Ingredients: 3 leeks, sliced (white parts only!) 1 bunch rapini, chopped 6 cups chicken stock 3/4 cup (uncooked) jasmine rice 1/4 cup dry vermouth 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 bay leaves juice and zest of 1 Meyer lemon sea salt freshly ground black pepper
Directions: In a wide-bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the garlic, rapini, parsley, rice and leeks. Saute until the leeks start to soften and the rapini starts to wilt. Pour in the broth, vermouth, juice, zest and spices. Cover and cook until the rice is fully cooked, about 15 minutes.
My thoughts:
A local grocery store chain often has some somewhat surprising fruits and vegetables. Cactus pears, Seckel pears, rapini, many varieties of apples, Vidalia onions still with their greens, broccolini, the list goes on. I guess none of those items is terribly exotic but a lot of that are things that until fairly recently, we could only buy at a specialty store or the farmers market. We only have one year-round farmers market since nothing is in season here during the winter so any store that has fresh, varied produce gets our vote. Lately it has been an embarrassment of riches when it comes to rapini (aka broccoli rabe), leeks and other dark greens. This recipe came about because I have a ton of stock in my freezer (anyone want to point me in the direction of a good, affordable pressure canner? I have ham, lobster, chicken and turkey stock taking valuable space.), lovely rapini and some leeks that looked shifty. Luckily, it was one of those happy accidents when everything came together in a delightful manner. I am not even a soup fan and I loved it.
Ingredients: 1 lb Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed 3 or 4 leeks, sliced (white parts only!) 1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets 6 cups chicken or ham stock 2 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 1/2 cup cubed smoked ham*
Directions: In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter. Saute the potato until just turning golden. Add the garlic, cauliflower, leeks. Saute a few minutes just until the leeks start to soften. Pour in the broth and spices. Simmer until the liquid has reduced a bit and the potatoes and cauliflower are soft and starting to fall apart. Meanwhile, lightly brown the ham on all sides in a dry, nonstick skillet. Using an immersion blender or work in batches using a regular blender, blend the soup until smooth. Stir in the ham. Heat for couple minutes.
*I used one of those boneless ham steaks that are always on sale. Leftover ham would be good too.
My thoughts:
This is sort of a twist on the classic potato-leek soup. Cauliflower can be somewhat of a polarizing ingredient but in this soup, it is mild and adds body and creaminess. I don't like soups that are entirely smooth so after blending it, I stirred in some ham that I had sauteed (to deepen the flavor) so there was some texture contrast. Of course, if you wanted to leave it out and use water instead of stock, it would make a wonderful vegan soup. At any rate, it is a great way to get your daily dose of vegetables on a cold winter's night.
About 75 cl water or stock to cover / vers 75 cl d�eau ou bouillon � couvrir
To garnish: cream, parsley and garlic / Pour garnir: cr�me fraiche et persillade
Saut� the onion in a little olive oil until soft and transparent. / Faire revenir l�oignon dans l�huile d�olive jusqu�� ce qu�ils soient doux et transparents.
Add the garlic and spices and saut� for a minute. / Ajouter l�ail et les �pices et sauter pour une minute.
Add the pieces of pumpkin, stir and cover with water or stock. Add salt and pepper. / Ajouter les morceaux de courge, m�langer avec les �pices et couvrir de l�eau ou du bouillon.
Simmer for half an hour and liquidise. Mijoter pour une demie heure et m�langer dans un mixeur.
Serve with a swirl of cream and chopped parsley (and chopped garlic if you wish). / Servir garnie de cr�me fraiche et de persillade.
1 medium onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 3 medium carrots, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock 15 oz canned fire roasted diced tomatoes 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes 6 oz tomato paste 2 tablespoons minced basil 2 tablespoons minced oregano 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley 2 (fresh) bay leaves 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage 1 cup frozen or fresh green beans, diced 2 small to medium zucchini, diced sea salt freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces small, cooked pasta
Directions:
For the slow cooker:
Add the garlic, tomato, celery, stock, tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, and spices to a 4 quart slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Add shredded cabbage, green beans and zucchini and turn to high for the last hour. Stir in the pasta before serving.
