a plate of cabbage and kale

We are officially snowed in!!!

In case you were wondering, yoga in the living room was my workout choice this morning, vs. going out for a walk.  I decided that listening to the radio while doing downward dogs and sun salutations in my pajamas sounded just about right for such a morning. 😉

But I still pulled on my boots and went outside to enjoy a bit of snow.  Which, by the way, is already up to my knees—and still climbing.  There’s at least 18 inches out there.  Maybe more! 

All I can say is, thank goodness today was my day off.

And thank goodness Dad didn’t mind going out and snowblowing the driveway in order to bury us out of the driveway for tomorrow’s commute (thanks dad!)

Yoga + shoveling + plowing my way through snow = fabulous workout.

I decided that today was a good day to clean out the fridge, while putting any and all of those lingering ingredients to good use. 

I bought a head of organic purple kale last week at the supermarket, just because I thought it looked too pretty to turn down.  It’s absolutely brimming with antioxidants and nutrients.  I couldn’t bare to walk past it, and so it ended up in my cart.  And in my fridge.  Until today, of course.

Also in the fridge, I had a couple of carrots and some onions (there are always onions!), along with a thick slab of tofu and a lemon.  Off to the side—on the kitchen counter—there were some tomatoes.  I’m pretty sure that if kitchens could talk, mine would have been screaming—demanding?—at me to make a warm kale salad. 

It was very much meant to be.

I’m pretty sure that people get the wrong idea when it comes to things like kale and tofu.  If it sounds a little hippy—a little too “far out” for both your mind and your kitchen—then you simply must rethink these things and move on.  Daring to try something new.

Kale, when it’s made just right, is earthy and sweet.  Tender but firm.  It will take on a whole new dimension, as it soaks up the olive oil that is lightly drizzled on top.  And in the end, it will practically beg you to add just a splash or two of lemon juice.  Finally—at last—the warmed kale salad will reward your tastebuds with a delicious flavor that’s both simple and complex, making you forget all of those silly little things that you ever had to say about kale.

Tofu is another thing altogether.

Thankfully, just like kale, tofu has the possibility of rewarding you with a depth of flavor and a delightful texture as well. 

The preparation of tofu is key, I think.  More specifically, the pressing. 

Getting rid of every last bit of liquid that you possibly can, so that the texture becomes nice and firm.  So that it can soak up every bit of sauce or liquid that you decide to add to it.  So that it can brown and crisp at the touch of a hot nonstick pan.  Yes.  The art of tofu is in the pressing.

Side Dish: Roasted Cabbage

A delightfully warm meal to warm up with after trudging through the snow. 😀

I hope you’re all staying warm and safe today!!!

Warm Kale Salad

This makes for a delightful side dish to any entree, but it can also serve as a main dish in and of itself.  Pine nuts, walnuts, and beans would make for a nice addition as well.  This dish is simple but satisfying, perfect for a chilly winter afternoon. 

• 1 head of kale
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1-2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• garlic powder
• lemon juice

1. In a medium sized pan, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add kale, stir, and lower heat to medium low.  Continue cooking until kale is tender but still slightly firm.  Add tomatoes, carrot, garlic powder to taste, and a few liberal splashes of lemon juice.  Lower heat to low and continue cooking until heated thorough.
3. ENJOY! 😀

Simply Pan Fried Tofu

This is as simple as simple gets.  You can use any sauce that suits your fancy.  I’ve used peanut sauces, bbq sauce, and homemade thai sauces as well.  I’ve got to say though, soy sauce and garlic are one of my most favorite of combinations.  Sometimes you can’t mess with simple.

• 1/4 a block of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed well
• 1 T. soy sauce
• garlic powder
• red pepper flakes

1. Blot tofu well with paper towels to remove any lingering liquids. 
2. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, garlic powder and red pepper flakes.  Place tofu in bowl, flip over and let it sit in fridge at least 1 hr.
3. Heat a nonstick cooking pan over medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray, place tofu in pan, and cook until browned and crisp.  Flip and continue cooking until browned on other side as well.
4. Serve and ENJOY! 😀

Roasted Cabbage

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare any and all of my vegetables.  Cabbage is no exception.  Enjoy!

• 1/2 a head of cabbage
• salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 425. 
2. Spray baking sheet with spray and set aside.  Slice cabbage into 1/2 inch slices and place in single layers on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.  ENJOY!

Question: Do you eat anything now that you never in a million years would have thought you would *ever* enjoy?

that’s a wrap

Yesterday, I admitted to being a food hoarder.

Today, I made one big (small?) dent in my ever growing food supply. 

For whatever reason, I have the habit of trying a new food and saving just enough for one more serving.  This is especially true when it comes to cereals and grains.  I probably have at least 6 different types of grains sitting in little glass containers, way back in the pantry.  Way, way back.

But today, I decided that my food supply (and my over-abundant pantry) needed to be brought back down to normal, more realistic levels.  

