Sausage, Kale and Cannellini Soup

I know I've made something similar to this soup before. But really, I could do without bacon thanks to this wedding diet. So I present to you the "Best I Could Do While Trapped in this Winter Storm" Soup.

Sausage, Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb Italian ground sausage
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 onion, diced
1.5 cartons low sodium chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, I used Italian style
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups kale leaves, destemmed and torn into bite sized pieces
grated paremsean cheese (optional)
red pepper flake (optional)

In a large pot heat olive oil to medium heat. Add sausage and cook until brown. Remove sausage and leave fat in pot. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper and saute until onions are soft.

Deglaze pan with chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits or sausage remains on the bottom of the pot. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. once boiling, bring to a simmer and add beans. Simmer for 10 minutes and add torn kale leaves. Simmer for another 5 minutes and serve hot. Add cheese and red pepper flake is desired.

Soup before cheese and pepper

I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing about the "Winter Vortex" and probably even more tired of me complaining about it. But I am sooooooo over Winter, and we still have about a month to go. Soup helps, and so does wine, but in the end all I need is sunshine. I don't even need a beach, just let that beautiful sun shine out from behind those clouds and I'll be infinitely happier. Someday we'll see the sun again, someday.

-Akemi-chan

Butternut Squash, Kale and Apple Quinoa

Quinoa has been my recent Summertime staple. So when I had to make a quick dinner before lunch quinoa was the simple, easy solution. In this case, I wanted to add a little Autumn flair.

Butternut Squash, Kale and Apple Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1 cup water
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 handfuls of purple kale, destemmed and torn into bite sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 granny smith apple, cubed

Cook quinoa on medium high heat in a small pot or sauce pan with the water and beef broth. Cook according to package instructions.

Meanwhile in a medium saute pan, heat olive oil on medium high heat and add butternut squash. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until butternut squash starts to caramelize. Add kale, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute until kale is crisp and squash is tender. Combine quinoa and vegetables in a large bowl and add fresh apples. Toss to combine and finish to salt and pepper to taste. Eat hot or cold.

The butternut squash gives the quinoa a nice Autumnal flavor, while the kale provides a more vegetable flavor and the apple give it nice tartness and a crunch. This would be good with a nice pork chop and grilled vegetables. But we had it with some pulled pork and a salad. Enjoy!

-Akemi-chan

PINspiration: Kale Chips

Hello, my name is Carly and I'm a Pinterest addict. When email and Facebook are not interesting enough and I'm not looking to spend the next three hours on Reddit, I turn to Pinterest.  Besides the obvious trends (engagement photos, baby pictures, riding boots and top knots), pinners have embraced the new culinary trend and benefits of kale. 

I, like previously mentioned pinners, have a fascination for kale. It has so many different flavors and textures, all determined by how you prepare it. I've eaten it raw, sauteed, and steamed, but I've heard some wonderful things about kale chips. Here we go!

Kale Chips

1 bunch of kale, we used a flatter version about 4 stems
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Check the kale every few minutes, the kale is prone to burning. Enjoy!


Mmmm, tastes like Korean nori :-). Since Boyfriend and I are growing kale in the garden, we may have to make kale chips in lieu of popcorn for our other addiction, Netflix.

-Akemi-chan

Quinoa with Sauteed Veggies/ Amateur Wine Makers of Central Illinois

I've been on a quinoa binge lately, so much so that I'm nervous about this post. I don't want to admit how much I've been using this stuff because I'm scared you might judge me. I'm not even going to write down a recipe because I've made about 5-6 different versions of "quinoa with veggies" in the span of two weeks. It would seem unfair if I only posted one of two. plus, I don't remember what I put into the dishes. Due to my recent obsession, I thought it would be only fitting to bring quinoa to a outdoor potluck.

My first quinoa dish: Green beans, purple kale, tomatoes and green onion

The potluck quinoa: Tomato, orange bell pepper, corn, green onion, green onion

Boyfriend is the newest member of an amateur wine making club in the area. When we were invited to join in a BYOB potluck, he packed the wine and I packed the quinoa. Everyone gathered in the backyard with a buffet of homemade wine and salads and we spent the night talking about different techniques and grapes.

