Hearty Minestrone Soup

I was chatting with Jamie, my BFF from college, and she was asking about my blog (this blog) that I mentioned in my visit to Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago. Of course, this reminded me that I have been so busy traveling and having visitors lately that I have hardly cooked anything, let alone blogged, in nearly two weeks! Luckily for me, Shea cooked an amazing and healthy soup this week that I can share with all of you. Thanks, Shea, and happy early birthday!

We made a couple of changes to the recipe below; we used canned beans instead of dried (to save time), and substituted parsley with basil (because I love basil, and am luke warm on parsley). Both adjustments worked out perfectly for a delicious soup!

Heart Minestrone Soup
Courtesy of Food and Wine
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/hearty-minestrone-soup

1. 1 1/4 cups dried white beans (8 ounces), soaked overnight and drained
2. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 2 ounces pancetta, finely diced
4. 2 medium shallots, minced
5. 2 large celery ribs, finely diced
6. 1 medium onion, finely diced
7. 1 large carrot, finely diced
8. 1/2 fennel bulb, cored and diced
9. 4 garlic cloves, minced
10. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
11. 2 bay leaves
12. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
13. One 14-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved
14. 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
15. Salt and freshly ground pepper
16. 1 cup baby arugula
17. 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
18. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. In a pot, cover the beans with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until tender, about 2 hours; add water to keep the beans covered. Drain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, in another pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the pancetta and cook over moderate heat until crisp, 4 minutes. Add the shallots, celery, onion, carrot and fennel, and cook until softened. Add the garlic, crushed pepper and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Add the beans and enough cooking liquid to thin out the soup. Discard the bay leaves; season with salt and pepper.
3. In a bowl, toss the arugula and parsley with the lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup in bowls; top with the salad.

Chana Masala

After an extremely fun Saturday night, neither Seamus nor I felt like making a trip to the grocery story on Sunday. I started looking through my favorite food blog, Smitten Kitchen (I also love her book!), and found this delicious sounding recipe using ingredients that I already mostly had on hand (we have a lot of Indian spices that we purchased with our Ajanta cookbook). I made the recipe in one big pot in under an hour, and it turned out to be a great dish to start the week. Even our friend John liked it!


Chana Masala
Courtsey of Smitten Kitchen Blog
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/02/chana-masala/

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (I used a quarter of this because my cayenne is extremely hot)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tablespoon amchoor powder (see note)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups tomatoes, chopped small or 1 15-ounce can of whole tomatoes with their juices, chopped small
2/3 cup water
4 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon (juiced) (see note; I used a whole lemon to swap for the amchoor powder)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, amchoor (if using it), paprika and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spiced for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

Eat up or put a lid on it and reheat it when needed. Curries such as this reheat very well, later or or in the days that follow, should it last that long.

Carrot Macaroni and Cheese

We had a TON of leftover cheese from our Super Bowl party, so I wanted to find a dish to use it up before it went bad. Of course the first thing I could think of was the classic macaroni and cheese! I did a little searching, and I found this terrific take on an old classic. Substituting the bechamel sauce with carrot puree is not only healthy, it is delicious!


Carrot Macaroni and Cheese
Courtesy of Food and Wine
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/carrot-macaroni-and-cheese

1. 3/4 pound carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2. Zest and juice of 1 navel orange, zest removed in strips with a vegetable peeler
3. Salt
4. 3 cups penne rigate (9 ounces)
5. 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
6. 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
7. Freshly ground white pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, combine the carrots with the zest and juice and 1/4 cup of water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderate heat until the carrots are very soft, about 30 minutes. Discard the zest. Transfer the carrots and any liquid to a blender and puree until very smooth.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
3. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the reserved water and the carrot puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is coated with a thickened sauce, about 5 minutes. Stir in three-fourths of the cheese and cook, stirring, until very creamy, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Stir in the tarragon and season with salt and white pepper.
4. Transfer the pasta to a medium baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Gooey Cinnamon Squares

As soon as I spotted this recipe in my Smitten Kitchen cookbook, I knew that I wanted to make it. I love snicker doodle cookies and as a former Minnesotan, I love bars of any kind. I thought that the Super Bowl would be the perfect opportunity to give this recipe a try.

As a note, I ended up baking this recipe for twice as long as the recipe calls for (60 minutes instead of 30 minutes). I am not sure if my oven runs cool, or if I didn't have the right sized pan, but my bars definitely  needed the extra time. Also, be sure to let the bars cool COMPLETELY before you cut them, otherwise you will have a gooey mess on your hands!


Soft Cookie Base
8 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk

Gooey Layer
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

Cinnamon Topping
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch cake pan with parchment paper and coast the paper with non stick spray. Set aside.

2. Prepare the cookie base. Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the 8 tablespoons butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the milk, and beat until combined. Beat in dry ingredients until just combined. Dollop cookie base over the bottom of the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with a butter knife.

3. Prepare the gooey layer. Whisk honey, milk, and vanilla together in a small bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add 1/3 of the flour and mix, then 1/2 of the vanilla mixture and mix. Repeat again until all of the flour has been mixed and just combined. Dollop over the cookie base and spread carefully with a butter knife.

