Not-So-Basic Sweet Potato Hash

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I’m excited to collaborate with Alite Designs' Outside 101 on recipes that are perfect for this summer’s camping season.

To showcase one of the many ways I like to make my camp breakfast anything less than basic, but easy at the same time, I brought my ‘Not-So-Basic Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash’ to life. If there’s one thing I can tell people about eating a well-balanced breakfast, it’s to make it easy, but more importantly enjoyable! You won’t be enticed to eat something if it feels like a chore.

 Can you tell that my #1 tip for spicing up breakfast is to be bold and to add color?

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I consistently have more of a savory palate, but every now and then I crave something sweet. This is my “sweet” take on the classic breakfast potato hash. It features spicy Indonesian flavors and is a unique and delicious way to start your day.  

When cooking at camp, I love adding some cultural flare, just as I do in my kitchen. So I found some Indonesian inspiration by using sambal bajak. Sambal bajak is basically an Indonesian condiment. It’s made with chilies and salt and is accompanied by spices like palm sugar, lemongrass and tamarind, then blended together in hot oil.  Can you say YUM?!

If sambal bajak isn’t available to you, you can also use sambal oelek or sriracha. Basically any fiery chili sauce will do, but sambal bajak does round out the hash's flavors the most! Hint: You can easily find the spice paste on Amazon.

Another way to make camp breakfast easier is to do your homework! We all learned growing up that coming to class prepared sets you up for success, right? This can absolutely be applied to your camp cooking as well.

Buying your veggies pre-cut saves so much time and takes the prep right out of the equation. Sometimes buying pre-cut veggies can be expensive, so another alternative is to chop and slice them before your trip and then pack them in your cooler, ready-to-go.  You’ll for sure be set up for success in your camp kitchen!

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The variety of veggies in this dish are packed with vitamins and minerals that taste good and are even better for you! This is why sweet potatoes and kale are two of my favorite ‘superfoods.

Sweet potatoes, one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, are filled with antioxidants that promote anti-inflammation while kale is filled with vitamin B, which is key for brain development.  The sausage and eggs add the protein as well as a healthy fat boost, which will keep you full and energized.

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Long story short, these ingredients compliment each other so well and will make a colorful and hearty meal that is guaranteed to leave you satisfied.

Pro tip: don’t overcrowd the pan when cooking, or the potatoes and sausage won’t brown evenly.  Either use a large skillet or pan to cook them in a separate batches!

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Not-So-Basic Sweet Potato Hash

In Collaboration with an Alite Designs recipe for Sweet Potato Hash

Time: 35 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
Extra virgin olive oil
1 chicken apple sausage link, cut into ¼ inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, sliced
1 small jalapeno pepper, diced
1 small green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
1 small red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
1 cup kale leaves, ribs removed, chopped
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1 tbsp sambal bajak or oelek
1 tbsp paprika
4 eggs

Directions
Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in an extra large skillet over medium heat.

Add sausage and sweet potatoes in an even layer, and cook on one side until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

Season with ½ tsp kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook in batches, adding additional olive oil, to avoid overcrowding if necessary.

Stir in garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add shallots, jalapeños, bell peppers, kale, and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and sausage are browned on all sides, about 10 more minutes.

Season hash with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sambal bajak and paprika and cook for about 2 minutes, until well combined. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large frying pan and heat oil over medium-low heat. Crack about 4 eggs into the pan at a time, spooning oil over the whites. Fry until the whites are firm, but the yolks are still runny.

Serve hash on plates and garnish with a fried egg!

Enjoy your ‘Not-So-Basic Breakfast Hash’ :)

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If you loved this recipe, you will also love my Alite Outdoor 101 recipes for: Cajun Shrimp with Sausage, Corn, and Summer Vegetables, Rotisserie Chicken Salad with Avocado and Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, and Chipotle-Spiced Bean Tacos!

Kale and Green Bell Pepper Pasta with Goat Cheese and Parmesan

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It's the middle of December, but my California garden is still going strong with kale and green bell peppers. I'm not a big fan of stuffed bell peppers, so I have to get creative in my kitchen every week or two in an attempt to use up every last one!

While we usually opt for red bell peppers in pasta, this recipe was a great way to use up our cute little green ones instead. They're still sweet and provide a nice texture that pairs well with kale and corkscrew pasta. 

