We’re out of fruit, which meant vegetables for lunch!
It’s rare that I spend more than 20 minutes preparing a meal. I love cooking, but I don’t like spending a lot of time in the kitchen, so my style is more 20 minute meals. But today it was fun to have a couple of projects going at once.
First I got some sweet potato fries going –
Wedged + fried and covered in olive oil, cinnamon, cayenne and salt
Baked on a wire rack for 40 minute at 400*
While they were baking, I decided to cook some kale. And by cook I mean massage it to tenderness.
In my big bowl of kale went a lime, 2 tbsp lemon juice, a quarter cup of lemon hummus, 1 tbsp olive oil and salt sprinkled all around.
As Alton Brown says, clean hands are a cook’s best friend! Massage until tender and the volume has decreased a bit.
As an after thought, I decided to hard boil some eggs for protein!
Yum! Maybe my favorite way to eat eggs? No wait, deviled is #1. This is #2!
A drizzle of maple on the fries
And a kiss for dessert! Karen brought a few of these over : )
I have an afternoon out on this pretty day!
KhushbOo says
That lunch looks perfect- simple yet delicious! Can’t get enough of eggs lately !
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio says
I love how you snuck that kiss in there! OH and love the Guy knife!
Caroline @ After Dinner Dance says
Looks delicious – I only discovered the idea of massaging kale in the past few weeks. It really is the trick to making kale tasty!
Hillary says
Hey Kath, random question: any reason why you guys bake your sweet potatoes on a rack? I usually do mine on a baking sheet lined with foil. Just wondering if they came out crispier or something? Thanks!
KathEats says
More air circulation! We just find they have that perfect crispy outside, soft inside
mary @ minutespermile says
nice tip! will do next time. when i use a pan they stick to the bottom. argh!
sam says
hey kath. do you ever cook with coconut oil? I am so confused by all of the different kinds of oil.
Krista says
This is a great link explaining them all!
http://www.eatingrules.com/2012/02/cooking-oil-comparison-chart/
KathEats says
Wonderful chart!
Kelly says
What a great, simple, nutritious lunch. I need to remember this for when the staples get low!
Hillary says
I’m totally trying this! I make sweet potato fries at least twice a week! Thanks, Kath.
Antonia @ healthinspirations says
I must try sweet potato fries with maple syrup soon. Seems like the perfect combo, yet I’ve never had it. Your kale massaging technique is really interesting. I wish my local grocery store would sell kale cause I really want to try this out! Have a lovely afternoon!
Cassie says
This looks so good right now! I need to try a rack for my sweet potatoes next time, and I think I need to get used to eating Kale like so. 😉
Katie @wishandwhimsy says
I must say that the kiss in all of your photos is so adorable. I LOVE that element in the photos, from both a photo perspective and from a person loving chocolate! CUTE and simple!
Bernie says
I bet those fries tasted awesome since you fried them first! Whenever I cook fries I also do the twice-fry to get them extra crisp the way I like them…but I’ve never tried frying first and then baking at the second stage. I wonder if they would taste less greasy that way since the oil would drain to the bottom.
I don’t make fries often but when I do (once or twice a year) I go all out. Those eggs look great too.
KathEats says
By fried I just mean cut into fries!
occula says
I wondered about that too, but realized they didn’t look pre-fried (and it sounded out of character, too!).
kathleen @ the daily crumb says
love the drizzle of maple on the fries — never thought of that (i’m more of a ketchup girl :)) but it certainly looks delicious!
Hannah @ Sparrow + Spark! says
That’s my favourite way to eat eggs too- yum!
Molly @ RDexposed says
I’ve been on a sweet potato kick lately. I must try the rack method for the potats (intentional spelling there, no autocorrect!)
Catalina @ Cake with Love says
The fries look delicious, I have never had mine with maple syrup I have to try this combo asap!
Megan @ Megan's Munchies says
I am sure wishing I had some sweet potatoes right about now!
