Oh so tired tonight. I've already finished cleaning out the school bags and lunch boxes, I've duly entered all the upcoming events in the family calender, and I've put artwork on the bulletin board and laundry in the washing machine. I still have to ransack the house for a white pillowcase that can be used for an art project at school (seriously, we couldn't get more than 2 days notice for that one?), do some ironing, and make tomorrow's grocery list. This is why I should drink sweet tea at dinner, not wine...
Where was I going with all of this?
Not sure (did I mention I'm a bit tired?). But I did have a recipe I wanted to share. I got this from a friend of a friend years ago (Lissa - are you reading??), and have not made it in ages. I was actually on the phone with my husband this afternoon, telling him he was going to have to stop for something on the way home, when I came across some flounder in the freezer and remembered this recipe. It's ridiculously easy, and since flounder is so nice and thin it thaws quickly - no need to plan ahead for this one. I literally pulled it out of the freezer at 5:15 pm, and we were sitting down to dinner at 6.
Baked Flounder
6 flounder fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup milk
Seasoned bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350. Place tinfoil on a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray. Dip flounder in milk, then coat in bread crumbs. Put on cookie sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt and less liberally with pepper (you don't want the fish to bite you back). Drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 for about 7 minutes, then broil for just a couple minutes more to give it a nice brown finish.
I serve this with rice and peas, and my kids LOVE it. Happy eating!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
We Go Together
Seriously: is there any better combination than tomato soup and grilled cheese? (Okay, yes, perhaps milk and cookies, but I meant for dinner). Especially on a rainy and dreary day, nothing hits the spot more.
I have been making this recipe for years, and can't remember where it originally came from. It's ridiculously easy, freezes perfectly, and it's so healthy and satisfying. This recipe makes about 8 large servings.
Classic Tomato Soup
4 tablespoons butter (Actually, I think this is too much. I'll decrease it to 2 or 3 tablespoons next time I make it. I think I have that thought every time I make it and then forget to make the note in my recipe file, but I've done it this time.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons tomato paste (I like Muir Glen brand)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
32 ounces chicken stock (Since this isn't a brothy soup like chicken noodle soup, I don't use my homemade stock for this - I just go with the box of Kitchen Basics.)
2 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes in juice (This time I bought imported Italian tomatoes - the Cento brand - just because I happened to see them at the grocery store. They were absolutely delicious, but I didn't notice until I was opening the cans that they were 35 ounces each, not 28 ounces. I used both full cans anyway and the soup turned out great. I did have to add a pinch more salt and pepper.)
In a large dutch oven, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add onion and salt and pepper, cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir in flour and tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add thyme, broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Use your immersion blender to puree the soup, making it as chunky or as smooth as you prefer. I actually like mine pretty smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, seriously, go get one. They're $50 for a great Kitchen Aid one at Target and you'll use it all winter long making these super yummy soups. Be careful not to splash yourself though! It's hot!! Taste for seasonings - need more salt and pepper? Add it in. Serve hot. (Note - when I give this to my little boy, I actually mix it with some milk, roughly 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup of soup. It cuts the acidity, making it a more mellow taste, and cools it off for him. He loves it).
I serve with the aforementioned grilled cheese, and tonight I took it a step further. I made croutons out of my leftover homemade bread (cut up remaining bread into chunks, toss with about a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt, and broil for less time than you think. No kidding - check it every 30 seconds or so). I put the soup in big soup bowls, put a big handful of the croutons on top, and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. OH SO GOOD.
Happy eating!
I have been making this recipe for years, and can't remember where it originally came from. It's ridiculously easy, freezes perfectly, and it's so healthy and satisfying. This recipe makes about 8 large servings.
Classic Tomato Soup
4 tablespoons butter (Actually, I think this is too much. I'll decrease it to 2 or 3 tablespoons next time I make it. I think I have that thought every time I make it and then forget to make the note in my recipe file, but I've done it this time.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons tomato paste (I like Muir Glen brand)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
32 ounces chicken stock (Since this isn't a brothy soup like chicken noodle soup, I don't use my homemade stock for this - I just go with the box of Kitchen Basics.)
