Tuscan Gnocchi, Kale and Spicy Sausage Soup

January 7, 2015December 3, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

It’s soup season. Don’t get me wrong, I love soup year-round, but B is much more likely to eat soup when it’s cold out. So we’ve been eating a lot of soup lately. When I was home, I had my mom’s minestrone soup (she makes it with butternut squash! so good) and her chicken noodle soup. When B and I get takeout, we’ve been pretty consistent about getting our favorite place – Souper Market. Give me soup, a hunk of bread and maybe some cheese and I’m good to go.

So needless to say, I was inspired to make some soup the other day. Of course it ended up being a 50 degree fall day (not 20s or 30s) but soup was still the perfect dinner. Paired with a hunk of Italian bread and brie, and this soup made a perfect dinner for B and I.

Tuscan Gnocchi, Kale and; Spicy Sausage Soup - i crashed the web

Tuscan Gnocchi, Kale and Spicy Sausage Soup

(a somewhat lightened version of a recipe from Gimme Some Oven)

Here’s what you need:

1 pound ground hot Italian chicken sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers, drained and diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1-2 tsp. crushed red pepper (use more if you like heat!)
1 pound potato gnocchi
1 bunch kale, with stems removed and chopped
Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

Here’s what you do:

Add Italian sausage, carrot and diced onion to a large Dutch oven or pot. Break up sausage with a spoon and cook on medium-high heat until sausage is browned. Drain out some of the excess grease if possible. (I didn’t have as much grease because I used chicken as opposed to traditional sausage)
Add in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, diced roasted red peppers, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper. Keep on medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.
When the soup starts to simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the gnocchi and kale. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the gnocchi are cooked through and tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add more crushed red pepper if needed. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve warm.

For another kale and sausage recipe (apparently I like the combo) that can be made in your crockpot, check out Healthy Crockpot Recipe: Tuscan Chicken Sausage, Kale and Vegetable Soup.

Tuscan Gnocchi, Kale and Spicy Sausage Soup - i crashed the web

Meatless Monday: Summery Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

September 8, 2014August 31, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

I realllly wanted to call this salad The Best Summer Quinoa Salad Ever, but that was too ambiguous. Or even Quinoa, Kale, Black Bean, Avocado, Tomato, Onion, Hot Pepper, Corn Salad with a Lemon Vinaigrette but that just seemed like too long of a name and you would probably would have stopped reading then. So just go with it.

Anyway, I love a good summery salad. Something with a good light vinaigrette, add in corn and avocado and I’m sold. So when I realized we had pretty much all of my favorite ingredients for a salad thanks to our Fresh Fork CSA and some farmer’s market finds, I knew I had to just put it all together and make the best summer salad ever. Add in some quinoa and a can of black beans and it was perfect for a vegetarian main meal. Oh yeah – even B ate it as a main dish without meat. That’s how I know it’s a success.

Don’t be fooled by the name, I may just be making this salad this fall and winter too. Because we all need some summer meals all year round, don’t we?

Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Here’s what you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/3 olive oil (divided)
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
2 hungarian hot peppers or jalapenos, diced
1 cup quinoa
2 cup water
1 lemon
1 tsp cumin
3 c. thinly chopped raw kale leaves
1 c corn (approximately one giant cob)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium tomato, diced
1 avocado, chopped into cubes

Here’s what you do:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and hot pepper, and saute for about 3-4 minutes. I also added a few slices of kale, but feel free to use all the kale in step #4 and keep it raw.
Add quinoa and two cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
While quinoa is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad. First prepare the dressing. Mix 1/4 c lemon juice (about one whole lemon) with 1/3 cup olive oil and cumin.
Finely chop the kale (remove the large thick middle stems from the leaves and then roll up kale into rods before finely chopping) and add to the salad dressing. Coat kale thoroughly in dressing. Add in corn and black beans.
By now the quinoa should be nearly done cooking. After letting cool for a minute, add cooked quinoa, onion and pepper to kale, corn and tomato. Mix well. Gently add in chopped tomato. Just before serving, add in avocado.
Enjoy! Mine made 3-4 vegetarian main dishes.

kale, quinoa, black bean and avocado salad

Eating like a hipster … Roasted butternut squash with kale, mushrooms, onions, roasted red pepper and goat cheese

