Recipe #69: Kale for breakfast? Um ... YES!

Mark DuMond just finished his second month of culinary school (Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts), and so far so good. Yesterday, chef/instructor Darryl Dela Cruz tossed out a surprise challenge to the class: He had two big boxes of fresh kale that wouldn't last the weekend, so he had each of the 30 or so students come up with a dish on-the-spot using kale.

So Mark came up with a dish called "Kale For Breakfast" which is a sort of deconstructed bacon-and-eggs dish. After tasting it, the chef said, "Now you're thinking like a chef!" and added, "If I had my own restaurant, this dish would be on the menu." Pretty nice praise for a dish that was conjured up on the fly.

2 strips bacon, chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 russet potato, peeled and medium diced
1 bunch kale, ribs removed and shredded
1/2 cup chicken stock
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp. butter
1 egg

Heat a skillet and add the bacon. Cook until the fat is rendered. Add the shallot and potato and fry until it just starts to brown. Add the kale and cook until it wilts. Add the chicken stock, lower heat, and braise, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When the potatoes are tender, add butter and cream, and stir gently. Let the mixture cook over low heat until bubbly.

In another skillet, heat butter until hot, crack an egg into the pan, and fry it "sunny side up." Put the bacon/kale/potato mixture into the center of a warm plate and slide the fried egg on top. Sprinkle with a little black pepper and serve immediately.

Recipe #68 - Whole Wheat Dark Beer Bread

Inspired by a trip to Jackson Hole, where we saw Ace DuMond's baking skills firsthand, Sheri' tried out a bread recipe using some dark porter beer we had sitting on the shelf in the garage.

1.5 cups unbleached white flour

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 12 oz. bottle or can of dark beer, such as porter or stout

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the egg and beer, and stir until well combined. Put the dough into the loaf pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, checking often after the 30 minute mark by putting a butter knife or toothpick into the center of the loaf. When it comes out with no dough residue, remove the bread from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Recipe #67 - Stacked Seafood Enchiladas

Sheri' dreamed this one up. Literally. She had a dream of layered tortillas with shrimp and crab and veggies with a tomatillo sauce.

It turned out pretty good!

Sauce:

1 lb. tomatillos, husks and stem ends removed

3 jalapeno peppers, seeds and pith removed, finely chopped

1 bunch cilantro, leaves only, finely chopped

3/4 cup mascarpone cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatillos on a baking sheet and put in the oven. Roast until the tomatillos release their juices and begin to blacken, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Put the roasted tomatillos, jalapenos, cilantro and mascarpone in a food processor and buzz into a smooth sauce.

Enchilada casserole:

4 corn tortillas

1/2 lb. very fresh crab meat

1/2 lb. cooked shrimp, roughly chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 red onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese, such as cotija

Mix the crab and shrimp meat together in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic and jalapeno for a few minutes until cooked through. Add the corn and saute until heated through.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a baking dish coated with non-stick spray, place a corn tortilla, followed by some of the shrimp/crab mixture, then some of the sauteed veggies. Spread some of the tomatillo sauce over and sprinkle with a little cheese. Repeat the layers, top with a tortilla, spoon the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with some cheese.

Put the layered casserole in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve hot with your favorite Mexican accompaniments, such as beans, rice, salad, etc.

Recipe #66 - Gado Gado Salad

The flavors of peanut and coconut were meant to go together. This Indonesian-inspired salad from Mark and Sheri' DuMond is one that can be changed depending on what you have on hand. We didn't include tofu, bean sprouts or cucumbers, but you certainly could.

Mesclun salad greens
1/2 cup soybeans, boiled, drained and cooled
1/2 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup snow peas

1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup reduced fat peanut butter
1 tsp. red curry paste
1 tsp. sriracha hot chili sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce

To make the dressing, put the ingredients from coconut milk through soy sauce in a blender and buzz until smooth. Add soy sauce, lime or whatever to get the flavor you desire.

Arrange on salad plates the greens, soybeans, chickpeas, egg, tomatoes and snow peas. Serve the salad with the dressing separate.

Recipe #65 - Beet Salad with Bleu Cheese & Hazelnuts

We've been doing variations on this classic for years.

Makes four servings.

1 large or 2 medium red beets

2 Tbsp. high quality aged balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

8 cups mesclun salad greens
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
2/3 cup crumbled bleu or gorgonzola cheese

Roast the beet(s) in a preheated 400 degree oven until cooked through to the point a sharp knife slips easily in and out. Remove the beets and allow to cool enough to handle. Remove all peel and cut the beets into small batons.

Add the balsamic vinegar to a small mixing bowl and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To assemble, dress the greens with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Place a pile of greens on each of four chilled salad plates. Place some beet pieces evenly around the salad. Sprinkle each salad with chopped hazelnuts and crumbled bleu cheese and serve

Recipe #64 - Lime Cilantro Salad Dressing

It's summertime, and we usually lean toward recipes for cool things and salad. We concocted this dressing to have with some homemade Mexican food, but it's good any time.

This is an easy and refreshing dressing for a green salad. You could also use it for inclusion in a tostada creation.

Makes about a cup and a half of dressing.

1.5 cups fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of one lime
1 cup low fat sour cream
3 Tbsp. low fat milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a small blender or processor and buzz until well blended. Scrape the sides as needed to ensure all the cilantro gets evenly buzzed into the dressing. Add a little more milk if it's too thick.

Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

Recipe #63 - Peach Salsa

We had a 4th of July BBQ with our next-door neighbors, and strived for something a bit different. We grilled some fresh salmon and served it with a little goat cheese and this peach salsa. It was interesting, with the mix of sweet/spicy, tart/earthy, and smoky grilled fish.

Makes a couple of cups of salsa.

5 fresh ripe peaches
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeds and pith removed, finely diced
Juice of one fresh lime
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. chipotle Tabasco sauce

Make sure the peaches are fully ripe. Slip each peach into boiling water for about 10 seconds, which will allow you to slip the peels off by hand much easier. Dice the peach flesh and place in a large mixing bowl.

Saute the diced onion in the olive oil until cooked through but not browned. Add to diced peaches.

Add the diced bell pepper, jalapenos, lime juice, salt and Tabasco sauce and mix the salsa gently but completely.

Season to taste with additional salt, pepper and/or Tabasco and store in a bowl covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to serve.