2 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes in juice (This time I bought imported Italian tomatoes - the Cento brand - just because I happened to see them at the grocery store. They were absolutely delicious, but I didn't notice until I was opening the cans that they were 35 ounces each, not 28 ounces. I used both full cans anyway and the soup turned out great. I did have to add a pinch more salt and pepper.)
In a large dutch oven, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add onion and salt and pepper, cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir in flour and tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add thyme, broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Use your immersion blender to puree the soup, making it as chunky or as smooth as you prefer. I actually like mine pretty smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, seriously, go get one. They're $50 for a great Kitchen Aid one at Target and you'll use it all winter long making these super yummy soups. Be careful not to splash yourself though! It's hot!! Taste for seasonings - need more salt and pepper? Add it in. Serve hot. (Note - when I give this to my little boy, I actually mix it with some milk, roughly 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup of soup. It cuts the acidity, making it a more mellow taste, and cools it off for him. He loves it).
I serve with the aforementioned grilled cheese, and tonight I took it a step further. I made croutons out of my leftover homemade bread (cut up remaining bread into chunks, toss with about a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt, and broil for less time than you think. No kidding - check it every 30 seconds or so). I put the soup in big soup bowls, put a big handful of the croutons on top, and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. OH SO GOOD.
Happy eating!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
You Really Don't Knead It
Do you ever buy things you don't need, just because they're on sale? This used to be a terrible habit of mine with clothes - I'd have a closet full of things that were such a good buy that I couldn't pass them up, but then none of them could actually be wrestled into a coordinated outfit. For better or for worse, having children has cured me of this, since I no longer have time to wander into stores just to see what's on sale. But I seem to have transferred the bad habit to my grocery shopping. Last week our grocery store had bone-in chuck roast on sale, and for some insane reason, I thought that seemed like a great thing to buy. Only $1.99/lb! So let's get a 5.5 lb one!
Dumb.
First of all, the damn thing was so big it wouldn't fit in my dutch oven. Instead, I had to use my roasting pan. And my attempt to brown it first was a disaster. I heated the roasting pan on the stove top and got the bottom half nice and brown...and then it was too heavy to pick up with tongs, so I couldn't flip it. Then trying to cook it in the oven and use tin foil as a lid...ugh. Let's just say it wasn't one of my better dinner results. When I pulled it out and took the tin foil off, my husband took one look at it and said, "It looks like roadkill." Thanks, dear. Unfortunately, he was right.
So, note to self. Just because it's on sale doesn't make it a good buy.
***
On the bright side, I finally got motivated to try baking bread at home. And it was, in word, Fabulous. You may have seen the recipes floating around from the New York Times several years ago about a bread-making technique that doesn't require any kneading. I've been wanting to try it forever, and just never got around to it. Thanks to a post on a Wall Street Journal website about how easy it really is, I finally got motivated and tried it this weekend. Here's the original New York Times article, which has an accompanying recipe. I used the recipe that was posted on the WSJ website, which follows with my notes (it's slightly different from the NYT recipe, but not much different). In baking, I think there are few recipes that are truly fool proof, because it requires so much precision. But based on my own oversights and omissions while making this bread, and the fantastic results we still got, this one truly is foolproof.
Juggle Bread (so-named by the WSJ author because making this bread fits so nicely into her daily juggle)
2.5 cups white bread flour
0.5 cup whole wheat flour
1 t. Kosher salt
1/4 t. instant yeast (Um, confession here. I don't know the difference between instant yeast and regular yeast. Which means when I read the recipe I didn't pick up the fact that it called for "instant" and I just jotted down "yeast" on my grocery list. I got regular yeast and didn't realize my mistake until I got home. Oops. But it still turned out fine.)
1 and 1/3 cup cold water (I actually used hot tap water, because I was worried that my regular yeast wouldn't activate with cold water.)
Mix dry ingredients with a fork.
Add water and stir vigorously until all flour is incorporated; alternatively, knead with hands for about 30 seconds.
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave on the kitchen counter for 18 - 24 hours. (I did roughly 24 hours.)
Cut a square of parchment paper and lay it on the counter top. Cover the top of the dough with bread flour and, using one hand, pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl, gathering it into a smooth ball. Place the ball, seam-side-down, onto the parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise 1.5 to 2 hours, no more. (Oops again. Missed that "no more" part when I read the recipe and I think I let mine rise about 3 hours because I got distracted with other things.)
