FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Dinosaur Kale & White Bean Stew

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How is it November already?  Better yet, how did November sneak up so quickly yet it takes forever for weekends to arrive?  I suppose we’ll never know the answer to that.  But in the meantime, we can certainly make cozy soup, slurp it slowly, and pretend that the weekend is already here.

Dinosaur Kale & White Bean Stew (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 bunch dinosaur kale, washed, stemmed, and chopped (no need to remove the ribs)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, ends removed and chopped
5 shallots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup sauvignon blanc
2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups mushroom broth
1 cup crushed tomatoes
Salt and black pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, celery, shallots and garlic and saute for 15 minutes.  Stir in wine and cook for 10 minutes.  Add beans, broth, tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf.  Add kale and cook for 5 minutes more.

After eating the first bite this soup, it became apparent that tart wine, crunchy greens, a mushroom/tomato base, and soft white beans are an amazing combination.  And then I made it a little more amazing by topping with a few giant shrimp.

FoodFash Mom

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FoodFash Mom is in Austin!  I left work a bit early to pick her up from the airport.  We lounged on the couch for a sec, changed into some comfy shoes, and walked on over to Whole Foods.  We have a weekend of eating ahead of us and I wanted to make sure we had at least one feel-good meal in us before the festivities begin.

I texted her early this morning asking if she was in the mood for spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs and homemade sauce.  She responded with a “sure!”.  And, like any normal person would, I assumed that meant she was excited.  I later found out that “sure!” was an exemplary display of mom poker face.

“This is actually really good, Kris!”, is what came out of her mouth as she was eating.  Umm what do you mean this is acutally really good?  Were you expecting it to be really bad?  Have we been apart too long for you to remember that I get the kitchen and the kitchen gets me?  It turns out, the few experiences she’s had with spaghetti squash hadn’t been that impressive (phew!).  She noted the goodness a few more times and went back for seconds.  And I did too because it was, in fact, really good.

FoodFash Turkey Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

1 egg

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium sized bowl, use your hands to mix ground turkey, onions, zucchini, parsley, and salt together.  Add the egg and mix some more.  Roll one inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes or until meat is all the way cooked through.

Patty Pan, Patty Pan…

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If you were shopping at the downtown Austin Whole Foods today after work, half of me sincerely apologizes.  Not only did I arrive without a list, but I decided to stay on the phone with my mom as I headed to the produce department.  And since I’m one of those people that paces like a crazy person while talking on the phone, I lapped around veggies at an abnormal grocery store pace, empty basket in hand, getting in everyone’s way for a solid 15 minutes.  That part of me apologizes.

The part of me that enjoyed talking to my mom after going days without a phone call, that part doesn’t apologize one bit.  That part is actually thankful because if I hadn’t lapped around produce a gazillion times, I wouldn’t have spotted the cutest little squash ever.  And then I wouldn’t have had an almost perfect recipe that became perfect when I found a box of California Walnuts waiting for me at my doorstep.  Talk about luck.

FoodFash Patty Pan Squash

2 tablespoons coconut oil

3/4 lb patty pan squash, sliced

2 tablespoons garlic chives, chopped

1/2 cup California Walnuts, chopped

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

salt to taste

Warm coconut oil over medium heat and then add squash, garlic chives, and walnuts.  Stir until mixed and then add salt and white pepper.  Continue stirring so that the veggies don’t stick to the pan.  Cook until the squash is softened but not mushy (about 5 minutes).

I just recently cooked with chives for the first time and fell in love.  They’re an excellent way to add oniony flavor without the bulk of onions or any chance of overpowering a dish.  As far as patty pans go, other than the cuteness factor, I couldn’t really tell much difference between them and regular yellow squash.  What I could tell, is that squash, chives, and walnuts are a solid combination.

A FoodFash Best

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I had no idea how much goodness I was getting myself into tonight.  I had some leftover dip ingredients and frozen salmon fillets and thought “why not?”.  If you follow me on Instagram, surely you could sense my hesitation when I posted this picture.  But boy was I wrong!

FoodFash Salmon Cakes (yields 1 – 425 calorie serving)

6 oz. salmon fillet, thawed

1/2 small avocado (the 99 cent size)

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup fresh parsley

2 green onions, chopped

salt to taste

nonfat plain Greek yogurt for garnish

In a food processor, puree avocado, lemon juice, and half of the salmon fillet.  Add the onions, parsley, salt, and remaining salmon and pulse a few times until all of the ingredients are mixed, but the salmon is still chunky (see below).

Heat frying pan over medium heat.  Spray with olive oil (or a high heat oil may work better).  Remove all of the salmon mix and form into a patty with your hands.  Cook patty for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, flipping gently so the salmon cake stays in tact.  If a small piece breaks off, gently form back together with the spatula.  Dollop with Greek yogurt and serve.

I’m going to try my hardest to use a word other than wow to explain what was going through my mind as I ate every last bite.  The tartness of the lemon, the slight texture of the chunk salmon, the crunch of the green onion, the coolness of the Greek yogurt…  It all came together more perfectly than I ever could have imagined.  And the avocado?  The avocado just did it’s little glue-like thing in the background.