4. Make the topping. Mix the sugar and the cinnamon in a dish and sprinkle it over the entire gooey layer.

5. Bake and serve. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cookies have bronzed on top. The gooey layer will be a little bit liquidy still. Let cool completely and then cut into 1 inch squares.

Short Ribs Nachos

Seamus and I were invited to our friend Tony's house for the Super Bowl. I am not a big football fan, but I do love the Super Bowl because I love to indulge in junk food and beer with good friends. Shea and I normally cook up chicken wings for this event, but when we saw this recipe for Short Rib Nachos at the New York Times, we couldn't resist. This recipe made a LOT of food, so we had the luxury of eating leftover ribs for a couple of days; it turns out it is even better as leftovers!


Short Ribs Nachos
Courtesy of The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1014510/Short-Rib-Chili-Nachos.html

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, patted dry
• 5 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, more to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded if desired
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered lengthwise
• 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro stems, and 1/4 cup chopped leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chile powder, to taste
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle Mexican lager, like Negra Modelo
• 1 (13-ounce) package corn tortilla chips
• 8 ounces white Cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)
• 4 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 1/2 cups store-bought fresh salsa, preferably salsa verde
• 1 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
• Hot sauce, optional

PREPARATION

1.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Season short ribs with 3 teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Let rest while you prepare sauce.

2.

Place a large, dry Dutch oven over high heat. Add garlic, peppers and onion to the dry pan. Cook, turning occasionally, until lightly charred all over, about 10 minutes.

3.

Transfer garlic, peppers and onion to a blender. Add tomatoes with juice, cilantro stems, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt. Purée until smooth.

4.

Return Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Sear short ribs in batches, until well-browned all over, about 20 minutes. Transfer browned ribs to a bowl.

5.

Stir chile powder, cumin and coriander into pot and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook until it begins to caramelize, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomato-pepper purée and beer and bring to a simmer. Return short ribs to pot, cover and transfer to oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, then uncover pot, give meat a stir, and continue baking until ribs are fork tender and falling off bone, 30 to 45 minutes longer, for a total cooking time of 2 to 2 1/4 hours. (If you have time, let short ribs mixture cool, refrigerate overnight, then remove fat before proceeding.)

6.

Once ribs are cool enough to handle, remove from pot, reserving sauce. Shred meat and discard bones and gristle. If sauce seems thin, simmer on stove until it thickens enough to coat a wooden spoon. Return meat to pot.

7.

Heat broiler. Spread tortilla chips on a rimmed baking sheet. Top evenly with meat and sauce. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Broil until hot and cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

8.

In a small bowl, mash together avocados, lime juice and 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste.

9.

Dollop avocado, salsa and sour cream over hot nachos and drizzle with hot sauce if desired. Scatter the chopped cilantro leaves over top.

Homemade Granola

I am a creature of habit when it comes to weekday breakfast foods. Every morning when I am going to work I eat nearly the same thing in order to save time and money. A typical breakfast for me consists of a granola bar, a piece of fruit, and a yogurt.

When I was looking through recipe's for Nazo's brunch party yesterday, I can across a recipe for homemade granola in my new Smitten Kitchen cookbook, and thought about how this granola recipe could be a healthy and simple replacement for my regular granola bar. I made the recipe without coconut flakes (I forgot to buy them at the store) and without dried fruit (Shea doesn't like dried fruit), and it turned out delicious; it really is better than store bought (even the fancy expensive brands)!

Big Cluster Maple Granola

Courtesy of Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

Ingredients

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large egg white

1 1/2 cups dried cherries or another dried fruit

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Combine all ingredients but the egg white and dried fruit in a large mixing bowl, tossing to coat evenly. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Stir into the granola mixture, distributing it throughout. Spread it in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45-55 minutes. About halfway through the baking time, use a large spatula to turn over sections of the granola carefully, breaking them up as little as possible. When the granola is evenly browned and feels dry to the touch, cool completely. When it is cool, break the granola into pieces and add the dried fruit. Enjoy!

Sausage Studded Cornbread

Seamus's brother has a strange obsession with using cast iron skillets. He has been talking about his cast-iron skillet forever, and about a year ago gave us one as a gift. Neither Seamus or I knew how to use a cast iron skillet, so we stuck it in the bottom of our drawer where it promptly began to rust.

My friend Nazo invited me over for brunch this morning, and I thought it might be fun to take out the old cast iron skillet, give it a good clean, and try to make some cornbread using a recipe from a cookbook my mother gave me for Christmas. While the cornbread is slightly bland (I think I will add jalapenos next time), I think it was a good first attempt at using our cast iron skillet. 

Sausage-Studded Cornbread

Courtesy of "Sunday Brunch" by Betty Rosbottom

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 4 tsp

6 oz andoullie sausage or chorizo (I used turkey breakfast sausage), cut into small pieces

2 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

2. Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil until hot in a cast iron skillet; add the sausage and saute until lightly browned, drain on paper towels.

3. When the frying pan is cool enough, wipe it out with paper towels. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan and heat for 2 to 3 minutes, just enough to heat the oil. Remove the frying pan from heat and set aside. 

4. Whisk the eggs and buttermilk in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the oil from the frying pan into the batter and mix well. Pour the batter into the frying pan and sprinkle the cooked sausage evenly over it. 

5. Bake the cornbread until it is golden brown on top and firm to the touch. When done, remove the cornbread and let it cool.  Enjoy!