Wilted Kale and Tomato Salad

Apologies in advance for the lack of measurements in this recipe. I learned to cook from my Korean mother, whose idea of measurements is "요만큼" or "적당히" or "잘 보면서." Three thousand miles away and far from affordable Korean restaurants, I would call my mother to ask her how to cook things... only to hear on the other end of the line, "Oh, you know, you just have to put in enough." Thanks, Mom.

I've been eating a lot of kale salad lately because kale is so delicious and healthy... and a good source of   vitamins! Gotta eat those leafy green veggies during pregnancy! This evening, I needed a little snack to hold me over until we eat a late dinner (of Korean bbq no less). So I whipped this up around 5:30 pm to get some nutrients in my body before I poison myself with grease and fat (and some protein) galore in a couple hours.

Here are the unmeasured ingredients:

• Kale (I used two leaves for my little half-serving here)
• Tomato (I used about 2/3 of one of those tomatoes they sell on the vine)
• Minced Garlic (1 clove)
• Onion (um... you know, just enough)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (again, just enough... to cover the pan in my case)
• Balsamic vinegar (I used 2 splashes)
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Pine Nuts (optional... I didn't use them here)

Directions:

1. Mince garlic, mince onion, dice tomato, and cut kale leaves off the stem into slightly larger than bite-size pieces.
2. Coat pan with evoo and put over medium heat.
3. When the oil is hot enough (test with a drop of water or a piece of onion for a slight sizzle), toss garlic and onion into pan. After 1-2 minutes but before garlic browns, lower heat to medium-low and toss in tomatoes. Increase heat to medium if the tomato is taking too long to cook (do not overcook!) and your stomach is grumbling (like mine was).
4. After the tomato has cooked for a few minutes, add kale. You might need to add a little more evoo at this point. Eyeball it, as my mother would say. Stir so kale is coated with oil and wilting nicely. Add salt, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper to taste. The kale will shrink and turn a slightly deeper green. 
5. Before kale turns too saggy and lifeless, remove from heat and place onto serving dish. Grate parmesan cheese on top if desired. I also like to add pine nuts to my kale salad sometimes to add more nutrients and flavor. But this time I went for the cheese.
6. Eat while still warm.

Other kale salads I like:

• Massaged kale with some kind of citrus fruit, onion, toasted almonds, and golden raisins and/or dried cranberries
• Warm kale and potato salad in a lemon or mustard dressing
• Roasted yam and kale salad