Ka-Ka-Ka-Cooking With Kale!

Several weeks ago, while perusing the dinner menu at Bistro Bobette and trying to narrow down which four delectable side dishes I wanted to order as part of my vegetarian entree, I was quite intrigued by the description of the sauteed kale side. Despite being a vegetarian, I'll admit that I rarely order greens as a side, mostly due to the fact that I grew up in a rural southern area where you could almost guarantee the greens would be cooked with some type of pork product. Or slathered in cream sauce. Or maybe both!

Anyway, one of my co-workers absolutely loves kale, but after hearing her rave about it on numerous occasions, I still didn't really see the great appeal of this cabbage-like veggie. But, I always enjoy trying new and unique foods, so when I saw that Bistro Bobette's version of sauteed kale included smoked EVOO, raisins, and pine nuts, I decided that this creative take on what I usually deemed to be a boring dish sounded tempting enough for me to give it a try. Although it didn't quite compare to the divinely delicious truffle mac & cheese, the kale dish was excellent! As is usually the case whenever I eat something that I particularly enjoy, I try to figure out how to re-create it (or something similar) in my own kitchen.

I found a recipe for Sweet & Savory Kale that sounded pretty tasty, and tonight I finally had some extra time to cook, so I decided to experiment with it. :)

Here's the recipe with my changes....enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 packet Splenda
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 can vegetable broth
• 1 large bunch kale, torn and rinsed
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

  
Heat safflower oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 

Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard, sugar, vinegar, and chicken stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the kale, cover, and cook 5 minutes until wilted. 

Stir in the dried cranberries, and continue boiling, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by about half, and the cranberries have softened, about 15 minutes. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sliced almonds before serving. 

And there you have it! Maybe I'm biased, but I thought it was pretty tasty!

Runnin' & Brunchin' & Chillaxin'...Oh My! :)

Ah, another weekend in the River City is winding down, but it was definitely a good one!

As every Richmonder was surely aware, the much anticipated, annual Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K was yesterday! It was a rainy, overcast morning, but the runners, volunteers, musicians, and cheering spectators didn't let the weather dampen our spirits! I met a friend in the Fan around 8:15, then we walked to Monroe Park together, checked our bags, and joined the masses who were heading to the starting corrals on Broad Street. By the time we arrived, I knew it was getting close to the start time for Wave K, the seeded wave that I was running in. My friend was in a wave that started 10 minutes after mine, so we departed ways as he went right to find his group, and I headed left to join my wave and hopefully get some stretching in before the start. When I finally eyed the "K" sign, it was quickly approaching the starting line, but I was stuck in a mass of people on the sidewalk, which was barricaded to prevent passersby and spectators from spilling onto the race course. I gazed further down Broad Street toward the starting gate and realized that there was no break in the barricades, and Wave K had already moved up to the starting line. I almost panicked, but knowing that I needed to be on the other side of the barricade pronto, I did the only logical thing I could think of...I grabbed the top rung and hoisted myself over it. As I was leaping over it, I realized this would be a great way to roll an ankle or further screw up my knee if I landed wrong, but thankfully, I landed gracefully on both feet. :)  Then, I politely maneuvered through all of the Wave L runners, and finally joined my fellow K group....just in time to hear "Are you ready Wave K?! And GOOOO!" Fabulous! So much for that stretching I had planned to squeeze in before the race. Haha! So, we were off!

Just like last year, cheering neighbors, friends, and other enthusiastic spectators lined Monument Avenue to offer encouragement along the course. Various bands and DJs also provided a fantastic soundtrack to keep us motivated! I especially enjoyed whoever was blasting "Pascagoula Run" and other Jimmy Buffett tunes! Gotta love JB! That reminds me to look and see if he has any shows coming up anytime soon...having floor seats with my bro and some friends at his show several years back at JPJ was one of the most fun concerts I've ever been to! But there I go getting off-topic, as usual! Haha. Back to the 10K...

After crossing the finish line and congregating in Monroe Park, I grabbed some water and fruit, retrieved my bag, and called Mom to report that I had finished without any new injuries! (A big accomplishment for me!)  Afterward, a few friends and I met up and walked to Joe's Inn for a post-race brunch.

All smiles for a post-10K brunch at Joe's Inn!

Back of my race shirt

The rest of my afternoon included going to a movie with a friend, doing a bit of shopping, and just kickin' back and taking it easy!

This morning, I woke up and went for a 6.7 mile run and managed to make it back without too much knee pain! Yay for that! The highlight of today so far was meeting up with one of my best friends, Christine, for Sunday brunch at Selba! Yup, that makes 2 consecutive Sundays of brunchin' at Selba for me...I wasn't kidding when I said it's my new fave! As planned, I tried the "Selba stack" - lemon ricotta pancakes, topped with candied pecans and maple syrup! Yum-a-licious! Christine ordered the Raisin Spelt French Toast and was also quite pleased with her dish. Delicious food aside though, (I already raved enough about Selba in my last post, so I'm sure you get the idea by now ;), it was just so wonderful to catch up and spend time chatting with one of my dearest friends! We're both so busy that we don't get to hang out nearly as often as we'd like, but hopefully we will get better about that soon!

On that positive note, I'm off to City Church! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday afternoon/evening, y'all! :)