More soup, please!

Tonight's dinner experiment, based on what I had in the house:

Italian-ish Chicken Soup

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

-1 quart chicken stock

-2 tbsp. olive oil

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1 leek, rinsed, sliced vertically and chopped into 1/2" pieces (white and light green parts only)

-1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained

-1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained

-1 15 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes

-2 handfuls sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 35 minutes or until the juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife. Let cool.

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic and leeks and cook until translucent. Add fire-roasted tomatoes to deglaze the pan. Add stock, artichoke hearts, cannelloni beans and sundried tomatoes and let sauté for a few minutes, then add stock. Shred cooked chicken and add to the pot. Cover and simmer about 30-40 minutes.

Electric green, part deux

Chive oil

-1 small bunch chives, chopped

-1 cup good extra virgin olive oil

Blitz chives in food processor, then add olive oil in a steady stream with the motor running until you get a frothy emerald mixture.

Good as a marinade for fish, chicken, worked into a vinaigrette, or drizzled on fresh mozzarella.

Electric green soup

Artichokes are one of my favorite things to eat. I had a soup similar to this one at the local coop, read the ingredients on the board, then went home and figured out how to make it. It's worth it to use a yellow bell pepper as it keeps the soup a pretty electric green color.

Artichoke and goat cheese soup

-2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed well

-1 leek, stem and very top removed, rinsed well

-1 yellow bell pepper

-1 medium yellow onion

-2 smallish gold potatoes

-2 tbsp. olive oil

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1/2 quart chicken or vegetable stock

-4 oz. goat cheese

-Salt and pepper

-Chives, roughly chopped, for garnish

Chop all vegetables into small pieces. Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add garlic and brown. Add onions and leeks and sauté until tender. Add potatoes and bell pepper and sauté, lid on, for about 15 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and let cook for another 15-20 minutes, until all vegetables are very tender. Place vegetables in a food processor and with the motor running, add the stock in a steady stream until you have a smooth puree. Return soup to pot over a low heat and add salt and pepper to taste and goat cheese. Let goat cheese melt slowly into soup. Serve warm with chopped chives and a drizzle of olive oil over top.

A new favorite vegetable

I always hated brussels sprouts as a kid. My parents love them, and I only remember seeing them eat the little green things boiled. People have been telling me over the last few years that if you pan-sauté or roast them, they become an entirely new vegetable; a magically delicious thing.

I'm convinced now.

Roasted brussels sprouts, leeks and garlic

-1 lb. baby brussels sprouts

-2 leeks

-4 cloves garlic

-Salt and pepper

-Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and rinse sprouts and remove stems. Leave whole and place on a baking sheet. Cut stems and very tops off of leeks, cut in half lengthwise, and rinse well (leeks can sometimes be sandy or gritty). Then chop leeks into 1/2" pieces. Coarsely chop garlic, and add it and the leeks to the sprout pan. Drizzle liberally with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast until golden brown and sizzling, about 25-30 minutes.

Buttery-nut

I refined a butternut squash soup recipe today that I first concocted last fall. It's an Italian spin on an autumn classic, and I hope you enjoy it if you try it.

Italian Butternut Squash Soup

-2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

-1 quart chicken stock

-5-6 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

-1/3 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated

-1/3 lb. pancetta (Italian bacon)

-Olive oil, salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread squash chunks on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and roast until browned and soft, about 35 minutes. Cook pancetta in a medium pan and drain on paper towel. Place roasted squash in a food processor, add about 1/3 of the stock, and blitz until combined. Mixture will be very thick. Add pancetta, cheese and sage and then, with the motor running, add the remaining stock. The texture should be whipped like mashed potatoes. Reheat on the stove and serve.

Note: A great variation, for those who like spicy things, could be to add some crushed red pepper flake to the soup while it's in the food processor.

