Kale soup

I found a hearty kale soup recipe the other day that fit my needs perfectly, because its fast to make on a week night after work. I had the curly-leaf kale, some carrots, potatoes, onions and beans on hand, plus a nice fresh loaf of French bread. Soup makings if I ever saw it!

I pretty much followed this recipe, except I only used the one kind of bean (red kidney beans) and added some cooked, diced brat sausage chunks. I also did not bother to blenderize the beans that were leftover from another meal. I flavored the broth with fresh rosemary and mint, and some red wine vinegar, and it had a nice degree of complexity for all of its simplicity.

An added bonus was having enough soup to take to work the next day!

 Two-Bean Soup with Kale | MyRecipes.com - http://pinterest.com/pin/181129216238824631/?utm_source=android_share

Kale Soup

2 Tbs Olive Oil

2 Tbs butter

1/2 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and diced

1/2 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic, smashed

4 Cups water

2 tsp vegetable or chicken boullion

5 small red potatoes, diced into bite-sized chunks

1 15oz. can red kidney beans, undrained

1 large bunch kale, chopped

2 links cooked chorizo or other sausage, diced

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1 tsp fresh rosemary and mint leaves, minced

Cooking directions:

Boil potatoes in water with boullion added for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, saute onions, celery and carrots (mirepoix) in olive oil and butter until onions are translucent. Add salt, garlic and rosemary and cook for one more minute until fragrant. 

Add mirepoix to potato pot; then using the same saute pan, saute the chopped kale for 2-3 minutes until it just begins to wilt.  Add the kale to the soup pot, along with kidney beans, red wine vinegar, mint, and sausage. Season with fresh ground pepper to taste.

Serve with hot, buttered French bread slices and a glass of your favorite wine.

Crack Kale Salad

Monday is delivery day for us from SLO Veg. That means a whole box of fresh fruits and veggies to fit into the refrigerator day-after-tomorrow. So today I decided to use up most of whatever veggies had not yet disappeared from last week's box. There were some red potatoes...and that kale was still hanging around in the frig from last week's box. Actually, there were two kinds of kale, and one was two weeks old (from the previous box). Dang that stuff has a long refrigerated shelf life. MAYbe I should use it up?

I quickly made a dinner plan: kale salad, roasted potatoes, bacon-wrapped chicken marinated in beer, and garlic bread. The only things I needed from the store were chicken thighs and bread. 

Okay, so I pulled out the kale and inspected it. The curly kale that had been in the frig for two weeks was mostly good, with just a few leaves that needed to be cut out. The Lacinto kale that we just got this week was really dark green and crispy. I trimmed off all the stems and center ribs and gave it all a good washing in my salad spinner. Then I sliced it into 1/4" ribbons for the salad. I found a recipe I liked with a simple lemon juice and olive oil dressing. I jazzed it up a little after I tasted it, because it REALLY made me pucker! So I added a teaspoon of sugar, a splash of apple juice and some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. I poured the dressing over the kale and let it all meld together in a glass mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, I sliced up a nice, crispy apple into long strips and added it to the salad bowl. I wanted the lemon juice to coat the apple pieces so they would stay fresh looking. Then I mixed in some toasted almonds, raisins and some shaved Parmesan cheese.

The salad was a side dish for tonight's dinner which consisted of bacon-wrapped chicken breasts, roasted red potatoes and sourdough garlic bread. As you can see from the bottom photo, none went to waste.

Crack Kale Salad
 (very addicting!)

Dressing:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple juice
pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of sugar

1 bunch of kale, any variety, stems and center ribs removed
1/4 cup honey roasted sliced almonds
1/4 cup raisins
3 green onions, diced
1 large, crisp apple
1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese

Mix together the dressing ingredients. Slice kale into ribbons. In a mixing bowl, pour dressing over kale and mixed together.Cut apple, peel and all, into julienne slices and mix with kale. Add almonds, raisins, and parmesan cheese and its ready to go!

Hot Weather Salad

Man, we are having a heat spell! I am on the coast and feeling it, but I feel so sorry for my friends and family 30 miles inland who are just baking in this heat!

