Guess what today is, everybody? It's the coldest November day in Orléans since 1953. It's five degrees outside! The ground is covered with snow that melted into slush and refroze, the buses have come to screeching (and skidding) halt, and I'm wearing every sweater I have, wrapped up in every blanket I have, chain-sipping a mug of hot tea.
In other words: It's a soup day!
Fortunately, I have the perfect soup recipe. I've been making this soup once or twice a week for about a month now, but I haven't posted the recipe because it just doesn't seem like a real recipe. The ingredients change every time! Sometimes quite drastically! And I've never actually quantified any of the ingredients! But the basic structure stays the same each time, and it has never - not EVER - been a disappointment, so I felt that I had to share. Also? It tastes approximately ten times richer than it actually is. Seriously. Don't let the cream scare you away. This is an everyday kind of a soup.
I had no idea what to call this soup. Technically, it's not really leftover soup. It's "this is in my farmer's basket and I have no idea what else to do with it" soup, but since weekly baskets of fresh, organic produce are not a natural occurrence for everybody (I'm sorry. I wish they were a natural occurrence for everybody), we're going to go with Leftover Soup. Or, more precisely, White Leftover Soup.
The system is this: take whatever leftover whitish vegetables you have on hand and make soup with them. This can include - but is not limited to - any combination of: potatoes, onions, rutabaga, leeks, cabbage, parsnips, cauliflower, and celeriac*. All of those together would be spectacular. Any two of those are just fine. When I started making the soup, I thought that potatoes would have to be a staple in each one. Then I made a leek-potato-parsnip soup and realized too late that I was out of potatoes and surprise! Potatoes are not indispensable!
So: choose your whitish vegetables, in whatever portions you find them in your crisper. Peel where applicable. Chop roughly. Dump into a pot of 2-4 cups of boiling water along with a chicken or vegetable bouillon cube. Simmer until everything is tender. Let cool a bit, then puree it in small batches in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender. Add 3/4 cup cream or half-and-half and reheat. Salt and pepper to taste. Add some crumbled bacon if you feel fancy, or extra hungry, or just to give yourself something to chew on.
Thus far I have tried this with the following combinations, each one as delicious as the next:
potato+leek
leek+parsnip
potato+parsnip+onion
potato+onion
potato+onion+celeriac
cabbage+potato+onion
potato+cauliflower+onion+celeriac
The possibilities are truly endless.
*A note about celeriac: it is the best vegetable ever! I discovered celeriac a few weeks ago and we're still in that honeymoon phase. I think that phase is going to last. It's amazing! It's everything I love about celery, densely compacted, and purged of everything I hate about celery! Namely: it is full of that spicy, celery-like flavor but completely void of that chlorophyll taste that celery stalks have. And with no stringy fibers. And without that unpleasant explosion of water when you bite into it that makes the whole thing taste like...well, like watered-down celery. Celeriac has the wonderful celery flavor (that I spent most of my life not realizing that I liked, because it had always been nastily concealed inside a stalk of celery) in ROOT form! A root that can be stored for long periods of time, unlike wilt-happy stalks of celery! A root that is easy to peel and chop, that yeilds lovely consistent chunks of something that resembles a potato but tastes like THE BEST CELERY EVER. It can be used everywhere that celery can - except, maybe, with peanut butter, but that's a snack that's always perplexed the hell out of me, so no loss - and many places that celery can't. It's amazing in soups, it's fantastic in chicken salad, and...well, that's all I've used it for so far, but it was SO GOOD, people!
Okay. I'm done now. Go buy some celeriac!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes
Twice-baked potatoes are one of my all-time favorite foods, as are regular-baked sweet potatoes. That it's taken me until the age of nearly 23 to think of combining these two foods casts significant doubt on the cooking abilities of which I've always been rather proud.
I mean, it's not even an original idea. You can find recipes for twice-baked sweet potatoes EVERYWHERE. Except, until today, on this blog.
