Roasted Courgette Layered 'Lasagne'

What is amazing about this recipe is that it uses zero pasta sheets, the courgettes are sliced thinly with a mandolin into thin sheets to replace the traditional pasta sheets.

It was really good.  I have never really been a fan of ricotta.  I had a pie once and the ricotta just tasted congealed to me and dry, but this was really nice and quite light to eat, compared to pasta based lasagne's that can sometimes be stodgy, but also a great way to use up those courgettes. 

This is one of those recipes you make when you have time on your hands and perhaps over the weekend when its raining and it certainly was.

I followed the original recipe which comes from Donna Hay with very few tweaks.  Round courgette for the tradition courgettes, Tuscan Black kale for spinach and kale  and cheddar cheese for the topping in place of mozzarella.  Just make sure you drain excess liquid from the vegetables otherwise it will exude a lot of liquid whilst cooking and you don't want a soggy lasagne.  The recipe states it serves 4, but I think could easily be stretched to 6 people with a salad on the side.

I am sharing this RoastedCourgette Layered 'Lasagne' with Eat Your Greens challenge hosted this month by The VegHog - You still have time to share your #EatYourGreens recipe with the VegHog, so go on what's stopping you!?. 

Smoky Black Kale, Chickpeas and Mushroom Stew

Its been a busy month for me with work mostly.  I have to admit I haven't had much energy or enthusiasm for cooking when I got home.  In fact, twice last  week we have had Chilli and Potato Pierogi, not homemade but from a  packet.  I have made pierogi in the past and would love to have a go at making them again.

Today though, I got home and had a little energy to cook.  I made a relatively quick Smoky Black Kale and Mushroom Stew.  Many of the ingredients in this were left over from the Black Kale and Chickpeas Pot Pie I made over the weekend. 

I think this Smoky Black Kale and Mushroom Stew is one of those dishes best enjoyed a day or two later, as it was just okay. 

Black Kale and Chickpea Pot Pies

I do miss growing my own Black Kale.  It was only when I started growing my own that I learned Black Kale had so many interesting names.  Dinosaur Kale, Palm Tree Kale, Palm Tree Cabbage, Black Cabbage, Cavolo Nero, Tuscan Kale translated Toscana di Nero.

I was hoping to sow some more seeds this weekend, but the weather forecast halted our gardening plans once again. I have the sniffles and did not particularly want to be out in the garden being hit left right and centre by the gusty winds that was furiously rattling the greenhouse threatening to damage it further and the drip dripping of rain falling in every direction.

So instead, I stayed indoors and pottered about in the kitchen,something I have to admit I have not done much of this week.  

I made some Pot Pies with Black Kale that I picked up from the supermarket.  Its actually quite nice to find Black Kale in supermarkets now, a few years back, kale crisps and kale smoothies made it a food trend.  Its refreshing to now see the normalisation of Black Kale and Curly Kale in the vegetable section.

I adapted a recipe for Pot Pies I made a long while back, this time with a different filling: carrots, black kale, mushrooms and chickpeas

I am sharing these Black Kale and Chickpea Pot Pies with Eat Your Greens challenge that I co-host with The VegHog; This month it is my turn to host.  If you want to join in - please see this link, there is still plenty of time and participation is really easy.  I am also sharing this recipe with My Legume Love Affair hosted by Lisa's Kitchen; and with Healthy Vegan Fridays by Rock My Vegan Socks and V Nutrition.

Sweet Potato, Pepper and Greens Galette

Autumnal reds and coppers - so pretty.

I made these sweet potato, pepper and kale in a paprika galette last month for Vegan Month. 

The galette is filled with a little bit of Cavolo nero aka black Tuscan kale from my garden.   These were the only stems from my garden that had not been transformed into shredded green 'lace' by the ferocious white cabbage butterflies. 

I decided to add some smoked paprika to the galette pastry so that it gave it that faint copper like colouring.  I have done this in the past with turmeric and even spirulina powder, so it also imparts a little flavour too.  The individual galettes are quite substantial like a tartlet, but were served with a side of green salad, though a salad of Quinoa or mixed beans would have been most welcome too. 

I am sharing this with Karen and Janie for their Bonfire Night/Halloween edition of Tea Time Treats and also Jennifer at My Blissful Journey who is hosting Vegan Midweek Munchies and Vegan Yofo.

