admin /

in the kitchen // kale

DSC_0859

This is not so much a recipe as a revelation. Did you know that kale is delicious? Apparently I missed the memo but recently discovered this fact for myself. Well, to be honest, I had a little help from one of my favorite cookbook authors, Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I started with her recipe “Garlicky Kale with Tahini Dressing” (from Vegan With A Vengeance), and then I adapted it to be easier to prepare…because I am too busy and/or lazy to bother with all the chopping and mincing and whatnot. So, here’s my version, which makes a perfect side dish for two hungry, veggie-loving adults, plus one smallish person:

Ingredients:
olive oil
3 heaping teaspoons minced garlic from a jar*
8 oz. pre-chopped kale (about 1/2 of one of those giant bags)

*If you absolutely must use fresh garlic, I recommend 3-4 cloves, minced.

Instructions:
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and sauté on medium heat for about a minute or just until fragrant. Add the kale and turn with tongs until bright green and slightly wilted. You don’t want it to get really wilted like spinach; it should stay a little bit springy. Devour.

This kale is so good that even toddlers will love it!
DSC_0877

Follow:
admin /

in the kitchen // carrot bisque

This recipe is one of my favorites and it is a soul-warming treat during the cold winter months. The truth is that you really can’t go wrong with anything from the Post-Punk Kitchen. Isa Chandra Moskowitz has a charming personality (even in her writing) and I’m a huge fan of her cookbooks. This recipe comes from Vegan With A Vengeance. Most of the time and effort involved in this recipe happens during the prep stage. Lots of carrot-peeling and chopping! But, sometimes it’s nice to have a mindless, repetitive task to do. Another favorite cookbook author of mine, Edward Espe Brown (of The Tassajara Cookbook) relates some sage advice he once heard from Zen master Suzuki Roshi regarding carrots. He writes,

[Suzuki Roshi said,] ‘When you wash the rice, wash the rice; when you cut the carrots, cut the carrots; and when you stir the soup, stir the soup.’…I tried in a simple, direct, awkward way to be present, to see the rice with my eyes, to feel the rice with my hands, to have awareness in the movement of my arms…Anyone can do this kind of work. Whole worlds come alive.

DSC_0442

3 lbs. carrots, peeled and diced into small pieces (1/2″ or less)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil of some sort
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
3 cups vegetable broth, of vegetable bouillon cube in 3 cups water
1 can coconut milk (13 oz)
1 tbsp maple syrup

Cook carrots and onions in the oil, covered, until mostly softened. Add the spices and garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and bring to a low boil (last time I made this soup I forgot about this stage and it fully boiled for a minute or two and turned out ok). Next, you will puree the soup. She says do 1/2, I do the whole thing and I do it with an immersion blender. You can do whatever you like. Add the maple syrup (I also forgot this and, again, it was fine).

Enjoy! And, check out the rest of Isa’s books and recipes if you get a chance.

Follow: