Hey y’all!
I’m Adina Goldstein, a Rochester native with a passion for food. Growing up my mom made sure we ate our fruits and veggies. Unfortunately, staying healthy as a first-year in college was a struggle. Grabbing pizza was way easier than planning out healthy meals and snacks. I found myself frequenting vending machines, eating whatever was put in front of me, and wondering why my pants didn’t fit anymore. Cooking was a way that I could take care of myself. Surprisingly it was way easier than I expected and so much cheaper than ordering food. I want to help other people eat and feel better by sharing easy, cheap, and healthy recipes because everyone deserves to live healthily and happily. That’s why I’m starting this bi-weekly cooking column!
Kale Power Bowl
I am a huge advocate of savory breakfasts and could eat this any day of the week. It’s easy, quick, and can be eaten anytime of the day.
Time: approx. 15-20 min
Ingredients
- 1-2 large handfuls of baby kale
- 1 medium potato
- 2 eggs
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Olive oil
- White vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chili flakes
- Rosemary (optional)
- Hot sauce (optional)
Tools
- Two skillets
- A small pot
- Knife
- Tongs
- Cutting board
- Slotted spoon (If you don’t have one a regular spoon will work too.)
Let’s Get Cookin’!
Prep
- Dice the potato into half inch cubes.
- It doesn’t matter if they are exactly a half inch. The most important thing is that they are all the same size so that they all cook evenly. There is nothing more unpleasant than crunchy potatoes.
- Peel and finely mince two cloves of garlic.
Cooking Instructions
- Fill the pot with water 2/3 way up with water, add a splash of white vinegar, and bring to a simmer.
- Add 1.5 teaspoons of olive oil to a skillet on medium heat.
- Wait approximately 45 seconds until the oil is hot and then add the potatoes.
- It is important that the oil is hot. If you add the potatoes to cold oil, they won’t get crispy.
- Season with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and (maybe) a little bit of rosemary. Feel free to get creative and add your favorite herbs and spices.
- Using tongs, move the potatoes around every so often so that all sides get cooked evenly.
- When the potatoes start developing color, take out the second pan, put on medium heat, and add 1.5 teaspoons of olive oil. Once it’s hot, add garlic.
- Once the garlic is fragrant, add the kale.
- Use tongs to coat all the leaves in oil and turn down the heat to medium low.
- Season with a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes to taste.
- Occasionally stirring, cook the greens until dark green and wilted. If you let it sit in one spot too long the garlic may burn, which tastes extremely bitter and very unpleasant.
- Once the potatoes are fork tender, remove from heat.
- Poach eggs. (See below for instructions.)
- Assemble bowls, splash with hot sauce, and enjoy!
Poached egg crash course
Making a poached egg
A lot of people think that it’s a fancy thing that’s impossible to make — that can’t be further from the truth. They are my absolute favorite way to eat eggs, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t like getting ripped off at cushy brunch places for something that you can easily make at home (and makes you feel like a super talented chef).
- Reduce the boiling water to a low simmer. It is very important that there are not too many bubbles because they’ll move the egg around, and you won’t get that pretty poach.
- Crack one egg into a small cup or dish carefully to avoid cracking the yolk.
- (Here’s where it gets tricky.) Using your slotted spoon, quickly stir water in a circular motion to create a circular current. This will keep your egg from spreading out and getting flat.
- Gently pour the egg into the middle of the swirling water, repeat the same with the second egg, and do not touch them.
- Wait 3 to 5 minutes for the whites to set, then remove from the water and add to the bowl.
And voila, hooray for healthy cooking!
Voila! A delicious kale power bowl.
