Ginger-Lime Kale over Quinoa

If you’re anything like me it took you awhile to jump aboard the kale train. Normally I’m a sucker for anything green, and vegetables are no exception, but kale and I did not have a good start. The first time I ate kale was in a raw salad and it was so bitter that I had to discreetly hide a mouthful in my napkin under the table (don’t laugh- you’ve all been there). After that I was afraid to try it again and for years either substituted other veggies like spinach and broccoli for kale or avoided dishes that called for it all together. After that first experience I was determined kale would not pass though my lips again. Here’s the thing about kale though… it’s really good for you. I mean really good for you. It’s full of antioxidants, vitamins like A and C, has incredible anti-inflammatory properties, is known for lowering cholesterol, fighting cancer and one measly serving contains over 20% of your daily fiber needs. Wow! And all I have to do to reap those nutritional benefits is to choke down some of that tough bitter leafy green stuff. But wait…stop those negative thoughts. I am proud to say that this winter I put my fears aside and bravely tried kale again. Guess what? It was really good. In fact it was more than good, it was clean my plate and go for seconds good.

Turns out that cooked kale is not bitter or tough at all, just the opposite. So what happened, how did I go from kale hater to kale lover in just one dish? Let me set the scene for you. Let’s call it… The Great Kale Revival. About a month ago I ventured out to the grocery store list in hand. On that list were ingredients to make Linguine with Swiss Chard and Sausage. Much to my dismay the Swiss Chard at the store was a bit tired looking- actually really tired looking, so limp that when I picked it up the leaves drooped over like a cooked noodle- yuck. I hemmed and hawed for a bit considering  what I could use for a substitution. Just then a bunch of vibrant green leaves with curly edges caught my eye. I’m talking, of course, about kale. Could I do it? Would I do it? Before I could talk myself out if it the kale was in my cart, in my grocery bag, and in my fridge. That night I made the dish using kale instead of Swiss Chard. It was delicious. After only a few minutes of cooking the kale had yielded its bitterness and turned into a slightly sweet, slightly crunchy, absolutely wonderful green vegetable.
Since then I’ve become borderline obsessed with kale. Just this week alone we’ve eaten it in scrambled eggs, pasta sauce and meatloaf. Yesterday afternoon my husband was unpacking the groceries that I brought home and said, “oh look, more kale” as he pulled out a new bunch and added it to the other two already in the fridge. We now have one entire drawer that is filled with nothing else but kale. What can I say- I’ve been converted, this is good stuff. I want to share my new found love of kale with you. Even those of you who, like I once did, think you don’t like kale. I am here tell you tell you, to implore you, to give it one more shot. And what better way to enjoy kale than with one of my favorite flavor combinations ever- ginger, garlic and lime.
I’m convinced that you could add these three things to an old shoe and it would taste good. Seriously. There is something about this combo that I’m totally in love with. And since I’m also in love with kale right now…why not combine them? The idea for this recipe came from a wonderful magazine and website called Clean Eating. They follow a pretty simple philosophy over at Clean Eating: consume whole foods and prepare them close to their natural state. Sounds easy right? The dish that I created didn’t end up resembling the original inspiration dish very much (you can find it here if you’re interested) but I used the flavor combo as a jumping off point, and I definitely stayed true to the clean eating philosophy. So whether you’re on the fence about kale, a self-proclaimed kale lover,or like I used to be and convinced that kale is a no good,dirty rotten scoundrel – this dish is for you.

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Sweet Potato and Almond Croquettes

I could eat sweet potatoes everyday. I could eat them baked, mashed, boiled, or fried. I could eat them drizzled with honey, topped with sausage, or baked into bread. As far as I am concerned sweet potatoes are the perfect food. They’re healthy, they’re tasty, and they can be prepared in an infinite number of ways. My default sweet potato recipe is to cube them, toss with some olive oil, salt, cayenne, a pinch of rosemary and roast until soft in the middle and crisp on the outside. These sweet potato croquettes are kind of like a more sophisticated, more refined, version of this dish. Soft, pillowy mashed spuds are mixed with goodies like scallions and ground almonds then rolled into balls and dipped in crunchy panko crumbs. The best part? There’s cheese! Traditionally potato croquettes are fried. I considered taking this route, I really did. I figured if there was was ever a time to eat fried foods, the week of the Super Bowl was it.  In the end though, I couldn’t do it. Partly because I felt guilty about the prospect of vilifying these healthy little potato balls by subjecting them to a hot oil bath, but mostly because it just seemed like too much work. And too much mess, and too much potential for failure, and burning myself. So I baked them instead…and they were wonderful!

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Cranberry, Red Wine & Orange Sauce

Less than a week to go until Thanksgiving…woo hoo!! For people like me who love to cook (and eat! ) Thanksgiving is THE holiday. I mean really, who doesn’t love Thanksgiving? Even if you are one of those people for whom cooking is a dreaded and disastrous affair, chances are you still enjoy going over to Grandma’s and feasting on turkey and mashed potatoes till you burst. Lots of holidays seem to be centered around eating these days, but Thanksgiving takes the prize for being the holiday when you are allowed… no, EXPECTED, to fill your plate with heaps of goodies and then stuff yourself silly. So, In honor of this foodalicious (this is what I originally wanted to call my blog…but someone already had it) holiday I have decided to post a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.
I am starting off with a really basic and simple recipe for cranberry sauce. It seems to me that this dish is often overlooked, shunned, or even (gasp) replaced with the canned version cause no one cares enough to make the real deal. Well, I am here to correct this mistake! Yes, I know there’s lots of people out there who swear by that gelatinous tube of red jelly. But just because your mom, and her mom before her, sliced it up and served it every year doesn’t mean you can’t break this misguided tradition. Besides, have you bothered to read the back of one of those cans of so called cranberry sauce? They’re loaded with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives – things that should NEVER go in cranberry sauce, not to mention your body! Okay, enough ranting. What I am trying to say is that this recipe for cranberry sauce is delicious and super easy to make. Just try it. You will like it.
A quick recipe note: This recipe makes a fairly large amount of sauce. Unless you are serving a huge group, or you have some serious cranberry lovers in your family, I would suggest cutting it in half. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with making the full recipe and using the leftovers for other tasty meals. A few ideas to you started:
• Slather it on some thick bread along with a slab of leftover turkey and a piece of melty cheese. Put this in the toaster oven and you have a day-after open face sandwich.
• Mix it with some maple syrup and use it as a glaze for pork or chicken.
• Make a parfait! Layer cranberry sauce, vanilla yogurt and granola. Top with toasted almonds.
• Whisk it with some white wine vinegar and use as a salad dressing.

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Stay tuned for more Thanksgiving recipes coming soon…very soon