Spaghetti with Braised Kale

Another snow day here in Connecticut.  Snow AND ice this time.  Yippie!  (please note the sarcasm).  I’m getting really sick of this white crap.

School was canceled again today so I decided to switch around the meal plan and make this tonight instead of later in the week.  It’s not the quickest side dish (I served it with sliced lemon garlic pork tenderloin) but it is worth the time.  It was delicious!  A nice, hearty, and tasty dish to chow down on while we recuperate from all of this shoveling!

This gem is from the most recent edition of Bon Appetit Magazine.

INGREDIENTS
1lb. Kale, large center ribs and stems removed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
3T. Olive oil, divided
1 Yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2C.)
8 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2lb. Spaghetti
2t. Lemon juice
Finely grated Parmesan cheese (soy cheese works well here)

INGREDIENTS
Rinse kale. Drain; transfer to bowl with some water still clinging.

Heat 2T. olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add sliced garlic and sprinkle with salt; cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add kale and remaining 1T. olive oil and toss until wilted, about 3 minutes. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking until kale is very tender, stirring occasionally and adding water by teaspoonfuls if dry, about 20 minutes (mine took closer to 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in medium pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/4C. cooking liquid. Add cooked spaghetti to kale mixture in pot. Add lemon juice and 2T. reserved cooking liquid; toss to combine, adding more liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry.

Sprinkle spaghetti with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Husband Rating – 3 out of 5 – “Kale still kinda scares me, but this was pretty tasty!”

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Parmesan Tilapia

Hubs and I love fish and are always looking for new ways to prepare it.

I was excited to stumble across this recipe on The CookMobile and can say that this will definitely now be a staple in our house.  The fish stays nice and moist, but the exterior is incredibly crunchy.  Best of all…this only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.  Perfect for a busy weeknight!

INGREDIENTS
2 Tilapia filets
1/2C. Japanese panko bread crumbs
1/4C. Parmesan cheese (of course, I used soy Parm.)
1/8t.  Red pepper flakes
1/2t. Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/8t. Granulated garlic
1 Egg, beaten
1/4C. Flour
Salt and Pepper
Frying oil

DIRECTIONS
Season filets lightly with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

In a bowl, combine panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, granulated garlic, red pepper flakes and chopped parsley.

In another bowl, dredge fish in flour and then, in another bowl, dip in beaten egg.  Finally, roll in bread crumbs to fully coat.

In a pan, heat enough oil for deep-frying, a round 1-inch high.  Fry breaded fish until golden brown and flakes easily.  Drain on paper towels and serve hot with dressing of choice.

As an alternative to deep-frying, lightly brush melted butter on a oven-proof dish, arrange fillets on a single layer, drizzle top with additional melted butter, and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown and flakes easily.  You can also pan-fry these tilapia filets in 3 to 5T. oil, around 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Husband Rating – 4.5 out of 5 – “Very tasty!”

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Chicken Parmesan Burgers

I’ve never had a chicken burger before.  I tried chicken sausage once or twice, but wasn’t really impressed.  But, when I saw this recipe on Erin’s Food Files (originally from Elly Says Opa), and its drool-worthy photo, I figured I should give ground chicken another go and added these chicken parmesan burgers to our weekly menu.

These burgers are ridiculously good!  I can’t even put into words how awesome these are…seriously.  Go make these burgers now.  You absolutely will not regret it!

INGREDIENTS
Burgers
1t. Olive Oil
1lb. Ground chicken
1/4C. Grated parmesan cheese
1/4C. Bread crumbs
2t. Italian seasoning
1/4C. Chopped flatleaf parsley
1 Clove garlic, finely minced or pressed (I used two, mine were small)
1 Shallot, finely diced
Salt and Pepper

Toppings
1/2C. Pasta sauce
4 Slices mozzarella or provolone (I used regular mozzarella, Christopher used shredded soy mozzarella cheese)
4 Buns (toasted and brushed with a little garlic butter, if you like)

DIRECTIONS
In a small saucepan warm 1t. olive oil.  Add shallot and cook lightly over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook an additional minute.  Set aside to cool slightly. (This step was my addition…I was afraid the raw shallot flavor would be too harsh, so I decided to cook them first – so glad I did!)

Mix together all the ingredients for the burgers.  Form into 4 patties.

Preheat & spray the broiler with a little oil (or use the grill, or a pan).  Broil the burgers for about 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and broil for 4 minutes more.

Top each burger with 2T. pasta sauce and a slice of cheese.  Place back under the broiler for 30-60 seconds, until cheese in melted.

Husband Rating – 5 out of 5 – “These are bananas”
Chef’s note – Bananas = Good!

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