I am ready for fall which makes me think of soup. I got an email from Cuisine at Home with this soup recipe and decided to try it. I made it over 2 nights because I had a busy week and it worked beautifully.
I think you have to sign up with Cuisine at Home to get the recipes so here's the link if you're interested. http://www.cuisineathome.com/
Spinach Artichoke Soup my way
1 large leek, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 dry white wine
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 cup half and half
1 cup skim milk
5 ounces fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Saute leeks and garlic in olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat for about 2 minutes. Add chicken and artichokes and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in flour and continue cooking for about 1 minute.
Add white wine and simmer until nearly evaporated. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock, half and half and milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and and add spinach and cheese. Stir until spinach wilts. Add more stock if it too thick. Using a hand held blender chop up some of the spinach and other ingredients slightly. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.
This is a wonderful 1 pot meal. You could round it out with some crusty bread and fruit and a nice glass of wine. My current favorite is White 4 by Vina Robles in Paso Robles. It's a blend of Viognier, Verdelho,Vermentio and Sauvignon Blanc. Amazing! http://www.vinarobles.com/index.php
If you are going to make it over 2 nights do not add the chicken, spinach or Parmesan cheese the 1st night. Add those ingredients the 2nd night by bringing the soup to a simmer, then adding the chicken, spinach and cheese. Thin with more stock if necessary and blend slightly with a hand held blender. If you don't have one the original recipe did not call for this step. If you would like your soup creamier you could put the soup in a blender or food processor or chop the spinach and chicken finely before cooking. Either way the flavors are delicious and warming.
Enjoy!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Saffron, Pasta and Chicken oh my!
I have been struggling with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia lately which makes cooking after working difficult. The things I have cooked have not been blog worthy until tonight. Tonight we had a dish from Bon Appetit that I have been lusting after. I love saffron! It is from the September 2010 issue and is called Paccheri Pasta with Braised Chicken and Saffron Cream. Here's the link: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/09/paccheri_pasta_with_braised_chicken_and_saffron_cream
I started it last night because it takes almost 2 hours from beginning to end and I got home too late last night to make it and eat it. It was delicious as the flavors came together beautifully so don't hesitate to start a day ahead.
Pasta with Braised Chicken and Saffron Cream my way
4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
2 cups dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
2 cups (or more) chicken broth
1/2 pound pappardelle
1/2 cup half and half
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and cook until golden, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Add onions and garlic to drippings in skillet; sauté until onions are slightly softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add wine and saffron to skillet; bring to boil. Continue to boil until liquid is thickened and reduced by less than half, about 8 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth to skillet. Return chicken to skillet; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer gently until chicken is very tender (adjust heat to prevent boiling and turn chicken over after 30 minutes), about 1 hour total. At this point you can cool the chicken and refrigerate overnight or transfer chicken to plate and cool.
If you refrigerate overnight, remove chicken and sauce from refrigerator, discard any fat on the surface and slowly re-heat. Reserve skillet with juices. Remove bones from chicken and discard. Tear chicken meat into bite-size pieces and reserve.
Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return to pot.
Meanwhile, spoon off fat from juices in skillet; discard fat. Add half and half to juices in skillet and boil until sauce is reduced and is thick enough to coat spoon, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in vinegar, then chicken pieces. Stir over medium heat until heated through, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin sauce as needed and adding more vinegar by teaspoonfuls, if desired, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Transfer pasta to plates.
This is heart warming, comfort food. Enjoy!
I started it last night because it takes almost 2 hours from beginning to end and I got home too late last night to make it and eat it. It was delicious as the flavors came together beautifully so don't hesitate to start a day ahead.
Pasta with Braised Chicken and Saffron Cream my way
4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
2 cups dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
2 cups (or more) chicken broth
1/2 pound pappardelle
1/2 cup half and half
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and cook until golden, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Add onions and garlic to drippings in skillet; sauté until onions are slightly softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add wine and saffron to skillet; bring to boil. Continue to boil until liquid is thickened and reduced by less than half, about 8 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth to skillet. Return chicken to skillet; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer gently until chicken is very tender (adjust heat to prevent boiling and turn chicken over after 30 minutes), about 1 hour total. At this point you can cool the chicken and refrigerate overnight or transfer chicken to plate and cool.
If you refrigerate overnight, remove chicken and sauce from refrigerator, discard any fat on the surface and slowly re-heat. Reserve skillet with juices. Remove bones from chicken and discard. Tear chicken meat into bite-size pieces and reserve.
Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return to pot.
Meanwhile, spoon off fat from juices in skillet; discard fat. Add half and half to juices in skillet and boil until sauce is reduced and is thick enough to coat spoon, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in vinegar, then chicken pieces. Stir over medium heat until heated through, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin sauce as needed and adding more vinegar by teaspoonfuls, if desired, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Transfer pasta to plates.
This is heart warming, comfort food. Enjoy!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
More Roasted Vegetables
If you've been reading my blog at all you know I love roasted vegetables. I decided to make Salad Nicoise last night and realized I could roast all the vegetables together! Well, of course it was easy and delicious. So here is my slightly revised Salad Nicoise.