Anyway, the last thing I want to do today is cook...with heat, anyway. I looked through my vegetable bins and decided that a couple of salads fit the bill for tonight. But not green salad. We eat green salads almost everyday in the lunches we make for toting to work. We got some beautful kale last week in our SLO Veg box and I think I still have some. The star salads will be Kale salad and a Quinoa salad. I saw the Quinoa salad on Pioneer Woman's post this morning and I knew it would be something my hubby would love. I googled some kale salad recipes and found one with a yogurt/mayonnaise base that sounded perfect. All I needed was a nice red onion, so I planned to pick one up from the store when I ran into town today.

Two salads paired with olives, a pickle and baguette slices, plus an assortment of salami, makes a great hot weather meal. I really liked the kale salad--it had just the right touch of sweetness.

Earlier in the day, I cooked the quinoa in my rice cooker. I wanted to get that out of the way before it got too hot. After it was cooked, I put it in the refrigerator to cool completely. Then I checked on all my other ingredients for both salads: Greek yogurt, check; raisins, check; mayonnaise, check; fresh basil, check, olive oil, check, balsamic vinegar, check. I guess I will need to stop at Trader Joe's to get some mozzarella balls, "ciliegine" I think they are called, and some cherry tomatoes. I would substitute pumpkins seeds for the sunflower seeds. So cheese balls, tomatoes and a red onion.

I went ahead and soaked the kale in water, then spun it dry in my salad spinner. I gave it a rough chop and called it good. The seeds and raisins go in last, so that is all the prep work I could do until I bring home that red onion.

I woke Taylor up and told him to get ready so I could give him a ride in to school. Its nice when classes don't start until 11:00 am. Make late-night video-game life so much more manageable. I packed up some things to drop off at my storage unit and headed to town. Some of it was Taylor's grandmother's china dishes, so I made sure to point out the boxes to him. Someday he would be unpacking this stuff with his future spouse as they set up a household. Along the way I also dropped off items for the Thrift Store as we are downsizing and I need to clear things out. What the heck, I might go through the car wash while I am in town, too.

So off I went to town, dropping off the kid, leaving stuff at the Thrift Store and storage units, through the car wash and on to TJs. I love that store. first thing they do is give you a bite of some gourmet cheese as you walk in the door. Today it was Gruyere. But I was on a mission for mozzarella balls, so down the aisle I went. I found some nice Heirloom cherry tomatoes in a variety of colors, all in one package, so that was perfect. Maybe a nice baguette to serve alongside, too. We had received a gluten-free baguette from Edna's Bakery in our box last week, but it was so fresh and delicious, it didn't last one night in our house, so I need more! I checked out the salami assortments and found a tray with three different kinds in it...hub would love that! Some more cheese slices, some eggs, coconut milk, pasta and vitamins...that should do it.

I got home with all my stuff, and guess what? I forgot to get a red onion! I had to make a quick trip down to the local Mexican market, where I made a beeline for the produce and picked out a couple of huge red onions. Gheeesh! Must be the heat.

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Here is Pioneer Woman's quinoa salad recipe: 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/05/quinoa-with-tomato-basil-and-mozzarella/

Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella Salad

Description Tomato, basil, and mozzarella are glorious together. Throw in quinoa and a simple vinaigrette and they’re heavenly!

Ingredients

• ½ cups Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• ½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• 2 cups Red Quinoa
• 4 cups Water
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Red Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• 1 cup Yellow Cherry Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• 8 ounces, weight Fresh Mozzarella, Cut Into Small Cubes
• 24 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)

Preparation

Combine olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper in a jar. Put on the lid and shake vigorously. Set aside.
Prepare the quinoa by bringing 4 cups of water to a boil, then adding the quinoa. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Pour quinoa out onto a baking sheet and spread into a single layer to cool quickly.
Once the quinoa has cooled to room temperature, throw into a large bowl and toss in the tomatoes and mozzarella. Stir gently while adding 2/3 of the dressing. Stir in the basil. After everything is incorporated, give it a taste; add more dressing if it needs it, or reserve the rest of the dressing for another use. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
NOTE: It’s best to make this at least a couple of hours ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Salad will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days; the mozzarella slightly softens as time passes, but it’s still delicious!

