Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

I did something the other day that I rarely do: I followed a recipe exactly. This is a difficult thing for me to do, not because I believe I am some amazing chef who understands flavors and textures and the science of cooking, but because I have anxiety and sometimes when something seems wrong, I get worried, and make my own choices. In this Bon Appetit recipe, I got nervous a few times (You want me to boil the pasta in kale water? And now you want me to dump this kale water into a pan? What is even happening?), but stuck it out and honestly, made one of the best dishes I've made in awhile. The below recipe makes enough for 3-4 large servings.

Creamy Potato and Kale Soup

This semester has been incredibly busy for me. One full-time job, one part-time job, and finishing my degree. Cooking (and even more so, blogging) food has, unfortunately, been low on my priority list. I have been eating old favorites, quick meals, and going out to eat more than I would prefer. So, last night, I had two hours between jobs and decided to toss together this soup to eat when I finished my second shift. It was the greatest idea. I have made & blogged a lot of soups before, but I will say, not-so-humbly, that this is the more delicious one yet. This recipe makes many servings, which is great because it heats up so well. Enjoy!

Kale & Avocado Wrap

Vegetarians sometimes have a harder time putting together simple lunches than meat-eaters, especially when things like lunch meat exist. Charmington's in Baltimore - you know, the awesome café that hosts my favorite monthly lit reading and even welcomed the President of the United States in January (!!) - makes a plethora of amazing meatless lunch options. Their kale and avocado wrap is my favorite and I just had to recreate it. Grab these ingredients from a grocery store and make enough to last for the week. The following recipe makes one kale & avocado wrap.

Hearty Veggie and Brown Rice Salad Bowl

I love copycat recipes. I've made a couple before and google them often. One of my current favorite salads is Starbucks' veggies & rice salad bowl, but it costs about $8 each time I buy it (which is very often). I decided to make it for myself and spent about $15 on ingredients that made about five salads! The recipe is below and makes two salads.

Roasted Kale Chips

My partner is damn good at making kale chips, so I had him teach me how and it's surprisingly easy. So, this week, head to your local farmers market, pick up a bag of kale and make some healthy and delicious kale chips. Warning: it is highly likely that you will eat an entire batch in one sitting.

Kale, Barley & Chickpea Soup

It's that time of year: kale season. If you're a CSA member, that's all that you've been getting in your share. It's all over the stores, the farmers markets, and now, in your slow cooker. This recipe is easy and makes about four servings. Enjoy!

Guest Post: Kale, Mushroom & Sage Risotto

Hey all, here is the first post from a guest blogger. Everyone welcome MV Banks! If you're interested in learning more about her, see her bio at the end of the post.
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When I went gluten-free by doctor’s orders about a year ago, risotto was there for me when all other tasty carbs abandoned me.  Risotto is a time-intensive, but worthwhile dish, that has no gluten whatsoever, but still allows me that familiar Italian style that I find myself craving without pizza and pasta in my life. I love it because it allows me an excuse to hover over a warm stove when I refuse to turn the heat up in my apartment.  I love it because I can throw questionably turning vegetables in and no one is the wiser.  

I’ve had some kale from the market in my fridge for a while now that was becoming a little undesirable. I figured I’d sautée what was salvageable and throw it into a risotto of some sort.  Due to the regularity with which I make risotto, I can’t say I took this from any particular recipe.  At this point, I essentially have the necessary ratios memorized and throw in whatever suits my fancy on that particular day. Today, my fancy included kale, mushrooms and sage.

Kale & Pistachio Pizza on Cauliflower Dough

Disclaimer: I love pizza. Any and all endorsements in this post will be biased based on this love.

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Finished product (on the right).
Check out the next blog post for the stuffed mushroom recipe.

Technically, I am the surrogate mother of the pizza that Juliet (of The Broken Plate) and Hersh's Pizza unknowingly created. Juliet posted this delicious recipe for cauliflower pizza crust awhile ago, and I tried and loved it. It brings a slight flavor of cauliflower, but not an overpowering amount. Additionally, it is much healthier than eating bread dough. As far as Hersh's, I tried them for the first time last week (and seriously, if you are in Baltimore, it's a must!) and my partner ordered their kale & pistachio pizza. It was amazing.

Note: this recipe makes a pizza the size of a 9" x 13" pan. If you half the recipe, you can make a pizza the size of a pie pan.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
Crust
Two (2) cups of grated cauliflower
Two (2) eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Toppings
One (1) cup of whole pistachio nuts, shelled and crushed -- the measurement of one cup was taken while they were still shelled
One (1) cup of cooked kale -- about one bushel at the grocery store
One (1) cup of mozzarella cheese
Two (2) cloves of garlic, minced
Two (2) tablespoons of butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Grate cauliflower into a large bowl.
Mix beaten eggs and cheese into the cauliflower.
Lay out flat in a greased pan.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes. -- Just make sure it gets nice and brown, possibly crispy at the edges.
Set crust aside once it is done.
Melt the butter and garlic. Spread lightly on top of crust.
Top with mozzarella, pistachio crumbles, and cooked kale.
Put back into the oven for five to ten minutes, depending on how crispy you'd like the toppings.

Let cool & chow down!