Spicy Tuscan Kale, a recipe that keeps the mad index flicking away.

For the past few weeks we've been getting a mixed fruit and vegetable box from a Sydney based fruit and veg company which only supplies Australian produce. We pay a specific amount, choose the ratio of fruit to veg, our favourite items and items we never want in our mixed box and it arrives on a Tuesday after work. It's a great surprise and the produce is much better than what the supermarket stocks. The only down side of it is that I find it really hard to meal plan for the week. Yes I can select my preferences but it doesn't mean for certain I'm going to get an eggplant if I favourite an eggplant that week or mushrooms if I select them. What is does mean is that I end up flicking through cookbook indexes like a mad woman trying to work out what to do with a vegetable I hadn't planned for. I want to say I sit there and flick through my collection gathering inspiration from here and there but reality is on a Wednesday night when I'm hungry, I'm hungry.

Last week it was a bunch of kale that was getting me into a grump and here's the thing, I like to have 'go to' recipes when I'm hungry and lacking in time. A recipe I almost don't have to think about and can just find the page in a book or know in my head. I know there are hundreds of kale recipes out there and I'm going to make a broad statement here, most of them are salads or smoothies. I love a good kale salad (see here) but on a cold night I want something warm and comforting, a salad just doesn't kick it for me let alone a green smoothie.

I remember seeing a recipe for Spicy Tuscan Kale by Ruth Reichl on Luisa Weiss's blog The Wednesday Chef a few weeks ago and really wanting to give it a go but I didn't have any kale on hand, hoorah! now I did. When I looked at the recipe again she uses three bunches of lacinato kale. I had one bunch of curly kale. I felt the desperation of index flicking creep upon me as it so often does these days, then I thought, stuff it! I'm going to make it with what I have and you know what? I now know what to do with kale when I see it in my mixed box. The desperate search through indexes like a mad woman for kale is over. I found it. My 'go to' kale recipe.

It starts with blanching the kale in boiling water and then draining. I cheated by pouring freshly boiled water from the kettle over the kale and letting it sit for about 3 minutes, it saved me washing up a colander. I just tonged the kale out of the water and straight into the frying pan of olive oil doused fried onions and melted anchovies with some chilli flakes and garlic. Don't turn your nose up at the anchovies, its like a rude word for some. They melt down to nothing and give everything a rich saltiness that you can't get from just adding salt. It's all left to cook for about 10 min until the kale has cooked down and is a deep dark green. It's then topped and tossed with toasted breadcrumbs and parmesan. A winner in my books on all accounts. Also thinking I might try tossed with some spaghetti with a little crispy pancetta next time... mmm yum.

I now have my go to kale recipe... breathe.

Spicy Tuscan Kale

Recipe adapted from Ruth Reichl found on The Wednesday Chef.
Serves 2-3 as a side

1 bunch curly green kale, stems removed and leave torn into large pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 anchovy fillets in oil, minced
1 small onion, roughly diced
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
pinch salt
generous grinding of freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/4 cup toasted panko bread crumbs *

- In a large frying pan heat one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat and add the anchovies, pressing them into the pan so they almost disintegrate. Then add your onions and cook until translucent, about 5 -8 minutes.

- Meanwhile, boil the kettle and place kale in a large bowl. Pour over the freshly boiled water and let sit for about 2-3 minutes. Try and time this so all you have to do next is tong the kale into the frying pan with the translucent onions to save on washing up. If not, drain the kale, rinse under cold water and add to the pan once the onions have done their thing.

- After adding the drained kale into the frying pan add the chilli, garlic, salt, pepper and remaining olive oil. Cook for about 10-12 min, stirring occasionally until the kale has cooked down and is a deep green colour.

- Remove from the heat and toss through half of the parmesan and breadcrumbs. To serve, add the remaining parmesan and breadcrumbs on top, this keeps the texture of the breadcrumbs crispy.

* To toast the panko breadcrumbs; heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small pan with a pinch of salt, stirring frequently over a low heat until the breadcrumbs have become darker and fragrant. Be careful and don't turn your back on them, it's like toasting nuts; can be fine one minute then burn the next.

Tahini Kale Slaw and Roasted Tamari Portobello Bowl from Sprouted Kitchen's Bowl & Spoon.

Over the past few years I've missed some break through recipes that have taken the internet by storm, inspirational bloggers I'm only just finding out about now and cookbooks which weren't on my radar for any good reason at all except that I was wrapped up trying to finish my apprenticeship and worrying about what I wanted to be when I grew up.  Having taken a big step back I'm finding my feet again and all these things I've missed out on. It's amazing what happens when you chill out and open your eyes to see what else is around you.

