Looking Toward the New Year--Healthy, Happy, Fully Engaged

The dash and madness of Christmas are over, and now the practical side of beginning a new year fills my mind---saving money, cleaning house, making to do lists, tightening the budget, and getting those taxes together. Also on the list of things to do, I have begun removing decorations, washing linens, etc.  Plus unpacking and washing up clothes from the trip. Having Christmas at Huntington Beach with son Jason & family was great. Lots of laughing and fun with the boys, now 16 and 12, and with Jason, Jenn & Ruth.  And the beach was fabulous. With blue skies and 70 degree temps, nothing could have been better.  Dog Beach was again a hit with Guayo and with us…so much fun with balls and Frisbees and shells and people. I certainly wanted to stay a couple more days and get more beach time, but alas Roy was up to going home and sleeping in his own bed instead of the blow up Aero-bed. Sigh!!!  


Could have used another lobster taco, margarita, and shot of Butterscotch schnapps at Baja Sharkies...but I think we need to take the truck next time so I can get into it after the drinks, as it took some time to get into the jeep what with the diminished capacity and short legs!!  But hey, was certainly a good laugh for all of us.

So while in CA I picked up a California issue of Sunset magazine. Sunset is one of my favorite magazines as it has cooking, gardening, travel, and crafting items all rolled up into one magazine, and it's set for where you live in the West, with the issues geared toward California, SW, NW, and Mountain zones.  It is the January issue, so focus was on the new year...better health, new hobbies, better eating, new places to check out, trends, etc.  One segment in the issue was “Craving Greens” and was a fabulous article on different greens such as collard, kale, arugula, radicchio, spinach, escarole, endive, mustard greens, and nettle. These vegetables are powerhouses of nutrition, and we should all be adding them to our diets to fortify our immune systems and our health.  Along with the article on the tastes, textures, and HUGE amount of great nutrition in all of these greens, were of course recipes. I picked the Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup recipe for my first foray, as I had both in the house--and I have vowed that I will lower my food bills and thus put more money in savings, by using the extensive amount of food in my pantry (all that gardening and canning this summer), and from the freezer. I’ve made a couple of revisions to the recipe, (such as substituting Udi’s Gluten Free Bread for the Ciabatta in the recipe, for myself and all you GF people out there)…and it is by far one of the tastiest soups I’ve had in a long time. Great tastes, succulent texture, and robustness. While I was at it, I also cooked a pot of black eyed peas with ham and collard greens for New Years Eve…black eyed peas bring good luck for the new year…and will serve them to friends Darla and Jeff and Carlinda who will join us for an at-home down key celebration of the new year here at home with baked ham, latkes (potato & sweet potato) served with goat cheese and applesauce, and some sparkling cider. And our traditional fare...pickled herring to toast in the new year. Yup, Swedes!

So, here is the recipe that I have revised for Tuscan Kale & White Bean Soup.  Enjoy, have a wonderful New Year celebration, but make sure it’s safe and sane, and bring in the new year with gusto.  Remember the good times from the previous year; and think seriously about what you will bring to the coming year. How you will get healthier, happier, and help others; what you can do to make the changes you'd like to see in the world; makes plans to change your life...where you live, how you live, etc.; how you can make the lives of not only those you love but those you don't even know, better; learn more about your neighbors and your community; …these are the keys to being a truly engaged human being on this planet. Engage folks, engage! Your life will be fuller and more fabulous than ever. 

TUSCAN KALE AND WHITE BEAN SOUP
(Gluten Free Version)

1 c. dried white beans                                               2 qt chicken broth/stock

10 garlic cloves, diced                                                10 fresh sage leaves, or 12 dried whole

½ t. red chile flakes                                                    ½ t. kosher salt

2 bunches kale, steams and course ribs removed and chopped. (Tuscan kale preferred but any fresh kale will be okay)                                                        6 oz day old bread, crusts removed

½ c. Persian Lime olive oil                                         4 anchovy filets, finely chopped

1 T chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 2 t. dried rosemary

½ t. fresh ground pepper     

1.  Soak beans in a bowl of water to cover at least 4 hours, or overnight. Drain. Put in a 5-6 qt. pot and add broth and 6 cloves of garlic, the same and ¼ t. chile flakes. Bring to a  boil, then reduce and simmer until tender, 45 to 90 minutes. (You can also do quick cook method by bringing the beans to a hard boil, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour. Drain and then follow directions). Add salt during last 15 minutes of cooking. Adding at the beginning will make the beans tough and take longer to cook.

2.  Fill another large pot about ¾ full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Submerge kale and boil gently until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain and leave in colander while doing next step.

3.  Heat 1/3 c. Persian Lime Olive Oil (any good flavorful extra virgin olive oil will work, but this really brought out a great flavor) over medium heat in the pot used for boiling the kale. Put in remaining 4 cloves of chopped garlic and remaining ¼ t. chile flakes, along with the rosemary; sauté until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add anchovies and cooked kale, making sure all well incorporated. Stir and cook a few more minutes.  Stir in the beans and their liquid.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 more minutes. Remove from heat.

4.  Stir bread into soup (use Udi’s or any other brand of gluten free bread instead of a 6 oz. ciabatta if you have an issue with gluten…I found this works just fine).  Add pepper and taste for salt; adjust as needed. Stir well. Cover and let stand until bread is very soft, 20 minutes to 1 hour.

5.  Reheat soup over medium heat, stirring to break up bread completely, which will thicken the soup and give it a thick succulent quality. Add more broth if too thick for your taste. Ladle into bowls and serve with some crusty bread. You can also sprinkle some pecorino cheese on top, and then drizzle with a little oil. Just remember, they will add calories and fat, and I didn’t feel it was really needed.  You can also adjust the amount of chile flakes if you feel it too spicy, but I’m a big woos and didn’t feel it was hot at all.