Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

Lately, it's summer temps one day and snowing the next.  With the unpredictable weather, we've  been keeping our weekly menus light and versatile. 

This soup, adapted from a Williams Sonoma recipe, was a hit in our household recently.  Bonus points when accompanied by a slice of crusty bread from your favorite local bakery.

2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced into 1/2 inch piece
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
1 lb. broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup spinach leaves
6 oz. white cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbs. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish if desired
2 pinches of cayenne pepper, more to taste


In a large pot, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and a few pinches of salt. Cook, until the onion is aromatic and tender, 8 to 10 minutes.


Increase the heat to high. Add the broccoli, stock, a few pinches of salt and black pepper and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove about 1 cup broccoli from the pot and let cool.
Add the spinach, cheddar, the 2 Tbs. Parmigiano-Reggiano and the cayenne to the pot. Using an immersion blender, blend on the highest setting until the soup is pureed.

Cut the reserved broccoli into 1/2-inch pieces. Pour the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano and the broccoli pieces. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Love Beets

Or, really, for me they should be called Lazy Beets since they contain all the deliciousness of fresh-roasted beets without the hassle of peeling and cooking them.  The tasty flavors are a bonus!
Your local WFM should carry Love Beets by the pre-cut fruit. Perfect to throw on salads, sandwiches, or toss with crumbled goat cheese! Yum!

PW's Hot Chocolate

I'm battling a serious post-holidays cold here, and nothing sounds better to me right now than the Pioneer Woman's Hot Chocolate.
If only I had all the ingredients here at home.....

Skinny Soup

My go-to meal for cooler weather is soup.  This lightened up version of an old-school classic hit our menu plans last week.  At 300 calories per serving, it was a hit!



Light French Onion Soup

2 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp unsalted butter (I have also used OO)
2 tbsp flour
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme 
1/4 cup Cognac/brandy
1/4 cup white wine
9 cups light beef stock
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
sliced, toasted, crusty bread (Italian, etc)
sliced RF swiss or gruyere cheese(if you can find it)


In a large pot, sauté the onions with the butter, until soft and golden, about 20 minutes. Add flour, mixing well another 2-3 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaf,  wine and brandy, and simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes.


Add the beef stock, salt & pepper to your liking, reduce heat. Cover and simmer gently for about 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf and ladle 1.5 cups soup into oven-safe bowls or cups. Place bowls on a baking sheet. Place sliced toasted bread on top of soup and top bread with cheese. Broil 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is golden.

Fall Cheese Board

It's been perfect weather lately to stay inside, light a fire, pour some vino, and enjoy something like this.....

Crock Pot Habits

After a good ten years of being advised to utilize a crock pot, I have finally paid heed.  Last night we had sausage and pepper pasta and tortilla soup is on the menu tonight.  I am obsessed with this thing.  So my question is...do you leave your crock pot unattended?  All day?  Usually I'm home but I left it for a while today without really worrying about it.  However, some people do (and, admittedly, that is one of the reasons I never used it in the past).  They say it uses as much electricity as a lightbulb, but I don't put a gallon of liquid in my lamps...

Dinner Tonight

excuse the camera phone photo
Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas....Yum.

Tailgate Recap

Charlottesville ushered in Fall weather this weekend, and the 'Hoos added another win to their record.

The tailgate was a win, per usual. This week, our menu included:
Crudite with hummus and spinach dip
Fresh Fruit
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Traditional 7 Layer Dip with 6 layers (we are not an olive loving group)
Cedar Planked Grilled Brie with Peach Chutney
Pork, Veggie, and Chicken Kabobs
Pasta Salad with Feta and Roasted Peppers
Cornbread
Apple Slab Pie
Other assorted desserts, and, of course, cocktails!

Hurricane Irene Party

We housed a few hurricane "evacuees" over the weekend.  Cue impromptu dinner party, completely comprised of items we already had in the house.  Not too bad!

We started with baked brie topped with onion jam, rosemary, and pecans, as well as peppered goat cheese, served with flatbread and Trader Joe's Raisin Rosemary Crisps.  Drinks included Pimm's Royales and Pumpkin Ale.



Dinner came together to featured oven-roasted garlicky broccoli, a salad highlighting tomatoes from our garden, and Peach-Whiskey Barbecue Chicken (with a few modifications) over Israeli CousCous.   Red and white wines from Napa were served, as well.
All in all, not too bad!

