If it’s true what they say: Love feeds the soul, then Friday I had the 72 oz steak.
This weekend Ross (remember, boyfriend and guinea pig?) asked me to marry him. And I said, “YES!”
My feet have yet to hit the ground. We had the most incredible weekend celebrating with family and friends. How lucky we are to have such wonderful people in our lives.
I’m up to my eyeballs in love. Woo!
Filed under life
Up until a few months ago my knowledge of leafy greens started with romaine and ended with spinach. Come to find out those are so 2008. Today it’s all about mustards, collards, dandelions and kale. Who knew such a smorgasbord of edible foliage was out there? Before, I probably would have guessed kale was a cousin of shrimp. No clue. Now I buy a bunch every trip to the grocery store. I admit, I used to hurry past that wall of green in the produce section on my way to the carrots and baby spinach. But I’m trying to spend more time in the weeds.
And by weeds I mean leafy greens, not the… well, you know. And the greener the better. I understand the common prejudice toward green things. I’ve never had a problem with the color. My food aversions are of the shape variety – like hot dogs. But that’s neither here nor there. Greens though, never an issue. If you can get past any preconceived notions and the image I’ve given you of actually eating weeds, kale and other dark leafy greens are actually quite tasty when done right. Plus they’re about as green as it gets and mama didn’t push those green beans because they’re beans. Green means vitamins, minerals and all that good stuff. So go get ya some.
Here’s my standby way of preparing kale.
What you need:
1 bunch kale
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced into crescents
1 tbsp tamiri or soy sauce
2 tbsp water
What you do:
Wash kale by submerging leaves in a bowl of cold water. Dry, and tear kale leaves away from stems and into pieces.
Heat olive in pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute a few minutes, until translucent. Add kale and stir to coat with oil. The kale will turn a brilliant bright green and begin to wilt. Mix together the tamiri (or soy) and water. When greens begin to wilt, add liquid and allow the leaves absorb it, about 5-8 minutes. Taste to see if they’re done – greens should not be bitter, but a little sweet and still green.
And here’s more on how to cook mouthwatering greens and five more ways to eat kale.
Filed under eat your vitamins, recipes
I bought the herb turmeric months ago after reading about it’s healing powers and thought I’d give it a try. It’s hailed as a digestive aid, inflammation fighter and cancer defender. It can also be applied directly to the skin to heal wounds and eczema. But until a few weeks ago all it had done is brighten up the spice cabinet with a little yellow.
It was time to put this guy to work. I tried this Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup in Cooking Light. Mine was a bit amateur – I didn’t have coriander or fish sauce and I swapped the snow peas for frozen peas and carrots. But you wouldn’t have known the difference. I was also missing the pad thai noodles, but I did have some leftover cooked spaghetti squash in the fridge. Worked just like noodles. Inventive, no? This is my new favorite now. I’ll definitely be making it the next time the temperatures drop below 30 again.
Recipe serves 7
Here’s what you need:
4 cups water
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
1 package pad thai noodles or brown rice noodles
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 tsp red curry paste
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 can light coconut milk
1 pound shredded cooked chicken (or diced)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tbsp sugar (or substitute agave nectar or honey)
2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
7 lime wedges
Here’s what you do:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add spinach and peas to pan; cook for 30 seconds. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Add noodles to pan; cook 3 minutes. Drain; add noodles to spinach mixture in bowl.
Heat canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and the next five ingredients (through garlic) to pot; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth to pot and bring to a boil. Add coconut milk to pot; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Pour chicken mixture over noodle mixture in bowl. Stir in cilantro and red pepper. Add dash of cayenne if you’d like. Serve with lime wedges.
Filed under recipes