Ready in 30 minutes or less, you'll also love this whole grain pasta between the tanginess of the goat cheese and lemon zest, which are balanced with a little umami from the parmesan cheese. It's bright, healthy, and just as important, finger-lickin' delicious! 

Kale and Green Pepper Pasta

Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 large bunch kale, about ¾ lb, stemmed, and roughly chopped
¾ pound kamut khorasan corkscrew pasta
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 medium green bell peppers, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp capers, drained
½ tsp red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup white wine (optional)
¾ cup goat cheese, crumbled
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Lemon wedges to serve

Directions
Bring a large pot salted of water to a boil. Add kale and boil until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the kale to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

Return the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water, and set aside.

While the pasta boils, heat olive oil in a large medium skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and peppers and sauté for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic, capers, and red pepper flakes, and season with salt to taste. Add the lemon juice, zest, and white wine, and simmer until the wine is nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Return the kale and pasta to the pan and stir until combined (add reserved pasta water if the pasta is dry). 

Stir in goat cheese and parmesan until the pasta is well coated and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, squeezing over lemon wedges if desired.

Kale Pasta with Kale Flowers in a Garlic-Infused Tomato Sauce

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I’ve been meaning to make pasta with kale flowers for a while now, but I finally did it! 

Kale is by far the most successful plant in our garden. It’s literally towering over everything right now and is at least 6 feet tall. But this year, our lovely Portuguese kale went to flower a little sooner than usual. I think it’s because we had so much rain that made the kale so healthy and happy that it decided to send off its seeds to our garden. That’s totally fine with me!

So instead of just yanking out the plants, we’re used them in pasta. The end result? Nutritious and delicious! Like other edible flowers, I imagine these would be great in a salad, soup, or even as a cocktail garnish.

I initially intended to use the flowers when they were first produced because they look a lot like broccoli raab early on. As they mature, there’s less raab and more flower. You can use raab-like kale flowers in this recipe if you prefer and use less kale leaves or none at all. But I really enjoyed taking advantage of the beautiful yellow flowers because they added a really nice texture to the dish.

I couldn’t find the specific nutrition facts of kale flowers online, but many other edible flowers are high in vitamin C and vitamin A. Plus, it makes sense that at least some of the benefits of kale, like its antioxidant content, would transfer to the flowers as well, right?

Kale Pasta with Kale Flowers in a Garlic-Infused Tomato Sauce

Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
12 oz dried casarecce pasta
1 medium bunch kale, coarsely chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup garlic stuffed green olives, halved, garlic cloves chopped
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
4 anchovies, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup packed kale flowers, stemmed
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

To Garnish
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/4 kale flowers

Directions
Bring a large pot of boiling salted water to a boil. Add pasta and boil for 5 minutes. Add kale and continue cooking until pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes longer. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a medium skillet, add olive oil, fresh garlic, and cured garlic cloves over medium-high heat. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, green olives, and anchovies and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, about 3-4 minutes. Add kale flowers and cook gently stirring for 1 minute. 

Return pasta to the pot over medium high heat and add the tomato sauce. Stir to combine and add parsley and parmesan cheese. Cook until flavors meld, about 3 minutes. Serve on plates and garnish with parmesan cheese, parsley, and kale flowers. 
 

Salmon with Beurre Blanc and Sautéed Greens

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Is this salmon with beurre blanc and sautéed greens a sexy dish, or what?

I recently learned how to make lemon confit, which I now know is an easy and exciting way to add flavor to your meals! I made a whole batch of it by slowly simmering finely sliced lemon rinds in olive oil and sugar. Then I let the flavors meld overnight and added the contents to a mason jar. When I woke up in the morning to try it, I was astounded. Lemon confit makes for such a tasty and simple way to add flavor to your dishes. If you don’t feel like making lemon confit (not sure why you wouldn’t), it’s easily purchased online or at your local gourmet grocer.

The salmon dish as a whole is incredible. There are a few steps, but they’re all very easy. In 45 minutes, you’ll have plated some amazing French-inspired cuisine, impressed your friend or spouse, and will have saved a few dollars cooking at home instead of dining out at a fancy French restaurant!

Salmon with Beurre Blanc and Sautéed Greens

Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, peeled
Kosher salt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1 bunch kale, stems removed, torn into 3-inch pieces
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, torn into 3-inch pieces
2 tbsp lemon confit, finely sliced, or lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
4 (6 oz) center-cut salmon fillets, skin on
7 tbsp butter, divided
1 shallot, minced
1/3 cup vermouth
4 lemon wedges, to serve

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Finely mince garlic, running the knife blade over the garlic a few times to mince further. Add 1/2 tsp salt to the mince and continue to alternate between mincing and running the knife over the garlic until you have formed a fine paste. 