Which is a cryin' shame. Because twice-baked sweet potatoes? Are every bit as awesome as you think they are. If you don't think they sound awesome at all, then they are SIGNIFICANTLY MORE awesome than you think they are.
You should try these potatoes, is what I'm trying to say.
This isn't really a recipe. It's a suggestion and an imperative and some vague instructions. Such as:
Seriously. Serve these potatoes for lunch, dinner, side dish, or dessert. You can't go wrong.
I mean, it's not even an original idea. You can find recipes for twice-baked sweet potatoes EVERYWHERE. Except, until today, on this blog.
Which is a cryin' shame. Because twice-baked sweet potatoes? Are every bit as awesome as you think they are. If you don't think they sound awesome at all, then they are SIGNIFICANTLY MORE awesome than you think they are.
You should try these potatoes, is what I'm trying to say.
This isn't really a recipe. It's a suggestion and an imperative and some vague instructions. Such as:
- Bake some sweet potatoes. As many as you like. Rub a bit of oil or bacon grease on them (not too much! just a little!), stab them with a fork a few times (this will be surprisingly difficult, if you're not used to stabbing sweet potatoes), and stick them in a 350-400 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. See? Vague. You want them to be tender, is what you're going for here.
- Slice them in half (carefully! Don't let the skins rip in half!) and scoop out the guts (carefully! Don't let the skins rip in half!).
- Put the guts in a bowl with some stuff. Suggestions for stuff include: bacon, sour cream, cheese (I used cheddar and Gouda because it's what I had in the fridge and oh my, this was a good idea), chives, spices (Cayenne pepper for a nice kick) and anything else you might like.
- Mix up the stuff and pile it back into the skins that you didn't rip. Put them back in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is all melty and the tops are just sliiiighly crusty.
Seriously. Serve these potatoes for lunch, dinner, side dish, or dessert. You can't go wrong.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tofu Parmesan
Don't turn your nose up! This is awesome, really!
The trick is to freeze the tofu:
Step 1: Drain the tofu well. (Cut it into three chunks, place it on a paper towel-lined plate, put more paper towels on top, another plate, and then a jar/can to weight it. I wait about 20 minutes, then change the paper towels out and do it again.)
Step 2: Wrap the tofu in plastic wrap and chuck it in the freezer overnight.
Step 3: Take it out of the freezer several hours before you want to use it. You can thaw it in the microwave on defrost.
Step 4: More draining! Slice the tofu into whatever shape you want (for this recipe, slices about a 1/4" thick), then press firmly with paper towels until it is quite dry.
Now that your have your frozen/thawed slices, here's the loosely-prepared recipe:
1 block extra firm tofu, prepared as above
bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
flour
parmesan cheese, grated
2 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
1/2 t garlic powder
salt & pepper
olive oil
8 oz tomato sauce
4 oz shredded mozzarella
First, you'll need to fry up your tofu slices. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix up some bread crumbs with a bit of parmesan, salt and pepper, and any herbage you like.
Lightly dredge each slice of tofu in flour, then dip in the egg wash, then cover with the bread crumb mixture. Pan fry until crunchy. Try not to eat too many pieces before assemblage.
Mix your tomato sauce with the oregano, basil, garlic powder and some salt and pepper. You can use a canned pasta sauce, if you like. I've tried it both ways and found I actually preferred the tangy-ness you get from the plain tomato sauce method. Let this sit for at least fifteen minutes. (I swear, you'll get better flavour if you let it sit.)
In a baking pan, layer sauce/tofu/mozz until everything runs out, making sure you end with a nice layer of cheese. Sprinkle a layer of parmesan over the top and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until nice and bubbly.
I like to serve this with some pasta and garlic bread. And I've made myself really hungry thinking about it.
The trick is to freeze the tofu:
Step 1: Drain the tofu well. (Cut it into three chunks, place it on a paper towel-lined plate, put more paper towels on top, another plate, and then a jar/can to weight it. I wait about 20 minutes, then change the paper towels out and do it again.)
