Easy Recipe

SEMI HOMEMADE POT PIE (TWO WAYS)

February 20, 2020 by Sarah Baade 2 Comments

Comfort Food

Let’s talk comfort food. When I think about some of my favorite comfort foods, the recipes are often quite lengthy. These are perfect for special occasions, holiday meals, celebration meals of one sort or another. They are worth the effort when you have the time but a lot of us don’t have an extra few hours to spend on a single dish. But what do you do when you want, no, NEED comfort food but don’t have the time or energy for one of those special, hours to prepare dishes? I’ve got you covered with these semi homemade pot pie recipes. I’m just going to throw it out there that this is also a perfect dish to take to someone who needs a meal. Perhaps someone just had a baby, or just had surgery, or is just going through a difficult time in life. Cook this up and take it to them! These comfort food recipes are practically a hug you serve up in a pie dish.

Two Versions

I’ve been making the original version of this chicken pot pie for about 15 years and, to be forthcoming, it is not my recipe. The OG version comes from a collaborative recipe book put together by employees from some random company. In other words, I don’t know the exact source but wish I did so that I could give the person full credit on this one. However, I have updated it to literally double the filling. This means, you can feed more people without having to make a second pie. When I started eating a more plant based diet, I also created a vegetarian version of this pot pie. Both versions are semi homemade which means you can put them together in about five minutes and then relax while they bake into sheer comfort food. I guarantee you’re going to want second helpings on this one. Oh, and if you happen to have leftovers, this also tastes fantastic reheated.

Vegetable Pot Pie (Semi Homemade)

Sarah Baade

This pot pie comes together quickly and serves up pure comfort food.

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Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

2 9" unbaked pie crusts
2 16oz bags frozen mixed vegetables (blend of carrots, corn, peas & green beans)
1 cup frozen diced potatoes
2 10oz cans cream of celery condensed soup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Unroll one unbaked pie crust and place in a 9” pie dish.
In a medium bowl, stir together frozen vegetables, potatoes and condensed soup.
Spread mixture into pie crust and top with remaining unbaked pie crust.
Pinch edges of crusts together to create a seal.
Cut several slits into top pie crust.
Bake 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Notes

If you prefer a shiny crust, whisk together 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water then brush the mixture over the top pie crust before baking.

Keyword Easy Pot Pie, Pot Pie, Semi Homemade Pot Pie, Vegetarian Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie (Semi Homemade)

Sarah Baade

This pot pie comes together quickly and serves up pure comfort food.

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Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

2 9" unbaked pie crusts
2 16oz bags frozen mixed vegetables (blend of carrots, corn, peas & green beans)
2 12oz cans premium white chicken
2 10oz cans cream of chicken condensed soup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Unroll one unbaked pie crust and place in a 9” pie dish.
In a medium bowl, stir together vegetables, chicken and condensed soup.
Spread mixture into pie crust and top with remaining unbaked pie crust. (You're going to feel like you can't fit all of the filling in there but trust me, it will work. Just pile it high!)
Pinch edges of crusts together to create a seal.
Cut several slits into top pie crust.
Bake 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Notes

If you prefer a shiny crust, whisk together 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water then brush the mixture over the top pie crust before baking.

Keyword Chicken Pot Pie, Easy Chicken Pot Pie, Pot Pie, Semi Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Looking for more comfort food recipes? Try this Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie or my One Pot Vegetarian Chili.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

February 9, 2020 by Sarah Baade 3 Comments

A friend of mine was commenting on my Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookie recipe the other day and said she plans to make those for her kid’s class party this week. First and foremost, I was thrilled that she wanted to use my recipe. However, my second thought was complete shock. I was shocked that any kind of peanut product was allowed in her daughter’s classroom. I was also shocked that homemade treats were allowed. Here in San Antonio, I don’t know of any schools that allow nut products of homemade treats in the classrooms. This is true even at the daycare level. I understand the risks to those with nut allergies, and I’m not necessarily complaining here. I think it just makes me realize how much things have changed since I was a kid. Most people brought homemade cupcakes or cookies to class when we had parties back in the day. There is a part of me that is sad I’ll never be able to bring my daughter’s favorite homemade treat to her class. But you know what? Part of me is also relieved. There will never be that pressure to create some fancy homemade treat at the 11^th hour the night before a class party.

