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Filtering by Tag: kale

at the market: kale

Andrea

Last Saturday was the opening weekend for the 2010 Charlottesville City Market. I awoke bright and early that morning, positively giddy with excitement, ready to greet old friends and fill our basket with local meat, cheese, eggs, coffee and greens. I not-so-gently shook Brian awake, bounced down the hall to brush my teeth and tame my hair, pulled on jeans and slipped into sandals all in the amount of time it typically takes me to fumble around groggily looking for the ‘snooze’ button on my alarm.

We arrived beneath a sky washed with shades of pink and blue, just as the cool morning air was pierced by golden sunbeams slipping between historic brick buildings.  Our bodies cast long shadows on the sidewalk as we made our way towards the parking lot full of rainbow-hued tents, listening to the chatter of vendors and patrons mingled with the strum of a banjo and the bark of a dog.  The intoxicating smell of sizzling, smokey breakfast sausage wafted our way as the folks from Babes in the Wood grilled plump links for the line of people curled around their booth, ready to get their fill of a market favorite missed for the last four months.

We made our way down the already-crowded aisles, stopping to admire a booth of freshly cut tulips resembling painted Easter eggs swaying atop fluorescent green stems.  Our first destination, always, is Double H Farm, where we're sure to receive a big bear-hug from Richard and a bright, happy smile from Jean.  It was no different last Saturday, and even though we saw each other every few weeks through the long, cold Winter, we greeted each other as if it had been months since our last visit, all so excited that Spring is finally here and we'll be able to catch up every week.

After a brief chat, our basket was filled with a dozen eggs, arugula, kale, sliced ham and a 6-pack of lettuce plants.  Goodbyes were said alongside "see you next week!" and Brian and I moved on to explore the rest of the market.  We stopped at the Shenandoah Joe booth for our morning cup of coffee and a pound of whole beans for the week, before moving on to Night Sky Farm for some samples of chevre and the purchase of fresh feta cheese.  We wandered between booths, waving to familiar faces and introducing ourselves to new vendors, until finally our basket was filled to the brim and our wallets were empty.

Once home I surveyed our purchases, planned our menu for the week and penned our grocery shopping list.  I love this time of year, when local, seasonal produce begins to inform our meal choices, when the trip to the grocery store happens only after a visit to the farmer's market.

Greens will play a prominent role in our diet for the next few months, until a greater variety of locally-grown produce becomes available.  I'm okay with that, as it seems that there are endless possibilities for the leafy, fiber and vitamin-full vegetables.  Last week we tried kale chips for the very first time, after seeing them pop up on many of my favorite blogs.  We used green curly kale and, although not as crispy as a potato chip, they were really quite tasty.  Next time we'll try lacinato kale, as it seems that the thicker leaves will make for a more substantial chip.

We also spread the baked kale across whole wheat pitas brushed with olive oil, and then topped the 'pizzas' with thinly sliced red onion and thick slices of fresh mozzarella.  Delicious, and such a healthy, quick dinner.

Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients
  • one large bunch of kale (I used the green, curly variety, but I think that Lacinato would be even better)
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly grated parmesan
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 350*
  2. Rinse and dry kale as best you can with paper towels or in a salad spinner.  Tear into bite-size pieces, discarding tough central stems.
  3. Toss kale with olive oil, just to coat very lightly.  Spread kale across baking sheets in one layer.  Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly grated parmesan.
  4. Bake at 350* for 10-15 minutes, until edges are starting to brown and kale gets mostly crispy.  Remove from oven and remove from tray, laying kale chips out on a wire rack to cool slightly.  Serve immediately.

Our City Market lost someone very dear this week.  John Coles, founder of the Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (VICFA), longtime food advocate and producer of incredible, artisanal goat cheese, has passed away.  His presence at the City Market and as a member of the local food community will be missed greatly.

You can read Joel Salatin's tribute to John here.

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categories snacks, vegetable
tags kale

a backdrop of falling snow

Andrea

Last Saturday another ten inches of snow fell across Charlottesville, blanketing my city in delicate drifts of sparkling white. I awoke in the wee morning hours, just as soft gray light started to seep through the cracks between the blinds over the bedroom window. Aside from the soft snores of the dogs nestled at my feet, all was quiet. The typical sounds of tires meeting asphalt, wind rustling tree branches and birds chirping from their power line perch were nonexistent, lost in the insulation provided by a muffling snow.