Long overdue update

Sorry to have taken so long to update. The semester is more than halfway over and the work keeps piling up. I was also in Spain for a class for a week earlier this month (and got quite a few recipe inspirations, so check back for what I come up with!). In the last few days, I've made quite a lot:

1) White-whole wheat banana almond bread from the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking Book

2) Chicken-veggie soup, this time with lots of the season's first kale

3) Turkey hash with poached eggs

4) Salmon in tarragon broth

The last one was inspired by a dinner I had at a favorite local restaurant over the weekend while my best friend was here to visit. Salmon first pan-crisped in olive oil, then finished in a tarragon broth with wild mushrooms and asparagus and mashed potatoes. So good. Here's my attempt at it:

Salmon in tarragon broth

-One 1/2 lb. salmon fillet, washed and patted dry

-1 cup vegetable broth

-2 tbsp. olive oil

-2 scallions, ends removed and rinsed clean, chopped into 1/2" slices

-1 clove garlic, minced

-1 tbsp. fresh tarragon leaves

-2-3 asparagus spears, chopped into 1/2" slices

-Whatever wild mushrooms you like, chopped into 1/2" slices

Heat 1 tbsp. of the olive oil in a wok (sounds crazy, I know. Just go with it) over medium-high heat. Add garlic and then salmon. Cook salmon about 4 minutes/side, until crisp. Add broth and other remaining ingredients, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are just done. Serve over mashed potatoes.

If you want the hash or soup recipes, let me know! I have a final this week, a paper due next week and the MPRE, so postings might be light, but I'll be back soon!

Much love,

Kira

Something new to do with pumpkin

I got the inspiration for this at my friends Anne & Mike's wedding, where amongst the appetizers were pumpkin quesadillas.  This experiment was successful!  They're very easy and very delicious. 

Pumpkin tostadas 

-4 corn tortillas

-1 turkey breast, roasted, cooled and shredded

-6 oz. queso fresco (Mexican white cheese), shredded

-1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin 

-2 chipotle peppers, chopped and seeded OR chipotle Tabasco sauce to taste

-Fresh cilantro to garnish 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Place tortillas on a baking sheet.  Spread each with about 1 tbsp. pumpkin.  Top with turkey breast, chipotle pieces (if using) and cheese.  Bake until edges are deep golden brown and cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes.  Top with cilantro and serve. If using Tabasco sauce, add a few dashes to each before serving.

Serves two.

Lady who lunches

Perfect for a weekday lunch when you are home writing cover letters. 

Roasted salmon and leeks

-1 half-pound salmon fillet

-1 lemon, sliced into rings

-1 cup dry white wine

-2 tbsp. grainy French mustard 

-1 leek, roots removed, cut in half length-wise and thoroughly rinsed, then chopped into 1/2" thick pieces 

-1/2 bulb fennel, sliced into rings, plus some of the fronds 

-2 cloves garlic, chopped

-1/2 yellow pepper, cut into strips 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Rinse salmon and place on a large piece of parchment or aluminum foil on a baking sheet.  Place lemon, garlic, and fennel fronds under salmon, then top with mustard and other remaining ingredients.  Fold up parchment/foil like a package and roast for about 25-30 minutes. 

Serves 2. 

The 50 best foods in the world, and where to eat them

Worth reading for the debate it will start.  Enjoy!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/sep/13/best-foods-in-the-world

Comfort food, part one

Feeling kind of burned out not too far into the semester.  A friend asked for spaghetti and meatballs and doesn't eat red meat.  I was more than happy to oblige.  This sauce is a little more developed than the previous recipe I listed.

Turkey meatballs and homemade marinara 

For the meatballs:

-2 lbs. ground turkey breast 

-1 tbsp. dried oregano

-8-9 leaves fresh sweet basil

-6 sprigs fresh parsley (flat-leaf/Italian or curly is okay, whatever you have)

-1/2 cup freshly grated parmiggiano-reggiano

-2 eggs, beaten

-Freshly ground pepper 

For the sauce:

-3 lbs. whole tomatoes, stems removed and coarsely chopped

-1 can tomato paste 

-4 cloves garlic, minced

-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

-1/4 cup dry red wine, such as Chianti 

-5-6 leaves fresh sweet basil 

-2 tbsp. dried oregano

-Salt and pepper  

-1 sweet onion, skin off but left whole

For the sauce, heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium.  Add garlic and cook until brown.  Add tomatoes and cook mixture until it boils.  Add onion, tomato paste, wine, oregano and salt and pepper and turn down to low.  Let mixture simmer for at least two hours to let all of the flavors combine.  Add basil to sauce when you add the meatballs.  Remove onion before serving.

