Kale and Ricotta Salad

From Dish Gwen (and her Spicy Side Chris):

My Saucy Fiance, Christopher, makes a killer kale salad. This time of year we have a ton of kale growing in our garden and it can sometimes be tough to eat it all, but this salad has changed everything. Plus it’s really easy to make and requires zero cooking (which is of great benefit on those hot summer days when your kitchen is already 140 degrees).

Ingredients
1 lb kale, chopped into large pieces (about 2-3 inches)
1/2 head of garlic, diced
1 cup ricotta cheese
Juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

In a large bowl, blend together all of the ingredients so that the different components are well mixed and the kale leaves are covered with the dressing. With your hands, “massage” the kale, squeezing and scrunching the leaves to tenderize them for about 3 minutes. Once the salad is all mixed and scrunched, it’s ready to serve! Eat as much as you want and store the leftovers in a tupperware in the fridge – this salad will last several days and make a great snack or lunch side.

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Spaghetti with Lamb Sauce

From Dish Gwen:

I grew up on spaghetti and marinara sauce, and it’s one of the most comforting meals that I make for myself and my family. It’s also something that I make really often, so in order to keep it fresh and interesting I like to play around with the ingredients. This time I used ground lamb, red wine, and classic Italian sausage spices like fennel seed, oregano and sage.

Ingredients
1 lb thin spaghetti, cooked al dente
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ head garlic, diced
½ small white onion, diced
2 lb ground lamb
12 oz can of crushed tomato
2 cups red wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tsp fennel seed
½ tsp red pepper flake
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
In a large sauce pan, simmer the garlic and onion on medium-high heat. Once they’re lightly browned, add the ground lamb and chop it up with a spoon or spatula so that it separates into small chunks. Add the salt, pepper and other spices and blend it in gently.


Simmer the meat until it browns about half of the meat, then stir in the red wine and tomato. Bring the heat down to low and simmer for 10 or 15 minutes, then serve over a bed of spaghetti. Serves 4.

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