Kale in a Bag, It’s That Simple

Recently, Trader Joe’s started selling kale that’s “cut cleaned and ready to go.” Not only does this make preparing my Moroccan Inspired Lamb Stew even easier, but it also makes adding kale to your diet as a whole a lot easier too. So what’s so great about kale and why should you be eating more of it?

Disclaimer: Before you read any further, I must warn you that I’m not a nutritionist, dietitian, doctor, or scientist; I’m just a girl who wants people to eat better. It’s probably wise for you to consult a professional, or better yet, do your own research about dietary choices …yadayadayada, now you may continue reading.

Kale is packed full of good stuff our bodies need to not only function properly, but to repair themselves from the environmental damage we receive on a daily basis. To start, kale is rich in carotenoids, like beta-carotene and lutein. Studies have found, that carotenoids can help restore and improve vision as well as act as a defense against ultra-violet damage to the skin.

Kale is also rich in vitamin K. Vitamin K is important for our bones and blood. Vitamin K helps calcium, something also found in kale, bind better, making bones stronger. Vitamin K, also plays a major role in blood clotting, so if you bruise easy, suffer from nose bleeds, or heavy menstrual cycles, then you might consider increasing your intake of vitamin K.

Kale is also a good source of various antioxidants, like vitamin C.  Antioxidants fight the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that will attack stable molecules in our body, in an attempt to stabilize themselves, often causing a chain reaction that can cause various diseases and even cancer. Antioxidants are stabilizing molecules that help stop and prevent the chain reaction caused by free radicals. We are exposed to free radicals on a daily basis, not only do our bodies create them, but they’re also found in cigarette smoke, smog and even sunlight, so antioxidants are very important.

Kale is also a good source of the minerals magnesium and manganese. Both magnesium and manganese are essential to good health and play a part in everything from muscle function and heart heath, to anxiety disorders and metabolism.

So the next time you’re at the market grab some kale, it’s good for you!

Moroccan Inspired Lamb Stew

I decided I’d post this recipe before it’s a 115 degrees out and too hot for stew. Plus, my Mom keeps bugging me for it.

I didn’t grow up eating slow cooker meals, but when I went back to school, my life became that perfect storm that only a slow cooker could navigate. After a long day of class and work, standing over a stove was the last thing on my to do list. On top of that, my budget could no longer afford many of the culinary luxuries I had grown accustomed.

Having never cooked using a slow cooker, I searched the internet and what I found were very bland and boring recipes, loaded with meat and not too much else. My inner chef came out, and I came up with this Moroccan inspired Lamb Stew. It’s rich in flavor, easy to make, the ingredients aren’t too expensive, and its contains kale, a superfood.

Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Lamb shoulder blade
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 onion
• 3 carrots
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 – 14.5oz cans of tomatoes
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tsp. coriander
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• cayenne pepper to taste

First: Pour the liquid ingredients into your slow cooker. While you can use any canned tomatoes, I prefer the flavor of Trader Joe’s Organic Diced and Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Organic Green Chiles. The roasting of the tomatoes and the addition of the chiles, adds a smoky layer of flavor to the stew that I really enjoy more than regular canned tomatoes.

Next: Chop up the garlic, the carrots and the onion and add to your liquid mixture in the slow cooker.

Optional: Brown the lamb and spices. It’s not necessary, but I think it adds flavor. I use lamb shoulder chops, a less expensive cut of lamb. It contains a lot more connective tissue than finer cuts, like leg of lamb or loin chops, but the slow cooking process melts the tissue, leaving juicy and tender chunks of lamb meat in your stew. Mix all the spices together and sprinkle them on both sides of the lamb before you throw it into a hot pan, with olive oil to brown. Brown the lamb for about 3-4 minutes on each side on medium high heat. Don’t worry about whether the meat is cooked thru, since the chops will have time to cook in the slow cooker.