Heat oven to broil and line two cookie sheets with aluminum foil.  Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs (chiffonade the basil and finely chop the parsley first) in a large bowl.  Using your hands, mix just until herbs, egg and cheese are incorporated into the turkey.  Roll mixture into golf ball-sized balls, and place on cookie sheets.  Broil for about 7-8 minutes, until outside is cooked but inside is still raw.  Remove from oven and drop into boiling sauce.  When they float to the top, they're done.  Enjoy over whole wheat pasta. 

A favorite fall breakfast

I love pumpkin anything.  Here's a stellar way to work it into breakfast:

Pumpkin spice oatmeal 

-1/4 cup quick-cooking Irish oatmeal

-1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

-3/4 cup water or milk (skim's okay) 

-1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

-2-3 tbsp. brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey 

Bring the water or milk to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the oatmeal, pumpkin, spice, and sweetener.  Let simmer until the liquid has reduced. 

Serves one. 

Guaranteed to make your house smell amazing

For when you just can't wait until Thanksgiving for turkey. 

Maple-mustard-thyme turkey breast 

-1 /2 turkey breast, bone-in, skin-on, rinsed and patted dry

-5 tbsp. maple syrup (Grade A, Grade B, whatever you like)

-5 tbsp. olive oil 

-5 tbsp. english mustard powder

-3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 

-The leaves from about 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme

-Salt and pepper 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place turkey breast skin side up into a large, foil-lined roasting pan.  Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and whisk to mix.  Pour over turkey and sprinkle extra english mustard on top.  Roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the juices run clean when you poke a knife into it and the top is deep golden brown. 

Labor day, olé

Try these with eggs scrambled into them or poached eggs on top for breakfast tomorrow!

Spicy home fries

-5 small gold potatoes, skins on, cut into eighths 

-1 medium jalapeño, cut into thin rings 

-1 yellow onion, sliced (including the top if you can get it, sliced into rings)

-Salt and pepper

-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 

-2 cloves garlic, minced 

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add garlic and onions and cook until onions are translucent.  Add potatoes, jalapeño, salt and pepper and cook until golden brown.  

Serves about four. 

Jamming

I finally learned how to make jam with the help of my friend Cara.  The recipes are in the box of pectin you need to get it to set, but here's a picture of the finished products: 

Vermont blueberry and Pennsylvania nectarine 

I want to make raspberry if I can find some good berries, and now that I know how to jar, stay tuned for an apple-cranberry chutney recipe. 

Everyone's favorite comfort food

My friend Matt came over for dinner last night.  He loves roast chicken, and lucky for him, I picked up a local free-range organic one from the farmer's market yesterday.  Here's my favorite way to cook it.  It's a hybrid of my Mom's and my own recipes:

Roast chicken

-1 4.5 lb. chicken, neck removed, washed and patted dry

-1 lemon, quartered

-2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied into a bunch

-4 cloves garlic

-2-3 tbsp. sweet paprika 

-Extra virgin olive oil 

-Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place chicken into a large baking dish.  Stuff cavity with thyme, lemon quarters and garlic cloves (all will fit, I promise).  Pour olive oil over top and coat skin with paprika, salt and pepper.  Roast for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you pierce one of the thighs with a sharp knife.  Let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. 

I served it with mashed potatoes, caramelized onions, and a green salad with lots of farmer's market veggies. 

Savory crostata redux

Make dough as listed in the recipe below except add dried parsley instead of the oregano, roll out and spread with 2 tbsp. tomato paste.  Add some roasted fennel (roast for about 20 min, drizzled in olive oil at 400 degrees F), chopped artichoke hearts, shaved parmiggiano-reggiano and crushed red pepper flake.  Bake for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.  Just as delicious as the tomato-pesto-goat cheese version, as it disappeared just as quickly from the table at the dinner party I took it to. 

Savory crostata

I came up with the idea for this one after seeing whole-wheat savory tart recipes here and there.  A crostata is a freeform tart and is usually sweet, but savory ones exist too.  If you were to omit the pesto and chop fresh mint on top, you'd have a French galette.  You can use any vegetables you like in it, and play around with the herbs in the dough to accent what you use.  

