Tag Archives: Daily Garnish

Apr 13 2012

Ingredient of the Week: Kale Part II

By the amount of hits on my last post, it seems like a lot of people are interested in kale! So, as promised, here is a post dedicated to kale recipes….

Simple ways to cook/use kale:
- Tear kale leaves off of stems and saute in a skillet over medium heat, with 1 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil (or healthy oil of your choice), a dash of black pepper and a dash of sea salt. Cook kale, turning it every minute or so to prevent burning, until it turns bright green, about 5 minutes. I often do this as a side with my breakfast because it’s quick, easy, and gives me an extra boost of energy in the morning!

Cooking kale in a skillet


- Tear kale leaves off of stems and toss into boiling water. Cook until it turns bright green, only 1 or 2 minutes, and remove from water. Run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a dash of sea salt and black pepper. Perfect side dish for any dinner!
- Put raw kale into salads!
- Sneak kale in to pasta sauces, egg dishes, soups, or pizzas. I realize this may be difficult for some of you with picky eaters in your family, but just try it – Maybe they won’t notice, or maybe they may end up enjoying it! It’s a great nutritional addition to any meal.

Here are some recipes of mine that I sneak kale in to. They are all hearty meals, so they may be a great place to start for the picky eaters in your family!
- Breakfast Pizza

Breakfast Pizza


- Butternut Squash Mac ‘N Cheese

Mmm mac 'n cheese...


- Butternut Squash Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza?!


- Healthy Pasta Bake

Pasta, veggies, cheese, YUM!


- Sausage and Veggie Fritatta: Sorry, no picture!
- Stuffed Squash: Again, no picture, sorry!

One of my favorite blogs, Daily Garnish, posted this yummy looking kale salad recipe earlier this week. The homemade dressing with maple syrup and balsamic vinaigrette sound mouth watering to me! Going to try it out this weekend.

As promised, here is a new recipe for you all: Sesame Kale Chips.

A healthy alternative to the potato chip

Do you have any kale recipes that you make/cook?

Apr 3 2012

No longer a virgin.

A tofu virgin that is!

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Tonight I tried a recipe from Daily Garnish. I have been following Daily Garnish for close to a year now, and I have tried several of Emily’s amazing recipes. Before I found Daily Garnish, I never knew vegetarian food could be so flavorful and delicious! When she posted this recipe last week claiming meat-and-potato lovers would like her recipe, I said to myself, “That’s it. I’m going to try tofu.”

Let me be clear: it’s not that I’m against tofu, I’m just not really into meat substitutes. I have been switching more to a plant-based diet in recent months, (I still love meat – beef, chicken, pork I eat them all they just have to be from a local, organic farm and I only eat them in moderation. No pink slime for me, thanks!) and I have been wanting to try tofu… I have just been waiting for the right recipe to come along!

I have tried new foods before, and shared that experience with you, and I can say that this experience wasn’t much different…. I loved the tofu so much, I had to resist from eating it all! Emily’s recipe was flavorful, easy, quick, inexpensive and most importantly, healthy! I served my tofu over quinoa sprinkled with 1/2 tsp of sesame oil. DE-LISH.

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If this post has intrigued you, you can find the recipe here: Crispy Blackend Tofu? Go on and try it – what do you have to lose?!

Before I go trying tofu again, I should probably invest in a better way to squeeze the excess water out of the block of tofu….

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(Please excuse the picture quality on this post – used my iPhone to take quick pictures.)