Stovetop: Saute the onions, garlic, carrots and celery until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and heat though.
My thoughts:
Around this time of year I always get a lot of requests for healthy meals. Soup is always a great choice because it is easy to add lots of vegetables. There are a lot of different ways to make minestrone (I even posted a different one here about six years ago) but this one is I think my favorite. I like the combination of chickpeas and kidney beans and the green beans and cabbage (especially when added towards the end in the slow cooker version) really make it taste fresh. While this is a vegan soup, I like to serve with a tiny hunk of sharp, aged cheddar in the bottom of a bowl. It melts and adds a tasty ribbon of cheese to each bite.
Recently we've been fortunate enough to experience decent temperatures and little rain, but I've noticed that the gradual transition from morning to night has disappeared. As a result, shadows creep further than ever over winding campus pathways, and the gentle flow of disappearing daylight through my apartment windows has lost it's once-loved warmth. In its place and beyond the empty frames I
Ingredients: 5 cups ham stock 2 cups cubed smoked ham 1 cup green split peas 1 cup yellow split peas 2 carrots, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large onion, diced 1 large shallot, minced 1 teaspoon celery flakes 1 teaspoon dried tarragon 1/2 teaspoon dried chervil 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard 1 bay leaf sea salt freshly ground black pepper
Directions: Pick over split peas to remove any stones or stems that might be present. Place all ingredients EXCEPT the ham in a 4 quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low 10 hours. Stir in the ham during the last 45 minutes of cooking. Fish out the bay leaf prior to serving.
My thoughts:
This a wonderful soup, if unphotogenic. I have a slightly less traditional split pea soup that I love and a third recipe for it in my book but I think this is my favorite when you really just want a classic split pea. The smokiness of the ham adds a lot to the depth of flavor. I also think it is the best use of ham stock that I know. But perhaps better than all that is how easy this soup is to make. The split peas do not need to be soaked before using and if you want to have this for lunch, just start it before you go bed. How much easier can you get?
I receive A LOT of emails and comments about buttercream. I try to respond to them as thoroughly and promptly as I can, but sometimes I just don't have the time to do so, and that makes me feel bad. Like, really really bad. So, what I decided to do was start a bit of a "how to" series on making different kinds of buttercream. I want to be able to address any questions that you guys may have,
Ingredients: 5 cups chicken or ham stock 2 cups cubed smoked ham* 1 1/2 cup frozen peas 1 cup green split peas 1 cup yellow split peas 1/4 cup diced apple (I used a Stayman Winesap) 2 carrots, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large onion, diced 1 large shallot, minced 1 small to medium bulb fennel, diced 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon celery flakes 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon dried chervil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed 1/2 teaspoon summer savory 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon dillweed 1/4 teaspoon celery seed 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
Directions: Pick over split peas to remove any stones or stems that might be present. Place all ingredients except for the frozen peas in a 4 quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low 12-15 hours. If you would like thicker soup, cook uncovered on high for 30 minutes to thicken. Stir in the frozen peas during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
*If you have a minute, saute the ham cubes in a nonstick skillet until just starting to brown. This helps seal in the flavor but isn't strictly necessary.
My thoughts:
We get up super early so I can put this up in time for dinner** but in the past, I've put it in my slow cooker right before I go to bed and had it the next day for lunch. I came up with this super long cooking technique because I don't have to soak the peas before making the soup but it you have more patience than I do, prep the peas according to the package instructions and then the soup will only take about 8 hours or so in the slow cooker. The copious amount of herbs and vegetables add a flavor that is a more complex than the typical pea soup and the peas added at the end lend a real pop of freshness that is always welcome in a long simmering soup. The perfect minimal work, high flavor weekday dinner for a dreary, rainy spring day.
**Especially if I had chopped and refrigerated the vegetables the night before. I've even measured the split peas and spices out and left them (covered) in the cold (not plugged in) slow cooker or in a small container overnight.
