A Table For One Please

I’ve recently purged my refrigerator.  For the most part I eat healthy but I tend to over indulge in sweets. I love pastries and cheese cake and chocolate is dreamy! I also eat a lot of  Teriyaki sauce &  Szechuan sauce and store bought salad dressings etc. which are loaded with sugar and other additives.   I’m not saying that I’m never going to have pastries or salad dressing…I’m just saying that I’m learning to make my own Szechuan sauce and or sweet treats.  We have to remember to eat in moderation and take time to prep and plan our meals. I know it’s a struggle and a sacrifice of our time but we’re worth it!

After my purge I was left with fresh carrots zucchini and a bag of Kale among other things. I remember my co worker mentioning something about trying sautéed Kale. I decided to give it a go. I’m NO chef… this is just a simple recipe/guide I created.

INGREDIENTS

  • I used less than one half 12 oz bag of Organic Kale from Aldi.
  • 1 chopped medium size onion ( I didn’t need the whole onion… based on the amount of  Kale I cooked but I love onions.  1 medium onion is fine for a 12 oz bag of Kale)
  • Onion Powder
  • Garlic Powder
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • Kosher Salt
  • Ground Black Pepper
  • Olive Oil
  • Tongs and or large spoon
  • Vegetable broth isn’t needed but it may be be useful

It’s a very simple recipe/guide that you can use as a side or main dish and it only takes 15 minutes. You can cook it longer if you don’t like the tender- crisp veggies and add a little vegetable broth. I like to feel a little crunch when I bite into my veggies! I like texture when I eat.  My son didn’t seem interested until I was scarfing it down and then he decided he wanted some. He’s 14 and can be picky but he really liked it I had to make a second batch. I added one tablespoon of broth.  Both times it was delicious! However, we both preferred the first batch the second batch was a little more tender because of the broth.

I used a medium frying pan . Whatever size pan you use add enough olive oil that will fully coat the bottom of the pan. If you plan to make a large batch consider using a dutch oven.  I used about 3-4 tablespoons.

Add chopped onions and seasonings to the pan. I went a little heavy on the red pepper flakes because I wanted it be spicy!  You can use your favorites.  Use how much seasoning you’d normally use on your sautéed veggies you know what your family likes. Cook 3 minutes or so on medium heat.

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Add Kale and toss it with tongs or a large spoon making sure it’s nice and coated. If it’s not completed coated drizzle a little olive oil and cover pan for 5 minutes or so.  Again, you may have to adjust the time if you’re making a larger batch. Cook until the liquid has evaporated. If it’s not as tender as you’d like add a tiny drizzle of Olive Oil, cover and cook  it a little longer. Remember if you don’t like the “crunch” when you bite into your veggies add a couple tablespoons of vegetable broth. In fact…you can start with adding a little vegetable broth with the olive oil and let it cook covered for 5 minutes. However, if you add broth be sure to use less seasoning because the broth adds flavor and you don’t want to over power the Kale with too much seasoning. Remove from burner, let it stand for a couple of minutes and serve as a side dish or for Meatless Mondays!

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It can get a little messy if you don’t have a large enough pan or if you feel the need to pick out some the Kale as you cook. I picked out a few pieces that were wilted.

Enjoy!

Until next time…

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