Brown Rice with Kale and Blackeye Peas

This Brown Rice with Kale and Blackeye Peas dish is full of flavor and delicious. This would be a wonderful side dish to any main dish or you can eat it as a main dish as I typically do.

Blackeye peas are a good source of fiber and iron and they are also rich in magnesium, a mineral needed for strong bones and an active metabolism. Once you have soaked your Blackeye Peas, this dish is quickly thrown together and easy to whip up. I love making up stuff like this for my family to eat. It is kinda like okay this is what I have in the fridge to get rid of and I throw it together and see what I get, in the case of this dish it is definitely a keeper!

To see more recipes visit our new Awesome Recipe Blog at www.ccrecipe.com

Green Smoothie

This smoothie is healthy, nutritious and delicious.  It has greens that are high in vitamins.  What is amazing, you can’t even taste them!!!!

INGREDIENTS
1  cup apple juice
1 cup OJ
1  frozen banana
1/2  cup frozen blueberries
1  cup  frozen strawberries
1/ 2 cup frozen watermelon–or any other fruit
2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds
2  cups total of chopped Kale  and Red Swiss Chard
1/2  cup Kefir

Blend all fruit and juice  and flax seed in blender for about a minute–add Greens a cup at a time.  Smoothies will be thick because the fruit is frozen so it will take a while to get mixing.  Watermelon has a lot of water in it so it is usually not necessary to add water.  But you may find you may need a little if you are using some other fruit.
You get Vit C from the OJ, antioxidants from the berries, Omega 3’s from the flax-seed,  active cultures from the Kefir (Kefir has higher amounts of active cultures than yogurt) and the greens are high in cancer fighting properties.   Kale absolutely rich and abundant in calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and K. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. Kale is rich in Vitamin C not to mention the much needed fiber so lacking in the daily diet of processed food eating Americans.

So this is a totally wonderfully delicious, yet extremely healthy smoothie.  Dont let the color or ingredients dissuade you…. Give it a try–I promise you wont be disappointed!!!
*Christine*

Turkey Sausage and Kale Soup

Turkey Sausage and Kale Soup – A delicious, meaty soup.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey sausage (I just remove the casings and crumble the meat in the pan)
1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1 large white onion, diced
4 Tbsp turkey bacon, diced
2 tsp garlic, minced
8 cups chicken broth
3 large potatoes, sliced
2 cups kale

Directions:

1. Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Remove from pan and drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, saute the onion, bacon and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until the onions are soft.
3. Add chicken broth to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
4. Add the sliced potatoes and kale, cook until soft, about 20 minutes to half an hour.
5. Stir in the sausage, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

I made this soup as an alternative to my husband’s favorite soup. He loves the Zuppa Toscana soup at Olive Garden, I would make him that soup as close as I could to match the Zuppa Toscana and I like to think I got pretty close:) He loves it, however I decided to try the soup by omitting the heavy cream, hoping to make it a little healthier and he loves this soup just as much. So, now we make this soup instead, it is a very meaty, hearty, delicious soup.

*Camala*

Creamy Curly Kale and Potato Leek Soup

Creamy Curly Kale and Potato Leek Soup – A wonderful, comforting soup.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch leeks, sliced
1 small carrot, sliced
2 large potatoes, quartered and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp flour
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups curly kale, chopped
1 cup whole milk
1/8 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a big soup pan over medium heat.
2. Add the leeks, carrot, potatoes, garlic and turmeric. Stir-fry for 5 minutes over medium heat.
3. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir until the vegetables are coated in flour. Continue to stir while you add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil, Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the curly kale and simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
5. Add milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper and simmer, covered, 5 more minutes.

This soup is a wonderful, comforting soup with just the right amount of creaminess.

*Camala*

Risotto with Kale

Creamy and Cheesy Risotto with Kale.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 1/2 cups water
3/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 pound kale
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3/4 ounce)
1 Tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Bring broth and water to a boil with 3/4 teaspoon sea salt in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Meanwhile, cut stems and center ribs from kale and discard. Stir kale into broth in batches and simmer (all of kale), stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer kale with tongs to a large sieve set over a bowl and gently press on greens to extract more liquid. Add liquid in bowl to simmering broth and keep at a bare simmer, covered. Chop kale.
2. Cook onion in oil and 1 tablespoon butter with remaining 1/4 teaspoon sea salt in a wide 4-quart heavy pot, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium, then add garlic and cook, uncovered, stirring, 1 minute. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Add 1/3 cup chicken broth and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup simmering broth and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is creamy-looking but still al dente (it should be the consistency of thick soup), 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Stir in kale, cheese, and 1 tablespoon butter and cook, stirring, until heated through and butter is incorporated, about 1 minute. Season risotto with sea salt and pepper to taste and if desired, thin with some of remaining broth.

I found this recipe at Epicurious, however I did adapt it a bit. I served this Risotto with some Bilinski’s Mild Italian Chicken Sausages, These sausages are sooo yummy and full of flavor.

This dinner was very good, I do so like risotto but it is a bit time consuming because you have to add the liquid a bit at a time and basically stir constantly, therefore it does not make for a quick and easy dish, especially with having to tend to three little ones at the same time:) So, to me, Risotto is a once and awhile dish…=)

*Camala*