Mmmm…who doesn’t love rustic breakfast for dinner? Particular when it’s hitting 80+ degrees fahrenheit daily in NYC. I can’t be bothered to be away from the air conditioning for too long, let alone stand over a hot stove for more than 15 minutes. The heat, combined with my need to use up kale and ricotta, led me to this simple recipe, adapted from Bon Appetit. For a healthy side dish, combine it with something like my simple Garlic Broccoli or a lovely bowl of fresh fruit. Sweet or savory–it’s your choice.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Total time: 20-25 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups mushrooms (use a mix of whatever you have on hand), sliced

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 cups of kale, cut into bite-size pieces

1 teaspoon sambal oelek or chile paste

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 cup ricotta

4 slices of country-style bread

Directions:

Warm oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and sauté until the mushrooms are golden brown and fragrant, 7-10 minutes.

Uncooked mushrooms and garlic

Beautifully sautéed mushrooms and garlic

Add the kale, sambal, and a dash of salt and pepper and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook the kale, stirring occasionally, until it is wilted and tender (approximately 5 minutes).

There are few things more beautiful than green vegetables turning this toothy shade as they cook.

Add 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar and stir until combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper, if desired. It should have a slight bite from the vinegar to balance the sweetness of the ricotta.

Season the ricotta with a little bit of salt and pepper, to taste.

Toast the bread and then smear each slice with 1/4 cup of ricotta. Top each slice with a quarter of the mushroom kale mixture. Serve warm.