Heat 1 tsbp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic paste and chili flakes and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the kale, chard, 3 tbsp water, and cook, stirring until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in lemon confit, season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Keep warm.

Season salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. Add salmon fillets and briefly press down with a spatula to ensure even searing. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes, without moving the fish. Add 3 tbsp butter to the pan and allow to melt. Spoon butter over salmon for 30 seconds, then transfer skillet to oven, basting the fish with a spoon every 3 minutes, until the thickest part of the salmon is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 145F. Remove from heat and keep warm.

In a small skillet, bring shallots and vermouth to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the sauce has thickened, leaving a bit of vermouth in the pan. Remove from heat.

To the same pan, stir in 1 tbsp of butter at a time until each cube is fully melted. Stir in 1/4 tsp salt and remove from heat. Strain the beurre blanc into a bowl over a fine-mesh strainer to remove shallots. 

Serve salmon on plates and ladle a tablespoon of beurre blanc over each fillet. Serve with sautéed greens and lemon wedges.

Pork Meatballs with Sautéed Kale and Golden Raisins

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Mmm, pork meatballs. So simple and delicious! You wouldn’t believe it, but these meatballs actually spoke to me and begged me to throw in a little kale with golden raisins. They said the suggestion was made to round out the meal for greater health and happiness. And boy, I’m so glad I listened to the meatballs! The flavor combination was phenomenal. They’re also just delicious to snack on. So go on and get some!

Pork Meatballs with Sautéed Kale and Golden Raisins

Time: 30 Minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 large bunch kale, stems removed, roughly chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb ground pork
1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions
Preheat broiler. 

In a large sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and soft, about 1 minute. Add kale, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Then add raisins, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer for about 12-15 minutes, until leaves have softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While kale cooks, combine ground pork in a large mixing bowl with raisins, pine nuts, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Shape into 1.5-inch meatballs and transfer to a baking sheet. Broil for 4 minutes on one side and turn over, broiling for 3-4 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Serve immediately over kale! 

Gomen Besiga: Ethiopian Collard Greens with Lamb

With a dinner party planned and about eight pounds of Portuguese kale waiting to be harvested from my garden, I couldn’t wait to make Gomen Besiga. Our variety of kale is very similar to the collard greens in this dish, but the leaves are much larger and have less ribs, which make them much so much easier to clean and process. Yay!

So what is Gomen Besiga? It’s an Ethiopian dish that hits the soul-food spot with its spicy braised greens and lamb instead of ham hock. The dish is wonderful served on its own over injera or even better with a few side dishes. If you don't know where to get some of these ingredients, check out my previous blog post on how to acquire them. 

We served our Gomen Besiga to our happy guests with Doro Wot (a spicy chicken stew), Kik Alicha (yellow split peas), and a side salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, serrano peppers, danish white cheese, and Italian dressing. We ate every bite on our plates  because it was so delicious! Somehow we saved room for dessert and had a little honey wine and baklava. How perfect is that for a dinner party?

So if you’re wanting to throw a party yourself, but say you desire less meat, consider other recipes from my blog as well. All can be made vegan without altering the amazing good flavor, including mesir wot (the vegetarian version of doro wot) and gomen (the vegetarian version of gomen besiga). 

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Gomen Besiga: Ethiopian Collard Greens with Lamb

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
2 lbs collard greens or kale, rinsed and chopped
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
¼ cup niter Kibbeh
½ tsp nigella seeds
1 tbsp ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb boneless leg of lamb, cubed into ½ inch pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 to 6 serrano peppers (less for mild), chopped
4 medium scallions, chopped
¼ tsp berbere
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp fenugreek or methi leaves

Injera, to serve

Directions
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, add collard greens and wilt over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In another large skillet or Dutch oven, heat niter kibbeh over medium-high heat. Add onions and nigella seeds and sauté until onions are soft, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high, add lamb, season with salt and pepper, and stir until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add reserved collard greens, bell peppers, serranos, scallions, berbere, turmeric, and fenugreek and stir. Then add 1.5 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cover partially with a lid, stirring occasionally for about 40-45 minutes, until water is fully absorbed and greens are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over injera! 

