ColumnWhere can I find ‘le kale’?

There are certain staples in the Foodie Underground diet: coffee, quinoa, sea salt, red wine, cardamom, kale.

In fact, we all have staples; the essentials that we depend on, the stuff that we’ll never dream of being without. The ingredients that wake you up in the middle of the night because you think, “shit, I am out of [insert essential fruit/vegetable/product here].”

Kale may in fact be at the top of my list, second only to coffee, naturally. The versatile green makes its way into a many a dish, and on the days when you can’t be bothered to cook at all, at least you can throw it in a pan with some olive oil and sea salt and saute away. If kale hasn’t already made it into your daily diet, you’re behind on the times. It’s the new beef after all. And it helps with depression.

Kale has of course experienced a renewed popularity as of late – the trendy green – resulting in raving fanatics paired with a humorous bit of mockery. The all kale diet? Yeah, you can almost believe it.

Obsessed with kale? You my friend are not alone. There’s a blog for that. Wait, two. I mean three. And a book for that matter.

But believe it or not, in some places in the world, kale isn’t a thing. Take France for example. You can get dandelion greens, rucola, parsnips and aubergines at the local marché, but try to find a bunch of kale and you might be searching for awhile. Imagine a world without kale chips… depressing, isn’t it? Red wine and good cheese will only take you so far.

It’s a funny thing when your staples are taken away from you. You hit a new level of obsession, the kind that makes you track down an ingredient at any price. Ask an expat how much they would pay for a jar of peanut butter and you’ll see what I am talking about. Three weeks without kale and I was craving kale chips like a madwoman.

My love of kale and travel had previously led me to The Kale Project, an initiative to reintroduce the vegetable to Paris. French-based food lover trying to revive my favorite green in the markets of Paris? Sold.

In France, kale is a forgotten vegetable. The kind of thing that one farmer grows, sometimes by accident, but no one really even knows what it is. Hell, the French can’t even decide on a unilateral name for the thing. It was once even called “the most elusive ingredient.” That’s why The Kale Project founder Kristen Beddard made it her mission to bring it back. Working with farmers, markets and restaurants, she’s putting the green on the Parisian map, one bunch of kale at a time. An admiral goal if you ask me.

I grabbed drinks with Kristen and another Paris-based food lover and locavore Emily of Paris Paysanne. What ensued was a conversation about the complexities of food politics, French versus American food culture and how to make a good winter kale soup. Friends within seconds. Kristin promised to let me know where to find kale as soon as her farmers let her know who would have it at their stand the following Saturday.

“They’ve got kale at C’Bio this weekend, I’ll be there around 10:45 if you want to go!”

It’s always nice to have an insider kale tip.

We wandered around Marché Biologique des Batignolles, one of Paris’ most renowned organic markets, navigating through the large crowd of market goers on a mission. Don’t dawdle while you’re standing in line or that sweet looking old French grandmother will cut right in front of you with her market sack on wheels.

I felt like I was a ten year old on a scavenger hunt. It seemed ridiculous to get so excited about a leafy green, and yet…

“There it is!”

Right there in the middle of C’Bio’s stand was an entire wooden crate of beautiful kale leaves.  “Chou/kale” it was marked.

“Un demi kilo s’il vous plaît.”

I wasn’t sure what I would do with a half a kilo of kale, but it seemed like the appropriate choice. Kristen took an entire kilo, “I have to develop this recipe…”

My kind of woman.

And that was how I ended up trekking the streets of Paris for an afternoon with half a kilogram of kale in my purse. Some might call that obsessed. I just call it knowing what’s good for you. Because on Sunday morning, brunch consisted of sauteed kale with fried organic eggs and cardamom currant scones.

Sometimes you just need your staples.

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Images: Anna Brones

The post Foodie Underground: In Search of French Kale appeared first on EcoSalon.

Green your snacks.

We love kale. This versatile veggie is a good source of potassium, calcium, and vitamins A and C. Making a kitchen sink salad or sauteing it with some garlic are some standard ways to enjoy kale. Sometimes though, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs and that big bunch of kale is starting to look a little wilted. So is it time to throw it out? No way! Instead, make a healthy snack for when you’re on-the-go. Kale chips are easy to bake and super tasty, but don’t just take our word for it — try it yourself!

Ingredients:

• A bunch (or two!) of kale
• 1-2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (depending on batch size)
• Sea salt
• Cookie sheet(s)
• Parchment paper
• A mixing bowl

Directions:

This post originally appeared in Sierra magazine.

