A Crust Eaten In Peace Is Better Than A Banquet Partaken In Anxiety.

Does anybody remember that episode of Friends where Rachel is stuck working as a personal shopper at Bloomingdales? And she hates it. She calls Monica and leaves her a voicemail, threatening to quit her job? (Anybody? Just me with the obscure Friends references?)

That has been my month. Everything that could possibly go wrong at the office has gone wrong. I have somehow morphed into a whiny, emotional mess - everyday complaining to my friends via gchat and text message about how much I just want to quit my job and run away, with no actual plans to quit or run away. Luckily, my friends are a patient, supportive and understanding group who put up with my incessant complaining and shockingly have not told me to shut the fuck up even once.

My friend Justin has been particularly saintly with perfectly timed words of encouragement and countless ways to make me feel less like jumping off of a bridge when things get extremely stressful. To show my appreciation, I offered to make him dinner at my place (he even brought wine, I told you...he's a saint). We were able to relax, eat an insanely quick-to-put-together dinner and watch too many episodes of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia which was the perfect way to take my mind off my day.

Kale, New Potato and Tempeh Bacon Salad with Ranch Dressing
Makes 2 large servings or 4 small servings
I used Lacinato kale in this recipe (as opposed to traditional, curly kale), but any green will work well. For the tempeh bacon, I used Isa Chandra Moskowitz's recipe - which is really fail safe. The ranch dressing is vegan (of course) and pairs really well as a dipping sauce for this recipe.
Tempeh Bacon:
Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 garlic cloves crushed8 oz. tempeh
2 tablespoons Canola oil

Instructions:
• Combine the soy sauce, cider, tomato paste, and liquid smoke in a wide, shallow bowl and mix with a fork until the tomato paste is fully dissolved. Set aside.• Cut the tempeh into thin strips (less than 1/4 inch thick) lengthwise. You should be able to get about twelve strips.
• Rub the strips with the crushed garlic, then toss the garlic cloves into the marinade.
• Submerge the tempeh strips in the marinade and let sit, turning occasionally, for at least an hour and up to overnight. After marinating, discard the garlic.
• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the tempeh strips and cook for 4 minutes on one side; the bottom should be nicely browned.
• Flip the strips over and pour the remainder of the marinade over them; if there isn't much marinade left add a splash of water.
• Cover and let cook for 3 more minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
• Uncover and check for doneness; if necessary, keep cooking uncovered until all sides are nicely browned. Remove from heat.

Roasted New Potatoes
Ingredients:
3-4 small red new potatoes, quartered
Fresh ground pepper

Instructions:
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Place potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
• Add ground pepper to the potatoes
• Bake for 25 minutes or until fork tender

Steamed Kale
Ingredients:
2 bunches of kale

Instructions:
• Boil water in a large pot
• Once water is boiling, place kale in a steamer basket over boiling water
• Steam for 3-4 minutes, until kale is tender

Ranch Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Follow Your Heart Vegenaise (any variety)
1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk
3/4 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
• Mix Vegenaise, soy sauce lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper to make ranch dressing.

To assemble the salad:
• Combine kale, potatoes, tempeh bacon and ranch dressing to taste. Serve slightly warm.