Ingredients: 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided use 1 1/4 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar 1/2 cup milk 1 medium onion, chopped 1 shallot, chopped 1 stalk celery, diced 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets (about 4 1/2 cups) 1 head broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar salt
Directions: In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and celery and cook until the onions and shallot are soft and translucent. Do not let them brown. Add the cauliflower, spices and 2 cups stock. Bring broth to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and cook 20-30 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender and easily cut, stirring occasionally. The broth will not totally cover the cauliflower but don't worry- stirring will be enough to ensure the cauliflower cooks through.
Using a regular blender or immersion blender, blend the cauliflower mixture until very, very smooth and creamy. If you are using a regular blender, you will probably have to do this in steps so pour the blended soup into another large pot as you go. If using an immersion blender, you can blend the soup right in the same pot. Once blended, add the milk, remaining stock, vinegar and broccoli. Return to heat and allow to simmer until the broccoli is fork tender. Pulse the blender until the soup is mostly smooth. Stir in the cheese and serve.
My thoughts:
I love the idea of broccoli-cheddar soup more than I actually like the soup itself. It is just a little too rich for me. I've seen "light" versions of the soup but they all seem to call for reduced fat cheese (blah) or using milk which I think makes the soup too thin. I remembered how creamy this cauliflower soup was that I made (could it really be four years ago?) and posted. That soup was rich and creamy but the body of the soup came from the cauliflower, not heavy cream. Why couldn't I use pureed cauliflower as a base for a broccoli soup? I experimented and I have to say, the results were great. The cauliflower blends into a smooth, creamy soup that has a rich, thick mouthfeel without the need for heavy cream and unless you were told, I don't think most people would guess that the "secret ingredient" was cauliflower. The broccoli and cheddar flavor is much stronger and of course complements each other just as it does in the full fat versions.
Easy & delicious recipe for Lebanese lentil soup. Lean how to make best Lebanese recipes. This vegetarian recipe contains lentils water salt, extra-virgin olive oil, red onions finely chopped, ground black pepper, uncooked orzo acini pepe pasta, Fresh lemon juice, Chopped cilantro or parsley, and Lemon wedges.
Combine lentils, water and salt in a 5 to 6 quart pot. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Then lower heat, cover and simmer gently about 20 minutes while you cook the onions.
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until they turn a very dark brown color, about 20 minutes. Stir constantly during last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking to prevent burning. (It may be necessary to reduce heat to medium.)
When onions are well browned, add 1 cup simmering lentil water to the pan with the onions. Stand back; the water will sizzle and steam. Continue cooking, stirring every now and then, until the water has almost totally evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Scrape onion mixture into the pot with the lentils. Stir in the pepper. Cover and simmer 10 more minutes. Add pasta, cover and simmer until just tender and the lentils are completely cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove soup from heat, cool and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, then reheat before serving. (It needs to stand in order to thicken. The soup can be made a day or two ahead, refrigerated and reheated.)
To serve, reheat soup and ladle into bowls. Stir 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice into each bowl and finish each with a sprinkle of cilantro or parsley. (Or stir all of lemon juice and herbs into pot of soup.) Serve lemon wedges alongside.
Lebanese Lentil Soup Recipe: Serves 6 persons
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Ingredients 3 cups diced, cooked turkey breast 7 cups chicken or turkey stock 1 1/2 cup diced Russet potatoes 3/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels 1 onion, chopped 1 poblano pepper, chopped 1 shallot, minced 4 oz crimini mushrooms, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 carrots, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon hot Mexican chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika salt black pepper
for the dumplings: 2 1/4 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 eggs 3/4 cup buttermilk 3/4 cup diced green onion (green parts only)
Directions: Heat the butter and oil in a large pot with a lid. Add the onions, carrots, celery, poblano pepper, potato, garlic and mushrooms. Saut� until the potatoes start to soften. Add the chipotle pepper, spices and stock. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add the turkey and corn. Then whisk together the baking powder and flour in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the buttermilk, egg and green onion. Mix to combine. Scoop out 2-3 inch dumplings with a spoon or old fashioned ice cream scoop. They do not have to be particularity round and the dough will be very sticky. Carefully (to avoid splashing!) drop the dumplings one at a time into the pot. Cover and cook until the dumplings are fluffy and cooked through.
