June 7th (only a few days left)

I'm quickly running out of time.  On one hand, I'm excited to get some meat back in my diet. On the other hand, I'm bummed.  I still have the need to keep playing with veggie foods and I hope I don't get away from cooking in this direction too fast.  The pork has a stronger pull than the veggies have.....

I watch way too much Food Network, and there are a few guys I would consider as "go to" guys.  My top three are Alton Brown, Tyler Florence and Bobby Flay.  I love how Alton Brown makes it a food lesson.  It is all about the how and why.  Even when he is talking about something you don't care about, you learn something about food that you can use later.  Tyler Florence is fired up about everything and he gets me excited to try new stuff.  Bobby Flay is the king of the grill and peppers, and those are two of my favorite things.  I mention these guys because I have tried many of their recipes in the past and I think their stuff matches my taste the best. 

I prefer to look towards a professional chef when I look for new recipes.  I have tried a ton of things on "home cook" style sharing websites and they are really hit or miss.  Nothing against a home cook/chef, but if your going to take a stab in the dark on a new recipe then you should look to someone who has a million dollar network behind them. Having said that, I have the good fortune to know some people that should probably have their own network.....

Onward towards kale!

A few days ago, I mentioned that I purchased some kale but didn't get a chance to try it yet.  Jill posted a salad recipe that I really wanted to try, but didn't get a chance to do yet.  I can hopefully get make it tomorrow.  I need to grab some ingredients so I can do it right.  Here is what she posted (if you don't read the blog comments)

I love kale, it's my new thing. I've a kale salad I LOVE..
In a small bowl whisk 1TBS. olive oil, 1Tbs. Dijon mustard and 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar.Season with course salt/pepper.  In another bowl, combine 3 cups mixed shredded kale and red cabbage, 1 peeled and julienned carrot,1/4 c. fresh parsley leaves. 2 Tbs. diced red onion and 2 Tbs. each sunflower, pumpkin, and hemp seeds. 3. Season with coarse salt and pepper, drizzle with dressing and toss to eat! YUM....I use 2-3 different kinds of kale in this. It's delish..

It sounds great and she is a rock star, so I know it will be great.  I will make it tomorrow.


Now for the recipe I did get to try.  Bobby Flay had the first one I looked at, so I ran with it.  This is his sauteed kale recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

I went heavy on the pepper and topped it off with a touch of Parmesan cheese.  It was fantastic. 

It was a big batch and I killed it all (by myself).  It would make a great side dish to any meal and I would highly recommend it. 

More to come tomorrow.  Cheers