Look! I cooked! And it didn’t suck! I also love exclamation marks!!! No more cooking rut for me, and I have one cooking method and one vegetable to thank: roasting and bacon. For some reason, kale and brussels sprouts, two veggies I already love, taste even better when you roast them. They get all crispy and brown in a most delicious way. Not quite sure why, but my current theory is that there are tiny elves of yumminess that live in the oven, and whenever something green enters, they moonwalk to Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel, creating a chain reaction that ends in crispy brown veggies. Or maybe it’s just a bit of the old Maillard reaction at work. (I think it is the elves) (And in my head, they look like that Indian Oompa Loompa in the latest Willy Wonka movie) One bonus of roasting your veggies is that there is little prep work involved. For the kale (I had curly), I took out the ribs and ripped the kale into large pieces. A quick coating in olive oil, some minced garlic, s&p, and that bad boy was ready to go into a 450 F oven for 15 minutes. I had to stir it a few times to ensure all bits of kale got crispy, but it was worth it.
Kale does have a strong flavor, so beware (the husband wasn’t thrilled with it), but I’m a huge fan of the flavor. The more garlic, the better! Plus, you can tailor your kale to your own likings. A little chewy, a little crisp. Totally chewy. Totally crisp like a potato chip (my personal favorite). For the brussels sprouts, I tossed them in some melted bacon fat (which I ALWAYS have in the fridge because I love it…and because I am afraid of Jews), minced garlic, and plenty of s&p. Sometimes I’ll add in a bit of apple cider vinegar, maybe a spoonful of dijon mustard. I have also done the olive oil-garlic route, which is very delicious, but not PORKY delicious (nor is it a Jew repellent). Into an oven @ 450 F for 10-15 minutes, or until they are crispy as I like them (which is heaps crispy).
~LTG!
