This soup is crazy easy. I can't believe I never tried it before. And for all you onion naysayers out there, leeks are onions for people who don't like onions. Just give it a try. I made this for meat free Monday dinner, but if I were making it on any other day of the week, I would have started with a little bacon. As a bonus for me, the kid even ate a little bit... Okay, he dipped his bread in it and then ate the bread, but I'm counting it as vegetable consumption!
Potato Leek Soup
1 tblsp butter
1 tblsp olive oil
4 leeks, whites and greens, sliced thin
4 white potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks
1 turnip, peeled and chopped into small chunks
1 quart vegetable stock
1 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
Melt butter in pan with olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks (if you don't know how to clean leeks, see below) and cook until tender. Salt and pepper cooked leeks. Add chopped potatoes and turnips and stir to combine. Add stock and water and salt the broth. Cook until potatoes and turnips are fork tender. Using a stick blender, blend soup until smooth. In a separate small saucepan, slowly heat milk and heavy cream, but don't boil. Add milk mixture to the soup and stir to combine. Serve with crusty bread.
On cleaning leeks. Leeks are layers and layers of sand and dirt trapping goodness. For this application, the easiest way to clean them is to slice them in half lengthwise, then slice each half into thin slices. Put the leeks in a large, deep bowl filled with water. Swish the leeks around and then walk away. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes and then skim the leeks off the top of the water with a mesh scoop.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Fiesta Corn
Okay, so we all know my kid won't eat vegetables. So, when I went to make a side vegetable for dinner the other night, I thought I would try adding salsa and cheese because who doesn't like salsa and cheese! Well, it turns out that Natty doesn't like salsa and cheese. At least not when it's served on vegetables. Oh well. Kevin thought it was delicious. For lack of a better name, I threw in fiesta since that seems to universally indicate the involvement of salsa and cheese!
Fiesta Corn
olive oil
1/2 bag frozen sweet corn
1 large handful frozen peas
1/4 cup salsa
2 oz cheddar cheese
In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add corn and peas. Cook until warmed through. Add salsa and stir until warmed. Turn off heat and add cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.
Fiesta Corn
olive oil
1/2 bag frozen sweet corn
1 large handful frozen peas
1/4 cup salsa
2 oz cheddar cheese
In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add corn and peas. Cook until warmed through. Add salsa and stir until warmed. Turn off heat and add cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.
Vegan Apple Tart
A friend of ours has gone vegan for Lent and when we decided to get together for dinner, she tasked us with dessert. Actually, what she said was that we should just plan on dessert for us because it's next to impossible to find vegan dessert. Do I hear a challenge? Luckily, I recently had a delicious dessert at my neighbor's house that just so happened to be vegan. Ha! Take that! It's actually quite tasty and since it's apples and whole wheat bread, I don't feel guilty eating it.
Vegan Apple Tart
1 batch pizza dough
4 large apples (I used red delicious since that's what they were selling as the "seconds" at the farmer's market that week)
juice of one lemon
1 tblsp sugar (or more to taste)
cinnamon (to taste)
Prepare pizza dough. Cut apples into 1/4 inch slices. Put in bowl with lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Shape and place on a cookie pan or casserole dish. Layer apple slices on the dough. (You can do this either functionally or artfully. I'm pretty bad at the artful stuff. I alternated mine in rows of slices with the curved side facing the same direction. Right. That makes perfect sense to me.) Sprinkle top with a little bit of sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 400 until crust and apples look delicious and lightly browned.
Vegan Apple Tart
1 batch pizza dough
4 large apples (I used red delicious since that's what they were selling as the "seconds" at the farmer's market that week)
juice of one lemon
1 tblsp sugar (or more to taste)
cinnamon (to taste)
Prepare pizza dough. Cut apples into 1/4 inch slices. Put in bowl with lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Shape and place on a cookie pan or casserole dish. Layer apple slices on the dough. (You can do this either functionally or artfully. I'm pretty bad at the artful stuff. I alternated mine in rows of slices with the curved side facing the same direction. Right. That makes perfect sense to me.) Sprinkle top with a little bit of sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 400 until crust and apples look delicious and lightly browned.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Chicken with Lemon Butter White Wine Sauce
As you can tell from the name of this recipe, it's going to be pretty straightforward. Any recipe that can list almost every ingredient in the title is bound to be a) really easy to make and b) a crowd pleaser since you're not likely to be serving anything that needs to be picked out or looked at questionably. I would have added capers to this if we had any, which might have detracted from point b with a lot of people, but would be super tasty. I served this with a salad and a side of sauteed broccoli and sugar snap peas. A piece of bread on the side for sopping up the sauce is also a necessary addition in our house.
Chicken with Lemon Butter White Wine Sauce
olive oil
1 package chicken breasts
1/2 cup white wine
juice of one lemon
1 1/2 tblsp butter
salt and pepper
Heat olive oil in pan over medium high heat. Brown chicken on both sides and cook to 165. Remove chicken from pan. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add lemon juice and butter and salt and pepper to taste. Once butter is melted, return chicken to pan and let sauce reduce for 3-5 minutes while you take everything else to the table. Remove from heat and serve chicken topped with sauce.
