on the menu: white beans, chorizo, kale

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White beans, chorizo, and kale. With classic Spanish chorizo this dish is wonderfully flavorful and warming. The peculiar sweetness of kale balances the spicy, smoky chorizo.

Not hard:

2 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minimum

chorizo, several inches worth, chopped to whatever size. Medallions are popular/picturesque but I like smaller pieces. Chorizo imported from Spain or in the Spanish style is ideal. Portuguese linguica is an OK substitute, any other substitution will require the addition of herbs and pimentón to supply the flavor.

splash of wine

2 cans cannelini beans, rinsed

8 oz broth, your preference

plenty of shredded kale, probably you will wish you had added more

Saute onions, peppers, garlic in olive oil (a dutch oven is nice for this dish), let them get plenty of color. Add the chorizo, allow fat to render. De-glaze with whatever wine you are drinking (I prefer white with this dish, a Sauvignon Blanc maybe, or Chardonnay, or sherry!). Mix in the beans and add the broth (I like beef broth here). Add the kale (I don’t even bother to mix it in at this point, just leave it on the top) and cover to allow the kale to steam. Once it has wilted, mix in. The longer everything can simmer at this point, the better. Say, 20 minutes. Chorizo is traditionally a dry sausage, and takes time to soften, also the flavors have time to mingle.

You can add more or less broth depending on how soupy you would like the final result, this combination is popular as an actual soup as well. All quantities are flexible.

Serve with toast.

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[This recipe is adapted from one from about.com, which I can’t find anymore.]

on the menu: eggs en cocotte

Here is another extremely flexible way to prepare eggs. Cocotte means small casserole or baking dish, here a ramekin (both cocotte and ramekin such cute little words). You butter the ramekin, load the base with whatever savory debris you like (fresh herbs, vegetables, bacon), crack an egg in, top with crème fraîche or some substitute (a little cream or yogurt will do), season, and bake (375°) in a water bath.

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You can add the cream element to the base as well as the top, can add cheese (could broil the cheese a bit at the end), can garnish liberally…as with omelettes, add whatever you like and cook the egg to the desired consistency. Not exactly foolproof as you can overcook the egg, but even this is quite edible. A simple formula that yields consistently tasty results.

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Recommended.