FitSugar

Make This: A Sweet Bed of Kale

Michele Bell — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:05:19 PST

When you're invited to a dinner party, you may not expect to be doing the cooking yourself, but that's exactly what I did last weekend. At a recent gathering of friends, I was surprised to see that we actually made our dinner and then sat down to eat it. Organized by a dear friend of mine, Parties That Cook came to his house and set up work stations, gave us recipes, showed us some chef tips, and let us take the lead. After we cooked our dishes, we went to another room and drank cocktails while the professional chefs turned the cooking area into a fabulous dining room complete with candlelit place settings.

While I would have loved to make the delicious dessert, I was actually pleased to be on "team kale," as I picked up a new healthy recipe that I can share with you!

Are you ready to see it?

Crazy for Dino Kale

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:00:00 PST

For dinner in Autumn, I always enjoy a sautéed green. Lately, my fave has been kale, especially dino kale, so named for its reptilian texture. This green is in season through late Fall, since the leaves are sweeter after a hard frost. Not only is this green high in vitamins K and A, but it also is decent source of dietary fiber. Plus, it is tasty!

Here is how I prepared it last night. The red pepper flakes add a little bit of heat to the dish to warm you up on a cool night.

Sautéed Dino Kale with Garlic

What you need:
1 bunch dino kale
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 - 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
olive oil

What you do:

Peel and smash garlic clove and let it sit for 10 minutes to allow cancer fighting enzymes to release.
Wash kale thoroughly and then strip the leaves from the stems and rip into bite size pieces. You want the leaves to be wet so they steam in pan. Coarsely chop garlic.
Add olive oil to warm medium-sized sauté pan on medium high heat.
Add garlic and kale and sauté for 5 minutes. Stirring often. If pan gets dry add a bit of water.
Add red pepper flakes and keep stirring greens for another 2 minutes.
Add red wine vinegar and keep cooking for about 10 seconds more.

Serves 2

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Eat Right With Color - It's National Nutrition Month

Susi May — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 04:00:48 PST

January is dedicated to New Year's resolutions. February is all about hearts. And March is National Nutrition Month - that's 31 days dedicated to cultivating sound eating habits. Created by the American Dietetic Association to help Americans improve their diets, the month comes during the time of year when people find their resolve for making healthy choices start to fade.

This year's slogan, "Eat Right with Color," is cheerful enough to bust through the dreariness of late Winter. Eating a rainbow of foods is great way to ensure you're getting a variety of vitamins and minerals - different antioxidants create the different colors in fruits and veggies. Here's what adding a little color to your plate can do for you:

Yellow/Orange: Sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, mango, corn, and cantaloupe all contain a variety of carotenoids, an antioxidant that reduces your risk of developing cancer. Also high in vitamin A, orange and yellow foods make great post-workout snacks since cartenoids help repair micro tears in well worked muscles.
Green: Vegetables such as kale, spinach, and broccoli are high in lutein, which keeps your vision sharp and clear. Treat your taste buds and your peepers to sautéed dino kale with pine nuts and currants. It's a snap to make.

Learn what the rest of the rainbow has to offer.