Although I’m a bit later than usual this year, my annual year-end post is one of my favorite things to write each year. I love reading other people’s posts, too, even people I don’t know personally. I like reflecting on how much growth and change and activity a single year can hold. It gives me perspective. But, if you’re not a big fan of this sort of thing, or of lengthy personal blog posts, skip on down to the end. There’s a recipe for a kale, golden raisin, and kabocha squash pasta that’s been getting me through this cold snap. I’ve made it four or five times to get the balance just right, and now it’s become my go-to winter pasta.

For those of you sticking with me for the long haul, let’s talk about 2017. For me, 2017 was the year of the wedding, first and foremost. After that, there was travel – but less of it than 2016 and 2015 and more of it for fun than for work. It was a year of great and easy friendships, of growing beautiful flowers, of work weekends in Maine. It was a good year, perhaps not a great year, but a good one.

The big thing – our wedding

Of course, we knew before the year even started that 2017 would be the year of the wedding. It dominated the whole year. Our wedding day turned out more beautiful than we had imagined, but it was a huge amount of work to get there. We had our wedding at my parent’s house in Maine, and it was very much a from-scratch affair. We built the barn by hand (and by we I mean mostly my parents), which was an enormous undertaking. We had gorgeous hand-made farm tables milled from trees on the property. I did my own flowers, and grew half of them. (As an aside, 2017 was 100% a year of flowers for me. I fell in love with flower gardening and arranging and I can’t wait to get my seeds started in the spring.) Every aspect of the wedding was personal and lovely, but it was so much work. I’m really glad we got married and had our closest friends and family there by our sides, and I’m really glad we’re not doing it again.

Twenty-eight countries and counting

Trevor and I kicked off the year with five weeks in Portugal, an incredible escape from the cold and dark of January in Boston. Of course, I was working the whole time, but we still got to explore on weekends and immerse ourselves in the wonderful Portuguese culture. I leave a little part of my heart everywhere I travel, but I left a big piece in Portugal. I miss the food and the wine, the lonely sounds of fado in tiny clubs, the white light reflecting off the cobblestones. I miss the café culture and the gentle winter sunshine. I miss the people, my coworkers and friends, who opened their hearts to us so easily. I miss the language, which I still practice almost daily, in hopes that I’ll need it again. I’m glad that we’re staying put this winter, after relocating for January and February in the past two years, but it was a wonderful experience to live in Lisbon.

In July, I took a long-anticipated trip to Iceland with three of my best girlfriends. It was a short trip – just five days – but absolutely packed. Iceland was stunning and wild, exceeding my already high expectations. It was also wonderful (if very tiring) to travel with friends, something I hadn’t done before beyond short weekend trips in the states. I already can’t wait to return to Iceland and continue exploring. And in November, we made a Thanksgiving trip to Colorado and Utah to visit my extended family. The sun was life-giving, and we were outside hiking in the beautiful desert every day.

And then of course, there was our honeymoon. We were gone three full weeks, making our way up the Croatian coastline, driving through the Slovenian alps, then wrapping up with a city break in Prague. It was an epic trip. It was also so nice to just be with Trevor for three weeks and… hang out. Of course we were exploring and adventuring but we were also just being us, something I had missed in the chaos leading up to the wedding. I’ll write about our trip properly someday, but for now, I’ll just mention the highlights. There was a sunset bike ride through the sleepy hill-top olive groves in Korcula, followed by an unforgettable candlelit dinner under pomegranate trees. We spent an afternoon drinking champagne and watching the sun slowly sink over the Adriatic at a seaside bar where you could climb down into the ocean at any point. We hiked up through the emerald gorges in Slovenia, following a wooden sign with a piece of cheese on it, until we reached a beautiful alpine valley with two houses, one of which did, indeed, serve us some cheese. We designed our own brewery tour in Prague, sampling the best of the Czech Republic’s beer scene. We fit so much into three weeks – it will be a hard trip to top.

For other work travel, there was one follow-up trip to Portugal in April, for my birthday in fact. Never have I received so many hugs on a single day. A July trip to Hong Kong and Singapore registers as barely a blip on my mental calendar of the year, although it was my first time in Singapore. I’ll be back to both countries in a few weeks, and I’m excited to escape the cold (and for the food! Always the food). Then just a few weeks ago, a December trip to a small town in Northern Ireland followed by two days in Dublin. I love Ireland for so many reasons but this trip was a blur, especially getting home just three days before Christmas. Overall, work travel felt much more manageable this year – hopefully I can carry that through into 2018.

The best people

I’m not particularly quick to make new friends – I’ve always done better with a small group of people I’m really close to. But after 6 years living in Boston, I have such a solid crew, many of them high school friends who have moved back to the area. They are all good, smart people who are easy to be with, and some of my best memories of this year were with them. A lazy August Sunday spent tubing down the Saco river was a highlight, as was a weekend at a friend’s Maine island cottage, complete with hours of wine-laced Molkky, a candlelit lobster dinner, the poetry reading that his father mandates, beautiful sailing, and a late night bonfire dance party. And, I almost forgot, our 10 year Andover reunion. I imagine most people don’t look forward to their high school reunions as much as we do. It was a blissful weekend full of super impressive people, an all day kickball lawn party (complete with kegs), midnight dancing, and collapsing on the lawn in fits of giggles around 2am. Sunday we couldn’t move, because we’re old now, but it was worth it. Add to this the many other dinner parties, bar nights, one epic scavenger hunt birthday party and a casual NYE game night turned dance party to close out the year, and it sums up to a year of really good playtime with really good friends.

Working and blogging and growing

I feel a huge amount of relief going into 2018 with an understanding of what I want this blog to be. I spent the first half of 2017 listening to blogging podcasts ad nauseam, investing in a new design and a mailing list and SEO plugins. I thought a lot about my content and who I wanted it to reach, and I pored over my analytics to understand how I could grow. Basically, I hustled. It was stressful and frustrating and overwhelming. And then somewhere in the middle of all that hustle I realized that I don’t want to blog as a business-owner. That’s not why I started, and that’s not what brings me joy. I have a stable, compelling career that I love and it’s not blogging – so why should I turn blogging into work when it doesn’t need to be? I want to create beautiful content and delicious recipes and tell stories as long as it feels like a hobby and not a chore. Of course, it’s nice when a hobby has financial perks, but making business success the goal of blogging took all the fun out of it. Realizing this has been so helpful.

