Kale, Green Bean, and Lentil Salad with Crispy Tofu

Am I the only one who isn't over kale? I never became obsessed with it the way others did. Maybe that's why I still dig it. As a salad base, it holds up under bold dressings, never getting limp or soggy (Eric calls this "Dead Salad," which is something he actually enjoys eating. Don't ask me why. It's one of his quirks that I've grown to tolerate). Initially, this was going to be a green bean dish, but when I was at the store, things just ended up in my basket. The kale, some lentils, a container of tofu. And I thought, "Hey, these would all go nicely together!" Funny how that happens.

As is the case with all successful dishes, this bowl didn't last long.  (The photo down there of the half-eaten salad wasn't just me styling the plate... that's how it really looked). There was just enough left over to throw a container in the fridge. When I went back and hour later to grab another forkful, I found that it'd gotten even better, the kale tenderized and the flavors dispersed. So, if you can be patient, it's worth the wait. 

Kale, green bean, and lentil salad with crispy tofu

SERVINGS
4-6 as a side

INGREDIENTS
Tuscan kale, rinsed and stems removed
3/4 cup cooked lentils
1, 14 oz block extra firm tofu
1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
Chinese five spice blend
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt

DIRECTIONS
Line a large plate with a couple pieces of paper towel. Place the block of tofu on the paper towel and weigh it down with something (a heavy can will do), to release as much liquid as possible. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, tear the kale into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a serving bowl. In a wok or large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Season with 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice blend and 1 teaspoon salt. Transfer to bowl with the kale.

Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes and season with a sprinkle of salt and a dusting of Chinese five spice blend. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same wok and set over medium-high heat. Add tofu cubes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure they brown even. Transfer the tofu to the bowl with the kale and green beans. 

Add the lentils on top of the other ingredients.

Make the dressing by whisking together sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour the dressing on on top and, using tongs, toss to combine. 

You can serve immediately, but it gets better if it sits for 30 minutes (or a few hours).
 

Garlicky Penne with Butternut Squash, Broccoli Rabe and Cannellini Beans

I've stopped accidentally marking things with "2016," which is how I know we're fully set in the new year. I'm kind of excited to see what these months have in store for us. There are lots of unknowns, of course, but unlike previous years where I felt nervous about the uncertainty of it all, I'm now going to try to approach it all a little differently. Try and go with the flow a bit more. I don't have any resolutions this year. There are the same ones that linger with me each day... read more, exercise more, travel.  On that last item, I think we're going to struggle a bit with finding time to do a big trip this year as this past fall, Eric and I (along with his brother and his wife) purchased a house on the Cape.  It needs a bit of love, so we'll be spending any available days working on that. With that said, the two of us are looking at doing a couple of long weekends this winter to some spots around New England. This weekend, we'll be staying in Northampton. It's a cute town, one that I really haven't spent much time in (my last real visit was in '99). In February, we're hoping to take a drive up to Portland, which has been on my list for a while. From what I've heard, has an incredible culinary scene (which is just what we want to experience when we travel). Always looking for recommendations (though we have quite the list going here), so if anyone's been, feel free to share your favorite spots. 

GARLICKY PENNE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH, BROCCOLI RABE AND CANNELLINI BEANS  

SERVINGS
6 people

INGREDIENTS
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 lb broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed
1, 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained of liquid and rinsed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1 lb box of penne
Olive oil
Salt
Red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. In a bowl, toss butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread across the baking pan in a single layer. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 45 minutes, stirring the butternut squash every 15 minutes to allow it to cook evenly.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne as directed on the box, but five minutes before it is done cooking, add the broccoli rabe. When the five minutes are up, drain the pasta and broccoli rabe into a colander. Transfer to a serving bowl.

In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Add beans to the pan and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour garlic, beans, and olive oil on top of the pasta and toss to coat the penne with oil. Transfer roasted butternut squash to the serving bowl, followed by the toasted almonds and red pepper flakes, and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning and, if necessary, season with additional salt. 