Quinoa and wine <3

Giant sunflower in the backyard

Homemade empanadas and wine

Dinner my tiki-light

Soon the wine-making club will go in on a pool of grapes and the wine crushing will commence in the Fall. It's so interesting hearing about importing grapes from different regions, raising bees for mead and blending wood chips and yeasts for different flavors and alcohol contents. But nothing as good as sitting outside, eating kabobs, empanadas, salads and sampling about 10 different wines. Soon, there will be more gatherings and more good wine. 

-Akemi-chan

Green Smoothie: Chia, Mango, Coconut and Kale

Yesterday (Sunday) I agreed to work a morning shift at the airport. Thanks to our handy trading system at work, I covered a coworker's shift as a thank you for covering me so I can rendezvous with my family in New York. So once again I was waking at 4AM to work a morning shift. Since I was working a double shift, I made anticipatory preparations for food. 

I love smoothies and when I plan on being up for 20 hours a day, it's a great snack/ light breakfast. In an effort to get my fruit and vegetable servings I made another protein packed green smoothie.

Snacking on smoothies in between flights

Mango Coconut Green Smoothie

1 tbsp chia seeds
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 mango, diced
1/2 banana
1 tsp grated ginger
1/3 cup almonds
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup kale
handful of ice
1/4 tbsp water

Add chia seeds to a small bowl and add coconut milk. Soak chia seeds for an hour or overnight in the fridge. Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.


It was a hard and complicated day and I'm glad I took the time to get easy meals together. When you spend a good amount of time running around and lifting bags, it's good to have a filling smoothie. That way I didn't have resort to fast food, like many of my coworkers do. I like burgers and fried chicken just as much as the next person, but it just leaves me feeling heavy and sluggish. Not ideal for a day full of physical labor.

I was at work from 5AM til noon, returned at 4:30PM and stayed until 1AM thanks to delays. Thank you Midwestern thunderstorms. I may not consider working another double for a while, but I know it won't last long. My love for traveling is too great and trading shifts to embrace said traveling is bound to happen. Totally worth it.


-Akemi-chan

A Hawaiian Week in April Part 2

Before we get into the pictures, I wanted to share a meal my Mom and I whipped together one afternoon. I want to cook for my family, but between the fresh, local and affordable ingredients in Illinois and the expensive, shipped stuff in the Hawaii grocery, it gives me anxiety. I never cooked much in Hawaii, just here and there at the dorm and sometimes at home. But the flavors are so different that I feel intimidated by my family's tastes. 

I sadly have not mastered any "Asian" recipes and therefore have a slight aversion to them. Either way, this was a good compromise. Fresh with kale from my parent's garden, fish they already had at home and some convenient canned beans. Tacos anyone?

Trout tacos with kale, avocado, Greek yogurt and corn, black bean salsa

Tryin' to tan those white legs

One of Boyfriend and my favorite spot on the island is Ala Moana beach park. It brings back lot of memories from college, after class sun bathing and some romantic after dark strolls on the beach.

Sitting at our bench

Ala Moana beach park

There's one thing that I cannot deny. My family can throw a party. It's not going to be wild or full of dancing or loud music, but there will be lots of good conversation and fantastic food. 

STEAK

Portuguese bean soup

Shoyu chicken

Grilled pineapple

Lau lau

Somen salad

Tofu salad

Edamame rice

Steak... sliced

Cupcakes from The Girls Who Bake Next Door

Cream puffs

Butter mochi

Pies and cakes galore!

It was great seeing everyone at the party and I'm so happy my parents could pull it off so last minute. I have so many fond memories of family house parties like these that it truly makes me feel at home. But wait, there's more!... in Part 3.

-Akemi-chan

Bacon, Beans, Cabbage and Kale Soup

I've been sick and the Spring weather seems like it could use a little pick up too. I was supposed to work today, but the bad thunderstorms cancelled the only flight I was supposed to work. Instead I'm in the kitchen on a cloudy day with a sleepy Puppydog. I'd say there's no better time for soup.

