A kale dish for cold weather

This is the very first recipe I’m featuring on my blog, and for good reason.

Ever since i came upon the smoky braised kale with tomato, featured as part of The 400 Degree Thanksgiving on the NYT Cooking website, I’ve wanted to try my hand at it. After all, what could be more comforting than a hot vegetarian dish on a cold night?

This flavorful proposition can be enjoyed all by itself, as I did today,  or as complement to a meatier meal. Lots of smoked paprika in its deeply caramelized tomato base give the kale a delicious and hearty smoky flavor that i loved to no end,  and after a very short cooking time, I ended up with a quick and healthy alternative for lunch or dinner that could also be re imagined by adding some andouille sausage or meat of your choice.

 

Only non fussy ingredients required here: A bunch of kale, or two… one onion, eight garlic cloves, one quarter cup of tomato paste (or more if you wish) , one teaspoon smoked paprika ( I used three) , one tablespoon red wine vinegar (plus more to taste), three cups chicken stock, one quarter cup olive oil and some salt and pepper.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil and add the onion and garlic, cooking until translucent.

Add the tomato paste and smoked paprika. Reduce heat, stir frequently and cook until paste begins to caramelize.

At this point, add the stock and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and allow it to come to a boil.

Add kale, cover, and cook until it wilts.

Stir to incorporate the sauce into the kale and keep simmering until kale is tender. Taste and season if necessary. I added a bit more vinegar and some shaved parmesan on top and proceeded to devour the contents of my bowl.

Bon Apettit!

 

It’s never too late.

Julia Hawkins started running last year, at age 100. In 2013, after four failed attempts, Diana Nyad completed a 110 mile swim from Cuba to Key West at age 64.

There are innumerable stories all over the world, and all through the ages about people accomplishing enormous feats against seemingly insurmountable odds.

When i was little, i dreamed of being a Nobel Prize winning scientist,  like Marie Curie, an astronaut, like Yuri Gagarin, a renowned novelist, like Jane Austen, a kick ass martial artist, like Bruce Lee.

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars.”

Everything seemed possible back then.

Then i grew up, and somehow lost that feeling of empowerment and assertiveness,  that roaring voice inside me, that overwhelming sense of belief in myself.

Most of us give up so easily the moment the going starts getting tough, i am a perfect example of that . The indomitable childhood voice has been replaced with one riddled with self doubt and self loathing.

There’s no telling what one can achieve if one puts enough energy into the project.

But, first, believe in the project, choose something meaningful to you, from learning to knit, to going back to school at the ripe age of ___, from finally getting fit, to running a marathon, or completing an ironman, from starting your own business to learning to cook, from running your first race at age 100, to swimming 110 miles from Cuba to Key West…the sky is truly the limit.

And even more importantly, believe in yourself at all costs, bring back that childhood voice full of promise, learn to silence the inner critic, embrace yourself wholeheartedly, love your flawed uniqueness, and listen to Diana’s  message after reaching the Key West shore:

” One, we should never, ever give up. Two, you are never too old to chase your dreams.”