Kales, eggplant, peppers, shallots and garlic
I recently read that seventy is the new forty or maybe the new thirty or maybe the new nine month old because if you aren’t already in diapers it shouldn’t be long.
Every Sunday in the local paper they publish the weekly “Senior Menu”. If you thought school food was bad then this will make a visit from the grim Reaper like a walk in the park with the Easter Bunny. My favorite days are usually Saturdays and Sundays since there are no meals served and you can pig out with the obese at McDonalds.
How about meatloaf with tomato gravy or turkey with gravy not to mention a medley with cabbage? Now I can tell you that eating something as gaseous as cabbage can bring on a tune for seniors that even Lawrence Welk in his heyday would not have dared to play if, pardon me, you get my drift!
All that gravy is debatable as well since my Doctor has warned me to eat nothing the color of white, which would send the late George Wallace whirling in his grave..y. The Doctor, however, is quite serious about eating brown rice, whole wheat breads which have been getting a bad rap of late, whole wheat pastas and grains like the currently fashionable and over priced quinoa which is showing up everywhere but McDonalds.
Incidentally, the UN has recently recognized the International Year of the Quinoa thanks to an alert Bolivia who heretofore was known primarily for its revolutions. So “Ha”! to all you naysayers who think the UN is superfluous. And a shout out to those that can properly pronounce quinoa.
I finally went all in at Fresh Market recently and bought my first bunch of kale. Not that I haven’t eaten kale in fine upscale eateries, but I never brought home a bunch of the curly green stuff. I stopped by friends to pick up some tomato plants on my way home from the Market and as I was leaving remembered I needed to ask them how to cook the kale. I stopped my car and shouted out if they had a recipe and the neighbor, who was watering her lawn, shouted back her favorite. Obviously I’ve waited too long to begin preparing kale at home.
Since my life altering surgery six months ago, while I always tried to eat healthy, I’m not a convert to holistic as one of my older friends who juices just about everything in her veggie crisper. After sampling this reddish concoction that looked like something the Walking Dead might toss back, I decided that was way too extreme for this tossed salad guy who still enjoys a few ounces of beef once-a-week as well. I mean how much chicken can one eat before you have the urge to hang out in the hen house?
Coming shortly for a visit to my home is some younger members of my family who have sent ahead a list of “Things to put in the fridge” for their children who are one and three. It seems that at present everything requested is organic. I have great admiration for how they feeds their babies but I have a strong suspicion that will change once the children begin to socialize with their peers. That is of course unless everyone in TriBeca is like minded and there is no Chick-fil-a lurking around the corner from the vegan restaurant.
I buy organic milk, at least that is what the carton says, however there are apparently brands more acceptable in the Big Apple than Winn-Dixie. I hope the cows who work for W-D don’t get wind of that. Nothing worse than a pouty cow giving organic milk.
I buy free range brown eggs, remember nothing white. I gouge out the yellows after they are hard boil then stand in front of the sink before pushing them down the disposal remembering how beautiful those eggs looked dressed out with devilish yellow topping mixed with real mayo and dusted with paprika.
Don’t kid yourself, I miss my Hellman’s. We had great times together, me and my Hellman’s, from chicken salad to real homemade thousand island dressing that my mom use to make to top those great home grown tomatoes we’d pick up by the basket full at the Farmer’s Market down on 11th street.
If down that long and winding road I wind up at Senior Neighbors front door, I intend to bring my own lunch. Brown bagging used to have a whole different meaning when I was young. Funny how fifty short years later it takes on a whole new meaning. Just as well since I can’t have more than 2 tablespoons of liquor and I take that with my bedtime meds. Listen up Mary Poppins, nobody is perfect.
Sautéed Veggies and kale
This is great to toss with pasta or over rice and hearty enough to be a main course
Ingredients (serves 6)
You will need:
1 small bunch of kale, washed, stalks removed
and cut into a chiffonade (small pieces)
1 medium size eggplant split ,peeled and diced (save ½ for another meal)
½ cup sweet onion diced
½ cup sweet red pepper sliced cored with seeds removed (can substitute pimentos)
1 heaping tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Herbs d’Provence
1/3 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Sea Salt, but not much, and pepper to taste
Cooked whole wheat pasta of your choice or brown rice tossed with 2 tablespoons of basil pesto
½ log of Goats Cheese or crumbled feta
Parsley to garnish
Cooking Instructions
Heat olive oil in sauté pan large and deep enough to hold all the veggies
Add eggplant and onions and cook until eggplant begins to brown and onion begin to soften
Add red peppers, garlic and herbs
Cook over medium heat until peppers are tender but still somewhat crisp (if using pimentos just heat through)
Turn off heat add kale and cover pan. Kale just needs to wilt
Whether you decided to use pasta or rice put in serving bowl and add veggie mixture(don’t mix as it makes a nice presentation).
Top with cheese and a dice of parsley
Serves six
Note: If you crave a little more taste as I do then consider adding some fresh lemon juice or I sometime use rice wine vinegar to brighten the dish