Prior to this weekend, I’ve attempted to cook salmon once and kale a handful of times. None of which turned out well. My mishap with the salmon was common, in that it was overdone, but I tend to mix it up with my kale fails. Sometimes it’s too dry, sometimes too mushy. Sometimes too bland, sometimes too spicy. But my brother’s girlfriend Sara does both of these dishes amazingly well, so I asked her to share some of her tips and tricks for preparation and cooking (included below). With my efforts to make our diet and budget a little leaner after the holidays, I’ll be turning to these dishes often to make at home. It doesn’t hurt that both of my kids love the salmon, and ask for it just about as often as mac and cheese.

The picture above shows the salmon finished with the chipotle seasoning, one of two options listed below.

A wok works nicely for the bulk of kale it takes to make a serving for 6. It cooks down to such a small amount compared to when raw.

Reality Check. Okay, so I didn’t actually cook the salmon or the kale for this post, but I DID take good notes and pictures while Sara did. I’m confident I can pull it off, just as soon as that yummy spice rub arrives.

Recipes
Baked Salmon

Salmon steaks (I like the skins removed before cooking)
Olive oil for seasoning
Salmon seasoning (my favorite is pictured above – Talkeetna Condiments, link here; the chipotle seasoning from Whole Foods is also nice, and is an option with less sugar)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Prep a sheet pan with olive oil (use spray or brush it on)
Rub olive oil and a generous amount of seasoning on top side of salmon
Place in oven for approx. 10 minutes

Sautéed Kale

2 large bunches of kale (approx. 1 lb.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (if desired)

Put the oil and garlic in a wok at high heat, add the kale and stir
Add the water and cover to wilt
Finish with red wine vinegar and crushed red pepper (if desired)