Meanwhile, heat a Dutch oven at 450 degrees for 1/2 hour. (My Le Creuset Dutch oven may seriously be the best thing I've ever gotten for my kitchen. I cook with it all the time. If you don't have one, put it on your Christmas list today. Or just go get one - as my grandmother would say, You Deserve.) (And by the way, oops AGAIN. I totally skipped this step. Seriously, I am not usually this flaky when cooking, but it was a really, really busy weekend. After rereading the NYT article, I realize that had I not skipped this step my bread would have had an even chewier crust, so I'll be sure to do it next time.)
Lift parchment paper by ends and place in hot Dutch oven. (At this point I brushed some olive oil on the top of my dough and give it a liberal sprinkling of kosher salt.)
Cover. Bake for 1/2 hour. Remove lid. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until a golden crust is formed. Immediately remove bread from pan, discard parchment, and allow to cool on a rack.
Enjoy!
Despite my inability to follow such simple instructions, this bread was absolutely wonderful. Totally made up for the roadkill pot roast. Happy eating!
Dumb.
First of all, the damn thing was so big it wouldn't fit in my dutch oven. Instead, I had to use my roasting pan. And my attempt to brown it first was a disaster. I heated the roasting pan on the stove top and got the bottom half nice and brown...and then it was too heavy to pick up with tongs, so I couldn't flip it. Then trying to cook it in the oven and use tin foil as a lid...ugh. Let's just say it wasn't one of my better dinner results. When I pulled it out and took the tin foil off, my husband took one look at it and said, "It looks like roadkill." Thanks, dear. Unfortunately, he was right.
So, note to self. Just because it's on sale doesn't make it a good buy.
***
On the bright side, I finally got motivated to try baking bread at home. And it was, in word, Fabulous. You may have seen the recipes floating around from the New York Times several years ago about a bread-making technique that doesn't require any kneading. I've been wanting to try it forever, and just never got around to it. Thanks to a post on a Wall Street Journal website about how easy it really is, I finally got motivated and tried it this weekend. Here's the original New York Times article, which has an accompanying recipe. I used the recipe that was posted on the WSJ website, which follows with my notes (it's slightly different from the NYT recipe, but not much different). In baking, I think there are few recipes that are truly fool proof, because it requires so much precision. But based on my own oversights and omissions while making this bread, and the fantastic results we still got, this one truly is foolproof.
Juggle Bread (so-named by the WSJ author because making this bread fits so nicely into her daily juggle)
2.5 cups white bread flour
0.5 cup whole wheat flour
1 t. Kosher salt
1/4 t. instant yeast (Um, confession here. I don't know the difference between instant yeast and regular yeast. Which means when I read the recipe I didn't pick up the fact that it called for "instant" and I just jotted down "yeast" on my grocery list. I got regular yeast and didn't realize my mistake until I got home. Oops. But it still turned out fine.)
1 and 1/3 cup cold water (I actually used hot tap water, because I was worried that my regular yeast wouldn't activate with cold water.)
Mix dry ingredients with a fork.
Add water and stir vigorously until all flour is incorporated; alternatively, knead with hands for about 30 seconds.
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave on the kitchen counter for 18 - 24 hours. (I did roughly 24 hours.)
Cut a square of parchment paper and lay it on the counter top. Cover the top of the dough with bread flour and, using one hand, pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl, gathering it into a smooth ball. Place the ball, seam-side-down, onto the parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise 1.5 to 2 hours, no more. (Oops again. Missed that "no more" part when I read the recipe and I think I let mine rise about 3 hours because I got distracted with other things.)
Meanwhile, heat a Dutch oven at 450 degrees for 1/2 hour. (My Le Creuset Dutch oven may seriously be the best thing I've ever gotten for my kitchen. I cook with it all the time. If you don't have one, put it on your Christmas list today. Or just go get one - as my grandmother would say, You Deserve.) (And by the way, oops AGAIN. I totally skipped this step. Seriously, I am not usually this flaky when cooking, but it was a really, really busy weekend. After rereading the NYT article, I realize that had I not skipped this step my bread would have had an even chewier crust, so I'll be sure to do it next time.)
