Lin Hawthorne

OK, you can all give me the stink eye. I love Kale. LOVE. I eat it any which way. Raw, braised, stir-fried and blanched. Blended up in smoothies. Soups. Whatever. My husband thinks it’s so bizarre and it’s totally ok if you agree with him.

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:5]

But I will not back down from my love affair. It’s partly his fault. Let me explain.

In our small AZ garden (a triumph in this desert environment), we have notice that we can grow kale. All through the fall, winter and spring and even into June. Any vegetable that can brave this desert environment deserves our respect. Let us take a moment of silence for the mighty kale.

* * * * * * *

Again, I will defend the hearty iron-filled green until the bitter end. Bitter. See what I did there? But this post isn’t about me. It’s about you. This recipe is for all those who know kale is good for you but don’t necessarily love to eat it.

The hearty kale stands up so well to the strong flavors of tomato and bacon. And the macaroni as a filler… you just want to gobble it down and keep coming back for more. It gets a solid thumbs up from my non-salad-loving husband and even the boys eat it.

SHORTCUT

Instead of mixing all of the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl, I just dump them all into the actual salad. It works. Saves a bowl, saves your hands with scrubbing dishes.

Dave and I like this salad so much that we named our dog after it. Just kidding. Not really. Yep, his name is Stetson and I’m pretty sure it had something to do with the naming of our dog.

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:4]

It was invented by one of our favorite restaurants, “Cowboy Ciao.” I could eat this every. single. night. And even Dave, who doesn’t normally love salads, thinks this is great as an entree.

SHORTCUT

Mix up Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning with some buttermilk and throw in pesto. Bam. You have a faster dressing. Also, arranging things into neat rows is really pretty, but not efficient. I often just dump all the wet ingredients in a bowl, put the dry ingredients on top, throw in the salad dressing and toss right before it’s served. Got that? Dump, put, throw and toss. You get a workout even before you eat this salad.

I am a bad, bad mom. Because this deceitfully healthy recipe is also really yummy. How dare I do that to the kids? Give them something so healthy and so delicious in one recipe.

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:3]

Meh. What they don’t know won’t hurt them. Make sure to season the spaghetti squash well and taste until you’re satisfied with the result. If you want to be less healthy, but you have to do this fast, just throw some pre-made spaghetti or marinara sauce on it and call it a day. You got to do what you got to do to feed the hungry natives.

OK, you want some deliciousness that is fast, comforting and will feed an army? *Cue the one-skillet lasagne* Ain’t no one got time for boiling noodles and layering the traditional lasagne.

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:2]

As I write this, I’m feeling a twinge of guilt because I actually learned how to make the real thing in Italy. Complete with homemade noodles. But I’ll say it again AIN’T NO ONE GOT TIME FOR THAT. Especially with hungry little birdies waiting for their dinner. This Lin approved recipe can be made “healthy-ish” by using turkey sausage. Pile on the fresh basil from our garden and you have a colorful feast for your eyes.