More Leftovers

M had to work late; rather than cooking, I helped up leftover beans and leftover kale and poured another glass of red wine. The beans were still delicious; I think the kale’s day is done.

Repurposed

Menu: Black beans with pork and cherry tomatoes * baked sweet potato fries * Indian-spiced kale * 2005 Peter Lehmann Barossa shiraz

We had a leftover pork chop in the fridge and a whole lot of leftover kale. I cubed the pork chop, heated a little olive oil in a saute pan, and dumped in the pork cubes. Then I dumped in at least a dozen of the fresh farmers market cherry tomatoes and let it all saute for a few minutes until the tomatoes started to split. I added 2 cans of black beans; ground salt and red pepper over; and finished with a splash of lime juice. Turned the heat down to medium-low and left it while the sweet potatoes cooked (these were the toughest: I opened the bag of Alexia sweet potatoes from the freezer, thank you Central Market). Reheated the kale, served it all up.

Cook’s sustenance:
1/2 glass champagne
1 salad cucumber, quartered and munched on

Cook’s soundtrack
Bob Schneider, “Gold in the Sunset”
Stevie Wonder, “As”
Lyle Lovett, “Simple Song”
The Mavericks, “Hot Burrito #1″
Hayseed with Emmylou Harris, “Farther Along”
Fleetwood Mac, “Never Going Back Again”

How did it turn out?
The kale still needed salt and Crystal sauce. But the beans… how did I do that? They were velvety, unctuous, a tremendous combination of flavors. Was it the leftover olive-oil laced pork fat? The celestial cherry tomatoes? The citrus splash? I will be trying to replicate that every time we have leftover pork chops.

Would I make it again?
I would certainly try!