Massaged Citrus Kale Salad

I have always loved kale as you all know...but it wasn't until a few months ago that I discovered the awesomeness that is massaged kale. "What are you doing, turning your kitchen into a spa?" Well...in a way yes since you are massaging kale with olive oil, which does make your hands silky soft. But still, why massage? Well, the same texture you get from sautéed kale can be achieved by massaging raw kale as well. By working a mixture of oil and vinegar/citrus juice into the kale, you actually break down the fibers that makes the leaves tough. The result is a delicate, yet still crunchy salad. The best part is, you can massage the salad the night before, and it just gets better the more you let it sit in the fridge!

Sorry, there was no way for me to get actual pictures of myself massaging the kale since I like my phone "oil-free". However, the best way to massage is to...

1. Grab a big bowl.
2. Mix up a vinaigrette of 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons vinegar/lime/lemon juice (I like Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar), 1/4 teaspoon (or a squirt) mustard, salt/pepper to taste. You can add dry or fresh herbs here if you like as well.
3. Add 4 handfuls of kale (trimmed and chopped)
4. Get in there with both hands for 2 minutes. 

Alas, there are no photos of me massaging since I don't have three hands. However, if you'd like to come over and be my extra set of hands, I'll gladly share my food with you after! You know, a little bit of you you massage my back and I'll massage your kale kind of trade...

Hmmm, was that too cheesy?

Anyway, I like to top this citrus salad with sliced strawberries and pecans; although I've been known to add poached chicken, goat cheese or anything else looming in my fridge. Pictured above I served it with an open-faced sandwich of whole grain toast, avocado and an over easy egg.

So, how do you massage YOUR kale?

Orecchiette & Zucchini in Meat Sauce

Tonight I was craving beef for dinner, which is crazy because I hardly ever eat red meat these days. So I walked into Trader Joe's to grab the ingredients for a meat sauce when I saw the most beautiful yellow local zucchini. I knew then and there that I must have it! But how to eat it?...

Why with pasta of course! I love adding zucchini into my pasta dishes. They help bulk up the nutrition, plus, since they have such a light flavor, they don't really alter the flavor of the sauce. Win win! Although, I actually like to eat zucchini raw, so I may be a bit biased....

What do I love about this dish?
1.) I made it with local fresh ingredients.
2.) I spent less than $4 (see my calculations below).
3.) It took me less than 30 minutes to make.
4.) I got to use my fun-shaped orecchiette pasta (aren't they the cutest?!)

Orecchiette & Zucchini in Meat Sauce
Servings: 2 larger dinner servings, 3 medium lunch servings

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 1/4 cup (or a heaping cup) dry orecchiette pasta
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into quarter moons
• 1/2 jar marinara sauce

Directions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt & pasta, then cook according to the directions. I like my pasta very al dente so I cooked mine for 9 minutes instead of the recommended 12. Drain and set aside.
• TIP: orecchiette pasta likes to stick together due to the shape of the pasta. To try to avoid that, stir continuously for 30 seconds after adding the pasta to the water. 
• While the water is coming to a boil, chop the garlic and toss it into a large skillet with the olive oil. Heat on medium high heat until fragrant then add the meat. Separate the beef with the back of a wooden spoon and cook until there is no red color to the meat.
• Add zucchini and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until softened. If you like your veggies more well done, cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Stir in the marinara sauce and the drained pasta, then cook until heated. Check the seasoning and you're good to go! I sprinkled a little parmesan cheese on top of mine to finish it off.

Cost of my Dinner
When I do my calculations I don't include pantry items. This includes things like seasonings (salt, pepper, herbs, etc), garlic, oil (olive, coconut, sesame), soy sauce, dry pasta, rice, flour, etc. This is because all of these items are minimal cost in the total of the recipe, especially cooking for one.

$1.845, ground beef - $3.69 per pound; I used half a pound and put the rest in the freezer
$0.645, marinara sauce - $1.29 per jar; I used half in the recipe and put the rest in my fridge for later
$0.79, zucchini
$0.25, orecchiette pasta - $0.99 per bag; I used approximately 1/4 of a bag

Total cost of tonight's pasta dish - $3.58
Price per serving (3) - $1.18

That's cheaper than fast food! Isn't being a Graduate Gourmet fun??

This recipe may seem too simple to be gourmet, but some of the best dishes simply enhance the ingredients so that they can shine. I really wanted beef tonight, and this recipe let the meat take the lead. Plus I get to enjoy it for two more meals...how yummy will this be tomorrow?!