Hearty Dishes

Bacon and Kale

This is my favorite breakfast on days when I eat it, which is rare! I love this dish on its own and have never felt the need for bread or potatoes. If I’m in the mood I’ll add a fried egg, and sometimes I add pickled vegetables or squeeze lemon on the kale if I want a bright or acidic element.

Makes: 1 serving Prep time: 3 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes 4 slices bacon half bunch of kale, de-stemmed sea salt, to taste

1 . Put a cast iron skillet or another sturdy pan over a high heat, and get it very hot. Wet your hand and flick water onto the pan to make sure it sizzles; if not, wait until it’s hotter. 2 . When ready, evenly place the bacon slices in the pan. While you’re waiting for them to cook you can cut the leaves of kale into smaller pieces, or just rip them in half, or skip this step altogether (I do). 3 . When the bacon starts to curl at the edges, turn it over and cook until it’s as crispy as you like it, 3 to 5 minutes. Place on a paper towel or cooling rack to cool. 4 . As soon as the bacon is removed, add the kale to the pan with the bacon fat while it’s still hot. Add salt and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. 5 . Pile the kale on a plate and add the bacon strips on top.

Slow Baked Beans with Mustard Greens

I made this dish one year for Thanksgiving and it was a hit. It cooked all day, and got better as the hours passed. Save it for a cold day when you’ll be home for a long while and won’t mind having the oven on. It’s adapted from the New York Times Cooking section, and it has my “simplify and skip hard steps” approach all over it. You can use any hearty greens in this recipe, but I like to use mustard greens.

Makes: 10 servings Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 4–6 hours 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf ½ cup olive oil, pork fat, or other fat for sautéing the vegetables 2 onions, roughly chopped 3 carrots, roughly chopped 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste, dissolved in 1 cup water 1½ cups white beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed 5 cups water, plus more as needed 3 bunches mustard greens, de-stemmed, leaves halved 1 ham hock or 1–2 large chunks slab bacon sea salt, to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 . Preheat the oven to 225°F.

2 . Make a bouquet garni by wrapping the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf together with a string. This will be removed at the end of cooking. 3 . In a 3 to 4-quart pot over medium heat, sauté the onions and carrots in the oil or fat. When the onion is soft, about 5 minutes, add the garlic and sauté another 30 seconds. Then stir in the dissolved tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Add the drained beans and the 5 cups of water, the bouquet garni, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. 4 . Transfer to a large baking dish, and add the mustard greens and ham hocks or bacon slabs. Bake for 3 to 4 hours, folding the beans every hour to bring those on the bottom up to the top. If the beans on the bottom are dry and not yet fully cooked, then add more water ½ cup at a time. Taste each time and add salt if needed.

5 . Remove from the oven when the beans are creamy and the dish has a sweetness to it. If the beans don’t soften after 2 hours of cooking, raise the temperature of the oven to 300°F and continue cooking. Once done, let cool somewhat and remove the bouquet garni before serving.

Chicken Curry

Makes: 4 servings Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 15–20 minutes 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes 1½ tablespoons sea salt 2½ teaspoons mild curry powder 2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk 1 (2½-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced 4 cloves garlic ½ medium onion, chopped 2 cups broccoli florets 4 cups baby spinach leaves zest of 1 lime cilantro leaves with tender stems, to garnish

1 . Toss the chicken with salt in a medium bowl and let sit for 10 minutes, then add curry powder. Meanwhile, purée the coconut milk, ginger, and garlic in a blender until very smooth. 2 . Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir until softened, about 4 minutes.

3 . Add the chicken and the coconut milk mixture to skillet and cook, tossing occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened, 7 to 10 minutes. 4 . Add broccoli florets to the skillet and cook until bright green in color, about 1 minute, then add the spinach and the lime zest. Top with cilantro.

Parmesan and Herb Frittata

Makes: 6 servings Prep time: 12 minutes Cook time: 10–15 minutes 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 large sweet onion, chopped 12 large eggs 1 tablespoon salt, divided, plus more to taste 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ½ cup sliced fresh basil ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 . Preheat oven to 350°F.

2 . Add oil to a skillet on medium heat and cook the garlic and onion together, along with ½ tablespoon of the salt.

2 . In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cheese, parsley, basil, the remaining ½ tablespoon salt, pepper, and heavy cream. 3 . When the onion and garlic are cooked through, about 2 minutes, add the egg mixture to the skillet, stirring occasionally, as you want your eggs to cook evenly. Once the egg mixture starts become thicker and some of the eggs are cooked, 2 to 3 minutes, place the skillet of eggs into the oven, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the center of the frittata is firm.