My goal with this site is to do three posts a week. On Tuesdays I will try to write something motivational, Thursdays it will be about the food and recipes, and on Saturday/Sunday it should be about exercise. Since I have not started that yet and I am lacking in posts about food, I thought I would write something now.
I grew up in the Oakland, California area. Totally a city girl. I remember in grade school we had an assembly where they brought in a cow so we could see where milk really came from! We did have gardens from time to time, but my mom was a meat and potatoes type of cook. Never had a casserole at home.
Most of my cooking skills I gained in college or after I was married. I married into a farming family. They grew a lot of potatoes on their 100 acre farm but also had a beautiful little garden. I learned a little and even grew corn and zucchini a few times.
I love vegetables, but never cared for the texture of fruit, so my diet has never been the best. So I am making changes, slowly, but they are happening. To take care of the lack of fruit in my diet, I started juicing off and on about a year ago. I love the flavors of fruit, just not the texture. I try to get up and juice one apple, one pear, one orange, pineapple and carrots in the morning. When I am adventurous I throw in a little kale. I really love this combination and crave the fruit when I go with out it. It is a great way to get my daily allowance of fruit in one drink.
This year, I decided to try my hand at growing some fresh herbs and vegetables. I put in a very small garden that seems to be doing well. Last night I made lasagna and used all fresh cut herbs in it. WOW, what a difference from the store seasoning packages and it is a lot healthier too. I also enjoy sauteing onions in coconut butter and then adding mushrooms. Makes a great side dish if you like mushrooms!
Recipe for the week:
(Recipe from Urban Farm & Feed in Murray, Utah)
Sauteed Red Russian Kale with Paprika
2 Cups (packed) kale ( center ribs and stems removed, leaves course chopped)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil (divided)
1/4 Cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp Paprika
Generous pinch of dried Red Pepper
Cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water until wilted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to colander; drain. Heat 1/2 of the olive oil in a heave skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon paprika and crushed red pepper; sprinkle with salt (I use sea salt) Add kale and saute until heated through, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more paprika, if desired. Transfer to serving bowl; drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp of oil and serve.
I actually liked this. It reminded me of a Korean spinach dish I make. Now you know what you can do with kale!
Food is so much more fun to write about! Since I started this blog, I have made better food choices and still gained weight. No fair! Part of this has to do with the doctor adding 3 new medications to my routine. I don't like meds and am really bad at remembering to take them. My LDL is way too high along with my triglycerides. Knowing my dad passed away from a massive heart attack at the age of 63 isn't comforting.
I love this vegie dish that Rachel taught me. It is healthy and delicious! You can find the recipe on my Pinterest or at http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/08/summer-vegetable-tian/
