Edible leftovers from juicing are incredibly versatile. They can be added to dishes and baked goods for a boost in taste, moisture, and nutrition, but they can also be the main event of your meal.

A sweet surprise

Depending on the type of produce you are juicing, there will be varying amounts of leftover pulp. Produce with a high water content will yield less pulp and give you more juice, while drier fruits and vegetables will leave you with more pulp.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this juice and the resulting recipe using the leftover kale pulp. I had my doubts about kale as a juice, and I was also unsure  whether or not its pulp would taste too dry or grassy. But this juice is completely refreshing when chilled and just sweet enough with the help of some ripe Anjou pears. The cucumber gives the drink volume and also cuts into the otherwise intense taste of the kale.

Kale, cucumber, and pear juice

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches red/purple kale, washed well and drained
  • 2 large salad cucumbers, ends trimmed
  • 3-6 ripe Anjou or Bartlett pears, cored if you’ll use this pulp
    (The number depends on the size. I found mini’s at my local market and used about 6 of them.)

Instructions

  1. Juice the kale first and keep the pulp in its own bag so that you can use it in the following recipe.
  2. Juice the pear and cucumber. Reserve the pear and cucumber pulp either together or separately for another use.

This juice tastes best when chilled, but it will separate in the fridge. Simply mix before pouring.

Kale-potato enchiladas with roasted pepper sauce

I adapted this wonderful recipe by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Original recipe can be found here: http://www.autostraddle.com/get-baked-enchiladas-132261/.

Some changes using Pulp

Instead of using whole kale, I swapped in the kale pulp from my juice.

You’ll have about 3 cups of pulp, which becomes the star filling in these enchiladas. The filling is a hearty potato-kale mash with walnuts (instead of the pepitas) in for protein and texture.

Depending on the peppers you choose to roast, you can make the sauce either spicy or mild. I used a combination: one red bell pepper (sweet), two poblanos (medium-spicy), one red jalapeno (fairly spicy), and one spicy Italian pepper. Feel free to use any combination that suits your taste buds.

Whole wheat tortillas work well and give you more whole grains.

Don’t forget, this recipe can be made in stages. The peppers can be roasted and refrigerated a day or two in advance, along with the sauce. When the time comes to assemble your enchiladas, make sure the filling and sauce are warm or at room temperature.