Friday, December 16, 2011

Kale with Sauteed Apples and Squash

I decided to eat healthier. Well try anyway. But as I am finding out, healthy tastes good. Very good. I found this recipe for a salad with winter greens at Serious Eats. This was actually a great salad but I had to make a few changes. No pears in the house. Not a fan of the texture. So I added apples and squash instead. Added some bacon, too, for old time's sake. I can't eat all healthy, all the time. But a couple slices goes a long way for flavor. Next try, fish. Maybe. That will definitely be a hard sell to the picky family. Vegetables were easy.







Kale with Sauteed Apples and Butternut Squash

1/2 cup pine nuts
1 Fuji apple, halved and cored and diced
1 cup of butternut squash, diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 handfuls of Kale, remove the  tough stems and cut or tear into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup walnut oil
3 slices cooked bacon, torn in small pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper
Grana Padano cheese, shaved (or Parmesan or Pecorino)

In a small, dry frying pan, toast the pine nuts over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Watch because they burn easily. Remove from the heat and remove from pan, pour onto a plate to cool. Set aside.

Dice the apple and the butternut squash. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet and heat on medium-high. Add the apples and squash, salt and pepper to taste, and saute until browned and softened. Add the bacon and saute for a minute or two with the apples and squash.

Combine the greens and pine nuts in a bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, and shallot. Add the walnut oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat thoroughly. Top with the roasted apple, squash and Grana Padano and season with a few grinds of pepper. Serve immediately. 

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Sending out a very big thank you Marigene from In The Middle of Nowhere and her sister Judy from Grace and Miss Mouse Soaps. They had a wonderful giveaway on Marigene's blog and I won a most generous gift of the most fantastic scented handcrafted soaps. You can find tons more at Judy's site, Grace and Miss Mouse Soaps, handcrafted in Vermont, take a peek!



Thanks again ladies, I am thrilled!

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Joining 




38 comments:

  1. Here we go again... what do burned pine nuts smell like??? Seriously, it looks delish - I would try the pears since I love the taste! ME

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  2. Apples + Butternut combined, yummy! Fish? Oh, try it, you'll like it! :)
    ~Judy

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  3. I am not a fan of kale, at least cooked. I may try it as a salad green. It's not tough?
    That didn't take long to get the soap! Hope you will like it!

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  4. I have never cooked with Kale. I should add it to the list of must try foods for 2012.

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  5. Kale is also new to us. Congrats on the win.

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  6. What a lovely gift you won!
    Kale is pretty new to me, as of this year, when we grew it for the first time. I'll have to add this interesting recipe to the kale file.

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  7. I love trying different salads and this one looks delicious. Thanks for the recipe. Have a great weekend.

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  8. I definitely need to jump on your healthy bandwagon! This does look good. I love the taste of kale. Its kind of nutty in some strange way.

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  9. The salad looks delicious - I may need to do salad for this afternoon....

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  10. The salad looks good! Hubby would love for me to cook fish, but I can't stand the smell or taste so he usually orders it when we eat out! Congrats on your win!

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  11. It looks amazing!Healthy doesn't have to be boring!Kisses,dear Carol!

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  12. We would love that Healthy salad and congratulations on winning the nice soap!

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  13. Lovely recipe...I have always ventured out for new recipes. thank you for sharing. Congrats on winning the special soaps. Happy holidays..
    I am your newest follower.

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  14. Congrats to you for your first steps to healthier eating! I don't think I've ever eaten kale raw but I love it cooked - especially in soup. I like the addition of the little bit of bacon too - I'm sure it added loads of flavor. With all of the health benefits I've read from eating fish, I hope you find some recipes your family will like. I'll be they'd love my trout amandine recipe. It's almost like eating chicken :)

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  15. I'll be following in your footsteps in a week and a half, Carol. I'll be eating lots of salads in January to try to make up for all the treats this month. I do like kale but have never tried it raw in a salad. Sounds healthy.

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  16. Congratulations on your win! I need to try this salad. With our love of kale and butternut squash, it's sure to be a hit.

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  17. I love kale! I am going to have to try this recipe! Thank you! Cathy

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  18. Oh my, that sounds delicious! I need to start eating more veggies, too, and this sounds like a good recipe to start with! xoxo

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  19. I have to say I am no fan of kale but I love butternut squash. Merry Christmas. V

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  20. The soaps really look wonderful! And I love that you mixed apples with the dish...so yummy! ♥

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  21. Your dish looks ever so tasty. I eat way too many this time of year. As usual, I try to eat better after the New Year. Love veggies, so this would be a great new recipe to try. Congrats on your win. The soaps look lovely.

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  22. Yummy, this sounds so good and it is beautiful. Merry Christmas to you and your family!!!

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  23. At this time of year when so many meals are so heavy, that salad looks wonderful! Merry Christmas Carol.

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  24. Very flavorful salad, Carol!It's very light and healthy! Enjoy a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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  25. I've never tried to eat kale raw, Carol, so i am intrigued by this delicious sounding salad. It is full of such wonderful ingredients! I'll have to buy some walnut oil and champagne vinegar before i can try it! ;)

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  26. Yummie! And the soaps looks wonderful!
    Have a wonderful week and a wonderful Christmas!
    Markus

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  27. This looks delicious, and I love your adaptations!

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  28. this is a really lovely dish - so healthy and still satisfying - it's so important at this time of year - delicious!
    Mary x

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  29. I'm not such a fan of the texture of pears either, but an apple a day is totally a practice I follow. i love the sound of this! Totally want it for lunch this week!

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  30. You always share some of my favorite things! I think I should move to your house! :D :D :D

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  31. I would be willing to give that a try. Since HH has to take B12 inj. the Kale would be good to add. Merry Christmas to you and family.
    QMM

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  32. I like kale, but I've never eaten it raw. Sounds like a delicious salad.

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  33. Why do I never think to buy kale, I wonder. This salad looks delicious!
    -Karen ❆

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  34. Definitely going to keep this in mind the next time I have kale on hand - looks absolutely delish

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