fish, an excellent protein source. Chickpeas would be a lovely alternative to the fish. A scrumptious way to get more greens into your diet!

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 jalapeño chili, chopped
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika (optional)
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
10 cups (about ½ pound) dark leafy greens (such as spinach, kale, and/or nettle leaves and stems – you’ll need a high-speed blender if you are using nettle stems!)
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1 cup roughly chopped mint
1/4 cup roughly chopped tarragon
3 Tablespoons roughly chopped marjoram or oregano
2 large avocados, 1 roughly chopped and 1 for serving
1 ½ pounds salmon and/or cod, cut into bite-sized cubes (optional)
2 limes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, smoked paprika, and white pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 8 minutes. Be sure the onions do not brown.

2. Add 5 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, then stir in the greens, herbs, and avocado, and turn off the heat.

3. Using an immersion blender, process the soup until it is smooth. Alternatively, carefully purée in batches in a traditional blender, then transfer the soup back to the pot.

4. If you are including fish, add it to the soup and simmer for about 5 minutes, until it is just barely cooked through, then remove from heat. The fish will continue to cook in the hot soup, so it is better to remove from the heat before it’s cooked through than to overcook it. If you are not including fish, simmer soup for 5 minutes. 

5. Stir in the juice of one lime and add salt and pepper to taste. Add water if needed to thin soup to desired consistency. Serve with wedge of lime and garnish with additional avocado and a pinch of herbs. Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this soup will keep for up to three days.

 
Amaranth Bars

1/4 cup amaranth 
1/4 cup honey 
1 tablespoon tahini 
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 tablespoon bee pollen
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of flaked salt

1. Place a large bowl next to the stove. 

2. Heat a tall pot on the stove over high heat. The surface should be really hot so that the amaranth pops and does not burn. Pour a drop of water into the pot. When the water dissolves immediately upon contact, add 1 tablespoon of the amaranth. Use the lid (or a screen) as a shield to prevent the popped amaranth from flying out of the pot, but do not cover the pot with the lid or the heat will be trapped and the amaranth will burn. Transfer the amaranth to the bowl once has popped and become white, like baby popcorn. Repeat this process until all of the amaranth is popped. You should have about 1 cup. 

3. In a small saucepan, bring the honey to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, taking care not to burn the honey. Stir in the tahini and simmer for 2 minutes more, until the tahini is evenly distributed.

4. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, amaranth, pumpkin seeds, ½ of the bee pollen and all of the sea salt, then transfer the mixture to parchment paper. Spread the mixture into an even layer with a rubber spatula and press it so that is dense and compact and square or rectangular. Dip the spatula in water to prevent it from sticking. Sprinkle with flaked salt and the remaining bee pollen. Let cool on the counter or in the refrigerator to make them more firm, then cut into bars.

Variations: Add cocoa powder, vanilla, peanut butter, use a different nut or seed or a different nut/seed butter, add spice (cinnamon), fresh ginger…