Escarole and White Bean Soup for the last of our winter days...

Escarole and White Bean Soup                                                 servings: 6

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, sliced in 1" pieces
1 small red pepper, 1" chunks
3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
1 tsp rosemary
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 head of escarole, easily found at the grocery store, coarsely chopped
5 cups liquid (I use a combination of broth, water, and veggie bouillon
1 can (12 oz) chopped tomatoes (OPTIONAL)
1 can (1 5oz) small white beans (though if you prefer, you could do cannellini/ Great Northern White beans
salt and pepper
grating cheese
bacon/ham crumbles (OPTIONAL)

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large soup pot.  Gently saute onion and red pepper  for 10 minutes, stirring often and lowering heat to prevent burning.  Next add your garlic.  Cook for about 30 seconds and add rosemary and pepper flakes.  Stir in escarole just long enough to coat with oil and begin to wilt 2-4 minutes.  Add in water, broth and tomatoes. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.  With 5 minutes left stir in beans (make sure you rinsed them first!) and salt and pepper to taste.  Turn heat off.  Add 2 Tbs of grating cheese and stir.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Serve.

Quick Kale Soup for the last days of winter

Quick Kale Soup

servings 2

2 T olive oil

1/4 sweet onion, diced

3 small garlic cloves

one bunch of kale

about 7 asparagus stalks

1 T white wine

1 cup broth

3 cups water

3 T red mahtjang (miso) sauce

1 t sesame oil

1 T soy sauce

1/4 t salt

1. Prep all vegetables first.  Chop onions, peel garlic, rinse and chop kale, rinse and snap asparagus. 

2. Warm oil in pot.  Add onions and sauté 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.  Crush in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.   Add kale and tossed to get all leaves lightly coated with oil.

3. Splash in white wine and cook for 1 minute.  Then add in all liquids.  Stir gently.

4.  Add in remaining ingredients, stir again, lower heat so that the soup is at a light simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

5.  Enjoy!

Warm Up with Sweet Potato Chili

I'm a big fan of sweet potatoes.  I like to limit the amount of meat, starch, and unhealthy fat that we eat...so this dinner is a great new addition.  Plus with the polar vortex of chilliness outside, I guess chili is the way to go!

I made it the other night and my family loved it!  The recipe serves 6 but since we're a family of 3, I had 2 quarts of extras.  In this life it is so gratifying to have my 12 year old daughter ask for Sweet Potato Chili for a meal day after day.  I love that she appreciates the goodness of whole foods and enjoys them. :)

So here's a little chili history.  "Chili" is the Spanish word for a chili pepper.  The chili we eat here in America is typically a meat, chili peppers and sometimes beans (depending on what geographical location your from). I did an internet lit review and found that the origin of chili is a mysterious one, left only details that seem more like folklore than history.  Since the spices in chili are of Spanish origin, it is believed they had influence on the creation of the dish.  However most reports say eitherNative Americans or early Colonial Americans travelling towards the southwest were first started stewing meat, meat lard and spices, among which were chili and cumin. Beans could be a Mexican influence.  Needless to say, chili is an American dish that varies depending on where you are eating it :)

I cooked ours in a dutch oven on the stove top.  Pretty easy meal to prep for and cooks a total of about 45 minutes.  Heats up great as leftovers.  This can also be cooked in a slow cooker.  I was thinking one could sprinkle a tablespoon of cheddar cheese on it or a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream.  Regardless, I think you should try this out.

Chili w/ Sweet Potatoes                                                                                                serves 6

1 onion, chopped

2 pepper, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 T chili powder

1 T cumin

2 t cocoa

¼ t cinnamon

S & P

28 oz can of diced tomatoes (or crushed)

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 sweet potato, cubed (like to add 2J)

1 avocado, sliced

Slow Cooker Method:

Chop vegetables.

Measure out spices.

In a large bowl, mix onion, pepper, garlic, chili, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, pepper,                tomatoes.

Rinse beans.  Add with sweet potato and beans to bowl.

Cook on high 3-4 hrs or low 6-8 hrs.

Serve with 3 avocado slices atop your chili.

Yum.  I serve with bread and butter.

Stove Top:

Sauté onions and peppers about 8 minutes until tender.   Then add garlic and spices.  Mix well and continuously. This process should be no more than 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes and bring to boil.  Simmer on low heat 20 minutes.

Add beans and sweet potatoes.  Cook covered for about 25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.

Serve with 3 avocado slices atop your chili.

Yum.  I serve with bread and butter.

Escarole and White Bean Soup

It's that time of year again.  The CSA has closed down, our backyard gardens or local farm stands are closing and WE STILL NEED TO KEEP LEAFY GREENS in our diet.  One of my fall/winter favorites is Zuppa di Scarola e Fagioli (escarole and white bean soup).  Escarole is one of those leafy greens that grows late into the growing season; it's a hearty veggie.

Escarole is actually an endive.  The perks of this endive are that its leaves are broader, paler, and less bitter than others in the endive family.  One fun fact I found while researching is that the endive is a member of the daisy family.  It is a chicory and cousins to romaine lettuce but somewhere along the lines they co-mingling among the daisies.

Escarole is really good for you!  It contains 6 times the dietary fiber as romaine lettuce, its high in Vitamin A, K and folate.  It contains minerals and antioxidants; all good for inhibiting free radicals from damaging your DNA.

Eat it and enjoy it!


Escarole and White Bean Soup                                                 servings: 6

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, sliced in 1" pieces
1 small red pepper, 1" chunks
3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
1 tsp rosemary
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 head of escarole, easily found at the grocery store, coarsely chopped
5 cups liquid (I use a combination of broth, water, and veggie bouillon
1 can (12 oz) chopped tomatoes
1 can (1 5oz) small white beans (though if you prefer, you could do cannellini/ Great Northern White beans
salt and pepper
grating cheese

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large soup pot.  Gently saute onion and red pepper  for 10 minutes, stirring often and lowering heat to prevent burning.  Next add your garlic.  Cook for about 30 seconds and add rosemary and pepper flakes.  Stir in escarole just long enough to coat with oil and begin to wilt 2-4 minutes.  Add in water, broth and tomatoes. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.  With 5 minutes left stir in beans (make sure you rinsed them first!) and salt and pepper to taste.  Turn heat off.  Add 2 Tbs of grating cheese and stir.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Serve.