Especially now, sometimes it can be hard to be positive and happy. We’re all trying our best to be optimistic, but with the COVID-19 outbreak, many of us are going down a rocky road. So, in hopes of making your days better by means of food, I present to you our weekly recipes!

#1: Almond Jelly (dessert)! Credit goes to Aunty Polly (for submitting)

• 2 cups water
• 2 (.25 ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin powder
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

• Prep: 5m

• Cook: 5m

• Ready In: 3h 10m

1. Pour 1 cup water in a bowl; sprinkle the gelatin over the water; stir until the gelatin is partially dissolved. Set aside.
2. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly pour in the gelatin mixture. Add the milk, sugar, and almond extract; stir until the sugar and gelatin are completely dissolved; pour mixture into a large, shallow container. Refrigerate until firm, 3 to 4 hours. Cut into small squares to serve.

This one is cool because it does pretty well in the refrigerator. You can make a lot of it when you have free time, and enjoy it throughout the week. The jelly (also called pudding/jello) has an amazing smooth, flexible texture and a delicious milky-almond flavor. Eat it with fruit cocktail, canned peaches, canned lychee, mandarin oranges, or just good old fresh fruit.

#2: Black Kale Salad (pretty healthy) Credit goes to my mom

MAKES 4 HALF-CUP SERVINGS

• 1/4 c. panko bread crumbs, toasted to golden brown
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (1-2 average-sized lemons; use your Microplane to zest one of the lemons before juicing)
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red-pepper flakes
• 6 c. black kale, ribs removed, rinsed well, spun dry, and chopped
• 1/4 c. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375° F.
2. SPREAD the bread crumbs on a small baking sheet and lightly toast in the oven until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and transfer into a cool dish to avoid overcooking.
3. COMBINE the lemon juice and garlic in a blender and blend over medium speed until mixed. Increase the blender speed to high, and slowly drizzle in the oil until smooth and thick. Ideally, this dressing will be very lemony and garlicky. Adjust flavors to your taste using additional lemon juice or fresh minced garlic.
4. PLACE the kale in a large bowl and toss with the dressing, coating well; let rest for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the leaves begin to wilt slightly. Add 2 Tbsp. of the cheese and all but 2 tsp. of the bread crumbs to the kale; toss and let rest for 5 minutes.
5. DIVIDE the salad among four plates, and top each serving with 11/2 tsp. of the remaining cheese, 1/2 tsp. of the bread crumbs, a pinch of fresh lemon zest, and a pinch of the crushed red-pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

We love this recipe because you can sort of add things to it. We usually eat it with sliced avocados, making it perfect for a delicious, nutritious meal.

This week I had an idea. Lately I’ve been earning a little money doing some extra chores around the house and I wanted to propose a recipe challenge for you during this time:

If you don’t remember, last post I showed you a GoFundMe page where you could donate money to help first responders and health care workers battle the coronavirus by allowing them to receive more medical gear. Sponsored by Flexport, this fundraiser is shipping tons of supplies out to various hospitals and areas in California. They could easily, in the coming weeks, hit their goal of ten million dollars since launch. Here’s what I’m thinking: for every recipe that someone submits to me (which will be featured on next week’s post), I will donate $4 dollars to that GoFundMe page. This could be a link to a website, an original recipe, a photo, literally anything that has instructions to make a food dish (beverages too). If you have a favorite “something” that you’d like to share with this whole community, you can send it to me via email here: n8chen@gmail.com

Like I wrote last post, I think that during this time, food can really help cheer us up. Whether it’s by discovering a crazy new dish that’s super delicious or finding an easy, quick meal to put together during a busy day, I believe that what we eat can turn our whole day around. During this time, I’m just really grateful for all the delicious meals that my family and I can enjoy at home. It’s one of the many great aspects in my life right now. That’s why I encourage everyone to share, so that through food, we can lift our spirits and brighten our lives.

Have a great week!