Guest Monica Meehan: Green Smoothies

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
It's spring! It's Saint Patrick's Day tomorrow! KSFR needs your cash money! What do all these things have in common? Why, the color green, of course.

Plus, you've slacked off on your "healthy eating" New Year's resolutions, haven't you? Don't lie. And don't fret! Because here are some variations on green smoothies that are delicious and nutritious! Well, more nutritious than that diet cola you're drinking.

All of these make 2 servings. The procedure is the same: throw everything in a blender (or use an immersion blender) and whiz until you like the consistency. And of course, feel free to experiment!

Green Smoothie

via Two Peas & Their Pod
Ingredients
1 large orange, peeled and segmented
half a large banana, cut into chunks
6 large strawberries
2 cups spinach
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 cup cracked ice

Green Machine Smoothie

via Martha Stewart's Whole Living
Ingredients
6 romaine leaves, chopped
4 kale leaves, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley sprigs
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup chopped mango
1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups water

Pear and Arugula Smoothie With Ginger and Walnuts

via The New York Times
Ingredients
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups arugula, tightly packed
2 tablespoons walnuts
1 ripe pear, cored and peeled
1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 to 8 tablespoons plain yogurt, to taste
6 ice cubes

Guest Kathy Adelsheim: Chicken Kale Soup, Black Bean Soup, Healthy Veggie Soup

Chicken Kale Soup

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, diced
salt/pepper
1 large bunch kale, chopped
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 qt chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Procedure
Heat oil, saute onion, celery, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook about 8 minutes till veggies soften, then add kale. Stir and cook about 1 minute. Add chicken — stir and cook till no longer pink. Add broth, bring to a simmer cook until chicken is cooked, about 7-8 minutes more. Stir in parsley. This soup is good right away or later. It can be made with veggie broth and without chicken for vegan/vegetarians, but what a shame!

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients
1 1 tablespoon olive oil
4 thinly sliced scallions
4 cloves minced garlic
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper
2 cans black beans with liquid
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Procedure
Heat oil in small stockpot, saute garlic, scallions, celery and then sprinkle spices over mixture. Cook stirring a bit till veggies soften and then add beans, tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes. Transfer most of soup to blender and process in batches till smooth. Return to pan and combine with remainder Simmer 15 minutes more and adjust seasonings. Serve with chopped scallions, fresh lime wedge and hot sauce. It's delicious, elegant, filling and very low cal!

Healthy Veggie Soup

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, diced small
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 cup celery, sliced
1 cup carrot, sliced
1 cup parsnip, sliced
2 leeks, washed well, sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups greens, washed and chopped (any combo of kale, collard, chard, turnip)
2 cups cabbage shredded (1/2 a small head)
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 15 oz cans beans (I like kidney and pinto but great northern, cannelloni, garbanazo are good too)
2 quarts broth
2 teaspoons thyme
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper

Procedure
Heat oil in large stockpot. Saute garlic and onion then carrots, celery, parsnips, and leeks. Sprinkle with salt and saute till soft. Next add greens and cabbage, stir to coat and saute till wilted and soft. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, thyme, pepper and bay leave. Cover, bring to boil, and then simmer for at least 30 minutes. Let sit for an hour or overnight covered — it's best the next day. This soup gets thick and hearty yet has few carbs.

Kale with Pancetta, Cream and Toasted Rosemary Walnuts

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I found this recipe for on Food 52 — one of my favorite food sites. It’s simply delicious. You can substitute other greens like collard or Swiss chard and it is great!

Ingredients for Kale
4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
4 large shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch kale, roughly torn
1/4 cup white wine
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pinch red pepper flakes
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream (let's just say a healthy splash)

Ingredients for Toasted Walnuts with Rosemary and Fleur de Sel
3/4 cups walnuts
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
generous sprinkling of fleur de sel

Procedure
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat renders and the pancetta is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the kale (in batches, if necessary), and toss to evenly heat. When the kale is mostly wilted, add the wine. Lower the heat and simmer until the wine is almost entirely evaporated, 4-5. Toss the kale occasionally as it cooks. Season the kale with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Add the cream and stir well to combine. Add some more cream, if desired (I usually do). Keep warm.

In a large bowl, toss the walnuts with the olive oil well to coat. Add the rosemary and fleur de sel and toss well to combine. Transfer the walnuts to a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly, and roughly chop. Fold the pancetta into the kale, transfer the to a serving dish and top with the walnuts. Really nutritious and delicious!

Quinoa and Kale Pilaf

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Quinoa and kale pilaf is a one-pot, super-healthy dish I found on my beloved Food 52 website. Sometimes I am at a loss for a great vegetarian dish and this one is it, it’s the bomb!

Ingredients
2 cups salted water
1 cup quinoa
1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped into 1" lengths
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 scallions, minced
1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
Salt and pepper

Procedure
Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, scallions, walnut oil (you can substitute olive oil if you want), pine nuts, and goat cheese. Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed — the water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed).

When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice, if needed.