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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At the beginning of 2014, I decided that rather than set one overall weight loss goal for the year, which never seems to work, I was going to take things one month at a time, setting a specific health or fitness goal each month of the year, and chronicling them here as I went. In my first post, I wrote about how traveling to Russia, moving, and changing routines had caused my exercise and healthy eating routine to fall by the wayside. Sound familiar? Because it sounds a lot like my last 8 months to me. The monthly goals turned out to be surprisingly effective for me – I stuck with it the whole year, got in way better shape, changed my eating habits for the better, and lost about 10 pounds. In December, I declared victory, and retired the post series. The first few months of 2015 I managed to keep up my focus on healthy living, but as travel and house-shopping and moving became overwhelming, my focus slipped. And now, 2 years later, I’m almost back where I started – not somewhere I want to be. So I’m restarting my monthly fitness goals, at least for now, in the hopes of getting my balance back.

This month, I’ve been focused on yoga. I didn’t set any specific goal for the number of sessions or total minutes that I spent, I’m just treating it as a priority. I’m late to the yoga game – the only real class I ever went to was way too “om” for me, with candles and chanting and a room full of almost 50 overly sweaty people and very little instruction from the teacher. After that, I told people that ballet was my yoga – same idea really, stretching and balance and focusing on teaching your body to achieve new levels of strength and precision. Only, they aren’t the same. As I’ve actually started trying it, I’ve found that yoga is relaxing and meditative where ballet is sharp and driven. I still love ballet, but yoga serves a different purpose for me. I’m not sure if the benefits of yoga for me are more physical or more mental; all I know is that I sleep better when I take the time to practice and that getting a good session in makes my next run a little easier.

My favorite time to do a yoga session is right before bed, after I’ve shut down the first floor, locking the doors and turning out the lights. I retreat to my office, where the low light and warm wood floors make me feel mellow and focused, shut the door, and turn on my (current) favorite yoga app. I’ll admit that I still don’t go to real classes, but part of what I find appealing about yoga at this time in my life is that I can squeeze in 15 or 30 minutes without needing to change my clothes, sign up for a class in advance, or interact with strangers. I can just do it on my own, and the effects are immediate.

Although I haven’t decided yet if I’m bringing the monthly fitness goals series back permanently, in the tradition of last year’s series, I’m sharing a healthy recipe to go along with this month’s goal. This recipe is actually one of the first that I published on this blog, back in 2010. It’s the vegetarian chili that my mom has been making for as long as I can remember, and it’s a recipe I make regularly during the fall and winter. Here’s a link to the first time I published the recipe, but since it’s one of my favorites I thought it deserved fresh photos and a little boost to the top of the page. I love how easy it is to make, and how rich the flavors are – sweet from the raisins and tomatoes, a little bitter from the addition of beer, lots of herbs and spices, crunchy cashews, and of course, tons of shredded cheddar cheese melted on top. It’s all vegetables and beans and spices, but still super flavorful and satisfying – make a big batch and feel good about your dinner all week.

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Mom’s Vegetarian Chili

Serves 6

• 1 T olive oil
• 3/4 c. chopped celery
• 3/4 c. chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 c. raisins
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 oz. beer
• 1/2 c. cashews
• cheddar cheese, for serving
• sliced avocado, for serving

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot.  Add celery and onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, another 2 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, beans, raisins, vinegar, bay leaf, and spices.  Stir to combine, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.
3. Slowly stir in beer (it will bubble) and cashews.  Return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.
4. To serve, remove bay leaf, and spoon chili over rice or cornbread.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese and avocado and serve.

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