duck commander – meet vegan kale with pan-fried veggies

A very good friend of mine sent me an email the other day with a link to a hilarious blog called Duck Commander. My friend suggested it was time to “stop posting sissy recipes,” and start posting something a bit more macho.

Macho really isn’t my scene. But I will admit to posting a few sissy recipes lately. So I went on over to Duck Commander and had a good goosey-gander around. There’s something about the Duck Commander – I have to admit. He currently has a recipe up for stewed garlic frog legs.

The recipe made me laugh out loud. Duck Commander lists ingredients like this, “beer, wine, and bunch of frog legs (given to me by a guy -Scott- who I met at a donut store on Sunday morning, it’s an LA thing).”

I live an awful long way from Los Angeles and I’m not sure if it’s the donut store on Sunday morning that’s an LA thing – or the guy called Scott who hands out frog legs in the donut store that’s the LA thing. I’m guessing the Duck Commander didn’t major in English (neither did I for that matter). I’m happy to go along with his statement without any editing. It’s a “Duck Commander thing” I suspect, and I like it.

I don’t have access to any frog legs and I don’t want any either. But I’m betting this fabulously healthy, tasty vegan dish would go well with the Duck Commander’s dish. In fact – it goes really well (possibly even better) without the frog legs too. I’m thinking of sending a note over to the Duck Commander. I bet we’d work really well in the kitchen together.

Don’t skip the parsnip in this recipe – the sweetness gives the dish balance.

Kale with Pan-Fried Vegetables (this recipe is from A Taste of Wintergreen, page 85)

Serves 4

6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1/4″ thick slices

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 parsnips, peeled and washed, and sliced in 1/2″ chunks

1 bunch organic kale, washed, stems discarded, leaves cut or ripped into large pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt, pepper, and 1/2 tsp paprika

Warm olive oil in large fry pan. Add onion, garlic, and potatoes. Cook on medium heat for about ten minutes and then add parsnip. Cook for a further 15 minutes or until potatoes are thoroughly browned and cooked through and parsnips are slightly caramelized. Add a little more olive oil if necessary and season with salt, pepper, and paprika.

Once the potatoes and parsnips are cooked, add the kale, cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Reduce heat to low or medium-low, and place a lid over the pan to cook kale. Steam for about ten minutes, stirring gently once or twice.

Serve immediately with a loaf of good bread.

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