Kale obsession.

So I may have mentioned somewhere along the line that I like food. A lot. And cooking (and especially baking) is very therapeutic for me. There is just something about making something and then eating it that I love. I love it even more when I get to drink wine while in the process ;)

I love to cook, but I haven't been doing much of actually making recipes lately becuase I'm cooking for one, and let's be real, it's way easier to just make myself the same things over and over again: grilled cheese (or some variation of grilled cheese) and tomato soup, pasta with different toppings, homemade pizza, veggie (and super cheap) dinner of black beans, rice, and some sort of frozen vegetable....

Nick and I cooked a lot together, and he is so good at just thinking of out-of-the-box flavors to throw together into something that is just delicious. I can do that, but he's just better at it. So needless to say, I just do the same things because I know I won't have too many leftovers or any leftovers at all. With this lame-o cooking rotation I have had going on, I also buy frozen veggies because I'm kinda lazy. And I also didn't want produce to go bad (Though I realized, hey, I could just buy fresh produce for each week... who'da thunk?? haha). Thanks to my vegetarian sister, however, I was introduced to the wonders of kale over Christmas break.

It. Is. Delicious.

It's this dark, leafy green that is a little bitter when raw, but when sautéed, it is so so soooo good. Though I've heard they are great for juices and smoothies!

So I've been buying kale in bulk each week and making it. It's a great way to get nutrients that I'm definitely not getting with some of the other things I eat, and it is so easy to cook up every couple of nights! I either cook just enough for one meal, or the whole bunch and have it ready to go in the fridge for the rest of the week.

To prepare, you will need:

• olive oil (for the pan)
• minced garlic
• 1 onion, chopped (optional)
• 1 bunch of kale (or more if you need more)
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat up about a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan over medium heat. Add your minced garlic and let it get tender. I like a lot so I put a lot in.

Next, add your chopped onions. You don't have to have onions, but I like them, so feel free to leave them out if you want. I also added diced tomatoes on this particular night because I had some in the fridge I wanted to use.

While the onions, garlic, and tomatoes are sautéeing a little more, rinse and pat dry your kale. Then, cut into ribbons, as shown. I leave the leaves on the stalk for a little more texture. Don't worry, as you cook it, it won't be tough.

Throw the kale into the pan and stir around a little bit.

After a few minutes, cover the pan so the kale cooks down, sorta like spinach. You can do this for however long you want, it just depends on how you like to eat it. The longer you do it, the more wilted it will be. I like it when it's a little bit darker of a green color but still has some crispiness to the stalk. When it's done sprinkle a little salt over it.

Serve with whatever! It makes a great side for anything. I chose to go veggie this night and eat it with couscous and black beans. Yum!

Happy cooking!