Lift parchment paper by ends and place in hot Dutch oven. (At this point I brushed some olive oil on the top of my dough and give it a liberal sprinkling of kosher salt.)
Cover. Bake for 1/2 hour. Remove lid. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until a golden crust is formed. Immediately remove bread from pan, discard parchment, and allow to cool on a rack.
Enjoy!
Despite my inability to follow such simple instructions, this bread was absolutely wonderful. Totally made up for the roadkill pot roast. Happy eating!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
For You, Pumpkin
Last weekend completely got away from me. Between my husband working all weekend and a sick dog, I was officially in survival mode. (Actually, I'm not sure we've ever left survival mode since entering it with the birth of our first son, but some days/weekends/weeks/months are easier than others. Last weekend was not one of them.)
But this weekend is looking up. We have soccer games, pumpkin carving parties, food festivals downtown, a birthday party, a BABYSITTER, and other general merriment. Squeezed in to all that fun will, without a doubt, be some time for making pumpkin bread.
Even if I had managed to make this last weekend I would have been late. This recipe makes 2 loaves, so my usual tradition is to make the full recipe every Sunday in October. We eat one loaf during the week, and I freeze the other ("during the week," is, of course, a euphemism for "on Sunday afternoon and finish it off by Monday morning"). By the time November rolls around I have enough in the freezer to pull out one each week and hold us for another month. It's a true family favorite. In fact, it's such a family favorite that last Thanksgiving, when my husband's family came to stay with us, we literally went through a loaf of this each day. (One of my favorite memories from last year: my brother-in-law agonizing over whether to take the last slice, and the great look of relief on his face when I told him there were 3 more loaves in the freezer). It's great all by itself, but the boys and I also like it with cream cheese for breakfast.
Pumpkin Bread
3 cups of sugar
1 cup of no-sugar added applesauce
4 eggs
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin
3 tablespoons hot water
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar and applesauce in a large bowl. Add eggs and pumpkin and whisk well. In a separate bowl, stir together hot water and baking soda until baking soda is dissolved. (Note: I have no idea why, and yet I follow this instruction faithfully year after year simply because my recipe tells me to. Where is Alton Brown when I need him?) Add to the pumpkin mixture. Add flour and spices and mix well. Pour into two greased and floured 5x9 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until done. Cool in the loaf pans for 10 minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack. Particularly good when still warm with a cold glass of milk.
Happy eating!
But this weekend is looking up. We have soccer games, pumpkin carving parties, food festivals downtown, a birthday party, a BABYSITTER, and other general merriment. Squeezed in to all that fun will, without a doubt, be some time for making pumpkin bread.
Even if I had managed to make this last weekend I would have been late. This recipe makes 2 loaves, so my usual tradition is to make the full recipe every Sunday in October. We eat one loaf during the week, and I freeze the other ("during the week," is, of course, a euphemism for "on Sunday afternoon and finish it off by Monday morning"). By the time November rolls around I have enough in the freezer to pull out one each week and hold us for another month. It's a true family favorite. In fact, it's such a family favorite that last Thanksgiving, when my husband's family came to stay with us, we literally went through a loaf of this each day. (One of my favorite memories from last year: my brother-in-law agonizing over whether to take the last slice, and the great look of relief on his face when I told him there were 3 more loaves in the freezer). It's great all by itself, but the boys and I also like it with cream cheese for breakfast.
Pumpkin Bread
3 cups of sugar
1 cup of no-sugar added applesauce
4 eggs
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin
3 tablespoons hot water
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar and applesauce in a large bowl. Add eggs and pumpkin and whisk well. In a separate bowl, stir together hot water and baking soda until baking soda is dissolved. (Note: I have no idea why, and yet I follow this instruction faithfully year after year simply because my recipe tells me to. Where is Alton Brown when I need him?) Add to the pumpkin mixture. Add flour and spices and mix well. Pour into two greased and floured 5x9 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until done. Cool in the loaf pans for 10 minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack. Particularly good when still warm with a cold glass of milk.
Happy eating!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Recipe Redone
If you have been following me from the start (or maybe if you found me later but went back and read all my posts), you may remember that my tried and true go-to meal is my mother-in-law's pork chops and rice recipe. I wrote about it for my very first blog post, here. We love this recipe, and I always, always have the ingredients on hand (pork chops in the freezer; tomatoes, rice, and onion in the pantry; spices in the cupboard). Except, apparently, when I don't.