Bacon, Beans, Cabbage and Kale Soup

1/4 head of cabbage, sliced into bite sized pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
1 head garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tbsp olive oil
4 large strips of bacon, sliced into bite sized pieces
1 small bunch kale, de-stemmed and torn
4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
1 can northern beans, drained and rinsed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a sheet pan add cabbage, onion, garlic and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cabbage starts to crisp up and garlic becomes fragrant.

In a large pot over medium heat, add bacon. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon begins to crisp. Remove bacon and add kale to bacon fat. Saute for just a minute, enough time to intensify the green color in the kale. Add cabbage mixture and saute in bacon fat for 3-5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Add beans and then reduce heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes. When ready to serve, top with crispy bacon.


This would also be really good with crushed red pepper or with ham. If I'm nice maybe I'll leave some for Boyfriend.

-Akemi-chan

Green Smoothie: Kale, Apple, Peanut Butter, Yogurt & Banana

There's been a massive trend in health magazines, blogs and pinterest involving green smoothies. The concept intrigues me. Add the sweetness of fruit with the heath benefits of raw leafy greens, yogurt and supplements. The meal on the go has gone green.

As my introductory green smoothie, I decided to use my new favorite vegetable: kale. I really wish I had some flaxseed or chia seed or vanilla protein powder to add, but there will be more green smoothie opportunities in the near future.

Green Smoothie

1 cup Kale, torn into little pieces
1 medium granny smith apple, cut into 1/4' pieces
1 medium banana, sliced
1 cup Greek yogurt, plain flavor
1/2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp peanut butter, smooth
1/2 cup soy milk, I used original flavor
1/4 cup water

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. You may need to push the ingredients down into the blade depending on your blender and in what order you dumped the ingredients.

Easy peasy

The smoothie turned out mild in flavor and beautiful in color. It had a few hints of sweetness from the banana and honey, some tart from the apple and very filling from the peanut butter, yogurt and milk. Since raw kale has very little flavor it, I didn't notice it except for the green color. 

I can't wait to try out more green smoothies. Pineapple, spinach, peaches, blueberries... the possibilities are endless.

-Akemi-chan

Butternut Squash, Goat cheese and Kale Pizza

I had some left over ingredients from the Butternut Squash Penne, when it dawned on me, "That would be awesome on a pizza!" Need I say more? Maybe a little more. This pizza consists of the exact same ingredients from that pasta, swapping the penne for homemade pizza crust: seasonal cold weather ingredients with a bit of crunch in the dough.

I found a recipe for homemade pizza dough and followed it to the tea, after all baking is a science, not an art. Then topped it with all the good stuff.

Pizza Dough

1 2.5 oz dry active yeast
1 tsp white sugar
1 cup warm water (110F)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.



Butternut Squash, Goat cheese and Kale Pizza

2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb butternut squash, cubed without skin
1/2 large onion, diced
1/2 bunch of kale, off stem and broken into bite size leaves
2 tbsp garlic, minced
3 oz goat cheese
salt and pepper


While dough is in oven, saute the butternut squash and onions in 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil with salt and pepper in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Saute for 5-10 minutes for until onions begin to caramelize and butternut squash becomes tender. Add kale and garlic and toss until kale is glossy.

Evenly pour mixture over pizza crust. Crumble goat cheese over mixture and drizzle remaining olive oil over pizza.

-Akemi-chan

Pampered Tuesday? Purple Sparkle/ Butternut Squash Penne

This week, I missed Pampered Sunday. Too wrapped up in football and work to remember to do nails Not to mention the open to close shift the day before. So now, it's time to make up for my slack.

I have to work today, but that doesn't mean there shouldn't be any beauty flare. This month I ordered some sparkly nail polish from Forever 21 and purple on purple on purple sounds perfect for Fall.

Sally Hansen's Complete Manicure in Commander in Chic, Wet N Wild's Megalast in Disturbia, and Forever 21's Love and Beauty in Fuschia/ Silver sparkle. (Oh! and Billy Ray Cyrus on The Chew)

I painted the ring fingers in Disturbia with two layers of Fuschia/ Silver. The other nails are in Commander in Chic. This ring finger in a different color has been a trend for a while, and I kind of like it. It gives you some creativity to play with colors and textures. An easy alternative for those who don't have a very steady hand (like me).

