Kale Chips and Flourless Chocolate Cake

Allison Fishman is basically the coolest person I know, and frankly, I'd really like to be her when I grow up. She's also getting too famous for people to believe me when I tell them that I know her, so I've pulled this photo out of the archives as evidentiary support.

See! I swear we're friends!

So, Allison wrote this really amazing cookbook, right? She even came to our house this summer and did a big You Can Trust a Skinny Cook book signing party with us! She was a total champ and signed (and sold) like, a million books.

Look at her go!

I could go ahead and rattle off her crazy-long, super-accomplished resume, but there's no need for that - y'all have Google. I will however gush about her cookbook and give a "hint hint nudge nudge" that it's a worthwhile investment.

Girls - Easy, delicious recipes that are guilt-free without being diet foot? Butternut Squash with Browned Butter Sauce? Sole Piccata? Chicken Mole? Yes please.

Boys - Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce. Slow-cooker BBQ Pork. They say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right? Well, a girl's stomach is a good way to her heart too. Make a lady dinner, win all sorts of brownie points. Make a lady dinner that won't make her (or you) fat? I call that a win-win.

Speaking of brownie points, I made Allison's too-good-to-be-true Flourless Chocolate Cake (which tastes like a brownie) this weekend. And then ate it for dinner last night. With her Crispy Kale Chips as an appetizer.

Appetizer - Crispy Kale Chips

These chips are awesome because they're just baked kale with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Only 88 calories for 2 cups worth! They also have a really satisfying crunch, but then melt in your mouth like cotton candy - but the superfood variety.

As for eating cake for dinner/dessert, I'm chalking it up to being at the wonderful stage in life when no one can yell at me for eating cake for dinner and also not being responsible for feeding any dependents a nutritious evening meal.

It's moist and decadent on the inside with this wonderfully glossy, crunchy top.  There is significantly less in the pan now than there was when I took this photo.

And Kenzie is out of town this week.

In any normal situation I would feel guilty about eating kale and cake for dinner, but there's not a smidge of guilt in my bones. Allison says many wise things in You Can Trust a Skinny Cook, one of them being, "We can't deprive ourselves and expect to be happy or healthy. The sweet spot is in the middle."

I'd say the point between kale and cake is the middle, wouldn't you?