Last week was just insane. We had been traveling and work was unusually busy for me. Either one of those things are enough to throw off our daily juggle, but the two combined was just about enough to send me over the edge. And this is why I have a go-to meal in the first place - so that when I hardly have a minute to think, at least I don't have to think about dinner.
But of course, somehow I had no pork chops in the freezer. Grrr! That never happens to me. I am usually downright religious about restocking them when I use them, so I was literally throwing things around the freezer drawers and muttering to myself when I came across a bunch of frozen chicken thighs. Ding ding ding! Idea! Could I substitute the pork chops for chicken thighs?
Yes, I can!
It came out perfectly. I didn't change a thing other than that one substitution, and it was so good that I'm not sure which way I like it more. Here's the recipe, copied from my first blog post and updated to include the chicken instead of the pork.
10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (note: if you have these in your freezer and they are wrapped in the butcher paper from your market, do not assume that all things in your freezer wrapped in butcher paper are chicken thighs. I suggest you actually label them. Otherwise, you might accidentally defrost shrimp shells that you were saving to make seafood stock. Oops)
1 large sweet onion (suggest vidalia if you can get them), diced
1 cup long grain rice (don't go all healthy on us and try to substitute brown rice; won't work)
28 0z can Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes
28 0z can Muir Glen organic crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup water
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Brown both sides quickly over high heat, set in the bottom of large casserole dish. Sprinkle onion over chicken. (Is your family weird about texture like mine sometimes is? If so, leave out the onion and it will still be yummy.) Measure rice into measuring cup, add salt, chili powder, and garlic powder. Stir to mix the spices together with the rice, and pour over chicken. Pour both cans of tomatoes over chicken and rice. Pour in water. Cook uncovered at 350 for 1 hour, 45 minutes. Dinner is ready when all the liquid is absorbed, rice is cooked and tomatoes have reduced down.
Happy eating!
Last week was just insane. We had been traveling and work was unusually busy for me. Either one of those things are enough to throw off our daily juggle, but the two combined was just about enough to send me over the edge. And this is why I have a go-to meal in the first place - so that when I hardly have a minute to think, at least I don't have to think about dinner.
But of course, somehow I had no pork chops in the freezer. Grrr! That never happens to me. I am usually downright religious about restocking them when I use them, so I was literally throwing things around the freezer drawers and muttering to myself when I came across a bunch of frozen chicken thighs. Ding ding ding! Idea! Could I substitute the pork chops for chicken thighs?
Yes, I can!
It came out perfectly. I didn't change a thing other than that one substitution, and it was so good that I'm not sure which way I like it more. Here's the recipe, copied from my first blog post and updated to include the chicken instead of the pork.
10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (note: if you have these in your freezer and they are wrapped in the butcher paper from your market, do not assume that all things in your freezer wrapped in butcher paper are chicken thighs. I suggest you actually label them. Otherwise, you might accidentally defrost shrimp shells that you were saving to make seafood stock. Oops)
1 large sweet onion (suggest vidalia if you can get them), diced
1 cup long grain rice (don't go all healthy on us and try to substitute brown rice; won't work)
28 0z can Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes
28 0z can Muir Glen organic crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup water
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Brown both sides quickly over high heat, set in the bottom of large casserole dish. Sprinkle onion over chicken. (Is your family weird about texture like mine sometimes is? If so, leave out the onion and it will still be yummy.) Measure rice into measuring cup, add salt, chili powder, and garlic powder. Stir to mix the spices together with the rice, and pour over chicken. Pour both cans of tomatoes over chicken and rice. Pour in water. Cook uncovered at 350 for 1 hour, 45 minutes. Dinner is ready when all the liquid is absorbed, rice is cooked and tomatoes have reduced down.
Happy eating!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Chill Chasers
What a glorious fall weekend in Savannah - crisp and cool during the day, chilly at night. Love it. After I saw the weather forecast I had grand plans of taking advantage of nap times this weekend to make chicken stock and pumpkin bread. Instead, I spent it scrubbing floors due to a sick dog and rewashing and refolding three, yes, three, baskets of clothes that were already clean until they were christened by a vengeful cat (apparently, shutting him in the laundry room with the aforementioned dog did not please His Highness). Awesome. Can't think of anything I'd rather do on a sunny, 65 degree day.
