Chicken and Sausage Soup

Another way to use up any spare kale you may have on hand. The soup would also be good with any other green instead of the kale, such as collard, mustard, Swiss chard, and spinach. For fun, I used purple potatoes for this soup, but they didn’t remain very purple. They didn’t even taste different. Oh, well. Gotta keep trying.

 INGREDIENTS

1          chicken breast or 3 chicken tenders
1          carrot
1          cup chopped celery
1          medium potato, diced to ½ inch
4          cups chopped kale
2          cups low sodium chicken broth
2          cups dry white table wine
1          medium zucchini
1          small red or yellow bell pepper
1          sausage, 4 to 5 inches in length. (Polish, Italian, Garlic, Cajun etc.)
½         teaspoon garlic powder
¼         teaspoon salt

METHOD

Cut the chicken into ½ inch pieces and place into a large sauce pan. Take a head of celery and slice the top portion into thin slices, including inner leaves and all. Place this into the sauce pan. Cut the carrot in half length wise and slice the lower half into thin slices. Cut the upper part in half length wise and then slice into thin slices. Place the carrots into the sauce pan. Put the kale in to the sauce pan, add all the liquid and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the zucchini in half length wise and slice into thin slices cross wise. Set aside.  If you wish, you can use half of a red pepper and half of a yellow pepper or a whole pepper of either kind. Remove the inner seeds and white flesh and cut into ½ inch square pieces. Set aside. Thinly slice the sausage cross wise and set aside. When the soup has cooked 5 minutes, place all these ingredients along with the garlic powder and salt into the sauce pan, stir to combine and cook covered for 10 minutes.

Serve immediately as either a soup course (5 to 6 servings) or as a main course (2 to 3 servings.)

 

Kale with Bacon and Apples

INGREDIENTS

8          cups chopped kale (about 1 pound)
2          slices bacon, cut to ½ inch pieces
1          small onion, chopped
2          cloves garlic, minced
½         cup apple juice
1          tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1          teaspoon dried thyme
1          small apple, peeled and diced to ½ inch (optional)

METHOD

If you purchased pre-chopped kale and it is rather tough, first remove all the stems, cut it to 1 inch pieces and cook the kale in a large pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain and reserve. If you have found young, tender kale, remove the tough inner stems, chop it to 1 inch pieces and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel to drain and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. (Dump it in the garbage, not down the drain.) Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the apple juice, the vinegar and the thyme and mix well, soaking up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the kale and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the optional apple pieces and cook for 5 minutes. Mince the cooked bacon and serve the kale with a garnish of bacon bits. Will serve four as a side dish.

HOW TO BUY KALE

My customer wanted some Kale recipes. so I did some hunting and found two ideas. Of course, neither of them looks like what I found - there is always room for improvement.

I also found out how NOT to buy kale while working on these recipes. Chopped Kale in a bag looks real convenient but has two major problems. One; it may not be young, fresh and tender. Two; they may not remove the tough stems before chopping.

I had to pick it out of the bag piece by piece, remove the stems where necessary, and chop it further to the recipe specifications. I think I had more work than if I had bought bunches of kale. The brand was Cut and Clean and it was all of that, but not a lot more

The photo shows the size of some of the stems I removed from the bag of Kale.You could cook those for weeks and they would never get tender.

Kale Soup

A creamy soup made in the Italian crema style

 INGREDIENTS

3          tablespoons olive oil
1          medium onion, chopped
2          stalks celery, diced
4          cloves of garlic, minced
4          cups low sodium chicken broth
1          medium Yukon potato, peeled and diced
2          teaspoons dried sage
2          teaspoons dried thyme
4          cups young, fresh kale, de-stemmed and chopped to 1 inch pieces, divided
            About 1 pound or 1 large bunch

METHOD

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and warm. Add the onion and celery and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the broth; add the potato, spices and 3 cups of the kale. Cook, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes until the potatoes and kale are tender, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes.

Working in batches if necessary, remove the soup to a blender or food processor and process to a puree. Rinse out the sauce pan and return the soup puree to the pan. Add the remainder of the kale cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the added kale is tender.

This recipe will serve 4 to 6 people.

Kale Saute

A simple and tasty method of serving this very healthy green.

INGREDIENTS
1          bunch of fresh young kale
2          tablespoons olive oil
4          cloves of garlic, minced
2/3       cup low sodium chicken broth
2          tablespoons white wine vinegar
½         teaspoon dried thyme
½         teaspoon dried sage

METHOD

Prepare the kale by removing the hard stems in each leaf, then chop the kale into about 1 inch square pieces and set aside. Using a large skillet, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes – do not let it brown. Remove and discard the garlic.

 Add the chicken broth, the vinegar and the spices and stir to mix them. Add the kale, cover and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring several times. Test the kale to see if it is soft and if the liquid is absorbed. If the kale needs more cooking and the pan is dry, add ½ cup water and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, covered.

Serve immediately garnished with freshly grated Italian hard cheese such as Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Asiago. This dish will serve well as a side dish for four people.