I slid out of bed, thankful that I'd kept socks on my feet and wouldn't have to endure the cold hardwood floor against bare skin. Padding out to the kitchen I paused at a window to peek outside and was greeted with an idyllic view. Three inches of snow does wonders for an imperfect ground, provides each and every limb of surrounding trees with sugary peaks along their length, silences a high-trafficked road. I couldn't deny that I enjoyed this scene - my outside world painted white; bright and shiny and devoid of mud. I stood there, mesmerized by my transformed street and the plump flakes still spiraling down from a silver sky, and made up with Winter.

Finally, the promise of a cup of coffee and a long kitchen agenda were enough to pull me from my trance. To have an entire Saturday with no errands, no obligations, no sunshine-filled sky tempting me to leash up the dogs for a hike in the woods, seemed luxurious. Despite the snowflake-clogged air, the light pouring through our windows was clear and bright, the ground having become a natural reflector as I slept. My camera screamed at me to get started, to not waste a single, brilliant moment. I simmered and sauteed and baked and photographed all day, stopping every once in awhile to marvel at the still-falling snow that had gifted me this time.

This soup emerged with perfect timing, the kale softening just as Brian came in from shoveling our sidewalks and driveway. Hearty with potatoes and greens, flavored by bright leeks and spicy sausage, it promises to warm the coldest of bodies and satisfy the grayest of minds. You can't help but to be thankful for Winter as the thick broth slides down your throat, the heat of the sausage spreading from inside out, a sensation not necessarily welcome during the Summer months but oh so tasty against a backdrop of falling snow.

This soup is very easy to make, coming together in just 45 minutes. The hot Italian sausage is a key player, infusing the broth with wonderful flavor and heat.

Spicy Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

serves 6 Ingredients
  • 2 large leeks, rinsed and sliced to 1/4-inch strips (about 3 cups total)
  • 2 cups diced onion
  • 3 large Russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (leave about 1/2 the skin on the potatoes)
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 pound of hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
  • 3 cups of chopped kale (stems removed)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • salt and pepper
Method
  1. Melt butter in large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, onions and potatoes and stir to coat with butter.  Cover pot, reduce heat to low and let vegetables sweat for 15 minutes.
  2. Remove cover and add broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.  Drop sausage in small chunks into soup.  Cover and let simmer for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender.
  3. Remove 2 cups of soup from pot, avoiding large chunks of sausage.  Puree those 2 cups in a blender until smooth.  Add back to soup pot and stir to incorporate evenly.  Add kale and cover pot, allowing to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
  4. Remove cover and lower heat.  Add heavy cream and stir to incorporate.  Heat through, but don't let the soup simmer again or the cream will curdle a bit (as in my photos).
  5. Salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe, and Bella Eats,  made its debut on SuzySaid - Charlottesville on Monday. I have been asked to contribute a recipe each week to the site, and am so excited to be part of such a wonderful online resource for women in my city.  If you're from Charlottesville or the surrounding area, check out SuzySaid - Charlottesville for information on upcoming events and local businesses.  And tune in each Monday for a new recipe from Bella Eats!

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categories dinner, soup
tags double h farm, kale, leeks, potatoes, sausage, soup