My thoughts:
I am always thinking of new ways to use up cooked turkey. While I love a turkey sandwich, there is only so many of them you can eat before collapsing of taste bud fatigue. I do occasionally freeze pre-measured amounts of cubed, cooked turkey breast for future use in soups, stews and chili but I don't mind using up some freshly cooked turkey in a new way. I've made some excellent chicken & dumplings in the past and thought I could revamp the recipe a bit to bring out the best in turkey. Turkey has a slightly stronger flavor than chicken so I decided to go for a full flavored, spicy dish.
This version of turkey and dumplings will make memories of bland chicken and dumplings completely disappear. Tons of vegetables and chiles give this a rich flavor without adding fat and leave the dish tasting fresh rather than heavy or insipid. It is just a revelation. I honestly can't wait to make it again!
750 gm pumpkin, peeled and chopped / courge, �pluch�s et coup� en morceaux
1 onion, chopped / oignon, hach�
3 cloves garlic, chopped / gousses d�ail, hach�es
1 Spanish sweet red chorizo pepper, chopped, or some paprika / piment doux espagnol, hach�, ou de piment doux moulu
a sprig of thyme / un brin de thym
salt, olive oil / sel, huile d�olive
500 gms mussels / moules
1 glass of white wine / verre de vin blanc
Saut� the onion and pumpkin in the olive oil until lightly browned. Cover with water, add the garlic, thyme, salt and red pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the thyme and liquidise the soup.
Faire dorer l�oignon et le courge dans un peu d�huile d�olive. Couvrir de l�eau, ajouter l�ail, le thym, le sel et le piment doux. Mijoter pour 30 minutes. Enlever le thym et melanger la soupe dans un mixer.
Cook the mussels in the wine. Drain and add them to the soup.
Faire cuire les moules au le vin. Egoutter les moules et les ajouter � la soupe.
Serve hot with crusty bread. / Servir chaude accompagn�e du pain.
Ingredients: 1 large onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 carrots, diced 4 cups chicken stock 3/4 cup shredded cabbage 28 oz crushed tomatoes 16 oz kielbasa, sliced 10 oz alphabet or other small pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil black pepper
Direction: Prepare pasta according to package directions. Set aside. In a skillet, saute the sausage slices. Set aside. Meanwhile, saute the onion, carrots and celery until the onion and celery are soft and the carrots are softening. Add the broth, tomatoes, pepper and cabbage. Add the kielbasa and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and add the pasta to each bowl. Refrigerate leftover soup and pasta separately.
My thoughts:
Winter is the perfect season for soup. I made this soup when my mom came for lunch and it was perfect, well spiced but not too spicy and the sausage made it hearty enough to serve as a meal.
Note: I like to cook the pasta separately from the soup because the longer the pasta sits in the soup the more liquid it absorbs and it can become soggy. This is especially and issue if there are any leftovers. This way the pasta remains the perfect texture and you can control the amount of pasta in each bowl.
Ingredients: 3 to 4 slices cracked black pepper bacon 30 oz canned black beans, drained 3 1/2 cups broth (chicken*, pork or vegetable) 6 oyster mushrooms, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 carrots, diced 1 onion, diced
Directions: In a large pan, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of grease. Drain the bacon on paper towel lined plates. Crumble the bacon. Set aside. Saute the mushrooms, garlic, onion, and celery until just beginning to soften. Add the broth, beans and bacon. Heat through.
I made this soup for a quick lunch the other day but it really is enough to serve as dinner, perhaps with a roll or cornbread.
