Eating REAL Food that Tastes Good!

One thing that clients ask most is how to eat better. Our culture is inundated with mixed messages; fad diets, calorie counting, no carbs, no fats, and the list goes on and on. When trying to figure out what healthy means for your family, the first step is to KEEP IT REAL!!!! “Real Food” is a becoming a popular phrase these days, but what does it really mean?

One of my favorite websites lately for Real Food encouragement is Keeper of the Home. This website says “Real food is wholesome and nourishing. It is simple, unprocessed, whole food. Real food is pure and unadulterated, sustained yet unchanged by man.” Now if you are new to this idea, this thought can be overwhelming. To keep it simple, think about the outer rim of your local grocery store. This area is where you will find vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and dairy. These products are typically not layered with preservatives, they are not in boxes, and they spoil. This is food that has nutrition for your body to live off of. After all, have you ever wondered how something that has a 2 year shelf life can provide active vitamins and minerals that help your body function better?

I know, I know. How is making Real Food practical for your family if no one likes vegetables? That is a common question, but Real Food can taste great! So one goal of this blog is to provide highly nutritious meals for the community that are easy to make and taste great!! Today I want to share a new recipe I found two weeks ago…Kale and Bacon Pasta. After all, who doesn’t like bacon?

KALE AND BACON PASTA

16 oz. spaghetti noodles

2 TBS olive oil

12 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

2 TBS minced garlic

4-5 large tomatoes, diced (keep the juices)

1 head kale (approx. 8 cups), washed and torn away from stem

To Prepare:

Fry up all of the bacon until crispy. When done, line a plate with a paper towel and set bacon aside to cool. When cool, chop all the bacon into one inch pieces. Set aside.

Drain most of the bacon grease from the pan. But be sure to reserve a little bit for the next step, about 3 Tablespoons worth. It adds a lot of flavor to this dish.

Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain, rinse and drizzle with olive oil to prevent it from sticking.

*Prep the remaining ingredients and have them ready stove-side. The next few steps happen quickly.

Over medium-high heat, add 2 TBS minced garlic and 1 cup of chopped bacon to the reserved bacon grease. Sauté 1 minute until garlic is fragrant but not brown.

Add the whole head of kale, torn apart.

Continue to sauté over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes, tossing the kale occasionally with tongs, until kale is wilted.

Add tomatoes. Heat through.

Take half of the tomato, bacon and kale sauce and mix it into the spaghetti.

Pour the remaining sauce on top of the pasta. Garnish with remaining bacon pieces.

ENJOY! And let me know what you think!