Julie & Julia Self-Challenge - Week 4

 

Well, it's week 4 of my Julie & Julia self-challenge.  This week, I've not only made two of the recipes from the cookbook, but I also made a third item that I saw on the morning news this week, kale chips.  The recipe sounded easy and as I am becoming a gourmet (wishful thinking, I know), decided to try it.  I can see kale chips becoming a new addiction for me.  Luckily, kale grows well here, so it should be an inexpensive addiction...

 

They aren't very photogenic, but they are very tasty.  It's just kale, olive oil and garlic - mix in a bowl to make sure the kale is covered with the garlic and oil, spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 25 minutes.  Crunchy and delicious!

As for the J & J project, here are this week's ingredients:

 

I made eggplant and olive dip.  Again, not pretty to look at, but very, very good.  My only complaint is that it had a lot of ingredients and was rather expensive and time consuming to make. It's good, but I don't see me making it very often.  (I feel that it is important to note that it was the first time I used my homegrown oregano.  I've had it in my herb garden for several years and never used it before today. Shame, shame, shame on me.)

 

 

 

I also made a spinach dip, which is in the fridge "finishing" so I've not tasted it.  Not that I'm anxious to try it.  Truth be told, I'm not a big spinach dip fan.   Nonetheless, the challenge was to make EVERY recipe in the book...  I am taking both dips and some pita chips to work tomorrow to share with my co-workers, several of whom have been very supportive and stopping by my office on Friday to see what I am making that weekend.  As mentioned before, I am (or is that was??) a notoriously bad cook and now people are actually looking forward to my cooking.  Somewhere there is a pig flying over a frozen pitchfork.