Normally when I made black bean soup I go the spicy route but for a change I used the pepper bacon to add some spice and smoky flavor and kept it pretty simple. The flavors of the vegetables and beans really stand out. I choose oyster mushrooms because they have a meaty texture that holds up well in soup. A good substitute would be portobello but you will miss the oyster-like flavor of the appropriately named oyster mushroom.
Ingredients: 25 oz crushed tomatoes 15 oz fire roasted tomatoes 4 oz canned chopped green chile peppers 2 habanero, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 3 cups chicken or turkey stock 2 cups shredded chicken or turkey 1 1/3 cup fresh or frozen fire roasted corn 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon hot Mexican chili powder 1 teaspoon ground chipotle 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Slow cooker instructions: Place the spices, tomatoes, broth, garlic, onion and peppers in the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low for about 6 hours. After 6 hours, add the corn and turkey. Cover and cook for an additional 45 to 60 minutes.
Stovetop instructions: In a large pot, saute the onions, garlic and habanero in a tablespoon of canola oil. Add the tomatoes and spices. Cook to a near boil then add the corn and turkey and reduce heat. Cook through.
To serve: Slice the tortillas into 1/4 inch strips. Fry in a shallow skillet until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel lined plates. Ladle the soup into bowls, then sprinkle with cheese, avocado, tortilla strips and serve with lime.
Yield: 4-6 servings
My thoughts:
Tortilla soup is a Southwestern soup that comes in a few variations. This one is my favorite. The fire roasted tomatoes and corn give it a slightly smoky flavor which adds depth to the soup. The avocado and tortilla strips add texture interest. For this version I used turkey, but an equal amount of shredded (cooked) chicken could be substituted. I prefer the slow cooker method for this, it is even easier than the stove top method and the slow, low simmer really brings out the flavors but really either way yields an excellent, spicy, tomato packed soup.
Note: A few people have emailed me about where to get the fire roasted tomatoes. I like to use Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes and I have found them at both "natural" and "regular" grocery stores, just ask for them.
Ingredients: 6 dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated in 1 cup hot broth (reserve the broth) 4 cups shrimp broth 1 1/2 cups raw frozen or fresh mixed seafood 1/3 cup dried wakame (cut up) 2 cloves garlic, grated 1/2 inch knob ginger, grated 2 tablespoons akamiso miso paste 10 oz udon noodles 1 carrot, sliced into strips
Directions: Bring the broth, ginger and garlic to a boil. Add the noodles and carrot and continue to boil until the noodles almost soft. Add the wakame, mushrooms, mushroom broth, seafood and miso paste. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the seafood is cooked thoroughly and the noodles are soft. Serve hot.
My thoughts:
I actually made this for lunch the other day and it was so tasty, I felt like I had to share. What I love is that it doesn't take much longer to make than heating up a can of soup but it is 100x better. It is also a perfect quick dinner for those days when just transitioning into cooler weather; it is warm and comforting but not heavy.
A couple of tips: Whenever I make something with shrimp I save the shells (and heads) and make a quick broth with water, the shells, carrots, garlic, celery, onions etc and then freeze it for a future use. You can defrost it in minutes by heating it (frozen) in a shallow pan over low heat.
If you are using frozen mixed seafood (I get a great mix of squid, scallops, mussels, shrimp and a few other treats at my local Asian grocery) toss it in the soup still frozen. Aways use seafood that was frozen raw for best flavor. Frozen cooked seafood can get rubbery when recooked.
Some udon noodles have very specific cooking directions. If the directions are very different than simply boiling them as my recipe calls for, you might want to prepare the noodles according to the package instructions then add them when you add the seafood.
I don't like a very brothy udon soup so if you would prefer a more liquid soup or if an inordinately large amount of the broth evaporated during the cooking time, add a cup of hot broth or water to the soup before serving.
From now on I'll be posting the recipes from Olives and Artichokes, as they're posted, on this blog. In the meantime, here are a few of the dishes we've made recently.