Tomato, pesto and goat cheese crostata 

For the pesto:

-2 cups fresh basil leaves

-2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts

-2 cloves garlic, crushed

-1 tbsp. salt 

-1/2 cup olive oil

-1/2 cup parmiggiano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated 

For the crostata dough:

-1 cup plus 2 tbsp. white-whole wheat flour, sifted

-1 tbsp. salt

-1 tbsp. dried herbs (I used oregano today, but anything you like is fine)

-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for brushing the tart before it bakes 

-1/2 cup cold water 

For the filling:

-3-4 tbsp. finished pesto

-1 pint heirloom grape tomatoes or 2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced 

-1 oz. goat cheese

To make pesto, combine everything but the cheese in a food processor.  Pulse until mixture has come together.  Stir in parmiggiano-reggiano and set aside. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the dough, combine flour, salt and herbs in a large bowl.  Add olive oil and water and stir with a fork just until it comes together into a ball.  Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out to about a 10" circle with a rolling pin.  Transfer to a cookie sheet.  Spread pesto on top, leaving about 2-3 inches between pesto and the edge of the crust.  Add the sliced tomatoes, crumble goat cheese on top, then fold the edges to overlap onto each other.  Brush crust with a little olive oil, then bake for about 30 minutes until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown. 

Serves four as an appetizer or about two as a light lunch. 

Pasta alla Chiara

To the best of my knowledge, there isn't a pasta dish with my name in Italian, Chiara, in it.  I'm going with it.  I make this pasta dish or a variation on it quite a lot with whatever's in season, so here is the August 2009 version (tonight's dinner): 

Pasta alla Chiara 

-2 cups whole wheat pasta (I used rotini today)

-5-6 fresh tomatoes, stems removed and chopped into 1/2" pieces

-1/4 cup dry red wine (such as Chianti)

-2 tbsp. tomato paste

-2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced

-4 tbsp. olive oil

-1 tsp. dried oregano 

-Salt and pepper to taste

-1 can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed

-2 cups fresh or 1 bag frozen spinach 

-1 large zucchini, stem removed and chopped into 1/2" pieces

-1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, rinsed, patted dry and cut into bite-sized pieces

-Fresh mozzarella

-Fresh basil 

In a large stockpot, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and brown.  Add chopped tomatoes and cook, lid on, until tomatoes have broken down and are simmering away, about 10 minutes.  Add tomato paste, wine, oregano, salt and pepper and stir to combine.  After another 10-15 minutes have elapsed, add zucchini and artichokes, and let simmer for another 10 minutes.  

In the meantime, heat remaining olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Brown chicken, and add it and the spinach to the tomato sauce.  When spinach has wilted, the sauce is ready.

Serve over the whole wheat pasta (shouldn't take more than 8 minutes to cook) with slices of fresh mozzarella on top. 

In the winter, I tend to make this with a locally-made caseless Italian turkey sausage.  Yum.

Serves two with leftovers.

Strawberry shortcake says summer

Hello alliteration!  I made this cake for my friend Janelle's birthday.  I'm a big fan of homemade birthday cakes that are exactly what the birthday person wants.  While not a true shortcake, it was still pretty delicious. 

Strawberry shortcake

For the cake:

-2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted

-2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

-Pinch of salt 

-3/4 cup milk 

-1 1/4 cups brown sugar, loosely packed 

-10 tbsp. butter, softened (1 stick plus 2 tbsp.)

-4 eggs, at room temperature 

-1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

For the frosting and filling:

-1 pint heavy whipping cream

-1 pint strawberries, washed, rinsed, dried and hulled 

-1 cup blueberries, washed, rinsed and picked over for stems 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a large springform pan and set aside.  Sift flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Cream butter in a large bowl and add sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Add vanilla and mix.  Add flour mixture and milk in on-off turns, beating thoroughly after each addition but taking care not to overmix.  Pour mixture into springform pan and bake about 35-40 minutes, or until top of cake is beautifully golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool. 

When cake has cooled, whip cream with a little more brown sugar to taste until soft peaks form (you don't want it to be too sweet, just have a touch of sweetness).  Remove cake from pan and cut in half horizontally with a serrated knife.  Place top half of cake on a separate plate.  Cover bottom half with half of the whipped cream and cut strawberries, cut side down.  Sprinkle with blueberries.  Place top half of cake back on, cover with whipped cream and a ring of cut strawberries around the edge.  I made a "J" in blueberries for Janelle. 

Locavore muffins

I clearly can't get enough of the peach-blueberry summertime combo.  I came up with this recipe while I was sitting in class today to utilize the fruit on hand.  I am back in VT and the peaches and blueberries are both local.  So's the flour, and the milk, and the butter, and the eggs, and the applesauce...heaven for a locavore.

