The Proof is in the Pudding

     Today's musing is not about pudding, as you might expect by the title.  It has rather to do with the maxim espoused from the original phrase, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."  Another culinary attempt to express this same thought would be from the New Testament, "By their fruits you shall know them."  Or put another way, Actions speak louder than words.
     In an earlier post I waxed eloquent about the amazing qualities of Kale.  But having said all that I also confessed that I had never cooked, much less eaten the Queen of Greens.  So it was time to put my money where my mouth was and cook some up and try it.  And that's just what I did on Monday.  I provided a link to several recipes that included kale as a major player in that previous post.  In looking them over I found one that seemed to be appealing and not too difficult to prepare.  The recipe came from the website Allrecipes.com and gave "Sweet and Savory Kale" a 4.5 star rating and described it this way:  "This quick and tasty recipe combines vitamin-packed kale with both sweet and tangy ingredients for a colorful side dish."
     They were correct in their assessment!  I must admit that we were both on the dubious side of skeptical as it cooked but the proof of the pudding was indeed in the eating.  It received two thumbs up at the dinner table and will be a healthy and tasty addition to our meals from now on.  Here is the recipe for you to try and taste for yourself:

SWEET AND SAVORY KALE

2 tbsp EVOO                                                    1  1/2 cups chicken broth 

1 small onion, diced                                       4 cups stemmed, torn and rinsed kale 

2 cloves garlic, minced                                  1/4 cup dried cranberries 

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard                                    salt & pepper to taste 

4 tsp white sugar                                            1/4 cup sliced almonds

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

     Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the mustard, sugar, vinegar, and chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir in the kale, cover, and cook for 5 minutes until wilted.

     Stir in the dried cranberries and continue boiling, uncovered, until the liquid had reduced by about half and the cranberries have softened, about 15 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with sliced almonds before serving.