The other night, I made Kale Pie. My friend Maria recommended it and I bought the ingredients but then they just sat in the fridge. I wanted to make it but PIE? Who has time to make pie in the dinner rush? Turns out, this comes together quickly — and you get to enjoy the smell of rosemary wafting through the air while its baking!

I will admit, I was a little worried the kids wouldn’t like the kale pie. And my 17-year-old son has quite an appetite. I needed a back-up plan.

I usually have a large potato or two in the pantry for those dinner emergencies — they fill you up and you can top them with just about anything: chili, broccoli, you name it. I had just made some guac and I thought “why not mix it in with the potato?” The good fat from the avocados would make it more filling and sustain the boy longer. Not to mention making the potato more nutrient-dense and flavorful. A healthy culinary win!

As I plated the dinner, I realized – “it’s the colors of the Irish flag” – and viola! we had a different kind of St. Paddy’s dinner.

The dinner was a hit with the kids – and all walked away full and satisfied. What I loved was the smell of the rosemary wafting through the house and how quickly the dinner came together plus it was healthy to boot!

With a few shortcuts, I was able to get this meal on the table quickly. The dinner was a hit with the kids – and all walked away full and satisfied. Success!

If you are serving this meal for St. Patrick’s Day and would like to pair it with a beer, try a Double Pigs Ear recommended by Tom and Marguerite at the Craft Beer Cellar on Thompson Street in Winchester.

Cheers,
Denise

Kale Pie with a Rosemary Almond Crust
You had me at “Kale and a rosemary almond crust!”

Filling:

• ½ pound (1 bunch) of kale, stems removed coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
• 4 whole scallions, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 whole egg
• 3 egg whites
• 4 Tbs, divided (2 Tbs each)

Crust:

• 1 cup + 2 Tbs almond flour
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbs fresh rosemary, minced
• 3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 1/4 tsp water

Preheat oven 350

In a large bowl combine the almond flour, salt and rosemary. In a medium bowl whisk together the oil and water. Mix with dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Press into a lightly greased 9-inch pie pan, bringing the sides up about ½ inch. Bake 20 minutes and enjoy the rosemary wafting through your house 🙂 Remove when golden brown and completely cool completely before adding the filling.

Meanwhile, put kale with 2 tablespoons of water into a covered microwave safe bowl and cook 3 min until kale is soft and bright green. Place kale, scallions, eggs, salt and 2 tablespoons of pine nuts in a blender or food processor and process until well blended. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of pine nuts to the batter.

Pour into the cooled pie shell and bake 20 until firm. Let cool about 30 minutes.

Denise’s tip- To add a pop of color and flavor, top the kale pie with this goat cheese mixture

• 2 Tbs goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 Tbs sundried tomato, chopped

Mix together with a fork so it becomes a crumb-like mixture

Curried Roasted Carrots (serves 4)
This is such an easy and delicious way to get a mega-dose of beta carotene. Make a double batch to make a soup or to just have on hand to nibble on as a snack or toss into a salad.

Ingredients

• 3 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and toss carrots with oil, curry, salt and pepper to coat. Bake about 20 minutes, stirring at the halfway point. When you remove from the oven, toss with honey.

It’s that easy – the hard part is to stop nibbling on the carrots before dinner!

Denise’s Green Twice-Baked Potatoes
The guac adds good fats, fiber (from the avocado), plus flavor and nutrient boosts to your basic baked potato.

Ingredients

• 3 large organic baking potatoes
• 1 cup of Denise’s Guacamole (below) or other fresh guacamole
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 Tbs cilantro, minced

Directions

Bake potato whole in 400 oven 40 minutes or in microwave. Remove from microwave and cut in half. Scoop out the inside of the potato and put in a bowl. Leave about ¼ layer of potato attached to the skin. Mix 1 cup of guacamole in with the potato and sea salt.

Turn the broiler on

Refill the potatoes with the potato-guacamole mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese is melted. Top with cilantro and serve.

Denise’s Guacamole

Ingredients

•       3 ripe avocados
•       1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
•       1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped, to taste
•       1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
•       2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
•       1 tsp coarse salt, to taste

Directions

Cut each avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the halves and place in a medium bowl. Mash the avocado with a fork and stir in the onion, tomatoes, chiles and cilantro. Season the mixture with lime juice and salt. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.