Thai Stir-Fried Noodles with Kale and Chicken: Pad See Ew

Sometimes your noodles fall apart and the dish is still tasty. This is a great example of that! I was sooo excited that the grocery store started carrying "fresh" flat rice noodles that I purchased them the first time I saw them on the shelf. But, it turned out that these noodles weren't as fresh as what I was used to purchasing at an amazing Asian market in downtown San Jose. Darn it! 

Adrian and I learned in the past that even storing the fresh noodles in the refrigerator for longer than a week would cause them to disintegrate, so I'm assuming that's what happened at the store. So if you're going to make these, you might want to check the shipment date with your marketplace to ensure freshness. I'm not too disappointed though, it's really just a different texture and the seasonings brings immense joy to my palate!

We usually make this dish with Chinese broccoli, but we have so much kale growing that it was a fun experiment. If you have access to Chinese broccoli, definitely go ahead and use it over kale. But even though it's not authentic, I'm loving the kale flavor. I'm pretty sure this dish works well with any related green from the brassica family.

Note/Reminder: Light soy sauce is not low-sodium soy sauce! Check out this article on Serious Eats for more.

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Thai Stir-Fried Noodles with Kale and Chicken: Pad See Ew

Adapted from Thai Table
Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tbsp peanut oil
6 cloves garlic
1/2 cup thinly sliced chicken thigh or breast
1 lb fresh flat rice noodles, 3/4-inch thick
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 lb kale or Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan), cut into two-inch long pieces; large stems halved
1 tsp ground white pepper

Condiments
Light brown sugar
Fish sauce
Ground chili pepper
Light brown sugar
White vinegar
Ground white pepper

Directions
Heat a wok to high heat and then add oil. Drop in the chopped garlic and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add in the sliced chicken and stir until light brown. Add rice noodles, stirring carefully to break up the noodles. Then stir in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to mix the seasonings into the noodles and chicken. 

Open a spot in the middle of the pan, and drop the egg in. Scramble the egg until it is almost all cooked. Fold in the noodles into the egg until combined.

Add the kale stems and stir for a couple minutes. Then add kale pieces, a couple handfuls at a time, and carefully fold them in. Once the kale is tender, turn off heat and mix in white pepper. Serve on plates with condiments of your choice!

Ethiopian Yellow Split Peas with Kale & Spicy Red Lentils

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I’m not sure if I’ve said this already, but I really LOVE Ethiopian cuisine. Okay, maybe I did tell you in an earlier post [HERE], but I can’t express my crazy addicted love for it enough. One thing I like best is that the vegetarian dishes, which are vegan when omitting the spiced butter or substituting with vegan cheese in the salad, are just as yummy as the meat dishes.

So below I present to you Misir Wot and Kik Alicha, two dishes I like to cook side by side. While split peas may be a dish you hated as a child, know that these are the delicious gourmet kind, cooked in a lovely turmeric onion sauce. I added kale because there’s a lot growing in my garden, and it’s always fun to add extra greens when possible. But who doesn’t love spicy red lentils? Misir Wot’s flavors are actually really similar to Doro Wot (Chicken in a Berbere Sauce with Hard Boiled Eggs), and you won’t miss the lack of meat at all.

What about the protein content, you might ask? Oh, that’s right. The protein in split peas is highly absorbable and red lentils aren’t half bad! Combine them with injera, which is made from the Teff, and your amino acid profile is even more complete. Plus, by eating legumes, you’re upping your fiber, folate, zinc, iron, and magnesium intake, while lowing your intake of saturated fat! Eating yummy legumes like these will go a long way to lead you to good health.

Are you ready for the recipes yet? I’m already hungry for these dishes again, even though I only devoured them a few hours ago! Don’t forget to visit my earlier post link above for tips on acquiring some of the ingredients and making your own injera!

Misir Wot, Spicy Ethiopian Lentils

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 yellow onions, finely minced
2 tbsp garlic (5-7 cloves), minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
½ cup olive oil
3 to 5 tbsp berbere spice mix (less for mild)
½ cup diced or crushed tomatoes
1 cup dried red lentils, sorted and rinsed
4 cups water
½ tsp Ethiopian Cardamom
½ tsp salt
1 tsp Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter), optional
4 to 5 Injera rounds (Ethiopian bread), for serving

Directions
Heat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and sweat without oil and being careful to not over-stir, for about 10 minutes. Cook onions until golden brown, lowering heat if necessary. Stir in garlic and ginger and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add olive oil and berbere, and sauté over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until the mixture reaches a paste consistency.

