Balsamic Kale Salad

With all the kale we've been getting from our CSA lately, this one is fast becoming one of my favorite ways to prepare it.  Not just because it's fast and easy, but my husband likes it and even my two year-old shoves the dark green leaves into his mouth!

Balsamic Kale Salad
Recipe from Noelle Chave
Prep time: 2 minutes   Cook time: However long it takes your microwave to steam kale

**This is a Make Ahead salad.  You want this to sit as long as possible, up to 24 hours.

1 bunch of kale, washed and stems removed
2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed
2-4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1-2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt

1.  Tear or chop the kale into bite-sized pieces.  Place into a microwave-safe bowl with a splash of water.  Cover and cook for a minute or two (NOTE: I have a micro-steamer bowl and a Fresh Vegetable button on my microwave so this step is insanely easy and fast for me.  If you don't have these things, use any container and cover you have and start with a minute. You want the kale to look really bright green and be slightly wilted but still retain some crunch).

Before steaming (maybe don't pack your container quite so full)

After steaming.  LOVE that bright green color!

2.  Drain steamed kale and put in a large bowl with the smashed garlic cloves.  Douse with as much balsamic vinegar as you like and toss to coat.  Drizzle with EVOO and toss again.  Salt to taste.

Throw everything in a bowl and toss.  See? EASY

This salad is everything a leaf-y green salad should be.  It's dark, it's crunchy, the balsamic vinegar is intense but doesn't overpower the kale, and the garlic adds just enough punch too.  Honestly, I fill up at least half my plate with this "side" dish and try to make my little bit of whatever protein we're having fit around it.  I. LOVE. This. Salad!!!

And I'm pretty sure that every time I eat kale, my internal organs do a happy dance.  It's a dark, nutritionally-rich green that I love to eat as often as possible.  My family?  Not so much.  So when Rob tells me that he liked this salad I wanted to stand up and cheer.

Now, for the really important piece: do my kids like it?  Well I've already said that my two year-old pretty much inhales this.  That didn't happen the first time I made this but I've learned to be patient with my children's taste buds.  My Picky Eater of course still claims to hate this BUT I've learned his cues, and he doesn't gag on it.  That means progress!  That means that eventually he just might learn to love this as much as I do.  So this salad will just have to keep appearing on our dinner table.  Yay!!

This Week's Menu

My son has been back in school for two days and I. Am. LOVING IT!!!!!!!!  And the best part is, so is he.  He is a kiddo who loves to learn, and thrives on structure and routine.  So being back in school, surrounded by his friends, and challenged for seven hours a days in perfect for him.  For me also since it means I can focus even more on my little man, my home, my business, and my kitchen.

Believe me, I haven't forgotten about my kitchen!  Here's what I've got in mind for this week:

• Thursday: Leftovers.  The amount of food I have in my fridge is staggering...

• Friday: Our usual

• Saturday: New Recipe!  Polla Asado, fresh rosemary bread, and garden-fresh tomato slices (because boy are they coming in now!)

• Sunday: With football on TV all afternoon, it's easier to just go with the flow and plan snacking as dinner.  I'm thinking some chips with salsa and queso, fresh veggies with dip, fresh fruits, maybe some meatballs or mini hot dogs in barbecue sauce.

• Monday: Swiss Chicken, rice, and steamed peas

• Tuesday: Tator tot casserole (with some pureed broccoli "hidden" inside), and steamed green beans OR a kale salad

• Wednesday: Leftovers. Yes, when you make big meals you too can have leftovers twice in one week and not bat an eye. ;)

Happy planning!!

Zucchini Brownies

Anyone else out there becoming inundated with zucchini?  Yeah, me too.  And much as I like zucchini bread, I'm always on the look out for something new to try.

Yes, I know, this one still involves chocolate. But it's brownies!!  And honestly, these taste just as good as any box mix you'd get at the store.  And they're better for you too!

Zucchini Brownies
Recipe slightly adapted from Allrecipes.com
Prep time: 15 minutes   Cook time: 30 minutes

For the brownies:
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups shredded, fresh zucchini
1/2 cup semi-finely chopped walnuts

For the frosting:
1/4 cup butter
6 tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

2.  For the brownies: In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla until well-blended.

It's not easy taking an interesting picture of applesauce.

3.  In a medium bowl, combine the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Blend into the sugar mixture. [NOTE: at the point, the batter will be very dry and will more closely resemble sandy dirt than an actual batter.  THIS IS FINE.  DO NOT ADD ANY LIQUID OR EGGS].