Despite all that fun, I did manage to make a huge pot of butternut squash soup. And all I have to say is: Yay for me. We spent late afternoon/early evening today out on the soccer fields and playground, and didn't come home until it was downright chilly outside (ok, around here that means it was high 50's, but we were all seriously shivering). Walking into the house to the smell of soup on the stove that just had to be reheated for a minute and served with quick grilled cheese sandwiches...such a treat.
I love, love, love this recipe. It's quintessential fall to me, with the squash and apples, and for those of you who are planning ahead for the holidays, it's perfect for Thanksgiving. I've already popped half the batch into the freezer to serve at lunchtime on Thanksgiving day, since we always do the Big Meal in the evening. (Atlanta Mom likes to make a batch to have with turkey sandwich leftovers the next day.) But be forewarned: it's time consuming to make and my kids, who are generally great eaters, don't like it - probably because it's a bit on the spicy side. That said, it really is worth trying.
Ina Garten's Butternut Squash Soup:
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
2 tablespoons mild curry powder
5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples) (Note: I can never find big McIntosh apples, so I find I need about 7 of the little ones)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water
2 cups good apple cider or juice
Directions
Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.
Peel the squash (note: for some reason, butternut squash leaves some kind of weird residue on my hands that I can't easily wash off. I have taken to wearing latex gloves when I peel the squash. I know - that sounds like the kind of instruction that would promptly make me abandon the recipe altogether, but don't let it scare you off! If you don't have a little box of latex gloves around the house, you should. You'll be surprised at just how handy they are. Why, I went through about 10 of them just this weekend because the dog...never mind), cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.
Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. (I don't know Ina has against an immersion blender, because all her recipes call for this method when there's a soup to smoothed out. Just use your immersion blender here and you don't have to get your food processor dirty. If you don't have an immersion blender, put it on your Christmas list! Best kitchen tool ever. Seriously.)
Pour the soup back into the pot (or, if you have very cleverly used your immersion blender, just leave it there where it belongs).
Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.
Happy eating!
Despite all that fun, I did manage to make a huge pot of butternut squash soup. And all I have to say is: Yay for me. We spent late afternoon/early evening today out on the soccer fields and playground, and didn't come home until it was downright chilly outside (ok, around here that means it was high 50's, but we were all seriously shivering). Walking into the house to the smell of soup on the stove that just had to be reheated for a minute and served with quick grilled cheese sandwiches...such a treat.
I love, love, love this recipe. It's quintessential fall to me, with the squash and apples, and for those of you who are planning ahead for the holidays, it's perfect for Thanksgiving. I've already popped half the batch into the freezer to serve at lunchtime on Thanksgiving day, since we always do the Big Meal in the evening. (Atlanta Mom likes to make a batch to have with turkey sandwich leftovers the next day.) But be forewarned: it's time consuming to make and my kids, who are generally great eaters, don't like it - probably because it's a bit on the spicy side. That said, it really is worth trying.
Ina Garten's Butternut Squash Soup:
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
2 tablespoons mild curry powder
5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples) (Note: I can never find big McIntosh apples, so I find I need about 7 of the little ones)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water
2 cups good apple cider or juice
Directions
Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.
Peel the squash (note: for some reason, butternut squash leaves some kind of weird residue on my hands that I can't easily wash off. I have taken to wearing latex gloves when I peel the squash. I know - that sounds like the kind of instruction that would promptly make me abandon the recipe altogether, but don't let it scare you off! If you don't have a little box of latex gloves around the house, you should. You'll be surprised at just how handy they are. Why, I went through about 10 of them just this weekend because the dog...never mind), cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.
Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. (I don't know Ina has against an immersion blender, because all her recipes call for this method when there's a soup to smoothed out. Just use your immersion blender here and you don't have to get your food processor dirty. If you don't have an immersion blender, put it on your Christmas list! Best kitchen tool ever. Seriously.)
Pour the soup back into the pot (or, if you have very cleverly used your immersion blender, just leave it there where it belongs).
Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.
Happy eating!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Oops!