On the flip side of this blogging decisions lies my real work. Although I went through a similar questioning phase about what I wanted my next career move to be, I came out the other side with the realization that I really like my job. I’m going into 2018 in a new role, with a team and multiple projects to manage, and I’m excited. I have a lot to learn but I work in a team with the smartest, best people, which makes all the learning and growing easier.

Now for 2018

I’ve been reflecting this week about how open 2018 feels. It’s a wonderful feeling. Of course, we have things planned – weddings to attend and house projects and a few trips with friends already on our calendar. But largely, the year feels full of potential, untethered to major life milestones. I’m excited to see where it takes us, what new opportunities and adventures it will bring. My intentions for 2018 are to bring a sense of calm into every day, to spend as much time as I can outside in nature, to prioritize my health, and to learn and grow.

Winter Pasta

And if you made it through all of that… I’m impressed. I’m guessing even my mother will skim this one. So now, what most of you are here for, a recipe for a delicious winter pasta. A few year’s back I read a magazine article about how you should always be finishing your pasta in the pan with the sauce and a splash of the pasta cooking water, and it has totally changed the way I cook pasta. It’s such a simple trick and it makes a huge difference. Since reading that article, I’ve been experimenting with what I think of as “perfect seasonal pastas.” I test them over and over again until they are just right, foolproof, and full of seasonal ingredients. So far I have a summer pasta, with heirloom yellow tomatoes and sweet onions, a creamy mushroom spaghetti that is irresistible in the fall, and a spring carbonara with ramps and meyer lemon zest. Over the past 5 or 6 weeks I’ve been testing what I’ve come to think of as my winter pasta, and I’m ready to share it. This pasta has tuscan kale and shallots slow-cooked in white wine, plump golden raisins, a hint of chile, and sweet roasted kabocha squash. It is hearty and wintery without being overly heavy or creamy. It’s on weekly rotation in our house and I hope it will be in yours, too.

Happy 2018 to all of you!

Past New Years’ posts…

2016: Feta and Onion Phyllo Pie
2015: Brown-Butter Chestnut Waffles with Poached Pears and Mascarpone
2014: Rye Blini, Smoked Salmon Dip, Russian Beet Dip, Pretty in Pink Cocktail
2013: Raspberry Sherbet Champagne Floats
2012: Butter-Roasted Cinnamon Chicken with Almonds and Pomegranates

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Winter Pasta with Slow-Cooked Kale, Kabocha Squash, and Golden Raisins

A seasonal winter pasta with slow-cooked Tuscan kale, roasted kabocha squash and golden raisins. Satisfying and warming without being heavy.

Inspired by Sunday Suppers at Lucques.

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 2-3

Ingredients

• 1/2 small kabocha squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 5 TBS olive oil, divided
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, needles finely chopped
• 1 chile de arbol, broken in half (or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes)
• 1 bunch Tuscan kale, center ribs removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 lb. orechiette pasta (or other similar shape)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the cubed squash with 2 TBS of olive oil and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Roast in the preheated oven until tender, about 25-30 minutes. Flip the squash cubes over halfway through cooking.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
3. Heat 1 of the remaining tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced shallots, sliced garlic, chopped rosemary, and the chile de arbol to the pan. Saute until the shallots are soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the kale along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with sea salt. Cook the kale in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the wine and the raisins to the pan. As soon as you add the wine, stir to scrape any burnt bits off the bottom of the pan.
4. Cook the kale over low heat for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the pasta to the boiling water. Continue cooking the kale while the pasta cooks. When the pasta is just barely al dente, use a skimmer to add the pasta to the pan with the kale. Add a few splashes of the pasta cooking water to the pan as well, along with the grated parmesan cheese. Add the roasted squash to the pan. Cook everything together for 2-3 minutes, stirring to fully coat the pasta in the sauce and to evenly distribute the vegetables. Serve immediately.

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We had a glorious sneak peek of spring last weekend. The temperature rose to over 70° and the snow melted away in one warm rush. I woke up to birdsong and a warm breeze coming in through the open window. I was ready to plunge my hands into the soil and prepare it for new life, to throw open all the windows and air out the house.

We knew it wouldn’t last, and it didn’t. This weekend fickle March is welcoming us with a cold snap and below freezing temperatures. But that reminder that there are days where no jacket is required, where slow afternoons outdoors are the norm, was just what we New Englanders needed to help push on to spring.

We’re in the last days of comfort food – already my cravings are starting to shift towards brighter, greener flavors. So I figured now was a good time to post one last warming soup for the season. This Portuguese Kale Soup is a family favorite, something we’ve been making for years. Actually, it was one of the very first recipes that I ever posted, way back in 2010. (Look at those pictures! Good for perspective, no?) It’s still one of my favorite recipes, although I’ve tweaked it a bit as I’ve become a better cook. Since we just got home from Portugal, now seemed like a good time to give it a refresh.

While we were in Portugal in January, I ate plenty of bowls of green and filling caldo verde. But caldo verde and this Portuguese Kale and Linguiça Soup, while largely based on the same ingredients, are somehow very different. Where caldo verde is mild and very green, this soup is assertive and tangy, rich with the flavors of tomato and vinegar. After some research, I think this particular soup may very much be a Massachusetts-special: not strictly traditional Portuguese, but a Provincetown evolution.

I realize that 3 of my last 5 recipes have been soups (what can I say? I know my strengths), so I promise that after this we’ll move on to other food groups. Food groups that are not stewed for hours on end and that involve green vegetables. Until then, stay warm and think spring thoughts!

P.S. I relaunched my blog this week with a snazzy new design. What do you think? I’ve also got a newsletter in the works, so if you’re not already subscribed, head on over now and subscribe in the side-bar.

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Portuguese Kale and Linguiça Soup

Family recipe. Serves 6.

• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled, grated or finely minced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• sea salt
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 large bunch of kale finely chopped
• One 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 8 oz. linguiça, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• One 15 oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar

1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the grated onion and carrot and season with sea salt. Saute until tender, about 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the minced garlic and the cumin and cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring.
2. Add the chicken stock, cubed potatoes, kale, crushed tomato, and linguiça to the pot, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 30 minutes, until potatoes and kale are very tender. Add the kidney beans and vinegar and cook for 5 minute longer, just to heat the beans through. Serve hot with crusty bread.

