Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients: 
3 poblano peppers
1 cup brown rice
Vegetable broth- however much you need to cook your rice
3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced (I kept the juice and added it to the rice, too)
1 garlic clove
(The following quantities are to your liking:)
Cumin
Chipotle pepper seasoning
Mozzerella and cheddar cheeses

Directions:

Prepare the peppers:
Slit peppers. Broil peppers until slightly charred.
Remove and put in a covered dish for about 20 minutes.
Peel the skins from the peppers and remove the seeds.

While the peppers are cooking/cooling:
Cook the rice in the veggie broth. Add tomatoes and spices.
Add some cheese into the mixture, then stuff the peppers.
Top with more cheese. (It all depends on how much cheese you like...)
Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted.

Maybe add some black beans to the mix, or as a side.

Broccoli Pot Pie

No indulgent pictures of the pie from 54 different angles, and another 100 pics once the pie is cut open. Just the damn recipe.

Ingredients

1 yellow onion, diced
1 Russet Potato, diced
A splash of veggie broth
A handful or two of frozen or fresh peas
2 small heads of broccoli
Sprinkles of sharp cheddar cheese (maybe 1/3-1/2 cup total?)

1 cup of milk
3 tbsp flour
2 pie crusts

Directions:

1. In a skillet, simmer the onion and potato in a splash of veggie broth until the onion is translucent, 5-10 mins.
2. While that's heating up, chop the florets of the broccoli from the stems, into about 1" pieces. Chop up some of the stem into small pieces, too. Steam the broccoli pieces until it's al dente, about 4 mins in the microwave.
3. Add a handful or two of peas to the onion and potato mixture, then add the broccoli and stir it together to incorporate.
4. Make the sauce: In a separate small sauce pan over medium heat, heat the milk (I used coconut milk) and whisk in the flour until it thickens- it won't take long. Be sure to whisk constantly. If it's not thickening or doesn't seem hot enough, increase the heat.
5. Place one of your pie crusts in the bottom of your pie dish.
6. Add half of the broccoli mixture into the pie pan, then sprinkle cheddar cheese in a thin layer on top of the mixture.
7. Add the sauce to the remaining broccoli mixture (or add the broccoli mixture to the sauce if the sauce pan is big enough!), mix it all up, then add all of that into the crust.
8. Add another thin layer of cheddar cheese on top of all of that.
9. Top with the remaining pie crust, pinch the edges together, and cut a few slits in the top for ventilation.
10. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the top crust looks nice and done.

Yum!

OHMYGOD it's Pink Strawberry Starburst Smoothie

I have to confess, I am not even sure the pink Starbursts (in the traditional pack, I think there were red, orange, yellow, and pink in there, but they've got all kinds of themed packs/flavors now) are strawberry flavored? Maybe they were strawberry-lemonade? Whatever. Almost everyone I knew when I was a kid liked the pink ones best, followed closely by red, and wished they sold packs of JUST the pink ones.

A 2nd confession, I haven't eaten a Starburst in years, as I'm just not really into fruity candy, and I also tend to avoid things of that consistency to avoid ripping out expensiveass dental work.

But when I made this smoothie a few weeks ago (and again today) and sipped it for the first time, I immediately remembered Pink Starburst! So here you go- end of the indulgent reminiscing and reasoning for the smoothie maybe not tasting EXACTLY like a pink Starburst; you've been warned.

PINK STARBURST SMOOTHIE

1/2 - 3/4 cup water
2 big handfuls of spinach

1/2 scoop Vega vanilla flavored nutritional shake powder

1 banana
Some squeezes of lemon juice
3 handfuls of strawberries with the tops on (unless the tops are crunchy/dried up)
2 handfuls of frozen grapes

Yeah, I know, none of these measurements are exact. You can taste as you go and add more of things as you please- I don't measure when I make a smoothie, I just try not to overflow my blender cup.

In a hand blender: Add the water, spinach, Vega, banana, and lemon juice. Blend it up!
Add a few of the strawberries and blend, a few more, blend, etc. until you've added all of the strawberries.
Then add the frozen grapes and blend again.
You can use frozen strawberries, depending on how cold you want it.