bella terra: the last of the greens

Andrea

I’ve mentioned before that I am a big fan of leafy greens. Big, big fan. A taste for greens kind of comes with the territory when you grow up in the south, along with a decent addiction to fried okra and sweet tea. But unlike those two childhood favorites, greens can be an incredibly healthy addition to your diet - full of fiber, vitamins A, C and K, folate, iron and calcium - as long as you leave out the bacon that is standard in most southern dishes. And when you eat greens as often as Brian and I do you really should leave out the bacon. Or run a few extra miles a day which, lets be honest, could be worth it. greens 8 We planted kale our first year with the garden but had very little luck with it. We were late getting the seeds in the ground that spring and wound up having very hot weather very early in the season so the poor little shoots never really had a chance. The next year we tried collard greens, having heard that they were a bit heartier than kale. Wow. Heartier was right. We had more collards than Brian and I plus the handful of friends that also like greens could handle. They were enjoyed immensely through most of the summer, but at the end of the season Brian not-so-subtly hinted that he’d had enough collards to last him for quite some time, and could we maybe try kale again next year? greens 2 We chose lacinato kale this spring, also known as black or dinosaur kale, because we love its deep earthy flavor and feel that it is a tad less bitter than other kale varieties. The seeds went into the ground in mid-march, and because we’ve had a relatively cool and wet summer we've been enjoying a steady harvest of fresh garden kale for the last two months. The weather is getting warmer now though, and the greens are fading fast. I’m suddenly feeling the pressure to increase our intake before they all wilt away and we have to wait for the cooler fall air for our next crop. greens merge 1 Luckily, this increase in consumption corresponded with a couple of key events that led to the creation of a new favorite salad. The first was an email I received a few weeks ago asking if I would like to participate in a Barhyte Foods recipe contest featuring their line of condiments - Saucy Mama. The second was my discovery that young, raw lacinato kale leaves make for quite the tasty salad. Accompanied by sweet roasted vegetables, tangy goat cheese and a delightful raspberry vinaigrette, the slight bitterness of the greens (which is typically tempered by blanching) was balanced perfectly. And because kale is more firm than lettuce it holds its own quite well even after being coated with the dressing, adding a nice crunch to a bite filled with soft beets and creamy cheese. Add some toasted walnuts to the top and you have a lovely dinner salad in front of you. You won’t even miss the bacon. greens 9 It is best to use young kale leaves, just 4 to 6 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. They will be more tender, and less bitter, than their older siblings. I also tossed in some beet greens, which have a wonderful spicy bite to them and are best if used within one day of being pulled from the ground. For the dressing I used Saucy Mama’s Raspberry Vinaigrette. In full disclosure, Barhyte Foods has sent me samples of their most popular condiments to develop recipes for a contest they are holding. Also, to be completely honest, I must tell you that this dressing is delicious. Really, really delicious. Summer Greens Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Raspberry Vinaigrette serves 4 for a light dinner Ingredients:
  • about 1 pound of fresh greens - rinsed, dried, removed from stems and chopped (I used lacinato kale and beet greens) - should equal about 6 cups
  • 3 medium-size beets - washed, peeled and chopped to 1" dice
  • 2 medium-size carrots - washed, peeled and chopped to 1" dice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt + pepper
  • 4 tbsp raspberry vinaigrette, plus more if needed for you tastes (I used Saucy Mama Raspberry Vinaigrette...delicious!)
  • 2 oz fresh goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 350*.  Place chopped beets and carrots into medium-size glass baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir to coat.  Roast vegetables for 30-40 minutes, until tender but not mushy.
  2. Wash and dry greens as best you can.  Remove leaves from stems and chop to bite-size pieces.  Place in large bowl and toss with raspberry vinaigrette to coat well.
  3. Remove vegetables from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  While they cool, toast your walnuts.
  4. Place a heap of greens in the center of your plate.  Top with roasted vegetables, crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts.
greens 12
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categories dinner, garden, lunch, product review, salad, vegetable
tags beets, carrots, goat cheese, greens, kale

my next race!