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Just a quick hello today to share with you a series I’ve been working on over the past few months. I’ve been collaborating with La Crema Wines to come up with three winter salads – salads that are healthy and fresh dishes but still hearty enough to make a filling meal on a cold night.  It’s tempting to eat comfort food all winter long – it’s what we crave! – but I find that keeping my diet balanced (e.g. following that bowl of cheesy, comforting pasta at lunch with a lighter salad at dinner) can help me stay feeling energized and motivated.

The first salad in the series is an all-white stunner. Roasted cauliflower, crunchy Belgian endive, sweet pears, grapes, and toasted pine nuts all come together with a blue cheese and buttermilk dressing to hit all the notes a salad needs: savory, bitter, sweet, and rich. I served this one with a glass of La Crema Monterey Chardonnay, which has a buttery richness that complements the funky blue cheese and bitter endive really nicely. Find the recipe here.

Sticking with the monochrome theme, the next salad is a festive mix of red fruits and veggies. With Russian red kale, beets, red cabbage, fresh pomegranate seeds, and balsamic vinaigrette, it’s tangy, juicy, and really good for you. Served alongside a glass of La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, it makes a light lunch or dinner that will leave you satisfied without feeling bogged down by heavy carbs and dairy. Find the recipe here.

The last salad in the series, and my favorite, celebrates sweet, juicy January citrus – such a welcome relief in the middle of the winter. This salad, featuring grapefruit, blood orange, fennel, and white-wine poached shrimp, is super simple, but still very flavorful, light, and satisfying. The rich and buttery shrimp offset the fresh tang of the citrus and the faintly sweet crunch of the fennel. Serve this salad with a glass of La Crema Monterey Pinot Gris. Its clean brightness and slight acidity are the perfect match for the tangy flavors of the salad. Find the recipe here. 

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

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As you know, we are currently in transition mode. We’re fully moved into our new house, but it doesn’t quite feel like home, and there’s still a lot to be done to fix it up. The kitchen was completely unusable for the first few weeks we were there, but as of Monday, we’re starting to get back into the rhythms of cooking.

Earthbound Farm asked me to develop a recipe using their Kale Italia salad blend, and I decided that using the pre-mixed, pre-washed greens as the base for a simple recipe would be another good way to ease back into cooking. Given the state of our kitchen, I had very specific requirements for this recipe: use as few utensils as possible, be quick to make (with limited use of appliances that create heat in 90° weather), minimize leftovers so that they fit into the tiny fridge, and only use fresh ingredients that can be completely used up in one night. And really, apart from the leftover component, perhaps, isn’t this what many people want from a weeknight dinner?

Pesto is a great option when you want to turn a lot of fresh greens into a manageable volume of food. Of course, it’s the same amount of greens overall – it can just be consumed in fewer bites (and eating an entire box of greens in one sitting can be a rather daunting prospect.) I’ve been successful making pesto from kale, as well as from arugula. Mizuna, with it’s tangy, mustardy flavor didn’t feel like much of a stretch as a pesto candidate. That left radicchio as the only question mark from the Kale Italia blend, and I decided it would be a low risk experiment to give it a try.

The result was excellent – a bright, zingy pesto full of flavor. We tossed it with some gnocchi, fresh mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes for an easy, summery weeknight dinner. Next time you’re in the supermarket, keep your eye out for Earthbound Farm’s Kale Italia product – it’s a great way to easily get a lot of flavors (and nutrition) into your next meal. Here’s a quick coupon if you’re interested!

Kale Italia Pesto Gnocchi

Serves 4. A Katie at the Kitchen Door original recipe.

• 2 TBS pine nuts
• 4 oz. parmesan cheese, cut into chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• One 5-oz. package of Earthbound Farm Kale Italia Salad Blend
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb. gnocchi, prepared according to package directions
• 1 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces

1. To make the pesto, place the pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor and blend until a rough paste is formed. Add the Kale Italia a handful at a time, blending in between additions and scraping down the sides of the food processor if necessary, until you have blended all of the Kale Italia into the pesto. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, and pulse a few times to incorporate into the pesto.
2. Toss the pesto with the gnocchi, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella. Best served warm.

This conversation is sponsored by Earthbound Farm. The opinions and text are all mine.

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The Book: Although I somehow missed Sprouted Kitchen’s eponymous first book (so many cookbooks, so little time!), after the rave reviews I saw for it all over my favorite blogs, I wasn’t about to make the same mistake with their newest book, Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon. If you’re not familiar with Sara and Hugh’s lovely blog, please take a few minutes to go check it out – it’s full of warmth, love, and healthy, wholesome meals. In their newest book, which is a seamless continuation of their blog, they take the somewhat trendy idea of “bounty bowls” (see also “earth bowl,” “broth bowl,” etc… even Panera now sells “broth bowls” of quinoa, lentils, and kale, although to be honest, I’m not sure how a broth bowl is different from soup) and explore it to the fullest. They’ve managed to turn everything from breakfast (cabbage, fennel, and apple slaw with smoked salmon) to dessert (key lime eton mess) into a “bowl” meal. Perhaps the best description of what qualifies as a “bowl” is that it should be a hearty but healthy mixture of grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, eggs, lean meats, and flavorful sauces, served together in a big bowl but with each element maintaining it’s own flavors and integrity. The recipes that Sara and Hugh have included are not particularly innovative or particularly classic – what they are is well-loved, tried and true meals that a family that loves to cook and eat has come to rely on. I love that the recipes are healthy without being restrictive – they won’t deny you eggs, a little cheese, or a few spoonfuls of maple syrup. They are also simple – nothing in this book should overwhelm you, even if you’re a tentative cook. Everything is simple to prepare, simple to serve, and simple to eat, the sort of food you’d happily whip up and pack for a picnic, but with smart, bright flavors throughout.

The Food: In my last post, I lamented my recent (poor) eating habits, driven largely by my nutty travel schedule (I have another week-long trip starting tomorrow, and I’m planning to be a lot more diligent about what goes into my body this time!). Coming home to a copy of Bowl + Spoon waiting for me in the mail was exactly what I needed – it’s full of inspiration for healthy, nourishing, and simple meals to fuel you through a busy day. The first recipe I turned to was the Tahini Kale Slaw and Roasted Tamari Portobello Bowl, because it was exactly to my tastes without even a small tweak (although I did skip the carrots as Trevor is allergic). The base of the bowl is a hearty scoop of brown rice, which is then topped with a raw kale slaw dressed in a sweet and savory tahini and citrus sauce. The crowning elements are sesame and soy roasted portobello mushrooms, and perfectly ripe avocado. The beauty of this recipe, besides that it’s filling, healthy, and super simple to prepare, is that each element has a distinct flavor – they don’t run together and end up tasting like a stirfry. I made this two nights in a row, and my body and tastebuds were both grateful.