If you're into fruit water, you can soak strawberries and lemons together, and when you're done drinking the water, use the strawberries (and squeeze the lemons) from the fruit water into this. That's how I made it the first time, but I get that not everyone has that just sitting around ;)

Dat Baked Rotini, tho...

12 oz rotini
1/2-3/4 jar spaghetti sauce
4 mozzarella string cheeses
4 handfuls shredded parmesan cheese
5 slices provologne cheese
3-4 roma tomatoes <<YUUUUMMMMY
baby spinach (a few handfuls)

Cook and drain pasta.
While you're waiting for the water to boil and/or cooking the pasta, dice the roma tomatoes into chunks- a little bigger than you would for salsa. Thinly slice/shred the baby spinach. Cut the string cheeses up into little cubes, about 1/2".

Add the drained pasta to a big bowl.
Add the pasta sauce- it's up to you how much. How saucy do you want it?
Add the baby spinach, tomatoes, string cheese pieces, and 2 handfuls of the parmesan cheese. Mix that up well, then dump into a greased 9x13 dish (or a pretty deep 9x9 dish).
Cover with provologne slices, then sprinkle the last 2 handfuls of parmesan cheese over the top.

Cover this with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Check the pasta mix near the end; uncover for a little while if it seems too liquidy.

Deleeeeeshus Overnight Oats

I've seen variations of this ALL over Pinterest. I have no idea whose recipe it was originally, and I didn't even pin one myself to reference. I saw a few different ones and got the basic idea, then made my own, in a quantity that fills me up on a morning when I wake up hungry!

This recipe is totally unspecific since it's so adaptable. But the basics are:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not the quick oats- the ones that take like 5-10 mins to cook)
1/3 cup Chobani (or your preferred brand) Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1/4 - 1/3 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk (or other milk of your choosing)
1-2 Tbsp honey (raw, creamed, flavored... up to you, and how sweet you like it!)
Handful of chopped fruit, fresh berries, etc. (Strawberries work well, so do raspberries, apples, blueberries...)
Optional: Various spices, jams, dried fruits

Directions:

1. Add the oats, yogurt, coconut milk, and honey to a jar or container with a lid- or you can wrap with plastic wrap, but that seems so wasteful. Mix well and adjust yogurt and coconut milk to your desired consistency. Since this is eaten cold, I think it's better when it's thicker!
2. Add some of the chopped fruit and mix again. Then add the rest of the chopped fruit. You can mix it again, or leave the rest of the chopped fruit on top. (I like to mix it twice, keeping some of it separated, so some of it gets more incorporated and starts to fall apart a little, while the fruit on top so it stays more whole.)
3. You can also experiment and add things like: Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, almond extract, vanilla extract, raisins, craisins & various other dried fruits, jams/preserves/jelly etc. for MORE flavor!
4. Cover and place in the fridge over night. When you wake up the next morning, you have a yummy breakfast waiting for you!

This is my favorite honey to use for this recipe! It's from a local company here in Virginia (I love supporting my locals), but they ship, too! Some of it might seem pricey, but trust me, it is worth. every. penny. The spiced version shown here contains cinnamon/clove flavors and I like it with strawberries or apples (it tastes like pie). Another wonderful variety is their almond honey. It's fantastic in the overnight oats with raspberries!
Here's where you can order some, too:
http://stores.homestead.com/hstrial-SMitchell/Categories.bok?category=Creamed%20Honey

Oh. And yes. You DO see a bee on the end of the spoon :)

Asparagus Quiche

When we picked up our CSA last week, it included 2 lbs of asparagus and a dozen eggs (among other things). In the CSA newsletter, they usually include a recipe for some of the ingredients. They included this one for asparagus quiche, but I made some changes... so here is my version.

