Tuesday Night — Kale, It Can Change Your Life… May 11, 2010

One of our ingredients this week is KALE.  Since I am not very familiar with cooking kale, I needed to do some searching for different recipes and methods to cook this tasty treat.  I also was fighting a slightly skeptical husband.  After tasting the raw kale, his skepticism grew to reluctance about this new veggie.  Kale, just the name, led to a puckered face from my typically open-minded Chris.  He was not very hopeful about any dish that contained kale.

Thank goodness, the internet is full of wonderful recipes.  I found this one: Orzo with Kale.  It sounded very simple, and the reviews sounded quite promising.  Here are the ingredients that I used (just slightly different from the other recipe):

• 1 1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta (I really only used about 1 cup b/c a lot was “extra”)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
• 1/2 lime, juiced (recipe called for lemon but lime was what I had)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (I added these … I love pine nuts, in case you haven’t noticed)

Now, here’s what you do…

Step 1: Cook the orzo.

Step 2: Meanwhile, chop the garlic and the kale.  In a med-hot pan, saute the garlic for a couple minutes, then add the kale.  I also added a little water to the bottom of the pan.  Cook covered for about 10 minutes.  Then uncover, stir and add the pine nuts.  Cook for about 10 more minutes. The kale should be tender and the pine nuts, lightly toasted.

Chris, chopping the kale... currently wearing his pucker face

Kale nearly tender, pine nuts starting to toast

Step 3: Drain the orzo.  In a bowl, mix the orzo, kale/garlic mixture, nutmeg, and parmesan cheese.  Serve hot.

When I gave Chris the dish that looked like this…

Mmmm!

… he responded, “Oh, man.  This could change your life.”  Upon my pressing, he explained that KALE could be a wonderful new addition to our veggie repertoire.  After eating this great meal, Chris and I both agreed, this vegetable is a keeper.  Hope you’ll try experimenting with something new in your kitchen.  If you haven’t tried kale, give it a go!

Wonderful Weekend in Asheville… delicious cuisine! March 28, 2010

For a quick vacation, we visited Asheville, NC this weekend.  We were thrilled to find a dog-friendly hotel, near downtown.  The weather was beautiful on Saturday, so we decided to head to Roan Mountain for the day.  While it is about 1.5 hours from Asheville, it’s worth the trip.  The views are spectacular!  The hiking is not too strenuous, and you can go as far as you’d like!  We’re planning to return sometime, perhaps when the rhododendron bushes are blooming!

Saturday evening we had a wonderful time walking around downtown Asheville.  We decided to try the Laughing Seed Cafe for dinner.  The restaurant is completely vegetarian, with several vegan and gluten free options.  We were extremely pleased with the quality and flavor of our meals.  Chris had the whole grain risotto, and I had the wild mushroom enchiladas.  Both were delicious!  Next time, I would like to try the Tico Burrito… it sounds scrumptious!

For breakfast on Sunday, we decided to dine at one of our favorite establishments in Asheville, Early Girl Eatery.  One reason that we love this place is their commitment to high quality local produce.  These folks are passionate about their ingredients and you can taste it!  ”Made from scratch” is their motto, quite refreshing in my opinion.  To learn more about the owners, John and Julie Stehling and their amazing restaurant, click here.  After sipping on coffee for about 20 minutes (btw so pleased they had soy milk as an option for me), we finally picked our breakfast orders.  Chris chose the Early Girl Benny: grit cakes topped with poached eggs, tomatoes, spinach, avocado, and a scrumptious tomato “gravy.”  I went with the Omelet Special, containing portobello mushrooms and goat cheese.  I must also mention that mine came with home-fries (so good) and a made from scratch biscuit.  My mouth is watering just remembering it!  Although my dish isn’t on the everyday menu, Early Girl consistently has specials that are quite spectacular.