Recipe Shortlist: Burrata with Figs and Crostini; Golden Quinoa and Butternut Breakfast Bowl; Caribbean Bowl with Jerk-Seasoned White Fish and Tropical Fruit Salsa; Lentil and Rice Bowls with Summer Vegetable Kebabs; Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Crispy Lentils; Lentil and Mushroom Stuffed Peppers over Goat Cheese Butternut Mash; Coconut Sorbet with Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce; Key Lime Eton Mess

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Disclaimer: I received a review copy of Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon from Ten Speed Press, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Tahini Kale Slaw and Roasted Tamari Portobello Bowl

Recipe from Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon. Serves 2.

For the Tahini Citrus Miso Dressing:

• 1/2 c. tahini
• 2 TBS white or yellow miso
• 2 TBS honey
• 1 TBS toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp Sriracha or hot sauce
• 1 TBS rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 c. orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon juice, to taste

1. In a mixing bowl or mason jar, whisk together the tahini, miso, honey, sesame oil, Sriracha, vinegar, and orange juice until smooth and evenly combined. Thin with water or lemon juice, 1 TBS at a time, if needed. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. The dressing will keep, covered, in the fridge for two weeks.

For the Tahini Kale Slaw and Roasted Tamari Portobello Bowl:

• 2 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 2 TBS toasted sesame oil
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 TBS tamari or soy sauce
• 1 bunch lacinato (tuscan) kale, central stems removed
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 1/2 c. sunflower sprouts or microgreens
• 1 c. cooked brown rice
• 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
• 1/3 c. roasted and salted sunflower seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a small roasting pan with tinfoil and place the portobello mushrooms in it. Rub both sides with the sesame oil and with sea salt and black pepper. Place them gill side up on the roasting pan and drizzle with the soy sauce. Roast until soft and collapsing, about 15-18 minutes. Remove from the pan and thinly slice.
2. While the mushrooms are roasting, prepare the kale slaw. Finely chop the kale into slivers, then toss with the carrot and scallions. Dress with the tahini citrus dressing to taste, rubbing the dressing into the kale to help tenderize it. Add the sprouts to the salad just before serving.
3. To assemble the bowls, divide the brown rice between two bowls. Top with a generous portion of the kale slow, 1 of the sliced portobellos, and half the cubed avocado. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.

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Last summer, in our wild, overly ambitious garden, we planted a few handfuls of beans. After seven varieties of tomatoes, three eggplants, four types of peas, and six melons, the beans were kind of an afterthought. We planted green beans in two neat rows, then poked a handful of seeds of mixed varieties in a circle around our bean pole, and proceeded to ignore them for the rest of the summer. Towards the end of August the pole beans began to reward us despite our negligence. Two “Gold Marie Vining” plants produced dozens of 8-inch long yellow pods, the sweetest fresh bean I’ve ever tried. We liked them so much that it took us a little while to notice that the less tasty, less prolific green pods hanging on the same pole were slowly turning a beautiful mottled pink. They still didn’t taste great, so we continued to leave them. And then, just like that, it was the first frost, so we pulled the now dried and wrinkled pods from the vines and tore the plants out of the ground. We shucked the pods open to reveal gorgeous cranberry beans, threw them in a jar for later, and continued to clean up the garden.

That jar of beans, which we have since determined must be the “Good Mother Stollard” variety, has been sitting patiently on our counter all winter, waiting for its time to shine. Stacked next to the slowly dwindling supply of jarred tomato puree and pickled green beans, they’ve served as a quiet reminder that summer will come again, with its bounty of food that will take us through yet another winter. A few weeks ago, we finally decided it was time to cook those beans, so we soaked them overnight, then dumped them in a pot with a few aromatics, a hunk of parmesan, and some chicken stock and let them simmer away. A few hours later, when we lifted the lid from the pot, we had the most amazing bowls of beans. The parmesan had completely melted, infusing the whole thing with a deep, rich, cheesy flavor. The beans themselves had a bite to the skin but were creamy and soft inside. Topped with a  provolone-laced crumbled Italian sausage, they were winter comfort food perfection.

That humble jar of almost-forgotten beans turned into one of the best meals we’ve had this winter. Simple but so satisfying, I’m already looking forward to next year’s jar of beans. That small handful of beans I grabbed from the jar and set aside will soon be buried in the earth, ready to turn into another reminder of summer for another winter.

Parmesan Beans with Kale and Sausage

Serves 3-4.

• 2 c. dried cranberry beans or other medium-sized white bean, soaked overnight
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and finely minced
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 3/4 tsp red chile flakes
• 2 parmesan rinds
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 2 c. chopped kale
• 1/2 lb. Italian sausage
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

1. Take soaked cranberry beans and rinse several times; they should have doubled in size. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent about 4-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and the chile flakes and saute for another 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the parmesan rinds and cook until they begin to melt, stirring occasionally, another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the beans and the chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer the beans until they are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the lid and simmer liquid until it is reduced to 1 cup. Add the chopped kale and  cook for another 8-10 minutes until tender.
4. As soon as you add the kale to the pot, heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and use the back of a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Cook fully, stirring frequently until sausage is browned and crispy.
5. Spoon the beans into serving bowls and top with the crumbled sausage. Serve immediately.

The post Another Garden Season // Parmesan Beans with Kale and Sausage appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

One of the most buzz-worthy cookbooks released so far this spring is Vegetable Literacy, Deborah Madison’s information-packed ode to cooking with vegetables. Since I’m already planning for the gardening season ahead and dreaming of what to do with all of our fresh, home-grown vegetables, I was thrilled to receive a copy to augment my daydreaming.

This book is wholly centered around the plant kingdom. The chapters are organized by plant family, e.g. the knotweed family – sorrel, rhubarb, and buckwheat, or the nightshade family – potatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes. Within each chapter, each vegetable is given a lengthy introduction that mixes history, culture, biology, and even linguistics into a tale of the vegetable that is guaranteed to teach you something. (I’m still utterly fascinated by what I learned about Belgian endives – they grow on these massive roots, but in the dark!) Then the narrative moves on to discuss the best varieties (which reminds me of Tender), using the whole plant, kitchen wisdom, good flavor companions (which reminds me of The Flavor Bible), and how-tos (how to roast peppers, how to freeze garden-fresh swiss chard), before presenting us with the recipes that showcase that vegetable.

