Spaghetti with Braised Kale

Another snow day here in Connecticut.  Snow AND ice this time.  Yippie!  (please note the sarcasm).  I’m getting really sick of this white crap.

School was canceled again today so I decided to switch around the meal plan and make this tonight instead of later in the week.  It’s not the quickest side dish (I served it with sliced lemon garlic pork tenderloin) but it is worth the time.  It was delicious!  A nice, hearty, and tasty dish to chow down on while we recuperate from all of this shoveling!

This gem is from the most recent edition of Bon Appetit Magazine.

INGREDIENTS
1lb. Kale, large center ribs and stems removed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
3T. Olive oil, divided
1 Yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2C.)
8 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2lb. Spaghetti
2t. Lemon juice
Finely grated Parmesan cheese (soy cheese works well here)

INGREDIENTS
Rinse kale. Drain; transfer to bowl with some water still clinging.

Heat 2T. olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add sliced garlic and sprinkle with salt; cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add kale and remaining 1T. olive oil and toss until wilted, about 3 minutes. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking until kale is very tender, stirring occasionally and adding water by teaspoonfuls if dry, about 20 minutes (mine took closer to 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in medium pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/4C. cooking liquid. Add cooked spaghetti to kale mixture in pot. Add lemon juice and 2T. reserved cooking liquid; toss to combine, adding more liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry.

Sprinkle spaghetti with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Husband Rating – 3 out of 5 – “Kale still kinda scares me, but this was pretty tasty!”

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Portuguese Kale Soup

Christopher and I have tried a bunch of times to copy restaurant recipes that we love.  They always turn out just so-so.  But not this time!

Over the weekend we shared a bowl of Portuguese kale soup in P-Town that was incredible!  So, we dissected the soup and purchased all the ingredients.  We were so happy with the finished product.  A little spicy, full of veggies and perfect for fall.  I’m so proud we were finally able to copy a recipe and have it turn out just as well as the original!

INGREDIENTS
1 coil Linguica, spicy Portuguese sausage (casing removed)
4C. Chopped kale
5 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into small dices
1 large Yellow onion
2 cloves Garlic, pressed
1 can Dark red kidney beans
3/4C. chopped Carrot
4C. Chicken stock
4C. Water
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a large dutch oven, heat 2T. oil over medium-high heat.  Add crumbled linguica and cook 4 minutes.  Add onion and carrot and cook until onion is soft – about 5 minutes.  Add garlic during the last minute of sauteing.

Add stock, water, kidney beans and potatoes.  Simmer 10 minutes, until potatoes are just barely soft.  Add kale and cook another 10 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

This soup is great served immediately, but is even better if you make it ahead of time and re-heat.  Enjoy!

Husband Rating – 5 out of 5 – “Absolutely delicious!“

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