Kale Caesar

I'm stuck right in the middle of a super transitional, bizarre, yet mostly enjoyable phase of my life. I'm not freaking out, I'm choosing to mostly not do that. But in the midst of transition, I am periodically  anxious. Time should remedy that though. I haven't got much to say but I think kale should say enough to cover up that void. Kale says a lot, because damn! It's really great. Clearly a nutritional power house with that rich green color, Kale is tasty is so many forms. While I'm a huge fan of the chip variety today I'm going with caesar.  Caesar salad is comforting in the only way a salad can be comforting, familiarity. You can always count on a good Caesar and kale is a nice way to stir things up.

I snagged this simply stellar dressing recipe from none other than Bon Appetit and changed it up a tiny bit. I'm sure it's perfect the way it is but this just worked for me with what I had on hand. 

                                   

Classic Caesar Dressing

*adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1/2 small garlic clove

Kosher Salt

1/2 Tbl anchovy paste

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbl fresh lemon juice

2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbl vegetable oil

1 Tbl grated parmesan

fresh ground black pepper

Method

Chop the garlic up very finely, then sprinkle with kosher salt and mash with the side of a large knife until it forms a paste. Add it to a small bowl with the anchovy paste, dijon, egg yolk, and lemon juice. Mix to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking, making sure it stays emulsified and thick. After that, add the vegetable oil in the same fashion. Add the parmesan and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste and add extra lemon juice or salt as needed.

For the kale salad, simply remove 1 or 2 bunches of kale from the stalks and chop into smaller pieces. Drizzle the kale with a tiny bit of olive oil (1-2 tsp) and massage (yes, massage) into the leaves. Let it sit. Shave 4 or five stalks of asparagus with a peeler and add to the kale.  Add dressing 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time and toss until coated but not weighed down. Finish with shaved parmesan. 

The Not Summer Salad

Guys, it's really not summer anymore. It's just not. You know, I wasn't totally sure about the seasons slowly and inevitably moving forward but the other day when I was scraping/shoveling/digging my car out of icy snow for two and half hours, I came to terms with the situation. It's winter. I'm sure of it. And while cute, refreshing dishes like watermelon salad cut it back in those scorching summer months, we're just not at that place in our lives anymore.

We're at a place of squash. Stored away for times like this, when hearty dishes are all you crave. So I'm calling this salad hearty, not because it's fatty and has tons of meat but because it's mostly cous cous dotted with some tasty veggies and other treats and I think that counts for something.

Israeli Cous Cous Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing

1 Medium Butternut or Hubbard Squash (or 2 cubes cubed)

1 Small Onion, chopped

5 Tbl Olive Oil

2 Cups Israeli/Pearl Cous Cous

2 1/2 Cups Water

2 Handfuls of Arugula

1/4 cup Chopped Unsalted Roasted Hazelnuts

1/2 Cup Shaved Parmesan 

Kosher Salt

Dressing

1 Tbl + 1 tsp Olive Oil

1 Tbl Balsamic Vinegar (plus extra to drizzle on top)

1/4 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice

1 1/2 tsp honey

Kosher Salt + Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Pinch of Chili Flakes (optional)

-Preheat oven to 400 F-

1. First, peel and cut the squash into small cubes. In a bowl, toss the pieces with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a very generous sprinkle of kosher salt.

2. Spread out spaciously on one or two baking sheets, and place in the oven for 15-25 minutes. Toss them around half way through and rotate the pan. Remove when cooked through and golden brown on the outside, and turn the oven off because that's all we needed it for.

3. Let the squash cool. Meanwhile, Bring the water (2 1/2 cups) to a boil in medium sized pot with a teaspoon of salt, when it has come to a boil add the cous cous (2 cups).  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered for about 12 minutes or until the water is absorbed (or cook according to the package, I trust that). Be careful not to overcook or the cous cous will become one big glob. If it is done before the water is gone simply drain the cous cous.

4. Toss the cous cous in a large bowl with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Let it cool in the fridge.

5. In a small sauté pan, combine the onion and 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, then turn the pan to medium low heat and cook the onions until golden in color. This may take about 10 minutes, so just keep an eye on them and stir frequently.

6. While the onions are cooking, chop the hazelnuts in large pieces and set aside. 

7. Make the dressing by combining all ingredients and whisking together or shaking in a jar. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

8. Finish off by tossing the onions and the squash in with the cous cous. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Next, add the arugula (save a little to garnish on top), parmesan, and hazelnuts and mix it all together. Top with a few arugula leaves, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a bit of parmesan cheese.

Breakfast

Isn't it funny how we all take pictures of our meals now? There's something totally fun about it but there's also that overly connected to the world bit too.  Remember when phones didn't even have cameras? I remember my friend Sam had one of the first "camera phones" that we thought was so cool...mind you the camera was a separate piece that you had to attach to your flip phone. Man, we thought that was the greatest thing ever.

Anywho, I generally take pictures of my breakfast on my phone to share on instagram because, well...it's 2012 and this is the way we do it, and because I like to make my food nice and pretty so it's fun to share. But since my phone was recently stolen (damn you woman in urban outfitters who felt it was appropriate to reach into my purse) I've had a chance to get more camera practice in, so with my gorgeous new anthropologie bowl in tow I snapped some shots of my newly favorite meal...so, here's to breakfast.

Fat free or 2% Greek yoghurt is definitely my go to right now, I can't get enough of it. And the best part is that it can be sweet or savory, though I usually go the sweet route for breakfast.

And have you tried the nectarines lately? Absolutely perfect. It's official...I  prefer nectarines to peaches. Just might be the greatest fruit.

Runny yolks are right up there with Greek yoghurt...another great way to start the day. As much as I adore runny yolks though I cannot stand runny whites....yick, so it's all about proper execution on this one. I cooked these two eggs over medium heat and put a lid on for a second at the end to make sure the whites were cooked. The baby bok choy was a special treat from the farmers market, I just steamed these up becuase I love me some greens with eggs. Have you tried broccoli and eggs? Another deliciously simple egg breakfast.

You must try walnut meal/flour. It's so wonderful on yoghurt, cereal, oatmeal, or even a pasta dish. Almond meal is pretty tasty but walnut meal is so much more flavorful. I get mine from The Nutbox. 

And finally a nice bowl of cereal topped with the dried cherries (I highly recommend the Trader Joes dried cherries, they are worlds better than any other I've had, they have a couple different types and they are all really nice) and of course some peanut butter because I'm just a really big fan. Also, I use almond milk because I'm lactose intolerant but I'm thinking about trying out lactose free milk, have you had it? I feel like it's still going to make me sick...

And for those days when my alarm clock doesn't go off and I have 3 minutes to get ready for work, for those days I recommend a piece of fruit and one of these new über bars, the bananas foster flavor is top notch.