Kiss Me, I Eat Kale!

VEN THE BEST junk food can not rival a fresh selection of vegetables as far as I'm concerned. As a vegetarian, they're the largest part of my diet, but even when I ate meat, I remember feeling like the meal was lacking without them. Naturally, my love for vegetables and animals made a plant-based diet an easy decision. My latest endeavor has been learning about and finding different ways to prepare veggies not currently in my repertoire.

I was never too fond of kale because of the sulforaphane in it that makes it smell the noxious way it does, (and all cabbages, the family to which kale belongs) but once I read about its health benefits and tried a couple of good recipes, I had a change of heart. Sulforaphane, I learned, actually triggers the liver to produce enzymes that help detoxify carcinogens. There are lots of studies that confirm this and discuss its implications for cancer prevention too.

I pulled out the food processor I received for Christmas and whipped up a healthy St. Patrick's Day treat for vegans and non-vegans alike:

Leprechaun-approved!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups chopped kale
• 1 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 tbsp. miso paste
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Blanch kale in 1/4 cup of water for approximately five minutes or until leaves are tender. Reserve water for later.
2. Toat pine nuts on low heat until slightly brown.
3. Combine kale, pine nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and miso paste in food processor.
4. Slowly add olive oil and water used for kale, and pulse mixture until you reach desired consistency.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with pita chips, on crostini, in pesto tortellini or pastas... you can work it into just about any meal! 

Bon Appétit,

Margaret

Technicolor Inspiration

 

Succulents: I love plants and nurturing them. Unfortunately, if plants could talk, the ones I've "nurtured" would tell a different story. I have killed every single pot of orchids anyone has ever bought me (total count: 5). Cactuses, on the other hand, are notoriously low maintenance and so far I haven't killed a single one! They're not only easy to take care of; they're such a unique and varied plant.

Lighting: We (mostly I) have been hunting for a lamp to light up our living room, and I like almost every single version of Robert Abbey's Delta lamp, from the jewel tones to the pastels. Out of my price range for now, it goes for $150.91. Check out all the colors here: lampsplus.com.

Midcentury Modern: It's no secret that I am crushing hard on mid-century modern design. Friends have come to my apartment and told me that they feel like they stepped into the 50's, and in case you're wondering, I think that's very much a compliment. I've been keeping my eye out for aqua shell chairs on craigslist.org. Wouldn't it look great paired with an industrial steel work desk?

Spring Shoes: I got shoes on the brain! Madewell.com has the cutest selection of staples, and while I don't think these are a necessity, it's hard not to be drawn to shiny things. Blame the raccoon in me. Madewell's Metallic High Road Sandal also comes in other less visually-demanding colors: madewell.com.

Pillows: There are those who sleep with 8 pillows on their bed, and then there are those who lounge on the sofa buried beneath an 8-pillow avalanche. I am most definitely not the former and most certainly the latter. In the coming months I plan on updating our couch by mixing and matching some pillows from crateandbarrel.com and dwellstudio.com.

Rugs: We ordered this "Magic Carpet Rug" for our living room because we need something to brighten up the space, and my hope is that this will easily draw from every other color we have in our living room. It's very affordable at $64, so grab it while you can from urbanoutfitters.com.

Sunnies: Ray Ban Clubmasters, Wayfarers, D&G, House of Harlow. Those are just a few styles and brands of sunglasses I frequently ogle but am too stingy to shell out for. I think these SUPER Lucia cat eye sunnies could be universally flattering and I can't resist transparent pink frames. At $163 (available from piperlime.com), I will be making sure they're a perfect match before I commit.

I have some cool posts in the works for you, so stay tuned!

xoxo,

Margaret