Any recipe that involves wrapping, dipping, and the resulting sticky fingers is one that I must, must make.  I don’t care if you serve me the same sandwich that I’ve had for 7 days straight.  If it’s reconstructed and served in a wrap, it may as well be a brand new recipe.  I’ll love it.  All the more when there’s a sauce for dunking.

And so, with that in mind, I set out to make a wrap for dinner.  Or a roll-up.  Or whatever seemed to hold my millet concoction the best.

Unfortunately, there were no rice wrappers or flour tortillas to be found anywhere in the house.  Fortunately, there was one big head of cabbage.  Perfect.

Cabbage makes a fine wrap substitute when the need arises.

Simply peel the top layer off, one by one, and place in a pan with a bit of water and steam on medium-low.  Stop the cooking once they’ve reached the tender but crispy stage, and pat dry with a paper towel.  You now have yourself a wrapper, ready to be filled with whatever your heart so desires.

As simple as the cabbage wrappers were, I wanted my filling to be simple as well.  Millet.  Roasted Veggies.  Kidney Beans (also roasted.)  Canned, diced tomatoes.  See?  Easy.

The fun part was the rolling…

…and the dunking…

…and the eating.

Roll-ups.  Wraps.  Spring rolls.  Whichever suits your fancy, there’s something about wrapping, dunking and the resulting sticky fingers that makes any meal complete. 😀

Veggie Roll-Ups–serves 1

If by some chance you happen to have leftovers, throw together the remaining cabbage and millet mix in a large bowl.  Place in a container, and bring for lunch the following day!

• A few large leaves of cabbage
• 1/4 c. millet
• 1/2 c. diced tomatoes, drained of juice
• 1/2 c. kidney beans
• About 1/2 c. of your favorite veggies, roasted (broccoli, mushrooms, onions, turnips, etc.)
• All-Natural Dipping Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium frying pan, pour just enough water to barely cover bottom of pan.  Place the large leaves of cabbage in pan, and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low and cook until tender but still firm.
3. Meanwhile, place a cookie sheet, sprayed with cooking spray, into the oven with bite sized pieces of your favorite veggies.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Stir and add kidney beans.  Continue cooking for another 10-15 or until browned.
4. While the veggies are roasting, bring 1 c. of water to a boil.  Add millet, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes or until most of the water is evaporated and/or the millet tastes tender.  Add diced tomatoes, stir and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so.
5. After patting cabbage leaves dry, stuff with filling and wrap gently, one at a time.  Serve with favorite dipping sauce.  ENJOY! 😀

Question: Are you a food hoarder, or do you like to use things up before buying something new? 

one, two, three, sold.

I’ve been on some sort of “egg kick” this past week.  Whipping my way through fluffy scrambled eggs, flipping over veggie filled omelets, and hard boiling my way through egg after egg after egg.

I wasn’t always a big fan of the egg.  When I was still a short little kiddo standing on a chair to assist my mom with making dinner, I was so turned off by the strong odor and slippery texture of a boiled egg, that it took everything within me (along with lots and lots of ketchup) just to muster up the courage and eat one.  I actually did enjoy the occasional fried egg, but only if it was so well done to the point that it would crackle under the pressure of my fork and knife.

It took a really hungry belly, a crispy hunk of italian bread and an undercooked egg to finally convert me.  One dip into the creamy yolk, and I was one, two, three, sold to the over easy egg.

Not much has changed since that point.

I’m still not a fan of the boiled egg–unless it’s chopped or diced finely into a salad.  Or mixed with a bit of mayonnaise or avocado and turned into an egg salad sandwich, thereby avoiding that awful slippery effect.

And I still enjoy dunking my bread into a runny yolk, letting the softness be seeped up into one delicious bite. 

Now, if you’ve ever wondered what vegetable could possibly be matched with the fried egg, look no further.  Cabbage and eggs may sound like an unlikely pair, but they actually go quite nicely together.  I like to salt the cabbage and leave the egg slightly on the plain side, but that’s just personal preference.  And if you’re not entirely into having a runny yolk, just cook the egg to complete doneness.  Melting a bit of shredded cheese on top of the egg could replace the soft, melty factor of the yolk, which is equally nice. 😀

Sauteed Cabbage and an Over Easy Egg
serves 1

• 1/4  head of cabbage (core removed) thinly sliced
• spicy dijon mustard (I like Trader Joe’s)
• 1 egg + 1 extra egg white
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, place the sliced cabbage with just enough water to prevent burning.  Cook until cabbage is tender, about 7-10 minutes.
2. Add mustard, salt and pepper to taste, stir well, and turn heat to low.
3. Meanwhile, in a nonstick frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add egg and egg white.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until just beginning to brown on underside.  Flip and cook on other side until preferred doneness.
4. Top cabbage with egg and ENJOY! 😀

Question: An over easy egg…yay or nay?