I also joined Pinterest to get more daily inspiration for food and beauty. Found this hairstyle today.

Love her hair

I've always loved the texture and dimension that these blonde girls have. And though I cannot get the depth she's achieved, I figured I'd give it a shot. Thanks to the high winds and jet blast, the more secure my hair is, the better.

Golden eye shadows, charcoal eyeliner under the eye and black mascara accompany my front/ side pony.



Speaking of inspiration, Giada De Laurentis... that is all. I love me some Giada. She's gorgeous, adorable, talented, and she makes food that I drool over. Last week Food Network aired an episode of Giada at Home where she made Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese. Yes please! Here's my interpretation.

Butternut Squash Penne

2 lb butternut squash (I got a 2.5 lb one and used about 3/4 of it)
1 large onion
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lb whole wheat penne
1 small bunch of kale
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz goat cheese
4 leaves of basil, chiffonade
grated parmesean (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with oven rack in top third of oven. Cut butternut squash into 3/4 inch cubes. I used a serrated knife to cut the squash. It really helped since the skin is tough. Cut onion into 1/2 inch pieces. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray and place squash and onion onto pan. Add olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in oven for about 40 minutes until squash is tender. Cool on rack.

Butternut squash and onions roasting in oven

While squash is cooling, cook pasta until al dente (don't forget to salt water). While waiting for water to boil, remove kale leaves from the stem and cut into small pieces. Then, saute kale in a small saute pan with salt, pepper, olive oil and garlic. When kale is slightly wilted and glossy, place in a large serving bowl with squash and onions.

Butternut squash and onions after roasting

When pasta is done, take a slotted spoon or spider and fish out pasta into serving bowl. Crumble goat cheese into serving bowl. Ladle some pasta water into serving bowl. The hot, salted, starchy pasta water will melt the goat cheese to form a tangy, creamy sauce. Toss the pasta, cheese, squash, onion and kale to evenly coat mixture and evenly distribute ingredients. Serve and top with basil and freshly grated parmesean cheese.

Family style

Boyfriend and I gobbled this up. It was soooo good. Creamy, comforting and filling. "The best pasta you made."-Boyfriend :-P Enjoy, we sure did.

-Akemi-chan

Pampered Sunday- Green/ Turkey, Potato and Kale Soup

Last week I finished A Feast for Crows, the fourth book in the Song of Fire and Ice series (better known as Game of Thrones). Let me tell you, these books are intense, so I needed a break. Let's hit the easy, juicy stuff: mystery novel here I come!

Death by the Glass, the second installment of the Sunny McCoskey mystery novels, was my noncommittal relief. After reading the description of the first novel in the series, I knew this was right up my alley. 

Wine, Nomz and Murder. What more can a girl ask for?

The lovable and driven, yet meddlesome, Miss McCoskey is a young chef in Napa Valley, where the latest scandal is usually hot, but occasionally it's served up as cold as the dead. The easy to read novels have charming characters, picturesque landscapes, keep-you-guessing plot and food and drink that will make you salivate onto your Kindle (mine goes by Kindo, rescuer of loneliness and boredom). What else would you expect from wine country?

And since we're doing a quick read, let's top it off with a quick manicure. Thanks to Wet N Wild's fast-dry series, I can have a perfectly shiny coat of SaGreena the Teenage Witch on my tips in the matter of three chapters. 

SaGreena and her buddy Kindo

Look at that gorgeous deep green! That reminds me, I have kale from the market. What to do? What would Sunny do? Aha! How about a soup?

Spicy Turkey and Kale Soup

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 15.5 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 32oz carton of  reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 small bay leaves
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and shredded
• salt and pepper to taste
• 
  

In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until soft, stirring, 2-3 minutes. Add turkey, garlic, red-pepper flakes, salt and pepper; cook until turkey is browned, 5-7 minutes.Add chickpeas, tomatoes, bay leaves and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover; simmer about 10-15 minutes. Remove bay leaves, add kale; simmer for another 10 minutes.

Now, how long will I hang out with Sunny in Northern California before I head back to King's Landing? After all, Winter is coming....

-Akemi-Chan