When my daughter’s current classroom has parties, they ask us to sign up to bring something off of a premade list of foods. This week, our contribution is Valentine colored m&m’s. Perfect. Easy. Done. But for home, I still wanted my daughter to have a fun treat made by mom. Inspired by pink m&m’s, and my daughter’s love for chocolate chip cookies, I’ve created these chocolate chip cookie bars. Mixing up the dough is easy and adding m&m’s along with sprinkles adds a festive flare. I also love that you end up with two dozen servings all done at once. No scooping. No swapping out baking sheets. It is all in one pan and then you simply cut it as you’re ready to serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Sarah Baade

The all-American classic chocolate chip cookie turned into a bar.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips (whichever you prefer – you just want variety from the semisweet you'll be adding in)
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Optional toppings: 1/4 cup candy coated chocolates such as m&m's, 1 Tablespoon jimmie sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and granulated sugar with butter.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Mix in dry ingredients 1 cup at a time, until all ingredients are fully combined.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Press cookie dough into pan. If adding candies and sprinkles, spread them evenly and press into the top of cookie dough.
Bake 35-38 minutes or until a test toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool completely before cutting.

Keyword Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies, Dessert Recipe, Easy Cookies, Easy Recipe, Homemade Cookies, Valentine’s Treat

EASY BUFFALO DIP

January 31, 2020 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

I can remember when Buffalo Wild Wings opened in Manhattan, Kansas. I was in my final year of school at Kansas State University and everyone was so excited to eat there. Everyone… except me. I understood the price point was spot on for a college student’s budget. I think they offered 10c wings on Tuesdays or something like that. I tried them. I tried them several times. Those wings just never hit the spot for me. (No offense to BWW or anyone who loves them.) Fast forward to grad school in Buffalo, NY – home of the original buffalo wings. I very quickly became a convert. I had wings at more restaurants than I can count and loved them! When you live in Buffalo, you eventually claim one of two places as the best in town for wings. Anchor Bar or Duff’s. To be clear, I am a Duff’s girl. The wings are crispy, the fries are crispy, the sauce is incredible. If you’re ever in Buffalo, you’ve got to stop by and have an authentic wing experience.

These days, I don’t eat much fried food and I lean toward a vegetarian diet. In other words, I can’t even remember the last time I had wings. However, I’m still a fan of buffalo sauce and enjoy incorporating it into other foods. Here, I’ve created an easy buffalo dip recipe. This is perfect for game day parties or even just to have on hand for a snack. Serve it up with a variety of vegetables and chips or spread it onto a sandwich. Eat it warm or cold, either way it is delicious!

Easy Buffalo Dip

With just 6 ingredients, this buffalo dip comes together in less than 5 minutes.

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Course Snack

Cuisine American

Ingredients

8 oz sour cream
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup buffalo sauce
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles Additional blue cheese crumbles for garnish if desired.

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and whisk together over medium heat until cheese has melted and all ingredients are fully combined.
Serve warm or cold.
Enjoy with vegetables, chips, pretzels, or spread it onto a sandwich.

Keyword Buffalo Dip, Buffalo Sauce, Chip Dip, Party Dip, Snack Dip

PUMPKIN BREAD

November 5, 2019 by Sarah Baade 1 Comment

There are days when I want to challenge myself in the kitchen. Then, there are days when I just want something easy to make. I’ve been spending a lot of time baking challenging desserts lately. It gives me a great sense of pride to accomplish a recipe from my baking bucket list but it can also take a great deal of time and energy. Life is about balance though and I am thankful for easy recipes! These are my go-to when I want something homemade with limited effort. These are also the recipes that are great for passing along to friends.

When I create recipes, I want them to be achievable, not stressful. My goal is for even a beginner baker to be able to have a successful outcome. Something easy to make that is beautiful on its own and tastes amazing. Quick breads are exactly that. Now that we’re in November, I’m hitting up this pumpkin bread recipe on the regular. It is such a hit with friends and a perfect addition to any get together. Flavorful, moist and easy to make. I’m sure you’ll fall in love with this beautiful pumpkin bread.

PUMPKIN BREAD

Flavorful, moist and easy to make – I’m sure you’ll fall in love with this beautiful pumpkin bread.

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Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 Tablespoon unsalted pepitas (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together. Mix in pumpkin puree then add in eggs and vanilla.
Stir in half of the dry ingredients. Add milk and stir to combine. Stir in remaining dry ingredients.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and top with pepitas. Bake 55-60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Notes

In a pinch, you can sub the brown sugar for white sugar. The brown sugar brings out the flavors of the spices a bit more but you’ll get a taller rise from the bread with white sugar.
You can butter and flour your loaf pans if you don’t have parchment paper.

