Kale

Spicy Sausage, Potato and Kale Pizza

October 16, 2015

I have a popular post on my blog that catches me by surprise every time I see it. It’s a simple soup that I made in dedication to a really bad restaurant chain, a couple years ago. Never did I think that it would go on to become one of two of the most popular posts on this site. (The other one being a Fried Chicken and Waffle Sandwich that is as crazy and delicious as it sounds). This other post though, the one in question, is a Spicy Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup. It’s a soup I make on a regular basis, and I actually love it a lot. Apparently, a lot of you really like it a lot as well! So in honor of our mutual love for this simple soup, I decided to turn it into a simple pizza. Pizza with browned spicy sausage, sautéed kale and potatoes just sounds like a great decision to me, and the only way that recipe could get better if I’m being honest. The kale makes it healthy so don’t worry about a thing. Not one thing. Go ahead and eat that second helping. No one is watching.

I’ve teamed up with Wisconsin Cheese to talk to you about a new site, a new cheese blend and a nifty giveaway. Let’s first talk about the new site. Wisconsin Cheese is debuting a new site called Friday Night Pizza Night! It’s a site dedicated to those who love making pizza at home with family and friends, or for those who want to be the kind of people who like making pizza at home with family and friends. It also happens to be National Pizza Month, so if you’re in need of pizza night recipes and tips to help you celebrate all month long, you’ll definitely want to check the site out for yourself. Let’ talk about the new cheese blend now. Roth Cheese has developed three different cheese blends that are perfect for flatbreads and pizzas (among other dishes). They’re a great way to add restaurant-quality flavor to home cooked dishes. The blends are unique, flavorful and give you the flavor of three specialty cheeses, without having to buy them individually. The flavors are Ultimate Firehouse, Ultimate Mac and Cheese and Ultimate Flatbread. I used the Ultimate Flatbread blend which is made up Grand Cru, Mild Provolone, and Fontiago. Aka, the best cheeses for pizza.

Now let’s talk about the giveaway! The best part. Remember how last time I told you that there would be more giveaways on the site because you deserve it and because you’re amazing, well I meant it. You do deserve it and you are amazing, so Wisconsin Cheese is giving away a pizza making kit to one lucky winner. Everything you need to become a pizza pro at home! You’ll get:

Pizza stone and pizza cutter
Microplane grater
Wisconsin Cheese trivet
Wisconsin Cheese!

You’ll be making delicious pizza at home in no time. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below telling my mom (as always she’ll be picking the winner at random) and I what your favorite pizza topping is! One entry per person please, and you have until Sunday to enter. The winner will be notified Monday via email! Good luck!

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Dinner for Two: Braised Meatballs, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Roasted Kale

February 12, 2015

Let’s be honest, not every night is fancy dinner night. We’re not always in the mood to spend hours in the kitchen making a complicated meal, no matter how hard we try. The honest truth about it all is that even though we wish we could be Martha Stewart every single day of our lives, it’s unrealistic and not always doable. Things come up. We’re only human. Don’t be too hard on yourself. There are certain nights when tuna sandwiches, simple tacos or even a quick bowl of cereal make an appearance (as we eat standing up) and we call it good. You know the days I’m talking about. We don’t complain because we simply do not have the time or quite frankly, the energy to put much effort in the kitchen. But on those rare special occasions when we’re looking for something with a bit more glamour than cold cereal, it’s nice to venture out and make a meal that’s not only rich in flavor, but also super easy to make, while still looking like we’re royalty. We deserve to treat ourselves whenever possible.

Dinner for Two: Braised Meatballs, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Roasted Kale is here to save the day. This is us taking an everyday classic and turning it into something a bit more fancy. This is us saying we don’t want cereal for breakfast. Braising the meatballs in a delicious pan gravy sauce not only makes them incredibly flavorful, but also allows them to cook for a while without drying out. Think Swedish meatballs but not because I’m not Swedish and I don’t even know what goes into Swedish meatballs. Roasted garlic takes the mashed potatoes to a whole new level. A one way ticket to Flavortown. And of course, the roasted crispy kale just makes us seem cool and hip since kale is everywhere at the moment. We’re just keeping up with the Joneses and I’m totally fine with that because roasted kale is sort addictingly tasty. I’m not even sure if addictingly is a word, but I’m making it one now.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I didn’t want you to get caught off guard. Especially all my late planners out there, so I decided to share these recipes with the hopes that you’ll surprise your loved one and make them a romantic meal at home. Anyone can make a reservation at a restaurant, but not everyone can whip up a great home-cooked supper. So go ahead and cancel those reservations and get yourself to the grocery store! You only have two days to get everything together. Have no fear though, I know you can pull it off. I have all the faith in you.

