White Bean and Garlic with Greens

Last year my big sister Jess gave me a copy of the book Love Soup for Christmas. It's a vegetarian soup and story book and I absolutely LOVE IT. I tried 5-6 so recipes last year. This year I want to document and share my favorites, which will probably be everything we try--Dylan and I adore soup. The first recipe I've made this year is the White Bean and Garlic with Greens. A good friend Adam gave us some some broccoli rabe, (among other organic goodies from the Wayward Seed farm) so I shredded that and used it as my green. Both Dylan and I were starving, but we were content after a bowl. It was delicious, flavorful, and smooth. I'm taking leftovers for lunch tomorrow :).
Here's my lazy (but DELICIOUS) interpretation of Anna Thomas's recipe.

White Bean and Garlic with Greens Soup

1 medium sweet onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, pressed
2-3 TB olive oil
2 cans drained, rinsed white beans (I used white kidney or Cannellini)
2 tsp sage
fresh ground pepper
4 cups water + 2-3 tsp veggie bouillon OR 4 cups of vegetable broth.
2 cups(ish) of a shredded green, like kale, spinach, broccoli rabe, etc.
1 tsp lemon juice
olive oil
parmesan

Over medium heat, soften the onions and garlic in olive oil for 10-15 minutes. Add the beans, sage, and pepper and stir. Add a bit of the water or broth then blend using an immersion blender or regular blender. Add the additional water and 2-3 tsp of vegetable bouillon or remaining broth and stir to desired consistency. Add greens and simmer until tender, 5-10 more minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon juice, additional salt/pepper if needed, and serve with freshly grated parmesan and olive oil.

rising cost of good food

The New York Times published an interesting and inspiring article last week; Money is Tight and Junk food Beckons, that describes the extreme cost of eating fresh, healthy foods and a California couple who tried to eat for one month on less than $1 a day (their fascinating blog is here). They baked and cooked bulk grains and beans, supplemented their diet with orange Tang for vitamin C, and lost weight, energy, and a lot of time. Their blog doesn't inspire me to attempt a similar experiment. It does make me want to spend more time in the kitchen developing recipes that are fast, healthy, and more affordable than some of the really terrible things people are forced to sustain on because of time and money.

Michael Pollan (a NYTimes contributor and author of The Omnivore's Dilemma & In Defense of Food) wrote a great article several weeks ago, a letter to the next President of the United States asking them to make food policy a priority for the health, security, and economy of our country. He was interviewed on Fresh Air and makes a compelling argument for an overhaul of the way America grows and sells food. Definitely listen to the Fresh Air episode- it's really, really, great.

I'm going to make lots of soup this fall and winter. It's cheap (a 10lb bag of potatoes at Aldi is $2.50, a big can of crushed tomatoes $1!) and easy and comforting, and can feed two people for at least a week. One of the biggest challenges to writing about soup recipes will be documenting ingredients and quantities... so much of the seasoning and I do is in pinchfuls and shakes... it's hard to keep track of! I'm making split pea soup in the next day or two, will try to carefully record my steps, and will post the recipe if it's worth eating!

Pinto Beans and Kale

After a long, freezing, and frustrating day I wanted something easy and spicy and steaming for dinner. A few weeks ago my friend Mia mentioned that one of her favorite meals is her grandma's pinto beans and kale.
I had kale and a 28 oz can of pinto beans from Aldi that's been in the pantry for months... so I threw a few things together and it turned out to be the perfect thing for a cold and grumpy night.

Pinto Beans and Kale
(serves one hungry girl three times)

1 tb butter
2 cloves garlic
about 1/2 lb of kale, shredded
28 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 vegetable bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cups hot water
1/2 tsp thyme and rosemary
lots of black pepper and red pepper flakes

Melt butter with garlic in skillet over medium high heat, add shredded kale and beans, saute until wilted. Add veggie broth and spices, and let simmer, stiring occassionally, about 30 minutes until most liquid has evaporated.













I ate this with a some of Aldi's jambayla rice mix I had on hand. It was perfect. I also have to tell you all how inexpensive this meal is to make if you have basics on hand. The kale ($1.29/lb at Kroger), beans (about $1 at Aldi), and rice ($.99 at Aldi) cost less than $4.