Moules � la cr�me
The taste of Normandy with the flavours of the Midi
Le go�tnormand aux saveurs du Midi
for 4 as a first course, 2 as a main course
une entr�e pour 4 personnes, un plat pour 2
1 kg mussels / moules
1 large onion, thinly sliced / gros oignon, coup� en tranches fines
4 cloves of garlic, chopped / gousses d'ail hach�es
250 ml white wine / vin blanc
159 ml cr�me fra�che
thyme, savoury and a pinch of paprika / thym, sariette, un peu de piment doux
Clean the shells of the mussels and remove the beards.
Nettoyez les moules et enlevez les 'barbes'.
In a large saucepan, sauter the onion gentlyin the butter and olive oil for about 10 minutes.Add the garlic for 2 minutes.
Dans une grande marmite, faire cuire � feu doux l'ognion dans le beurre et l'huile pour environ 10 minutes.Ajoutez l'ail pour 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Retirez la marmite du feu et laissez-la refriodir pour 2 minutes.
Add the herbs, paprika, salt and wine.Add the mussels and bring slowly to the boil.Simmer until all the mussel shells have opened, about 5 minutes.
Ajoutez les herbes, le piment doux, le sel et le vin.Ajoutez les moules et faites-le bouillir.Faites-le cuire � feu doux jusqu'aux coquilles sont ouvertes, environ 5 minutes.
Add the cr�me fra�che and serve the mussels with the sauce, wedges of lemon, some crusty bread and a glass of white wine.
Ajoutez la cr�me fra�che et servez les moules avec la sauce, des morceaux de citron, des tranches de pain et une verre de vin blanc.
Peel the tomatoes and chop them.Chop the onion.Liquidise with the onion, oil and salt.Serve chilled garnished with chopped basil leaves.
�pluchez les tomates et coupez-les.Coupez l'oignon doux.M�langez-les avec l'huile et le sel dans un mixeur.Servez la soupe fra�che, garnie de feuilles de basilique.
B�rek (a Turkish recipe / une recette turque)
4 sheets of fillo pastry / 4 feuilles de brick
200 gm ricotta / fromage de brebis
1 sweet onion / oignon doux
2 cloves of garlic / gousses d'ail
a small bunch of parsley /un petit bouquet de persil
ground coriander, paprika, cumin / un peu de coriandre, piment doux, cumin
salt / sel
Chop the onion, garlic and parsley.Mix with the ricotta, spices and salt.
Coupez l'oignon, l'ai et le persil.M�langez-les avec le fromage, les �pices et le sel.
Cut the pastry sheets in half (the ones I bought came in circular sheets about 20 cm in diameter).Put a spoonful of the cheese mixture on each piece and fold into triangles.
Coupez les feuilles de brick en deux.Mettez une cuiller�e du m�lange de fromage sur chaque morceau de brick and le pliez en triangle.
Fry the triangles in olive oil until they are lightly browned.Serve hot.
Po�lez les triangles dans un peu d'huile d'olive jusqu'� ce qu'ils soit dor�s.Servez-les chauds.
Ingredients: 6 small to medium sized beets, peeled 1/2 large onion, chopped 2 cups water 2 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoons salt 1/2 tablespoon celery seed 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 egg juice of 1 lemon
to serve: sour cream chopped cucumber
Directions: In a large pot, bring the beets, onions, salt, celery seed, pepper, broth and water to a boil. Boil for 1 hour. Add the sugar and lemon juice and simmer for 1/2 hour. Remove the beets and grate half. Reserve the other half for another use. Pour the liquid into a large measuring cup. Beat the egg until very fluffy in a large bowl. Add about 1/4 cup of the liquid and beat, continue adding the soup in a slow stream to the egg, whisking continuously. Stir in the grated beets. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cucumber.
Yield: 2 meal-sized servings
My thoughts:
Labor Day may have come and gone but here in Baltimore it stays pretty hot and humid until about October which leaves me a few more weeks to experiment with hot weather food before turning to roasts. Chilled soups normally leave me cold but I really enjoyed this one. It had the perfect texture, not too chunky but not totally smooth either, the sour cream added a creamy note and the cucumber the right amount of crunch. I am glad I added some celery seed to the mix, it added just a hint of bright, fresh flavor and gave the soup a great depth. Perfectly refreshing on a hot day-the best borscht I've ever had.
