Intro
I was thinking I’d add some recipes/thoughts about food. My sister has been on my mind; she has twin boys just older than Evie and recently started work again part time while her husband works full time. Needless to say they don’t have loads of time to cook. I’ve been trying to think of simple helpful things. I think my friend Karie should do something like this too, she makes awesome food on a regular basis like it’s no big deal.
I love making food, and have come up with a few things lately that I liked so much I even wrote down the “recipe.” Since they are fairly easy, nutritious, and (I think) yummy, I decided to share them. Some of them are more suggestions on how to sneak good things into the daily mix than actual recipes. Hope they give you some good ideas you could work into your own routine!
P.S. - A lot of these things seem easy for me because they use ingredients that I just tend to have stocked, like tofu, yogurt, different grains, nuts, vegetables etc. I realize that when I look at recipes that seem to have obscure ingredients, it’s because they just aren’t things I commonly have. If this is the case for you, just use a similar replacement. Or you could venture out and start stocking new things too. A lot of what I cook is just mixing together things that I already have. (working at one world café and hanging out with Bob and Krystal have enhances this skill for me)
Kale is really good for you. They always say eat green leafy vegetables, the darker green the better it is. Well kale is very dark and curly and leafy. It’s not the most mild-mannered vegetable though. I used to only be able to eat it by sneaking it into soups or casseroles. I’ve recently started making “green smoothies” which can be made to taste fantastic, depending on what you add to the kale or spinach. My other new favorite way to eat kale is Kale Pesto! Kale is a lot cheaper than basil, (both are best and less expensive if you grow your own, but not everyone has means for that) plus it’s good all year round. It’s nice because kale is sold by the pound here in CT, so it ends up really inexpensive.
This recipe is not actually my own, I found it in the Vegetarian Times magazine, and adapted it a bit. I usually use walnuts in place of pecans, because I usually have walnuts but not pecans. Plus they have that omega-3 goodness. I also judge the amounts according to how much kale I have, and use the ratio that tastes best to me. We love garlic, so I add more.
Vegetarian Times - Kale Pecan Pesto
12oz bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into pieces
1/4c toasted pecan pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2c grated parmesan cheese
1/3c olive oil
Directions
1. Place kale pieces in a large pot with 1.5c water, cover, and heat over medium high heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until kale is wilted but still bright green, tossing occasionally Add more water while cooking if needed. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Cool.
2. Blend pecan pieces and garlic cloves in food processor until finely chopped. Add cooled kale, and blend until thick paste forms. Add Parmesan and blend until smooth. Add oil and 2Tbs kale cooking liquid and blend until smooth, adding more liquid if needed to obtain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
This pesto is great to have stored in your fridge, because you can put it with most anything to make it taste more amazing. It’s great in traditional pesto places like on pasta or bread, but I have whipped it into eggs to make a quick flavorful quiche, added it to grains for a cold summer salad (recipe to follow) You could mix this pesto into a quick-bread or biscuit recipe to make it much more tasty, or spread it on a tortilla and add plain tofu or and vegetables for a quick flavorful lunch wrap. Make a big batch and put half in the freezer for the next time!
Super Summer Salad Meal
I don’t use measurements because you can just make as much as you want for you or your family. Base it on how much grain you usually cook and go from there. It’s very filling, it is a full meal; perfect for lunch. It has grain, veggies, and protein!
Mix and chill:
Kale Pesto – add as much as you need to coat everything
Cooked Barley (or other grain…barley is just nice and hearty)
Sweet Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in halves
Shredded Carrot (the veggies add flavor and nice color)
Cubed Firm Tofu (it can be raw because the pesto lends so much flavor)
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fortified Apple Juice (green smoothie)
1 ripe banana
Handful of walnuts
5-8 kale leaves, stem removed
Cinnamon
Enough apple juice to sweeten the mix and give it a consistency you like
Blend, taste, adjust, blend, enjoy 
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