Bean And Kale Ragu Recipes

BEAN AND KALE RAGU

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and kale. Cook and stir until the onions become transparent and the kale wilts and reduces in volume, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Stir the tomatoes and green chiles, garlic, water, bay leaves, cumin, and onion powder into the kale mixture. Simmer the vegetable mixture until the kale is soft, about 1 hour. Stir in the cannellini beans and continue simmering until beans are heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in the oregano and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

CANNELLINI AND KALE RAGOûT

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add bread and 1 teaspoon thyme; cook until bread is golden on both sides, turning with tongs, about 2 minutes total. Transfer croutons to bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Add remaining 4 tablespoons oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper to same pot; sauté over medium heat 30 seconds. Add kale and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until kale wilts, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, beans, and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle ragout into shallow bowls. Top with croutons and serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, WHITE BEAN AND KALE RAGOUT (VEGAN)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel pumpkin or squash. Trim stem, then halve pumpkin or squash and scoop out seeds (save for roasting if desired). Cut flesh into 1-inch cubes.
• 2. Spread cubes out on a large rimmed baking sheet. In small saucepan, combine butter or canola oil, syrup, 1 teaspoon vinegar, kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cayenne. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until butter melts; pour mixture over squash and toss to coat evenly. Roast, tossing occasionally, until pumpkin or squash is very tender and caramelized at edges, about 30 minutes.
• 3. In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks, garlic, rosemary and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft and not at all browned, about 15 minutes. Add beans and broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
• 4. Stir in kale. Simmer until kale is cooked down and very tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in pumpkin or squash and chopped cranberries; season with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Garnish with additional cranberries and sea salt, and serve.

CANNELLINI BEAN & FENNEL RAGU

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion, celery and fennel for 5 mins. Add the garlic and pancetta, and fry for 5 mins more.
• Stir in the beans, then add the tomatoes, tomato purée, stock and vinegar. Stir, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 mins. Season to taste.
• For the gremolata, mix everything together in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Spoon the ragu into bowls and top with the gremolata. Scatter over some parmesan, if using, and serve with crusty bread, if you like.

KALE AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• If you can get fresh kale from a garden, wash it, shake off excess water, and store it in a partially airtight container in the frig for 3-4 days. As it "ages," it sweetens.
• Heat the olive oil slowly in a large frying pan.
• While the oil is heating, chop the kale in large strips. Set aside.
• Saute onion and garlic over medium-low heat until they begin to turn color. Do not burn.
• Throughout the rest of this prepartion do not overheat the oil. Medium should be the right temperature.
• Stir in the brown sugar, oregano, and thyme. Stir gently for another minute or two until the sugar has disappeared.
• If you need to add a bit more olive oil, do so at this point. You need a thin layer of hot oil covering the bottom of the pan.
• Stir the chopped kale into the hot oil mix. Kale may look to be too much to fit in the pan, but be patient; as you stir it in, it begins to wilt down to a manageable size. Stir the kale gently for a few minutes, just long enough to cook it down a bit. Do not let it become soft.
• Stir in the drained, rinsed beans, the balsamic vinegar, and the salt.
• Lay the tomato slices on top.
• Lay the thinly sliced asiago cheese on top of the tomatoes.
• Turn off heat or turn down very low, cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Serve hot.