It is time for you to go.

My mom's surgery last week was a success. YES! The clouds have parted and I am one with the world again. Well...almost. The explanation for why almost is listed below.

I am starting my final school year in graduate school and a new internship - part of school work - very soon and I feel anxious. In my defense, I am the type of person who has fears and such - there may be a clinical name for that - and yet, I always manage to throw myself in the midst of things to overcome these little suckers. I call them the anxiety trolls. 

Moreover, I have been really bad during this summer in terms of my fitness regimen and eating habits. It shows and I feel unlike myself at the moment. Thus, it is time for the extra pounds to go. That's right! I think this recipe will be helpful in this instance.

Love always,

kale (the vegetable).

Kale with Chinese Garlic Sauce. I added baked tofu because I love it. (My camera is on sick leave at the moment, hence the questionable quality of this picture).  

Kale with Chinese Garlic Sauce

Ingredients
1 pound kale greens, washed, rough stems removed
2 cups vegetable broth or water

Sauce
3-4 garlic cloves, minced or sliced
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon mirin (found in the Asian aisle of your supermarket)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce (found in the Asian aisle of your supermarket)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon vegetable broth or water (same one used for cooking the kale)
1-2 tablespoons vegetable broth or water to thin out the sauce as needed (same one used for cooking the kale)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Directions
Add kale and 2 cups of vegetable broth to a large soup pot. Cover and let it wilt down over a medium heat for about 10-12 minutes. Stir often and set aside. Do not discard the broth or water used to cook the kale. You will need it.

To make the sauce, in a medium sized sauce pan, sauté the garlic in 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable broth or water used for cooking the kale, for about 3-4 minutes. You can use 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil instead, but why would you want to? Ok, none of my business.

While the garlic is sautéing, in a medium bowl, combine tamari, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, and sugar. Whisk works well here. Add this mixture to the garlic and bring the pot to a boil over a medium heat. Stir often.

In the meantime, dissolve the cornstarch in the vegetable broth used for cooking the kale and add it to the sauce, once it starts boiling. Whisk constantly until it thickens. This should take less than a minute.  Remove from the heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the kale broth to the sauce to thin it out, use a whisk. Pour the sauce over the kale and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with baked tofu or anything you like.

You can use this sauce for vegetables or noodles of choice, or as a marinade.

*Note
If you like things a bit more saucy,

What is Pepe Le Pew doing here? 

then double the sauce recipe. Cheers!