Another Vegetable You'll Actually Like

      Since even I know that it's no fun just to post a veggie recipe for a whole day, I try to think of strategic ways to throw them in there because they really do deserve some attention. So if you're looking for something sweet, check out the cinnamon muffins I made for breakfast this morning. If, however, you're ready to try something a little different, read on. A week or so ago, I tried a growing trend in healthy eating, kale chips. They're pretty good, but not my favorite, so I decided that I was not yet finished exploring the possibilities of this particular vegetable. I needed to really cook it in a more traditional way before I formed an official opinion of it. So today I sautéed it with garlic, olive oil, and parmesan...a basic, but perfect combination for many vegetables. This recipe is not the kind of thing you have to measure all that precisely, but here's a guideline:

INGREDIENTS:
enough kale to fill a medium frying pan (I use half a big bag of the kind that comes pre-washed and chopped.)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan

DIRECTIONS:
1. If you don't have pre-packaged kale, make sure to wash it well, cut as much of the stems out as possible, and roughly chop the leaves.
2. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Add the kale to the pan, stir it as
best you can for a minute, then drizzle a little bit more olive oil over the top, and sprinkle on the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. This is how voluminous the kale should be when you start:

3. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, then reduce the heat and cover the pan. After about 7 minutes total, the kale should be partially wilted. 

4. Stir it again, the re-cover and continue to cook for 7-8 more minutes. When the kale is completely wilted, turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan.

     One of my little life goals is to try as many different fruits and vegetables as I can. Some of them will be exotic and others, like kale, will be familiar favorites to others but new to me. I'm glad I got to explore it a little and share it. Maybe it's not the most exciting recipe in the world, but it broadens my culinary horizons, and that's always a good thing.