Crazy for Winter Greenz

Jacob and I love to cook using produce that is in season. Typically, the produce that is in season is cheaper in the stores and it hasn't been shipped from another country, so it tastes a fresher. That's why I am dedicating this whole post to greens. Greens are in season in the winter months, and happen to be ridiculously nutrient dense. Let me introduce you to my friends Kale and Swiss Chard.

Kale. It's so cheap, so nutritious, so delicious. Kale is a winter green, one of few that enjoy the frosty weather. I can purchase kale at my local grocery store for 99 cents/pound. Do you know what a pound of kale looks like? It looks a lot. To sum this paragraph up - kale is ridiculously cheap. You should buy some.

But what should you do with all that kale that you tote home from the grocery store? Well, that's where I come in to help.

The kale pictured here has been roasted. First, I cleaned the kale by rinsing well and discarding the thick stems. Then, I roughly chopped it, tossed it with some olive oil and salt, and roasted it in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. The result is so much fun to eat! The kale turns crispy, almost like a chip. This would be a great way to get kids to try some new veggies.

Swiss chard. This green (with red stems) is a little more bitter than kale. It needs a little more seasoning to turn out just right, but is overall a very easy green to prepare and cook.

This time around cooking the swiss chard I cleaned it (the same way I cleaned the kale, but left more of the stems intact since they're a little more tender than kale stems), and sautéed it with some seasonings. Olive oil was added to the pan before the chard, then soy sauce and a pinch of red pepper flakes were tossed in near the end of cooking. Sometimes we like a splash of vinegar for extra tangy-ness, or even a few hefty pinches of brown sugar to cut the bitterness. 

I hope you can save your self some money AND give your immune system a big ole' boost with some winter greens soon, you'll be glad you did. Promise.

Cyclocross World Championships Recap

Our trip to Louisville, KY this past weekend was a blast. Jacob and I both took Friday off of work and met up with our friends Curtis and Alexis in Boone so we could carpool the rest of the way to Louisville. We arrived Friday evening and spent a great night eating bad mediocre mexican food and  drinking great average margaritas. It's all about the company, right? Right. Like I said, we had a great time. 

(group pictures stolen from Kat)

Saturday we woke up early and started to make te trek to the race course for Cyclocross World Championships. Pictured here is Noah on the trolly ride that took us about 1/4 mile of the way to the course. Long story.

Our friend Emerson (among others from the High Country area) was at the race and dressed up in his best attire - ghillie suit  and American flag.

The races were fast, muddy, and a lot of fun to watch. As the day went on, the crowds grew larger and larger in anticipation for the "big" race, the elite men.

Noah and Jacob were just a tad bit excited about being at this big event. For those of you who don't know Noah, he was a groomsmen in our wedding and one of Jacob's worst best friends. Wow, I'm on a roll with crossing out words today.

We took a short break for food and beverages midway through the day. Frites with mayo and beer were the popular items of the day. Since the lines were so long, we each ordered 2 beers since we knew we wouldn't be waiting another hour for beer later on.

Lots of europeans were seen - pictured here are some fine europeans from my homeland of Holland. 

The women's race starts.

The boys drink beer.

Oh, and here's proof that I was actually there!

Hanging out around the course with some more of our traveling crew, Kat and Ryan.

One of many sandy sections of the course.

Who's freezing cold? We are!

The crowds have arrived. This is only a small snapshot of the huge amounts of people that were present for this event.

The patriotism is fierce.

And the Men's Elite race is happening! Mud, drool, and misery ensue. 

This one's for you, Lara.

The finishing stretch. This was before the drunk man behind me fell over and almost knocked me off the back of the bleachers.

Post race interviews paparazzi.

And the awards. No one from the US did very well, but the belgian and dutch racers swept the podium.

Overall we had a great time with friends. So glad we made the trek to Kentucky!

Thai Noodle Bowls

Ever since eating at this amazing place in DC where the noodle bowls and dumplings flowed like honey, I can't get noodle bowls out of my head. The noodles bowls in this restaurant (that I can't remember the name of to save my life) were served in giant bowls, and came steaming hot to the table with a pair of chopsticks and some fresh garnishes and hot sauces to add as you please. Rice noodles have a special place in my heart. Yum.

So, a few nights ago Jacob and I decided to re-create something similar. Lots of veggies were chopped.

And lots of extras were pulled out of corners (not pictured, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and tumeric powder). I actually purchased these rice noodles at world market not too long ago, but you can usually find rice noodles in a regular grocery store in the asian foods section. Get the ones that look like they are about the same thickness as linguine. The mushrooms are canned (normally I can't stand canned mushrooms), but they're better than normal canned mushrooms. They're called straw mushrooms and can also be found on the asian foods aisle. The coconut cream was something I picked up at Trader Joes last time I was in the Raleigh, NC area. This stuff is awesome, but regular coconut milk would work just fine as well! Lastly, ground ginger in a jar. This stuff is not dried, it's fresh and it saves a lot of time peeling and grating fresh ginger but still holds the same taste qualities. Plus, it lasts forever in the fridge! Whew, moving along now...

We added some tofu to this version, but you could easily make these bowls with chicken or beef as well.

While the tofu was sautéing in a little sesame oil and soy sauce, I went ahead and boiled some water and cooked the noodles. 

After the noodles were tender, I strained them and place some in each bowl that they were being served in. 

Then, I started cooking the veggies/broth. Start by sautéing the onion, carrot, and yellow squash. Once those veggies are tender, add a pinch of red pepper flakes, tumeric, salt to taste, and coconut cream (or coconut milk).

Add the bok choy, kale, and mushrooms and cook until the greens wilt. Then, add enough water so that the mixture looks like a hearty soup. Add salt or soy sauce to taste again at this point (it may need more than you expect). Once the soup mixture is heated through, place the cooked protein of your choice (in this case, tofu) on top of the noodles, and ladle the broth and veggie mixture on top.

Stir the mixture up a little, and add some garnishes if you please. Pictured here, some sesame seeds and a few more red pepper flakes.

The perfect dinner that will fill you up and warm you up in no time. And the leftovers are great for lunch the next day!