Here is a close up of the caramelised onion base enhanced with red and yellow peppers, sweet potato and black Tuscan kale 

Deep Cavolo Nero soup

Remember the cavolo nero aka Tuscan kale I picked from the garden on Sunday, well I knew exactly what I wanted to make with it.
I have been hankering after this Zuppa di Castagne e Cavolo Nero, a deep dark chocolate looking soup that I saw on Barbara’s blog Dish'n' That a little while ago. I just didn’t have any nuggets of fresh chestnuts or even those cooked ones that are shrink wrapped, so I decided to substitute the fresh chestnuts with a tinned puree. But that wasn’t the only thing I changed, I adapted it a little more as I was cooking. I hope Barbara doesn’t mind.

The soup certainly had texture and depth of flavour, and if I had not made it myself from scratch I would have been suspicious that a meat stock had been used, as it had a ‘meaty’ taste and smell to it. This flavour is imparted by the chestnuts. The soup itself was rather delicious and certainly a meal in a bowl, and as Barbara suggested I served it with a hunk of good crusty bread. I am submitting this recipe to Grow your own (GYO), which celebrated it second birthday. It was started by Andrea Meyer of Andrea's Recipes. It is a twice-a-month blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow ourselves and the dishes we create using our homegrown products. GYO#40 is presently being hosted by Nate at House of Annie and he's invited us all to do it again. How can I resist such an offer, especially to show off the last of my homegrown black kale.

Cavolo nero, Chestnut and Butter Bean Soup
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
3 stalks celery, peeled of stringy bits with a potato peeler, then chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 x 400g canned plum tomatoes in juice
1 ½ pints vegetable stock
1 x 435g canned unsweetened pureed chestnuts
1 x 400g can white beans, drained and rinsed
About 250g of Cavolo Nero, stems and ribs removed and leaves chopped into pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Tamari
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and add the onion and garlic. Let sweat a bit, then add the carrot and celery. Saute for a few minutes, then add tinned tomatoes, the chopped kale, Tamari and seasoning and cook for a few minutes more before adding the vegetable stock. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally, before adding in the pureed chestnuts and beans and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Transfer about ½ pint of the soup to a blender and process. Return to the pot; give it a stir. Add more seasoning if required and let simmer for a few minutes before serving.

Cavolo nero with garlicky butter beans

The first recipe I chose to cook from Vegetarian Suppers, the cookbook I won from Oraphan of Easy Veggie was Polenta squares with gorgonzola cream, braised greens and cannellini beans. Of course I had to adapt it a little. Deborah Madison suggests chard or broccoli rabe, the only green growing in my tiny garden plot at home is cavolo nero, so that is what I used. Cavolo nero is an Italian cabbage with dark green leaves that has a subtle flavour. It can be used in most cabbage recipes. This was quite tasty actually and the polenta was a nice change from potatoes and rice.

I am submitting this recipe to Grow your own (GYO), which celebrates it second birthday. It was started by Andrea Meyer of Andrea's Recipes. It is a twice-a-month blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow ourselves and the dishes we create using our homegrown products. GYO#39 is hosted by Nate at House of Annie. The rules are really simple: Make a dish that uses at least one item from your very own garden, backyard or farm and post about it during the month. Your garden doesn’t have to be big. Tiny garden plots and container gardens are welcome, which of course suits me to the ground now! Also if you’ve foraged for a plant, herb or fruit, they are also eligible for entry. You can also use something that was given to you, but the giver must have personally grown the vegetable, fruit or herb. If you paid for it, then it doesn’t count. So why not participate. It’s also a great way of showcasing what is in season and growing locally in your area.

Polenta triangles with gorgonzola cream and Cavolo nero with garlicky butter beans
Serves 3 - 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely sliced
2 – 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
Generous bunch of cavolo nero, washed and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 x 400g tin of butter beans, drained and rinsed
Method
Heat the oil in a wide pan. Add onion and cool over medium-high heat, until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, that add the green, season with salt and cook until the greens have all collapsed, add 100ml of water and turn down heat to cook for 15 minutes, then add the butter beans and cook for about 5 minutes until heated through. Check for seasoning and serve.

Cavolo Nero Potato Cakes with turnips

Cavolo nero aka Black cabbage picked from the garden plot yesterday
Puple top milan turnips picked from the allotment plot this afternoon

taken into the kitchen...

And then served on a plate. I guess you can call these cavolo nero bubble and squeak cakes. I remember a fellow blogger suggesting the idea to me a while ago and I thought why not. I loosely based them on a recipe I made a while ago and they turned out very well. I really liked the flavour of the cavolo nero crisping in the frying pan.

Cavolo Nero Potato Cakes
Makes 8 – 10
Ingredients
250g cavolo nero, stalks removed then cooked, drained and squeezed of all liquid. Then finely chopped.