Ingredients:

1 uncooked pie crust (home made, or I used refrigerated Pillsbury crust, but will make my own next time to make it healthier.)
4-6 green onions 
1 small package chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 pound of asparagus
1 cup shredded Baby Swiss (or other mild cheese)
1 handful of shredded Parmesan cheese
4 large or 5 small eggs
3/4 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk (while I'm not a vegan, I think the dairy industry is pretty messed up and I try not to support it when possible)

Directions:

1. Finely chop the green onions and place them into a skillet with the broth on medium-high heat. While they are heating up, wash and chop (if necessary) your mushrooms into small-ish pieces, then add them to the green onions. Stir them occasionally and let them sautée until soft.
2. While the veges are cooking, prepare your asparagus. I steamed mine in the microwave (put it into a covered microwave-safe container with a little water) for 3 minutes. I like it cooked but not mushy- it still had a tiny bit of crunch to it.
3. Chop the asparagus into 1/2" pieces.
4. Place the asparagus pieces and the mushrooms and green onions into a large bowl. Add the Parmesan and Baby Swiss cheeses and mix it all together.
5. Dump the vegetables and cheese into your pie crust.
6. Whisk together your eggs and the coconut milk, then pour this on top of the vegetable mix in the pie crust.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes.

A couple of notes-
1. The original recipe calls for bacon. The first time I made this, I followed the original recipe and used Smart Bacon- which if you're watching your calories and fat, or are a vegetarian, Smart Bacon is pretty damn good, honestly. I mainly used it because I was afraid the quiche would be bland without it. But my husband (and I, too,) thought the quiche was a little too salty and rich. He asked me to try making it without the bacon. So I exchanged it for mushrooms :)

2. I used the So Delicious Coconut Milk because I've been a fan of it for a long time and found that it's great in coffee, for cereal, for smoothies, and for cooking and baking. It also stays good for a long time so I like to keep it around. I haven't tried almond or soy or hemp milk (or moo-cow-f**k milk, as Lewis Black would say...), so I'm not sure how well those would work.

3. When our quiche was done, it was kind of watery on the inside. Sometimes this happens when I make quiches with a lot of vegetables, especially mushrooms- I think- because they tend to release a lot of water. It tasted super awesome though. But if you have suggestions as to how to keep the quiche from being watery, I'm open to hearing (or reading) :)

Greens and Tomato Soup: It has a flavor.

I've eaten made my fair share of bland, boring soups, and this is definitely not one of those!
I started with this recipe as the base:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spicy-Kale-and-Chick-Pea-Stew-11641
and doctored it cause that's what I do (and... the store was out of kale) and holycrapamazing and I'm SURE the original recipe is great, too.

Ingredients:
2 nice, big leeks, chopped up
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 package of chopped mushrooms (if you like them)
1.5 - 2 lbs leafy green vegetables such as kale, mustard greens, swiss chard, spinach (or you can do a mix, which is what I did), stems removed and chopped coarsely
2 cans of chickpeas or other white beans (you can use 15 or 19 oz cans, depending on how bean-y you want it!)
8 cups of your favorite vegetable (or other) broth
2 x 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes including the juice, chopped
6-ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili powder (more if you want it spicy)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. In a bigass pot, sauté the leeks and garlic with a splash of the vegetable broth over medium-high until the leeks are tender.
2. Add the green pepper and optional mushrooms and sauté another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the beans, rest of the broth, leafy greens, tomatoes AND the tomato juice, the tomato paste, and all of the spices. Mix well and stir everything together.
4. Bring to a boil and continue simmering the soup, uncovered, for an hour. Give it a good stir every 10 minutes or so.

Enjoy.
The.
YUM.
Look, you EVEN GET A PICTURE.

And I didn't even add Insta-Crap defects!

Side note, is it weird that handling those canned whole tomatoes reminds me of what it might be like to handle a human heart? Eeewww.

Carrot Soufflé

The carrots in this make it quite sweet. If you make it and would like it sweeter, you can add more sugar.

Ingredients:
2 lbs Carrots, chopped up
1/2 cup Melted Butter
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Eggs, beaten

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Place the chopped up carrots into a steamer and steam them until they are soft.
3. Drain the carrots and mash them up.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
5. Place into a 2-qt casserole dish.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot; can be enjoyed cold as well.

