Kale with Delicata Squash and Hazelnuts
MAKES 6 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 10 minutes • COOK TIME: 20 minutes
Getting in the swing of eating veggies is like igniting a pilot light on a stove: it may take several tries, but once it’s lit, the flame burns steadily. My challenge is to present important vegetables—and, none is more vital for brain health than kale—in ways that will kick-start your taste for this superfood. Here, I’ve paired kale with an autumn favorite, delicata squash, along with garlic, red pepper flakes, and freshly squeezed lemon juice to create a dish that’s both a delight to the eyes and the taste buds. The chopped roasted hazelnuts take the entire concoction completely over the top. It’s ablaze with flavor and should leave you burning for more.
2 bunches dinosaur kale, stemmed and cut in bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 medium delicata squash, seeded and flesh cut into bite-size pieces
Sea salt
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
Cover the kale with cold water and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat, then stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about 15 seconds, then immediately add the squash and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Let cook until the squash is caramelized and just tender, about 10 minutes.
Drain the kale and add it to the pan in batches along with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sauté until the greens turn bright green and wilt, about 5 minutes. Test the greens for tenderness; you may need to add 1 tablespoon of water and continue cooking, covered for another 2 to 3 minutes. Drizzle on 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the maple syrup and stir gently. Taste; you may want to add a pinch or two of salt and another squeeze of lemon. Garnish with the hazelnuts and serve immediately.
Reprinted with permission from The Healthy Mind Cookbook Copyright © 2015 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.