April 28, 2014May 27, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

The other day I came across a list of the most hipster foods there are. Hipster foods! And can you believe that out of that list, B and I enjoy most of them on a regular basis? Like, a LOT of them? For example, here are just a few:

Cold brew coffee – B LOVES this, especially this time of year.
Anything from a food truck – Obviously. Who doesn’t like stuff from a food truck? Helllllo Walnut Wednesdays!
Pickles – Always have, always will love them.
Brussels sprouts – B’s not a fan but I’ve been eating them roasted for a while!
Bacon – you can’t tell me bacon is just for hipsters. We got some nitrate free bacon in our CSA last year and I can’t wait to get it again.
Cauliflower – Have you met me? I love cauliflower! Roasted, mashed, buttery… please, I’ve been eating cauliflower for years. My parents cook cauliflower. Does this make my parents hipsters?
Kale – SEE BELOW. Seriously, I don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted.

butternut squash kale, mushrooms, onions, roasted red pepper and goat cheese

Roasted Butternut squash with Kale, Mushrooms, Onions, Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese

Here’s what you need:

2-3 Tbs olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into about 1-inch pieces
1 large bunch kale, washed, and chopped (remove stem)
2 cloves garlic, minced or finely diced
1 c. chopped yellow onion
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1-3 tsp hot sauce, to taste (optional)
1/2 red pepper, roasted
1/2 c. crumbled goat cheese

Here’s what you do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chopped up butternut squash onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until squash is just starting to brown.
While squash is cooking, in a large saucepan, heat up about 2 Tbs olive oil on medium high heat. Add in garlic and sautee for 2 minutes or until it starts to smell yummy (yes, I LOVE the smell of garlic!). Add in diced onion and cook for 2-3 more minutes until onion starts to become translucent. Add in mushrooms and cook for another 3ish minutes. Add kale and cook until kale has wilted. You may need to add more olive oil at this time. If you like heat, here’s where you’ll add your hot sauce.
When squash is done, add to mushroom/onion/kale/garlic pot. Saute squash just enough so that it starts to caramelize slightly.
Almost finished! Pour onto a plate and top with goat cheese and roasted red pepper. Enjoy as a vegetarian main dish or as a side dish. Enjoy!

butternut squash with kale, mushrooms, onions, roasted red pepper and goat cheese - i crashed the web

Some questions for you:

Are any of the hipster foods foods you enjoy regularly? See above. Apparently, yes.

Are your parents hipsters? Ha, well since they eat cauliflower … and my dad likes craft beer and has been wearing Converse since the beginning of time. Maybe? Which makes me think of this great blog: Dads are the original hipster.

Are you a hipster? Trick question! A hipster would never admit to being a hipster. GOTCHA!

What’s something vegetarian you enjoyed lately?

Shrimp and Baby Kale Fajita Salad

October 22, 2013October 22, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

As you’ve probably figured out from past posts, I’m a fan of kale. Kale sauteed with some garlic and olive oil? Delicious. Cooked in some soup with sausage? Perfect for this season. Toasted with squash for a fall salad? Yum! Which is why when Organic Girl told me they had a new baby kale they were sharing with bloggers, I couldn’t wait to try it out.

What is baby kale? And how is it different from traditional kale? Well first, as you can probably guess from the name, baby kale is a smaller in size. According to the folks at Organic Girl, it’s “much more tender and tastes (we believe) better than mature kale. People often complain that kale is very tough and that it’s hard to chew – most people try to ‘massage’ it before they cook it or use it in a salad to make it less course. Baby kale is not like that at all, it is a tender leaf variety that has the same exact nutrient content of the matured variety.” Pretty awesome right? So of course I was pumped to try it out. And a few days later, some baby kale arrived at my door!

Here’s a fun, easy way to enjoy some baby kale with some amazing flavor. The best part? You feel like you’re eating something much more indulgent, almost like a meal from Chipotle – but it’s actually healthy! (Shh, don’t tell B)

Shrimp and baby kale fajita salad i crashed the web

Shrimp and Baby Kale Fajita Salad

Serves 2

Here’s what you need:

7-8 oz frozen peeled deveined shrimp – I used the pretty 31-40 shrimp size so ended up using 14 shrimp
2 bell peppers
2 jalapeno peppers
2 anaheim peppers
1 yellow onion
1 garlic clove, diced
1-2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 Tbs cumin
1 avocado
1 tomato, diced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt, pepper to taste
1 cup baby kale (I used Organic Girl baby kale – they wash it 3x so you don’t have to)