I've made this and substituted margarine for the butter, and egg whites for the whole eggs. I thought it tasted great both ways :)

Roasted Potatoes

Use any combo of 'taters suitable for baking that you like. Here's a combo we like:

Ingredients:
3 cups raw, cubed Red-Skinned Potatoes
3 cups raw, cubed Sweet Potatoes
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Basil (dried works well)
1 Tablespoon Rosemary (fresh is wonderful, finely chopped, of course)
1-2 teaspoons of Olive Oil (a healthy splash)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Cube the 'taters into about 1/2"-3/4" cubes. (Think homefries.)
3. Dump all the 'taters into a large bowl- with a lid, if possible.
4. Add olive oil to the taters and mix to evenly coat all of your 'taters
   (if you're using a bowl with lid, place the lid on the bowl and shake it up).
5. Add the herbs and salt. Replace lid, if you have one, and again, mix/shake well.
6. Spread the 'taters onto a baking sheet in a single layer.
7. Cook them for about 30 minutes, turning them over once or twice during cooking.

Tuscan Pasta

(You can add 1 pound of cooked chicken cut into strips to this if you'd like meat in there.)

Ingredients:
6 oz. Penne or Rotini Pasta (half a box)
1 can (15 oz) Great Northern Beans
1/2 cup Roasted Red Peppers, chopped
1 C Baby Spinach, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped Rosemary, preferably fresh
1 teaspoon broth
Fresh Parmesan cheese
1 lb. of chicken, if desired.

Directions:

1. If using chicken, cook the chicken and cut it into thin strips. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to directions.
3. Heat the broth in a large skillet. Add the beans, vegetables, and spices. Cook 3-5 minutes or until the spinach begins to wilt a little.
4. Toss with pasta (and add the chicken if you're using it).
5. Top with Parmesan cheese.

If you're using a box of pasta and you'd prefer to cook the entire box, just double the rest of the ingredients for a larger meal.

Awesome Quiche(s)!

A few months ago, we thought a quiche might be fun to make. WE WERE RIGHT! We just started throwing in all the veggies we could think of, and different cheeses, too. Therefore, I don't think we've ever made it the exact same way twice- so use this is merely a guide :)

If you're serving dinner for 6, with a side salad and some side dishes, this should do you about right.

Ingredients:
2 Deep Dish Pie Crusts from the freezer section at the grocery
1 container of Egg Beaters' All Whites Egg Whites
5-6 eggs
1/2 cup Skim Milk
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 of a medium sized Onion (or... a Leek!)
1 Red or Yellow Bell Pepper
1 package sliced Mushrooms
4-6 Roma Tomatoes (or sub in some cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes)
1 package of chopped frozen Spinach (the kind that looks like a brick) OR a few handfuls of chopped fresh baby spinach
Salt, to taste
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese (I used mild cheddar from Trader Joe's- fantastic)
1 package of diced up ham bits from the deli section (omit for the vegetarian version..... obviously)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Stick the bottoms of the pie crusts with a fork a few times. Then put them into the oven and cook them for 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile....
Chop onion/leeks, bell pepper, and tomatoes into small pieces. Saute in skillet with olive oil a few minutes. Add in mushrooms. Keep sauteeing until tender.

If using frozen spinach, defrost spinach. Squeeze excess water out of spinach.
Dump 3/4 container of egg whites into a big bowl. Add eggs. Add milk. Whisk together.
Add the sauteed onion, pepper, tomato, and mushrooms. Add spinach. Stir again.
If desired, add a little salt, to taste.
Dump in ham bits and stir together.
Add cheese and stir to combine..
When all the ingredients are mixed up, use a deep spoon and spoon the mixture into the pie shells.
Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Quiche is done when it has risen a bit and the middle is solid.

If you like, you can take the quiche out a few minutes before it's done and sprinkle some shredded cheese on top and cook it another 10 minutes. We aren't huge fans of that though... odd.... considering John's cheese obsession and all.

Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: 35-45 minutes.

Salad with Grape Tomatoes and Hearts of Palm

One of my favorites. Hearts of palm are sort of similar to an artichoke heart. They're insanely delicious. They are also high in fiber content and low in calories... Can I get a "hell yeah"?!

Here's a recipe for a single serving.