Sierra is the magazine of the Sierra Club. Our motto: Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the Planet. Follow Sierra magazine on Twitter.

Image: Well of Health

The post How to Make Your Own Kale Chips appeared first on EcoSalon.

Taking an odd ingredient and finding even more unusual uses for it.

It’s not so much that the following uses are particularly unusual, but rather that nutritional yeast itself is an odd ingredient. It’s gaining popularity among foodies for its cheesy taste and nutritional benefits, but it still has a way to go in terms of becoming the pantry staple it’s meant to be. Nutritional yeast (nooch) is one of the only non-animal sources of vitamin B-12. It only takes 1/2-1 tbsp of nutritional yeast to get the daily requirement for B-12. Nutritional yeast is also an excellent source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, chromium, selenium, and other minerals as well as 18 amino acids, protein, folic acid, biotin, and other vitamins.

And don’t worry about the yeast fermenting in your gut. It’s deactivated, so it will not give you the bloat. This is what distinguishes it from Brewer’s Yeast, which has not been deactivated.

Pop Corn

As if popcorn couldn’t get any more addicting, nooch had to get involved. Sprinkle the powder along with a drizzle olive oil and a dash of sea salt onto popcorn just popped for a cheesy touch. Add other spices, such as garlic powder, dried thyme or dried rosemary for an even more gourmet experience.

Pizza

Skip cheese and sprinkle a light layer of nutritional yeast onto pizza just after it leaves the oven. Cheese is hard to digest, especially when cooked, but that doesn’t mean you have to cede the taste completely. If you top a pizza with diverse textures and flavors, such as a robust marinara sauce, roasted vegetables and nutritional yeast, the cheese component is unnecessary.

Vegan Cheese Sauce

The food blog world is bursting with vegan “cheese” recipes – some simple, some elaborate – with nutritional yeast as the key ingredient. Check out Angela’s Low-Fat Vegan Cheeze Sauce on her blog Oh She Glows for a 5-ingredient approach. Head over to Epicurian Vegan for a heartier vegan cheese sauce that gets some extra bulk from cashews.

Bread Crumbs

Replace bread crumbs with nutritional yeast in any mixture requiring holding power. This cuts down on the carbs and adds an extra bite. Try using nutritional yeast to hold together veggie burgers or any other patty that would normally require bread crumbs.

Kale Chips

There’s nothing wrong with the standard kale chip recipe. But, nutritional yeast takes kale chips to a whole new level – a level that merits obsession and daily consumption. Try your hand at the Spicy & Cheesy Kale Chips presented by the blog Eating Bird Food.

Macaroni & Cheese

We’ve already given macaroni and cheese a serious makeover, and nutritional yeast was an crucial player in this feat. Not only is this recipe vegan, but thanks to nooch, it offers cheesy comfort to a creamy, sweet potato base.

Pasta

Skip the grated parmesan and sprinkle nutritional yeast atop warm pasta along with some garlic powder and a drizzle of olive oil. The combination of flavors makes for a dish that doesn’t miss a thing.

Mashed Potatoes

Stir nooch into mashed potatoes, not only saving calories by nixing cheese but also cutting down on the sodium. Indeed, mashed potatoes can be healthy.

Bean Dip

Emily Malone of the blog Daily Garnish makes a fabulous bean dip using nutritional yeast. If serving this at a party, no one would even be able to tell its vegan.

Roasted Vegetables

One of my favorite go-to meals is roasted vegetables topped with shredded cheese. On days I’d like to skip the cheese and opt for a healthier alternative, I stir nutritional yeast into the finished vegetables instead. When warmed by the vegetables, the yeast smoothens out and creates a creamy sauce with help from the vegetable juices and oils.

Roasted Nuts

Roast nuts that have been tossed in some nutritional yeast. The roasted flavor will be augmented and the nuts will have a slightly cheesy coating on the skin.

Onion Rings

Nutritional yeast has been showing up in onion ring recipes, and for good reason. It helps to increase the nutritional benefit of onion ring batter and adds an edge to each bite. Make the baked fat-free onion rings featured on vegan blog My Whole Deal.

Sauce Thickener

Much like flour and butter are used to thicken a sauce, nutritional yeast can replace the flour to do the same thing.

Gravy

Keeping your health on track during the holidays is all about cutting corners in small ways. Nutritional yeast can redefine gravy. Bring this simple recipe to the table and the cheer will only heighten.

Salad Dressing

Sneak in your B12 quota is by adding a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to a homemade salad dressing like the Hollyhock Salad Dressing, which you can find on A Passionate Plate blog.

