Monthly Meal: June 2008

While we were traveling in Mexico recently, I dreamed of the different kinds of food I could make for June’s Monthly Meal this year: chicken in mole sauce, fish tacos, or any number of dishes involving fresh corn tortillas. But, in case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t had very much free time lately. Catching up with work has taken nearly all my time since we returned, and slowly I’ve realized that my dream of a recipe for a wonderful Mexican meal is just a little too farfetched this month. Writing recipes takes time, people.

In stead of a Mexican meal (which I’m still hoping for next month), I’m going to share one of my favorite recipes with you all. It’s for a dish called massaged kale, sometimes known as CHUD amongst the millennial hippie set. Basically, you take a bunch of kale, add a bunch of stuff, and massage the whole lot until it’s finished. It’s a vegan raw dish, though I choose to serve it with quinoa on the side. If you’d prefer to go gung-ho and eat an entire raw meal, you can always soak the quinoa for a few days rather than cooking it. But this requires planning, which is why I haven’t tried it yet.

I know this recipe sounds a little but strange, but I promise to you guys that it’s amazing. AMAZING. Chud is what I like to eat when I’m feeling run down and tired, or when I really want a detoxifying and filling meal. Plus, chud keeps well and is great for a packed lunch situation. Once I carried some with me in a To-Go Ware tiffin box. I put the chud in the top shelf and some quinoa salad on the bottom shelf along with some avocado, and it worked really well. But I can’t imagine a further departure from the American brown-bagged PB&J than toting some massaged kale and an ancient grain around in a tiffin, can you?

I hope you guys enjoy chud as much as I do. Keep in mind that making chud is very flexible; every single ingredient is to taste. Some people make it with just salt and oil, and some add things like brewer’s yeast or feta cheese. Try it and experiment, and you’ll be sure to find a mixture that suits your tastes. Enjoy!

MAIN DISH

Massaged Kale (a.k.a. “chud”)

INGREDIENTS
-1 or 2 bunches kale (I’ve used both red kale and dino kale, and I liked them both)
-coconut oil
-red palm oil
-lemon juice
-Celtic sea salt
-chopped parsley
-minced garlic
-apple cider vinegar
-turmeric*
-crushed raw cashews*
-chopped avocado*
-chopped tomato*

*The ingredients you add after the chud has been massaged are up to you; try a few things and see what you like.

DIRECTIONS
Tear kale leaves from stems, saving the hard center stems for your compost pile. In a large bowl add coconut and palm oils, lemon juice, Celtic sea salt, parsley, chopped garlic, and apple cider vinegar. Tear and massage until leaves are translucent-ish. The chud will be ready when it looks sort of like it’s been cooked. Add spices and goodies (turmeric, brewer’s yeast, chopped raw cashews, etc), mix a little more, and let stand in the bowl covered with a clean towel for 20 minutes.

Top with avocado and chopped tomato, and serve with a whole grain. Yum!

SIDE DISH

Quinoa

Quinoa is sometimes called an “ancient grain” because it originated in the Andes 6,000 years ago. The Incas considered quinoa to be sacred, calling it the “mother of all grains.” It’s incredibly high in protein for a grain, and it has an unusually complete set of amino acids, which makes it an ideal food for vegetarians. It has a lot of dietary fiber and minerals, and it’s gluten-free. And it has a nutty flavor and a light, fluffy texture. See why I love it?

Bring one cup of water and two cups of quinoa to a boil in a pot. Once it’s boiling, cover it and let simmer for about fifteen minutes or until done (it’s done when the germ separates from the grain). Serve hot.

DESSERT

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

I’ve included a recipe for Coconut Milk Ice Cream here before, so this month I’m going to share an amazing product with you guys: Turtle Mountain Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream. This ice cream deserves its own post, which I’ll eventually get around to, but for now suffice it to say that this ice cream has earned a permanent place in our freezer. It’s contains no soy or dairy, and because of the coconut milk it’s really rich and creamy. The mouthfeel makes it seem like it’s full of cream, but it’s just coconut milk and oil. Even better, it’s sweetened with agave nectar rather than sugar. I LOVE THIS ICE CREAM. The coconut flavor is coconutty and yummy, but my favorite so far is the Mint Chip. You can’t even tell it’s made with coconut milk, it tastes just like the richest, guiltiest mint chip ice cream you’ve ever had. Suffice it to say that I’m looking forward to trying out their Vanilla and Cookie Dough flavors.

MUSIC

Album: Toots and the Maytals, 20th Century Masters (Best of)

I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of reggae music, which has never endeared me to the hippie crowd. I never had Bob Marley posters in my college dorm room, and I don’t share my brother-in-law’s die-hard love of Steel Pulse. With that said, Toots and they Maytals is one of my favorite groups. Their particular brand of reggae music is so… well, musical. My biggest complaint about most reggae is that it’s just the same thing, over and over again, without ever really going anywhere. But with Toots, the music is good, the lyrics are good, and the songs actually go somewhere. I listen to this album all summer long, it’s like my personal hot-weather soundtrack.