farro risotto with kale and sundried tomatoes

Mondays are better with a meal like this one. While at the end of a long Monday I'm tempted to call our favorite Thai takeout, I always feel so much better if I make a tasty, healthy, hearty dinner like this one. Not to mention the therapy that is stirring a pot of risotto. The best.

I love the bright, springy flavors in this risotto. It's bound to make Monday a lovely day!

Farro Risotto with Kale and Sundried Tomatoes (adapted from Foxes Loves Lemons)
serves 2-4

you'll need:
5 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup farro
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped and excess oil blotted
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for servings
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
fresh lemon zest, for serving

In a medium covered pot, heat broth to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, turn heat to low.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, salt, red pepper, and pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add farro and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine and cook for 1-2 minutes, until wine is absorbed.

Add 1/2 cup of the warm broth and cook until almost absorbed, stirring frequently. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring, for 45 minutes, or until the farro is tender. Stir in kale, sundried tomatoes, Pecorino, and Worcestershire. Stir until the kale is wilted, adding more broth if necessary. Top with a bit more Pecorino and lemon zest and serve immediately!

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avocado kale caesar salad

This is totally my new favorite meal. Like, I ate it for lunch every single day last week favorite.

Let's talk about this dressing, because that's what makes this really special. It's the easiest and least freaky Caesar dressing you'll ever make, since there's no raw egg or anchovies involved. Wait, does that still make it Caesar dressing? Don't care. It tastes AMAZING. 

Avocado Kale Caesar Salad (dressing slightly adapted from Absolutely Avocados)

4 servings, with extra dressing

for the dressing, you'll need:

1 avocado, halved and pitted

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

for the salad, you'll need:

9-10 cups baby kale

2 cups croutons

To make the dressing: place the avocado flesh, olive oil, Parmesan, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic cloves, Worcestershire, red pepper, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Place the kale and croutons in a large bowl. Add the dressing a bit at a time until it's dressed just to your liking. Sprinkle with extra Parm and black pepper if desired.

Yum, so good! P.S. The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

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kale & chicken quesadillas

Is everyone as obsessed with quesadillas as we are? There's just something about that cheesy goodness in a crisped-up tortilla that makes my heart sing.

These quesadillas are kinda weird and extremely delicious. Make a kale dip, spread it on tortillas, then pile on mozzarella, chicken, and avocado. Just trust me on this one.

This makes a quick, fabulous weeknight dinner, but it would also be a great addition to your Superbowl spread! Dip IN the quesadillas = two birds, one stone.

Kale & Chicken Quesadillas (adapted from Take a Megabite)

makes 2 quesadillas

you'll need:

2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced into strips

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups kale, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 oz. goat cheese

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

4 tablespoons shredded parmesan

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 tortillas (I used corn, but use whatever you like!)

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella

1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced

sliced green onions and lime wedges, for serving

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add kale and cook and stir until it's wilted, about 3-4 minutes.

Mix the cooked kale, goat cheese, Greek yogurt, parmesan, red pepper, salt and pepper in a bowl. To assemble quesadillas, divide kale dip, chicken, avocado, and mozzarella between 2 tortillas. Top each one with the remaining tortillas.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook quesadillas on both sides until they are browned and crispy. Serve with scallions and a squeeze of lime.

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spicy peanut mushroom kale rice bowl

If your weekend looked anything like mine (pizza, Chinese takeout, Tex-Mex... yeesh), this might be the perfect dinner for you tonight!

I've had this recipe pinned forever, and finally decided to try it last week. Holy smokes. This is SO good! We devoured this for dinner, and I ate the leftovers for breakfast and lunch the next day. And then I got really sad that I didn't have it for dinner all over again.

This will definitely be going into the regular rotation in our home, and I hope it will find it way into yours too!

*note: I made the kale salad component of this meal a day ahead of time to allow to flavors to absorb and the kale to soften a bit. Since I followed the recipe for the salad and dressing exactly, I've included the link for you to follow.

Spicy Peanut Mushroom Kale Rice Bowl (slightly adapted from Healthy Happy Life)
serves 4

you'll need:
4 cups cooked brown rice
4 cups Spicy Peanut Ginger Kale Salad
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini - use what you like!)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
for garnish: toasted sesame seeds (I used black and white for color!), chopped scallions

Prepare the kale salad according to the recipe above. As I mentioned, I did this a day ahead of time, but this isn't necessary.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms, onions, and a bit of salt and pepper. Saute until tender. Once the mushrooms have cooked down and the onion is translucent, add soy sauce. Add about 1 cup of the kale salad to the skillet and toss gently. Remove from heat and let sit.

To serve, top brown rice with a bit of kale salad, then the kale mushroom skillet mixture. Garnish with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and scallions. Grab a fork, and enjoy!

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sausage and kale breakfast cups

A new school year not only calls for lots of easy dinner ideas, but also simple, on-the-go breakfasts!

These little guys totally fit the bill. You can make as many as you want in advance, keep them in the freezer, then pop them in the microwave as you need them. And with eggs, sausage, and kale, these are serious protein-packed goodness. Best of all - THREE ingredients, people. How great is that?!

Sausage and Kale Breakfast Cups (inspired by Mix and Match Mama)
makes 12

you'll need:
1/2 lb. sausage (any kind you like will work; I used pork breakfast sausage)
1 cup kale, chopped (I used curly kale, but use whatever you like!)
12 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners (or spray well with cooking spray).

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until completely done. Remove to a bowl and mix in chopped kale. Fill each muffin tin about 2/3 full with mixture.

In a bowl with a spout, beat your eggs. Pour a bit of egg into each muffin tin, being careful not to overfill.

Bake 25 minutes. If freezing, allow to cool completely before transferring to a freezer bag to store. When you're ready to eat them, pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds, and breakfast is served!

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