Chicken with Lemon Butter White Wine Sauce
olive oil
1 package chicken breasts
1/2 cup white wine
juice of one lemon
1 1/2 tblsp butter
salt and pepper
Heat olive oil in pan over medium high heat. Brown chicken on both sides and cook to 165. Remove chicken from pan. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add lemon juice and butter and salt and pepper to taste. Once butter is melted, return chicken to pan and let sauce reduce for 3-5 minutes while you take everything else to the table. Remove from heat and serve chicken topped with sauce.
Frittata
Finally, we rested upon an oldie but goodie for a meatless Monday dinner. Frittata is an old standby for us. It's particularly awesome since Kevin feels very confident making it without consulting me at all! It works for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, parties, everything. And it's a nice fridge cleaner - put in whatever leftovers you have and viola! your fridge is cleaned out and you have a lovely meal. Also, frittata reheats surprisingly well in the microwave, so you get the extra bonus of yummy leftovers. Before you start, make sure whatever pan you are using can be used on the stovetop and in the broiler.
Veggie Frittata
olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 broccoli crown, tops only, chopped
3 cloves garlic
8 eggs
splash milk
1/2 cup asiago cheese
1 handful grape tomatoes, sliced in half
In cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, zucchini, pepper, and broccoli and saute until slightly softened. Mix in garlic and let cook for a minute or two. In the meantime, whisk eggs with a splash of milk, salt, and pepper. Add eggs to pan and stir. Continue stirring for a minute or two. Once the eggs are about half set, form eggs into the pan and then leave it alone. Cook frittata until the eggs are almost completely set (they can still be a little runny on the top). Top frittata with cheese and tomatoes (I've also made it where I serve the tomatoes raw on top of the cooked frittata and it's tasty that way too). Place under broiler until brown and bubbly on top. You can serve the fritatta in the cast iron or remove it to a serving plate. Cut it like a pizza.
Veggie Frittata
olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 broccoli crown, tops only, chopped
3 cloves garlic
8 eggs
splash milk
1/2 cup asiago cheese
1 handful grape tomatoes, sliced in half
In cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, zucchini, pepper, and broccoli and saute until slightly softened. Mix in garlic and let cook for a minute or two. In the meantime, whisk eggs with a splash of milk, salt, and pepper. Add eggs to pan and stir. Continue stirring for a minute or two. Once the eggs are about half set, form eggs into the pan and then leave it alone. Cook frittata until the eggs are almost completely set (they can still be a little runny on the top). Top frittata with cheese and tomatoes (I've also made it where I serve the tomatoes raw on top of the cooked frittata and it's tasty that way too). Place under broiler until brown and bubbly on top. You can serve the fritatta in the cast iron or remove it to a serving plate. Cut it like a pizza.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Fajitas
My mom has this fajita marinade that I thought was tasty, but Kevin wasn't crazy about it, so I went in search of a new recipe for marinade. I was quite excited to find that Tyler Florence had a nice one. Too bad I only consulted it once and then just did it from memory hours after I consulted the recipe. I didn't do too bad, but I totally forgot the chipotle, so there was no smoky deliciousness to the fajitas. They were still delicious though, so if you don't like chipotle, leave it out.
Fajitas
1 package chicken breast
1 lb shrimp
juice of two oranges
juice of two limes
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 chipotle peppers (if you don't forget them)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
cumin
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 red peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Cut chicken into strips and place chicken and shrimp into two separate sealable (is that a word) containers. Put all ingredients in a blender. Add cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. Add olive oil to desired consistency. I would guess I used about 1/3 cup, but wouldn't swear to it. In the end, you should have about 1 cup of marinade. Divide it between chicken and shrimp. Toss to coat and let marinate in fridge until you're ready to cook. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet and cook onion and peppers until browned. Remove onion and peppers from the skillet and toss in the meat. Cook until browned and cooked through. Serve on warm tortillas with all your favorite toppings.
Fajitas
1 package chicken breast
1 lb shrimp
juice of two oranges
juice of two limes
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 chipotle peppers (if you don't forget them)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
cumin
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 red peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Cut chicken into strips and place chicken and shrimp into two separate sealable (is that a word) containers. Put all ingredients in a blender. Add cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. Add olive oil to desired consistency. I would guess I used about 1/3 cup, but wouldn't swear to it. In the end, you should have about 1 cup of marinade. Divide it between chicken and shrimp. Toss to coat and let marinate in fridge until you're ready to cook. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet and cook onion and peppers until browned. Remove onion and peppers from the skillet and toss in the meat. Cook until browned and cooked through. Serve on warm tortillas with all your favorite toppings.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Baked Rigatoni
I used to make baked ziti all the time, but it's fallen off of my old standby list of late. I decided to dust off the recipe and use it to stock the freezer. I went with rigatoni this time, but you can do it with any non-noodle pasta. It's super simple - even easier if you use jarred sauce instead of making your own. I'm not posting my sauce recipe since I've always been adamant about not giving it out unless you come over and make it with me. That's how my dad taught me to make it and it's a nice thing that I don't want to just put down on paper (or whatever the appropriate turn of phrase is for typing something in a blog).