Then: Once browned, you can throw the whole lamb shoulder chops, bones and all, into your slow cooker. Use a little bit of chicken stock or water to de-glaze your pan. Make sure to scrape the little pieces of lamb and spices from the bottom of the pan. You want to make sure these bits of flavor get added to your stew. I have a small, 2-quart, slow cooker with only 3 settings, low, high and warm. I cook my stew for about 4 hours on high.

Lastly: Add the kale. I use 1 bunch of kale, washed. You can take the time to chop it or just pull the stalks apart with your hands. I usually add it about 20 minutes before the stew is done, just allowing enough time for the kale to become tender. Before I add the kale, I remove the bones from the stew. By now, most of the meat should have pulled away from the bones. Any meat that is still stuck to them, can be easily removed using a fork. Let the kale cook down for about 15-20 minutes.

Serve: Over couscous or rice.

The Return of Fukuburger, Thursday Nights at Cityfied

By now, you should already know I LOVE food. But I also love fashion, music and art, which is why I’m so excited about tonight, March 1st, and the return of my favorite Asian inspired burger truck, Fukuburger, to Cityfied, on Thursday nights. To kick off their return, Cityfied, is hosting a night of music, fashion and art.

While you’re there, make sure to check out the work of Larry Wade Hampton, a really talented artist, who’ll also be in attendance. Larry, will be showcasing a new series of his work and he’ll also be available to do commissioned pieces.

A sample of some of Larry Wade Hampton's original artwork

Hope to see you there!

Cityfied Lifestyle Apparel 

6870 S. Rainbow Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89118

Across from the Arroyo Crossing Shopping Center

 

It’s Las Vegas Restaurant Week – Spring 2012 Edition

I’m all about giving back, and when giving back and food combine, I couldn’t be more happy. Since 2007, Las Vegas Restaurant Week, has been helping support Three Square, Southern Nevada’s Food Bank. Normally, Las Vegas Restaurant Week is in the fall, but this year, they are doubling their efforts with a spring edition of Las Vegas Restaurant Week, starting today, February 27th thru March 4th.

Not only do you get a chance to support, Three Square, and their mission to provide wholesome food to those in need in Southern Nevada, but it’s also a perfect opportunity to sample some great food at some of Las Vegas’ finest restaurants. Exclusive Restaurant Week three-course meals start at $20.12 and with each meal purchased, a donation is made to Three Square.

For a run-down of participating restaurants, as well as their exclusive Las Vegas Restaurant Week menus visit www.helpoutdineoutlv.org

Feel free to leave a comment about which restaurants you visited and what you enjoyed.

Las Vegas Restaurant Week Spring 2012 Edition

February 27th-March 4th

www.helpoutdineoutlv.org

www.threesquare.org

May You Have Nothing But Good Fuku

I’ve travelled to several places in the world, and I can tell you that some of the best food I’ve tasted is often street food. Well, Las Vegas is no different.

Street food in Las Vegas, is of the food truck variety. While there are several food trucks in Las Vegas serving up good eats, my current infatuation is with Fukuburger (Fuku comes from the last name of truck co-owner Colin Fukunaga and means luck in Japanese). While the Fuku patties themselves are yummy, cooked to perfection and made with beef from a local butcher, Larry’s Great Western Meats, what keeps me coming back is the unique Japanese inspired flavor combinations. Ingredients like kabayaki sauce, wasabi, ginger and kaiware sprouts, add unique flavor kicks that change the ubiquitous hamburger, into something oh so special.

If I had to give Fukuburger a rating, it would be 5 mics. That’s right mics. Anyone who’s a fan of hip hop, or who’s ever read The Source, knows that 5 mics is the highest honor an album can receive. It means an album is a classic. Something that you can throw in your CD player and listen to all the way thru, without skipping any tracks. You might have your favorite song on a given day, but you love the whole album. That about sums up the way I feel about the menu at Fukuburger. And then, just when I think I might be getting bored with the menu, they’ll serve up an amazing special. It’s like the food world’s version of a mix tape.

One day, I might be yearning for the smokey, sweet flavor of the Buta Burger, a Fuku patty with applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, pickled red onions, red ginger, japanese bbq sauce and wasabi mayo.

