Saturday, December 3, 2011

Seasonal Side Dish: Kale & Butternut squash with almonds and craisins


I'm not sure what possessed me to create this dish.  I had a batch of lovely kale in my Greenling box this week (and I think chard would work nicely in this dish, as would spinach) and wanted to do something different with it.  Since I also received a small butternut squash, I wondered if they would work well together in a dish.  The answer:  YES!

Ingredients:
small to medium butternut squash, cubed and roasted until fork-tender (400' for 30 minutes)
generous batch of kale, washed and stems removed (approximately 2-3 cups)
Dry curry rub (optional-click link for the recipe)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/4 cup dried craisins

In a skillet, heat oil to medium heat.  Toss in the almonds and watch them carefully:  they go from slightly browned to really browned very quickly.  You want them slightly browned and aromatic before adding the kale.  Add kale and turn until fully "wilted".  Add a pinch of curry rub (optional).  Add about a cup or more of the roasted butternut squash.  Toss in the craisins and turn until everything is warmed through.  Serve.

This dish has it all: it is healthy, colorful, and very tasty!  I think this is going to make an appearance on our holiday table.  I served it with roasted salmon (see below).
Enjoy!




 dry curry rub

 add the kale after the slivered almonds begin to turn light brown

 add squash cubes when kale begins to "wilt"

 toss in the craisins
Move to a serving dish.  Yum!
Salmon:  great fast food!  Directions below.

A salmon "refresher" course:
purchase wild fresh or frozen salmon, approximately 6-8 oz per person

For this recipe, I grated zest from one orange and thinly sliced several cross-sections, then cut those in half
I sprinkled a bit of grapeseed oil on the surface of the salmon.
Then, I distributed the orange zest over the surface, followed by the orange slices

Place on a sheet of parchment in a shallow roasting pan.

Roast at 400 for approximately 14 minutes, give or take.  I like it on the rarer side than overcooked.
I slightly overcooked this fish, but it was still great!

Serve.  It was delicious!

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