Andrea

Its Thursday!!!  I am SO ready for this weekend.  I feel like I haven't had a chance to slow down and hang out with my hubb in weeks...we are in need of some quality time!  I'm picturing movies, pop corn, yoga and running.  And as a bonus, some good friends are in town and I believe we have plans for brunch on Sunday.  Aaaahhh...I feel content just thinking about it.   :) But first, today's recap. Breakfast:  fig + peanut butter oats [419 cal] 090226-b1 090226-b2 Reader Lindsey asked me to tell a bit more about my oats process in the morning.  So, here goes!  Toppings and mix-ins change, but this classic bowl seems to be one I come back to over and over again. Fig + PB Oats [400-ish calories, 15.8g fat, 2.2g sat. fat, 58.3g carbs, 9.5g fiber, 18.8g sugar, 13g protein] Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 cup water, pinch of salt
  • 1/2 mashed banana
  • 1 tbsp soy milk
  • 1 tsp ground flax seeds
  • 2 dried figs, chopped
  • 1-1/2 tbsp crunchy PB
Method:
  1. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.  Add pinch of salt and 1/2 cup of rolled oats. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally.
  2. When the oats have absorbed most of the water, after 5-7 minutes, turn off the heat.  Add the mashed banana and splash of soy milk.  Stir.  Ad the flax seeds, stir.
  3. Pour oats into bowl and top with mix-ins of choice, mine usually being figs, PB, and wheatberries if I've got them.  :)
  4. After I take my photos I stir everything up so that the peanut butter swirls through the whole mix.  Yum!
090226-b3 My oats stuck with me for about 3 hours today, so I snacked on a piece of banana date bread mid-morning to hold me over 'till lunch an hour later. Snack:  banana date bread [143 cal] 090223-date-31 We had lots of leftover gumbo from last nights dinner, but I wasn't up for a bowl of just gumbo because it was so rich.  I decided to quickly saute' some kale to use as a base for my gumbo/rice mixture.  It was perfect! Lunch:  leftover gumbo on sauteed kale. 090226-l1 Snacks:  1 square of dark chocolate and a Clif ZBar, apple cinnamon flavor, pre-run [200 cal] 090226-s1 Remember my apple incident with my run last week?  Well apparently the upset stomach while running results from apple energy bars too...  It wasn't as bad today as it was when I ate a whole apple prior to my run, but it still wasn't pleasant. Exercise:  4.1 mile run with Kelly [-420 cal] We've decided to run the Martha Jefferson 8k on March 14th!!!!!  This will be my longest race distance yet!!!!!  I'm super-excited, if you can't tell by all of the exclamation points.  :)  We ran most of the race route today and it is H.I.L.L.Y!  You're probably really tired of me writing that...  It was a really nice run though and I felt completely confident that I could have run the whole route tonight.  I'm going to get a 4-1/2 - 5 mile run in this weekend, and Kelly and I are going to run the whole race route one day next week, along with our normal evening runs. For dinner my hubb and I had a last-minute meal with Kelly and her husband.  We went to a little Mexican restaurant around the corner from our house and enjoyed good food and great conversation.  I resisted the margarita and stuck with water, along with a veggie quesadilla, a few bites of refried beans and a handful of tortilla chips.  Definitely canceled out the calories burned on my run, and then some! Dinner:  veggie quesadilla (LOADED with fresh roasted veggies...so good!!!), refried beans and some tortilla chips [xxx cal????  how about A LOT. ] Alrighty, I'm off to bed.  T.G.I.F!!! G'night!
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags Clif, gumbo, kale, oats tutorial, zbar