700g potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil and extra for shallow frying
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Turn off. Then add to this to the mashed potatoes and the shredded cavolo nero and season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Shape the mixture into 8 – 10 round cakes. Cover and chill for an hour or more. When ready to eat, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Add the cakes and fry over medium high heat for about 5 minutes on each side until crisp and golden brown.

Once peeled, I chopped the turnips into quarters, added a couple of unpeeled garlic, poured over some vegetable stock with some seasoning and cooked them in the oven until tender. Garnished with fresh parsley.

Cavolo nero with puy lentils and tomatoes

The two vegan products we always have in the fridge are Pure margarine: either made from sunflower or from soya beans; and Alpro soya milk. Over the years, I have got used to the flavour of the vegan margarine, but not so much the soya milk. Both these products are in the house because of D. A few years ago he decided to give up cows milk for soya milk to reduce his arthritis symptoms, and to be fair it has worked to some extent. But he has not given up on the cheese or Greek yogurt. So these vegan products are in the house, not for dietary reasons, but more for health reasons.
Today my breakfast began with a couple of slices of Sourdough bread spread with some soya margarine, homemade berry jam and a mug of black coffee. I made some Warming Black bean soup yesterday (I will post the recipe tomorrow), which I had for lunch with a bag of unsalted crisps. After work supper was Cavolo nero aka Black cabbage to us Brits with puy lentils and tomatoes served with roasted potatoes (recipe below).

Resisting evening nibbles is a tough one, as we tend to savour cheese slices, unless of course it's Friday and Friday for me means 'popcorn night', but I made the effort to make some vegan parsley shortcakes to be eaten with the home-made spicy tomato and apple chutney, that is of course if we felt the greed to nibble later. I don't think I will be opting for vegan cheese, I have tried some in the past and have not been enthused by any of them. Anyway, if you are interested in the parsley shortcakes, please do come back tomorrow when I will showcase them.

Cavolo nero with puy lentils and tomatoes
Serves 2 – 4
Ingredients100g puy lentils
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 large handfuls of cavolo nero, chopped
4 tomatoes, quartered
Salt and pepper to season
Method
Boil the lentils in plenty of water until just tender. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a wide pan and cook the onion for a couple of minutes, then add garlic and cavolo nero until it has started to wilt. Cavolo nero is a bit tough, so it may take a few good minutes for this to happen. Then add the tomatoes and cooked lentils to the pan and continue cooking, until the tomatoes are soft and the cavolo nero is tender. Add the remaining olive oil at the end and season to taste. Adapted from Denis Cotters Paradiso Seasons.

Cavolo Nero or Tuscan Kale Savoury Cake

Toscana di nero, Cavolo Nero, Tuscan Kale, Dinosaur kale or Black kale, call it what you want, but I have a load of it growing and am constantly looking for inspiration and ideas to cook with it.

A few days ago, I decided to experiment and make a kale and potato cake. I steamed both the kale and potato slices until they were cooked through. When they were cool enough to handle, I proceeded to layer a 7 inch cake tin with the wilted kale, and then filled the base with the thin potato slices. Drizzled with a bit of olive oil and seasoning, then folded over the overlapping kale.
The savoury cake was pretty astounding to look at, that was until you cut into it, and then it just fell apart. I would probably make this again, but in individual ramekins. You could if you wanted too, grate some pecorino or parmesan cheese between the potato layers, but this one was vegan: pure and simple.

What was interesting about eating this was the kale stalks, although edible, I found them a bit chewy. So after struggling with my knife to cut through the stalk, I decided eat them with my fingers, and in that very moment, whilst gazing at the leafy green still fully intact. I was suddenly reminded of my meat eating days, I felt like I was holding and eating a lamb cutlet off the bone, but I wasn’t, this was a leafy kale stalk. I don’t know what you think, but for me cavolo nero is a meaty and scrumptious leaf.

Vegetarian sausages with puy lentils

I didn’t realise that Toscana di Nero kale had so many names, such as Cavolo Nero (which is what most people know it by), but also Dinosaur kale, Tuscan Kale, Palm Tree Kale, Palm Tree Cabbage and even Black Cabbage. They are all the same vegetable with slight variations being primarily in the shape and texture of the leaves. Interesting don’t you think?

Toscana di nero tastes so different from the curly kale I’m used to eating. 'Which one do I prefer?', I like them both, but it I had to choose, I think I would opt for curly kale. For me it has more flavour.
This recipe is inspired by Nigella Lawson Italian Sausages with lentils from Nigella Bites. I have substituted the meat sausages with vegetarian ones, plus added toscana di nero. It worked out not too bad actually.