Good Luck 2010 with 7 Bean and Kale Stew with Grilled Salmon

Please raise a glass to 2010. It’s the first breath of a new year and hope waxes. I hope that life offers my friends and family more than they can desire; babies, marital bliss, jobs, and joy accordingly. Most importantly, let health and happiness be with us in this year.


And, because I have an eternal belief that food always makes it better; here is my good luck 2010 dish: 7 bean and kale stew with grilled salmon and pumpkin corn bread. Symbolism abounds here—beans are symbolic of coins; kale for money; salmon for moving forward; black-eyed peas for prosperity; pomegranate for fertility. And, hey, if all these good luck ingredients don’t work, at least it tasted good.


Recipes:
7 Bean and Kale Stew with Grilled Salmon
Measure out ¼ cup of the canary beans, black-eyed peas, adzuki beans, chickpeas, moong dal, cannellini and soak overnight.

In a slowcooker:
Add beans, drained
2 bay leaves
8 black peppercorns
1 T pomegranate molasses
1 t lemon zest
5-6 coriander seeds
2 small onions, quartered
2 medium carrots cut in coins
½ sweet potato diced very large
2 celery sticks, chopped very coarsely (large)
2 t salt
1 T soy sauce
½ T mirin
1/2 inch ginger, whole
2-3 pieces pickled ginger

Barely cover with veggie stock.

Cook on low for 8.5 hrs.

In a skillet:
Add 1 T butter, 2 T olive oil, 1 T slivered ginger. Remove the ginger. Add 1 wild salmon filet that has been salted. Sear skin side. Flip when brown. Turn of the heat and cover a few minutes. Serve medium rare.

In the same skillet, sautée kale until just cooked.

Serve topped with the sauteed ginger and minced ginger. (Or pickled ginger.)