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Tuesday 12 January 2016

Kale and Carrots : January's Best

"January's best: Kale

Kale is king for seasonal eaters! It tastes and grows best during the brrrr!-est of months, particularly January. Perfect for hotting up the goodness in hearty stews and soups.

Quick and tasty tips:
Works well in stews and soups.
Try it sautéed with chilli and garlic"

Can also be used to make kale chips

"Kale is the hardiest and most vitamin-packed of all the late-year greens, and I’m surprised Popeye stuck with spinach! Full of minerals and with a good irony tang, it has real taste, but is better eaten younger as big leaves can be obstinate in the mouth. 

This is good with roast chicken:
Fried Kale with Sesame and Garlic


Serves 3
1 large hand-gathering of kale leaves
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
large-flaked sea salt and black pepper
a squeeze of lemon juice

Directions:
Wash the kale well.
Chop it into 1cm wide ribbons, discarding any stems that appear stringy.
In a frying pan, toast the sesame seeds until golden, stirring often to prevent them from burning.
Turn up the heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan before throwing in the kale, which will spit and crackle frantically. Stir it around, occasionally flicking in some water to keep the moisture content up.
After about 2 minutes the kale will have collapsed. Now throw in the garlic. Keep everything moving around for another 3 minutes, until the garlic is just beginning to brown.
Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. 


January's best: Carrots



Crunchy and tasty, carrots will keep you fresh all winter." From soups to stews, casseroles and even a salad - carrots are versatile.

"Quick and tasty tip:
Great in a Lebanese style salad—make a dressing by 'bashing up' some toasted cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar with a little bit of garlic and some salt. Stir through some olive oil and lemon juice and use to dress finely shredded carrot. Season well and finish with freshly chopped coriander leaves."


Carrots great in a:
Pork casserole rustic style.



Ingredients: Serves two
2/3 pork chops remove fat and cut into small pieces
2 large leeks chopped
1 hand full of button mushrooms
1 large sliced carrot
1 table spoon of dried mixed herbs
Approx 1 pint of gravy stock
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method
Clean, cut and place all ingredients in a casserole dish or earthenware oven proof pot with lid.
Pour over the stock and cook at 190c in an electric oven 90 mins. Gas mark 5.

"Some words and part of this article taken from" here  

Thanks for reading ...

All the best Jan

8 comments:

Jo said...

We eat lots of carrots all year round and we love kale too. These are two veggies which everyone's happy with here.

eileeninmd said...

I love boh kale and carrots. Great recipes, thanks for sharing. Happy Tuesday, enjoy the week ahead!

Gail said...

Love them both.

Thanks for visiting. Frost is all I want to see. No snow, no storms.

Lisa said...

Carrots are enjoyed here all year round. They like them cooked and raw in salads so we always have some in the house.
Kale is something I'm hoping to get into the Nutribullet. I tried the kale crisps thing but just kept burning them!
Lisa x

Debbie said...

the pork casserole sounds heavenly. i have never prepared a stew with pork but what a great change from beef!! love me some carrots and they have such a long "frig" life!!!!

Debbie said...

but i don't love kale, i have tried really hard to but i just don't!!!

TexWisGirl said...

i love carrots. i give them to the horses as a treat, but on the way to the barn, the dogs and i share a few first. :)

DeniseinVA said...

I have never tried kale and really must as I know it is one of the super foods. Thanks for the recipes and ideas Jan :)