Homemade Kale Chips

I have been absolutely obsessed with kale in the last few months. I love its flavor AND it's good for you! I try to keep some kale in my refrigerator for moments when I want to make a quick and healthy snack. Guilt-free snacks are the best kind! I usually buy pre-washed and pre-cut organic kale sold by the package. A 10oz bag usually makes two medium-sized bowls of chips and that costs $2.99 at Trader Joe's. You can buy by the bunch, but I like the convenience of making the kale chips on a fly. In just a few simple steps, you can be making your own healthy snack for you and your family too!

Ingredients:

• 10oz bag of pre-washed and pre-cut kale (If buying by the bunch: wash and dry thoroughly before cutting into 1" pieces.)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Lay the kale pieces on a large sheet pan or cookie sheet and drizzle just enough oil olive to coat them. Toss the kale pieces until they are evenly coated. Spread the pieces out evenly.
• Add a couple dashes of salt and pepper to taste.
• Bake for ten minutes and remove from the oven. Toss the pieces again, so that they can cook evenly. Bake for another ten minutes.

The next time you reach for a package of popcorn to make for a movie night, reach for that bag of kale in your fridge instead. Warning: These are highly addictive and you will wish you made more! Be prepared to make a second batch if necessary.

I also use kale to make a hearty soup that is great in warming me up on the coldest days. Check back soon for my kale and sausage recipe!

What is your favorite kale recipe? I'd love to hear how you are using kale, so please comment away!

Have a great week everyone :)

Shrimp Spring Rolls and Peanut Sauce

I LOVE Vietnamese food and spring rolls are probably one of my favorite Vietnamese foods to eat. The best part is that it is actually super easy to make! Aside from boiling a few items together, there isn't a whole lot of cooking involved. I usually prefer this with a peanut sauce, but you can eat this with prepared fish sauce too. I absolutely love how light the meal is but yet filling at the same time. I was able to make about twenty spring rolls with this recipe, but this can vary depending on how small or big you make it. I think that this is the perfect meal to get the whole family involved in making.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package of a 14 oz bag of vermicelli noodles
• 1 package of rice paper
• 3/4-1 lb shrimp, cooked
• 1 head of lettuce
• 1 long cucumber or 2 short cucumbers, peeled
• 2 C mint leaves
• 1 C hoisin sauce
• 2 tbs creamy peanut butter
• 1 C crushed peanuts
• chili garlic oil sauce (optional)
• 1 bunch of scallions, cut in halves (optional)

Instructions:

• Start by washing and preparing the veggies and letting it drain while you prepare the peanut sauce.
• For the cucumber: cut off the ends, cut in half (long cucumbers only), then cut in half again length wise like the picture above.
• Scope out the seeds in and cut into long thin pieces.

• Boil just a little over 1 quart of water and add noodles when it comes to a boil. I typically end up cooking the noodles longer than the package states. Do a strand test to be sure the noodle is just soft enough but not soggy.
• When the noodles are cooked, drain them but do not dump the starchy water! I like to use this for the sauce because it creates a thicker consistency than water.
• Rinse the noodles with cold water and set aside.
• Pour 4 C of the noodle water in a pot and bring to a boil.
• Add the hoisin sauce and peanut butter. Stir well and add hot sauce if desired.
• Let cool and it will thicken a little more.

Now, get a large bowl of hot water ready and set up the assembly line like this:

(Use a round plate slightly bigger than the size of the rice paper)

• Let the water cool enough so that it is hot but will not burn. Dip the rice paper in the water and place on the plate. The trick is to dip quickly, rotate the rice paper, and continue until it is mostly wet. You do not want it to be too wet and soggy because it will stick together and become difficult to work with. Once it is on the plate, you can use your fingers to spread the wet dry areas.
• Start by laying down a piece of lettuce towards the bottom of the paper (closest to you). Then, add noodles, cucumbers, and mint.

• Fold the lettuce in half to encase the other ingredients and place it about 2/3 down the rice paper.

• Fold the bottom of the paper up over the veggies, then fold in both sides neatly.

• Lay 3-4 shrimps in a row above the veggies. By doing this, you get to showcase the shrimp. This is a better presentation in my opinion. I have also noticed that this keeps the shrimp from dropping out when you dip it in the sauce.
• Add a piece of green onion between the shrimp and veggies, if desired.

Roll it up as snuggly as you can and there you have it!

Get your peanut sauce, toss in some crushed peanuts, and enjoy!

Refreshing Homemade Lemonade For The Summer

There is nothing more refreshing and delicious than freshly squeezed lemonade in the summer. It's nostalgic for me, because my grandma and aunt used to make it often for me when I was little. I am addicted to all things nostalgic. :) I was able to enjoy the afternoon for a minute by cooling myself off with a glass of my own homemade lemonade--no hand squeezing necessary. Who was the genius that invented the juicer?! Such a simple little thing, but so handy! I used the boiled water-sugar syrup version and just grabbed the sugar to water ratio from here: Perfect Lemonade. The simplest way to start is to do the same portions: 1 C water + 1 C sugar dissolved, add to 1 C lemon juice. Then add 3-4 C cold water. Use this as a basis and tweet, if necessary.

I did not discard the lemon peels right away. I turned the halves inside out and rubbed whatever juices that remained all over my cutting boards to sanitize them. This is a good idea to do from time to time so that there isn't a build of bacteria in the cracks. Then, I ran them with a load of dishes in the dishwasher. I have a lot of cutting boards!