kale goodness

it is not overstating it to say that we are up to our ears in kale right now.  we have kale plants literally up to our ears in our garden!  :)  i wanted to start growing kale a few years ago in order to make green smoothies.  we love those too, but i thought today i'd share a few other ways we eat it.  this salad above is inspired by one at our favorite restaurant.

simple kale salad
thinly sliced kale (ribs removed)
lemon squeezed over  
grated parmesan cheese 
pepper flakes or spicy pumpkin seeds

mix and enjoy!

i think i might have taken a few bites of this before remembering to take a picture.  :)  i'm not sure what really makes soup into chili, but i called this chili.  we have a lot of tomatoes fresh from the garden right now, so i feel like this is a luxurious version.  if you don't have as many tomatoes just add more water and maybe a little vegetable broth concentrate.

superfood chili/soup
blend some tomatoes in the blender 
diced red onion or add it to the blender (i just slice off the amount i know we like)
couple handfuls of quinoa
water for the quinoa to absorb
beans, any type (i make a big pot of beans and then put them in jars in frig./freezer- so one jar or can)
salt 
spicy pepper or pepper flakes
kale (ribs removed) thinly sliced

add everything, except the kale to a pot and bring to a boil before turning down to a medium heat for about 20 minutes.  (obviously, add any other spices you'd like.) add the kale just before serving.  enjoy with chips or cornbread.

this is an interesting dish and so incredibly yummy!  we look forward to celebrating our compassion kids' birthdays each year!  edgar lives in peru, so i found this peruvian dish last year…mostly chosen because i had everything i needed in the house.  :) it was delicious! this year i twisted it a little in order to shave a few minutes and calories from the original.  plus i didn't actually look at the recipe, so i'm not sure how close it resembles it.  anyway, we were trying to channel peru and definitely celebrating this special boy who turned 7 that day!

inside out papas rellenas, sort of :)

potatoes, chop and boil until soft, drain almost all of the water
a little chunk of butter
a little skim milk
pinch of cinnamon
salt
thinly sliced kale (ribs removed)
mix the above into mashed potatoes, saving kale to add last

diced red onion (slice off the amount you know you like)
tomatoes either chopped or blended
spicy pepper or pepper flakes
salt
pinch of cumin
saute onion in a bit of olive oil, add the rest and boil over medium heat until thickened
pour sauce over potato mash and enjoy!



we always smile and feel a bit proud of ourselves when eating kale- it's a super food, you know!  :) 
how do you eat kale?

love, jane