French Fries

Want some added nutrition, crisp, and kick to a homemade version of baked French fries? Drizzle olive oil over cut root vegetables and then toss them in a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast. The flavor is out of this world.

Creamy Cooked Greens

Cooked spinach pairs well with cream and cheese, but you can replace those heavier add-ins with a tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast and then watch as the bare spinach suddenly becomes decadently creamy and bold in flavor.

Vegan Quiche

Experiment with this No-Soy Vegan Quiche recipe from blog Triumph Wellness. It’s the perfect example of where just a little bit of nooch makes a big difference.

Dog Food

Dogs need their vitamin B12 too, especially if your dog is on a plant-based diet. Mix some nutritional yeast in your furry friend’s nibbles and he or she will benefit in a major way.

Baby Formula

If a baby is using formula in place of breast feeding, it is recommended to add nutritional yeast to the infant formula.  Nutritional yeast provides B12, iron and folic acid, which are essential to growth.

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

Photo Credit: Artizone, Acquired Life

The post 20 Unusual Ways to Use Nutritional Yeast appeared first on EcoSalon.

“What’s good here?” I asked my friend as we sat down to a crowded and lively brewpub in San Francisco. “Fried brussel sprouts,” she responded. “Excuse me?” My eyebrows shot up and scrunched together as I looked around at this place that believed in white linen table clothes and handpicked, recycled wine bottles for water carafes. This wasn’t the swankiest of restaurants, but it certainly wasn’t a hole-in-the-wall. I opened the menu and sure enough, boasting a central position on the appetizer list were the culprits: fried brussel sprouts. [Note: they were delicious]

Comfort food used to mean eating things that made you feel great emotionally but were probably less beneficial for you physically. Nowadays however, options with a healthier root are taking over the scene, from chips to cocktails.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are all over the place, from fries to pancakes. Thanks to their nutritional value, they make an excellent alternative to recipes with regular potatoes, and foodies (myself included) just can’t get enough. Test them out at home with this recipe for Roasted Sweet Potato Fries from EcoSalon’s very own Heather Brubaker.

Kale Chips

I am new to the kale chip fad, but let me tell you, it’s definitely all it’s cracked up to be. Plus, they’re super simple to make and you feel like you’re getting a good dose of junk food; despite chowing down on plenty of vitamins and olive oil. Here’s a quick and easy recipe:

• Tuscan Kale, rinsed and dried. Cut the leaves lengthwise to remove the stems, which give a very bitter taste
• Olive oil
• Sea salt

Place the kale leaves in a boil and toss with olive oil so leaves are fully covered. Place on a baking pan and sprinkle with salt.

Bake at 250°F for about 30-35 minutes until the kale leaves are crispy.

Kombucha Cocktails

I’ve already extensively covered kombucha here on Foodie Underground (in fact, I’m so obsessed with the stuff I could probably write about it every week), but a recent underground trend with the funky drink is turning it into a mixed drink. Here’s a recipe for a Sparkling Mango Margarita that you can’t go wrong with.

• Flesh from 1 mango
• Juice from 1 orange
• 1/2 to 1″³ piece of fresh orange peel (don’t include any of the white pith)”¦ use the larger amount if you really like the orangey flavor of Triple Sec used in margaritas
• 1-1/2 cups dark tequila
• 1 cup or so Kombucha, any flavor (I had guava and ginger flavored on hand, but most any kind will work nicely)
• 2 cups ice

Blend all the ingredients except the kombucha in a blender. Mix in kombucha, serve and call yourself an underground cocktail master.

Pizza

Yes, you read correctly. Even mainstream foods are taking a healthy direction, including the staple of every college all-nighter. Just ask Naked Pizza, a New Orleans based operation that’s in the midst of turning into a national franchise. Attempting to bring health food to the masses, the founders figured there was no better way than with a food that most of us have a hard time giving up, so they consulted biologists and food technologists to come up with the healthiest pie around. Their crusts are made with 12 whole grains, they’ve even got some probiotics, and the ultimate goal is to get people talking about food by using “this pizza to have a larger conversation with you about the food supply,” founder Jeff Leach told the New York Times. Viva la health food revolution.

Do you have a favorite pop up restaurant in your town? Tell us about it! Either in the comments below, or by using #FoodieUnderground on Twitter.

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground. Each week, Anna will be taking a look at something new and different that’s taking place in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to culinary avant garde.

Image: elena’s pantry

The post Foodie Underground: When Healthy Food Is Hot appeared first on EcoSalon.