Ito Konnyaku Soup and Stir-fry

Ito konnyaku noodles

Broad bean

Hoisin braised pork

Ginger

Garlic

Organic soy bean paste glazed pork or chicken

Mixed vegetables

Layer of raw large cut
kale or chard

Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup inspired by Olive Garden's “Zuppa Toscana”

1 fist full of kale, bite sized pieces
6 large red potatoes, sliced thin, plus 1 tbls flake salt
1 whole onion, chopped
1 pound minced pork loin or ground Italian sausage
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and celery salt
1 cup of broth
3 cup of milk plus a splash of heavy cream
1/4 cup salted butter
Fresh oregano, salt and cracked pepper



Prepare the kale and set it aside.

In a medium pot, boil the sliced potatoes until tender, drain and set aside.

In a large pot, brown the ground Italian sausage. Drain as much as the fat as you can (though I usually don't drain my meats unless they look swimming in fat). Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, broth. Simmer for 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes add the butter, stir and then drizzle in the milk.

Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the potatoes, a splash of heavy cream for richness, then stir in the kale. Simmer for another ten minutes, then serve.

Kale Chips

Wash the kale and dry well with either a salad spinner, bagged with holes punched in the bottom and swung until the excess is removed, or patted dry with clean dish towels. Toss with olive oil and sea salt and then bake in batches. Lay out each batch on a parchment paper or paper bag lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Handle carefully as they will be fragile. These are best when served warm, they lost some appeal when they cooled. As a side, although they were tasty hot, they were not very interesting. And they most definitely do not taste like potato chips as I've read. They taste like dried leaves from a bouquet of flowers when cold. I'll be trying these again in twice baked potatoes as I think they'll add a nice earthy flavorful crunch.

Cajun One Dish Dinner

Jasmine or Basmati rice– 1 cup

Curly Purple kale – ½ head
Red onion – 1, minced
Potato – 1, cubed
1 can of well washed beans

2 sticks of Chorizo or Andouille Sausage sliced 

Ginger – 1 inch, minced
Garlic – 2 cloves, minced
Green chilli – 2, slivered
Red pepper flakes – 1 tsp
Olive oil - 3 tsp

Cilantro - 1 tbls minced

Tempering
Olive Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
Cinnamon – 1 inch
Cloves – 2
Cardamom – 2
Bay leaf – 1
Star Anise – 1

Cook rice with 2 cups of water. Fluff and set aside to cool.

In a large pan, fry up the beans in 3 tsp of olive oil. Set beans aside in a bowl.


Heat another tbls of oil and add spices for tempering given in the above said order. When the spices get slightly toasty, add onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, potatoes, and sausages (Chorizo from Avenue Boys Smokehouse). Sauté until onions and potatoes are soft. Now add the red pepper flakes, and salt. Remove bay leaf and star anise. Add thinly sliced kale, cover, and shut off the burner. Let steam finished for five minutes. Add beans and stir well and then dish out on top of rice.