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I found a nice recipe for Kale salad on AllRecipes.com:

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/222323/creamy-kale-salad

Kale Salad

Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped kale (ribs removed)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds

Directions

1. Mix kale, red onion, and raisins in a large bowl.
2. Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a bowl; pour over the kale mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate 2 hours to overnight. Sprinkle sunflower seeds over the salad and toss to serve.

Angry Shrimp from Self mag

I didn't know if I could make this recipe tonight using the ingredients I had on hand, mainly because I didn't have any Grand Marnier. Then I googled "what is Grand Marnier?" and found out it is Triple Sec, which I did have. Problem solved! We are having Angry Shrimp tonight on rice noodles. Sounds healthy, huh? 

I saw the recipe, along with several other delicious looking entrees, in my Self magazine. I looked at the exercises in this issue and passed, but the recipes looked totally doable. No hand stands or back bends required here! Maybe some yoga meditation moves, but that will be the extent of it. I had a bag of kale, already chopped, some frozen shrimp, raisins, dried cranberries (oh well, not cherries!), chipotle and cumin spices, fresh garlic, homemade chicken broth, and even some toasted pumpkins seeds (pepitas). It was destined to be!

Since this dinner cooks quickly, I prepped everything ahead of time and had it ready to cook when my hub gets home and takes a shower. I will cook it then and serve it piping hot as we sit down to discuss the day and watch the news. 

I did put the rice noodles in a pot of warm water an hour ago, per the package instructions, to hydrate them. Just before serving, I drained the noodles, then tossed them with a teaspoonful of sesame oil. I portioned the noodles into pasta bowls and ladled the kale-shrimp mixure on top. Orange slices and pepitas garnished the creation.

The dish garnered remarks like, "interesting" and "spicy". The guys thought the fusion of citrus and musky chili was different. The consensus it was pretty good. I will probably make it again. 

 

I followed this recipe from the Self magazine, with a few substitutions (noted):

http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2014/02/comfort-food-recipes-packed-with-superfoods-slideshow#slide=4

Angry Shrimp

Fiery chipotle gives a kick, and the iron in shrimp keeps you high-energy.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup golden raisins (I used black raisins)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3/4 cup diced white onion
• 1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped (I used dried cranberries)
• 2 teaspoons chipotle powder
• 4 teaspoons chopped garlic, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup Grand Marnier orange liqueur (I used Triple Sec)
• 20 oz low-sodium vegetable broth (I used homemade chicken broth)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 lbs medium-large shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 6 cups kale, stems removed, chopped
• 3 cups cooked brown rice (I used rice noodles)

PREPARATION

1. In a small pan over high heat, toast pumpkin seeds, stirring constantly, until lightly brown, 1 to 2 minutes. In a food processor, puree raisins and 1/4 cup water 1 minute. In a large pan over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add onion; cook until translucent, 5 minutes. Stir in raisin puree, cranberries, chipotle, 1 tsp garlic and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add Triple Sec and cook, stirring, until alcohol is cooked out, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. In a bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp cold water. Gradually add cornstarch mixture to broth mixture to thicken; reduce heat and simmer 7 to 10 minutes. Add shrimp; cook until pale white, 5 minutes. Stir in zest; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. In pan, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil. Cook kale and 3 tsp garlic, stirring, until kale starts to wilt, 3 to 5 minutes. Strain juices and combine with rice noodles. Divide noodle mixture, shrimp and seeds among 6 plates. I added slices of the orange on top just  for fun!

 

Breakfast of Champions

My hubby with his Breakfast of Champions!

We are living dangerously these days! We visited Costco this past weekend and bagged a humungous bag of MuscleMilk Protein Powder for our smoothies. I guess we actually boxed it, because everybody knows Costco doesn't have bags. Anyway, its for our breakfast shakes and we will be using lots of fresh fruits and vegies from our SLO Veg box, too!

Today I made a smoothie using protein powder, coconut milk, Greek yogurt, strawberries, blackberries, flax and chia seeds, and kale. It was really, really delicious, and the protein powder gives plenty of sweetness so no additional honey or anything is necessary. I made one a couple of weeks ago with our unsweetened protein powder and I wanted to add honey to it. I guess its all a matter of taste. I could lighten it up by using water instead of yogurt, and I may try it that was next time. But the coconut milk adds a nice flavor without much calories (50 cal per cup). The protein powder is 310 calories per scoop, which is considered one-half serving, so I used two scoops, but I think I will definately cut that back to one scoop per blender-full of smoothie. The berries were pretty sweet by themselves, and the kale gave it a nice balance. Chia and flax seeds along with the yogurt boosted the protein levels, so I think if I cut back on the powder I won't be losing much.