Salad with Grape Tomatoes and Hearts of Palm
This recipe makes enough for 1 salad.

Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Baby Spinach
3/4 Cup Mixed Field Greens
A handful of Grape Tomatoes, halved
5 Sticks Canned Hearts of Palm, sliced horizontally into 1" pieces
1-2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinagraitte Dressing (I use fat free)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in desired proportions.

Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time: Zero! Eat it now!!!111

Salad with Oranges and Almonds

I've fixed this salad for a lot of summer picnics and it's always a hit. Very simple to make! Not sure on exact quantities here- so adjust them to your tastes.

Salad with Oranges and Almonds
The following recipe makes enough for 6-8 people, I guess?

Ingredients:
1 or 2 Cans (depending on how orangey and sweet you want it) Mandarin Oranges, drained
Baby Spinach and Mixed Field Greens, enough to fill a large bowl
1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds
Balsamic Vinagraitte Dressing (you can add to the salad or leave out and let people add their own)


Directions:
Combine all ingredients in desired proportions.

Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time: Zeeero! Ready in 5 minutes.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

I took 3 or 4 different recipes for Pumpkin Soup and added/adjusted things from each until it tasted how we wanted. We've made several batches of pumpkin soup with small changes here and there, and the following is how we've gotten it to taste best.

The first time I made this soup, I actually bought a pumpkin from the store, cut it in half, scooped out the insides (and of course roasted the seeds with some salt as a snack, RIDICULOUSLY YUMMY), cooked the pumpkin in the oven for a couple of hours, then peeled the skin off and pureed it.... Um, www.sonotworththetrouble.org . Seriously, you may think doing every. little. thing. from scratch like that will make you some kind of domestic goddess....
Man, just buy the pureed pumpkin in a can!!!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup
This recipe serves 4 people.

Ingredients:
29 Ounces Canned Pumpkin (unspiced*)
14.5 Ounches Vegetable Broth (or Chicken Broth)
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
Dash Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon White Pepper
1 Pint Half & Half
Pine Nuts, if desired

*seriously. UNSPICED.
I accidentally got the spiced kind one time, and thought I could get away with omitting the cinnamon/nutmeg etc. from the recipe and it would be fine... it was GROSS.

Cook:
In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients except half & half. Mix well.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in half of the half & half until well blended.

Cover and simmer until heated through.

Serve immediately with the remaining half & half on the table, for people to add to the soup as they wish. Pine nuts (toasted in the oven if you like) can be sprinkled in a small pile on top of the soup as a garnish.

Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time: 20-25 minutes. Ready in about 30 minutes.

Summer Pasta Salad

You can make a vegetarian version of this recipe by leaving out the imitation crab meat.
It's fantastic with or without it!

Summer Pasta Salad
Makes enough for 6-8 people, depending on how much of everything you use.

Ingredients:
1 Small Box of Spaghetti (or other preferred pasta, such as drill bits)
1 Green Bell Pepper, Chopped into Bite-Size Pieces
1 Red Bell Pepper, Chopped into Bite-Size Pieces
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Chopped into Bite-Size Pieces
1 Can Black Olives, Halved
1 Cup Brocolli Florets, Chopped into Bite-Size Pieces
1 Cup Snow Peas
1/2 Cup Grape Tomatoes, Halved
Other Veggies as desired
1 Package (chunks) Louis Kemp Imitation Crab Meat (if desired)
1/2 to 1 Full Small Bottle Italian Dressing (I use Kraft Free Zesty Italian)

Cook:
Cook entire box of spaghetti as directed on the box. Drain spaghetti, place in a large bowl, and place in the fridge to cool.

Place vegetables into a microwavable container. Add a little bit of water to the container, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on High for about 3-4 minutes- just enough time to lightly steam the vegetables (or use a metal steamer). Vegetables should still be firm- don't over cook them.

Drain the vegetables and let them cool.

Break apart the crab meat into smaller chunks, slightly smaller than bite size (you can do this while the vegetables are cooking).

Mix the pasta, vegetables, crab meat, and 1/2 of the bottle of Italian dressing together in a very large bowl.
Adjust the Italian dressing to taste.

