Sautéed Kale with Kale Stem–Cilantro Chimichurri
Salt and Pepper Almond Pulp Cracker Bread
As much as I try to avoid kitchen waste, it’s sometimes difficult to find new ways to use typically discarded ingredients. But I do try. For example, instead of tossing beet greens, I wash them and steam or sauté them like kale, and serve them with a splash of olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice. When I am cooking broccoli, I slice off the vegetable’s long stalk, cut off its tough outer skin, and slice the stalk into coins, and I eat those with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt—it’s a snack my mother has served to me my whole life. If you’re creative, there are many ways to give products you usually throw away new life. For example, kale stems—those tough stalks that are difficult to chew. This chapter offers recipes for a few ingredients you’d probably not think to consume—from those challenging kale stems to almond pulp left over from making homemade milks.
sautéed kale with kale stem–cilantro chimichurri
Over the summer, when I buy kale from New York’s Union Square Greenmarket, once I stem the leaves, I snack on the leftover stems, sometimes with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Sure, kale stems are tough, but they soften up if you cook them, so there’s really no reason to discard them. Here, after separating the stems from the leaves I’ve boiled the stems and added them to a traditional Argentine sauce called chimichurri. Think olive oil, parsley, a touch of heat, and a tang from red wine vinegar. Most recipes call for oregano, but I’ve subbed in fresh cilantro instead. If you have any extra chimichurri after dressing the leaves, I recommend using it on roasted veggies or mixing it into a salad.
serves 6
For the Chimichurri
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus extra for salting the water
Stems from 1 bunch lacinato kale, dry ends trimmed, sliced into 1-inch lengths (reserve the leaves for the sautéed kale)
1 garlic clove, peeled
¼ cup packed fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
⅓ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
⅓ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Sautéed Kale
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for garnish
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
⅓ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch of fine sea salt
6 packed cups trimmed kale leaves
Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish (optional)
1. Make the chimichurri: Place a medium pot of tap water with a pinch of salt over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add the kale stems and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Strain the kale stems in a colander and transfer them to a food processor.
2. Add the garlic and process until the stems are broken down, about 2 minutes. Add the parsley, cilantro, red wine vinegar, lime juice, red pepper flakes, black pepper, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil and process until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside. (Chimichurri will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for about 2 days.)
3. Make the sautéed kale: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute; do not brown the garlic. Add the kale and about ¾ cup tap water and steam, covered, adding more water as necessary to cook the kale, until it’s soft and the water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove the kale from the heat and stir in the chimichurri to taste.
4. Transfer the dressed kale to a platter, top with a drizzle of olive oil, and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve immediately.
salt and pepper almond pulp cracker bread
I am always looking for new ways to repurpose the surplus almond pulp left over from making milk. And this recipe yields a superthin flatbread-like cracker that’s a bit crisp, but still pliable, almost like a wrap. I like to tear it roughly with my hands and top it with avocado, a pinch of salt, and the Pastrami Spice blend on page 173. Here, you’ll see two versions of the recipe, one with more savory ingredients, the other with cacao and a bit of honey.
makes one 9 × 8-inch sheet
½ cup wet almond pulp (left over from making 1 almond milk recipe, see page 28)
4 ½ teaspoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons ground flax meal
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon filtered water
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until fully incorporated. The dough should feel soft and moist; if it feels dry, add water, ⅛ teaspoon at a time, until it’s hydrated and can form a ball.
3. Transfer the dough to the parchment paper and place a second sheet of parchment paper atop. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between the parchment to a thickness of ⅛ to ¹⁄₁₆ inch. Peel off the top layer of parchment and transfer the parchment with the dough onto a baking sheet and into the oven.
4. Bake until the dough is light brown around the edges, about 9 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully flip the dough. Return it to the oven and bake until it is golden brown, about 4 minutes more. Let cool on the parchment paper.
Salt and Pepper Almond Pulp Cracker Bread will keep, covered at room temperature, for about 2 days.
Variation
Salty Cacao Almond Pulp Cracker Bread: This cracker isn’t sweet; in fact, it’s just about as savory as the original recipe. Feel free to top it with avocado, or go for a sweeter twist with almond butter and banana or fresh raspberries and tahini. Substitute melted coconut oil for the olive oil, omit the pepper, and add 1 ½ teaspoons raw cacao powder and ½ teaspoon raw honey to the dough.
There are so many ways to use this versatile crumble. I’ve eaten it for breakfast as a fresh granola-like cereal mixed with some oats, and I’ve shaped it into balls and frozen them as a quick snack. You can press the crumble into the bottom of a tart mold and use it as the base for a dessert, or eat it straight out of the jar! Or atop ice cream (see page 144). It’s addictive!
makes 2⅔ cups
1 cup macadamia nuts
¾ cup moist almond pulp (left over from making 1 almond milk recipe, see page 28)
½ cup coconut butter
¼ cup coconut palm sugar
3 tablespoons mesquite powder
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 tablespoon flax meal
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cacao nibs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until the macadamia nuts are broken down into a coarse meal, about 30 seconds.
Almond-Macadamia Crumble will keep, in an airtight container in the freezer, for about 3 months. Bring to room temperature before using.
Make It Magical
Add 1 tablespoon tocos and/or 1 teaspoon reishi or cordyceps before blending.
Almonds are more fibrous than other nuts, which is why there’s always a ton of pulp left over when preparing almond milk. Since almonds are so pricey these days, I’ve played around with different ways to reuse the leftover meal. Sometimes I add it to baked goods like morning muffins, and I’ve even turned the meal into a streusel to top chia pudding. But this is one of my favorite super-simple ways to repurpose pulp into a tasty, energy-boosting snack that’s a touch chewy and filled with fiber.
makes 36 bites
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons leftover almond meal or almond flour (see Notes)
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
3 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut
3 tablespoons cacao nibs
3 tablespoons dried goji berries
3 tablespoons raw honey
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon flax meal
1 tablespoon coconut butter
½ cup freeze-dried raspberries, crushed into a semifine dust (some chunks will remain)
⅓ cup bee pollen
1. Combine the almond meal, coconut oil, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, goji berries, honey, hemp seeds, salt, black sesame seeds, flax meal, and coconut butter in a medium bowl and stir to blend. Transfer the bowl to the fridge and chill until the dough is cold and firm like traditional cookie dough, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the crushed, freeze-dried raspberries in a small bowl, and the bee pollen in another.
3. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, using a teaspoon, scoop a ball of the dough into your hands. Roll the dough between your hands to form a compact ball. Place the dough ball in the raspberry powder and toss to coat well. Next, dip one side of the dough ball into the bee pollen to coat half of it, then use your hands to press the pollen into the ball and make sure it sticks. Place the energy bite on a plate and repeat with the remaining dough, raspberry dust, and bee pollen.
Berry Pollen Power Bites will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
Notes: When making almond milk, about 1 cup of almonds will yield about ½cup of leftover pulp. If you don’t have any pulp on hand, you can buy almond meal at grocery stores or online.