Here’s what you do:

Defrost the shrimp, according to package directions. For me, it meant running cool water over them for a while before removing their tails.
While the shrimp is defrosting, heat olive oil on a large pan on medium low. Add diced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Finely chop peppers and onion and add to pan.
Allow vegetables to cook for 10 minutes. As they start to soften, add chili powder, cayenne pepper and cumin. Allow to cook for about 15 more minutes.
Add in shrimp and mix well. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened and shrimp has absorbed the spices of the mixture.
While shrimp is heating up, prepare your “guacamole.” Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Mash the avocado well and add garlic powder and salt, to taste. Just before serving, carefully fold in diced tomato.
Prepare your salad! Place 2 cups of baby kale on a plate. Top with shrimp fajita mixture and then guacamole. Enjoy!

Optional additions:

Salad would also be great with black beans.

Want salad dressing? I thought the sauce from the fajita mixture was enough, but the salad would also be great with a chili lime vinaigrette (1 Tbs lime juice, 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil and a dash of cumin and chili powder – enough for two salads!).

Your ingredients. Except i got a little happy with tomato and avocado – only one of each are needed.

Defrost the shrimp

Dice your veggies

sautee veggies in olive oil. add spices as veggies start to soften.

add shrimp to the veggies

Make your easy guacamole! Just avocado and garlic powder, salt and tomatoes.

Plate it up and enjoy!

Disclosure: As I mentioned above, Organic Girl provided me with a free sample of their baby kale. I was not compensated for this post. As always, all views are my own.

Crock Pot Lentils and Kale

August 14, 2013August 14, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

Some nights for dinner I just want something healthy, easy, filling AND tasty – is that so much to ask for?

Most nights I can get 3 of the 4. Pasta with meatballs – tasty, easy, filling, but not super healthy (especially when served with a chunk of crusty bread and fresh mozzarella .. OMG I can taste that goodness now). Homemade black bean burgers with sweet potato fries and braised kale – tasty, filling, healthy but not really super easy (well it’s easy .. just takes time to prepare). So last week when I was “cleaning” out my fridge and found some leftover kale from our CSA and an onion – and then of course found lentils and canned tomatoes in our pantry – a light bulb went off. I realized that combining all those ingredients would most definitely satisfy all of the above! Healthy? Obviously! Easy? Yes – I’d be using my crock pot. Filling? Of course – 1 cup of this dish has about 15 g. of protein (and more if you pair it with chicken). Tasty? Um, anything with lentils and kale in my opinion is tasty (I understand if you disagree).

Enjoy the following “recipe.” I literally just threw everything in my crock pot, googled “lentil crock pot cooking times” and hoped for the best. And it worked! Serve as is, or with chicken, which B had. He actually looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if he wanted anything with the lentils for dinner. “You mean, do I just want lentils and kale for dinner? Am I a rabbit?” – may or may not be exactly what he said. I also sprinkled Penzeys vindaloo seasoning on my leftovers which made for an awesome Indian-type dish.

crock pot lentils and kale - i crashed the web

Crock Pot Lentils and Kale

Here’s what you need:

2 cups lentils, rinsed
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 cups chopped kale (don’t forget to remove the stems)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1-2 tablespoons cumin
2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken, if you don’t mind if it’s not vegetarian)
1 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste

Here’s what you do:

Rinse lentils. Add to crock pot with onion, garlic, canned tomatoes and kale.
Add spices — ginger, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. Mix all ingredients within crock pot. Pour broth and water over mixture.
Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours.
Enjoy! Serve alone, or as a side dish with chicken if your husband gasps at the thought of just eating lentils and kale alone.

Enjoy! As you can see, it’s not the prettiest dish, but it’s healthy, filling and SUPER EASY.

slow cooker lentils and kale - i crashed the web

PS – Here are some more of my favorite crock pot dishes. You MUST try the jambalaya!

Meatless Monday: Spicy Kale with Yellow Pepper and Onions

March 18, 2013March 25, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

Hope you all had a great St. Patrick’s Day! I made it outside for a few hours and judging by what I witnessed downtown, most of you were having a good time. While I didn’t enjoy any corned beef this year (still meatfree for Lent!), we did enjoy some green food – including a kale dish like this one.

