From the Kitchen of...

Ok, here are the recipes of the two veggie dishes we made at Boulder's Tuv Ha'aretz' first cooking demo. Well, at least the first demo that I did for them. It was a great success - if you are interested in joining us for the next one, let me know.

Garlic Kale with Tomatoes and Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh kale
2-5 cloves garlic, depending on your taste
1 large can chopped tomatoes, drained – save the juice
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
(capers)

Wash but don’t dry the kale. Rough chop it. Peel and slice garlic. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in sauté pan with a lid on medium high heat. Add garlic to the hot oil and let cook for a minute or two until aromatic but not brown. Add wet kale to pan, mix well then cover. Cook for a couple minutes, open lid, still kale, add tomatoes then cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. If the kale seems dry, add a little saved tomato juice as needed. Add the vinegar, cook uncovered for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add capers, if you are using them. Serve hot, either as a side dish or on top of polenta or pasta.


Chili and Brown Sugar Glazed Green Beans with Chili Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

for the beans:
1 lb fresh green beans
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs chili powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp vinegar, cider or white
salt to taste

for pumpkin seeds:
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ tsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp brown sugar

to make the beans:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, take the stems off the green beans. When water is boiling, drop beans in and blanch them, cooking just until they are bright green and lightly cooked. Remove from the hot water and cool quickly in very cold or ice water. In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add the sugar, chili powder, and garlic. Cook until it is all hot and the sugar is starting to melt. Add the vinegar then the beans. Toss to coat. Cook a few minutes, until the beans are hot and glazed. Serve hot topped with the pumpkin seeds.Add the beans, toss to coat.
to make the pumpkin seeds:
Toss the seeds with oil then the chili and sugar. Put on a cookie sheet and bake in 400 degree oven until they start to brown. Be careful, they go from lightly brown to burned very quickly.

Enjoy and cook well. Eat well. Yeah.