Thursday, February 19, 2009

Kale and White Bean Stew


adapted from Bon Appétit, February 2009

I discovered another great way to use Kale! This soup/stew was very good- even though the preparation of the Kale was a bit involved. However, given the simplicity of the rest of the recipe it is worth it! A great alternative to a tomato-based soup (which is what I usually make!). It is even better the next day!


Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds kale leaves, center ribs and stems removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
1 cup chopped celery (I omitted)
1 cup chopped shallots (about 4)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups (or more) vegetable broth (I used about 6 cups)
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar
2 tablespoons assorted chopped fresh herbs (I used thyme, rosemary and sage)
1 rind of parmesan cheese (I added this for flavor!)

Directions


Cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water 1 minute. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Squeeze out excess water. Coarsely chop kale.

Heat olive oil in medium pot over medium heat. Add chopped carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic; cook until soft, stirring, about 15 minutes (do not brown vegetables). Add white wine and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 7 minutes. Add white beans, 4 cups broth, thyme sprigs and parm rind and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes. Add kale and simmer 5 minutes longer. Remove thyme sprigs. Add more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin stew, if desired. Mix in Sherry wine vinegar and chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Happy (Valentine's) Lobster Day!

Tony told me Valentine’s Day is favorite day of the year…. aw!…. because we eat LOBSTERS! Ha ha! As usual, Tony and I made dinner at home this year. It’s just so much more our style than going out to an over-priced restaurant. We can go out to eat any night of the year!



We popped a bottle of Prosecco and started with a simple salad of Arugula, Pecans and Roquefort cheese (my favorite!). Tony thoughtfully got some Roquefort last time he was at Whole Foods so we can enjoy it while it lasts… For those living under a rock (or just not into stinky cheese) in its final days, the Bush administration imposed a 300 percent tariff on Roquefort (!!!!) in effect closing off the U.S. market. What did the cheese ever do to you George? Apparently we have until March 23 to consume as much as possible before the tax goes into effect and it disappears from stores forever. For those interested, read more here. R.I.P. Roquefort….



I drizzled the salad with a White Truffle Oil vinaigrette- just a simple combination of lemon juice, salt, pepper and white truffle oil (brought back from Italy!). I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this sooner… using the subtle oil in a dressing really brings out the truffle flavor.


We decided to forgo whole lobsters this year and just got tails. We steamed them ourselves and enjoyed with simple drawn butter. For an extra treat (and because they were on sale!), Tony threw in a Dungeness crab leg! Wow those are good!


For dessert we made chocolate dipped strawberries! Yum!