Ingredients: 4 1/4 cups water 4 oz extra firm tofu, diced .5 oz bonito flakes 2 2-inch squares kombu 1/4 cup miso paste* dissolved in an equal amount of water 3/4 cup baby bok choy or seaweed cut into manageable strips
Directions: At no point do you want the water/soup to come to a full boil. Watch your soup carefully. Simmer kombu in the water in a medium pot. Bring to almost a boil, the water should be rippling. Remove the kombu. Add the bonito flakes**, return it to a high simmer for 5 minutes, then skim out the bonito. You have just made the simple dashi (broth) that is the base of miso soup. Add the cubed tofu and greens. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the dissolved miso and evenly distribute it. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, allow to cool for one minute then serve.
Optional: garnish with green onions or garlic chives.
Yield: 4-6 servings
*Normally we use Shiromiso or "white" miso, but this time I used Akamiso or "red" miso. They taste slightly different from each other but both are commonly used to make miso soup. **Optional, add a few dehydrated shiitake mushrooms at this point and remove them when you skim out the bonito then add them back in when you add the miso.
My thoughts:
Miso soup is so simple I almost hesitated to post the recipe. However, I have gotten a lot of requests for a recipe for miso soup so the last time we got sushi, I made some homemade miso soup and actually measured out my ingredients so I could share it with you. I don't do anything too radical but I do like to make my own simple broth (AKA dashi, which is a great base for a lot of Japanese cooking) instead of using instant dashi powder and I am of the "don't let it boil" school of miso soup-making. I find a high simmer (think ripples, not bubbles) yields the best flavor.
Like I said, miso soup is easy to make but it does require a few very specific ingredients. I have had no problem finding miso paste (which, incidentally, keeps for months in the refrigerator if tightly sealed), bonito flakes, kombu (a variety of kelp, you need it for making sushi rice , so it is worth keeping on hand and also has a long shelf life) at pretty much any Asian market (even Safeway sells most of it) but finding good quality wakame seaweed is sometimes an issue. I frequently just use some other kind of green: baby bok choy, kai choy, tat soi etc instead. I also like to heat up any leftovers for breakfast the next day. It isn't quite as tasty as it is freshly made but not bad.
to serve: diced green onions sliced char siu 1 bunch green onions
Directions: Mix all of the wonton filling ingredients together. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges. Fold the ends together to form a triangle. Fold the two sides together. Repeat. Place finished dumplings on a plate and cover with a clean, dry towel. Meanwhile, bring all of the soup ingredients to a boil. Drain out the solids, return to stove. Add the dumplings, the now rehydrated mushrooms and char siu to the broth. Discard the rest of the solids. Cook until the dumplings float and are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Ladle into individual bowls, sprinkle with green onions.
Yield: 2-4 servings
My thoughts:
Matt's been wanting to make homemade wonton soup for a while now, and since I like especially like making homemade versions of takeout favorites it sounded like a good project to me. I picked up a package of frozen wonton wrappers during my most recent trip to H Mart so (for once!) we didn't have to make the wrappers from scratch. That really cut down on the work it took to make the wontons. Now the soup does require a bit of work: making the char siu, making the wontons but none of the work is particularly time consuming and quite a bit of it can be done the day before. I made some wonderful homemade stock the day before, so all I had to do was add some additional flavors to compliment the wontons when it was time to make the soup. It would be even easier if you used store bought broth. The char siu needs to be marinated overnight, so to make the soup Matt just had to cook and slice it. The dumplings came together in a matter of minutes using the premade wrappers. We only needed to make 25-30 dumplings to have enough for a really wonton filled soup. All in all, it didn't take much more than half an hour to make delicious homemade wonton soup. We had a large bowl of it as a meal (with lots of pork and wontons) but it would also make a great appetizer soup.
