This is an ordinary post showing my ordinary breakfast.
Every Saturday I go to the Franklin Farmer’s Market. I look for the seasonal items, but I almost always return home with kale and eggs, which are staples for me.
I bought the kale from Devlin Farms. Some of you will know the organic farms I mention because they are well known in the Nashville area. They are not ordinary. They are extraordinary in their commitment to the cultivation and preservation of good food.
I love to get free range eggs from the farmer’s market. If I don’t get there, I’ll buy Happy Eggs.
These are my “poachers.” These are the eggs I will eat for the next six days for either breakfast, lunch or dinner, with the golden yolk running all over my plate. You will never, ever see me order or make an egg white omelet.
This is the food I eat the most often, in between the restaurants, street food and occasional baked goods. This is my 80% of the time food. I splurge the other 20% eating food like shrimp and creamy grits, hot chicken and biscuits, or Jeni’s splendid goat cheese ice cream.
I splurge on good food, knowing that most of the time, I eat on the extremely healthy side. I’m not a yo yo dieter. I’m not really a dieter. I have a way of life that works for me. The only way I can say I lost eight pounds since I started writing Spinach Tiger is in the increase in fresh produce, home cooking and a kinda sorta routine.
I don’t eat boring, but I realize we live in a culture where a good majority of people perceive this kind of food as punishment or deprivation. I’m convinced that I could change their fooditude if they ate with me.
On the flip side, we have the “dieters” who only eat egg whites and throw the yolks down the drain. That’s nutty to me, but I think it’s a simple misunderstanding and bad information.
I call kale and poached eggs “reward” food. I love it. I drool over it. I ate the entire bunch of kale all by myself. I savored every bit of those runny yolks. How can one call that deprivation? Sometimes I mix kale with another vegetable like purple cauliflower.
Just in case you’re new to kale, let me introduce you.
Kale is not spinach. It doesn’t cook down, but it may crisp up, which is nice too. It stays a little tougher, a little chewier, but it’s not collard greens either. Kale is versatile. It goes well with eggs, whether runny or in kale green olive frittata. It makes a great salad. I’ve made a kale pesto here and kale garlic mashed potatoes here.
There was a time I didn’t love kale and now look at me.
Recipe for perfect and beautiful poached eggs here, or if you’re adventurous top your kale with a ruffled egg.
Did you know you can freeze kale and it comes out looking just like it did before you froze it? Check that out here.
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 bunch of kale
- crushed red pepper
- sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Saute garlic in olive oil. Cut the ribs of the kale out of each leaf center. You can chop it much finer than I did. Add kale to hot oil and garlic and saute until wilted. Add in crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.
- Top with poached eggs.
I even like it raw…this is a delicious dish and you make perfect “huevos”.
I agree with everything you said here! Healthy eating is an enjoyable lifestyle, not deprivation, and you worded it so well. I grew up hating kale and mashed potatoes and recently tried kale chips and nearly gave up cooking, but I’m coming to appreciate it’s use for things like soups…it looks beautiful with that purple cauliflower!
ohhh I love runny eggs on green vegies too. Blanched an asparagus bunch yesterday and had it for breakfast with two perfectly poached eggs. Nice post BTW.
Hhhmm… Love the kale, I’ve got to let the poached egg grow on me a little more! Had it recently atop a bed of mixed greens and a hot bacon vinaigrette at this cool pay what you want restaurant in Corydon, IN (The Red Door I believe).. popped the egg open and I almost lost it! Lol! My husband loved it, I kind of ate around it, will try again soon hopefully! Loved the concept, I’m just not a huge pork or runny egg yolk fan, so it will take a do over to convince me! I do love kale chips.. Have you a nice recipe for that to share as well?!!?? As always, love your post.
~Kiki
Now Angela, this is why I think we’d get on very well if we ever were to meet up! I’m much the same! 😀 I love the sunny ooze of a runny poached egg yolk-it never fails to make me smile 🙂
Bravo and well said Angela! Kale is delicious and combined with eggs, it’s a super meal in itself.