On another day, I might feel the urge for a Tamago Burger, a Fuku patty topped with a fried egg, teriyaki, wasabi mayo and finished with crispy onion strings. The egg is fried over easy, so when you bite into the soft yolk, yellow egg juice goes running everywhere. Make sure you catch it in the little paper tray they serve the burgers in, so you can sop up a little of that creamy yellow egg juice, with each additional bite.

If you want something to make your taste buds tingle, try the “spicy” Karai Burger, or an all beef hot link Naga Dog. And don’t worry, if you’re not in the mood for beef, Fuku Burger still has you covered, with the Chicken Katsu; a panko crusted chicken patty, topped with shredded cabbage, katsu sauce and “crack” sauce. Yes, “crack” sauce, aptly called because it will have you fiendin’ for more.

Buta Burger aka "Pig" with Jazz Fries

To accompany your Fukuburger of choice, you can’t go wrong with either the Togarashi Garlic Fries or the Jazz Fries (shown above). The Jazz Fries are also topped with some of that “crack” sauce, and gravy.

Currently, there is a Fukuburger restaurant in LA, but as they say, All the fresh Hollywood food places always start off as a good little hood thang. So, pull up a bucket, have a seat, and enjoy your burger.

Fukuburger Truck 

At a location near you –> schedule

$6-$10/person

Happy Good Eats in 2012

Another year is behind us and with its passing comes time to reflect on things we can do better in the New Year. This leads me to one of my New Year’s resolutions. I resolve to make better food choices and help the people around me do so too. This doesn’t mean that I want everyone to run out and become a vegan or only eat grass fed beef, but what it does mean is that I want people to be informed about what they’re putting on their tables and in their bodies.

One of my favorite things to do has always been eating. My love for food is what led me to start writing this blog. When I first started Greedy Girl in Las Vegas, my main goal was to highlight my favorite restaurants in the Las Vegas valley, and maybe feature a few recipes. To make sure I was never at a loss for post ideas, I subscribe to a few Google alerts and started following certain sites on Twitter. What I got was more information than I could imagine on how the industrial food system in America works. We no longer live in a world where animals roam pastures and where we eat what was grown at a farm down the road. I consider myself a pretty educated individual, but I had no idea about the process that our food takes before it lands on our table; let alone the effects this process has on our health, our environment and the people who help get it to our tables. This information has led me to make different choices than I once did while walking down the aisles of the grocery store.

So what exactly does eating better mean to me? It means being able to enjoy real food, not a bunch of chemicals, and not breaking the bank while you do it. In addition, it means making informed decisions about what you’re buying and putting in your bodies. I also want everyone to be able to participate. So maybe on Meatless Monday you start by telling them to hold the meat and order a grilled cheese at In-N-Out, if an organic salad from Whole Foods isn’t an option.

So Happy Good Eats in 2012! And look forward to more post, on a more regularly basis, now that I’m finished with school.

Open for Christmas

An open letter to those enjoying Las Vegas during the Holiday Season.

To Whom it May Concern:

First, I’d like to wish you Happy Holidays (Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, ect). While I completely understand why you would want to bring your family/significant other/friends to Las Vegas for the holidays, and I hope you enjoy your time here, there is something that I would like you to remember while you’re out having fun this holiday season. Yes, Las Vegas is a 365/24/7 city, but that doesn’t mean that while I happen to be at work on Christmas, New Years Eve (insert any holiday here), I wouldn’t rather be at home with my family or out having fun with my friends. So while you’re out and about on The Strip this holiday, think about how glad you are that instead of being at work, you’re out enjoying yourself, then think about the person who is at work, serving your meal, driving that taxi you’re in, cleaning your hotel room, dealing you those cards at the table. The least I ask is for you to be nice to them, but if you’re really in the holiday spirit, throw in a nice tip. Cash is always nice, but casino chips will do too.

Happy Holidays,

 

 

 

P.S. Shout out to In-N-Out Burger for being closed on Christmas!