kale | A Fork In Each Hand

Colcannon

What in the world is Colcannon, you ask? It’s really nothing more than mashed potatoes mixed with kale or cabbage, scallions, butter and cream and is usually served with ham. Irish food isn’t traditionally known for being “light fare” so in trying to lighten this up, I used kale, light butter, and skim milk. I don’t often make potatoes at home, not even baked potatoes. In fact, I think I usually only eat potatoes at Thanksgiving. I never considered adding in a leafy green with potatoes but I like the idea of it! Kale works perfectly because it is hearty and can stand up to the heat of the potatoes without disappearing. It also provides a complementary texture to the potatoes and makes the dish visually interesting.

By the time you read this, I will either be laying on a Florida beach, at a preseason baseball game, or somewhere watching NCAA basketball. On St. Patrick’s Day, I’m sure I’ll be knee deep in Guiness celebrating life with my friends. Since I’m taking a few days off, I won’t be able to post anything again until next Tuesday so I hope you have a happy, fun and safe St. Patty’s Day! Sláinte!

Also check out: Irish Cream Brownies

The ingredients:

Cook the potatoes in a medium pot covered in cold water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain in a colander.

In the same pot, add in the butter and allow to melt.

Add in the kale and allow to wilt. Toss in the green onions.

Pour in the milk and mix well.

Add in the potatoes and mix, using a potato masher to mash the potatoes.

Season with salt and pepper and serve warm with additional butter if you like.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Light butter
Skim milk

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: SimplyRecipes.com

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Soups are great for healthy eating! When I’m trying to eat better, I love making them because as soon as the soup is prepared, I portion out the sizes into individual containers to make it easy to grab for lunch (and to not overeat!). This Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale is rich in fiber but low in calories and fat. Not to mention it’s vegetarian! Creamy, sweet Great Northern Beans are simmered with onion, garlic, rosemary and thyme in vegetable broth (any kind of broth will work here) and then carrots and kale are added until soft. Red pepper flakes and white wine vinegar are tossed in at the end where both lend a real flavor boost. The original recipe calls for escarole but since I started eating kale a few months ago, I always try to use it wherever I can. Any leafy green – spinach, collard greens, or swiss chard – will work, so use whatever you like. The only thing I left out is the addition of the parmesan rind and although I’m sure it adds a ton of flavor, I didn’t see the need for the extra calories so I just used a little parmesan cheese on top before serving. I loved this soup more than I ever expected to and cannot rave about it enough. I will make this again, no question!