Freddy Kugel

Kugel. What is kugel? I think most people imagine baked egg noodles with raisins and cream cheese. So what happens when you take out all of those ingredients.. is it still a kugel? Sure. I'd say kugel translates to casserole, and since casserole is a French word for pan -- I think if you cook it in a pan, then you can call it a kugel.  So here is a kugel recipe.

2-3 lb winter squash

3 apples

1/4 c arrowroot powder

3 T maple syrup

1/4 c coconut milk

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t salt

First, roast your squash. You can roast it whole but cutting it in half expedites cook time. 30+ mins at 425F typically does the trick, depending on size. It's okay to be impatient here since you are just going to cook it again anyway.  While the squash is roasting dice the apples and in a bowl combine with remaining ingredients and mix.  Let sit while the squash is roasting, stirring occasionally.  Once the squash is sufficiently roasted and cool enough to handle scoop out 2+ cups and mix with your apple mucus.  This mixture will fit nicely into a pie pan - or whatever casserole [dish] you want. Bake at 375F for an hour or so. Let cool.

Kale Salad for Dummies

Can't say I've met a kale salad I didn't like. Crunchy, creamy, or cooked.. I'm kind of a kale fiend.

A few rules of thumb:

Rip it! Small pieces are easier to enjoy and absorb.. and frankly a little more becoming to eat. Instead of cutting out the ribs and chopping the leaves into small pieces just rip small pieces right off the stalk - it's much less time consuming.

Rub it! Massaging kale in an acidic solution (orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar, etc.) breaks down the leaves. The abrasive nature can be off-putting for some and a quick caress can really go far. Make sure your dressing has some sort of acid and take 5 minutes to aggressively rub in it.

Douse it! Unlike the more pansy greens like spinach, arugula, and romaine, kale is a toughy. It can handle whatever you throw at it. So throw a lot at it. Do you know how much dressing it takes to move from a kale salad to a kale soup? I think we should push the limits.

Faghettabot it! Never, ever throw away a kale salad. The longer you wait, the better it tastes.

Ok, now let us apply these tools.  Here is a simple recipe that gets the job done.  A lot people have basic salad rules (i.e. fruit, nut, cheese) but its pretty hard to go wrong.

1 bunch kale*
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 T olive oil or flaxseed oil
2 t wet mustard, dijon preferrably
1/2 t salt
1/4 c raw dehulled pumpkin seeds, aka pepitas, which in Spanish means "little seed of squash" FYI
1/4 c dried cranberries
1/4 c red onion, sliced thin

Rip your kale, add your dressing ingredient, and thoroughly massage until wilted.  Throw on your toppings (and anything else you'd like to add) and voila. Easy as kale salad.

*Do you ever stand in the produce section perplexed by the endless varieties of kale?  Basically, the best for raw salads is dino kale, aka dinosaur kale, lacinato kale, tuscan kale, black kale, and probably a dozen other names.  Go for the one with the most flat leaves. If unavailable the standard curly kale, or scots kale, is a solid choice - just be sure to diligently massage it avoid eating like a horse.