See what I mean?  THIS is what you're looking for: DRY

4.  Fold in the zucchini and walnuts.  Spread evenly into a prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes; cool before frosting.

Brownies before baking.

Brownies after baking.  Notice the little dry patches?

5.  For the frosting: Melt together the butter and cocoa powder, whisking to combine.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, blend the sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Stir in the cocoa mixture.  Spread the frosting over cooled brownies.

Frosted.  No more dryness here!

Several months ago I resolved to give up hydrogenated oils in my diet.  As a result, my beloved brownie mixes were one of the many things I nixed from my shopping trips and have been struggling to find a recipe that is as easy, fudgy, and delicious.  These brownies fit all three of those criteria AND have the added bonus of being pretty durn good for you, all things considered.

Now, I know you're probably skeptical of the moisture issue in this recipe.  But please TRUST ME on this one.  Do not add an egg unless you prefer cake-like brownies.  Do not add any water or milk.  The zucchini gives off a LOT of moisture as it is cooked and that will turn your pan of dark brown sand into this vessel of fudgy delicious-ness.

As a little aside before you dash off to your kitchen to make these, I am not normally a Frosted Brownies kinda girl however these need the frosting.  Despite all efforts to fully incorporate the zucchini, there will still be some drier patches on the top.  The frosting smooths over all that to give these a final layer of moisture to seal in all that chocolate heaven.

CSA Week 7

I think this is the week that I'm gonna get creative with fruit.  Why?  Because I have so stinking MUCH of it!!

A smart person would have made special note of the two melons listed in our "head's up" e-mail and maybe only purchased one or two other fruits to supplement.  But no.... I went ahead and caved to my (and my boys') fruit obsession.  I bought five.  I know.

It's ok though!  Because there's a watermelon & feta salad I've always wanted to try.  And I'm pretty sure there are a few cantaloupe popsicle recipes out there.  I'll get it used up!

For Week 7 we have:

• Onions
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Kale
• Cucumber
• Scallions
• Corn
• Melon
• Watermelon
• Purple carrots
• Basil
• Eggs (not pictured)

We are supporting LOTFOTL Farm by purchasing a Seesaw Share, plus a dozen eggs.  This means we will get a box of produce and a dozen eggs every other week. To learn more about CSA's and how to participate, visit www.localharvest.org/csa/ 

This Week's Menu

After a summer of "meh" and even downright flop recipes, I'm finally seeing some successes again!  I just added a whole bunch of drafts to my post line up and can't wait to figure out when on earth I'm going to sneak some time away from my crazy kiddos to finish writing them.  I'll figure it out. They have to sleep eventually, right?

Well, until I can get those posted, I'll leave you with this week's plan:

• Thursday: New Recipe!  Roasted Zucchini Pasta Bake, fresh CSA veggies, and maybe some bread too.

• Friday: The usual

• Saturday: Last weekend's rib cookoff wasn't quite enough for my winner of this year's Best Rub.  He's cooking more ribs for us and who am I to complain? ;)  I think loaded baked potato casserole and salad would be good.
  

• Sunday: New Recipe! Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Cream Sauce, rice, and steamed veggies.

• Monday: Happy Labor Day!  We're celebrating with more cooking out... burgers, fries, and some CSA veggies

• Tuesday: First Day of School for my big 1st grader!!  I think he needs some mac & cheese for dinner.

• Wednesday: Freezer Find.  I regularly add things to my freezer, I need to make sure I periodically go through and use them up so they don't get freezer burn.

Happy planning!!

Pasta with Corn & Kale

I am seriously loving this CSA and all the awesome veggies we get every other week.  Truly, I enjoy the excitement and mystery of "what's in the box this time" and "how am I going to use these.

But MAN it's overwhelming too.  I mean, how on earth can I use up all these veggies and herbs before they go bad??

So when I stumbled across a recipe that used not one, but THREE, of the CSA veggies from our most recent pickup I thought "WOOHOO."  Nevermind the fact that I would normally completely bypass this one, was convinced my boys would hate it, and wasn't even sure I would like it.

Let's hear it for experimentation!!  Because this one is so good I'm seriously contemplating eating this for breakfast.