That may sound like a lot of information for every vegetable – and it is! Vegetable Literacy doesn’t follow the current trend of having pretty pictures with every recipe (although when there are pictures, they’re lovely, just not the focus), or having fun graphics and sidebars – this cookbook is all about the words. Even visually it’s about the words – there are entire two-page spreads that are simply four columns of text. But it’s well written, highly informative, and horizon broadening – it’s easy to read and easy to learn from.  The recipes themselves are creative and unabashedly healthy, and would provide any avid home-gardener with years worth of dishes to try using their home produce in. I already can’t wait for my peas to come up so I can try the Peas with Baked Ricotta and Bread Crumbs, and I’m intrigued by combinations such as Corn Cookies with Almonds and Raisins, and Tomato and Cilantro Soup with Black Quinoa. There’s plenty of new ideas to hold my attention as a cook.

Coming back from a weekend of traveling and indulging with my girlfriends, I needed something fresh and simple to help re-balance my system. There were plenty of choices of fresh, delicious meals in Vegetable Literacy, but March is actually a tough season for local vegetables in New England – root vegetables are tired and everyone’s minds are on spring, but the first homegrown peas are still months away. So I went for a year-round staple, kale, and settled on this Soba Noodle Salad with raw kale, raw brussels sprouts, and a sesame-soy dressing. I liked that the noodles made the dish filling but the veggies remained uncooked, keeping as much of their nutrition as possible. It was easy to make and tasty, and I can definitely see adding a little bit of this or that (shredded carrot? raw red peppers?) as the seasons change.

The bottom line: Vegetable Literacy is a well-written and highly informative cookbook that offers both healthy, veggie-focused recipes and a wealth of information on the history, culture, and biology of the plants we find on our plates. Truly, it straddles the line between cookbook and encyclopedia. I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in gardening or vegetarian cooking, as it will likely expand your horizons on both topics.

Disclaimer: I was sent a review copy of Vegetable Literacy by Ten Speed Press, but I was not otherwise compensated for writing this review and all opinions are my own.

Soba Noodles with Kale, Slivered Brussels Sprouts and Sesame Dressing

Adapted slightly from Vegetable Literacy. Serves 3-4.

• 8 oz. soba noodles
• 8 tsp sesame oil, divided
• 1 bunch Tuscan kale OR one 5-oz box baby kale
• sea salt
• 8 Brussels sprouts
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 TBS brown rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 TBS sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet until golden
• 2 pinches red chile flakes
• handful of slivered chives or scallions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the soba noodles according to package directions. Drain, then toss with 3 tsp of the sesame oil.
2. While the noodles are cooking, prepare the veggies. Wash and dry the kale. If using large, Tuscan kale, remove the leaves from the stems, then, working in batches, stack the leaves, roll them up tightly, and slice into thin ribbons. Place the ribbons in a large bowl. If using baby kale, simply put the clean dry leaves into the bowl. Add 2 tsp of the sesame oil and 1/4 tsp sea salt, then massage with your hands until the leaves have started to shrink and glisten.
3. Remove the outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts, cut off the bottom stem, then slice them as thinly as possible, using a mandoline (carefully!) if you have one. Cut the slices into slivers, then toss with the kale.
4. Pound the garlic into a paste with 1/8 tsp salt in a mortar and pestle. Whisk in the rice vinegar, then the remaining 3 tsp sesame oil, then the soy sauce, until you have a smooth dressing. Pour over the kale and Brussels sprouts and toss to coat. Toss with the cooked noodles, sesame seeds, and red chile flakes. Finish with chives or scallions, and serve at room temperature or chilled.

The post Book Club: Vegetable Literacy // Soba Noodles with Kale, Sesame, and Slivered Brussels Sprouts appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I didn’t do very well at my resolution last week. The resolution was to do 10 minutes of strength training/stretching every day, and, well, when you find yourself still needing to do that after 4 glasses of wine, let’s just say I went heavy on the stretching part. And also I counted the starfish stretch as stretching.

But it’s a new week, so I’m trying again! And since these next 5 weeks are (hopefully) going to be full of cookies and cocktails, I’m making this week’s resolution about salad. Sometimes when I tell myself I have to eat a salad for lunch, I end up with a bowl full of hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, chickpeas, bacon bits, and avocado, with a sprinkling of arugula on top. Delicious, but not really what I was aiming for. So I’m making things a bit more specific, and saying I have to eat at least four green salads this week. Plus continue to stay away from the chocolate box, walk to work every morning, and do 10 minutes of actual strength training.

The first salad that I’m piling on my plate this week? This roasted broccoli and kale salad with a creamy Caesar dressing. I could eat roasted broccoli all day, so this was a good way for me to sneak some green in. I do think it could use a bit of crunch, so although the photos don’t show it, I’ll be eating it with homemade croutons. All in all this is not a salad you’d have to talk me into eating. With a little egg on top a plate of this could make a delicious and filling meal.

If you want more background on this whole resolution thing (which I’m planning on keeping up at least until the new year), check out posts one and two. And, as usual, if you’d like to join in, post your resolutions for this week in the comments! I find it very encouraging and inspiring to hear what habits you all would like to change.

Happy Monday!

Roasted Broccoli and Kale Caesar Salad

Adapted liberally from Huffington Post. Serves 3-4 as a side.

• florets from 3 small heads broccoli
• 2 TBS + 1/3 c. olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 large bunch of Tuscan kale (cavolo nero)
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 large egg yolks
• juice from 1/2 medium lemon (about 1 TBS of juice)
• 1/4 c. fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 c. grated or flaked parmesan cheese (use a vegetable peeler to create large parmesan flakes)
• 1 c. croutons, preferably homemade

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss broccoli florets with the 2 TBS olive oil and the salt until fully coated, then spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown on edges, stirring once to prevent burning.
2. Wash kale, shake dry, and slice leaves away from tough center ribs. Discard ribs and tear kale into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl with the roasted broccoli.
3. In a food processor, combine anchovies, garlic, egg yolks, and lemon juice and blend until smooth. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in remaining 1/3 c. olive oil. Dressing should be thick and creamy. Add the parsley and pulse a few times just to break up the herbs (but not to fully blend). Pour the dressing on the salad and toss to fully coat kale. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow kale to become more tender. Sprinkle each plate with cheese flakes and croutons just before serving. Dressed salad (without croutons) will keep for 1-2 days in the fridge.

