Kale Sweet Potatoes, Green Bean Salad, and Baked Tofu

Hi! I had a nice trip, but boy am I glad to be back with my husband, my kitties, and my kitchen. I decided to make some old favorites for dinner tonight. We usually make kale mashed potatoes, but we had sweet potatoes so I used those instead. If you’re not a fan of kale (gasp! say it ain’t so!), this is a great way to “sneak” it into a meal. Simply steam, shock, and chop your kale before adding it to your potatoes.

The green bean salad is simple but tasty, and you can use whatever nut you like - we usually use pine nuts, but I think the original recipe called for walnuts. Peanuts or almonds would also be delicious, and I can even imagine pistachios or cashews, so really, use whatever you want!

Green Bean Salad
Makes two large sides

12 oz Green Beans (Haricots verts if you can find them)
1/2 Cup Nuts, dry toasted and crushed (walnuts, pine nuts, almonds…)
1 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Tamari
1 Tbs White Wine

Trim ends off the beans at a 45º angle. If the bean is long, cut it in half, also at an angle. Blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes, no longer! You want them to still be crunchy. Drain, shock in icy water to stop the cooking, and pat dry.

Whisk the sugar, tamari and wine together until the sugar dissolves. Poor over beans, add nuts and toss. Serve at room temperature or chilled. This dish can easily be made ahead of time.

8 comments March 8th, 2007