Pasta with Corn & Kale
Recipe slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine
Prep time: 35 minutes   Cook time: 45 minutes

3 ears of corn
2 1/2 cups uncooked, short-cut pasta [I used whole wheat rotini]
2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2-3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces
2 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp butter
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1.  Get out your rarely-used Bundt pan and stand the corn up in the middle of it.  This little tube will hold the corn steady while the kernals fall beautifully into the dish below it.  Using a sharp knife, cut the corn kernals off the cob. Then scrape the sobs with the back of your knife to extract the liquid.  Set aside.

Picture courtesy of my 6-year-old, with the help of a chair.

See? All neatly contained.

2.  Put the corncobs in a large pot and fill with water.  Cover and bring to a boil; salt, then add the pasta and cook as the label directs.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.  Discard the cobs.

These help give the cooking water SO MUCH extra flavor!!

3.  Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp EVOO in a large skillet over high heat.  Add the chopped mushrooms in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes (psst! You may need to do these in batches if you have a lot of mushrooms).  Season with salt, stir and continue cooking until tender, about 5 more minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

I went for the "rustic" look and just hacked away at the 'shrooms

Don't salt until AFTER they get some color; salt brings out the water.

4.  Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, the garlic, and pepper flakes to the skillet.  Cook, stirring, until the garlic is soft, about a minute.  Stir in the kale and season with salt.  Cover and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes.  Add the corn kernels, mushrooms, scallions, and butter.  Cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is heated through, about 2 minutes.

Kale: before wilting

Kale: after wilting.  So pretty!!

5.  Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water.  Cook, stirring, until heated through, adding more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.

Just start tossing everything back into the pot.

About 2/3 of the way through cooking this I really couldn't decide how this dish was going to go.  I mean, it's got mushrooms and kale in it.  But it smelled SO GOOD!!  But it has weird ingredients in it.  But it smelled SO GOOD!!  I was in some serious inner turmoil.

I scooped this into bowls and served it with some crusty, whole wheat bread.  I don't think I ate the bread though, as I was too busy inhaling this garlicky, corny, pasta-y goodness.  I truly could not eat my first bowl fast enough because I wanted a second so badly.  I did look up long enough to notice my youngest chowing down on the pasta bits and mushrooms.  And even my Picky Eater, who declared he didn't like it, didn't make that Super Gross Painful Gagging face as he ate his required six bites.  I sense an opportunity there to change his mind.

Because there will be other opportunities as I am SO MAKING THIS AGAIN!!

Bacon-Wrapped Cilantro Chicken

It's back-to-school time!  Kids are heading back into the classrooms, back onto sports teams, back into organized groups and activities......

In other words, let the REAL insanity begin.

Now, just because we're all racing around from school to practice to scouts to some other such thing does NOT mean dinner has to be equally rushed and crazy.  By now, y'all should know that it pretty much doesn't matter to me how crazy my life gets.

I WILL figure out a way to get a nutritious, home-cooked meal into my family.  And recipes like this one totally make that easier.

Bacon-Wrapped Cilantro Chicken
Recipe slightly adapted from You Hunt, I Gather
Prep time: 5 minutes   Cook time: 30 minutes

1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
12 - 16 chicken tenders
6 - 8 strips of bacon, cut in half

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the cilantro, mustard and honey.

Basically, you want equal parts honey and cilantro, with slightly less mustard.

3.  Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat.  Wrap each piece of chicken in a half strip of bacon and carefully lay in the hot skillet (No toothpicks required?!?!?  HALLELUJAH and PRAISE JESUS!!!).  Quickly brown the bacon-wrapped chicken on all sides and then remove to an ungreased baking dish.  You don't want to cook the chicken in the skillet, just get the bacon starting to crisp.

No need to get fancy; use your hands to coat the chicken.

4.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the juices run clear.

I may have gotten distracted unloading the dishwasher while the 2nd batch was in the pan.
Maybe.

When I first saw the measurements for this recipe, I was super skeptical.  I mean, I like cilantro but this really calls for that much?  So glad that I actually followed the recipe for once and didn't reduce it.  The Dijon totally stands up to cilantro's distinct flavor while the honey plays mediator and calms everyone down.  And with the salty bacon coming along and giving everyone a group hug, how could this dish not have a happy ending?!

Seriously, it takes seconds to whip up this marinade and minutes to wrap up the chicken.  And there's no reason why these couldn't be assembled in the morning, waiting to be cooked up when you get home at night.  See?  Homemade dinner is totally doable, even on the busiest of evenings.              

p.s. If cilantro truly isn't your thing then use another herb you like instead.  Just remember that you might need more or less depending on what you pick.  Parsley might need a larger measurement, while rosemary might need to be cut down a bit.  Play around with it!