SPICY PORK SOUP WITH KALE and RICE NOODLES

2014 is a BIG year for me. My cookbook - that has felt a lot like a third child with a 30 month gestation - will finally be in stores this August. Just last week, I was in NY meeting with my incredible editor and friend, Elissa Altman, talking about the book, making plans for the year, and the adventure that lies ahead.

Making this book has been such a heartfelt, private undertaking - the cooking, tasting, writing, shooting have all has happened in our quiet Berkeley kitchen. It's hard for me to believe that before long, this personal book will be a very public thing. The recipes, which we continue to cook all the time, will no longer be just at our table - they can be at yours too. I can't even tell you the thrill I get when I imagine you cooking these dishes I love.

And I'm so curious which recipes you'll try. Will it be the Fish Tacos with Pomegranate Salsa? Millet Crepes {sweet or savory}? Baked Eggs on a Bed of Cherry Tomatoes? Watercress Salad with Balsamic Cherries? Spaghetti Dinner with Rainbow Chard, Bacon and Cream? Pistachio Orange Sugar Cookies? Cucumber Gimlets? I can't wait to find out.

I've just put up a link for pre-orders...Woo hoo!!!

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In the meantime, let's talk about today's delicious soup. When I saw January's issue of Bon Appétit, I felt like the BA staff had read my mind, or maybe even peeked into my kitchen. I don't know about you, but I wanted to cook every recipe in the magazine, pronto! The issue is bursting with easy, healthful recipes that don't feel at all diet-y...just my kind of food... clean, flavor-packed dishes that nourish in a deep way. This Spicy Pork Soup with Kale and Rice Noodles totally satisfies - it's quick enough for a weeknight supper, packed with leafy greens, infused with spice, while adding just the right amount of pork for flavor and protein.

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INGREDIENTS adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2014 
printable recipe

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons peeled and finely grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4-5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce {GF folks, make sure to use GF tamari sauce}
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce {GF folks: Thai Kitchen makes a GF fish sauce}
• 4 cups torn kale leaves...you can use mustard greens, chard or turnip greens instead of kale
• 4 scallions, sliced thin
• 8 ounces wide rice noodles

In a medium mixing bowl, combine ground pork, garlic, ginger, Sichuan pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few generous grinds of black pepper.

Heat oil in a large stock pot, or dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown for 6-8 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.

Next, pour broth over the pork, add the soy/tamari and fish sauces, and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 8-10 minutes so the flavors can mingle.

Finally, add the kale and scallions to the pot. Stir, and cook for a few minutes until the greens are just tender. Season with additional tamari sauce, salt, and/or pepper to taste.

In the meantime, cook rice noodles as per the instructions on your package, then divide cooked noodles among four bowls. Ladle the finished soup over the noodles. Serve and enjoy!



Serves 4

Collards and Rice

This recipe is from Amy Cotler's One-Pot Vegetarian Dishes. I like it because it's yummy, simple, vegan, and a great way to get those oh-so-good-for-you-collards and beans into your bod. I use brown rice instead of white, which is in the original recipe, and add the collards later in the cooking process. For those of you who don't often cook with beans, it's highly recommended to soak them overnight with the juice of one lemon to make them easier to digest.

Ingredients:

1 bunch collards, stems removed, and chopped coarsely
1/2 T butter
1 T olive oil
3 large leeks (white and tender greens) well-rinsed and chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1.5 cups brown basmati rice
1 can stewed tomatoes (or stew your own fresh, when they're in season)
1 32 oz. carton broth (vegetable or chicken)
1 15 oz. can black-eyed peas, or about 1.5 cups you've cooked yourself

Melt butter with olive oil over medium heat and add leeks and garlic, cooking until the leeks start to brown. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover with wax paper, then pot lid. Cook, stirring once, for 30 min., before adding the collards. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, adding the beans during the last 5 min. of cooking. Serve in bowls with hot sauce on the side. Great the next day.