I have talked in the past about buying food from your local farmers through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. I am proud to say that I have convinced at least 9 other people to join me and purchase boxes of produce each week from one of our local farms, J&S Farm.
Our first box arrived yesterday and contained Kale, one of my FAVORITE veggies! I did not grow up eating kale, but it’s something that I’ve learned to love after my mother-in-law cooked it. It’s very hearty and grows well during the winter.
It also
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is one of the most researched foods when it comes to cancer prevention and nutrition, so I consider it a “super food”. It’s definitely one of those foods to incorporate into your diet regularly! However, I have found many people asking me –
How Do I Cook Kale??
Glad you asked! I have done a post on cooking collards, which is a similar method. But here is your “dummy proof” kale recipe:
Steamed Kale – It’s as Easy as 1-2-3!:
Ingredients:
- 1-2 bunches of Kale
- 1 medium Onion
- Canola Oil
- Water
- Salt
1. Preparation:
- Rinse and cut kale (including stems) into small strips. You can stack multiple leaves on top of each other and cut them all together cross ways.
- Chop onions (or purchase them chopped in the fresh or frozen section)
2. Cook:
- Heat stir fry pan, or pot over the stove. Pour a small amount of canola oil in the pan and let heat.
- When oil is hot, add onions (the more the better!) and cook until they become slightly clear
- Throw in kale, mix around so that it is coated with the oil and onions and let it cook 1-2 minutes.
- Add enough water to coat the bottom of the pan and put a lid on the pot.
- Cook 10-15 minutes, until kale is soft. Add water if the bottom starts to get dry.
3. Season:
- Season with salt or soy sauce.
- I have added green onion and chives for additional flavor.
- You can also add a little Texas Pete or hot pepper flakes to give it a kick!
Budget Friendly and Healthy Recipes!
I taught today – “Healthy Cooking on a Budget”. It’s one of a 4 week series that is really fun because we actually get to COOK and TASTE the recipes, rather than just talk about them! I had great feedback from the group. They really liked all three of these. They even commented that they are going to make them again this week!
Banana Parfait
Total time: 10 mins
Servings: 4
Cost: $2.00
Ingredients:
2 cups nonfat vanilla yogurt
2 bananas, sliced
2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup Quaker Oatmeal Squares, crushed (or substitute any other healthy cereal or granola!)
Recipe:
Mix yogurt and cinnamon in a bowl until smooth. Spoon half of mixture into serving glass or bowl. Top with half of banana slices and sprinkle with half of crushed cereal. Spoon rest of mixture on top, layer again with banana slices and sprinkle with remaining cereal.
Tips:
● Some types of granola can be packed with sugar, so make sure to read the labels carefully when choosing your granola topping for this recipe. For a homemade granola recipe, check this one out!
Broccoli Bacon Salad
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 (1 cup servings)
Cost: $5.52
Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups finely chopped broccoli
3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (I actually don’t use the bacon, but we did in the class!)
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Recipe:
Whisk garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and sugar in a large bowl. Add broccoli, bacon, cranberries and pepper; stir to coat with the dressing.
Skillet-Grilled Catfish and Peach Salsa
Total time: 7 minutes
Servings: 4
Cost: $7.33
Ingredients:
4 catfish fillets (4 oz each), rinsed and patted dry
1 teaspoon salt-free steak seasoning or salt-free blackened seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Mild or medium peach salsa
Recipe:
1. Sprinkle one side of each catfish fillet with steak seasoning and ¼ teaspoon salt
2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Coat skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Cook fillets seasoned side down 3 minutes. Turn and cook 3 minutes more or until fillets are opaque in center.
3. Squeeze lemon wedges over all fillets. Serve with salsa.
Tips:
● Serve over quick-cooking brown rice with coleslaw and light coleslaw dressing on the side.
● Tilapia can be substituted for the Catfish in this recipe.
I hope you enjoy!! Let me know what you think.
– Julie