Keyword Pumpkin, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Loaf, Pumpkin Spice

BARLEY SOUP

October 29, 2019 by Sarah Baade 3 Comments

This has felt like the longest summer I’ve ever experienced. As of a few days ago, we were still hitting temperatures near the 90’s. Did Mother Nature forget to check the calendar? It is already late October?! Truthfully, I love living in a warmer climate. I’ve done my time with cold and snow and I learned it wasn’t for me. That being said, I can’t help but crave a few cooler (not cold) days so I can indulge in winter comfort foods. We are finally cooling off here in Texas and I’m going full out on my comfort food recipes.

I’ve been craving soup lately but my brain has also been wandering back to my recipe for Baby Bella Shepherd’s Pie. The solution? Turn the base of that shepherd’s pie into a soup! The result? Pure satisfaction! This soup is hearty and rich in flavor. Anyone who eats this is going to think you slaved away in the kitchen all day when, in fact, it is simple to make. Bonus? This is one of those recipes that tastes even better as leftovers.

Barley Soup

This hearty soup is rich in flavor yet easy to make – a perfect way to warm up on a cold day.

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Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large carrots, cut into 1/4" slices
2 large parsnips, cut into 1/4" slices
2 lb white mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dry red wine
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2/3 cup pearl barley

Instructions

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add carrots and parsnips, cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper. Cook until mushrooms start to sweat. Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture and stir until evenly coated. Pour in diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable broth and wine. Stir in tomato paste and barley. Increase heat to bring pot to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 45 minutes or until barely is cooked through.

Notes

Having a hard time pulling those thyme leaves off of the stem? Grab a few sprigs and tie them together with kitchen twine. Toss the whole bundle into the soup and simply remove the bundle when soup is fully cooked.
This is a thick, hearty soup. If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add water after simmering until you reach the consistency you desire.

Keyword Barley, Barley Soup, Dinner, Easy Recipe, Homemade Soup, Soup, Vegan Recipe, Vegetarian Recipe

BROCCOLI & RICED CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE

October 18, 2019 by Sarah Baade 1 Comment

Casserole or hotdish? I only recently even heard of the term hotdish. I’ve looked up several sources trying to get some clarity on the difference between the two. Both include a creamy condensed soup with vegetables and usually meat of some sort. The differences? From what I gather, casserole tends to use a lighter meat like tuna or chicken while a hotdish is more likely to use beef. But honestly, even that seems somewhat vague given you could eliminate meat altogether. The biggest difference seems to be a matter of where you’re from. Hotdish is more of an upper Midwestern term (think Minnesota). Having grown up in Kansas, I’m definitely a casserole gal.

Grab those veggies out of the freezer and soup out of the pantry, we’re making casserole today! Now that the temperatures are finally cooling off here in Texas, I’m ready for comfort food. As you know, I’m also a huge fan of super easy recipes. This is basically a stir and bake recipe – if only every recipe were this easy! You can use it as a side dish or make it the main event. Either way, this broccoli and riced cauliflower casserole has made it onto the regular rotation of dinner recipes in our house. I’d love to hear what types of casseroles (or hotdishes) are your favorites!

Tips

Trying to keep things low carb? Replace the bread crumbs with more shredded cheddar.
For added veggies, you can use a riced cauliflower & sweet potato blend.

Broccoli & Riced Cauliflower Casserole

This broccoli and riced cauliflower casserole is basically a stir and bake recipe – Comfort food at it's best!

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Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz sour cream
2 cans (10.5oz each) cream of celery soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
10.5 oz frozen riced cauliflower
1 lb frozen broccoli florets
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, soup, salt, pepper and cheddar cheese.
Stir in riced cauliflower then stir in broccoli.
Spread broccoli mixture into a greased 9×13 casserole dish.
In a small bowl, stir together butter and breadcrumbs then sprinkle over broccoli mixture.
Bake 45 minutes. If breadcrumbs are not golden, turn the broiler on and watch carefully until you achieve golden color.

EASY VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

September 20, 2019 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

A friend of mine was recently asking about recipes that use frozen vegetables. It occurred to me that I have always used fresh produce in my recipes here. Fresh is great but there are some huge advantages to using frozen veggies when you can. Frozen vegetables are actually less expensive than fresh ones. I did a quick price check at my local grocery store and a bag of fresh broccoli florets was priced at 21c per ounce. Meanwhile, the bag of frozen broccoli florets was priced at 11c per ounce. That is nearly HALF the price! If you’re on a budget, frozen veggies are a great way to get healthy foods on the cheap. Speaking of being budget friendly, frozen vegetables won’t go bad in a few days which means you’re not tossing anything out at the end of the week. You’re getting your money’s worth! Finally, frozen vegetables are already chopped. Let’s be honest, chopping vegetables sometimes takes longer than actually cooking a dish. Precut vegetables are a huge time saver! So, have I convinced you to buy frozen vegetables yes?!

