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Potato Soup with Kale

I threw this soup together this past weekend because we've definitely hit soup weather in Alaska.  Also, I've been trying to stretch our groceries out a bit longer if possible.  Potato soup is a great way to do that.  I had fresh kale and local carrots from our coop that we get produce boxes from (even in the winter, I love that). When I make soup I tend to do my own thing and throw in whatever I have on hand. This soup turned out quite delicious.  Feel free to improvise with whatever you have in your house.  And enjoy!

Potato Soup with Kale

4 slices bacon, cut into smaller pieces
1 Tb olive oil
3 Tb butter 
1/2 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic (I had small cloves, so adjust to your own taste)
rosemary, chopped (I also threw in a sprig or two extra, I do love rosemary)
7 small potatoes, cut into thin sliced half moons
3 Tb flour
4 cups stock (I used chicken, but vegetable would work fine)
3 cups water
1 bunch of kale, chopped (I had a smaller bunch, so use what looks right for you)
1 can white beans 
1 cup whole milk (feel free to use whatever milk you keep in the fridge)
salt and pepper
grated parmesan 

Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat.  Put the bacon slices into the pan and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon.  If bacon fat scares you, feel free to drain it out of the pot before continuing.  However, I love the extra flavor, so I leave it in.  Add 1 Tb olive oil and 3 Tb butter.  Then add the onions, carrots, garlic and chopped rosemary.  Season with a little salt and pepper (my husband likes it peppery and so do I, so I go a bit heavy on the pepper).  Sauté until softened.  Then add the potatoes and stir.  

Meanwhile, heat up the stock and water.  Put the flour in next and stir it in with the vegetables until it starts to get golden.  Stir in the stock slowly and continue to stir to avoid lumps.  Once all the stock is incorporated, bring the soup to a boil.  Add in the chopped kale (and extra rosemary sprigs if you are using them).  Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.  Stir in the can of beans.  Then add in the milk and bring back to a simmer.  Taste the soup and adjust your seasonings. 

Top each bowl of soup with the crispy pieces of bacon and a sprinkling of parmesan.  Enjoy! 

pork & tomatillo stew

I bought myself a new crockpot for my birthday last week. Since then, we made a dish with sweet potatoes and chicken legs spiced with curry powder which was pretty good. But, on Sunday, Denny suggested we use it again. I had a bag of tomatillos in the refrigerator that I needed to use, so I did a search for tomatillos and crockpot and found several variations of a Pork and Tomatillo Stew. The one I went with came from about.com and turned out pretty well.

The only change I made was to add a topping of Avocado and Lime Sour Cream (simply, 1 avocado, a big spoonful of sour cream, and juice from 1/2 a lime pureéd together). A dollop of this on top made the stew extra good.

I served it with cornbread made from Jiffy cornbread mix, yogurt, can of corn, lime juice and cilantro.

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Pork and Tomatillo Stew

By Diana Rattray, About.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds boneless pork ribs or loin, trimmed and cut in bite-size cubes
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups diced celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 to 6 tablespoons drained jalapeno rings or chopped mild chile peppers
• 1 cup julienne cut carrots
• 2 medium potatoes, cut in small cubes
• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, washed and diced
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• pinch dried oregano
• hot sauce, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh chopped cilantro, optional

PREPARATION:

Sprinkle pork cubes lightly with salt and pepper; toss with the flour. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet; add pork and sauté, stirring, until nicely browned; transfer to a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker. In the same skillet, adding a little more oil if needed, sauté the celery and onion until tender. Add garlic, chicken broth, and jalapeno peppers or mild peppers, stirring and scraping browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Set aside.

Meanwhile, add to the slow cooker the carrots, potatoes, and tomatillos. Pour tomatoes over the top, then add the onion and celery mixture from the skillet. Stir to blend ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or LOW for 6 hours. Add seasonings. Cook for 1 to 2 hours longer on HIGH or about 2 to 3 hours longer on LOW. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with a sprinkling of cilantro, if desired, and hot baked cornbread.
Serves 6 to 8.

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Toddler note:  Dylan almost took a bite of the pork, but he put it in his mouth and then took it right back out.  However, the cornbread was a big hit..he ate two pieces with his peas.