Stir in tomatoes, lentils, and ½ cup water to the onion mixture and bring to a simmer. Over a 15-minute period, add about ½ cup of water every 2 minutes, until all 4 cups of water are absorbed. Lower heat and cover, simmering about 10 minutes longer. Add cardamom and salt.

Test the lentils for doneness. Continue to cook about 10-20 minutes longer, until lentils are soft, but not overcooked. Remove from heat and serve over injera!

Kik Alicha with Kale

Adapted from Ethiopian Fire & Spice by Fetlework Tefferi
Time: 1 Hour
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 cups yellow split peas, sorted and rinsed
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
1/3 cup hot water
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp ginger, minced
½ tsp Alicha Kimem, optional
½ tsp turmeric
½ bunch kale, sliced into 1-inch strips
2 tbsp garlic (5-7 cloves), minced
4 to 5 spices Injera (Ethopian bread), for serving

Directions
Soak split peas in hot water for 15 minutes.

Sweat onions on low heat in a covered saucepan for 2 minutes. Do not over-stir. Add 1/3 cup of hot water, cover, and cook for about 3 minutes. Add water and olive oil, and sauté for 3 minutes longer.

As the water evaporates, continue to make sure the onions do not dry up or change color. Add ¼ cup hot water, 1 tbsp ginger, and a pinch of the turmeric. The sauce should have a soup like consistency. Keep covered and continue to cook for 4 minutes.

Add the split peas and mix well into the sauce. Add 2 cups of hot water, cover, and cook. After about 2 minutes, when the split peas are tender, add alicha kimem for additional flavor. Add garlic and the remaining 1 tbsp ginger. Stir the peas, scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking. Add water as needed. Add remaining turmeric, reduce heat to medium. Cover and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, until the peas are tender. Stir frequently, ad make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Kale, Mushrooms, Guanciale, & Fried Egg

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It’s World Egg Day, so I was inspired to share one of my favorite eggy recipes with you! While eggs used to be a super big nutritional no-no due to their cholesterol content, research has found that they don’t raise your cholesterol one darn bit! I’m so excited to live in a time when eggs are no longer a guilty pleasure, but a delicious healthy pleasure instead! So what are you waiting for? Dive into this scrumptious recipe for World Egg Day and fill up on some high quality-protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to keep you healthy and satisfied.

Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Kale, Mushrooms, Guanciale, & Fried Egg

Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 large spaghetti squash, about 2 lbs, halved and seeded
1/4 pound guanciale or bacon, chopped
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small serrano pepper, minced
8 oz cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small bunch kale, chopped
1.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 fried eggs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Season squash with salt and pepper. Set squash flesh-side down in a shallow baking pan and add about 1/4 inch of water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover squash with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until squash is fork tender. Shred squash with a fork. Keep warm and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium heat, cook the guanciale until crisp and brown. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels, leaving about 2 tbsp of fat in the pan. Add the shallots, garlic, serrano, and mushrooms and simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until the mushrooms have browned. Add kale and broth. Simmer on medium heat for about 12-15 minutes, until most of the broth is absorbed and the kale is tender.

Return the bacon to the pan. Add white wine and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated. Add reserved shredded squash and stir, rewarming if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired and serve on plates topped with a fried egg!

Kenyan Braised Kale with Ground Beef

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If you’re looking for something a little different to cook, but for something that’s still familiar (a stir fry over rice), try out this recipe for Kenyan Braised Kale with Ground Beef. If you know of larb, a Thai dish, this shares a lot of similarities in texture and appearance. But thanks so the spice mixture, which includes cinnamon, the flavor is definitely African. Can’t imagine what that would taste like? Make this to mix up your cooking routine. It’s great served over brown rice, with roasted sweet potatoes, or even a little bit of whole grain flatbread. I’m not sure where I found the original recipe, but it is featured on Food & Wine. I’ve changed it up to add kale instead of collards (I love kale, and it’s packed with even more nutrients than collard greens), and added San Marzano tomatoes from my garden. Super delicious!

Kenyan Braised Kale with Ground Beef

Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 large bunch kale, stems removed, chopped
4 roma tomatoes, quartered
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ground beef and seasonings and cook browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the collard greens and tomatoes and sauté until wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir everything gently as it cooks, careful not to mush the tomatoes. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.