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Something happened this weekend that touched me. I got a note from a reader looking for a recipe (well, funnily enough, it was this soup recipe) that they couldn't find on the site. I get these messages once in a while, people looking for posts that, for one reason or another, no longer exist. I lost a few while transferring my site platform and I'm slowly adding them back (it's a bit of a process since I have to start from scratch and write the recipes, take the photos, etc). Anyway, I got a message over Facebook asking if I could share this soup recipe with them. I must admit that I don't always make the effort and will often say something like "I'm sorry, but the recipe is gone." but I decided it wouldn't be that hard to write it out for her.

A few minutes later, I received the following note: "You are AMAZING! Thanks so very much for your quick response. This is one of my favorites and exactly what I needed this weekend. I lost my grandmother this week and this is basically a hug in a bowl. Keep on cooking and sharing... you're actually touching people in ways you didn't even realize."

When I read this, I was taken aback. I hadn't expected my response to mean a whole lot, but here we have it... proof that even small gestures can have a huge impact. You never know what a smile will do to brighten up someone's day. Or how a simple compliment can boost someone's spirits. They're little things that we can all do. An important lesson as we head into a new year.

Soup was one of the first things I remember learning to cook (and I think for those interested in developing their culinary skills, it's a great place to start). The process fascinated me. Where so many meals consist of multiple elements that should work together (if done correctly), one bite of soup has to hit all the right notes. Preparing soup taught me how to properly season food. It taught me the importance of textures in a dish. And, above all else, I learned that with just a few ingredients, one can create a delicious, totally satisfying meal. 

This wild rice and mushroom soup was a staple when I was growing up, and I continue to make it throughout the winter. It's a hearty soup, but quite healthy too.  Most of the items in here are probably already in your pantry. 

I was able to get all of my ingredients using Peapod, the grocery delivery service. It was a cold day (despite the pictures, it was in the twenties) and I was in no mood to leave the house. I've heard lots about Peapod. My grandparents use them and at least once a week the truck drives down our street to deliver to our neighbor. The driver was very nice and all of my groceries were brought straight to my front door. I have a feeling I'll be using it again during our next snowfall (which I really don't want to think about).

What really surprised me was how easy it was to order through their site. Sometimes online commerce can be a bit hard to navigate, but when I used it, I was able to find items quickly either through a search or by "shopping by aisle." Also, I don't know about you but I'm terrible at keeping track of pantry items so I loved that I could browse through the store and come across things like nuts or dried fruit and be reminded that I'd been meaning to pick some up. All of your orders are saved in the system, making it very easy to reorder groceries. 

In working with Peapod to create this post, I learned some things about the company that I didn't know. Like I had no idea they've been around since 1989, making it the longest operating Internet grocery service. Their markets include: Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and, of course, Massachusetts. To get more info about Peapod, head on over to the website... and be sure to check out their blog for recipe ideas.

Sometime in the next week, I'll be hosting a giveaway over on Instagram for a year long PodPass membership for one Boston-area resident. PodPass is a membership-based program that removes all delivery fees for orders over $100.  Be sure to follow me on on Instagram to get all the details about the giveaway.  

DISCLAIMER: This post is sponsored by Peapod. Thank you for supporting the brands that make A Thought For Food possible.

WILD RICE AND MUSHROOM SOUP

NOTE
If you do not own an immersion blender, you can just dice the vegetables instead of leaving the pieces bigger.

YIELD
8 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb white button mushrooms, washed and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
Salt
Black pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Set a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Let heat for 30 seconds and add onion. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, mushrooms, carrots, celery, mushrooms and rosemary and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vegetable broth and water, cover pot, and cook for 15 minutes. 

Stir in cooked wild rice to the soup and, using a hand blender, give it a quick blend to break up larger pieces. Season with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with fresh parsley.