Boiled Kale with a Fried Egg and Toast

Adapted from The Zuni Café Cookbook

I like to use cavolo nero - also sold as Tuscan kale, lacinato kale, or dinosaur kale - for this, but you could also use curly kale. And while you could use just water for this, I prefer to make it with chicken stock, preferably homemade.

Here’s a good, quick chicken stock: take 2 pounds of chicken parts (I like legs, or a mix of legs and wings) and dump them into a large saucepan with the following: 3 sprigs of fresh thyme; 1 small carrot, cut into a few pieces; 1 celery stalk, cut into a few pieces; and half of a yellow onion. Add 2 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer, and cook gently for 45 minutes, skimming away any foam that rises to the surface. Salt to taste. Strain through a colander to remove large solids; then strain again through cheesecloth. It’s ready to go.

About 8 ounces kale
5 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
A pinch of dried red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 to 4 cups mild chicken stock, or water, or a combination of the two

To serve:
Thick slices of country bread
Eggs
Olive oil
Prosciutto, torn into bite-sized bits (optional)
Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano


First, prepare the kale: trim away any discolored spots, and then remove and discard the ribs and stems, if they are thick or woody. Stack a few leaves at a time; then slice them into ¼-inch-thick ribbons. Dump the sliced kale into a salad spinner, and add plenty of cold water. Swish the kale around to free any trapped dirt. Let stand for a minute or two – this lets the dirt fall to the bottom – and then lift the basket from the spinner. Pour out the dirty water. Replace the basket, add fresh water, and repeat. Spin dry.

In a large (4-quart) saucepan, warm the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are translucent but still firm. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and the kale, and stir until the kale is fully wilted. Add stock to cover by about ½ inch. Bring to a simmer. Cover, and continue to simmer until the kale is tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Taste, and salt as needed. This dish needs quite a bit of salt, so don’t be shy.

To serve, toast one slice of bread per person. While still hot, lightly rub both sides of the toast with raw garlic. Place the toast in the bottom of a wide soup bowl. Now, fry some eggs – one per person, probably – in olive oil. Pile some kale onto the toast in each bowl, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and top with a fried egg. Strew with prosciutto, if you want. Grate some cheese over the whole thing, and serve.

Yield: about 4 servings

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

This silky fall/winter puree tastes rich, though there is no cream or butter in it.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 pound butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 medium-size Yukon gold or russet potato, peeled and diced

6 cups water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock

Salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and stir together until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the squash, sweet potatoes, regular potato, and water or stock, and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until all of the ingredients are thoroughly tender.

2. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup (or you can put it through the fine blade of a food mill or use a regular blender, working in batches and placing a kitchen towel over the top to avoid splashing). Return to the pot and stir with a whisk to even out the texture. Heat through, adjust salt and add pepper to taste.

Yield: Serves 6

Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently. The soup freezes well. Once thawed, whisk well to smooth out the texture, and reheat.

Butternut Squash Carrot Ginger Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 pound carrots - peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed or to taste
• 1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Scoop seeds out of the butternut squash half, and place cut side down onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until softened. Allow to cool, then scoop the squash flesh out of the skin using a large spoon and set aside. Discard skin.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until onion is translucent. Pour in the water, and add squash, carrots and ginger. Bring to a boil, and cook for at least 20 minutes, or until carrots and ginger are tender.
3. Puree the mixture in the blender, or using an immersion blender. Add boiling water if necessary to thin, but bear in mind this is meant to be a thick creamy soup. Return soup to the pan, and heat through. Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon.
4. Ladle into serving bowls, and pour a thin swirl of cream over the top as a garnish if desired.

Nutritional Information Amount Per Serving Calories: 246 | Total Fat: 12.8g | Cholesterol: 20mg

Honey Baked Chicken Drumsticks

A lemon and honey mixture glazes these delicious baked chicken legs. This is a quick meal to fix, and it's easy on the budget. Serve this chicken with rice, noodles, or potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chicken drumsticks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or Canola oil
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning or a seasoned salt blend
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce

Preparation:

Wash chicken and pat dry. Toss in a food storage bag with the flour and Creole seasoning.

Melt butter with olive oil; pour into an 11x7-inch baking dish. Heat oven to 350°.

Arrange chicken in the baking dish, turning to coat with the butter mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.

In a saucepan, heat honey with brown sugar, lemon juice, and soy sauce, stirring to blend.