The post Monday Morning Resolutions: Roasted Broccoli and Kale Caesar Salad appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I don’t want to scare anyone off… but it’s getting to be kale season.  I got some in my CSA last week, and it’s one of the few veggies still flourishing in my garden.  For some, this is great news.  I happen to love kale in all its forms, and prefer it to almost any other green – I’d forego spinach for kale any day of the week.  For others, though, this is not such a good sign.  For them, the beginning of kale season signifies the descent into a long winter of root vegetables, cold-hardy greens, citrus, and the occasional guilt-inducing trip to Wholefoods to pick up that so-not-local-but-oh-so-good Chilean peach.  Fear not, we’re not at that dark time quite yet – we’ve still got time for end-of-season corn, butternut squash, chestnuts, figs, plums, apples, and a myriad of pumpkin-flavored baked goods.  But still, kale has arrived, and why not start showing it a little love now?

Kale salad was a super-trendy restaurant dish last year.  Andrew Knowlton even wrote about the ubiquity of kale salad for Bon Appetit last month, when sharing this recipe for his favorite version.  If you’re not a natural kale-lover, an entire salad composed of the stuff might be a hard sell, but I urge you to give it a try.  A little cheese, lemon, and olive oil can go a long way in transforming this green into a tender, tasty salad that even Romaine-purists might grow to enjoy.  In fact, after I had finished this bowl I almost harvested the rest of my kale right then and there to make another bowl.  Give it a try – it’s simple, healthy, and zesty.  Head on over to Greatist for the recipe.

Other tasty kale recipes from here…

• Portuguese Kale Soup
• Creamy Chevre and Kale Pasta
• Lemon Cream Spaghetti with Kale and Peas
• White Bean, Kale, and Pesto Soup
• Raw Kale and Avocado Salad with Apples, Almonds, and Nori
• Baked Eggs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Garlicky Kale

… and around the blogsophere

• Creamed Kale with Caramelized Shallots – from Food Network
• Parsley, Kale, and Berry Smoothie – from Bon Appetit
• Crispy Baked Kale with Gruyere – from Ezra Pound Cake
• Kale and Cranberry “Crackers” – from House and Home
• Coconut Quinoa and Kale with Tropical Pesto – from Cookie and Kate
• Kale and Ricotta Galette – from My Fair Baking

The post Greatist Collaboration: Raw Kale and Pecorino Salad appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

There aren’t many recipes that I make regularly.  I could totally love a recipe and only make it once just because there are so many other recipes out there that I want to try.  Even when it comes to the basics – pancakes, muffins, spaghetti sauce – I’m always trying new variations on a theme, because a part of me is always looking for that perfect recipe (although I’m pretty sure I’ve found my perfect fruit-muffin recipe).  However, there are a few notable exceptions to my tendency to always cook something new, including my mom’s kale soup, this simple spaghetti in lemon cream sauce, smitten kitchen’s totally pancetta-y spaghetti with chickpeas, Joanne’s incredible pork and black-eyed-pea chili, and this chowder. (Notice a theme here?  Not too many salads…)

This chowder is one of my all-time childhood favorites.  My mom used to make it regularly during the fall and winter, and I always had at least two bowls and two thick slices of fresh-out-of-the-oven anadama bread and went to bed very, very full.  It was one of the first recipes I requested from her after moving into my own apartment, and while I don’t indulge in chowder all winter, I do make it a couple of times a year.  My parents also use to serve this at our annual cross-country dinner, and it was a huge crowd-pleaser.  On Friday nights before races, my team would all gather at someone’s house for carbo-loading and camaraderie, and my family was typically the only one to buck the spaghetti and garlic bread trend and serve something different.  We’d pile 18 or so girls around a bunch of tables stuck together the long way, and eat bowl after bowl of soup with fresh bread and laugh and sing our cross-country songs and talk about beating Exeter and who was cute on the boys’ team and we’d finish the night up with bowlfuls of my dad’s famous apple crisp.  Just the scent of this chowder makes me think of cold, dark nights filled with laughter, be it with my parents and brothers or my teammates, and of going to bed warm and exhausted.

As I was going through my fridge this weekend, trying to figure out a way to use up all the bits and bobs that seem to have accumulated over the past few months, I realized that I had everything I needed to make this chowder (and that it would clear up a significant amount of space in the fridge).  Although it doesn’t traditionally call for kale, I had a few leaves hanging around so I decided to throw them in to up the nutritional value of this soup a bit.  I also used a random assortment of cheeses – a bit of monterey jack, some of that weird orange Mexican shredded cheese mix, half a cup of freshly grated pecorino – and a mixture of skim milk and heavy cream, and the soup still turned out just as perfect as always.  The distinctive flavor in this soup comes from the whole cumin seeds that get added at the beginning – if I didn’t know what was in it, I might not be able to identify the flavor as cumin, but somehow it works perfectly.  Make this the next time you need a satisfying, warming break, and share it with family or friends to ensure an adequate amount of conversation and laughter accompanies it.  It’s that kind of meal.

More like this…

Harissa-Butter Roasted Corn Soup with Chorizo

Corn Chowder with Paprika-Grilled Shrimp

Vegetarian Chili

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Corn and Potato Chowder

Serves 4-6.  Adapted from Horn of the Moon.

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 TBS cumin seed
• 2 TBS butter
• 3 large yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves chopped (optional)
• 2 c. frozen corn
• 2 c. shredded cheese (a mix of whatever you have on hand is fine – we typically use monterey jack and cheddar)
• 1 c. milk (use skim milk for a lighter chowder, or a mix of half milk and half cream for a heavier chowder)
• 1 tsp. flour
• freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large stockpot, saute onion in butter over medium heat until onion turns translucent, about 3-4 minutes.  Add cumin seed and cook, stirring, for another 1-2 minutes, until cumin is fragrant.  Add potatoes, stock, bay leaves and kale if using and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Stir in frozen corn and cook for 3 minutes.  In the meantime, mix milk or cream with flour until mixture is smooth, then add to the soup, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese, stirring until melted.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly cracked black pepper.