Refridgerate the pasta salad and let it cool completely before eating.
Prep Time: 1/2 hour. Cook time: 15 minutes.

Chayote Squash with Pine Nuts

We discovered the sheer joy and happiness that comes from the Chayote Squash last summer. They look like a pear, but have a more firm consistency similar to an apple. And in the middle? A scrumptious little seed that you can cook along with the squash and give it a more nutty flavor. Hence why this past weekend, I decided to try the squash with some toasted Pine Nuts. Oh, yes!!!! Sooo good.

Chayote Squash with Pine Nuts
This recipe serves 2-3 people as a side dish.

Ingredients:
2 medium to large chayote squash (the size of apples or larger)
1/3 cup Pine Nuts
2 Tbsp. Extra virgin Olive Oil

Cook:
Cut the chayotes into bite size pieces.

Heat the EVOO in a large skillet, over medium-low heat.

Add the squash to the pan and cook for a few minutes, then add in the pine nuts.
Continue to cook over medium-low heat and turn the squash and nuts frequently. The nuts will fall to the bottom of the mixture and continue to sit on the hot surface of the pan, making them nice and toasted.
The chayotes are done when tender and can be easily stabbed with a fork, like a cooked apple. I like to get them a little browned, too, if I can, sometimes increasing the heat a little to do so.

Prep time: About 10 minutes to cut up the chayotes. Cook time: 20 minutes. Ready in about 30-40 minutes, depending on how long you cook your chayotes.

Mediterranean Kale

I got this recipe from the site http://www.whfoods.org/ . It's one of my favorite cooking/food websites. I try to make one of their recipes at least once a week, even if just a side dish, because I like trying new things- especially new HEALTHY things!

Mediterranean Kale
This makes enough to serve 2-3 people as a side dish.
http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=95


Ingredients:
2 bunches of kale (i used enough to fill up my metal steamer)
2 tablespoons* of lemon juice
1 teaspoon* of soy sauce (i use kikkoman less-sodium soy sauce)
3 medium cloves* of garlic, pressed
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

* Adjust these to your taste... the great thing about this recipe is you can start off by adding the flavorings little by little to the kale and if it's not strong enough, gradually add more until it tastes how you want.
In my case i only used 1 clove of garlic, but that's because i really don't care much for garlic at all.

Cook:
Prepare your kale by washing it thoroughly, then discard the thick stalks of the leaves. I ripped my kale into 2"-3" sized pieces.
Bring salted water to a boil, and then steam kale in a steamer over the water for 7-9 minutes or until it is tender.
Toss in a bowl with the other ingredients (add them all at once, or just add them gradually if you're unsure). Serve.

Yum!

Prep time: 15 or so minutes (if you're like me... I am not a fast kale washer-cutter-upper.) Cook time: <>

Seasoned Kale

If you're like me, you probably eat more than your fair share of Ramen noodles. And if you're really ghetto (like me), you sometimes eat them raw as a snack.
Yum!

But what to do with the left over flavor packet? I have just zee theeng!

Ghetto Kale
This makes enough to serve 2-3 people as a side dish.

Ingredients:
1 Ramen Noodles seasoning packet*
3-ish cups water
Kale

*for vegetarian version, use Top Ramen Oriental flavoring (i am pretty sure this is vegetarian, someone correct me if i'm wrong!) or a vegetarian bouillon cube, etc. :)

Cook:
Wash your kale throroughly.
Rip it off the stalks and into 2"-3" sized pieces.

Boil water in a small saucepan. Pour in the seasoning packet.

Place your kale into a metal steamer (I always use a metal steamer to cook my kale- I've tried it a few ways and it always comes out best this way). Place the steamer over the boiling water, reduce the heat of the water a little (cause you don't want too much to evaporate), and steam for 8-9 minutes or until it starts to become tender.

Take the kale out of the steamer and add it to the the boiling seasoned water for an additional minute.

Pour everything into a collander (or do what I did and just use the steamer to drain your kale) and serve!

Prep time: 15 or so minutes (if you're like me... I am not a fast kale washer-cutter-upper.) Cook time: 10 minutes. Ready in about 25 minutes.