Distracted by Irene

Farrell and I have been glued to the hurricane coverage today.  With family and friends up and down the east coast and the crazy possibility of a NYC evacuation, we can't turn away.  However, I did take a little time to make my weekly blueberry and peach crumble, adapted from this Barefoot Contessa Recipe.  Here are the differences between her recipe and mine:

For the fruit:
  • 1/4 cup of sugar instead of a 1/2 cup (which I found to be too sweet)
  • About two tablespoons of brown sugar
  • A good sprinkling of cinnamon
For the crumble (I completely scratched her crumble- it seems like a lot of work):
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • Whatever amount of butter you like, cubed (I probably use about two tablespoons)
  • More cinnamon if you like
Mash the crumble ingredients all together with a fork/potato masher/whatever works and sprinkle on top of the fruit.  Here are some pictures of the deliciousness in progress.


I just bake in a regular dish.
Now, back to the news.

Heirloom Tomato Pie

In an effort to use some of the bumper crop of tomatoes our garden is yielding (we started the weekend with 23 in the fridge, and are down to 9 thanks to this and a few other recipes), I made this Tomato Pie/Tart this weekend for a lunch gathering I hosted.  I made a few modifications based on what I had on hand, and it was a big hit.  I think we'll be seeing it served around here again soon....


Ingredients


1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons shredded manchego cheese (I used Fontina because I had it on hand)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 1/4 pounds mixed heirloom tomatoes

Kosher salt

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used fat free)

3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme  (I used basil because our garden is producing it at a rapid rate)

Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Make the crust: Pulse the flour, cornmeal and fine salt in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and 3 tablespoons manchego; pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of butter. Drizzle in 4 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough comes together; add 1 more tablespoon ice water if necessary. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.

Put the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 13-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate. Fold the overhang under itself and crimp the edges. Pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line the crust with foil, then fill with dried beans. Bake until the edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and continue baking until golden all over, 10 to 15 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Make the filling: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Meanwhile, thinly slice the tomatoes; toss with 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a colander. Let drain, gently tossing occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Combine the remaining 3/4 cup manchego, the mozzarella, mayonnaise, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons each chives and parsley, the thyme, 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper, and the sauteed onion in a bowl. Spread in the crust. Arrange the tomatoes on top. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with pepper. Bake until the tomatoes are browned, about 50 minutes. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon each chives and parsley.



The end of summer produce...

Summer is winding down here in New York and I'm trying to take advantage of the ease of throwing some vegetables together for dinner. Last week I picked up one yellow squash and one zucchini without really knowing what to do with them. After a little research I found this recipe for yellow squash ribbons on the Cooking Light website. The result was a colorful step away from the veggies we normally eat. I also made another new favorite- steamed green beans with a dash of olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Yum. What vegetables are you eating now? And what are you looking forward to as the season changes? I can't wait to experiment with apple crisp.

Hot Recipe for Hot Days

Not like anyone needs any more heat these days, but if you are interested, this lightened up version of stuffed jalapenos is great.  It's an easy, make ahead recipe, and a little bacon never hurt anyone.  Just throw them on the grill right before your company arrives!

**If you are going to make 20+ of these like I did, I would recommend wearing gloves while de-seeding the peppers.  Otherwise, when you attempt to put your contact lenses in a few hours later, you will be in for a serious surprise.

Cville City Market




I've posted about our local farmer's market before, but finally remembered to take some (phone-quality) photos this past weekend. 

Going to the market is one of our favorite summer Saturday morning pastimes when we are in town-- usually motivated by the want for something delicious for breakfast  (Mexican food at 8am, anyone?  Don't mind if I do!).  We like to head over there early - sans shower - before it gets too hot and too crowded.  I enjoy buying local produce when I can, although I am not fanatical about it (I won't lie and tell you I don't go to Sam's club for bulk TP or buy milk at my local grocery store), and the market makes that easy.

Enjoy some shots from around the market!
$10 for this large Mason jar of purple and blue hydrangeas.  6 days later, they still look great on my mantle!

Tequila peppers and Blanco peppers (google them).  We grilled up some Tequila peppers and put them on a grilled pizza Saturday night.  Delish!

