Kale Stir Fry

I had bought a large bunch of kale to make a sausage and kale soup one day and it I ended up having a lot of left over kale. Rather than waste it I made a kale salad along with a kale stir-fry. If you've bought kale before then you'll know exactly what I mean.

Kale stir-fry

This served five people a side dish of kale stir fry.

Ingredients for Kale Stir-Fry

• 1/2 - 3/4 of a bunch of kale approximately 6-8 cups torn
• 1/4 tsp of sesame seed oil or olive oil
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 large onion sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 tsp. of red pepper chili flakes

Instructions for Kale Stir-Fry

1. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan
2. Add the onion and garlic cooking for 2 minutes
3. Next add the chicken or vegetable broth along with the kale and stir fry until the kale is limp.
4. Season with the red pepper chili flakes, stir, serve and enjoy. 

Kale is Packed with Vitamins and Nutrients 

Add Kale to a salad.

Kale added to a Salad

The wok you see that I've used is almost exactly the same wok by Cuisinart. I use my wok quite frequently for many stir fry dishes.

Easy Sweet Potato Oven Fries

Healthy, delicious, and easy to make. A variety of spices can be used depending on how you like your fries.

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

The following ingredients made fries for 6 people.

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 4 tbs. of olive oil
• garlic powder
• sea salt
• onion powder

1. Preheat oven to 425 Degrees Fahrenheit 
2. Wash the potatoes really well and either peel or leave the peel on.
3. With a sharp knife cut the potatoes into strips.
4. Place the cut potatoes into a large bowl or a plastic bag.
5. Add the olive oil and coat the potatoes. 
6. Place the coated potato strips on a cookie sheet or a pizza pan.
7. Season with garlic powder, sea salt and onion powder.
8. Pop into the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Flip the fries and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
9. At this point check the fries and see if they are cooked to your liking. If not cook a bit longer.

I like spicy so once the sweet potatoes came out of the oven I added Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning. 

Black Bean Casserole

Black Bean Casserole

This is a cheesy black bean casserole, that can be eaten as side or as the main dish. It is very easy to make, and can be on your table within 40 minutes.

Lately I can't seem to get enough black beans. About a year ago +Marisa Hammond - Olivares encouraged me to try black beans, and ever since I include them frequently in my meal planning.



Last night I wanted a side dish and this is the recipe that I came up with. I only wish that I had made more. Next time I'll be doubling this recipe.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 19 ounce can of black beans rinsed
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1/4 tsp. of cilantro flakes (use fresh if you have it on hand)
• 1/4 tsp. of ground cumin
• 1/2 cup of salsa
• 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese (I used a mixture of old cheddar and jalapeno cheddar) 

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a medium size bowl combine the beans, chopped onion, cilantro, cumin and salsa. 
3. Gently toss the ingredients and transfer to an oven safe dish. (I used a glass loaf pan)
4. Top with cheese and pop into the oven for 30 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven serve and ENJOY.

Out of the oven and ready to enjoy

More Black Bean Recipes

Black Bean Salad

Black Bean Salad with Barley

Thanks for visiting and have a great day.

Turkey Loaf

If you're a meatloaf fan but would like a healthier choice with less calories why not try a turkey loaf. The following recipe has approximately 250 calories per slice and will feed 6-8 people.

I find that ground turkey has a slightly blander taste to it so I added pepper flakes to the mixture to add a bit of zip and spiciness to it. If you don't like spicy simply omit the pepper flakes.

Dinner is Ready

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of lean ground turkey
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 shallot chopped
• 2 ribs of celery chopped
• 1 large garlic clove chopped
• 1 Tsp. of pepper flakes
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 big pinches of thyme
• 1 Tsp. of poultry seasoning or sage 
• 4-5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
• 1 extra large egg gently beaten

Instructions

When it comes to safety I like to always check the internal temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Spray a loaf pan with vegetable or olive oil (easier to clean when it's time to wash the dishes)
3. In a large bowl combine the turkey, chopped onions, shallots, celery, and garlic.
4. Add all the spices  along with the Worcestershire sauce, and bread crumbs.
5. Add the beaten egg.
6. You can use a large spoon to mix everything together, but I find that using my hands to do this is just as easy. 
7. Transfer into the prepared loaf pan, and pop it into the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer if you like. The turkey loaf should have an internal temperature of 165 - 170.
8. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
9. Serve and ENJOY!

I served the turkey loaf with fresh asparagus and a baby spinach salad.

I've always wanted a meatloaf pan that I could use to lift the loaf out of the pan, and I think I've found one that I think would work quite well.
This pan called the Perfect Meatloaf Pan will drains the fat, cooks the meat evenly, and keeps it together.

Available at Amazon.com

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Pork Stew

Whenever I think I might want stew for dinner lately I think pork rather than beef. Could be the cost of pork  rather than beef that is influencing my menu choices. Anyways today I have simmering on the stove ...... that's right a pork stew. Today's pork stew is a bit different than my last recipe as I made this one with parsnips and baby turnips along with other vegetables.

Pork Stew with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 3 pounds of pork loin cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
• Greek seasoning mix
• Garlic powder
• 2 tbs. of canola oil  (you can also use vegetable oil)
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 2 parsnips peeled and cut 
• 3 large carrots peeled and cut 
• 3 small white turnips peeled and cut
• 2 medium onions chopped into 8 or 10 pieces
• 3 large potatoes washed and cut into bite size pieces
• 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• Fresh ground pepper
• Thyme
• Parsley

Let's Get Cooking

1. In a plastic bag combine flour, Greek seasoning and garlic powder. For spices I never really measure and use what I feel my taste buds might like. 
2. Add the cut up pork pieces to the bag, shake making sure that all the pieces are coated with the flour mixture.
3. In a dutch oven or large pot heat up the oil. Add the pork and brown on all sides.
4. Add the chicken broth and stir.
5. Add all of the vegetables and don't forget the garlic. Add spices and stir.
6. Bring everything to a boil then turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and let cook for an hour or until vegetables are fully cooked. Every once in awhile stir the stew.
7. About fifteen minutes before serving, you can if you like, add any frozen vegetables. 
8. Serve with a nice crusty loaf of Italian or French bread and or a salad.
9. ENJOY!