Roasted Vegetable Salad Nicoise
2 small cans of tuna packed in olive oil from Italy, drained
6-8 small red potatoes, halved or quartered into bite size pieces
several handfuls of green beans, trimmed and snapped
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut into pieces
1 pint assorted cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered into bite size pieces
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
kosher salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375-400 degrees. Toss all the vegetables together and drizzle with olive oil on jelly roll pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes. Check your vegetables, stir and spin pan in oven if necessary. Cook another 15 minutes and repeat until vegetables are soft and browned.
Toss vegetables with tuna and season with more olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Roasted Vegetable Salad Nicoise
2 small cans of tuna packed in olive oil from Italy, drained
6-8 small red potatoes, halved or quartered into bite size pieces
several handfuls of green beans, trimmed and snapped
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut into pieces
1 pint assorted cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered into bite size pieces
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
kosher salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375-400 degrees. Toss all the vegetables together and drizzle with olive oil on jelly roll pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes. Check your vegetables, stir and spin pan in oven if necessary. Cook another 15 minutes and repeat until vegetables are soft and browned.
Toss vegetables with tuna and season with more olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Spaghetti
Mike is from Tennessee (Go Vols!) and I'm from North Carolina (Go Tarheels!) and so we can relate to each other on many levels including food. So when he asked me to make spaghetti I knew exactly what he meant. When our moms made "spaghetti" they used ground beef and red sauce served over spaghetti noodles with Parmesan cheese (usually Kraft in the green can). I don't think my daughter would think of this if she heard I was serving spaghetti. Is it Southern or it is that we were growing up in the 60's and 70's. Whatever it is it's comfort food. As my cousin Elizabeth would say I've Californized this recipe. Bolognese this is not!
Mom's Spaghetti my way
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 box Pomi chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/3 cup dry red wine
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound dried spaghetti
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Saute onions until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and soft. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, anchovy paste and red wine. Stir and simmer over low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat water for the pasta. Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Drain. Toss pasta with the sauce and grate cheese over the top.
You can freeze any leftovers. Enjoy!
Mom's Spaghetti my way
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 box Pomi chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/3 cup dry red wine
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound dried spaghetti
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Saute onions until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and soft. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, anchovy paste and red wine. Stir and simmer over low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat water for the pasta. Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Drain. Toss pasta with the sauce and grate cheese over the top.
You can freeze any leftovers. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Ratatouille
One of my favorites things to make each summer is ratatouille. Luckily our summers have foggy days so I don't mind being in the kitchen with the oven going. Now is a good time to make it because all of the ingredients are so good! Good tomatoes are key to this dish. I've developed my own version over the years and even my somewhat eggplant phobic daughter likes this.
My Ratatouille
1 large eggplant, chopped
2 medium zucchini, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
lots of tomatoes, today I used about 1 pint large cherry tomatoes and 3 medium heirloom tomatoes, halved or chopped
Substitutions: summer squash, green, yellow or orange peppers, Japanese eggplants
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Make all the pieces of the vegetables about the same size. You will need a very large bowl or 2 large bowls to toss the vegetables in.
1/2 extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 large garlic cloves, pressed (I love garlic. Feel free to use less.)
1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Whisk all the ingredients together. Pour over chopped vegetables. Mix well.
Place the coated vegetables on a jelly roll pan. The pan will be heaped but the vegetables will cook down to about 1/3 of what you started with. As they cook they will release some juices but as they continue to cook and roast those juices will be absorbed and evaporate.
Cook for 20 minutes. Adjust heat if necessary. Stir the vegetables. Spin the pan if they are not cooking evenly. Cook for another 20 minutes and repeat until the vegetables are cooked down and become very soft and begin to caramelize, approximately 1 hour. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
Ratatouille is wonderful in crepes and omelettes or served along side grilled or roasted meats. I roasted bone in chicken thighs and made farro which I put under the ratatouille. It would be good with brown rice, pasta or roasted potatoes too.
Ratatouille is really good made in advance and improves the next few days as the flavors come together more. Some sort of alchemy occurs where the ingredients lose themselves and become part of something better. So even if you or someone in your family doesn't love eggplant or zucchini they might still like ratatouille.
I wish Abigail was here to eat with us but she is off to college in NYC learning to cook and fend for herself. Maybe she'll make ratatouille.
Enjoy!
My Ratatouille
1 large eggplant, chopped
2 medium zucchini, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
lots of tomatoes, today I used about 1 pint large cherry tomatoes and 3 medium heirloom tomatoes, halved or chopped
Substitutions: summer squash, green, yellow or orange peppers, Japanese eggplants
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Make all the pieces of the vegetables about the same size. You will need a very large bowl or 2 large bowls to toss the vegetables in.
1/2 extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 large garlic cloves, pressed (I love garlic. Feel free to use less.)
1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Whisk all the ingredients together. Pour over chopped vegetables. Mix well.
Place the coated vegetables on a jelly roll pan. The pan will be heaped but the vegetables will cook down to about 1/3 of what you started with. As they cook they will release some juices but as they continue to cook and roast those juices will be absorbed and evaporate.