Peach-blueberry muffins

-3 cups sifted white-whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur) 

-1 1/4 cups milk 

-1 tsp. salt

-1/2 tsp. baking powder

-1 tsp. baking soda

-1 tsp. vanilla

-1/4 cup wheat germ 

-1 stick butter, softened

-1/2 cup peach or mixed berry applesauce

-3 eggs, at room temperature

-1 1/2 cups plus 2 tsp. light brown sugar

-1 cup blueberries, rinsed and picked over for stems

-3 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped into small chunks

-Zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a muffin pan (any size you like is fine) and line with cupcake/muffin wrappers.  Sift flour with salt, baking powder, baking soda and wheat germ and set aside. 

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add applesauce and continue to beat until light and airy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla and mix.  Add flour mixture and milk in on-off turns, beating well after each addition but taking care not to overmix.  With a spatula, fold in peaches, blueberries and lemon zest.  Using a 1/4 cup measure, fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way full.  Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top of each one (or if you want to be decadent, crumble brown sugar with a little butter and sprinkle on top). Bake for about 29-31 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Stay tuned.  Tomorrow's recipe will feature local strawberries: small, perfectly ripe and the best ones I've had since I lived in England.

A favorite summer breakfast

I wait all winter to make this. It works equally well with yellow or white peaches, nectarines, or even plums.

Roasted peaches and blueberries with greek yogurt
-2 peaches
-1 cup blueberries
-1 vanilla bean
-2 tbsp. demerara sugar or honey (or to taste)
-1 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
-Fresh spearmint

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pit peaches and cut into quarters. Put into a shallow baking dish and scatter blueberries on top. Cut vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out half of the seeds inside. Combine with sugar or honey in a bowl, then pour on top of the fruit. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the blueberries have burst and everything is bubbling. Remove from the oven, top with the greek yogurt and chopped fresh spearmint.

Enjoy preferably barefoot.

A twist on chicken parmigiana

Hello and welcome to my pet project!  I love to cook and after much demand from friends and family, decided to start an online outlet for my culinary activity.  Most of the recipes are my own, and I'll always give credit where credit is due.  Please enjoy and feel free to share anything you like! 

Last night, I had chicken breast cutlets in the fridge along with a number of summer vegetables.  What to make?  I came up with a light, fresh take on an Italian classic.  It's a little spicy, full of fresh herbs, and makes the most of what is in season right now:

Summer chicken parmigiana with grilled vegetables and ricotta salata 

For the chicken:

-2 chicken breast cutlets, washed and patted dry

-1 cup plain bread crumbs

-1 tbsp. lemon zest

-1 tsp. crushed red pepper flake (chili flake) 

-3-4 tbsp. parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated (Note: do not use the stuff in the green shaker)

-2 tbsp. fresh italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped 

-1 egg

-Dash of milk

-Salt and pepper 

For the fresh tomato sauce:

-1 pint fresh heirloom grape tomatoes (the mix of yellow and red is great!)

-1-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1-2 tbsp. olive oil

-2 tbsp. fresh basil, roughly chopped 

For the vegetables:

-1 large or 2 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" thick strips

-1 large or 2 small eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" thick strips

-3-4 green onions, roots removed 

-Olive oil 

-Salt and pepper 

-Fresh ricotta salata

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cover a cookie sheet or baking pan with aluminum foil.  Combine bread crumbs, lemon zest, red pepper flake, grated parmigiano-reggiano, a little freshly ground black pepper, and parsley on a plate.  Beat egg with a dash of milk in a bowl. Cut each chicken breast down the middle, giving you four even-sized pieces.  Bread each piece by first dipping in the egg-milk mixture, then coating with the bread crumb mixture.  Place on the cookie sheet, and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink when you cut it open to check.  

In the meantime, drizzle cut vegetables with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Grill just to the point of charring, plate and cover with either grated or crumbled ricotta salata.  

For the tomato sauce, heat olive oil in a small saucepan.  Add garlic and sauté just until the garlic begins to brown.  Add tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until they burst open.  Add basil, sauté a minute or two more, then serve atop the chicken. 

As Julia Child always said, Bon appétit!  I apologize for the lack of pictures right now.  Check back - more to come!