Kale may seem like a trendy food your kids might never eat, but Portuguese Kale Soup is… not. It’s a traditional staple along New England’s south coast. Massachusetts and Rhode Island have the highest concentrations of people with ancestry from Portugal than any other states in the US. These are regions where Portuguese first landed ashore possibly as early as 1511. From the late 1800s into the 1960s, waves of Portuguese immigrants were literally the backbone of coastal New England’s economic booms in whaling, fishing, textiles, and farming. Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay, and Rhode Island are home turf for me, and this means Portuguese Kale Soup has always been on the menu rotation at my house.
Land-locked as a Colorado resident since 2005, this also means if I want Portuguese Kale Soup, I have to make it – nobody here serves it. And it means nobody here makes a good linguica, the spicy smoky Portuguese sausage essential to this recipe (not too many Portuguese bakeries or Portuguese family sausage operations around Boulder!). I improvise with a serviceable hot Italian sausage from Natural Grocers, a market chain with strict policies for no GMO products, organic wherever possible for everything in the store, and organic-only produce. Other than getting a good rustic and spicy sausage in the mix, recipes vary with whether or not to include red kidney beans (a pared down version called Caldo Verde excludes them) or tomatoes – both of which I call keepers.
We serve this with a hearty gluten free bread from Kim and Jakes Bakery, which, luckily for me, is a small family business right in my neighborhood. The peasant bread from this gluten free facility is perfect with this soup.
Portuguese Kale Soup
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A full meal soup perfect for cold blustery days. Makes about 3 quarts of soup. The longer this soup simmers the better it will taste, but you can enjoy it as soon as the vegetables are cooked soft. In any case, don't simmer longer than two hours.
A full meal soup perfect for cold blustery days. Makes about 3 quarts of soup. The longer this soup simmers the better it will taste, but you can enjoy it as soon as the vegetables are cooked soft. In any case, don't simmer longer than two hours.
In a large pot, heat olive oil to medium with 1-2 Tablespoons of chicken fat or chicken broth. Add minced garlic and chopped onion. Sauté about 2 minutes, til they become soft but not browned.
Next add carrots and potatoes. Cover with remaining chicken broth. If you have homemade chicken broth with some of the fat in it, this is ideal. If not use boxed organic chicken broth such as Kirkland brand (Costco) or Imagine brand. Bring to simmer on medium heat, and cover.
While the vegetables are simmering, prepare your sausage. Place links in a skillet with a little olive oil, water, or extra broth to prevent sticking. Cover and cook on medium high heat til cooked through, and browned on all sides (turn as needed after 2-3 minutes per side). Set aside to cool enough to handle them.
Add canned tomatoes, tomato soup, parsley, and kale. Stir well to mix everything. Cut the sausage into small chunks once they are cool enough to handle, and stir those in also. Cover and simmer gently for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to mix.
If you are including kidney beans, stir these in long enough to heat through, ahead of serving.
Once all veggies are soft and beans are heated through, enjoy with crusty GF bread.
Recipe Notes
You can use tomato paste in lieu of Imagine Organic Tomato Basil soup: Mix 2 Tablespoons paste with 1.5 cups water and add to the soup.
Lovingly known as “train wreck” in my house, this one skillet curry can have heat or be more mild, depending on your kids’ palates. I’ve written it here as moderately hot. The ground beef makes it more savory and nutritious, but it is also delicious if the meat is omitted, making for a nice vegetarian option.
Spicy Chick Pea Curry
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A warming and delicious red curry that is delicious over rice, gluten free rotini or penne, or hearty enough on its own. Adjust the heat by adding more spice, hotter curry powder, or hot pepper if that's your thing.
A warming and delicious red curry that is delicious over rice, gluten free rotini or penne, or hearty enough on its own. Adjust the heat by adding more spice, hotter curry powder, or hot pepper if that's your thing.
Heat olive oil to medium in a large skillet. Iron works well for this recipe and will boost iron in the food.
Add minced garlic and chopped onion, heating gently until clear. Do not brown or burn. Then add chopped pepper and continue to saute over medium heat.
Blend the dry spices in a small dish or bowl, except for salt and pepper. Add to skillet. Stir to coat onions, garlic, and peppers thoroughly. Simmer covered for 2 minutes, stir occasionally.
Next add the ground beef. Stir to blend well with the vegetables and herbs. Cook on medium heat til beef is browned.
Add canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, curry paste, salt, and pepper. Stir to blend well. Cover and let simmer x 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to low. Add drained chick peas and stir to warm and blend. Adjust spices as you like. Cover and simmer another five minutes.
Ladle over (gluten free) penne pasta, rotini, spirals, zucchini zoodles, or with GF focaccia bread (such as Chebe brand focaccia mix). Sprinkle on chopped cilantro for garnish if desired.
There’s no reason why kids – any kids – can’t eat good, real food. Adapted from a New York Times recipe, this recipe is modified for allergy by omitting all bovine dairy and all gluten sources. Manchego (sheep’s) cheese is the substitute for stronger Parmesan and Gruyere cheeses. The spice is dropped for kids’ palates here too, by omitting Tabasco and using the milder (and less allergenic) Manchego. The result is a pleasing, easy to eat, nourishing meal that kids with feeding or texture issues can enjoy.
Tuna Manchego Souffle
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Your kids can feel fancy and enjoy a truly nourishing, restorative food in this dish. Use straight-sided ramekins for baking; use four 1.5 cup capacity ramekins for four adult servings, or six 1 cup capacity for six toddler size servings. I find that Manchego cheese from Spain is routinely available at my local Costco.
