PTHN hits a milestone of 101 posts today!  Many celebrate the 100th post, but I’m a super smarty-pants and miscalculated…er…mis-read my blog numbers.

Anyhow, 101 posts is a mighty fine number too.

So, let’s get down to it and pay homage to kale.

I love kale so much, I like to steam it and use it as a warm compress for my eyes.

I love kale so much,  I like to blend it into a paste with a little honey and use it as a deep hair conditioning treatment.

O.K.  So two of these statements may or may not be true.

But I am telling the truth when I say that this dish is the spitting image of spaghetti with tomato sauce.

You can see the resemblance, right?

The kale ribbons act as noodles, with pan seared tomatoes as sauce, and cheezey nut crumbles standing in for the parmesan cheese.  I included a few kalamata olives too.  The saltiness adds a nice contrast to the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Did I mention that I always think twice before discarding my kale cooking water?  I’ve been known to add a tea bag to it and drink it hot.

I can’t lie, it smells…bad.  Don’t drink it in the company of strangers.

Or spill it in your car on a hot summer day.  Let’s just say, there’s a fermentation effect that you’ll regret for some time.

Tomatoey Italian Kale 

From Part-TimeHealthNut.com

Serves: 2, Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 large kale leaves, stripped from stems and cut into bite-sized ribbons
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pitted and halved kalamata olives
• 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBSP cheezey nut crumbles
• Garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Lightly steam kale ribbons using a basket steamer or by filling a large pot 1/4 full with water.  Bring it to a boil, and cover with a lid.  Remove from heat when kale is to your desired tenderness (about 8 minutes for me).  If you’d like, reserve cooking juice and drink with a tea bag!
2. While kale steams, add grape tomatoes to a non-stick skillet and, on medium heat, warm through just until the skins start to perforate and get a bit brown.  Let it go too long and your tomatoes will explode.
3. Combine drained kale, tomatoes, and olives.  Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
4. Top with cheezey nut crumbles and enjoy!

*Nutrition information in 1 serving: Calories: 341,Carbohydrates: 37.1g, Protein: 12.4g, Fat: 20.4g, Fiber: 8.1g

*Please note: Nutritional information is not guaranteed and will vary based on the ingredients used.