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Kale and Artichoke Dip

April 4, 2014

So long spinach. Goodbye. It was nice knowing you. Until next time. You’re out of the picture. You’ve been replaced by a new green. Something much more marketable and hip and tasty, and do you want to know something, spinach? People really love the new you, too. It’s sad, but true. They can’t get enough of it. It seems to be everywhere right now. No matter where I turn, BAM, I run into it. You can’t escape it, spinach. You’re done. Cooked. No one wants you anymore. You were popular, what, in the eighties? You’ve had a nice run though, so you can’t complain. I think it’s better to go while you’re still on top. While people still remember you with admiration and nostalgia. Take the high road, on your way out. It’s the only sophisticated thing to do. One day you’ll look back at this moment and think to yourself, “Everyone was right to trade me in. I am a loser. I’ve reached my full potential.” It’s okay though, cheer up spinach. Think of all the happy and healthy times you brought all those people throughout the years—that is before kale came into the picture and stole all of your thunder, rendering you pretty much useless and unwanted. Word on the street is that even Popeye the Sailor Man is getting all his strength from kale these days. Talk about hitting rock bottom, spinach. Hitting the cold hard concrete. In the pouring rain. Shut out with nowhere to turn to.

There there spinach, don’t cry. It happens to the best of us. You should be happy that kale is getting its chance in the spotlight. It’s nice to share. Between you and I, spinach, I think it’s just a fad. People in this town like to jump on band wagons. You see, in no time they’ll get bored of kale, throwing out words like “one note” and “non-versatile.” I can see it already. You’ll be back on top…eventually. Oh spinach, I’m not saying it’ll be tomorrow or anytime soon. I’m sure it’ll be a long while before people forget about the wonder that is kale. It’s pretty magical, but I’m sure you don’t need to hear that right now.

I guarantee you though, that there will come a day when everyone drops kale like it’s hot. It’ll lose its cool factor and they’ll move on to something new and exciting. Something bigger and better. That’s where you come back in, spinach. You swoop in with a new and improved look. A rebranding so to speak. When Popeye comes running back, you say, “Get lost Sailor Man! I don’t need you!” Get yourself a new spokesperson and reinvent yourself. That’ll win America’s hearts back once again. Then you’ll slap kale in the face and send it running back to the dark hole from whence it came. You’ll have the last laugh, dear ol’ spinach. I know it’s difficult to see that right now because of all the tears and anger towards kale, but you’ll see how right I am. Hey! I know what will cheer you up! I made some dip, maybe you’d like some. Dip always makes me feel better. I tried out this new recipe. It has artichokes and lots of cheese and this deliciously wonderful green in it. Oh what green, you ask? You don’t know it. It’s a new green, spinach. Something out of this world. You’re still number one though (in my heart), and that’s all that matters.

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Spicy Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup

January 19, 2013

It is difficult sometimes to think of delicious and interesting dishes to make for dinner. You would think that it comes so easily and so naturally to me, constantly being around food and all. The truth of the matter is that even for me, a self-proclaimed foodie, it is rather tough at times to create new and exciting recipes for dinner. There are days when I am all out of ideas and absolutely nothing comes to mind. There are no creative juices left, and I am left to ponder the age old question. “What are we having for dinner tonight?” Sure it would be easier to eat out and not have to worry about cooking, but that even becomes stressful. Where do I go for dinner? What shall I eat? There are so many choices out there that it becomes overwhelming and suddenly staying in, cooking a simple dinner at home in my own kitchen, sounds very appetizing once again. And I am back to where I started. I will then force myself, as a last resort, to go to the grocery store and see what looks good. At times I will think of something to cook, there on the spot, as I surround myself with what the market has to offer on that particular day.

I am often asked how is it that I come up with my recipes? Where do I get inspiration? How do I even begin to formulate ideas, brainstorm, and test out my recipes? I think it is nearly impossible to say that a recipe is completely thought up or originally invented by one particular person, especially nowadays. After all, how many ways are there to make a soup? They pretty much all start the same way with mostly similar ingredients; veggies, stock, and some sort of protein. Cooking or baking is not necessarily about inventing a recipe from scratch all on your own—because I think although completely doable—it would prove to be difficult in some way, shape, or form because yours would inevitably be similar to someone else’s out there in the world. It is only logical. It is okay to draw inspiration from someone else’s recipe. It is when you begin to change ingredients, swap out amounts, add here and take away there, that it really becomes your recipe. It starts to take shape and become a piece of you. Then, and only then, when you have perfected your new dish and have made it several times can you call it your recipe with pride.

My ideas come from other food blogs, magazines, books, online research and friends and family. Sometimes I even formulate ideas based solely on images I find online. I will stumble upon a delicious looking photograph on the internet and begin to research recipes, combining ingredients and methods from all different sources to make the recipe my own. Then finally when I get around to testing out a recipe and actually making it, I will change things as I go along. Adding seasonings or ingredients that I know will go well together or enhance the overall flavors. That comes from experience of trial and error. In this day and age, we all take inspiration from someone or something. A dish we once tried at a restaurant. A recipe we stumbled upon online. A magazine article with a simple and easy dinner idea. A cookbook we have booked marked all throughout, vowing to trying out some of the dishes inside. It is rather simple to formulate ideas, if you think about it. After all food is all around us. Why not start creating your own kitchen masterpieces?

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