I love greens. Kale, collards, beet greens…they all get a thumbs-up in my book. This recipe for Sauteed Kale has a slight tang from the vinegar, a little hit of spice from the red pepper flakes and lots of flavor from the sauteed red onion and garlic. It’s a perfect side dish for Italian food or roasted meats (chicken, turkey, pork, beef).

Two pounds of kale sounds like a lot but it will cook down. Be sure not to over cook the kale so it stays a pretty deep green color. A handful of toasted pinenuts added at the end of cooking is a nice addition. Enjoy!

p.s. As an added bonus, kale is loaded with Vitamin C, calcium and lots of other good-for-you stuff.

Sauteed Kale
-adapted from a from Gourmet Magazine recipe

Makes 3-4 servings. 

1 pound 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

Cook kale in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 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.

Cooks’ note: Sautéed kale keeps, chilled in an airtight container, 3 days.

Tags: greens, kale, sauteed kale

I got together with a group of girlfriends from my bible study on Friday to organize a friend’s garage. The friend we were helping is a mom of two young boys and her husband has been in the hospital for several months awaiting a heart transplant. Needless to say, it’s been a difficult season for this family, so a chilly, overcast November day was not going to deter us from the work we had set out to do. We were there to help a girlfriend, to let her know that she and her family are loved, and in some small way, to offer hope.

After we finished our project, we stood around the kitchen together eating a bowl of this Summer Minestrone with Pesto. Friends sharing life together and a hot bowl of soup…this is what it’s all about!

Now about the minestrone…I doubled the recipe so there would be plenty of soup for all of us. I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, russets instead of the red-skinned potatoes, diced canned tomatoes instead of fresh (28-oz can for double recipe), chopped kale instead of spinach, and extra carrots instead of green beans. About 10 minutes before serving, I added a little bit of uncooked pasta to the simmering soup which helped thicken it up a bit. Once the pasta was cooked, we ladled the piping hot soup into bowls and garnished each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Yumm!

Summer Minestrone with Pesto
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

When a generous garnish of pesto gets stirred in, the soup turns a vibrant green and becomes perfumed with the intense and sweet aroma of basil mixed with garlic. Makes 6 servings.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 small red-skinned potatoes, quartered
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), drained
2 tomatoes, peeled, crushed
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
6 tablespoons pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add broth and next 7 ingredients. Increase heat to high and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pot, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach; simmer 3 minutes longer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 6 bowls; garnish each with 1 tablespoon pesto. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Tags: cannellini beans, carrots, celery, chicken broth, kale, minestrone, onion, parmesan cheese, pesto, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, Vegetable, zucchini

I made this soup recently when I was hankering for a hot bowl of soup to chase away the winter blahs. It’s simple yet hearty and delicious.

I loved the combination of turkey kielbasa and smoked paprika, both of which added rich and smoky flavors to the soup. I also added some chopped carrots and diced tomatoes for extra color and flavor. Serve the soup with crusty bread and you’ve got a perfect meal for a dreary Pacific Northwest day!

Kielbasa, Kale and Barley Soup
-recipe from Oregonian FOODday, (December 1, 2009)

This robust, sausage-laden soup definitely fits the bill. It’s filling, flavorful and healthful, too, so you don’t have to feel guilty about tucking into a big bowl.

To keep the fat content low, we used turkey kielbasa instead of regular kielbasa. Then we added barley for its fiber and toothsome texture. Potatoes and kale add loads of vitamins A and C — about double the recommended daily allowance — as well as iron and calcium. This recipe makes a big batch, so you’ll have plenty to stash in your freezer for another rainy day. Makes 8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 bunch lacinato kale (also called dinosaur kale or cavalo nero) or chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped
4 yukon gold or new potatoes, diced
14 ounces turkey kielbasa, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (see note below)

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

Add the broth and barley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and cook barley for 15 minutes. Add the kale and potatoes and cook for another 15 minutes, until potatoes are almost tender.

Stir in the kielbasa and smoked paprika and cook until sausage is heated through and potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes more.

Note:Spanish smoked paprika, also called pimentón de la Vera, comes in three varieties: sweet (dulce), medium-hot (agridulce) and hot (picante).

From Linda Faus, FOODday test kitchen director

Tags: barley, chicken broth, garlic, kale, potatoes, smoked paprika, turkey kielbasa