Rustic and Hearty Tuscan-style Soup

When damp, chilly weather arrives we crave warming soup at my house, and this one is right up there among the top favorites. I've shared this one before and I understand it's similar to, (or a copycat version of) Toscana soup as served at the Olive Garden restaurant. I can't vouch for that as I've never had it there.
Even though I enjoy soup at any time of year,  I only make this particular recipe when the temperatures are cool ~ it's very hearty and filling, almost like a stew.




As you can see, the ingredient list is simple; no exotic items and surprisingly, for such a flavorful outcome, you don't need to add extra seasoning except for some salt and freshly ground black pepper.
I always increase the amount of veggies in the recipe as I prefer this soup chunky, and we all know they are good for us. :)

 

You can have this on your table within about 30 minutes. It's wonderful eaten straight after cooking it, and as with most soups it is fabulous reheated the next day. When reheating I usually add more of the greens just to liven up the color a bit.



It won't win any prizes for beauty, but for what it lacks in visual appeal it more than compensates in satisfying flavor.  I hope you'll give this one a try, it has to be among my top favorite 5 soups --- maybe in the top 3.
You can get the printable copy of the recipe over on my recipe site.

I'm so happy you came by to visit, have a lovely day!
~ mari  

Kale & Apple Salad with Candied Almonds

That last bunch of kale I bought was huge; too much for my little household to consume in one recipe, so here's what I made with the other half.  
I've never been very fond of raw kale (unless a little is added to whatever I'm juicing), but I'm a FAN of this recipe adapted from "Oak at Fourteenth"  the restaurant located in  Boulder, Colorado.
I changed it around just a little bit; and it received great reviews and thumbs up here . . .
You can prep all but the sliced apples up to a few hours ahead, refrigerate, then right before serving slice the apples, toss with the dressing,  then toss dressing & apples to the sliced kale and serve.





The original recipe called for the following ingredients:
Candied almonds
Granulated sugar
Honey Crisp apple, cut into thin rounds
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups finely sliced kale
1 lemon, juiced
olive oil
Togarashi chile powder *
Salt to taste


Here's what I did differently ~
I omitted the grated Parmesan Added the zest and juice of one very sweet orange Reduced lemon juice to 1/2 of a small lemon Added a scant 1 Tablespoon of organic vinegar If you cannot find a sweet apple and a sweet orange, add honey, sugar or other sweetener to make the dressing pleasantly sweet.


The first thing to do is to make the candied almonds (or you can use commercially prepared almonds like Honey-Roasted.) But I have to tell you the homemade candied almonds are very excellent (and addictive!) -- so you'll probably want to double the batch for munching while you're putting together the salad, and extra to serve alongside at serving time.  :)



The next step is to remove the tough stem from each kale leaf (discard), then slice each leaf crosswise into thin strips (about 1/4 to 1/8-inch), and give them a little chop to the kale pieces fork-managable.
I like to use my Kyrocera ceramic knife* for prepping this salad ~ it's razor sharp blade and makes quick work of the kale (and the thinly sliced apple.) 




Next prep the dressing~
Zest the orange, then squeeze the juice and pour into a small mixing bowl.




Then juice 1/2 of the lemon, (reserve the other half for another use.)



Whiskthe juices together with the vinegar, taste and add honey or other sweetener to taste, then whisk in the olive or grape seed oil. Season with sea salt  and freshly ground black pepper to taste.





Slice the sweet apple into thin slices and toss with the dressing. Pour dressing and apples over the sliced kale and mix thoroughly.
Plate up, scatter almonds over the top of the greens, pass the  Togarashi seasoning at the table for each diner to add to taste.






I hope you'll give this recipe a try, even if you're skeptical about raw kale, prepared this way even those who don't care for kale just may become converts!
Thanks for stopping by today, friends.
xo~m



Source List
Links to some ingredients and tools used in this post:
*Nanami Togarashi or Shichimi Togarashi

 Either of these two Japanese seasonings are what make this salad unique. Nanami Togarashi contains: Chili powder, orange peel, sesame seeds, Japanese pepper, ginger and seaweed. Shichimi Togarashi contains: Orange peel, sesame seeds; (black, white and toasted), cayenne, ginger, Szechuan pepper, nori (seaweed.)
OXO Good Grips Zester  (click to learn more)
Eco Friendly Glass Citrus Juicer
OXO Good Grips 9-Inch Whisk

Kyocera Knife
Spectrum Organic Brown Rice Vinegar
Eden Foods French Sea Salt

John Boos 18-by-12-Inch Reversible Maple Cutting Board

Baked Kale Crisps

Some may turn up their nose at this crispy snack, others love them.~ They are slightly reminiscent of toasted Nori .
They are a low calorie and low fat nutritious snack, and a decent substitute for potato chips, though not sturdy enough for dipping.

To make them remove the tough stem and tear the leafy part into bite-size portions. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment, lay the pieces out in a single layer and spray lightly with olive oil.
(I use my Misto Oil Sprayer to spritz the olive oil.)Then bake in a 325* (F) oven for about 7 minutes, turn and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes until crisp but watch carefully during the last few minutes as the can turn from delightfully crisp to burned in a flash.





Then sprinkle very lightly with coarse sea salt and a light dusting of ground cayenne or chipotle powder to add a little heat, if desired.






When the leaves are baked they become nearly transluscent and brittle ~ they delicately shatter when you bite into them.


They make a very interesting addition to the appetizer or cheese tray, or for simply munching. :)




If you would like a printable copy of the recipe you can find it on my recipe blog by clicking HERE.

If these sound appealing to you, I hope you enjoy.

Have a healthy and delicious day!