Lee and I are both overweight, so we are embarking on another try at Body for Life and we are gearing up for it now. Its supposed to be a lifestyle change, but its really hard to keep up that level of commitment to our workouts. I am hoping to give it 12 weeks and see some really big results. The eating part should be easy, but the getting in our daily workouts is the real challenge. I spend most of my spare time cooking or researching recipes, so I guess I will need to have it all planned out ahead of time make this work. I just need 30-45 minutes of workout time a day.

I have discovered I enjoy the simplier preparations of vegetables and fruits to complicated recipes, anyway, and since I have been practicing with my SLO Veg box of produce for the past year, I think I can do this. The plan calls for eating six meals a day: three basic meals plus three snacks. You eat about every three hours, so you don't really get hungry. The key is to eat carbs and protein in combination, like yogurt and fruit, eggs and oatmeal, an apple and cheese, stuff like that. Tonight we will be having grilled pork tenderloins cutlets with a small baked sweet potato and a half cup serving of quinoa. Tomorrow night we will probably have baked or grilled chicken with a zucchini/tomato/onion casserole. I should assemble that today to save time tomorrow. But I also need to go for a walk. Hmmm. Walk first, then cut up vegies, or cut up vegies now in my nightgown and walk a little bit later before running errands. Yeah, that works. Chop, chop!

 PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

1 scoop MuscleMilk Protein powder

1 cup Coconut milk

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

8-10 strawberries

12-15 blackberries

1 cup kale

1 tsp flax seeds

1/2 tsp chia seeds

Mix together in a blender until smooth. Pour into a nice glass and drink slowly, savoring each sip!

Casserole is done. Isn't it pretty? Okay, time for a walk. Blogger out!

Little Orange Squash Risotto, Braised Kale and Oven-fried Chicken

We got some cute little orange squashes in the tote this week. They are about the same size as an orange, too. I don't know what they are called (Rachel?), but we only got a couple of them, so I figured they should be added to something, rather than served as a dish by themselves. I googled risotto recipes and came up with this one (below).

I also made some oven fried chicken and braised kale, using the same recipe I had outlined in an earlier blog, "Bond girls, braised kale and chicken". Its simply some minced garlic softened in a bit of olive oil in a large saute pan, then you add about a half cup of chicken broth and toss in the trimmed kale. Put the lid on it and let it steamed for at least 10 minutes, then add a couple of dashes of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and You Got Kale!

I cooked a picnic pack of chicken, which had 6 thighs and 6 drumsticks. I made a quick batter using an egg and about a half cup of milk. Then I mixed together a cup each of cornmeal and almond flour with onion and garlic powders, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper and rolled each piece of chicken in it. The chicken went onto an oiled baking sheet and baked in a 375 degree oven for an hour. 

It was a good thing I started early, because the risotto a lot longer than the recipesaid. I suppose it is because I used the wild rice blend instead of the traditional Arborio rice. 

Squash Risotto

• 2 cups squash
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 C onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried sage
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (e.g. Chardonnay)
• 1 cup wild rice blend
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• fresh ground salt and pepper, to taste

Peel and cube butternut squash.  Place in a large basking dish coasted with oil.  Roast in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes, turning the squash with a spatula halfway through.
When removing from oven, add squash to large pot, covering in the chicken broth.  Let simmer on low, leaving squash cubed.
Meanwhile, sautee minced onion and garlic in butter until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.  Add rice and stir until rice is coated in butter.
Add sage and white wine.  Let simmer until wine is mostly absorbed, about 3 minutes.
Slowly add in chicken broth, one ladle at a time.  Let rice absorb and then add another ladleful until most of the broth is absorbed and the rice becomes creamy. Stir slowly and constantly. Process will take about 20 minutes.
Once all liquid is absorbed into rice, remove from heat.  Mash the butternut squash with a masher or fork.  Add to rice and stir well.  Add parmesan, salt and pepper.

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