The Metal Fork: A Modified Version

Welcome, February!

Do you ever have a week that’s neither typical nor atypical—it just is? Well, that’s sort of what this week has been for me.

My partner and I were out of town this past weekend visiting my family in Ohio, arriving back home Sunday afternoon. I suggested Thai food when we stopped at the first gas station during the drive home, in The Middle of Nowhere, Indiana. I’d been thinking of Thai food for hours already and was crossing my fingers that it sounded good to her too! I was in luck.

Sunday Spoon Thai:

Pot Stickers—delicious grilled wheat flour dumplings with a tasty soy sauce
Nam Sod Salad—ground chicken, onion, sliced ginger, green onion, cilantro, roasted peanuts and lime juice. Always my favorite salad
Suki Hang Kai—thin, clear noodles stir-fried with tofu, egg and veggies in a delicious sauce. Her new fave … plus it’s just fun to say!
Spicy Basil Leaves—chicken stir-fried with basil leaves, chili pepper and green onion … and this time with about 17 massive jalapenos. Served with jasmine rice and SO yummy!

We had gotten a produce box delivery while we were gone on Saturday, so we had a fresh supply of fruits and veggies waiting in our foyer on Sunday. There were also fixings for what we’ve termed “Mexican Cantina” awaiting us in the fridge.

Monday Mexican Cantina:

Sautéed tofu with garlic, jalapenos and cayenne pepper
Sautéed green and red peppers with more garlic
Sautéed spinach with even more garlic
My famous black beans (see Taco Salad post for recipe)
Impromptu guacamole—one avocado, a dollop of salsa, some salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Once all the sautéing was complete, the tofu and peppers were combined into one bowl. The dish was served this time around taco salad-style: layer of spinach, tofu/pepper mixture, black beans, cheese, salsa, guac and some blue corn chips. May have been the best Mexican Cantina night yet!

Tap dancing class for me plus a computer class for my partner on Tuesday nights equals a no-cook night. Sometimes we’ll head over to the Grafton for a few beers and some lovely Irish sup, but not this week. Instead, we came home and prepped one of our staple meals—noshes. This generally consists of a few varieties of cheeses, some crackers, hummus and a few varieties of veggies.

Tuesday Noshie Night:

Manchego and cheddar cheeses and some Stone Ground Wheat crackers
Carrots, zucchini and cucumber with hummus and some pita chips
Lovely bottle of red and an episode of CSI Miami and there’s a good night!

Wednesday was a bit of a toss-up. I could have created something in the kitchen—brown rice with zucchini, pepper, goat cheese and something else … but the day had a bit of an unpredictable feel to it. The only remedy for that rhymes with rizza! Oh yes, pizza night.

Wednesday Ranalli’s Pizza:

Pan-style (with the fabulous criss-crossed crust) with spinach, green olives and sliced tomatoes = awesomeness!

That brings us to Thursday. My partner also has an art class on Thursday nights, so that’s another late one. We have yet to go out anywhere this week, which is a bit unusual for us. There’s usually at least one night that we meet out for a few beers—at the Daily, or the Bad Dog, or the Grafton or even Ricochet’s or Spyner’s. Not so this week.

I think tonight I’ll head over toward the puppet studio to meet her at O’Shaughnessy’s. Her class is just beginning, though, so I’ve got about 3 hours to go. Better stop writing about food!

Two-Bean Soup with Kale

Soup season is in full swing! When the wind is howling and the snow is swirling, soup can warm the core like nothing else. It’s more than just a fall staple—it’s a Chicago winter essential.

One of my new favorites is this Two-Bean Soup with Kale. It could easily be made carnivore-friendly by adding chicken or another meat of your choice, but I kept it herbivore-focused this time around.

The original recipe specifies that the beans are rinsed and drained and that a portion of the bean mixture is pureed until smooth. For a “soupier” dish, I kept the liquid from both the cannellini and the black beans and skipped the suggestion to blend.

This soup has a rich, well-rounded base but is not too overpowering. The rosemary and garlic add an herby-yet-zingy kick that compliments the kale nicely. Top with a few small dollops of goat cheese and serve with a slice or two of French or Italian bread and you’ve got a nutritious, scrumptious supper.

 

Two-Bean Soup with Kale*

 3 T olive oil

1 c chopped onion

½ c chopped carrot

½ c chopped celery

½ t salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 c organic vegetable broth—I also added 2 c water

7 c stemmed, chopped kale

2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained and divided—I did not rinse or drain

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained—I did not rinse or drain

½ t black pepper

1 T red wine vinegar

1 t chopped fresh rosemary

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté 6 minutes or until tender.

Stir in ¼ t salt and garlic; cook 1 minute. 

Stir in 3 c vegetable broth and kale. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes or until kale is crisp-tender.

Place half of cannellini beans and remaining 1 c vegetable broth in a blender; process until smooth. Add pureed mixture, remaining cannellini beans, black beans and pepper to the soup. (I simply added these ingredients, plus 2 c water to the soup at this point.) 

Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ¼ t salt, vinegar and rosemary.
Add some red pepper flakes for additional spice and serve.

*Recipe discovered on MyRecipes.com.