I've been thinking about breakfast lately. It's the most important meal of the day, sure, but we rarely treat it that way. Since I've got time on my hands these days, I've been enjoying taking my time with this oft-rushed meal. I'm trying to make it a one-two punch by making it delicious and packed with nutrients. And I think I might have hit on something:

Pan-fried kale with eggs:
1/2 bunch kale
extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs (or 1, depending on your appetite)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add a little oil and a little water to the bottom of a deep saucepan. Wash and tear kale into bite-sized chunks, heat saucepan to medium-high, add kale and stir frequently. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes, lightly browning each side of the kale and wilting it completely. When almost finished, push kale to one side of the saucepan and add eggs, cooking until desired doneness. Pile kale on a plate, place egg(s) on top, season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a shot of hot sauce if desired.

 

This seems a little granola, but it's really delicious. Kale has such a potent, green flavour and when pan-fried, it takes on a great crunch.  But do cook it well. When I undercook it, well, I suffer. To put it plainly, from extreme gas pain. Kale is in the gabbage family, although many don't realize it. And it should be treated as such. If you don't want to kill your loved ones via methane gas poisoning, heed this advice. 

I've been enjoying myself in the kitchen even more lately because the crazy hoarder who lived in the apartment facing mine finally moved out. For the last several years, crazy hoarder has done her crazy hoarderiest to make sure I can't see into her kitchen (which was absolutely revolting) by putting up various scraps of wrapping paper and gift bags while spying on me in between the cracks of her self-made-slash-self-imposed-mural-prison. I did my level best to ignore her, but she would come over every so often to ask me to open a jar, or let her friends into the building (for some reason she only periodically had a phone). She drove me nuts and her staring at me was starting to make me paranoid. But no more! I feel a weight off my shoulders.

Amazing what dealing with nutters will do to you. My advice when dealing with them is to energize yourself with a good breakfast first, then do your best not to let them rattle ya. As I've been repeating to myself lately, you have to be like a cork in water, you can't let difficulties get you down :)