Can I rant for a second? I can't tell you how many times I've
shown up at a farmer's market or CSA to do a cooking demonstration only
to find that the ingredients I needed for my demonstration are all gone.
Before arriving for the demo, I have planned a recipe, typed it up and
made copies, researched ingredients, and gathered all my spices, oils,
equipment and such that I would need. Only to arrive and not be able to
do what I had planned and prepared for. I show up planning to do one
thing, but life usually has something else waiting for me. Does this
ever happen to you? How frustrating, right?!
Well, I have a secret to confess, I don't like following recipes anyway. So on these days when I have to come up with a dish off the cuff, "improv" as they called it in culinary school, something deep within me wakes up. I'm excited, creative and more in the moment.
When I have to make do with the produce that's available to me at the moment, I quiet everything around me and allow the foods to speak for themselves. I let them tell me how they want to come together and play in a dish. A red bell pepper would look lovely against the green and orange of a broccoli and carrot stir-fry. Or a hint of chopped basil would be just the thing to complement the sweetness of an heirloom tomato and cool crunchiness of kirby cucumbers. Through this dance with my senses, the dish I come up with is usually a creation far more divine that what I could have ever planned.
I created one of my all time favorite recipes in this manner. It was around this time five years ago when I went to do a cooking demonstration at the East Village CSA on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. I don't remember what I had planned to demonstrate, but whatever it was I know the CSA had run out of the very ingredients I needed. I looked around the crates to see what was there and saw plenty of apples, tons of kale, and, of course, onions. In my bag I had olive oil, Dijon mustard, sea salt, black pepper, cardamom and lemons. From this was born my one of my best salad creations to date: kale salad with caramelized onions, sauteed apples and cardamom vinaigrette
The textures, colors and flavors create a true symphony in your mouth. I've had some people confess that this was the best kale they've ever had. One colleague who tried my kale loves to tell me every time he sees me how my salad completely transformed his relationship with kale and dare I say... change his life! Not sure what all the fuss about a salad could be? Try this recipe out for yourself and see what it can do for you!
RECIPE:
KALE SALAD WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, SAUTEED APPLES AND CARDAMOM VINAIGRETTE
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Procedure:
1. Fill a large pot with water and add a tablespoon of salt. Bring pot to boil.
2. Working in batches, immerse kale in boiling water until turns bright green then quickly remove with strainer. Immerse greens in cold water to stop cooking. Remove greens and blot with towel to remove excess water and set aside.
3. To a medium mixing bowl, add lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, cardamom and pinch of salt and black pepper. Whisk ingredients together to combine thoroughly. While still whisking, add 1 cup olive oil in a slow and steady stream to obtain a creamy consistency. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
4. Toss greens with dressing and marinate for at least half an hour.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over low-medium heat. Add onion and cook while stirring occasionally until translucent and soft, but not browned. Remove onion from heat and set aside.
6. Heat remaining olive oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add apples and cook while stirring frequently until slightly golden brown.
7. Toss greens with onions and apples and serve.
Well, I have a secret to confess, I don't like following recipes anyway. So on these days when I have to come up with a dish off the cuff, "improv" as they called it in culinary school, something deep within me wakes up. I'm excited, creative and more in the moment.
When I have to make do with the produce that's available to me at the moment, I quiet everything around me and allow the foods to speak for themselves. I let them tell me how they want to come together and play in a dish. A red bell pepper would look lovely against the green and orange of a broccoli and carrot stir-fry. Or a hint of chopped basil would be just the thing to complement the sweetness of an heirloom tomato and cool crunchiness of kirby cucumbers. Through this dance with my senses, the dish I come up with is usually a creation far more divine that what I could have ever planned.
I created one of my all time favorite recipes in this manner. It was around this time five years ago when I went to do a cooking demonstration at the East Village CSA on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. I don't remember what I had planned to demonstrate, but whatever it was I know the CSA had run out of the very ingredients I needed. I looked around the crates to see what was there and saw plenty of apples, tons of kale, and, of course, onions. In my bag I had olive oil, Dijon mustard, sea salt, black pepper, cardamom and lemons. From this was born my one of my best salad creations to date: kale salad with caramelized onions, sauteed apples and cardamom vinaigrette
The textures, colors and flavors create a true symphony in your mouth. I've had some people confess that this was the best kale they've ever had. One colleague who tried my kale loves to tell me every time he sees me how my salad completely transformed his relationship with kale and dare I say... change his life! Not sure what all the fuss about a salad could be? Try this recipe out for yourself and see what it can do for you!
RECIPE:
KALE SALAD WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, SAUTEED APPLES AND CARDAMOM VINAIGRETTE
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion, sliced ½ inch thick
- 1 large apple, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Procedure:
1. Fill a large pot with water and add a tablespoon of salt. Bring pot to boil.
2. Working in batches, immerse kale in boiling water until turns bright green then quickly remove with strainer. Immerse greens in cold water to stop cooking. Remove greens and blot with towel to remove excess water and set aside.
3. To a medium mixing bowl, add lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, cardamom and pinch of salt and black pepper. Whisk ingredients together to combine thoroughly. While still whisking, add 1 cup olive oil in a slow and steady stream to obtain a creamy consistency. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
4. Toss greens with dressing and marinate for at least half an hour.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over low-medium heat. Add onion and cook while stirring occasionally until translucent and soft, but not browned. Remove onion from heat and set aside.
6. Heat remaining olive oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add apples and cook while stirring frequently until slightly golden brown.
7. Toss greens with onions and apples and serve.
Did you miss my teleseminar: 3 Keys To Creating The Wholesome Meals Your Family Needs So You Can Enjoy The Optimal Health That You Deserve. I had a lot of fun sharing my personal story and teaching more of my secrets for creating stress-free, lip-smacking and healthy cuisine that the whole family can enjoy. It would be a real bummer for you to miss this juicy content, so I have provided you with access to the recording here: http://bit.ly/112A1VD. Enjoy!