Cook for 20 minutes. Adjust heat if necessary. Stir the vegetables. Spin the pan if they are not cooking evenly. Cook for another 20 minutes and repeat until the vegetables are cooked down and become very soft and begin to caramelize, approximately 1 hour. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
Ratatouille is wonderful in crepes and omelettes or served along side grilled or roasted meats. I roasted bone in chicken thighs and made farro which I put under the ratatouille. It would be good with brown rice, pasta or roasted potatoes too.
Ratatouille is really good made in advance and improves the next few days as the flavors come together more. Some sort of alchemy occurs where the ingredients lose themselves and become part of something better. So even if you or someone in your family doesn't love eggplant or zucchini they might still like ratatouille.
I wish Abigail was here to eat with us but she is off to college in NYC learning to cook and fend for herself. Maybe she'll make ratatouille.
Enjoy!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Happy Birthday!
Today is my birthday and Mike took me to Sonoma County. We stopped at Gloria Ferrer Winery and tasted champagne on the patio overlooking the vineyards and had some delicious spiced almonds. We especially loved the 1999 Carnenos Cuvee and bought a bottle.
Next we drove to the town of Sonoma and had lunch at The Girl and The Fig. We were seated on the outside patio-beautiful.
http://www.thegirlandthefig.com/
Mike and I both choose the Bistro Plat du Jour. Mike also got the wine flight to go with it. The first course was a Provencal tart with roasted tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil. The crust was like puff pastry and Mike's wine was a lovely rose. Delicious!
The next course was a lamb burger with arugula, heirloom tomato and smoked paprika aioli. It came with a delicious salad which I'll give you a recipe for later. The wine was a Mourvedre, perfect with the lamb.
Our last course was a choice of profiteroles with raspberry ice cream and a cheese plate. We got one of each. Mike basically ate all the profiteroles and I had the cheese which was spectacular. The cheeses were Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddar & Cypress Grove Bermuda Triangle Cheese and came with some slices of baguette, slices of apple, apple compote and candied nuts. The wine was a Bonny Doon Vinferno, especially good with the nuts. Heaven!
The salad was chickpea, cucumber and feta salad. Perfect with the lamb, cool and refreshing. Easy to make. I asked about the ingredients so I wouldn't miss anything.
The Girl & The Fig's chickpea, cucumber and feta salad
1 can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed or dried and cooked beans
1 English cucumber, rinsed and thinly sliced
~1/4 cup crumbled feta
drizzle of olive oil
That's it. These quantities are approximate. Toss together. Let sit for flavors to come together. Enjoy!
By the way, I've been out of commission lately due to rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia but I am coming back and will return with more recipes.
Next we drove to the town of Sonoma and had lunch at The Girl and The Fig. We were seated on the outside patio-beautiful.
http://www.thegirlandthefig.com/
Mike and I both choose the Bistro Plat du Jour. Mike also got the wine flight to go with it. The first course was a Provencal tart with roasted tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil. The crust was like puff pastry and Mike's wine was a lovely rose. Delicious!
The next course was a lamb burger with arugula, heirloom tomato and smoked paprika aioli. It came with a delicious salad which I'll give you a recipe for later. The wine was a Mourvedre, perfect with the lamb.
Our last course was a choice of profiteroles with raspberry ice cream and a cheese plate. We got one of each. Mike basically ate all the profiteroles and I had the cheese which was spectacular. The cheeses were Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddar & Cypress Grove Bermuda Triangle Cheese and came with some slices of baguette, slices of apple, apple compote and candied nuts. The wine was a Bonny Doon Vinferno, especially good with the nuts. Heaven!
The salad was chickpea, cucumber and feta salad. Perfect with the lamb, cool and refreshing. Easy to make. I asked about the ingredients so I wouldn't miss anything.
The Girl & The Fig's chickpea, cucumber and feta salad
1 can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed or dried and cooked beans
1 English cucumber, rinsed and thinly sliced
~1/4 cup crumbled feta
drizzle of olive oil
That's it. These quantities are approximate. Toss together. Let sit for flavors to come together. Enjoy!
By the way, I've been out of commission lately due to rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia but I am coming back and will return with more recipes.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
More friends vegetables
I had a yellow squash from a friends garden and wanted to try a recipe from Food & Wine:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-zucchini-with-ricotta-and-mint
I had stopped and picked up wild, local salmon and thought they'd be great together.
1 large yellow zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons ricotta
about 5 mint leaves, chopped
Preheat the oven to 375°. Combine zucchini, onion, tomatoes, olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on a large rimmed baking sheets. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is browned around the edges. Stir several times while cooking. Sprinkle the mixture with cumin.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Toss with the lemon juice, ricotta and chopped mint.
Enjoy!
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-zucchini-with-ricotta-and-mint
I had stopped and picked up wild, local salmon and thought they'd be great together.
1 large yellow zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons ricotta
about 5 mint leaves, chopped
Preheat the oven to 375°. Combine zucchini, onion, tomatoes, olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on a large rimmed baking sheets. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is browned around the edges. Stir several times while cooking. Sprinkle the mixture with cumin.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Toss with the lemon juice, ricotta and chopped mint.
Enjoy!
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