One of the blogs and cookbooks I've missed because I'd been wearing worry blinkers is the Sprouted Kitchen blog. The Sprouted Kitchen is a beautiful food blog run by Sara and Hugh Forte, she cooks and he captures. They focus on seasonal based recipes full of salads and vegetables but don't worry because there is still a healthy serving of cheese and chocolate throughout.

Earlier this year they released their second cookbook called Bowl & Spoon which is all about fresh, healthy food that is served in the convenience of a bowl. I think the bowl is extremely underrated and the possibilities are endless when you get thinking (or flicking through this amazing book). I made the Tahini Kale Slaw and Roasted Tamari Portobello Bowl for dinner a couple of weeks ago and boy oh boy was it tasty. Every mouthful was bursting with flavour and it was different than what I normally cook, I loved it.

You could serve it warm or cold. For dinner we had to warm and then for lunch the next day I had it cold and it was just as good (maybe even better...). The baked mushrooms with the drizzle of soy sauce and sesame oil soaked up all the flavour and intensified when baked in the oven and the brown rice was a great staple to soak up juices and dressing but also give a nuttiness brown rice naturally has. I cheated and used bag of pre-washed baby kale for the salad instead of regular kale so I didn't have to fuss about with the stems and washing it. By all means use regular kale but I like how baby kale isn't as rough and chewy as regular can be when it's raw in a salad. And of course it's topped with avocado... you can never go wrong by adding avocado to anything.

All the elements were pretty easy to prepare and put together, the only thing was I had about 8 dirty bowls by the end of it and a whole sink full of spoons (that could have been because I keep insisting on tasting each thing) so my only flaw with the recipe if making all the elements at once is the washing up but you know what... it's so worth it! Looking forward to trying to 'Hippie Bowl' next, just have to convince Tristan that the Tofu is actually chicken or something haha.

Tahini Kale Slaw and Roasted Tamari Portobello Bowl

(Recipe adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen's Bowl and Spoon by Sara & Hugh Forte.)
Serves 2

2 large portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce (I used soy sauce)

Slaw
2 large handfuls of baby kale
1 carrot, grated
3 spring onions, white and green parts, sliced
small handful of parlsey, chopped
Tahini Citrus Miso Dressing (see recipe below)

1 cup cooked brown rice
1 large avocado
1/3 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds (see note below)

- First things first. Preheat your oven to 180C, cook your rice if you have not already done so (see this link for how) and keep warm if serving this bowl as a warm dish then make the Tahini Citrus Miso Dressing (recipe below). Now you are ready to keep going.

- Line a baking tray with foil or baking paper. Remove the stems of the mushrooms and drizzle with sesame oil, soy sauce and a little freshly cracked pepper (remember the soy sauce is salty so no need to salt them) and place them in the oven, gill side up for about 15-20 minutes until they are soft and look like they have collapsed. Once cooked, slice into strips.

- While the mushrooms cook, combine the baby kale, grated carrot, spring onions, parsley and toss with dressing using as much as you desire. I found the dressing very full bodied so used about 3-4 tablespoons of dressing and then added a tiny drizzle over the top when serving.
(Note: If using regular kale, Sara suggests to rub the dressing into the kale to soften it.)

- To create this delicious bowl, serve each one with a healthy serving of kale slaw, a good scoop of brown rice, a sliced mushroom each, half a diced avocado and a generous sprinkling of toasted sunflower seeds. Then dig in!

This can be served warm, which is how I had it for dinner or cold which is how I had it the next day for lunch and both were just as delicious!

Note: For the roasted and salted sunflower seeds I through 1/3 cup onto a baking tray with about 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of sea salt and popped them into a 180C oven for about 5-10 minutes until the were fragrant and slightly coloured. You can toast them for longer or less, depending on your preference. Warning... if you start snacking on them, you wont be able to stop.

Tahini Citrus Miso Dressing

Makes a whole heap but keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks

1/2 cup tahini
2 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons Sriracha or hot sauce (I used sambal olek)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
juice of one large orange (about 1/2 cup)
sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper
juice of one lemon, to taste

- In a mixing bowl whisk tahini, miso paste, honey, sesame oil and hot sauce to combine. Make sure all the lumps are out so you don't get a chunk of any one ingredient.

- Next whisk in the vinegar, orange juice and the salt and pepper to taste. Add the lemon juice to taste next, one tablespoon at a time (I used the whole lemon but I like dressing on the tangy side) or use a little water to thin the dressing down. Taste and add any extra salt and pepper you might think it needs and keep in an airtight container in the fridge.