Pour the honey mixture over the chicken pieces and return to the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes longer, turning the chicken pieces every 10 to 15 minutes.

Serves 4.

MA PO TOFU (麻婆豆腐)

So so, I had never had any success in cooking ma po tofu well.. I was told that they were fine.. but you know, people are nice. I always did it on my own imagination, I didn't know that I had to use two different sauces in two stages of cooking.. so here it is, as I learned from the great internet (this is a Malaysian style):

INGREDIENTS:

1 block silken tofu (19 oz box)
1/4 lb ground pork
3 tablespoons Sichuan spicy bean paste (辣豆瓣酱)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 tablespoons chili oil
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (roasted and ground to powder)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon fermented black beans (rinsed and pounded)
2 stalks of leeks or scallions (chopped into 1 or 2-inch length)
2 gloves garlic (chopped)
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Cut the tofu into small pieces, drain the water from the tofu and set aside. Heat up a wok and pour in the cooking oil and chili oil. Add the chopped garlic, ground pork, spicy bean paste and stir-fry until the pork is half-done. Then add in chili powder, soy sauce, fermented black beans and stir-fry until aromatic. Add in the tofu and water; stir gently to blend the tofu (don’t break them) well with the sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3-5 mins or until the sauce thickens. Add in the roasted Sichuan peppercorn powder and chopped scallions. Gently stir and blend well. Dish out and serve hot.

Cá Kho Tộ – Vietnamese Claypot Fish

INGREDIENTS: (4 servings, as part of a larger meal)

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 small-med. shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 lb. catfish, cut into 3/4 inch slices/steaks [with skin and bone attached] —boneless, skinless fillets will not work in this dish
• 4 Tbl. fish sauce
• 3 Tbl. raw sugar
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 3-4 scallions, cut into 2- inch segments [+ 1 Tbl. oil, for garnish]
• small piece (approx. 5 oz) of pork fat (fatback), cut into thin slices or bâtons
• 3 Tbl. Caramel Sauce (Nước Màu) – recipe below
  

STEPS:

• In a bowl, gently toss the fish with black pepper, shallots, fish sauce and sugar. Allow to marinate for 15 min. – up to 30 minutes.
• In a separate skillet set to med. heat, add the oil and cook the pork fat until it has rendered most of it’s fat.
• Next, add the garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Be sure not to brown or burn the garlic. Set aside.
• Set your claypot on the stove and gently begin heating it on med.-low.
• Add the pork fat, garlic and any pan drippings into the claypot.
• Add the marinated fish. Pour and gently mix the caramel sauce with the fish. Turn the heat to medium.
• As soon as the pot begins to bubble, turn down the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for about 30 minute. (Check the pot at the halfway point – if it looks dry, add one or two Tbl. of water and cover again).
• At this point, the fish should be tender but still hold its shape.
• Taste the sauce and add fish sauce or sugar, if needed.
• Before serving, quickly sauté the scallions with oil and add them to the claypot.

NƯỚC MÀU – VIETNAMESE CARAMEL SAUCE

makes approx. 1 cup

If you’re familiar with making caramel sauce for flan – this will be a cinch.

In a dry saucepan set on med. high heat, add 1 cup of plain, granulated sugar and 1/2 cup + 2 Tbl. of water. As the mixture begins to turn amber, stir with a wooden spoon until it turns to a dark mahogany. At this point, remove the pan from the heat and add another 1/2 cup of water to the pan. (The caramel will seize but will eventually liquefy). Heat the pan on high and cook for about 7-10 minutes until it is thick and smooth. Carefully add a couple teaspoons of lemon or lime juice and remove from heat. Give it a good stir and transfer it to a mason jar or other glass container. The sauce will resemble dark molasses and will keep indefinitely in your cupboard.

stuffed mushrooms to die for!

Baked Stuffed Mushrooms

* 1 lb. fresh mushrooms with caps
* 1/2 to 1 stick (4 to 8 Tbs.) of melted butter
* 1 cup bread crumbs
* fresh chopped parsley
* 1 Tbs. oil
* 1 crushed garlic clove
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1 minced medium onion

Remove mushroom stems and chop. Place caps on buttered baking sheet and set aside. Sauté chopped stems, onions, and garlic in oil. Mix other dry ingredients. Add them to melted butter and wine in a sauce pan and stir together. Mold a small amount on the cap. Bake 20 minutes at 350 F.

Serve warm.