Throughout the years, I've seen several different ways of achieving perfectly wilted kale. Growing up, my mom would pan-fry the dark, leafy green, smothering it with soy sauce and diced red bell pepper to offset its bitter flavor. When I was in culinary school, I was taught to blanch and shock the kale, then sauté it à la minute. However, I think I've discovered the most simple method of kale preparation — steaming — and it requires less than five minutes and only one pot. Put away the sauces and oils and bust out the old-school stainless steel vegetable steamer, because you're going to love steamed kale, unadulterated.
Posts for January 4th 2013
See How Evolution's Sweet Greens Juice Compares to a Homemade Version
When I'm on the go or out of town, I turn to trusty Starbucks to pick up my favorite bottled green juice: Evolution Fresh Sweet Greens and Lemon Juice. With that bottle of the slightly sweet, definitely green, and perfectly smooth stuff, I always feel like I'm doing my body good when I invest in a $6 bottle. The back of the bottle showcases the fruits and vegetables used, and on a recent day, I thought, "Hmm, I'd like to try that recipe out at home."
Upon closer look at the ingredients list, I was a little disappointed by the actual amount each bottle provides. While there is a sufficient amount of celery, apple, and parsley, other ingredients have oddly minimal amounts: 1/8 of a cucumber, 2/5 leaf of romaine lettuce, and 5 leaves of spinach? As an avid juicer, I felt a little ripped off.
I tried to stay as true as I could to the amounts listed on the back but did make a few tweaks so each ingredient makes a significant presence in the juice. (My grocer doesn't carry fresh sprouts or wheatgrass, so I didn't include those in the recipe, but that's not to say you shouldn't add them.) I was worried that with so many ingredients, the juice would take a long time to make, but start to finish, it took 15 minutes to chop the vegetables and process them through my Omega Masticating Juicer. Interestingly enough, the juice yields at least twice the amount of juice you'll find in the bottle, if not more.
When I bought the ingredients, I was curious to know if it would be cost-effective, compared to the Evolution juice. When I broke the price down based on the recipe I developed, the total amount of organic ingredients was $5.14, so not much less than the Evolution bottle. For the recipe, and a side-by-side taste comparison, read more.
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Try 6 Tips For a Better Bowl
Oatmeal may never have the magnetic allure of luscious chocolate cake or breakfast brethren like lofty dutch babies or loaded breakfast burritos. Still, one need not resign to a bland or gloppy bowl: I start almost every day with a bowl full to the brim and have yet to grow bored. Here are a few tips that are too good not to share.
- Don't forget the salt: While the instructions on the tub of oats might imply that salt is optional, quite frankly it's not. Your bowl of oatmeal shouldn't taste salty (unless, of course, you're trying a savory iteration, like the one below), but adding a hefty pinch will help enhance flavors whether nutty, sweet, or creamy. Just make sure to season to taste after it's done cooking; if you add it at the start, the oats will release less of their starch, and the resulting texture won't be as creamy.
- Skip instant oats: These flaky par-cooked fragments might simmer up quicker, but with a catch: the resulting bowl of oatmeal will be reminiscent of wallpaper paste. Instead, try rolled (old-fashioned) oats or steel-cut groats. Not only are these options more toothsome and robustly flavored, they'll stave off hunger longer.
- Swap out water for other liquids: Boost flavor by experimenting with other liquids. For a creamier bowl, try milk or nondairy alternatives like almond or soy milk. For zestier flavor, replace up to half of the water with juices like pomegranate or orange.
An Easy Way to Swap Dried Beans For Their Canned Counterparts
Many recipes will call for a 15-ounce can of cooked beans, but dried beans are not only lower in sodium, but they're also more economical. If you have dried beans on hand, try this simple ratio for an easy kitchen hack.
Since a 15-ounce can typically yields about 1-1/2 cups of cooked and drained beans, soak 3/4 cup of dried beans in water for eight hours or overnight, then boil the beans in a pot of fresh water until the beans are tender (25-45 minutes, depending on the bean). This should yield about the same amount of beans as the can.
Link Time: Patrick Dempsey Buys Tully's
- Patrick Dempsey outbids Starbucks, buys Tully's — Zagat
- 16 desserts made healthier with agave — HuffPost Taste
- The 40 most anticipated restaurant openings of 2013 — Eater
- Is Reno turning into a haven for foie-deprived Californians? — Grub Street Los Angeles
- Burger King introduces chicken nuggets — Delish
- Warm shrimp salad hearty enough to stand on its own — Tasting Table
- Subway's testing out a creamy Sriracha sauce — Foodbeast
Cheers! Clink Glasses With These 5 Libations — Shared by You
We asked you to share with us pictures of what you're drinking, and you delivered. As we virtually clink glasses, see what pics of delicious-looking adult drinks you posted to us via Instagram. Cheers!
Know Your Techniques: Poaching
Poaching may sound like an advanced technique, but it is actually nothing more than gently simmering food in liquid until it is cooked through. Poaching lends itself best to delicate ingredients that risk falling apart or drying out at high heats. Foods such as fish, chicken, eggs, and fruit poach beautifully; the low heat, kept between 140° to 180° Fahrenheit, preserves flavor, allowing for an incredibly tender and tasty result. Never allow the liquid to reach a rolling boil; rather, keep a watchful eye to make sure small bubbles form as the food gently simmers to perfection.
Poaching an ingredient doesn't require too much liquid — just enough to cover the ingredients.
A few ideal poaching liquids include water, milk, stock, or wine (my personal favorite). Depending on what I'm making I like to add whole spices to flavor the liquid, like bay leaf or peppercorns with salmon poached in white wine. What's your favorite thing to poach? Do you have any tried-and-true poaching recipes or tips?
The 10 Funniest Food-Filled Super Bowl Ads
For us, Super Bowl Sunday may be synonymous with copious amounts of yummy food, but there's another part of the tradition that we look forward to year after year: those hysterical Super Bowl commercials! While some may have fallen short of our expectations, there are definitely a few that make us smile every time we watch. From brewskies to fast food to party snacks, take a comfy seat and prepare to laugh at 10 of the funniest food-filled ads that have aired on Super Bowl Sunday.
Savory Sight: Cherry Blossom Macarons
We've heard of orange blossom extract, but cherry blossom extract, used in pastrydiva's macarons, sounds too divine for words.
We were blessed with an amazing friend who travels home to Japan twice a year and generously brought us back a plethora of cherry blossom flavors. We spent an entire month using cherry blossom extract, sugars, and compounds in array of treats. By far, the favorite was the cherry blossom macarons.
For the recipe, check out her blog, and then be sure to share your food photos in the YumSugar Community or by starting your own blog. If you're on Instagram, then chime in on the conversation with the hashtag #savorysight.

