Category Archives: Food

Freezing Kale for Soup

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Facts About Kale (from WebMD)

  • Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet.
  • It’s a member of the same family (Brassica) as cabbage, collards, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.
  • One cup of kale contains 36 calories and 5 grams of fiber.  Daily allowances:  15% calcium and B6, 40% magnesium, 180% vitamin A, 200% vitamin C, and 1,020% vitamin K.  It’s also a good source of copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

I’ll admit that I’m not crazy about the taste of raw kale but it’s just so nutritious (see above) that I wanted to find a way to eat it.  And that way for me, is in soups. For whatever reason, Kale loses it’s strong taste when added to soups.

I typically don’t keep fresh kale on hand but I’ve discovered that Walmart sells chopped kale by the bag (in the produce section). It’s chopped in small-ish pieces and has some of the stems included as well.  Plus, it lends itself well to freezing.

bag of kale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how I prepare the kale for freezing:

kaleEmptyBags

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a dedicated gallon bag and 8 sandwich baggies for the kale. (I reuse the bags and they’re stored in the freezer at all times – whether they are empty or full).

kaleFullBags

 

 

 

 

 

 

I take handfuls of kale and place into the sandwich baggies. I’m not sure exactly how much is in there… maybe a cup. (If when I add the kale to the soup, it seems like too much, I just don’t use it all or if it’s doesn’t seem like enough, I use some from another bag) Next, I compress the air out and seal the baggie…

kaleFreezerBag

 

 

 

 

 

then place them all in a gallon bag and store in the freezer.

When it comes time to use the kale. I take a sandwich baggie out, crunch the kale with my hands to make smaller pieces (no cutting!), add to the soup, then store the empty baggie back in the gallon bag.

Quick Meal: Gnocchi and Marinara with Broccoli

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gnocchi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

  • Serves two.
  • This is a delicious, nutritious meal that can be prepared quickly.  The entire process takes less than 15 minutes.
  • Gnocchi is a type of Italian dumpling made from potato.  Gnocchi (pronounced: knocky) can be found in the international or pasta section.

Elements:

  • Potato gnocchi (I use Delallo) cooked according to package instructions
  • Spicy Marinara (I use Barilla) 3/4- to 1-cup per person
  • Broccoli crown, cut in small pieces
  • Nutritional Yeast (use for topping as you would Parmesan cheese)
  • Whole-grain bread (I buy whole-grain Ciabatta rolls at Sam’s)

Preparation:

  • Fill a medium-large saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil on High.  While you’re waiting for the water to boil:
  • Place the broccoli pieces in a small saucepan with a half-inch of water and a steamer insert (the kind that looks like a metal flower and folds in on itself).  Turn the burner to High and cook the broccoli until it’s crisp-tender. This takes about 3-5 minutes, watch closely – you don’t want it to over-cook.
  • While the broccoli is steaming, place the marinara into a glass bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap, cut several short slits in the plastic, and warm in the microwave.
  • Prepare the gnocchi in the boiling water.  This takes 3-4 minutes. As soon as the gnocchi begins floating to the top, it’s done.  Drain gnocchi.
  • In two large bowls (I use the serving bowls that came with my set of dishes), assemble:  Gnocchi, topped with sauce, sprinkled with nutritional yeast, and broccoli on the side, served with rolls.  Note:  my husband likes to mix everything together before he eats it.

Tutorial: Coarse chopped onion for soup

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I really like onions.   They add interest to other foods and they’re nutritious – supplying fiber, B-6, folate, and calcium.  Since many of the dishes I prepare contain onions in one form or another, I always keep a mesh bag of yellow onions hanging from a hook in my laundry room.  I tried hanging them in my garage for a while but after a cold snap, I noticed that some of the onions had gone soft and watery so I began hanging them inside. ( Ideally, I’d like a root cellar but until I get one, the hook in the laundry room works fine).

Here’s how I chop onions for soup:

onion with ends removed
Place an onion on its side and remove the two ends.

slice onion in half

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peel the onion and place it back on its side.  Slice the onion in half.

slice the halves in half again

 

 

 

 

With the halves laying flat, slice each section in half.

chop

 

 

 

 

 

Chop into desired size.

the end product

 

 

 

 

 

The end result.

Cutting Leeks

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Directions

  • Cut off top dark green, leafy part of the leek.
  • Remove outer-most layer.
  • Remove root section
  • Cut the remaining section in half lengthwise (this will create a half-moon piece)
  • Slice each section in 1/2-inch (or desired length) pieces
  • Separate layers and place in a bowl of clean water.  Swoosh around to clean well.
  • Drain to use.

Watch this YouTube video on cutting leeks.

Plant Based Milks

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image of soy milkSoy Milk

Soy milk is created from a mixture of mature soy beans, natural sweetener, and water.  It is naturally low in saturated fat and is cholesterol-free.  Soy milk is slightly thicker than cow’s milk and is safe for people who are lactose-intolerant.

 

Rice Milk

Rice milk is created from a mixture of partially milled rice and water.  The least likely of all milk products to trigger allergies, it is a good option for those who can’t drink soy or almond milk.  It has no saturated fat or cholesterol.   Rice milk doesn’t have to be refrigerated until it’s opened.

Almond Milk

Almond milk is created when roasted almonds are blended and the resulting liquid is enriched with nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin E.  It may be sweetened or flavored.  Almond milk is free of saturated fat and cholesterol. It goes well with coffee or cereal.