Now, let’s get down to this recipe. I started making fried rice a few years ago because I was simply wanting to use up some leftovers from the fridge. I have a habit of cooking more rice than we need when using it as a side dish. Rather than tossing out the leftovers or even eating plain rice again later in the week, I chose to repurpose it. The thing about fried rice is that it is actually easy to customize with whatever vegetables or spices are your favorites. Here, I’m giving you a super easy base recipe for vegetable fried rice. From here, feel free to get creative with what you add in. I’d love to hear how you adapt this to make it your own!

Tips

It is critical to use rice that was cooked earlier and then cooled. If you use freshly cooked rice, you will end up with a pan full of mush.
This is a basic vegetable fried rice recipe but don’t let that limit you. Feel free to add a protein of your choice or a wider variety of vegetables such as snow peas, bell peppers or edamame.

Easy Vegetable Fried Rice

An easy base recipe for vegetable fried rice.

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Servings 4

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups cooked, cold brown rice
1/2 cup frozen peas & carrots
1/2 cup frozen chopped broccoli
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon tamari sauce or low sodium soy sauce
1 large egg, beaten

Instructions

Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add rice and vegetables to the pan and cook until tender. Mix in garlic, sesame oil, onion powder, and tamari sauce.
Push rice mixture to one side of the pan. Pour the egg into the other side of the pan and stir with a rubber spatula until curds form. Stir egg into the rice mixture. Add additional tamari sauce if desired.

Notes

4 servings is based on using this recipe as a side dish. If you prefer to use it as your entrée, double the recipe.
It is critical to use rice that was cooked earlier and then cooled. If you use freshly cooked rice, you will end up with a pan full of mush.
This is a basic vegetable fried rice recipe but don’t let that limit you. Feel free to add a protein of your choice or a wider variety of vegetables such as snow peas, bell peppers or edamame.

SHEET PAN DINNERS FOR BUSY WEEKNIGHTS

September 3, 2019 by Sarah Baade 1 Comment

People often think that as a food blogger, I must have it all together in the kitchen. They assume my meals are always planned ahead of time. That I choose healthy options and only indulge occasionally. That dinner is easy to prep regardless of any other activities going on. These assumptions are completely off base. I certainly do enjoy cooking. Why else would I do a food blog? However, dinner at my house is often as last minute as any other household. I reach for convenient foods as often as I do healthy foods. I get in food ruts and end up fixing the same meals every week for a month. My biggest struggle is honestly just getting to the grocery to even pick up any ingredients. What is your biggest struggle for getting dinner on the table? I would genuinely love to hear from you on this.

I’ve met and follow some incredible people through food blogging. One of the things I love most about this community is the support people provide. Blogging is always a work in progress. We work to improve our recipes, our writing, our photography, our styling. My fellow food bloggers understand every aspect of what goes into creating a post. When you start following someone closely, you see their progress. We cheer each other on. We congratulate one another when we see something inspiring. We sympathize when struggles hit us in the kitchen. It is a wonderful thing to have companionship in this space.

Weeknights are about to get easier. For this post, I’ve collaborated with eight of my favorite food bloggers to create sheet pan dinners. I love sheet pan dinners because of how easy they are to make but also how easy they are to clean up. With the school year now in full swing, everyone has a busier schedule and could use an easy dinner recipe. I have been blown away by the variety and creativity in this project. A huge thank you goes out to each and every collaborator for helping me put this together. I hope that you’ll stop by their sites and check out more recipes from these incredible food bloggers!

SHEET PAN BBQ CHICKEN MEATBALLS & VEGGIES

CURRIED PORK CHOP AND POTATO SHEET PAN RECIPE

**Created by Nicolas at Blogtastic Food**
https://www.blogtasticfood.com/curries-pork-chop-sheetpan-recipe/

SHEET PAN GNOCCHI AND SAUSAGE

SHEET PAN HARISSA CHICKEN WITH BROCCOLINI AND CHICKPEAS

DUKKAH AND PARMESAN CHICKEN TRAY BAKE

SHEET PAN CHICKEN FAJITAS

EASY SHEET PAN DINNER WITH SAUSAGE, POTATOES & VEGGIES

**Created by Julia at Julia Recipes**
https://juliarecipes.com/2019/08/30/easy-pan-sheet-dinner-with-sausage-potatoes-veggies/