Step 2: Wrap the tofu in plastic wrap and chuck it in the freezer overnight.
Step 3: Take it out of the freezer several hours before you want to use it. You can thaw it in the microwave on defrost.
Step 4: More draining! Slice the tofu into whatever shape you want (for this recipe, slices about a 1/4" thick), then press firmly with paper towels until it is quite dry.
Now that your have your frozen/thawed slices, here's the loosely-prepared recipe:
1 block extra firm tofu, prepared as above
bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
flour
parmesan cheese, grated
2 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
1/2 t garlic powder
salt & pepper
olive oil
8 oz tomato sauce
4 oz shredded mozzarella
First, you'll need to fry up your tofu slices. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix up some bread crumbs with a bit of parmesan, salt and pepper, and any herbage you like.
Lightly dredge each slice of tofu in flour, then dip in the egg wash, then cover with the bread crumb mixture. Pan fry until crunchy. Try not to eat too many pieces before assemblage.
Mix your tomato sauce with the oregano, basil, garlic powder and some salt and pepper. You can use a canned pasta sauce, if you like. I've tried it both ways and found I actually preferred the tangy-ness you get from the plain tomato sauce method. Let this sit for at least fifteen minutes. (I swear, you'll get better flavour if you let it sit.)
In a baking pan, layer sauce/tofu/mozz until everything runs out, making sure you end with a nice layer of cheese. Sprinkle a layer of parmesan over the top and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until nice and bubbly.
I like to serve this with some pasta and garlic bread. And I've made myself really hungry thinking about it.
Monday, September 13, 2010
French Onion Soup
If I were making a list of my top ten favourite foods, French Onion Soup would be one of them. Since it's always made with beef broth, I'm not able to order it anywhere. It's about time I made my own.
1 pound sweet yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used my mandolin to get neat, even slices.)
1 quart broth (Beef broth is traditional. I replaced it with vegetable broth, and if you do the same, I recommend breaking out the good stuff. You could certainly make your own. I used the vegetable Better Than Boullion - it was great, and I bet their no-beef broth would be awesome here.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t sugar (You may want to use less, depending on how salty your broth is. Mine was quite salty.)
olive oil, salt and pepper
Loaf of baguette-type bread
Cheese (Gruyere is traditional. I used swiss, because it was what I had on hand.)
Cook the onions in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften but not brown. Add a couple dashes each of salt and pepper, and the sugar, and cook about 15-20 minutes more, stirring frequently, until the onions are dark, soft and very sweet. Add the garlic and the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes.
While there is simmering, there is time to contemplate the serving of your soup. Take your baguette and cut it, on a bias, into slices roughly 1" thick. Shave or shred enough cheese to cover each piece of bread. Now, you can serve the soup in the "traditional" fashion, or the "lazy/I-don't-have-any-oven-safe-bowls" fashion. Your choice.
Traditional: Once the soup is ready, ladle it into oven-safe bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of bread large enough to cover the top, and a handful of cheese. Place these under the broiler until bubbly.
The Way I Serve It: Lay the baguette slices out on a cookie sheet and mist them with olive oil. Then, either rub a halved garlic clove all over them, or sprinkle liberally with powdered garlic. Top each slice with a bit of cheese, then place under the broiler for a few minutes, until everything is bubbly and browning. Ladle up the soup, and float a slice or two of cheesy bread on top.
1 pound sweet yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used my mandolin to get neat, even slices.)
1 quart broth (Beef broth is traditional. I replaced it with vegetable broth, and if you do the same, I recommend breaking out the good stuff. You could certainly make your own. I used the vegetable Better Than Boullion - it was great, and I bet their no-beef broth would be awesome here.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t sugar (You may want to use less, depending on how salty your broth is. Mine was quite salty.)
olive oil, salt and pepper
Loaf of baguette-type bread
Cheese (Gruyere is traditional. I used swiss, because it was what I had on hand.)