lentil chili with cumin, corn and green onions

Andrea

I'm a sleepy girl again tonight, and trying my best to be in bed at 11pm.  Thanks for all of your feedback on how much sleep you all get...it sounds like none of us are getting enough!  Its sad that the things that are good for us - sleeping, working out, cooking - are typically the first things to slack on when we get busy with life.  But that is why there are food blogs out there, to show us all that it IS possible to lead a busy, HEALTHY lifestyle.  I'm still working on mine...!  :)  I skipped out on my run this morning in favor of sleeping for an extra 45 minutes...these late nights are really screwing with my exercise plans! By the time I get home from work I'm too tired for anything other than yoga, so if I want to keep my running on track I've got to modify my schedule.  See?!? Busy = slacking on my good-for-me tasks.  Did I tell you all that I'm signed up for a 5K this weekend?!?  I don't think I did!  My hubb and I are running the Amnesty Valentine's Day 5K, in the neighboring town of Crozet.  I'm super-excited...this will be my first 5k!!!  I've run the Charlottesville Women's 4-miler twice, but never a 5K before. And, this race will be with my hubb, who has NEVER run a race before!  So fun.  Don't worry, I'll be telling you guys all about it on Saturday!  :)   On to some eats...I'm going to try keep it quick. I loved my breakfast this morning, it was so simple and hearty and delicious.  And it stuck with me for a full 4 hours.  Have I mentioned how much I love the Ezekiel sprouted wheat english muffins?  Because I do, I love them SO much and could easily eat one every single day.   Breakfast:  a toasted ezekiel muffin, 1/2 with TJ's crunchy PB and 1/2 with sour cherry preserves.  Also, 1 cup of red grapes. [440 cal] 090210-b1 Lunch:  leftover potato leek soup with kale, and a hearty oat biscuit. [437 cal] 090210-l2 090210-l1 Afternoon Snack: 6oz 0% Fage and one AMAZING Murcott Mandarin Orange...it was like eating an orange creamsicle dessert! [130 cal] 090210-l3 I planned to go for a run after work, so had my a pre-run snack at my usual 5pm time.  But, I wound up staying late at the office and got home too late for a run...I was just too beat.  And THAT is why I need to get to bed earlier...so that I can get my bootie out of bed for my morning run!  Its just so hard to stay motivated to work out at the end of the day, I'd much rather come home and get dinner going so we can start winding down. Afternoon Snack #2:  Clif chocolate chip ZBar...my fave.  I love these little guys! [130 cal] 090210-s1 Dinner tonight was quick, simple and DELICIOUS.  I found a recipe for Lentil Chili with Cumin and Green Onions in the February 2008 issue of Bon Appetit.  I planned to follow it exactly, but found that we were out of a couple of key ingredients, Chili Powder and Tomato Puree.  So instead I modified it slightly, substituting Ancho Chili Pepper, tomato sauce and tomato paste.  I also added frozen corn at the last minute and am so glad that I did. The corn cut the heat of the chili with a lovely, mild sweetness, really increasing the depth of flavors.   090210-d1 090210-d2 090210-d4 Lentil Chili with Cumin, Corn and Green Onions [adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2008] made 2 dinner servings and 1 small lunch serving 362 calories, 7.6g fat, 1.4g sat fat, 58g carbs, 18g fiber, 19g protein Ingredients:
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp ancho chili pepper
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 cups water, plus extra
  • 1 cup dried green lentils
  • 8oz tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
Method:
  1. Heat oil in large sauce pan on medium.  Add onion and saute' for 2 minutes.  Add garlic, saute' for 30 seconds.  Add ancho chili pepper, cumin, cayenne, and oregano, stir for 30 seconds.
  2. Add water, lentils, tomato sauce and tomato paste.  Bring mixture to a boil and drop heat to medium-low.  Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.  Add water as necessary by 1/4 cup at a time.  [I added about 1 cup total].
  3. Add frozen corn, and continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes, until lentils are soft.
  4. Stir in scallions, reserving a few for garnish.  Season to taste with salt + pepper.
We also had sauteed kale, prepared using my favorite method. 090210-d5 Chop kale into large bite-size pieces.  Rinse well.  Saute' 2 garlic cloves in 2 tsp olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute.  Add drained kale, with water still clinging to leaves.  Stir, allowing the kale to wilt slightly.  Cover the saucepan and let kale steam for 2-3 minutes.  Remove lid and stir, tossing kale for about a minute.  Squeeze 1/4 of one lemon on kale, and sprinkle with sea salt.  SO GOOD. Dinner:  lentil chili, sauteed kale and a hearty oat biscuit. [630 cal - eek!  a little high tonight, especially since I didn't get my planned run in...] Alrighty, I'm off to bed, with 8 minutes to spare!  WooHoo!!!  I hope you all have a great night...get some sleep!!!  :)
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, soup
tags Clif, chili, corn, cumin, fage, kale, lentils, running, vegetarian

