Real men eat Kale

My husband probably thinks I'm treating him like a rabbit lately, especially after I served him Kale at dinner last night. It was the first time I'd ever cooked it, but I'd heard it was really good for you so I wanted to add it to our diet. I watched his face as I handed him his plate. I could see the raised eyebrow as he wondered what that green, leafy stuff was right next to his chicken breast. I waited to see if he'd ask. I was determined not to tell him until after he'd either asked or tasted it.

Our refrigerator is stocked to the brim with fresh produce now. When we go grocery shopping, we always hover around the outer perimeter of the store for the majority of the time we're there. Phil gets a kick out of teasing me because he says I "spend way too much time in the produce section." I just love reveling in the wide variety of colors and textures. Phil stands slumped over the shopping cart because he knows it's going to be a while before I'm ready to leave this section. He's good to take my selections to the scale and weigh them for me, but after about 20 minutes, he'll say, "okay, let's get out of here and move on to another section." As we move out of the produce section, I'll slowly continue to peruse the displays making sure I've picked up every thing I needed. Inevitably, something will catch my eye and I'll have to get just one more thing. When we're finally out of the produce section, I'll smile looking at my shopping cart brimming with lovely produce.

Since I've decided to take a more natural approach to healing from my recent bout with breast cancer, I've focused on eliminating processed foods and sugar from our diet. When I first started this process about 2 weeks ago, I told Phil he didn't have to eat the way I did. I was more than happy to make two sets of meals but I explained to him that I wanted him to be healthy too. Graciously, he agreed to eat whatever I prepared.

I'm thankful he's agreed to adapt to this lifestyle change. He hasn't complained once about any of the funky veggies I've served him lately...except last night. He did say I'd put too many red pepper flakes in with my kale dish. I had to laugh at him for complaining about the seasoning. Most men would have complained about the kale itself. I think he's finding that nutritious food can be quite tasty. I'm just glad he eats whatever I serve him and never turns up his nose at anything. I think I'll keep him!

My recipe for Sauteed Kale with onions

1 bunch of fresh Kale
1 large onion (sliced thin)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 can beef broth
crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

In a large wok or skillet, set on medium high heat, drizzle the olive oil. Add the sliced onions and let them cook until almost translucent. Add the chopped garlic and stir well. Next add the washed kale. It will fill the pan to overflowing but will wilt down significantly as it cooks. Allow to cook for several minutes and then add the can of beef broth. (You can substitute veggie or chicken broth if you like.) Season with crushed red pepper flakes, a good teaspoon should do the trick unless you like things super spicy. (You can also omit the red pepper if you don't like spicy foods.) Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Allow the kale mixture to cook until the broth has reduced completely and then serve and enjoy!

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