Portuguese Kale Soup Recipe

This recipe is one that you'll find in any Portuguese home. The Portuguese have been eating kale long before Californian's were juicing it. We're like the hipsters of kale... we ate it before it was cool!
Packed with nutrients, spice, and everything nice, this soup will become your latest guilt-free comfort food.
There are plenty of variations out there of this dish, but this is the one I grew up with.

Please note, due to the lack of Portuguese ingredients available in Southern California, luckily I had some chourico left in the freeze from my mom's last visit out here but I substituted some Spicy Italian Sausage for the linguica. This just goes to show you how flexible this recipe can be!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4

Seared Pork Ramen Soup

One of my all time most popular videos on YouTube is my Ramen Noodle Salad. This recipe came about while I was in college and my friends and I were on budgets tighter than a Hipsters pants. Which is ironic, because I went to Emerson college and everyone there wears pretty tight pants. Anyway! After seeing the success of the good old Ramen Noodle Salad, I decided to take another gourmet whack at the college staple. Here's what I came up with! 

Super Simple Sweet and Sour Soup

Go ahead, try and say that one ten times fast! It will be a lot harder to say than it is to make, I promise! I love getting Hot and Sour soup when I order Chinese food, although I always load it with Duck Sauce to give it some sweetness. I wanted to see how I could make it at home and when I started researching recipes, my mind started to get a little boggled. Dried mushrooms?? Oh yeah, because I have those just laying around! 

Well, you know me! I figured out how to make the yummy soup with the stuff you already have in house! Check it out.

Ingredients

4 c Chicken, Beef or Vegetable Broth

1/4 c soy sauce

1/4 c rice vinegar

1 tbsp crushed red chili paste (Sambal)

assorted mushrooms, sliced thin

sliced tofu

brown sugar, to taste

black pepper

1 egg, beaten

My Twist on Mom's Beef Stew

This is without a doubt one of my favorite foods! Partly because it's delicious... but mostly because of how simple it is to make. Well, at least the way I make it!

Ingredients:
1 lb cubed stew meat (beef)
browning sauce (gravy master)
Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, quartered
3 small golden potatoes, cut into large cubes
1 cup baby carrots
2 cans of beef broth
2 cups pancake mix
2/3 c milk
salt and pepper
dried dill (optional)

Thai Coconut Soup

Once again, I let you all decide what was for dinner and the unanimous vote was Thai Coconut Soup! Traditionally when made, this dish called "Tom Kah" is SUPER complex with fish sauces and chili pastes and lemon grass... enough to make you grab the Thai takeout menu and just order in!

Here's a super simple way to get all that yummy flavor in a pinch and for a penny! (ok, a few bucks)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
fresh ginger
madras curry paste
1 lime
1 can of coconut milk
1/2 can chicken broth
crushed red peppers (Sambal)
cilantro
Thai basil (optional)
green onion
salt
brown sugar

Kimchi Tofu Soup

 

As some of you know, the month of March has been a whirlwind for me and Kasey's Kitchen. Between menu tastings, production meetings (yay!), interviews and traveling, I knew that when I finally slowed down, my immune system would be shot. 

So, as predicted... while I was playing catch up yesterday I felt a little lump in my throat start and my nose became a little stuffy. I decided when I got home I needed to make a soup that would kick this cold to the curb before it knew what hit it!

Chicken & Dumpling Soup - Ultimate Comfort Food

One of my absolute favorite comfort foods is Chicken and Dumpling Soup. There's just something about it that soothes the soul! What's great about this recipe is that there's a good chance you already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen! You can even cheat and use leftover rotisserie chicken!
Here's what I do to whip up the perfect pot!

Coconut Chicken Soup

This is one of my favorite dishes in the world! There's something about the sweet, spicy, creamy broth that really make my mouth water! Traditionally when made, this dish is SUPER complex with fish sauces and chili pastes and lemon grass... enough to make you grab the Thai takeout menu and just order in!

Here's a super simple way to get all that yummy flavor in a pinch and for a penny! (ok, a few bucks)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1-2 chicken breasts, cubed
coconut oil
oyster mushrooms (or any other exotic type)
fresh ginger
madras curry paste
1/2 lime
1 can of coconut milk
1/2 chicken broth
crushed red peppers (Sambal)
Thai basil (optional)
cilantro (optional)
green onion
salt

Restaurant Recipe: Roasted Corn & Lobster Bisque from Inn of the Seventh Ray

This soup is a knockout! Perfect for the winter months where all you want to do is snuggle up and eat comfort food. This recipe comes from Chef Bradly Miller at The Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga Canyon. If you don't want to take a stab at this dish in your own kitchen, go visit Chef Miller and the rest of his team at their beautiful restaurant. You will NOT be disappointed!

[Guest Post] Pasta e Fagioli by Cupcake Provocateur's Cynthia Lagudi

 

This is a lighter yet more rustic version of the classic Pasta e Fagioli recipes you may have
had in the past. I omit the crushed tomatoes that you might find in most recipes. Instead of a pureed sauce I opt for a more rustic appeal with the whole beans and bits of minced
celery, onion and sliced garlic peaking through. Cannelloni beans are without a doubt a
must, but I have to say one evening when I made this dish I did not have them on hand and substituted Butter Beans. I was surprised at how well it complimented the flavors. Enjoy!

Ingredients:     

1 lb shell pasta
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 cup onion finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped basil
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
1 (14.5-ounce) can cannelloni beans or butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup white wine
1 cup of chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese

Directions
boil pasta in salted water in large pot until al dente.  In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium. 
Add garlic, onion, celery, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Cook until onion is
transparent. Add White wine and let reduce for about 5 minutes add chicken stock and beans.
Reserve 1/2 to 1 cup starch water from pasta. Add butter. Add pasta water as needed to make a
nice broth almost scampi look to the sauce. Lastly mix in fresh herbs. Put pasta in a large serving
dish and toss with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Toss pasta with sauce till coated. Top with
remaining cheese.

Check out Cynthia's designer aprons and delectable cupcakes on Cupcake Provocateur!