Pasta with Kale and Walnuts



Whole grain pasta, kale, walnuts, a glistening of olive oil
and an optional sprinkle of finely grated Parmesan cheese.


When you cook a huge bunch of kale in season, there are usually leftovers.  Son #2 is a nut for kale and his tortoise "Zub" loves the raw trimmings.  Lucky for her (Zub), son #2 has planted three different kinds of kale in the raised organic planter beds he built in our backyard.  (You have got to check these out.  I will post pictures later).  As a project for his future career, he loves to experiment in our backyard and has planted lots of other good things that we will discuss in their season.

For today's recipe we are using left-over sauteed kale.   I think this is a sexy veggie.  It boosts everything....  well, you just feel good after eating it for a while.

serves:  6                    prep time:  20 minutes

6 ounces dried whole wheat linguine, cooked and drained
1 cup packed left-over sauteed kale (see previous blog entry)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

While the pasta is cooking, chop the cooked kale into small pieces.  Likewise chop the walnuts into uniform chunks big enough to be picked up by a fork. 

Dump the cooked and drained pasta into a large bowl and add the kale and walnuts.  Drizzle with olive oil until moist and season to taste with salt and pepper.   Serve with optional Parmesan cheese.

As a side dish, it offers over 2 g fiber and protein, and of course it is high in essential vitamins and minerals.  I like this dish for its tasty heartiness and coming in around 100 calories per serving.

-  Kim Fielding

Sauteed Kale

Sauteed Lacinto kale

A large wooden display case was mounded high with dark leafy greens at Whole Foods this week.  For three dollars, one could buy two enormous bunches of collards, chards, and kale.  As a regular platelet donor, I can always count on my hemoglobin count to be high when I add any of these into my diet prior to giving.

Three different varieties of kale drew my attention this time.  We are partial to Lacinto (dino) kale, but they are all tasty.  Easy to prepare with a little olive oil and garlic, I like to use them as a bed for roasted fish or as a side dish with nuts added for meats.

serves:  6                    prep time:  15 minutes

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch kale, washed, stems trimmed off, and chopped

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic.  Cook for about 30 seconds, then add the chopped kale.  Using tongs, saute the kale turning often until it is tender and slightly limp.  Serve warm.

Kale is a form of cabbage in the Brassica family and is a super food.  Loaded with vitamins A and C, one serving has approximately 75 calories (fitday.com).  Brassica vegetables are known for containing sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.  It is also a source of indole-3-carbinol which seems to block the growth of cancer cells as well as assist with DNA repair in cells. 

- Kim Fielding

Ground Turkey Spaghetti

This super simple spaghetti sauce recipe makes enough for
two meals.  Freeze left-overs in a zip-lock bag and defrost
 in the fridge when you need it.

This sauce provides winter comfort and a quick and filling meal for busy families on the go.  Although I added just zucchini to the basic sauce, fennel, cauliflower, chopped dark leafy greens, kohlrabi, and other vegetables may be added to enhance this recipe.  Experiment with veggies that you know and like but also challenge yourself to try new produce.

serves:  8                    prep time:  15 minutes

                                  cook time:  45 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 package ground turkey, about 1-1/4 pounds

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans tomato sauce

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 zucchini, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

In a stew pot, heat the olive oil and add the garlic and onion.  Cook for about 30 seconds then add the carrots and celery.  Cook about 3 minutes then add the ground turkey.  Break up the turkey with a spoon and cook with the vegetables until no longer pink.  Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried basil, and zucchini, and simmer 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer another 5 minutes.

Serve over whole grain pasta with a side green salad and baguette croutons.  One cup of cooked pasta topped with one cup (or more) sauce provides approximately 450 calories, over 20 g of protein and about 8 g fiber.  The side salad adds another 125 calories and each crouton, made with sliced baguette and brushed with garlic olive oil, has approximately 55 calories.

- Kim Fielding



Happy New Year, Eat healthy, stay healthy: give a gift to your heart.

Most everything about the holidays is about food. Sure, there are lots of family gatherings, parties with old and new acquaintances, skiing, fireplaces, flights and airports, lots of laundry, and stress, but mostly holidays are about food. As a result, statistics show that most Americans gain weight during the holidays: somewhere from 0.4 to 5 pounds. Interestingly, overweight adults tend to gain more weight than people with normal weight.

Most people don’t have the willpower to resist the temptation of familiar tastes. Sweet, sour, greasy, crunchy, chocolaty, minty, alcohol: we serve our common temptations and then can’t stop eating. Cold weather doesn’t help. People crave sugary foods when they are cold. What can be better than a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows? Not sleeping enough and feeling tired also stimulates the appetite for calorie-dense foods. Snacking on nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and dark chocolate seems like a healthy thing to do, but those also are full of calories. The worst part is the guilt feeling and the remorse. Socializing for the sake of socialization without overeating and drinking is not easy but is possible. After having some appetizers, walk around with a bottle of water, or have sparkling water in a large wine glass. And maybe it’s too late to say this—but the only way to stop after one cookie is to avoid that first cookie. A tangerine is the best way to finish a meal. Just perfect sweetness. Evenings might be cold but during the day it is beautiful and warm.  Ask a friend for a walk, a bike ride or a long hike. That will be your holiday gift to your heart.