Roquefort – Kitchen Klutter

Rich, dark green vegetables always make me feel that delicious tingle of anticipation! They feed my senses and that makes me happy :)) Visually they are a delight, they smell soooo good when cooked to perfection, they pack a nutritional punch that excites me and damn they taste sooo good! I enjoy that feeling of eating goodness!

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Beans and Greens

Serves 4

4 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups (or 1 can) cooked and drained white beans
6 cups kale, trimmed and sliced into ribbons
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick them in a few places with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until soft all the way through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Start the beans and greens about 15 to 20 minutes before the sweet potatoes are done.

In a wide, deep saucepan with a cover, heat the olive oil over low-moderate heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary sprig, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the kale, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the kale is soft. Remove the rosemary sprig, stir in the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, slice each sweet potato lengthwise and push on the ends to open up the middle. Spoon the beans and greens into the center.

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Pizza with Crispy Kale, Butternut Squash, Bacon & Smoked Mozzarella

Makes two 10″ pizzas

1 small butternut squash, 1 1/2 – 2 pounds
4 strips thick-cut bacon
4 big leaves Tuscan or dino kale (roughly 1/4 bunch or 2 1/2 ounces)
8 ounces smoked mozzarella
1 pound pizza dough, storebought or homemade
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

To prepare the butternut squash, heat the oven to 450°F. Peel and dice the squashinto small 1/2-inch cubes. Toss the cubes with a drizzle of olive oil and salt. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer so the cubes aren’t too crowded (roast in two batches of necessary). Roast the cubes for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until soft. Set the cubes aside until needed.

Dice the bacon. Warm a skillet over medium-high heat and fry the bacon until cooked through, but not totally crispy. It will cook a little more in the oven. Set aside to drain on a paper towel.

Wash the kale. Spin it in a salad spinner or pat with a clean kitchen towel to get the kale as dry as you possibly can. Strip the leaves from the stems and tear into small 1/2-inch pieces. The stems can be saved for another purpose. Toss the kale with a little olive oil; if preparing the kale ahead of time, wait until just before assembling the pizza to toss with oil.

Slice the mozzarella into thin rounds.

Heat the oven to 500°F or as hot as it will go. If you have a baking stone, place this in the lower half of the oven while the oven warms.

To assemble and bake the pizzas, divide the dough into two halves and shape each into 10-inch rounds. Working one round at a time, brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Lay half the rounds of mozzarella on the pizza and arrange 1/2 cup of the roasted squash and half the bacon across the dough. Scatter half of the kale over top. (Note: You may have more squash than needed for this recipe; save the rest for another meal.)

Transfer the pizza to the oven. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until the kale is crispy and the crust is dark golden. Assemble and bake the second pizza as the first. Let the pizzas cool slightly before slicing and serving.