Sauteed Red Kale

Ingredients:

1 lb kale, tough stems and center ribs discarded and leaves cut into 1-inch-wide strips (8 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of dried hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cook kale in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 10 minutes, then drain in a colander.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to moderate, then add kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar and salt.
 

Collard Greens

Potato Leek Soup  

Simple and delicious

3 tablespoons butter

3 leeks thinly sliced, wash thoroughly and slice only the white and light green parts of the leeks

1 medium or large onion chopped

6-10 Yukon Gold potatoes, depending on their size, wash thoroughly and slice into 1/8 inch slices. No need to peel it adds to the rustic texture of the soup.

3 ½ cups chicken broth, or enough to barely cover potatoes,

I use low sodium organic. Vegetarians can use vegetable broth.

1 cup heavy cream

salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper.

1)       Melt butter in large sauce pan over med heat and onions and leeks, sauté until onions are limp and slightly brown.

2)       Add sliced potatoes then pour enough chicken broth to barely cover the potatoes. Continue cooking until potatoes are tender. Mash or break up potatoes until desired consistency is reached the soup will thicken as you mash up the potatoes. I like mine chunkier.

3)       Turn down heat and with a large spoon stir frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom.

4)       Add one cup heavy cream add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 15 minutes stirring frequently over low heat.

5)       Remove from heat and serve.

You can also add green beans to it for another twist to it. Add fresh green beans with potatoes to cook.

This is a delicious easy soup that you will love. I also used this as a base for clam chowder, I simply added clams and clam broth for the best New England clam chowder I ever had.

I recommend you try it. You won’t be disappointed.

Rustic Red Kale and White Bean Soup

You can substitute any other leafy green for the kale, but if you're using quick-cooking greens such as spinach, allow the soup to cook for 25 minutes before adding the greens; then add the greens and cook just until they're done.

1 bunch red kale (or use any other green available)
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (or about 5 "ice cubes" of frozen basil)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can cannellini or other white beans
4 cups water
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Optional serving suggestions:
Balsamic vinegar and soy parmesan

Prepare the kale by removing the thick parts of the center rib and discarding them. Slice the leaves thinly. Measure out 4 cups of kale for the soup; save the rest for another use.

Mist a large, non-stick pot lightly with olive oil. Sauté the onion and celery until the onion begins to brown. Add the garlic, and sauté for another minute. Add all the remaining ingredients, and allow the soup to simmer, adding extra water as needed, until the kale is tender, about 30-60 minutes, depending on the kale. Taste the soup and add more basil, if necessary.

Serve the soup, stirring a few drops of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of vegan parmesan into each bowl, if desired. Makes about 6 servings.
 

Purple Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Shiitake Mushrooms Recipe

Ingredients

3 Slices of thick style bacon

1/2 pound new purple potatoes sliced in half and then in small wedges

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced lengthwise

4 medium sized shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

Olive oil

Kosher Salt

Freshly cracked pepper

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon chopped capers

1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
 

DIrections:

1 In a small sauté pan heat one tablespoon of olive oil over a low heat. Add the sliced onions in one even layer, after five minutes add 1/2 tablespoon of butter, stir and add a pinch of kosher salt. While rendering your bacon and cooking your mushrooms in the next steps, make sure to stir the onions every few minutes and remove once they are evenly browned. This should take around 30 minutes, remove from heat when finished and reserve.
 

2 While the onions are slowly cooking slice the bacon in small 1/8-inch crosswise strip on your cutting board. Heat up a larger sauté pan on medium and when your pan is hot add the sliced bacon. Slowly sauté the bacon until slightly crispy and remove from the pan on to a paper towel-lined plate, reserve for later.
 

3 Julienne the shiitake mushrooms and then add them to the pan which now has the rendered bacon fat. Add a pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper to the Shitake mushrooms, don’t shake the pan but let the mushrooms brown evenly on one side. Once browned, flip the mushrooms delicately and remove from pan onto a smaller plate, reserve.
 

4 Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in the pan and add the evenly sliced potatoes to the hot pan in a single layer; make sure not to crowd the pan. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and a good pinch of salt to the potatoes. Don’t move the pan, this is very important so that the potatoes can evenly brown. After 3-5 minutes, when they are browned flip potatoes and brown the other side, turn down the heat to medium low to evenly cook the potatoes.
 

5 Once the potatoes are thoroughly cooked, add the capers and let crisp up for a minute. Then combine the caramelized onions, mushrooms, and bacon to the large sauté pan with the browned potatoes. Re-warm over low heat. When hot, turn the heat off and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh picked tarragon.