Angel7 says
I am going to have to try making fries the way you do on a wire rack.
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Justeen @ Blissful Baking says
Your eggs look perfectly cooked – I hate dry, over-cooked yolks!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Maple and those fries…I am craving sweet potatoes now! They look delish and I love how you cooked that egg. My hubs would go ga-ga if I could perfect that perfectly drippy middle!
Lindsay @ Fuel My Family says
your lunch looks so simple but so delicous. Sometimes less is more!
Jasper {crunchylittlebites} says
this makes me want to prepare kale to go with liver for dinner tonight. that’s right, haters can give me all the junk about liver but it’s awesome 🙂
taylor says
this looks awesome. must make this meal!
Mai says
beautiful and delicious looking lunch!
Lisa (bakebikeblog) says
love eggs!
Molly says
I have a question – I have been trying incorporate a bigger variety of greens into my diet, instead of the usual spinach, romaine, etc. I bought kale the other day and put it in my salad yesterday and literally had to choke it down – not appetizing at all!! Does massaging the kale with the dressing make it more palatable? Thanks!
KathEats says
It does make it better, yes 🙂 Try the whole foods garlicky kale on the salad bar to get an idea of kale’s saucy taste
Kate says
It might just be an acquired taste, Molly! I love kale in salad — but I can’t stand Swiss chard.
KathEats says
I think it is…. a bit stinky at times. It is better cooked
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats says
Your lunch looks delicious, I love making sweet potato fries! I’m also a big fan of carrot fries and rutabaga fries!
Whitney @ Whit Likes Fit says
Ok I’m totally trying the wire rack next time I make SP fries. I always struggle with the crispiness on the baking sheet.
Steph says
This is the second recipe today I have seen for Kale that isn’t cooked. I am intrigued but a little bit scared to try it raw! I will have to try SP on the rack!
Anna @ On Anna's Plate says
I never think to “cook” for lunch– but those fries look so good!!
katie @KatieDid says
that’s such a me meal! Ate it almost exactly for dinner last night yummm.
mary @ minutespermile says
bought smoked spanish paprika! sprinkled on top of eggs! twas good! thank you!
Cait's Plate says
Love the kiss for dessert 🙂 And those baked sweet potato wedges look INcredible.
Enjoy your time outside – I’m off to do the same!
Fran@ Broken Cookies Don't Count says
Sounds like an excellent lunch!
Heidi Bundles Of Hugs says
So healthy! Looks yummy 🙂
Liz says
The picture of the Kiss chocolate alone, looks like behind was some ice cream!! I then realised was the eggs 🙂
Annette @FitnessPerks says
Those eggs are cooked PERFECTLY!!! yummy!
Kerry @ Totes My Oats says
What a pretty lunch! I love massaged kale salads 🙂
Jen says
I find kale rough so usually steam it or micro it in a little water…does massaging help though? Sounds so strange to say!
j3nn says
Your lunch looks fabulous! Love the semi-hard boiled eggs. YUM! I haven’t had massaged kale in awhile, I must do that soon. Your lunch is Paleo-friendly, ha!
Stacy @ Say It With Sprinkles says
This has been my lunch for the past couple days!: Sweet potato, kale + eggs, YUM!
Alicia says
Gotta try massaging the kale!
When I make roasted sweet potatoes I sometimes add cumin or chipotle chile powder to the cinnamon and cayenne. I love it, and I think smoked paprika would also give it the same kind of taste.
Question…do you eat the sweet potato skins? If you do, are they chewy?
KathEats says
They are soft! I don’t know why anyone would peel a potato… I love the skin.
Alicia says
My great-grandmother (who I was raised by) baked sweet potatoes, but the skins on them were always crisp and chewy and not pleasant at all. I think that may have been because they pulled away from the flesh while they were baking.
beth grossman says
If you’re pregnant, to be safe I would not call those hard boiled; more like soft boiled; cook till hard next time!!!