The post Corn and Potato Chowder appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I am in the middle of the first week of a self-devised “cleanse,” as I’ve alluded to a few times in recent posts.  I promise to post a full schedule for both weeks of the cleanse, including my rules, recipes, shopping list, and (maybe) calorie counts, but I wanted to see how it actually went for me before sharing it with all of you.  And how is it going?  Well, to be honest, I have mixed feelings about it.  I had several goals in attempting this diet/cleanse/detox/whatever-you-want-to-call it: to lose the few pounds I’ve been clinging to since last summer, to refresh my system and hopefully find myself more energetic, and to try a slew of new and healthy recipes.  My initial ambitions were lofty – no gluten, dairy limited to greek yogurt only, limited added salt and sugar, and having a green salad as a meal every day.  It turns out that some of my cleanse rules did not actually lead to accomplishing the goals I had set for myself – specifically, not eating gluten does not equal more energy, at least in the first few days after you cut it out of your diet.  In fact, it means quite the opposite.

Case in point: day 1 I followed my rules exactly.  I had baked eggs with kale for breakfast, a raw kale and avocado salad for lunch, and baked chicken with arugula-mashed potatoes (no butter, cream, or cheese!), and I went to bed hungry, but proud of myself for sticking to the plan.  On day 2 I woke up totally exhausted.  Like, could barely move my body out of bed exhausted.  I dutifully made my soymilk-breakfast-quinoa and packed leftover chicken and salad for lunch.  I was feeling determined.  But energy?  Energy I did not have.  After suffering through the morning with a gnawing feeling in my stomach, a headache, and a fuzzy brain, something sparked in my sad, bread-craving brain and I googled “gluten withdrawal.”  Then I googled “dairy withdrawal.”  Turns out I hadn’t done my research.  In a nutshell, gluten and casein (the protein in dairy) have opioid compounds that affect the levels of “happy chemicals” in your brain – basically, they’re like drugs.  Removing them from your diet causes these levels to fluctuate, causing withdrawal-like symptoms such as fatigue, intense craving, headaches, and “brain fogginess.”  You can read more about it on Livestrong.  Immediately after reading that I reached for a bag of pretzels, and within 5 minutes felt much better.  My rationale for calling it quits so quickly?  Since I’m not giving up gluten or dairy in the long term (and it’s actually not recommended for those who don’t have an intolerance to gluten), I decided that it wasn’t worth it to feel crappy for two weeks and play games with my body like that.  Instead, I’m limiting gluten servings to whole wheat foods, and only 1 serving a day.  Balance is everything.

Despite the initial hiccup in my plan, I adjusted the week’s menu and am sticking to it, although I’m being more lenient with myself on snacks than I had originally planned because I want to keep my energy up and stay feeling good.  And today, day 4, I actually am feeling pretty good – energetic, focused, light – and I managed to stick to the planned recipes almost all day.  I do want to share a few recipes I’ve already tried as a sort of “preview” before giving you the whole shebang, so I’m here with two super-healthy, super-easy, kale-centric recipes.  Both of these recipes are really good, with limited fat, salt, carbs, and lots and lots of leafy greens.  Kale is easily my favorite green, and one of the only ones that I actually enjoy the flavor of, so I was particularly stoked to find such a promising recipe for a raw kale salad in Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life.  The kale gets “massaged” by hand with avocado, olive oil, and salt, tenderizing and shrinking as you go.  It then gets topped with apples, toasted almonds, and toasted nori – and boy is it good!  The flavors and textures of this salad are spot on, and I found myself picking at the kale-and-avocado mixture (so creamy and filling and addictive) even as I took these photos.  The baked eggs recipe is more basic, but it doesn’t have any cheese or cream – all of it’s flavor comes from sun-dried tomatoes, kale, and spices.  If you’re looking for a few good healthy recipes, definitely try these, and check back soon for the full list of this week’s recipes!

Kale and Avocado Salad with Almonds, Apples and Nori

Adapted from Lucid Food.  Serves 2.

• 1/2 bunch of kale
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 c. almonds, toasted till golden brown
• 1 apple, diced
• 1 sheet of nori

1. Wash the kale leaves and shake them dry.  Remove the leaves from the thick stalks and tear leaves into bite sized pieces.  Place the kale, avocado, minced garlic, salt, and olive oil in a large bowl, and massage together with your hands for three minutes.  The kale should shrink and become tender.  Plate the kale mixture and top with 1/2 of the diced apple and half of the toasted almonds.  Use tongs to pick up the nori and pass it over an open burner on medium-low, 3-4 times for about 2 seconds each time.  Try not to let it catch fire!  As it passes over the open flame, the nori should turn bright green and get soft and pliable briefly.  Fold the nori in quarters, then use scissors to cut the quarters into long strips.  Sprinkle over salad.  Enjoy!

Baked Eggs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Garlicky Kale

Serves 1.

• 2 medium eggs
• 1 large leaf kale
• 1 TBS + 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 dried sun-dried tomatoes
• leaves from 5 small sprigs fresh thyme
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Reconstitute the sun-dried tomatoes: place the sun-dried tomatoes in a small, heatproof bowl, and pour very hot or boiling water over them.  Stick in the microwave for 30 seconds, then let stand for 5 minutes.  Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from soaking liquid and chop finely.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Grease one creme-brulee sized ramekin with 1 tsp olive oil and set aside.  Heat remaining 1 TBS olive oil over medium-heat in a saucepan until shimmering, then add kale and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is brown and kale is beginning to become tender, about 5 minutes.  Add 1-3 TBS of water if the kale seems dry, and continue to cook until fully tender, about another 3 minutes.  Line prepared ramekins with kale, then carefully crack the eggs on top of the kale.  Sprinkle with the thyme leaves, black pepper, and minced sun-dried tomatoes, and bake for 10-15 minutes, until eggs are set.

The post Cleanse Preview: Kale Lovin’ appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

One year ago today, I wrote my first blog post.  It was a recipe for an omelette, which, lets be honest, no one really needs a recipe for. It did not include any pictures, which, lets be honest again, is 70% of the reason most people visit food blogs.  And it has this sad undertone that’s so characteristic of the way I used to feel at Duke pretty much all the time – this underlying longing to be home.

Fast forward one year.  I can honestly say I’m happy at Duke – I’ve dealt with the reasons I felt so lonely, decided to stop worrying so much about friends and parties and things, and hit my groove.  Yes, I still have sad days.  Yes, I still feel lonely sometimes.  But I have wonderful friends, a lovely place to live, and new opportunities almost every day.  This year has easily been the best one yet, and while I can’t say that I’ll be sad to graduate (I am so excited to graduate!), I’m not going to leave Duke resentful.