Beef and Cabbage

A simple dish with easy ingredients. Not gourmet but quite good

INGREDIENTS

1          tablespoon olive oil
1          pound low fat ground beef
1          small white onion, chopped fine
2          cups thin sliced celery
1          cup low sodium beef stock
½         tablespoon garlic powder
2          tablespoons cider vinegar
1          teaspoon caraway seeds
1          cup low or non-fat yogurt
1          head green cabbage, cored, sliced and chopped

METHOD

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the ground beef. Use a fork to separate the beef while it simmers. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until it is thoroughly broken apart and browned. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add the beef stock and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic powder, cider vinegar, caraway and yogurt, stirring them in. Add the cabbage, cover and cook until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes

Serve immediately and garnish with chopped chives or flat leaf parsley. Will serve 4 to 6 people as a main dish.

Pork and Fennel Stew

INGREDIENTS
3          tablespoons olive oil, divided
1          pound pork loin, in 1 inch cubes
1          medium white onion, chopped
4          cloves garlic, minced
1          large, whole fennel bulb, divided
2          cups dry white table wine, divided
1          cup low sodium chicken broth
1          tablespoon dried rosemary
1          tablespoon dried sage
1          bay leaf

METHOD

In a large sauce pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and add half of the pork. Stirring and turning, brown all sides of the pork, about 4 to 5 minutes and remove to a medium bowl.  Brown the second batch in the same way and reserve.

Add the onion to the sauce pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Chop the stems and fronds of the fennel and add them to the sauce pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes and add 1 cup of the white wine, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the broth, rosemary, sage, bay leaf and reserved pork. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the outer tough parts of the fennel bulb, slice crosswise into ½ inch slices and chop them into 1 inch long pieces. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the fennel pieces. Cook the fennel, turning often, until the it is lightly browned on both sides, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add 1 cup of white wine, cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the pork is done, remove the pork from the rest of the sauce pan into a bowl. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Place the liquid and vegetables into a food processor or blender and process to a puree.  In the sauce pan, combine the pork, puree and the fennel. Heat for a few minutes to blend the flavors and serve.

Greens and Radish Salad

INGREDIENTS
1          small head (4 inch) Radicchio
2          cups chopped Arugula
2          cups chopped Escarole
8-10    medium radishes
1          3 inch piece Daikon radish
2          tablespoons Emile’s Port wine
½         tablespoon good quality Balsamic vinegar

METHOD

Remove the hard core from the Radicchio and slice it crosswise into ½ inch strips. Slice these crosswise also and add to a large salad bowl. Add the Arugula to the salad bowl. When preparing the escarole, remove the outer tough leaves and also remove the white stems from the leaves before chopping. Add to the salad bowl.

Thinly slice the radishes and add to the salad bowl. Peel the Daikon radish, and cut in half lengthwise. Thinly slice both halves and add to the salad bowl. Toss the salad well.

In a small bowl, mix the port and the Balsamic vinegar and serve alongside the salad.

Beef and Squash

INGREDIENTS
3          tablespoons  olive oil
1          medium white onion, chopped
3          cloves garlic, minced
2          pounds beef stew, in 1 inch cubes
2          tablespoons all purpose flour
1          cup Marsala wine
1 ½      pound Butternut or Acorn squash

 peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

¼         cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1          tablespoon dried rosemary
1          tablespoon dried thyme
3-4      cups low sodium beef broth
1          pound pasta noodles or 2 cups rice

METHOD

In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook until the onions are tender and add the garlic. Cook for one minute and add the beef cubes. Cook the beef, stirring, until it is well browned on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Mix the flour with the Marsala and add to the sauce pan. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the squash cubes, the sun dried tomatoes, the rosemary and thyme, and enough beef broth to barely cover the beef and squash. Stir to combine and bring the stew to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 to 60 minutes, until the beef is tender. With a slotted spoon, remove the beef to a serving bowl (along with some of the sun dried tomatoes.) Transfer the squash and liquid to a blender or food processor and puree, adding it back to the serving bowl. Serve immediately over your favorite pasta noodles or rice, cooked to package directions.

Smokey Cheese Bacon Soup

INGREDIENTS
2          slices thick cut bacon, chopped, or 4 regular cut
1          medium white onion,
2          stalks celery, shopping listdiced shopping list
2          cloves garlic, chopped shopping list
2          cups chicken stockshopping listshopping listshopping list
1          medium white or Yukon potato, diced
2          bay leaves
1          Smoked Gouda cheese (8 ounce) shredded or grated shopping list
1          tablespoon smoked paprika
1          tablespoon dried chives for garnish

METHOD

In a large sauce pan on medium low heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and dispose of in the garbage – not the disposal. Add the onion and celery. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until tender and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. .

Slowly add the chicken stock while stirring. Bring it up to a boil and add the potatoes and bay leaves. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and transfer the soup to a blender or food processor. Process to a puree, return to a rinsed sauce pan and add the cheese and paprika, stirring until the cheese is melted and combined. If the cheese does not melt and combine well, return the soup to the blender or food processor and process again. Serve immediately, garnished with a few shakes of dried chives.