In a complete 180 from a few years ago, I’ve become one of those people who brings lunch to work every day. (No longer being funded by the ‘rents will do that to ya.) Because I’m not so into lunch meat, I usually make a big batch of something that can be eaten with a spoon/fork, reheats well and hopefully doesn’t make a complete mess of my desk. Stews are big go-to, as are salads, pasta and pretty much everything I’ve ever made on this site, since I almost always bring leftovers to the office.
Most of the time, if my lunches get any reaction at all, it’s positive — “oh, that looks good,” “that smells amazing,” etc. But when I brought this to work last week, the only reaction it got was an incredulous “are you eating a bowl of kale?”
Apparently, most people don’t consider sauteed kale topped with a bit of bacon, some breadcrumbs and some Pecorino to be a balanced meal. They would mostly be wrong, since there’s a vegetable + protein + dairy + whole grains. Okay, so maybe there’s barely any dairy and whole grains and bacon is less protein than fat, but proper nutrition is so overrated, amirite?
Needless to say, the next day I made some quinoa to go with the kale as kind of a pseudo-pilaf. Alternately, you could round out the meal by topping the kale with a fried egg, and yes you should definitely do that because it sounds de-lish. (Plus you get to eat bacon and eggs for dinner! Ron Swanson would approve.)
However you dress it up, this kale is good. Spicy and smoky and salty and nutty and crunchy and crisp, all in less than 20 minutes of work. It’s delicious enough to eat solo — I promise I won’t judge.
Sauteed Kale with Bacon Breadcrumbs
– 2 strips bacon, diced
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 pound kale, washed, dried and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
– 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
– 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
– salt and pepper, to taste
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
– 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
– 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
– 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino or Parmesan
1) In a large saute pan, cook the bacon until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp. Set the bacon pieces aside on a paper towel, and remove all but two tablespoons of the bacon fat.
2) Add the garlic to the bacon fat and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat. Add the kale and chicken stock, then cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and add the red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 10-12 minutes, tossing frequently, until the kale has cooked through.
3) In a small pan on medium heat, saute the breadcrumbs with the oil and rosemary until browned slightly, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in the cheese and bacon pieces. Serve the kale topped with the breadcrumbs and additional cheese, if desired.
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