SHEET PAN ITALIAN MUSHROOMS AND GARLIC BREADSTICKS

SHEET PAN SHRIMP FAJITAS

SOUTHWESTERN HASH BROWN WAFFLES

August 4, 2019 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

I went to the grocery store today and came across a group of volunteers asking for donations of school supplies. They handed me a list of what they were needing. I can’t lie, it took everything I had to not start crying. Guys, there are families in your very own town who can NOT afford school supplies for their kids! I’ve been aware of this for a long time but I suppose I’ve never really known what to do or how to help. These volunteers made it so easy for me to help. With tears welled up in my eyes, I gathered notebooks, dividers, highlighters and a backpack. It doesn’t even feel like enough but I’m hopeful the volunteers will receive enough to make a difference in my community.

When kids don’t have school supplies, learning becomes more challenging. Similarly, when kids don’t start the day with a good meal, they have a hard time focusing. With school starting later this month, I wanted to create a breakfast recipe that is easy to freeze and reheat. Furthermore, I wanted to create a recipe that isn’t bread based – I love pancakes, muffins, etc. but we can do better. Let’s start our day with some protein and vegetables! I’ve taken the ingredients of an omelet, scrambled them together and cooked them in a waffle iron. Once they are cooked, you can easily freeze them and reheat as needed.

Tips:

Depending on the size of your family, you might want to double this recipe.
No waffle iron? Feel free to scoop some of the mixture onto a skillet and cook these like you would a pancake.

Southwestern Hash Brown Waffles

A hearty breakfast dish that is easy to freeze and reheat as needed.

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Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 8 wedges

Equipment

Waffle Iron

Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 cup frozen hash browns
1/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 Tablespoon yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons jalapeño, stemmed, cored and finely chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Optional Toppings

avocado
salsa
sour cream

Instructions

Preheat waffle iron on medium high setting.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together. Stir all remaining ingredients into eggs.
Spray heated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop ¾ cup of the mixture onto the waffle iron (amount will vary based on the size of your waffle iron). Close iron and cook until golden brown (approximately 5 minutes).
Let waffles cool completely. Cut into wedges and freeze in freezer bags. To reheat, remove from freezer bag and microwave 30 seconds.

Notes

Depending on the size of your family, you might want to double this recipe.
No waffle iron? Feel free to scoop some of the mixture onto a skillet and cook these like you would a pancake.

Keyword Back to school, Back to school recipe, Breakfast, Easy Breakfast, Easy Recipe, Eggs, Hash browns, Meal Prep

KALE SALAD with LEMON VINAIGRETTE

July 31, 2019 by Sarah Baade 2 Comments

What is your go-to when you really don’t want to cook? Maybe I should back up a bit. What are the staples in your fridge or pantry? The items you know you can always make a meal out of in ten minutes or less? My staples include kale (don’t roll your eyes at me), chickpeas, tortillas and eggs. At my laziest, I will toss together a kale salad. The toppings vary as far as which cheese or seeds I might sprinkle on top but I always include chickpeas for protein. My other go-to quick meal option is a breakfast taco. I live in South Texas and down here, there is no room for not loving breakfast tacos.

I get it that there are plenty of people who don’t like kale. Heck, there are plenty to mock it and shout their hate for kale from the rooftops. However, I think those people either haven’t actually tried it OR it wasn’t prepared well for them. In raw form, it can be really tough and fibrous. If the stem isn’t removed, you’ll feel like you’re gnawing on a tree branch. HOWEVER, if prepared well, it is delicious and has lots of nutritional value. At the very least, it is worth trying. If you still don’t like it? Hey, more for me!

Tips

I created this recipe as a side salad. However, you can top it with chickpeas, a hard-boiled egg or even grilled chicken to turn it into a meal.
To make this recipe go even faster, you can use a store-bought vinaigrette instead of the one I created for this salad.

Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

My go-to salad recipe – perfect as a side salad or turn it into your main dish.

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Course Salad

Ingredients

5 large handfuls kale, destemmed and torn into pieces
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons roasted & salted pepita seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the Vinaigrette

juice of 1 lemon
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper

Instructions

Place kale, lemon zest and salt in a large pan with 1 tablespoon of water. Sauté 2-3 minutes or until kale is bright green and slightly tender. Remove from heat immediately and put kale in a medium bowl.
Toss kale with pepitas, parmesan and red pepper flakes until ingredients are evenly distributed.

For the vinaigrette

For the vinaigrette: whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over salad as desired.