Kale and Papa's Fried Rice

Today for lunch I made kale sauteed with garlic and fried rice. My fried rice recipe comes from my grandpa. This is the way he always made it for me when I was younger and still would today. 

Both recipes require garlic and lots of it! This is the portion I used in the kale.

Kale is super easy and quick to make. Ralph's has had organic kale by the bunch on sale for 99 cents all summer. That makes it a bargain vegetable that is also really healthy. Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can find. It scores 1000/1000 on the ANDI, which means that it is nutrient dense.

The first step is to saute about 2 cloves of garlic in a pan with oil. I like to use grapeseed because it has a neutral flavor and good for you too! Always remember to heat up your pan first, then add the oil and let it heat up before adding your product to the pan. This will ensure that the oil does not heat up before the pan does and that your food will not stick to the pan. 

I like to simply rinse and then tear or chop kale. I add it to the pan with the garlic and season with salt and pepper. I wait until the kale wilts and then add about 1/4 cup of water. Then, just cover it with a lid and let it steam for 4-5 minutes. 

This is the result!

For fried rice, I just needed a few extra ingredients.

These, along with 3 cups of cooked brown rice and 3 large cloves of garlic are all you need to make a basic fried rice. Most of the time I like to add veggies like zucchini, cabbage, or broccoli. If I was using these veggies I would saute and season them with garlic, salt, and pepper before adding them to the rice.

Today, I sauteed garlic in the grapeseed oil the same way I did with the kale and then added the egg. I let that cook until the egg was just about done and then added the rice (this is when I also add veggies). I pour about 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 1 Tbsp of sweet soy sauce for this amount of rice. You can always taste as you go to ensure you have added enough soy sauce. I use the sweet soy sauce because I think it adds some extra flavor, but you can easily omit it or use teriyaki sauce instead. This was an ingredient that I added to my grandpa's recipe. 

I let it heat up for 2-3 minutes and that's it!

My completed meal. 

Kale Sauteed with Garlic:

1 bunch kale, chopped

1 Tbsp oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper 

Add the garlic to a heated saute pan with oil. Cook for about 1 minute and then add the kale. Season with salt and pepper. Let the kale wilt then add the water and cover. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes. You may need to add water to the pan about halfway through. If you see the kale browning, move it around in the pan and add 1-2 Tbsp water.

Papa's Fried Rice:

3 cups cooked white or brown rice

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp oil

1 egg

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp sweet soy sauce or teriyaki sauce (optional)

Heat the saute pan, add the oil and then the egg. Cook the egg through to your liking. Add the garlic and let cook for about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir. Add the soy sauce and sweet soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. Let it heat through. Enjoy! Your can also season the rice with pepper, onion powder, garlic powder (if you don't have fresh garlic, that's the way Papa always does it), hot sauce, crushed red pepper, or whatever you like before adding the soy sauce.