Texas and BBQ

…are a match made in heaven!

Thanks for all your comments on my last post. It sounds like we’re all in agreement that the campsite was awesome!

Well, I’m enjoying my summer break! Unfortunately, I still don’t have a lot of extra time, because now we are starting to pack up our home! I think I told you guys that I’m moving to Utah this summer. If I haven’t told you… I am now. It’s pretty crazy, since this the only place I’ve lived and I’ve never moved before. The whole process is new, and it’s quite time-consuming; however, I have had some time to play around in the kitchen! It’s one of my favorite things to do, so I try to make sure that it happens a couple times a week.

One thing I played around with this week was Alex’s BBQ sauce!

(source: Alex’s blog!)

Texas is known for two types of cuisine: Mexican and BBQ! I was pretty excited when she posted this recipe, since it fit so perfectly with my Texas summer. If you haven’t made it yet, you need to. I had everything on hand and I loved it. I have to be honest that I added a little bit of stevia, because I wanted that tangy-sweetness, but it is so good! I put it on everything, some of which you can see below.

I topped my sweet potato fries with it, and I also tossed my chickpeas in the sauce. Some roasted broccoli made an appearance a few minutes later, and I also put the sauce on it for fun. Have you ever tried BBQ sauce and mashed avocado together? I tried it with my fries, and wow—it is good.

That wasn’t the only thing I used the sauce for, though. Yesterday I had some kale in the fridge that I needed to use up, and there was about 1/4 cup left of the barbecue sauce. I quickly realized that the two were destined for each other, and on a hot, Texas summer day, this recipe hit the spot.

Texas BBQ Kale Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 large bunch of kale
• 1/4 cup Alex’s BBQ sauce
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• scant 1/2 tbsp smokey mesquite seasoning*
• shake of paprika
• sea salt, to taste
• stevia, to taste (optional)

*This is probably optional, since I would guess that most of you don’t have this particular seasoning. It adds a really great smokey flavoring though, so if you have something similar, use it!

Wash, dry and rip the leaves off the kale. Put them in a large bowl and add all ingredients to the kale. Mix well till everything is evenly distributed and every leaf is coated. The kale should be wilted by now. Let the salad marinate for about 10 minutes and enjoy! Makes 2 very large servings or 3 normal-sized ones.

You can also roast the kale on a lightly greased baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. I tried roasted and raw, and I much preferred the salad raw. The flavors are much more pronounced, plus you get more nutrients from raw kale anyway. 🙂

I loved this so much! Whenever I prepare vegetables—whether I roast them, steam them, or put them in a salad—I always make enough for my mom and me. She was napping when I made this though, and it was really hard to save her portion! I wanted to eat it so badly, but I didn’t think that would be very nice.

Question of the Day: Have you ever moved before? If so, how many times? Was the move hard for you or were you excited?

Question of the Day 2: What are you looking forward to the most about summer? What classic summer foods are you excited for?

Thanks for reading!