And this blog – I am much better at it then I was a year ago.  Sometimes I find blogging so fulfilling – like when friends approach me to say they tried and liked a recipe.  And sometimes I find it kind of a chore – like when I’m feeling uninspired and guilty about not posting.  But fulfilling definitely wins out over the chore part, so I’m gonna stick with it.  Over the past year I’ve learned a ton about both food and the culture surrounding it, and I’ve tried dozens of new foods.  When I first started cooking I always wanted to try the most complicated, ingredient-laden recipes I could find, for the challenge of it.  Lately, though, I’ve been the most intrigued by simple recipes.  Recipes with only a few ingredients that enhance each other perfectly.  How to cook mushrooms so that they taste even more like mushrooms.  Recipes that are so simple they could actually be considered techniques.  So this year, I want to explore simplicity.

This pasta recipe is a perfect example of ingredients combining to enhance one another without losing their integrity.  The sauce is simple – butter, shallots, lemon, cream, and salt.  Together, the cream tastes sweeter than it would on its own, the lemon brighter and more savory, the shallots just releasing their pungency.  The kale and peas are cooked just long enough that they begin to mellow in the sauce.  Pour over pasta and voila, the perfection of simplicity.  Really, it’s so good.

Lemon Cream Sauce with Kale and Peas

Serves 2-3.

• 1 TBS butter
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1/4 c. heavy cream
• juice from 1 lemon
• 2 c. chopped kale
• 1 c. frozen peas
• sea salt to taste
• 1/2 lb. angel hair pasta

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. In a large pan, melt butter, and sautee shallot for 2-3 minutes.  Add cream and lemon juice and stir to incorporate.  Add chopped kale and frozen peas and cook for 3-4 minutes, until kale has begun to soften and peas are heated through.  Add salt to taste.  Lower heat to very low.  (Note: I add lemon until it’s on the verge of being too lemony, and then add salt to bring the flavors together.  It works perfectly and is addictively flavorful.)
3. Cook angel hair according to package directions.  Drain.  Pour sauce over pasta and serve hot.

The post Simplicity and a New Year appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

So the beginning of November did not go so hot for me – I unexpectedly got a staph infection that was complicated by an allergic reaction to the antibiotic they put me on.  It took 12 days, 3 doctor’s visits, and 5 prescriptions for me to start getting better.  And in the meantime I had to take 3 midterms with kind of disgusting, fully bandaged right hand, and continue to go to class and to work and do my dishes and I didn’t have anyone to take care of me.  And then on top of that they canceled tailgate, but that’s a story for another day.  Basically, it was exceedingly frustrating.  However, thanks to a beautiful thing called steroids, I’ve finally regained use of my hand/feel like a normal, non-disfigured human being again.  And now, if you notice me looking particularly jacked in the next 3 weeks or winning the Feaster Five, you’ll understand why.

Needless to say, cooking/blogging was not really a priority when the average amount of time it took me to do everything had doubled.  However, one night last weekend I did find this incredible recipe, that I’m crediting in part for Sunday being the turn-around point of my recovery.  Having made several trips to Rite-Aid in the recent past, which happened to necessitate 15 minutes of standing around in the aisles, and additionally happened to coincide with the week after Halloween, my cupboard had somehow been filled with a large amount of half-price off-brand halloween candy.  Saturday afternoon I found myself mindlessly eating peppermint patties one after the other, and my thought process after realizing what I was doing went something like this: Man, this is probably not helping my body do it’s thing.  But I can’t use my hand to do much beyond stir, and I can’t wash anything that won’t go in the dishwasher.  And I really just want some cheesy pasta.  But that has no nutritional value either.  And I really should use up all those vegetables I bought in the hope that consumer guilt would force me to eat them.  I’m going to stop thinking about this and mindlessly browse the internet like I’ve been doing all day.  Oh, what Heidi of 101 cookbooks, you just made a meal that requires all of one pot and one dishwasher safe blender that was a sauce of blanched kale and goat cheese served over whole wheat pasta?  Does that not fill exactly all of the requirements that I just mentioned?  Are you an angel?

Keep in mind that I was not searching for recipes that used kale, or that were simple, or that involved cheese and pasta.  I literally just clicked the little 101 cookbooks button on my sidebar and BAM.  Serendipity.  I made it immediately, ate it immediately, and loved it a lot.  Since I’m pretty sure kale has magical properties it’s so nutritious, I decided that the fact that I woke up feeling about 150% better Sunday morning had to be attributed in part to that sauce, which I’m passing on to you all, with a few revisions: the original recipe called for olive oil, but I thought it drowned out the freshness of the kale, so I omitted it this time.  I also think this would be really stellar/even more healthifying with a little bit of ginger in it for kick, so I plan on trying that soon… In the meantime, all hail kale.

Creamy Chevre and Kale Pasta

Adapted slightly from 101 Cookbooks. Serves 2-3.

• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 large bunch of fresh kale, washed, stemmed, and very roughly chopped
• 3 oz. goat cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 box rotini

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  Add garlic cloves and boil for 2-3 minutes.  Add kale and blanch for 15 seconds (don’t overcook!) then remove kale and garlic to a blender with a slotted spoon.  Reserve blanching water.
2. Add goat cheese, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes to blender.  Add 1/2 c. of blanching water.  Blend.  Add more water until consistency is as desired.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Return blanching water to a boil.  Add rotini and cook according to package  directions.  Drain, mix with sauce.  Serve warm, sprinkled with more goat cheese.

The post Kale Recovery appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

My family first had kale soup at a restaurant in Provincetown, MA, after our kind-of-annual whale watch.  I don’t actually remember this meal beyond a sort of hazy image of the restaurant-front and the dock and that it was definitely a gray day, and I definitely didn’t eat the original kale soup because at the age of 7 my diet consisted of exactly three foods – pasta, potatoes, and chicken fingers.  I’m so glad that’s changed.  But my mother was impressed, snagged the recipe, which is Portuguese in origin, and the soup was officially introduced into the family repertoire.  Now that I’m old enough to appreciate food groups besides white starch, I request this soup fairly often.  It’s got a great, hearty flavor, which is even better the next day, and is definitely qualified to be a member of the healthy meals category.  I love it when the healthy meals category includes sausage.

Kale Soup

• 1 lb. linguica (or kielbasa), sliced
• 1 c. ground carrots
• 1 c. ground onion
• 2 potatoes, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 48 oz. can chicken broth
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 bunch fresh kale, chopped, or 12 oz. box frozen kale*
• 1 can kidney beans

This one’s easy:

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for 45 minutes.  Add beans and cook until heated through.  Done.

*If you use fresh kale, you may want to up the liquid content, as the frozen kale releases more water and takes up less volume than the fresh stuff.

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