Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Kale & Feta

Lamb is lovely.  I like the taste and how it can be prepared so many different ways.  I also feel like it's a healthy alternative to other meats.  

I found a small, frozen, boneless leg of lamb for a very good price in the grocery store and decided to make this tasty stuffed lamb.  

Here's what you need:

Spaghetti with Braised Kale

Eating healthier has been going well but one challenge is weekend lunch. This is the time we'd usually grab something while out running errands or have some pizza.  But this pasta is a great solution to the problem.  It is healthy, tasty and, as long as you have some kale, can be made with a few staples.

Here's what you need:

1 bunch of kale (this is Tuscan kale, sometimes called lacinato kale which is darker and flatter than standard kale, but you can use either)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
8 small garlic cloves
1/2 lb spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
Juice of one lemon
Grated parmesan cheese

Turkey Scallopini with Kale in Mustard Lemon Sauce

Need a healthy, delicious meal that's quick enough for a weeknight?  This turkey scallopini is absolutely delicious.  And if you buy the turkey scallopini instead of pounding out fillets yourself, it can be done in less than 30 minutes.  

But I was too cheap to buy the turkey scallopini when turkey fillets were almost half the price, so I'll show you how to pound them thin for this recipe.  

Here's what you need:

About 3/4 lb turkey tenders, fillets or scallopini
4 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill 
1 bunch kale, stemmed and torn into bite sized pieces
1/2 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1.5 cups chicken stock (or 1 cup chicken stock & 1/2 cup white wine)
1.5 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon zest

To pound the turkey into scallopini you need a kitchen mallet or rolling pin or even a heavy pan and plastic wrap or wax paper.

Place the turkey fillet between two double sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper.  Make sure there's enough plastic wrap for the turkey to expand as it's flattened.

Pound the turkey through the plastic wrap until it's an even 1/4 inch thickness all over. 

It should double or triple in size as it is pounded thinner.  that's why you need enough plastic wrap to more than cover.

Mix the flour, sesame seeds, dill, paprika, cayenne and some salt and pepper.

Spread it on a plate.

And dredge the turkey in the flour to coat both sides.

Heat about a teaspoon of oil in a large pan and fry the turkey in batches, one or two at a time without crowding the pan.

Cook the first side for about 2 minutes until browned and then flip and cook 2 minutes on the other side until cooked through.

Once cooked, remove the turkey to a plate, add more oil to the pan and cook the rest.  Cover the plate to keep warm or place in a low oven.

Wipe out the pan and add a little more oil.  Add the sliced onion and garlic.

Cook for about 2 minutes until softened, then add the chicken stock, mustard and lemon zest. 

Add the stemmed kale and cover to bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until kale is wilted and sauce is reduced and slightly thickened.  If necessary, place the turkey on top of the kale to warm through.

Serve the kale alongside the turkey and drizzle the turkey with the sauce.  

I served this with my cauliflower gratin for some delicious richness alongside the healthy kale and turkey.  Matt said it was the best kale he's ever had and he loved the turkey, so that's a ringing endorsement!  Try this, you'll love it!

Chicken with Squash & Kale

Aside from a few slip-ups we're still eating healthy and enjoying it. Unfortunately it hasn't given me energy to post more often, but many of our meals have been really enjoyable.

Kale is one of the healthiest things you can put in your body. It is rich in vitamins, fibre and even protein.  I based this meal on this recipe from Real Simple but made a few changes - not all of them on purpose.

Here's the lineup:

I sprinkled the chicken with cinnamon, coriander and ground ginger but wanted a little more flavour so I added garlic, paprika, cayenne and some olive oil and let it marinate over night. 

Normally we grill drumsticks but I used a rack to bake them in the oven and was pleased with how crispy and nice they turned out.

Kind of a gross subject (raw chicken) but I like this photo.

I also love the colour of this squash.  I sliced acorn squash and roasted it in a 400 degree oven with the chicken for about 20 minutes. 

Now, this recipe called for prunes and I intended to buy prunes but I guess I was so concerned with not buying figs that I grabbed dates instead. I liked them and they tasted good in the dish, but they were very dry. I'll try it with prunes next time.

I chopped the dates in half and saute them with garlic and the kale.  

Once the squash is nice and brown pull it out of the oven and mix it in with the kale and dates.

Pull the nice, crispy chicken out of the oven when it is cooked through.

The chicken was flavourful and juicy and the sweet dates and squash tasted delicious with the healthy kale.

This dish is very healthy and delicious and a great indoor winter meal.  

Cooking lessons learned:

• Dates and prunes are not the same thing but can sort of be substituted with interesting results
• Kale tastes great with something sweet to balance it out

Photography lessons learned:

• Chicken drumsticks are surprisingly photogenic
• Not as surprising, but the colour contrast of acorn squash is pretty too
• Dates, however, look like huge bugs when chopped in half