(Not-so) Extreme cooking.

Happy 2017! Regardless of your political convictions, many will agree that the back half of 2016 was ready for a Whole30 cleanse/detox of sorts. One of the things I look forward to most every January is the influx of inspiration for healthful recipes.

Now, readers of this blog might scratch their heads at the idea that I get enthusiastic about kale and coconut aminos, but in order to eat the way we publish, we eat reasonably healthfully between all the saturated fats. I believe in "Everything in moderation, including moderation," and I subscribe to the theory that a balanced diet is a glass of red wine in one hand and a bar of high-quality dark chocolate in the other.

Presenting: my add-to-anything secret weapons:

• Farro (okay, some people think grains aren't okay, but to them I say THEY ARE DELICIOUS AND FILLING)
• Avocado (the plant kingdom's butter) - as my dear friend Janet taught me last week, a pinch of black lava salt flakes makes it even better
• These roasted chickpeas (on salad/in grain bowls)
• Any roast vegetable with lemon juice

(As a matter of fact, you can mix all of these together and have an awesome lunch...maybe toss in nuts or sesame seeds for crunch, or an egg if you're super hungry?)

But after a while even the old stand-bys in different combinations can get boring -- this time of year sparks creativity in the kitchen as people desperately try to coax flavor and excitement out of raw foods and make awkward substitutes for what we really crave. I believe we should love kale for kale...don't sneak it into things where it doesn't belong, just for the health benefits. Don't make a burger and pretend beets are beef...cook beets in a way that celebrates their beet-ness.

In design, there's a theory that creating products and solutions for extremes (user-outliers such as super tall people or lefties -- my husband, in both cases). If you can solve the problem for those people, you can solve for everyone. In cooking, I learn flavor profiles and texture combinations from both ends of the health spectrum, and we never sacrifice deliciousness for nutritiousness.

Tonight's dinner included white pasta (*gasp!*) but a boatload of greens and bold flavor. The best thing was that it only took about 20 minutes to make, leaving me the rest of the evening to snuggle up with my blog.

*

Sesame Kale Noodles

(adapted from The Kitchen Girl - amped the veggies and adjusted the sauce based on what I had at home)

Noodles for four (to me, that translates to 1/2-2/3 lb)

1/4 c sun butter

1 T sesame oil

Juice from 1 lemon

2 T water

1 T soy sauce

2 T olive oil

2 c Brussels sprouts (thinly sliced)

1/2 c red onion, diced

4 T sliced almonds

3 T black and white sesame seeds

6 c kale

1 T yuzu juice if you have any (or Meyer lemon - the yuzu made the sauce incredibly bright)

avocado (because see above)

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water according to package directions. Whisk together sun butter, sesame oil, lemon, water and soy sauce and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and cook Brussels and onions for 4 minutes. Add almonds and sesame seeds and toss for another minute. Add kale and wilt for 2-3 minutes. Toss with sauce and noodles until warmed through/kale is wilted, then sprinkle with yuzu juice, more sesame seeds and avocado cubes.