KathEats says
The yolks were totally cooked
Hillary v says
How did you cook your eggs?
KathEats says
See Lori’s comment at the bottom for my recipe!
Lizzie says
This is probably a dumb question, but how do you make good hard boiled eggs. And, I am not a fan of salt or pepper, so would they taste good plain? THANKS
KathEats says
See Lori’s comment at the bottom for my recipe! Yes, plain would still be good
occula says
I love a beautiful, colorful meal like that!
Hayley says
How much cinnamon and cayenne do you use per 1 sweet potato? Making these tonight! I have been in a rosemary/pepper rut lately 🙂
KathEats says
A sprinkling around – maybe 1/4 a tsp of cinnamon and 1/8 of cayenne?
Michelle @ Turning Over a New Leaf says
I am known to eat this exact meal (well, boiled eggs, sweet potato, and kale. Seasoning and preparations vary) a LOT!
Laura @ She Eats Well says
I love your lunch. I had 2 hardboiled eggs too…love them with a bit of salt and pepper on top. And you can never, ever go wrong with sweet potatoes.YUM. I love putting a bit of almond butter on top too.
Lori says
could you tell me how exactly you cook eggs like that? they look so good!
KathEats says
Julia Child’s method!
Eggs covered in cold water.
Bring to a boil.
Just at a boil, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 13 minutes.
Dunk in ice water to cool.
Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says
YUM! I just bought eggs because I want to hard boil them and kale because I want to make kale chips (a love since reading your blog). 🙂
Lara @ TresLaLa to TinyLaLa says
I am so glad to see that your boiled eggs aren’t perfectly peeled! I struggle with getting “the perfect peel” as I remember my mom being able to do. Mine are typically torn to shards by the time it’s time to eat them. Glad that you’re not a “perfect peeler” either. (Although, I kind of think that my issue has to do with using brown vs. white eggs — were these brown shelled?)
KathEats says
It’s because I didn’t let them cool long enough! Let them cool in the ice water completely and the egg will shrink and be peelable
Amanda @ Veggies n Dogs says
I heart eggs. I am so happy that they don’t have a bad rep anymore! Since nuts bother me, eggs are my favorite protein source. I wish I could just master the poached egg!
jojo says
I love it when the inside of a boiled egg is not cooked fully.
Eggs are one of my favorite food!! 😀
Jeanelle @ Glocal Girl says
I live in Holland at the moment and we have the simplest yet tastiest meals like this! For Easter brunch my boyfriend’s mum cooked up white asparagus, drizzled with hollandaise sauce, hard boiled eggs, smoked salmon and crusty baguette on the side… perfect!
Heather @ Run Eat Play says
Your sweet pototoes looks great. I have to try the maple on the fries!
Ashley says
Arent these SOFT boiled eggs? whats the difference?
KathEats says
Soft are runny inside… These were fully cooked. Bright yellow for being local!
Ashley says
oh that makes perfect sense! i was really eyeing the fries anyway 🙂
Amy @ amy loves food says
I love sweet potato fries but they always turn out a little soft when i bake them – but you have solved the problem for me… **grabs coat and goes on a shopping mission for a wire rack**
Katie Martin says
This looks like a very rounded meal; I wish I liked the ingredients! I have been trying to eat more healthily but it has been relatively difficult with my allergies of some foods and dislike of others. I am looking forward to trying more things with kale though, including making kale chips. Do you not feel that the sweet potato fries are too sweet with the maple on them? I feel like it would be a little overwhelming. I love the wire rack cooker you used to make them though- it looks amazingly handy! Are they expensive?
KathEats says
There are few things on the earth that I think are too sweet 🙂
The wire racks are probably a little less expensive than a sheet pan
http://www.amazon.com/Bakers-Secret-1061483–16-Inch-Nonstick/dp/B00091PNTI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336331479&sr=8-2