Baked Eggs with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto

Recipe and photo via Shoot to Cook

Guest Post Series: Rachel's "Crazy with Kale"

Surreptitiously placed in the produce aisle between bunches of spinach and arugula is the oft-forgotten dark leafy green: kale.   

Until recently, I, like many grocery store shoppers, neglected kale, opting for more familiar greens- broccoli, romaine lettuce, and even swiss chard.   However, after reading article after article in Self, Women’s Fitness, and Shape magazines (I told you- I HEART magazines!) extolling the benefits of this superfood, I decided to face my culinary fears and cook with kale!  Let me tell you, I have not been disappointed.  Not only is kale healthful, rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin A and calcium, it is delish!  

Kale is to me what shrimp is to Bubba from Forrest Gump.  Kale is just about as versatile as shrimp, which is a major feat because, as eloquently stated by Bubba, himself, “you can barbecue shrimp, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauteé it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich."  Below are a few of my fave kale recipes.  I’m sorry to report that I have not yet found a recipe for kale burgers (I know, you’re heartbroken…) but, nonetheless, enjoy and get your kale on!  

Kale Frittata

Boiled Kale with Fried Eggs and Toast

Lemony Kale Salad

Kale Crisps with Sea Salt and Lemon

Garlicky Greens

Kale Salad with Toasted Coconut and Sesame Oil

 Photos via Orangette and 101 Cookbooks

Guest Post Series: Rachel's Sauteed Veggies with Chicken

Hello everyone! One of my oldest, dearest, and most hilarious friends has agreed to write a weekly guest post for the summer!  Rachel is the author of the blog Jams 'N Honey, and is both a fitness and gastronomic guru.  Each week, she'll be sharing a fitness tip, or one of her delicious, inexpensive, and easy-to-make recipes.  I'm so looking forward to having her here on The Nowhere Years! --m.

Hello lovely readers! My name is Rachel and I am beyond excited to be guest blogging. A little about me:

1. I am, unabashedly, a nerd

2. I am addicted to magazines and nail polish (it is actually a problem…)

3. I love to cook, preferably while singing along to my Pandora station of the moment

4. I am a spinning instructor

5. My current goal is to become a zen goddess. I am not entirely sure what this entails, but I recently bought some scented candles so I figure I am on my way…

So, now that we have the introductions out of the way, I wanted to share a recipe for one of my favorite summer dinners: Sautéed Veggies with Chicken. This is the simplest of dishes, but it is healthful and oh so satisfying.

For the chicken:
I am all about ease when it comes to cooking, so when preparing chicken, I rely on my dear old friend George Foreman. If you don’t have one of these lean, mean, grilling machines I highly recommend investing in one. For this particular recipe, I simply season one piece of boneless skinless chicken with garlic salt and pepper and grill it on the George Foreman for 10 minutes.

For the veggies:
First things first, grab whatever veggies you have in the fridge. My favorite combination is spinach, mushrooms, red onion, and eggplant. I don’t worry too much about measurements when it comes to vegetables, because, really, can you ever have too many? Wash and chop the veggies to your liking.

Once the veggies are ready to go, heat up about 2 tablespoons of EVOO (so Rachael Ray right now…) in a non-stick skillet on high heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, as well as a bit of minced garlic (I keep a jar of this stuff in my fridge to save on preparation time) to the skillet and mix. After about a minute, toss in all of the veggies EXCEPT THE SPINACH, stirring occasionally. Spinach cooks super quickly so add if after 4-5 minutes (the other vegetables should be well on their way to caramelize-ation at this point). Cook until the spinach is nice and wilted (about 2 minutes), and you’re done! For a little something extra add , add a few sun-dried tomatoes. So easy, so delicious, so versatile!

Gourmet

 

My Day on a Plate: Debi Mazar

This just looks awesome.  I hope I'll be able to eat as well on such a regular basis some day...

Ah, to always be Gourmet...

photo from www.gourmet.com

Order up.

Yum.

 I am a creature of habit.  This quality displays itself in a variety of ways.  Such as, I always walk or drive somewhere in the exact same way, I think I have averaged eating an apple and peanut-butter every day for the past five years, and most importantly, I always, always, order the same thing.

I was thinking about that the other day when I was in line to order a sandwich at the pub, and I almost said, "six inch club on whole wheat with lettuce, pickles, and mayo."  Then I realized I wasn't standing in line at a Subway.  Here are a few of the stock characters of the Molly-palate...

Smoked turkey on french with provolone, house, and sprouts from The Cheese Shop (aka the addiction of Williamsburg...) If I'm goin all out-- I'll get a bag of baked sour cream and chive chips, an Orangina (Love. And, the bottles are so cool!) and, of course, extra house sauce...

Sugar free vanilla soy latte from.... this mom n' pop joint...(har har...)

Egg whites with cheese, mushrooms, and peppers--- my omelet at Campus Center.  I get it every Saturday morning.  Amanda, Jaime, and I stand in line foreeevverrrr in hopes of something more than sub-par...

Club on whole wheat with lettuce pickles and mayo (aka Korroch family road trip special from Subway...)

Burrito with chicken, rice, no beans, corn salsa, lettuce, mayo, and guac (From my former love, Chipotle.  Until that one fateful day, or two, last year during spring break.... poor Jaime....)

Tall hazelnut steamer... (It's my, I-want-to-appear-to-be-drinking-coffee-but-it's-too-late drink.  It's  impossible to go here without running into someone you know... especially on open mic night in the middle of the summer....

The Greek Omelet with egg whites, (the best omelet in existence.) and no hash browns... from a legit mom n' pop place. Also impossible to make an appearance here without running into half of Williamsburg....

Southwest chicken wrap.  Also from Aroma's.  Emily and I always happen to get them at the same time, despite our promises to "try something new"...

Veggie on focaccia.  For the days when the house sauce is feelin' a tad too heavy....

Small original tart with two strawberries and one granola... from a new Williamsburg favorite.  However, they close obscenely early.  It's quite upsetting when 9:30 rolls around and all I want is a frozen yogurt.

A shoutout for Ithaca--- I have yet to determine a habitual sandwich from this place (there are so many choices!) but, it's in the works!


So, what are your habitual orders?  What do yall get from these places?  Or, what are the cool places from your home-town to which everyone goes??  Of course, my biggest curiosity is: Williamsburg!  What do yall get from Cheese Shop?? Seriously, Williamsburg, we should all pick a day when we put our Cheese Shop order as our facebook statuses or something.  It's just so defining... ;)