a seasonal dinner

Andrea

Good evening, lovelies!  Have you all hopped over to Meghann's blog to check out the Blogger Bake Sale?  There are some amazing-looking baked treats up for sale, and all proceeds go to a wonderful cause, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Bidding ends at midnight for Day 1 so be sure to get over there and place your bids before your favorite items get snatched up!  I've got two items up for sale, chocolate chip cookies and my own banana apple bread. This morning I woke up feeling really yucky.  I was nauseous and light-headed, and would have put-off work for a few hours had I not had so much to do at the office.  I dragged myself up, took a shower, made my breakfast then went straight back to bed.  After about 30 minutes I felt a little bit better and got moving again, and my hubb  brought me a glass of OJ to get something in my stomach.  I wound up packing up my breakfast and taking it to the office with me, eating it once my stomach felt not-so-flippy. Breakfast: 8oz of OJ, a toasted ezekiel muffin with TJ's crunchy peanut butter and sliced apples. [446 cal] 090209-b1 My hubb was such a sweetie and made me this gorgeous salad for lunch, complete with homemade vinaigrette!  He even took pictures...can you believe him?!?  I also was craving some soup, so I ran across the street to Revolutionary Soup for their Spicy Senegalese Peanut Tofu soup...YUM.  I must learn how to make this. Lunch:  fresh salad and spicy peanut tofu soup, along with a small whole wheat roll. [salad = 200 cal, soup = ???, whole wheat roll = ???] 090209-l1 My salad had:
  • baby greens
  • spinach
  • cucumber
  • yellow bell pepper
  • dried cranberries
  • slivered almonds
  • 3 tbsp roasted garlic hummus
  • homemade balsamic vinaigrette
Sadly, my stomach got all weird again about halfway through my salad so I couldn't finish it.  :(  I had a couple of iffy hours where I was willing time to go by so that I could go home and lay down.  I decided to eat a granola bar to settle my tum around 5:00, and it actually helped quite a bit.  But not enough for me to feel up for yoga at 6pm...I'm so sad that I missed it. Afternoon Snacks:  A Quaker True Delights bar while at work, a dried fig while cooking dinner. [162 cal] 090209-s1 090209-s2 When we got home I knew I wanted something warm and comforting.  Luckily I had some soup on the menu...  This weekend I managed to fit in 2 long hot baths, complete with bubbles, vino and the latest Bon Appetit magazine.  I also had the February 2008 issue of BA, which I hadn't had a chance to read last year because I was deeply entrenched in my graduate studies.  I held on to all of my neglected foodie magazines so that I could read them this year, during their intended month to take advantage of the seasonal recipes always featured.  I read about yukon gold potatoes, kale, meyer lemons and leeks.  My reading left me craving a hearty winter soup...and a lemon drop martini.  I fulfilled the first craving tonight, the second will probably wait until the weekend.  :) 090209-d5 090209-d1 Tonight's dinner isn't a recipe from BA, unfortunately...it probably would have turned out a bit better if it had been.  It was good, the flavors were spot-on, but the texture of the soup was a bit, well, gluey.  For lack of a better descriptor.  I believe the reason for the extra thick creaminess was my use of yukon golds, which in hindsight I think would be better suited to a chunky soup than a pureed soup.  Lesson learned.  I will definitely try this recipe again, just with a different type of potato. Dinner:  potato leek soup with kale and hearty oat biscuits. [437 cal] 090209-d3 Potato Leek Soup with Kale 226 calories, 7.4g fat, 1g sat fat, 37.5 carbs, 4.9g fiber, 9.2g protein makes 4 servings Ingredients:
  • 2 medium leeks, chopped finely
  • 1/2 large onion, about 1 cup chopped
  • 2 ribs of celery, chopped
  • 3 potatoes (next time, I'll use russet)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cups of veggie broth
  • 4 cups chopped kale, loosely packed
  • salt + pepper
Method:
  1. Heat oil on medium.  Add leeks, onion, celery and potatoes, stir to coat with oil.  When veggies start sizzling, lower heat and cover pot.  Let the veggies sweat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally , until veggies are tender.
  2. Add veggie broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat back down to simmer and cover.  Let simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are starting to fall apart.
  3. Puree' soup in a blender until smooth and creamy.  Pour back in soup pot and keep warm on low heat.  Season with salt + pepper.
  4. Place chopped kale in large saucepan and cover with water.  Boil for 5 minutes, until kale is bright green and tender. Drain kale and add to soup.
090209-d2 I also made some hearty oat biscuits with the addition of sharp white cheddar cheese and scallions.  Again, flavors were great, but the texture was off.  The dough was wetter than normal...I'm thinking that in my slightly hazy/ill state I mis-measured something.  I'm going to hold off on sharing the recipe this time because I really want to work on perfecting it and I don't want to mis-lead you. 090209-d4 Dessert:  more beautiful grapes. [110 cal] 090209-d6 Alrighty, I'm feeling much better now but am ready for bed.  I really want to get up in the morning for my run so that I can keep my evening free for yoga, although that means I'll only be getting about 5.5 hours of sleep.  :(  There are not enough hours in a day!!!  How many hours of sleep do you get a night?  I feel really lucky if I get 7, but I'm usually closer to 6.  Not good... G'night!
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categories baking, breakfast, dinner, lunch, soup
tags bread, ezekiel, kale, leeks, oats, potato, salad, soup

figs. also, some kale.

