iEat Green - Kim O'Donnell - 12/06/12

Kim O’Donnel – Author: Canning Across America, The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook and The Meat Lover's Meatless Celebrations

For more than a decade, journalist and chef Kim O'Donnel has dispensed cooking advice at numerous publications, including The Washington Post, Culinate and USA Today. Her first book, The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook, was published in 2010. The Meat Lover's Meatless Celebrations was just released in October.

Kim is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education and The University of Pennsylvania, she is the founder of Canning Across America, a collective dedicated to the revival of preserving food. Kim was a 2009 Duncan Eat-Write fellow at The Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, Ark. Kim is a member of the International Association for Culinary Professionals and she sits on the James Beard Journalism Awards committee.

Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Kim presently lives in Seattle, where she’s lucky to have egrets and seals for neighbors. She is married to political junkie and journalist Russ Walker.

Kim eats meat, just not as much as she used to. That’s her story, and she’s sticking to it.

Tuscan Pasta with White Beans 1 lb. pasta of your choice (Whole Wheat, Gluten Free, or Brown Rice) 1 bunch rainbow chard, chopped 1 bunch broccoli, cut into bite sized florets 2 shallots, peeled, sliced and separated into ringlets Olive oil 1 can Cannellini beans, drained 1 bunch sage, chopped 1 t. oregano 1 onion, chopped (optional) 2 Tbs + 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 5 whole garlic cloves 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 1/3 cup white wine ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped Salt and pepper to taste Red pepper flakes (optional) Cook pasta according to directions, al dente. Meanwhile, cover bottom of large wok with olive oil. Add broccoli and swiss chard with 1 tablespoon chopped garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add white wine and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove greens from wok. Add more oil to bottom of wok. Add onions and whole garlic cloves. When translucent, add beans along with 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic and half of the chopped sage. Cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from wok and add to greens. Add more olive oil to wok and add cherry tomatoes and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic. After a few minutes, return all vegetables to wok. Add 1 teaspoon oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Toss vegetables together to allow flavors to mix. Add Red Pepper flakes, if desired. In separate small saucepan, fry shallot rings to a golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and place on paper towel to absorb oil. Then fry remaining sage leaves until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and place on paper towel to absorb oil. Add pasta to the wok and toss. Place on platter. Garnish with crispy shallots and sage. Serve immediately.