Beef stock is the miracle ingredient

Even if you are cooking chicken. When I was growing up, my parents would frequently roast a chicken for Sunday dinner with a lot of root veggies alongside it in the pan. I had a really bad stomachache the other day, but still needed to eat something to keep my blood sugar up. Voila.

Quick chicken stew

Serves 2-3

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry

2 cups beef stock

4 tbsp. tomato paste

3 carrots, peeled and washed

3 celery stalks, washed and ends trimmed

1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 leek, stem and top removed, rinsed and sliced into large pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Chop vegetables into large pieces and place in the bottom of a dutch oven. Add garlic. Add chicken on top and drizzle liberally with olive oil. Dissolve tomato paste in the beef stock in a bowl, then pour on top of the chicken and veggies. Season with salt and pepper (and some fresh thyme if you can get your hands on it this time of year). Put lid on, place in the center of the oven, and cook for about 40-45 minutes or until chicken juices run clean when you pierce the breast with a fork, and the vegetables are tender.

I am so glad this one worked out

Light french toast. Doesn't taste like it! This made me able to face the heavy, wet snow in my driveway waiting to be shoveled yesterday morning.

Kira's french toast

Serves one

2 slices of multigrain/whole grain sandwich bread

1/2 cup skim milk (organic makes it taste richer than regular)

2 egg whites

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest

Combine milk, egg whites, zest and spices in a bowl and whisk to mix. Dip each slice of bread, one at a time, in the mixture until it has soaked up the liquid like a sponge. Fry in a dry non-stick pan over medium heat until browned and crisp on the outside, tender on the inside (it should take a few minutes on each side). Serve with plenty of Grade B maple syrup.

Golden delicious

What I would have done if I had goat cheese on hand. I made the beets without the cheese and dressing and they were delicious and simple.

Golden beet and goat cheese salad

-4 golden beets, rinsed, drained and peeled

-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for roasting the beets

-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

-1/2 tbsp. brown sugar (light or dark is okay)

-1/2 tsp. dried or fresh thyme

-Salt and pepper

-4 oz. goat cheese (chevre - I use a pink peppercorn-encrusted one), crumbled

-1/2 baguette, toasted and sliced into points

Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Thinly slice beets and arrange on a roasting pan. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown at the edges and fork-tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, cider vinegar, thyme, brown sugar and a little salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk well to combine. To plate, pile a generous portion of the beets in the middle of a plate. Top with about 1 oz. goat cheese and drizzle with a little of the dressing. Serve with the toasted baguette points.

Kale! Not in soup!

I had my old (Southern) neighbors over for dinner last night, and when I realized that I was braising a dark green leafy veggie without a ham hock or bacon, I rifled through my pantry and fridge wondering what I did have to make it special. Because I had people who really, really know their greens coming to eat.

I'm an honorary Southerner now.

Braised kale

-1 lb. lacinato kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped

-3/4 cup beef stock

-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flake

-Freshly ground black pepper to taste

-Extra virgin olive oil

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-Juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed (optional)

Heat a little olive oil (about 2 tbsp.) over medium head in a large flat pan. Add the garlic but do not let it brown. Add the kale and cover with a lid. When the kale begins to wilt, add a little beef stock and stir. When the liquid has absorbed, add a little more stock. Repeat until kale is very soft, tender and has reduced its volume more than half. Add red pepper flake and lemon juice (if using). Stir and let cook for just two more minutes and serve immediately.

A signature

Apparently I make decent guacamole for a gringa.

Guacamole

-4 ripe avocados, removed from their skins and pitted

-Juice of 2-3 large limes (buy limes with thin peels and a lot of give - they will yield the most juice)

-1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

-1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced

-1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

-1/2 red onion, finely chopped

-Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mash avocados with a fork. Add lime juice (start with 2 limes and add additional juice if needed) until you have the right tang. Add remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. It is important to add a little salt - it really wakes the flavor up! Mix well and serve.

Buttery-nut (winter version)

It was absolutely disgusting outside today. It wasn't that cold, but it was raining steadily. I slipped and fell in my driveway and it kind of set the tone for feeling waterlogged all day. I knew I had to make soup at some point. As you may remember, I made my Italian style butternut squash soup in the fall, using pancetta and sage. Here's the winter version:

Butternut squash, kale and chipotle stew

-2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into small pieces

-2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

-1 lb. kale, stems removed and chopped

-1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

-2-3 cloves garlic, peeled

-1 leek, sliced in half lengthwise, rinsed and cut into 1/2" pieces

-2 15 oz. cans white beans

-Either 2 chipotle peppers, stems removed (and seeds too depending on how hot you want the stew to be) or chipotle hot sauce to taste

-1/2 lb. chicken or veggie sausage, cooked and cooled, cut into 1/2" slices

-Olive oil

-Salt and pepper

-Queso fresco or mild cheddar for serving

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Finely mince garlic and add it, leeks and the onion. Sweat vegetables for a few minutes, then add the butternut squash pieces. Cook for several minutes until the squash softens, and then add chicken stock, white beans and sausage. Season with a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes-1 hour until squash is very tender. Add kale and chipotles. When kale is wilted, soup is ready. Top with some grated cheese to balance the spice.

This one's for GJ

My dad is affectionately known as "Gourmet John" for his love of and skill at cooking, or GJ for short. He's made up all kinds of wonderful recipes over the years, and this week, I put a twist on one of my favorites (and named it - it used to be known as "that dish with the turkey and spaghetti sauce and cheese on the mushrooms"). It's simple to make and so good:

Portobellos GJ

Serves 4

-4 portobello mushroom caps, stems removed and wiped clean

-1 bag frozen organic spinach

-1 jar of marinara sauce (or homemade if you can, about 3-4 cups)

-1 lb. ground turkey breast

-1 fresh ovoline mozzarella, sliced into 1/2" thick pieces

-1/2 tsp. oregano (fresh or dried)

-1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks

-Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

Brush mushrooms with olive oil and set aside. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown turkey. Add sauce, oregano, yellow pepper and a little salt and pepper and reduce heat. Let simmer until peppers are tender. Add spinach and cook until thawed and incorporated into the sauce. Place slices of mozzarella directly on top of the sauce and let them melt. Remove from heat.

Heat a grill pan (or a grill, if you're lucky enough to have one!) and grill mushroom caps until they release their juices and you've got some good grill marks going. Time will vary depending on where you cook them. When they're done, plate 1 per person, topped with about a cup of the turkey-sauce-mozzarella mixture.