Kale, Kale The Gang's All Here

My Mom thinks it's hysterical that I posted a recipe here (Monday Night Chicken) and with good reason. It has taken me years to warm up to cooking (no pun intended...okay maybe a little.) I'm alive, so obviously I've been able to feed myself. And I am healthy and don't weigh as much as my Chevy Malibu, so I've fed myself plenty of healthy fare thanks to lots of salads and the George Foreman grill. (If you ever need a salad recipe, I'm your girl.)

But lately, I adore cooking. It's like someone flipped a switch and I totally enjoy the process involved in turning wholesome ingredients into meals. So let's just say that George doesn't get out much anymore, and that is OK by me.

What's more, I never intended for food to occupy so much space on this blog, but I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised. Eating is such a significant part of living a balanced life. Every day we have at least three opportunities (or more like five or six) to make choices that will keep us feeling healthy and balanced. In fact, I once came across a stat that said we make approximately 200 food decisions every day. Although we're on autopilot most of the time, there really is so much that goes into deciding when to eat, what to eat, what not to eat, how to eat, where to eat, and more.

Well, I've got something that will answer the "what" part of eating. Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite foods: Kale. This stuff is seriously so good and so good for you. It's loaded with iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, and so much more. It sort of falls under the same category as Brussels sprouts. By this, I mean that you might think you don't like kale, but you probably haven't had it prepared the right way. (Omg, roasted Brussels sprouts are to die for! A little EVOO, some Kosher salt, a dash of pepper, pop those babies in the oven and they come out crispy and YUM!)

Okay. Deep breaths. Let's get back to kale.

The truth is that kale is in season mid winter through early spring. I try to eat foods when they're in season as much as possible because it's better for the environment and that's when they're also most nutrient dense. But the kale at Whole Foods looked so incredible yesterday that I just couldn't resist when I heard its green leafy goodness calling my name.

If you've never cooked it (or have and hated it) here is my no-fail recipe (again, courtesy of my sister who may need to tweak the recipe--although it worked perfectly for me last night--when she returns for bar-exam hell.)

One note: When my mom used to e-mail me recipes, she'd include steps like, "take out a cutting board and knife," or, "peel the cucumber with a vegetable peeler," and, "put the oil in the skillet before turning on the heat." So please forgive me if some of these steps are a little obvious. I love to cook, but I can still be a little clueless in the kitchen. On that note...

Sauteed Kale

Meet kale. There are lots of varieties. My favorite, pictured here, is curly because it has such great texture and I am all about texture.

Rinse it in the sink and drain it in a collander. It's okay if there's a little water left, but be sure to remove any dirt/sand.

Using a knife, remove the stems that run all the way through the leaves. (They're too tough to eat.) Cut the leaves into smaller pieces.

Chop 1/2 an onion and sautee in a little EVOO until onion becomes translucent.

Add kale to the pan with the onions. Pour some organic low-sodium chicken broth (maybe 1/4 cup) into the pan to give the kale some moisture and flavor to soak up. It should not be swimming. Sprinkle with Kosher salt. Place lid on pan and allow the kale to cook until it becomes a bright green color - about 5 to 7 minutes.

Dinner is served: Salmon (with Monday Night spices) roasted with yellow peppers and tomatoes in the oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes served alongside delicious, nutritious kale.

How's that, Mom?