Monday, November 8, 2010

Our Quick Brush with Internet Fame: 2 Quick Uses for Leftover Kale

Check it out: Tony and yours truly were featured on the blog of our favorite e-retailer, ex-boyfriend collection. We sent in a photo from the Rally and they sent us some interview questions to answer.

We divulged details such as pop culture guilty pleasures and regrettable fashion decisions. If you'd like to read the whole thing or just check out the site, you can read the interview here.

This weekend has otherwise been fairly low key. Tony and I took a day trip to Annapolis to check out the city. (It's very lovely. Kind of like Charleston.) We also navigated some of the more abandoned parts of Baltimore in an effort to avoid traffic exiting Sunday's Raven's game .
It was an experience, to say the least. I'm not sure where Baltimore stumbled, but it's having a hell of a time getting back on its feet. It says something when the blighted areas are being reclaimed by nature.

After returning home, we decided to toast our luck and good fortune with a nice wine and some blackberry pie from Dangerously Delicious.

The rest of the week was a series of attempts to make use of some leftover kale Tony had prepared. Not a man known for his portion control, my husband made a LOT of sauteed kale. And then left it up to me to prepare the rest.

Turns out it's not too tricky to come up with some recipes that can handle the slightly bitter crisp of a kale leaf. First off: Poor Gal's Stir Fry.

Quickly followed by Kale and Mushroom Sausage Pizza with Swiss
See? Easy-peezy. The recipes below are pretty generic (I'm not the best at measuring when I'm cooking off-the-cuff), so feel free to personalize and adjust as you see fit!

This weekend, I get to indulge my inner nerd at a live taping of RadioLab in DC. I'm going to know all about symmetry by the end of the night. Woo hoo!

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Poor Gal's Stir Fry

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
2 - 3 cups sugar snap peas or snow peas
1 1/2 cups cooked kale, chopped
1/2 lb lean ground beef or 1 box firm tofu
2 1/2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp sriracha sauce (more to taste)
1 tbsp black bean paste

1. Place a wok or large pan over high heat. After pan has heated, brown the meat or tofu (add a few tsp of canola oil to the pan if using tofu), adding the sriracha sauce when the meat is done cooking. Remove the meat and wipe out the pan/wok with a paper towel.

2. Add the canola oil to the pan. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the garlic and ginger and saute for about 20 - 30 seconds, making sure not to burn either ingredient. Add the veggies and continue to saute over high heat for 3 - 5 minutes, until the snap/snow peas are sauteed (remember: crisp, not soggy.) Mix in the black bean paste. Add extra sriracha sauce if you're a fan of heat.

3. Add in the cooked meat/tofu and mix until the whole meal is heated through. Remove from heat. Serve over rice.

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Kale and Mushroom Sausage Pizza with Swiss

INGREDIENTS:
1 pizza crust(pre-made brand of your choosing)
1 cup cooked kale, chopped
EITHER: 2 links mushroom sausage, thinly sliced (I used Aidells)
or
1/2 cup chopped baby bellas and 2 links andouille/mild sausage, thinly sliced
1/2 cup swiss cheese, grated
olive oil to brush
salt
red pepper flakes

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Brush the pizza shell with olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Evenly spread the toppings, putting down the kale first, followed by the sausage, then the cheese. Dust with a pinch of red pepper flakes (more to taste).

3. Lower the oven temp to 425 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, feel free to use it. Otherwise, place the pizza on the lower rack and cook for 7 - 10 minutes. Let the pie cool before devouring it.

2 comments:

Buckley said...

you're awesome. i'm inspired to put my personal food and travel diatribes onto my blog. i wish i had been reading this long before. take care cuz .. can't wait to see you again! love ya!

Unknown said...

Why, thank you! ;)