Kale with Onions and Garlic

I always wanted to like kale more than I actually did. The first time I had it, my vegan roommate sauteed it before adding it to some dish she was making. I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised by this kinda scary looking, dark leafy green. The first time I used it, I added it to a potato, kale and chorizo soup. First of all, I couldn't believe how much went into the pot, and then when I tasted it I was a little underwhelmed. The potatoes and the sausage stole the show. But, like magic, as the soup---how shall I say it---matured, the kale became more and more delicious with each bowl. It was growing on me.

I've also tried sauteing kale on various occasions and found it decent, but not fantastic. Still, for some reason, I always cut out every single kale recipe I found. And recently, I found out that kale is probably the most nutrient-and-antioxidant-dense food on the planet. I wanted to LOVE kale! Why didn't I?

Well, luckily I never gave up. I soon came across a recipe that boiled the kale before sauteing it garlic and onions. Perfect! Amazing! It's everything I always wanted kale to be. It is honestly my favorite thing to cook and eat right now. So satisfying---AND healthy. This is a win-win recipe.

Kale with Onions and Garlic

~Print Recipe~

• 1 bunch of kale, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or more to taste
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 3-6 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
   
2. Remove kale leaves from stems by folding leaves in half, then chopping off the core. Tear leaves into smaller pieces. Add kale to boiling water, stirring well to incorporate. Cover and cook for 8 minutes, until the kale is almost tender. Drain.
3. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and cook stirring occasionally until translucent. Add garlic, stir and cook 1-2 minutes more.
4. Add kale and stir to toss in the garlic and onions. Cook a few minutes more, until the kale is tender and the flavors have blended. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
   

Indian Chai

"Chai" can mean many different types of tea. (In fact, chai actually means tea in multiple languages.) Real Indian chai, the kind you get from chai-wallahs in India, is not quite the same brew you get here in the U.S. Now don't get me wrong---I love a good soy chai latte from a certain coffee chain here, but it's just in a different category.

After watching a friend's mother make masala chai in her kitchen in Mumbai, I was inspired to learn how to make it myself. It's not particularly difficult, you just need the right spices. And, of course, black tea. Oh yes, and plenty of half and half--if you want it to taste authentic.

I bought my tea in Mysore, India, from a roadside bulk tea vendor, but it's possible to get it mail-order in the states (and possibly at some specialty markets). The CTC on the package means that it's "crush-tear-curl" processed, which makes the tea leaves end up looking like this.

The nice thing is that all you really have to do is throw everything in a pot and let it boil together for about 15 minutes. The hard part is that you should stir it constantly, or at least very frequently. I didn't have any half and half, so the tea pictured above is made with soy---a hybrid of my two favorite types of chai.

The recipe below is for one cup of chai, but it can easily be doubled (or otherwise scaled up). Much of the liquid cooks off, concentrating the flavors.

Indian Chai

~Print Recipe~

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 tsp black tea
• 3 whole cardamom pods
• 2 pea-sized pieces mashed fresh ginger*
• 1/2 stick cinnamon (or more if it's not fresh)
• 3-4 black peppercorns
• Sugar to taste (I used 2 teaspoons)
  

1. Stir all ingredients together in a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring very frequently. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil and stir for 15 minutes. Stir in sugar to dissolve.
   
2. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (or cheese cloth) either directly into the cup or into another pot. I used a molinillo to create a little froth before I served it.

*Recipes I've seen recipes that say not to substitute any ground spices for those listed above, but I didn't have fresh ginger and a dash of ground served my tastes just fine.