kale salad with zucchini ribbons

Amidst turkeys and burgers and pie and overloads of Halloween candy, I think a little greenery should sneak back into my life. Cue kale! This salad is really easy and PACKED with vitamins and cancer-fighitng nutrients. All you need is a couple cups of kale, 1 zucchini, crumbled fetta, black olives, and pretty much whatever else you like in your salad/have in your fridge. 

I find kale sometimes has an overly earthy taste - to loosen it up a bit, I cooked it in a heated skillet with about 1 tbsp of olive oil for just a minute or two, to let it wilt and ease up on that really raw flavour. Set it aside and let it cool.

Shave the zucchini using a vegetable peeler, or a mandolin if you have one accessible. I had to play around with it for a while, but don't be afraid to be forceful (it's just a zucchini...).

Heat up a grill and give it a spritz of oil so the ribbons don't stick. Arrange them across the grill horizontally, season with salt and pepper. You'll know they're just about done when they start turning yellow and getting those dark grill marks across them. No need to flip them over, these ribbons are so thin they will cook RIGHT through.

I added pitted black olives, crumbled feta, and slivered almonds. Toss with a vinaigrette made of 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Voila, the freshest, healthiest salad your heart ever did see. Feel free to add grilled chicken or shrimp if you want to pack in some protein. 

Everyone needs a little green to combat the sugar overload from Halloween. Or at least I do, as empty wrappers are currently littering my room....

Happy Sunday!

A.C

Zucchini Blossoms

This weekend was spend with cousins and relatives celebrating the life of a departed aunt.  It is amazing how times of grief and sorrow can bring families so much closer together. I am fortunate enough to have all four of my grandparents still alive and well, but I realize that won't always be a reality.  I was thinking of my Nonna (Italian for grandmother) the past few days, and I can't express what an amazing lady she is - such a soft heart, but an incredibly hard worker (seriously, the woman has more stamina than me).   No matter what time of day you visit, she will always have some sort of delicious meal ready to serve. She has taught me that the value of a home cooked family meal goes beyond feeding a hungry stomach, and that most things you should be eating can be picked straight from your backyard garden. While I realize nothing I ever make will ever taste quite as good as hers, I am still going to try and record some of her most famous recipes so I can share them with the family I may one day have. 

Deep-fried zucchini flowers (blossoms)

These were picked today, straight off the zucchini plants in my Nonna's garden. If you don't have a zucchini garden, you can get them at most grocery stores - they're best used the same day they are picked.  Look for blossoms with green, moist stems that haven't dried out, and bright orange flours that aren't wilted.

Ingredients
Peanut oil/ Canola oil for deep frying
6-8 zucchini blossoms (hand picked
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1/4 cup flour
flaked sea salt and pepper

I had about 16 flowers, so the recipe is doubled.

Wash and dry flowers thoroughly. Remove the pistil (the inner part
of the flower).

Put the egg and milk in a shallow disk, add salt and pepper,
and whisk to combine.

Mix the flour with salt and pepper in another shallow dish.

Dip the zucchini in the egg wash..

..and then into the flour mixture...

...so they look something like this.

Heat oil to a frying temperature of 350F-180C. Drop in the flowers.

Remove when they're golden brown (about 10 seconds).

Drain on paper towel and serve.

Happy Monday everyone.

A.C