Cook the onions in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften but not brown. Add a couple dashes each of salt and pepper, and the sugar, and cook about 15-20 minutes more, stirring frequently, until the onions are dark, soft and very sweet. Add the garlic and the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes.
While there is simmering, there is time to contemplate the serving of your soup. Take your baguette and cut it, on a bias, into slices roughly 1" thick. Shave or shred enough cheese to cover each piece of bread. Now, you can serve the soup in the "traditional" fashion, or the "lazy/I-don't-have-any-oven-safe-bowls" fashion. Your choice.
Traditional: Once the soup is ready, ladle it into oven-safe bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of bread large enough to cover the top, and a handful of cheese. Place these under the broiler until bubbly.
The Way I Serve It: Lay the baguette slices out on a cookie sheet and mist them with olive oil. Then, either rub a halved garlic clove all over them, or sprinkle liberally with powdered garlic. Top each slice with a bit of cheese, then place under the broiler for a few minutes, until everything is bubbly and browning. Ladle up the soup, and float a slice or two of cheesy bread on top.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Lemon Dill Green Beans
I just happened to throw this veggie dish together one day when I was tired of just the same old green beans. I just started by throwing in a little of this and a little of that and never measured anything, and this is what I came up with.
What you will need (amount obviously varies depending on how much you want to make)
*Frozen (or fresh) green beans. I've done this with the mixed bag of green and yellow beans and turns out good to.
*EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) a generous amount
*Butter (the fake butter works too) a couple table spoons
*lemon juice (fresh or bottled doesn't matter) a good squeeze
*Onion (amount all depends on how much you like onion, I usually use about 1/2 of one) sweet red onions works best but I have used white as well. Sliced in nice sized chunks (or smaller if you like)
*Dill weed (fresh or dried)
*Garlic powder (or fresh)
*Salt
Basically all I do is throw everything into a skillet and cook it on medium heat until the onions and green beans start to turn brown, not very pretty but you get more flavor this way (you can cook them for less time if you like them crunchy) . They will be soft when they are done. The end result isn't very great on looks, but it's full of flavor and thus ends the boring old green beans that so many people are used to. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
What you will need (amount obviously varies depending on how much you want to make)
*Frozen (or fresh) green beans. I've done this with the mixed bag of green and yellow beans and turns out good to.
*EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) a generous amount
*Butter (the fake butter works too) a couple table spoons
*lemon juice (fresh or bottled doesn't matter) a good squeeze
*Onion (amount all depends on how much you like onion, I usually use about 1/2 of one) sweet red onions works best but I have used white as well. Sliced in nice sized chunks (or smaller if you like)
*Dill weed (fresh or dried)
*Garlic powder (or fresh)
*Salt
Basically all I do is throw everything into a skillet and cook it on medium heat until the onions and green beans start to turn brown, not very pretty but you get more flavor this way (you can cook them for less time if you like them crunchy) . They will be soft when they are done. The end result isn't very great on looks, but it's full of flavor and thus ends the boring old green beans that so many people are used to. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Friday, May 28, 2010
No Time For Bierocks
Do you ever crave bierocks? Wait - maybe that's just me. I really like bierocks, but they take time to make. I don't have an excess of bierock-making hours in my life. So, I cheat. And the result is quite tasty. Here you go:
Bake some fresh rolls. Brown some ground beef and simmer it with a bag of shredded cabbage, a chopped onion, a cup of water, and lots of salt, pepper, garlic. Eat the rolls and the meat mixture together.
