My week in kale

I’m back onto the blogging scene! It’s been way too long since I’ve last written (about a year!!), but my life has been more blessed than ever. Among switching job positions and becoming increasingly involved in my church and developing rich relationships with my Bible study family, I met and fell in love with the man who will become my husband in a little less than 9 months. It’s been a very exciting journey for us both, and as we transition into this new phase of life, I know we will always have our loving family and friends to support us.

I admit my preoccupation with things going on in my life haven’t granted me as much time as I used to have in the kitchen; nevertheless, I still do get back into my groove from time to time, preparing meals for myself and my hubby-to-be. Also, with the privilege of hosting my small group Bible study at my house every week, I have been able to whip up some snacks and goodies for my friends too.

This past week, I indulged in kale. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “kale is NOT an indulgent food!” Well, to me, making hearty dishes out of healthy ingredients is comfort food. I don’t think that will ever change. It’s just part of who I am and part of the way I go about life. Our bodies are temples of the Lord, so I plan on treating my body as such by putting wholesome ingredients into it. If you’re not crazy about my philosophy, that’s okay. I still encourage you to try some of the dishes I make every once in a while. You might even find you like some of them (or most of them!).

Back to kale……I’ve had kale in dishes before and even cooked with the leafy stuff a couple times, but I wanted to get more creative with it, especially now since the brisk fall weather has been screaming nothing but “soup.” I took a recipe from one of my role-model chefs, Giada DiLaurentiis, and made it my own. I also concocted a Tuscan kale and white bean soup with some ideas from recipes I came across throughout the week. That’s the beauty of recipes. You can use the stencil to paint a masterpiece of your own, drawing outside the lines as much as you want.

Here’s my recipe for white bean chicken chili, adapted from Giada’s. Giada prepares hers in a Dutch oven over the stove, but I transferred everything into my crock pot so the chili could cook for hours while I wasn’t home.

White Bean Chicken Chili

3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
½ large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs. chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks (about 1-inch)
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. fennel seed
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
2-3 Tbsp. fine ground corn meal (masa)
2 (15-oz.) cans small white beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups corn, from can or frozen and thawed
4 cups chicken stock
1 lb. fresh kale, rinsed, stems removed and leaved chopped into 1-inch pieces
½ jalapeno pepper, minced
Zest of 1 lime
½ cup freshly chopped parsley or cilantro
1 lime, quartered for garnish

Avocado, cubed for garnish

Cooked brown rice for serving

Prepare your crock pot to a medium setting or high. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Add in the minced garlic and jalapeno. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture into your crock pot. Add more oil as needed to the pan. Add half of the chicken, leaving room for the chicken to brown. Move the chicken around in the pan so all sides cook through evenly. Add in half of the cumin, chipotle chili powder, fennel seed, and oregano. Stir the spices into the chicken to ensure all the chicken is coated in the toasted spices. After the chicken has sautéed for about 5 minutes, transfer the first batch into the crock pot. Add more oil as needed to the pan. Add the remaining chicken. Stir so as to prevent the chicken from sticking. Add the remaining cumin, chipotle chili powder, fennel seed, and oregano. Stir to toast the spices and coat the chicken. Once the chicken is browned, turn the heat down low and transfer the final batch of chicken to the crock pot. With the heat in the pan on low, sprinkle in the corn meal. Using a whisk, slowly stream in about ½ cup of the chicken stock, being sure to break up any lumps that form. Turn up the heat slightly and continue whisking. You will see the chicken stock thicken and slightly bubble. Slowly add in the rest of the stock, stirring with a whisk as you go. Turn up the heat to high and allow the broth to come to a uniform consistency. The broth will not be thick; rather, it will have slight body, richness in color, and depth of flavor. Pour the broth into the crock pot on top of the rest of the chili ingredients. Stir to combine. Add in the canned beans and corn. Stir again and cover with a lid. Make sure the skillet is hot one last time. Add in the kale (you may need to do this in batches if it does not all fit at once). Cover the skillet with a lid and allow the kale to steam for about 1-2 minutes. Stir the kale and once all the kale is a bright green color, transfer into the crock pot of chili. Set your crock pot to a low or medium setting and allow the chili to simmer for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, stir in the zest of the lime and the chopped parsley. Pour each serving of chili over about a half cup of brown rice and garnish each bowl with a wedge of lime and cubed avocado. Enjoy!

Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
1 carrot, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 dried bay leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 (15-oz.) cans small white beans or large cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 lb. fresh kale, rinsed, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
1 rind of Parmesan cheese, kept whole
6 cups vegetable stock
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese for garnish
Cooked brown rice or fresh crusty bread for serving

Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add in onions, season with salt and black pepper, and sauté until browned and translucent (about 8 minutes). Add in garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in carrots and celery and sauté for another 2 minutes. Stir in the oregano and rosemary. Toss in the kale and stir all the ingredients around so the kale begins to cook slightly. Cover with a lid for 1-2 minutes, or until the kale is bright green. Add in the white beans, vegetable stock, and bay leaves. Stir all the ingredients together. Add in the Parmesan cheese rind (this gives the soup body and a nutty, salty flavor). Bring the soup to a simmer and allow the soup to cook for at least 1-2 hours. You may find that the soup needs more liquid. If so, add more vegetable stock or water. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Before serving remove the cheese rind and bay leaves from the soup and discard. Serve the soup over cooked brown rice or with fresh crusty bread, and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!