Andrea

I was a little slow this morning, both mentally and physically.  The snooze button on my alarm was pressed for a full 45 minutes before I finally crawled out of bed.  I knew the weather was supposed to be cold and dreary today so I'll blame my lack of motivation on that. When I puttered out to the kitchen to work on prepping today's eats I had nary a clue as to what I would fix.  As I shuffled things around on the top shelf of my fridge, I accidentally knocked a small container of Fage to the floor.  After picking it up and discovering the crack that had formed in the bottom of the container, I realized that breakfast was solved. Breakfast:  one 6oz cup of 0% Fage, 1/2  a pink lady apple, 1/4 cup of homemade granola from my lovely friend Beth and a drizzle of cranberry ketchup. 090106-b1 Perfect combination.  I truly loved this breakfast.  Have I mentioned that the CK is good on EVERYTHING? I know you're probably sick of reading about it, but I've got just over one jar left to finish up before it goes bad so I'll happily continue to experiment over the next week.  In fact, this morning I made my hubb a brie, apple, spinach and cranberry ketchup sandwich on honey wheat bread.  He LOVED it, as did I when he brought over a bite for me to taste. After solving my breakfast and the hubb's lunch, I was at a bit of a loss thinking about what I wanted for lunch.  I thought about more meatball soup, but decided I should give it a rest and add some variety back into my meals and my blog.  There are a couple of sweet potatoes on the counter that I thought about baking, but didn't have time.  Same with the spaghetti squash.  I finally settled on a bag of dried french lentils in the pantry that I've been meaning to make a salad with for quite some time.  It seemed that I had enough time to quickly simmer them soft, but I wasn't altogether sure since it had been awhile since I'd made them.   I brought 1 cup of french lentils to a boil in 2 cups of chicken broth, reduced the heat and simmered for 40 minutes, 10 minutes longer than I had anticipated which resulted in a very rushed salad prep.  They are still slightly crunchy, which I like.  I'm not a big fan of lentils when they turn to mush. 090106-l1 Tossed with chopped bell pepper, cucumber, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and creole mustard, this simple salad turned out pretty well.  I'll be experimenting more though because I've had many better lentil salads at restaurants around town. Lunch:  Lentil Salad with 1/2 a whole wheat pita and a pear.  I meant to sprinkle some crumbled feta on top of the salad, but in my rush I forgot.  Maybe tomorrow. 090106-l2 For snacks I brought:  2 clementines and an Iced Gingerbread Clif Bar, I only ate one of the clems. 090106-s1 This was my first experience with any of the holiday-flavored Clif Bars.  I know, I'm way behind.  I wasn't sure what to expect as I've read many mixed reviews about them, so I was very pleasantly surprised when I nibbled on the bar a bit before lunch.  It was quite tasty!  I saved the rest for an afternoon snack and enjoyed it immensely.  Looks like I'm in for a hunt around town before they are all gone for another year.  Now if I could only remember where I found them... I also had two more dark chocolate covered potato chips.  Yes, I said potato chips.  I don't know why they don't show the dark chocolate option on the website, but I definitely prefer dark to milk chocolate these days.  I wish the chocolate was a little thinner so you could taste a bit more of the salted potato chip, but they are delicious all the same. During my lunch break I perused the last couple of days of the NY Times Dining + Wine section on the web.  I came across this recipe and couldn't stop thinking about it.  I'll blame it on the rain again. So, I hopped in the car with my hubb for a couple of late-lunchtime errands and purchased 4 chicken thighs, some dried figs, honey and lemons.  Also, some kale.  I've been craving greens since I couldn't find them for our New Years Day lucky dinner. Dinner:  Broiled Chicken with Honey Fig Sauce, sautéed kale and roasted garlic rice. 090106-d4 I discovered a new love for dried figs. 090106-d5 They are perfectly sweet and soft, and the seeds provide a wonderfully satisfying crunch.  Love. 090106-d9 The chicken is broiled in the oven until the outside is delicately crispy and the inside still moist.  The figs are simmered with honey, white wine and spices until a thick glaze forms, then drizzled over the chicken.  Paired with one of my longtime favorites, sautéed kale, this meal was a sure winner. 090106-d2 We sautéed the kale in olive oil with some garlic, salt and pepper until the leaves wilted slightly and turned bright green. 090106-d6 Before serving, we squeezed a bit of lemon juice across the kale.  Perfect. 090106-d8 The hubb and I were pretty happy with the results.  If we make the chicken recipe again we will make a few changes...
  • Use ground coriander instead of whole, and cut amount accordingly
  • Omit lemon juice from fig glaze
  • Lessen honey, perhaps substitute a bit more wine?  :)
At any rate, I'm a very happy girl after eating this simple gourmet meal.  Especially since we paired it with one of my new favorite wines, a local white that we used in the glaze as well. 090106-d7 And now, its bedtime after another long post.  I hope you've all had a pleasant day, and that tomorrow brings better weather for those of us that have been plagued with rain and cold for the last 24 hours. Good night!  :)
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review
tags Clif, chicken, cranberry "ketchup", fage, figs, granola, honey, kale, lentils