Kale Caesar with Chipotle Mushrooms and a Runny Egg

It’s 2:43 am. I can’t sleep.

Which is so frustrating.

I was tired when I went to bed last night! And I’m tired now!

Maybe it was the four (large) cups of black tea between 4 and 8 pm last night.

Or that I left my favorite pillow in the next town over.

Or that my stomach is growling for the first time since Thanksgiving. (Yes, finally!)

It certainly cannot be that I washed my sheets and blankets yesterday and made my bed up tightly before climbing into it. Because, uh… because who ever had trouble sleeping in a clean, comfy bed? …THIS GIRL, apparently.

KitKat seems to not be bothered one iota. She’s been sleeping for practically the last 36 hours. Do cats hibernate?

The real reason I can’t sleep is my racing mind. I’ve too much to do.

But despite everything on my plate, I did end last night digging into a good novel and then with a bit of young Tom Hanks being all Sleepless in Seattle. So it’s not like I’m super stressed for time here. But I guess stressed enough to be wide awake at 2:43 am.

Tomorrow (today?) I’m going to make up a list of things that I just have to say no to from now on. We’ll see how far I get because right now I can’t think of a single thing I’m doing that I would be willing to give up.

One thing I’ll definitely keep saying yes to: FOOD. Ya gotta eat three times a day right? I’ll keep blogging about it too. This is fun. And creative. And it gets me thinking (about food, but also about all things) and it gets me writing. I’ve tried to keep a journal, but I just don’t ever make the time for it. This blogging thing works for me.

So anyway. If you’ve hung in there, you deserve to hear a little bit about food.

Sometimes I just crave a Caesar salad. You can say that: “I’m just craving a Caesar salad,” and the guy you’re on a date with will totally understand and not judge you for ordering salad instead of a burger. I promise. People get it. Caesar is loved.

Lately, I’ve taken to ordering a runny fried egg on top. Even when I eat out. (True story. Ask the BBF.)

Why? Because eggs are:

• a super cheap protein,
• quick,
• easy, and
• extremely tasty on salads.

I also love to add extra veggies to my Caesar. These baby bellas are sautéed in chipotle seasoning. Smoky chipotle + creamy Caesar + runny egg + sprinkling of parm = decadent flavor, hearty texture, still healthy.

Time to stop eating Thanksgiving leftovers, kay?

5 from 1 vote

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Kale Caesar with Chipotle Mushrooms and a Runny Egg

Course Entree

Prep Time 8 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 16 minutes

Servings 4 salads

Author Danielle Cushing

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tablespoon McCormick Chipotle Chile Pepper seasoning
• 8 oz . baby bella or button mushrooms sliced
• 1 10- ounce bag kale ribs removed, massaged*
• 1/4 cup Caesar dressing I'm loving Bolthouse Farms Caesar Parmigiano
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 4 eggs
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, combine water and chipotle seasoning. Add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft and the water is gone, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, toss kale, dressing, and parmesan cheese until evenly coated.
3. Add cooked mushrooms to the salad.
4. In the same skillet, over medium-high heat, lightly fry eggs until the whites are cooked, but the yolks are runny.
5. Divide the salad among four plates. Top each salad with an egg. Season with ground pepper if desired.

Recipe Notes

*To massage kale, take a bunch of kale in each hand and rub them together. Repeat for about two minutes until the kale is darker in color and more wilted looking. Alternatively, dress the kale and let sit overnight. The acid and sodium in the salad dressing will help to break down some of the fibers, making it softer.

This salad is all me. The BBF refuses to eat anything but Thanksgiving leftovers until they are gone. I’m gonna give it 4 out of 5 stars. It’s healthy, a little salty, a little spicy, a little cheesy. Filling. But I’m still not sure that I love kale. Gonna keep trying though.