Baked Rigatoni
1 box rigatoni
1 batch homemade red sauce (or 1 jar)
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 block mozzarella cheese, shredded (I would name that in ounces, but I don't have any in my fridge to help me cheat.)
1 handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
Cook rigatoni according to package direction. Aim for a little less cooked than al dente since it will cook in the oven. In a large bowl, mix together 3/4 of the sauce, the ricotta cheese, 3/4 of the mozzarella, and parsley. Add drained pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to casserole dish, top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake until cheese browns on top.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Tofu and Noodles
I don't know why, but I seem to have such difficulty with meals on Meat Free Monday. First I couldn't poach an egg, this time I just flat out failed to read and follow the directions on a package of rice noodles and then basically destroyed the tofu. Oh well. It tasted good and that's what matters! The recipe is a modified (read, easier) version of a recipe I found on recipe.com. Also, why does everything stir fried or Asian have to have so many freaking ingredients? Maybe this is why I don't excel at this style of cooking. Wow. Who would make this recipe after reading this intro? I swear it tasted good though, despite my efforts at destroying it.
Tofu and Noodles
1/2 package pad thai rice noodles (Folks, these need to soak for 30 minutes. I thought I'd put this up front so that you don't screw up like me!)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tblsp Rice wine vinegar
1 tblsp ketchup
1/4" grated fresh ginger
salt
1 tblsp garlic and hot pepper sauce
2 tblsp peanut oil
block extra firm tofu, drained and sliced
1 bunch broccolini, chopped
handful peanuts, chopped
bunch cilantro, chopped
Soak the noodles for 30 minutes. Mix ingredients from soy sauce through hot pepper sauce in a small bowl. Heat peanut oil in a stir fry pan over high heat. Add tofu and lightly brown. Add onion, garlic, and broccolini and cook until onions are tender. Add sauce and let bubble for a minute. Add noodles and stir to combine. Let cook until noodles are tender. Toss peanuts with noodles. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
Tofu and Noodles
1/2 package pad thai rice noodles (Folks, these need to soak for 30 minutes. I thought I'd put this up front so that you don't screw up like me!)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tblsp Rice wine vinegar
1 tblsp ketchup
1/4" grated fresh ginger
salt
1 tblsp garlic and hot pepper sauce
2 tblsp peanut oil
block extra firm tofu, drained and sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped1 bunch broccolini, chopped
handful peanuts, chopped
bunch cilantro, chopped
Soak the noodles for 30 minutes. Mix ingredients from soy sauce through hot pepper sauce in a small bowl. Heat peanut oil in a stir fry pan over high heat. Add tofu and lightly brown. Add onion, garlic, and broccolini and cook until onions are tender. Add sauce and let bubble for a minute. Add noodles and stir to combine. Let cook until noodles are tender. Toss peanuts with noodles. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
Chicken Casserole
I've been trying to get into casseroles to help me get dinner on the table after work. This one was made to prepare for a visit from the Gutberlets and to help stock up my friend's freezer so that she doesn't have to worry about dinner once her new little girl arrives. It's an altered version of the Chicken Casserole in Bake Until Bubbly, which is the best casserole cookbook I've ever looked at. Too bad I have to return it to the library soon...
Chicken Casserole
6 slices rustic Italian bread, crusts removed and all pieces cut into squares
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 head broccolini, cut into 1/2" chunks
1 1/2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
For the sauce
1 tblsp butter
1 tblsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
Spread the cut up crusts on the bottom of a lightly greased casserole dish and sprinkle with thyme. In a bowl, combine chicken, celery, broccolini, onion, mayo, and salt and pepper. Spread mixture over crusts. Top with cubed crumb of bread. Whisk together egg and milk. Pour mixture over casserole. Let the casserole sit in the fridge overnight.
Right before you cook the casserole, melt butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and cook for a minute. Add chicken stock and milk and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese. Pour mixture over casserole and bake at 400 degrees until browned.
Chicken Casserole
6 slices rustic Italian bread, crusts removed and all pieces cut into squares
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 head broccolini, cut into 1/2" chunks
1 1/2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
For the sauce
1 tblsp butter
1 tblsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
Spread the cut up crusts on the bottom of a lightly greased casserole dish and sprinkle with thyme. In a bowl, combine chicken, celery, broccolini, onion, mayo, and salt and pepper. Spread mixture over crusts. Top with cubed crumb of bread. Whisk together egg and milk. Pour mixture over casserole. Let the casserole sit in the fridge overnight.
Right before you cook the casserole, melt butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and cook for a minute. Add chicken stock and milk and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese. Pour mixture over casserole and bake at 400 degrees until browned.
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