Japanese eggplant
Jalapenos and tomatillos.  Jalapenos were transformed into grilled stuffed jalapenos for Sunday Porch Drinks.
Local peaches -- used in salads earlier this week.
The famous "Mexican Tacos" (insert inside joke).  Chicken quesadilla and chicken tamale featured here.
Pitty Pan Squash.  SO good on the grill.
Casual yoga in the middle of the market.  NBD.
Wildflowers, $6 a bunch.

Too Hot to Cook

With temps reaching the triple digits this week, slaving over a hot stove or grill is not high on my list. 
Inspired by a salad a friend told me about last week, we whipped this together last night.
Perfect summery deliciousness, eaten on the porch.


Field greens, cucumbers from our garden, peaches and heirloom cherry tomatoes from the Farmer's Market, thinly sliced red onion, shredded faux rotisserie chicken, goat cheese crumbles, and homemade raspberry balsamic dressing.

Easy Summer App

Hosting a low-key summer get together (or porch drinks) and need an easy app?  Martha's Tomato Tartlets worked perfectly for me this afternoon.  Hers were a little prettier than mine, but they were delicious nonetheless and were quickly gobbled up on our back deck this afternoon. 


All-purpose flour, for rolling



1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed


2 1/2 ounces grated sharp white cheddar (2/3 cup packed)


3 medium tomatoes, cut into ten 1/4-inch-thick slices (I used heirloom tomatoes from our local farmers' market)


4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (I went with basil OO from Oil and Vinegar)


Ground pepper


1/3 cup small basil leaves, for serving


Directions


1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in upper and middle thirds. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll out puff pastry to a 14-by-16-inch rectangle. With a 4-inch cookie cutter, cut out 10 rounds and transfer to two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets; with a fork, prick each round all over. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese on each, leaving a 1/4-inch border, and top with 1 tomato slice. Brush with oil and season with pepper.

2.Bake until pastry is deep golden at edges, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let tartlets cool completely on a wire rack. To serve, top with basil.

Dirty foods here and there, dirty foods everywhere...

It seems that I can't click anywhere on the internet without being inundated with information about the dirty dozen, salmonella, and the dangers of e. coli.  There is always a segment about the dangers of raw eggs.  This has made me think the last few times I've baked.  When I was little I always licked the spoon when my mother was making cookies, muffins, etc.  When we were in college we ate raw cookie dough at least once per week.  But now I think twice about doing this, even though I love it.  Do you?  When did we all get so scared of raw eggs?

Sunday Night Ribs

Last night was a very successful meal at home, thanks to My Mama Made That from the Junior League of Hampton Roads.  This is far and away my favorite cookbook of the moment.  Everything is delicious, easy, and recognizable.  Some of the recipes may be things that you ate growing up but don't quite know how to make yourself.  Something I have noticed is that while Junior League cookbooks from the 80's have things I want to make, the ingredients are often outdated or unavailable in New York (Old English Cheese Spread?).  On the other hand, newer cookbooks often call for a loooong list of ingredients that I may not have in the kitchen and am unlikely to use again anytime soon.  My Mama Made That is the perfect solution- classic southern family recipes, slightly updated for the modern cook.


Half eaten ribs, roasted potatoes, baked vidalia onion.

Oven Baked Ribs (a summary)

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Put boneless beef short ribs in a shallow dish.  Cover with tin foil and bake for an hour.
  • Cover with barbecue sauce of your choice (I used bottled, but the cookbook has a recipe that I'll try next time).  Bake for another hour, still covered.
  • Remove tin foil.  Bake for 30 minutes, turning ribs and basting with sauce occasionally.

I can't wait to make these during football season.  Delicious!

Whole Paycheck

On Tuesday, a brand spanking new Whole Foods opened in my town, and a frenzy ensued.  As much as I would love to check it out, I'll wait at least a week to head over there, in the name of self-preservation. 

Admittedly, I've been stalking it on Facebook, and can't wait to check out the new features that our antiquated, 20+ year old Whole Foods just didn't offer:  a "pub" boasting 8 taps, mobile coffee bar, wood burning pizza oven, food trucks, etc.  It is so tempting to do all of our shopping there (and now go for dinner and drinks?), but it just isn't economical. 

Are there any staples that you insist on getting from stores like Whole Foods, Fresh Market, etc vs. the normal market?
the new store has part of the floor from the old UHall


amazing bulk foods area, including oils,spices, etc.