Kale Crisps

1-10oz bag of curly kale, chopped, rinsed and dried thoroughly - about 8 cups
1 T olive oil - or - olive oil in a mister or aerosol
Seasoning salt of choice (recommended but can be omitted)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl add 4 cups kale (or half bag) discarding thick stems or veins. Drizzle w/ half the olive oil (or mist lightly). Toss the kale and oil lightly with your fingers until all leaves are evenly coated. Spread out evenly over the parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with seasoning salt, if desired. Repeat with the remaining kale and oil, spreading out over the second baking sheet.

Bake for 15 to 20 mins, rotating pan halfway through baking, until kale is crispy but not browned. Watch closely as if the kale is not crisped it will seem rubbery but don't bake too long as it can burn quickly! When both pans are done, let cool completely before storing in an airtight container or brown paper bag.

Slow Cooker Guinness Stew

 

 
2 Tbsp butter

2 pounds well-marbled chuck beef roast, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 cups chopped onion

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 pint (16 ounces) Guinness extra stout (make sure you use extra stout and not draught)

3 cups beef broth

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2-3 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

1 pound young turnips, peeled and cut into chunks

2 teaspoons dried thyme

Salt

2 Tbsp cornstarch (for thicker stew only)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in the butter, starting with the fattiest pieces of meat, fat side down in the pan. This will allow some beef fat to render out. Work in batches as to not crowd the pan.  Sprinkle salt over the beef as it browns. Once browned on all sides, transfer the beef pieces into the slow cooker.

Add the onions and celery to the pan in which you just browned the beef. Sauté the onions and celery until they begin to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Cook for a minute or two, then add a little of the Guinness, enough to make it easier for you to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Transfer the celery and onions into the slow cooker.

Add the rest of the Guinness, the beef broth, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and thyme to the slow cooker. Add two teaspoons of salt. Cover and cook on "high" for 4 hours, or "low" for 8 hours. In the last hour, if you would like a thicker stew, mix 2T cornstarch with ¼ cup of the stew broth in a small bowl. Add this slurry to the stew and stir vigorously for a minute. When done, add more salt to taste. If you want, sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve.

recipe adapted from www.simplyrecipes.com