As B has started eating more slow carbs, one of my challenges has been to find new and not boring bean/veggie/meat (or other protein) combos. B would be perfectly happy eating the same meals day in and day out. Me? Maybe for lunch, but half of the fun in eating is the cooking! And half the fun in cooking is trying new recipes. So, last week for dinner, we were debating on the bean/veggie/meat combo when I suggested cooking up some Kale with Peppers and Onions for our veggie. Not a kale fan, B was skeptical. As I was putting it together, B even made the comment that he expected the ratio of peppers and onions to kale to be a little higher than he was expecting (meaning – “You’re using too much kale!”). Plus, when I had made the Kale with Lentils and Sweet Potato recipe a few weeks ago, he wasn’t sure he liked the texture of the kale, but this was due mostly to the fact that I may have forgotten to remove the stem from many of the kale leaves. Whoops! I was determined to leave a better impression this time, so I included one of B’s favorite ingredients – Cholula sauce!

As we sat down to eat our meals, I ate in silence. I didn’t want to ask … but I was dying to know what B was thinking. After a few bites it was clear. It was a hit. “We should have this again,” B told me. YES!

spicy kale with yellow pepper and onion

Spicy Kale with Peppers and Onions

Here’s what you need:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium yellow pepper, sliced
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped (if you like garlic a lot, feel free to make it 3)
1 bunch of kale, stems removed, chopped / torn into small pieces (about 4 cups)
1 – 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 – 2 teaspoons Cholula sauce (depending on your taste for heat, use more or less) or your other favorite hot sauce
1/3 cup vegetable broth

Here’s what you do:

Heat the oil in a medium sized pot on medium heat.
Dice the onion, yellow pepper and 2 cloves of garlic. Add to pan and let soften.
Tear kale from stem and chop or tear into bite size pieces. Remember to remove the stem! (This reminder is courtesy of B)
Once onion and pepper are translucent, add the kale and vegetable broth. Feel free to add more garlic at this time too 🙂
Add hot sauce and hot pepper flakes. Turn heat to medium-low, put lid on pot, and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
After about 10 minutes, remove lid and turn heat down. Add more hot sauce if you like and cook until the liquid is absorbed
Enjoy!

I served mine with baked tofu and some black beans for a complete Four-Hour Body friendly recipe.

Saute the pepper, onion and garlic

Chop/tear up the kale. Don’t forget to remove stem!

Add chopped kale to translucent pepper and onion. Add hot sauce, hot pepper flakes, vegetable broth and more garlic if you want.

All done! Check out how much the kale cooks down.

Enjoy! Here’s how I served mine:

SPICY KALE WITH yellow pepper & onion, baked tofu, avocado and black beans

Some questions to ponder:

Have you tried any slow carb diets or the Four-Hour Body? What’s your favorite meal combo?
Are there certain meals you have over and over again and never get tired of them?
What’s your favorite way to cook/eat kale?

Spicy Kale with Lentils and Sweet Potato

January 8, 2013January 8, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

Looking for a filling and satisfying vegetarian dinner one night? Or a comforting vegetable side dish, perfect for this winter? Then this is for you! Again, B is a pretty serious meat eater, but he somehow agreed to try this (along with some chicken). I’m not sure how much he liked it, but I really enjoyed the dish. I got it from Eat Live Run and made a few modifications.

Spicy Kale with Lentils and Sweet Potato (modified from Eat Live Run)

Here’s what you need:

1/2 c diced onion
2 stalks celery, diced
2 serrano peppers, chopped finely
6 baby carrots (or 2 large carrots), diced
3 tbs olive oil
one bunch kale, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 c chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 c lentils (dry)
1 tbsp dried rosemary
2 tsp crushed red pepper

Here’s what you do:

Dice the onion, celery, serrano peppers and carrots. Chop up the sweet potato into 1/2 inch cubes.
Heat the oil in a medium sized pot.
Add the onion, celery, carrot, peppers and sweet potato and cook for about six minutes, until softened.
While the onion, celery, peppers and potato cooks, dice the garlic and chop up the kale. When cooked, add the garlic and kale and continue cooking until kale wilts.
Add the lentils, dried rosemary, cracked red pepper and broth (use vegetable broth if you want a vegetarian recipe). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until lentils are tender and have absorbed most of the liquid.
Enjoy!