The above recipe just sounds too simple to be trusted, doesn't it? Ok, I'll fluff it up a bit. Same ingredients, more words:
First, put some frozen roll dough to rise. Or, if you're really pressed for time, use the frozen pan rolls that you just pop into the oven. But buy a good, "homemade" type brand, not a simple brown-and-serve that you find in the bread aisle. Now, brown a pound or two of ground beef in your largest skillet. I use a 12-inch skillet. If you don't have a large one, use a Dutch oven. Brown the meat well, so that some of it actually turns brown - it will have a much better flavor than if you were to just stir the beef around until it's sort of wet-cement-colored. Next, add one onion, diced. Then dump in a bag of shredded cabbage. I prefer to use the "coleslaw blend" because it contains a bit of shredded carrot, too. This will take up all the room in your skillet, but don't worry, it will cook down. Sprinkle the mound of cabbage liberally with salt and garlic powder, grab the pepper grinder and be generous with it, then add a cup of water. Slap on the lid, lower the heat to a simmer, stir occasionally. When the cabbage is almost tender, put the rolls into the oven to bake. Check the ground beef-cabbage mixture, taste it, and add more salt and pepper to taste. To serve, simply scoop a mound of the yummy meat mixture into a freshly baked roll and enjoy.
There, that's it! Now you can't say that you have no time for bierocks.
Bake some fresh rolls. Brown some ground beef and simmer it with a bag of shredded cabbage, a chopped onion, a cup of water, and lots of salt, pepper, garlic. Eat the rolls and the meat mixture together.
The above recipe just sounds too simple to be trusted, doesn't it? Ok, I'll fluff it up a bit. Same ingredients, more words:
First, put some frozen roll dough to rise. Or, if you're really pressed for time, use the frozen pan rolls that you just pop into the oven. But buy a good, "homemade" type brand, not a simple brown-and-serve that you find in the bread aisle. Now, brown a pound or two of ground beef in your largest skillet. I use a 12-inch skillet. If you don't have a large one, use a Dutch oven. Brown the meat well, so that some of it actually turns brown - it will have a much better flavor than if you were to just stir the beef around until it's sort of wet-cement-colored. Next, add one onion, diced. Then dump in a bag of shredded cabbage. I prefer to use the "coleslaw blend" because it contains a bit of shredded carrot, too. This will take up all the room in your skillet, but don't worry, it will cook down. Sprinkle the mound of cabbage liberally with salt and garlic powder, grab the pepper grinder and be generous with it, then add a cup of water. Slap on the lid, lower the heat to a simmer, stir occasionally. When the cabbage is almost tender, put the rolls into the oven to bake. Check the ground beef-cabbage mixture, taste it, and add more salt and pepper to taste. To serve, simply scoop a mound of the yummy meat mixture into a freshly baked roll and enjoy.
There, that's it! Now you can't say that you have no time for bierocks.
Orange-Cheese Danish
Soooo easy. And soooo good.
What you'll need:
2 (3 oz. ea.) pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 can refrigerated Orange rolls (house brand or Pillsbury)
reserved icing from rolls
2 to 4 Tablespoons sliced or slivered almonds (optional)
What you'll do:
Mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, milk, and almond extract in a smallish bowl. Separate the dough into strips and place on a lightly greased or sprayed cookie sheet. Put the strips side-by-side, with the cinnamon mostly facing up. Spread the cream cheese mixture across the center of the dough strips, leaving a few inches on each side bare. Now, bring the ends of the dough strips to almost meet each other over the cream cheese. Just fold them over gently. Don't press down. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow the dough to cool for 5 or 6 minutes, then drizzle with the orange frosting. Sprinkle with almonds, if desired. Serve warm.
What you'll need:
2 (3 oz. ea.) pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 can refrigerated Orange rolls (house brand or Pillsbury)
reserved icing from rolls
2 to 4 Tablespoons sliced or slivered almonds (optional)
What you'll do:
Mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, milk, and almond extract in a smallish bowl. Separate the dough into strips and place on a lightly greased or sprayed cookie sheet. Put the strips side-by-side, with the cinnamon mostly facing up. Spread the cream cheese mixture across the center of the dough strips, leaving a few inches on each side bare. Now, bring the ends of the dough strips to almost meet each other over the cream cheese. Just fold them over gently. Don't press down. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow the dough to cool for 5 or 6 minutes, then drizzle with the orange frosting. Sprinkle with almonds, if desired. Serve warm.
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