Your kids can feel fancy and enjoy a truly nourishing, restorative food in this dish. Use straight-sided ramekins for baking; use four 1.5 cup capacity ramekins for four adult servings, or six 1 cup capacity for six toddler size servings. I find that Manchego cheese from Spain is routinely available at my local Costco.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using wax paper or paper towel, grease bottoms and sides of your ramekins with ghee. Place them in the refrigerator to chill before baking.
Melt a tablespoon of the ghee in a saucepan, and add onion. Cook on medium heat til softened, 2-3 minutes. Add finely minced tuna and stir til warmed through. Remove it from heat and set aside on a plate or cutting board. Don't let the tuna onion mixture dry out by overheating.
In a 1 quart sauce pan, bring almond and coconut milks to barely a simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan and add GF flour blend. Stir rapidly with a wire whisk to smooth, blended texture. Then add warm milk, and whisk rapidly until the mixture is thick and smooth.
Blend the starch (tapioca, potato, or arrowroot) with the water to an even smooth blend in a small cup. Add it to the simmering mixture. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire, cayenne, salt and pepper. The mixture should be thick and smooth but not sticky. If it is too thin, remove a half cup of mixture to a small dish and add a half teaspoon more starch. Blend to thicken, then add this back to the pot, and stir steadily on medium high heat until it thickens.
Add egg yolks and continue briskly whisking the mixture for a few seconds, then remove it from heat.
In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Stir grated cheese into the warm mixture, then add about a third of the beaten egg whites. Stir quickly until well blended. Then add the rest of the egg whites and fold them in gently with a rubber spatula.
Fill chilled souffle dishes to about 3/4 full. Arrange dishes on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake 20 minutes, until well puffed and golden brown on top. Serve immediately.
Chicken Pot Pie is so 1964. 1954? Whatever it is, I had a craving for it recently with our bout of cold weather. I’m not sure if I’ve ever made it before, and I didn’t dig up a recipe. I figured, who cares? I knew I had some good left over roast chicken, extra broth from that chicken, plus the vegetables I thought might work well. If you have the time, try this warm, hearty home cooked treat. Gluten free for my family, of course.
You’ll need to make or buy your pie crust. I don’t mind making a pie crust. I keep my flour canister full of Bette Hagman blend for baking, and substitute it cup for cup for wheat flour. Making my own crust takes extra time, and it doesn’t always turn out perfectly. But (again), who cares? It always tastes delicious and the love that goes into it feels good to me. I made this chicken pot pie with a crust on bottom and top, in a regular pie dish. I pre-baked my bottom crust for about 10 minutes. You can also make chicken pot pie by using a deep casserole dish in which you place the filling directly, and lay your pie dough on top. This is how I’ve written the recipe below. My go-to pie crust recipe comes from Rebecca Reilly’s Gluten Free Baking, page 183. If you’re using a store bought crust, let it thaw to room temperature and lay it over your pot pie before baking, with some holes pierced in it for steam to escape.
Prepare your pie dough first. Mix the gluten free flour blend, sweet rice flour, and dash of salt in a big bowl. Cut the butter into small chunks and drop them in to the dry mix. Use 2 forks, or your fingers, or a mixer to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms a coarse meal. In the center, make a well. Break the egg into the well. Add the vinegar. Stir the egg and vinegar from the center and gradually work it into all the dough, until it is soft. Place in fridge while you prepare your pie filling.
Melt the ghee or coconut oil in a big skillet. Place the mushrooms in with a dash of salt. Saute until these cook down, about 10 minutes. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and chicken broth. Cook on medium high heat until nearly soft. Remove about 1/4 cup of the broth and mushroom liquid into a small bowl, and whisk in the GF flour or tapioca starch, to form a thick smooth paste. Once it is smooth, add it back to the skillet. Continue stirring to thicken the entire mixture. Add the chicken, frozen peas, nutmeg, pepper, and more salt to taste. Turn off heat, and stir to mix all ingredients thoroughly. Cover and set aside.
Roll out your dough on a GF floured surface or on GF floured wax paper, to 1/4" thickness. Pour chicken and vegetable mixture into a deep casserole dish oiled with olive oil. Lay pie crust over the mixture, crimp edges, and poke a few holes in with a fork to allow steam to escape.
Place in a 350 oven for 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. You may want to place a cookie sheet on rack under the pot pie, to capture any sizzling drippings that bubble over as it bakes.
Don’t be daunted by the longish ingredient list – it’s mostly spices, which are worth picking up at a better bulk spice shop. Turmeric, curry, and cumin give immune supportive compounds and warming flavors to this recipe, so feel free to use them liberally, along with healthful garlic and ginger. Once the chopping is done, this recipe is a one pot dinner that is easy to make. Serve with rice, quinoa, or cauli-rice. Vary the vegetables in this dish as much as you like. Another good combination is to use sweet potato with chard or beet greens, or orange or yellow bell pepper with breadfruit. Options are as varied as your imagination!
Mix powdered dry spices: Cumin, curry powder, turmeric root, salt, and paprika and set aside.
Melt coconut oil in large skillet that is 3-4 inches deep. Add minced onion, garlic, ginger root, and turmeric root, and cook on medium heat until softened but not brown.
Add tomatoes and chicken broth, and turn up heat to bring to a steady simmer. Add potatoes. Option: You may instead microwave your chopped potatoes until soft, then add them to the skillet, to make this part faster.
Add green beans, coconut milk, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, add dry spices, red curry paste, and honey or coconut sugar. Mix well, and continue cooking for 10 more minutes.
Just before serving, add cilantro and stir through. Serve curry over rice or quinoa.
