Tag Archives: main dish

Bacon and Kale Skillet

Happy Monday (that’s an order!) to you all! I hope the week is starting off on the right foot for everyone. For me, that means a big glass of veggie juice at 7:40am, a cup of coffee with vanilla sugar and a devotional starting at 7:45am, and a feeling of “I can do this” as the upcoming events of the week rush through my brain and I step out the door to go to work trying to cram each thought and each project into the correct mental cranny. A good outfit to help me feel pretty also makes a big difference–isn’t it amazing how bad a day can become when you just don’t feel like your face ever came together in the morning? And you’re convinced your pants are clinging in an unflattering way?

Juice, coffee, feeling presentable–that helps my Monday roll out the gate without a grimace.

Anyway, today I have a recipe for you all that has made many Monday night appearances at our table, partly because it requires near-zero thought and near-zero effort. Which also sweetens the pill-that-can-be-Monday. This dinner is so quick to throw together, and it never fails to please. It was inspired by the preliminary steps in this quiche, and I just love its simplicity: only 4 ingredients. Only 1 skillet. Heck yeah.

Ingredients

(Serves 3-4)

1 lb bacon
1 red onion
12 oz kale
2/3 cup dry sherry or white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
Rice, to serve

Chop up the bacon and fry it in a large skillet over medium high heat until browned and crispy.

Yes, in case you’re wondering, this is the most labor-intensive part of the recipe. It’s all water running downhill from here.

Drain all but 1 TBS of the fat.

Now look at the cup full of grease that you just saved yourself from, and feel good!

Look at the grease you spattered on the counter and also feel good. Because you can just wipe it up with a soapy sponge, and the problem disappears.

And when your “problems” can be fixed with a sponge . . . well, then you can really count your blessings.

Dice the onion and add it to the bacon. Fry over medium heat until the onion is softened, 6-8 minutes.

Chop up the kale and add it to the skillet little by little, stirring until wilted. I added almost all of it at once, just for dramatic effect.

But it will cook down a ton! I promise.

Add the sherry or white wine and bring to a simmer. I have to warn you that the flavor of sherry is quite distinctive. It has an acidic edge to it that I happen to love, but if you don’t, feel free to do the white wine, or even a white wine or sherry + chicken broth split.

Cook the kale for about 10 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed/evaporated almost completely. Season to taste with salt and pepper–and I love liberal amounts of black pepper, as you can see.

Serve over rice!

I think I’ve made this every Monday for the past 3 weeks.

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Roasted Pepper Jack Portobellos

This recipe (from Fresh-Scratch) is so quick and easy, it’s unbelievable. You can serve it as a side, but the meatiness of the Portobello mushroom makes it a perfect meat substitute. You still feel like there’s something sticking to your ribs! Which, especially for the men in our lives, can be an important factor in this meal we call “dinner.”

Toss this in the oven on a hectic weeknight and you’ll understand my deep love for this lil’ dish. And could that love also have something to do with the pile of melty cheese? (No . . . no . . . ) (YES!)

Ingredients

(Serves 3)

3 large Portobello mushroom caps
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp thyme, to taste
2 TBS olive oil
3 slices Pepper Jack cheese
Parsley or minced chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Trim the stems off the mushrooms (only if they’re sticking out a lot, in my opinion–I left the one in the picture below intact) . . .

. . . and wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth.

I’ve heard it’s sacrilege in the world of mushrooms to scrub them under running water. Do any of you have the backstory on this?

Mix the olive oil and thyme. Fresh thyme would be awesome, but I just had the dried variety on hand. You can also use chopped rosemary, or whatever other herb strikes your fancy.

Using your hands, rub the mixture all over the tops and bottoms of the mushrooms.

I didn’t really take a picture at this juncture since my hands were covered in oil. Also, use more olive oil as needed so that there’s a light coating all over each mushroom. The whole “2 TBS” thing was just a wild guess on my part.

Sprinkle salt and pepper (generously) on both sides of the mushrooms, and place them in an oven-safe dish or pan (stem-side up). Place a slice of cheese on each mushroom.

Or a layer of grated cheese, if that floats your boat. Go as heavy or as light as you deem your palate will demand.

Into the oven you go! Roast them for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is  bubbly and golden.

I took them out after 20 minutes, but 5 more minutes would have really made that cheese jump into the realm of golden deliciousness. Next time . . .

 Garnish with parsley or chives, and serve hot!

I didn’t garnish with parsley or chives–and my sad-looking photographs would have greatly benefited from that pop of green (more about that tomorrow).

The pictures were depressing me so much that I did something I’ve never tried before:

Black and white? Hunh. Still lackluster. Better in color . . . I think.

Oh well. Just believe in the deliciousness at hand, and the purpose of this post will have been served. And served well.

Click here for printer-friendly version: Roasted Pepper Jack Portobellos