The temperature for roasting chicken from Wednesday's post (For Kids or Adults?) should be 350, not 425!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Easy, Easy, Yum
First: What exactly is candy corn? Mine says it is "Made With Real Honey!", but all I can figure is that it's some kind of chewable wax. And yet I can't stay away from it - some idiot put it in a big bowl at the bottom of the stairs, which I must pass 30 times each day, and I can't stop myself from grabbing a few pieces every time I go buy. Arg!
Next: a guest blog from Attorney Mom. It's a good thing I have friends, or I would have no blog these days since life is so crazy...notes in bold are my editorial commentary.
***
Here is what I call a one-pot wonder of a meal: it's easy, delicious, and the clean-up is so fast we make it out the door in time for an after-dinner walk!
Dinner for 2.5 (2 adults, plus toddler):
One fresh Italian sausage, about 1/2 pound (now, what makes this super delish is that the sausage is from our local Fresh Market, and it's spicy, organic and stuffed full of good flavors, including fennel. It's totally worth the trip) (If you live in a real city, you may have a Fresh Market just down the road that you can pop into frequently. Sadly, where we live, it's so far away that yes, we actually have to consider whether it's "worth the trip.")
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 red or orange pepper, sliced
1 jar tomato sauce (I prefer Paul Newman's brand, any flavor)
Penne, or any pasta shape that your toddler will try
Chicken stock, about 3/4 cup (I like the Kitchen Basics brand)
Start pasta water boiling. Slice sausage, and start sauteeing in chicken stock, about 5 minutes, adding additional stock as necessary. Cover briefly. I like my veggies crunchy, so when the sausage looks about done, I thrown in the broccoli, mushrooms, and pepper, and saute another few minutes. Once sausage and veggies look done, I add tomato sauce to heat. Pasta should be done by now, so drain (do not rinse), and add to the tomato sauce mixture. Voila! A glass of wine and some fruit completes dinner for us (and, happily, if darling toddler tries everything on her plate, we get dessert too!).
Enjoy!
Next: a guest blog from Attorney Mom. It's a good thing I have friends, or I would have no blog these days since life is so crazy...notes in bold are my editorial commentary.
***
Here is what I call a one-pot wonder of a meal: it's easy, delicious, and the clean-up is so fast we make it out the door in time for an after-dinner walk!
Dinner for 2.5 (2 adults, plus toddler):
One fresh Italian sausage, about 1/2 pound (now, what makes this super delish is that the sausage is from our local Fresh Market, and it's spicy, organic and stuffed full of good flavors, including fennel. It's totally worth the trip) (If you live in a real city, you may have a Fresh Market just down the road that you can pop into frequently. Sadly, where we live, it's so far away that yes, we actually have to consider whether it's "worth the trip.")
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 red or orange pepper, sliced
1 jar tomato sauce (I prefer Paul Newman's brand, any flavor)
Penne, or any pasta shape that your toddler will try
Chicken stock, about 3/4 cup (I like the Kitchen Basics brand)
Start pasta water boiling. Slice sausage, and start sauteeing in chicken stock, about 5 minutes, adding additional stock as necessary. Cover briefly. I like my veggies crunchy, so when the sausage looks about done, I thrown in the broccoli, mushrooms, and pepper, and saute another few minutes. Once sausage and veggies look done, I add tomato sauce to heat. Pasta should be done by now, so drain (do not rinse), and add to the tomato sauce mixture. Voila! A glass of wine and some fruit completes dinner for us (and, happily, if darling toddler tries everything on her plate, we get dessert too!).
Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
For Kids or Adults?
A guest blog from Atlanta Mom today. I'll confess I haven't tried this recipe yet because SHE JUST SENT IT DESPITE ME ASKING FOR IT FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS (ahem), but it's definitely going on next week's menu plans. Mmmm
***
Today is my high school BFF’s birthday. We have known each other since we were four, and though we don’t get to see each other very often, we don’t skip a beat when we are together, and it’s so fun to watch our children becoming friends. It seems appropriate to post a recipe that she passed on to me today, one that is very often requested by her 3rd grade daughter. I was hoping to have similar results in my family, but it was my husband who loved it the most! Regardless of who likes this dish, it is very kid-friendly and quick to prepare.
Poppy-Seed Chicken
1 package of fried rice flavor Rice-a-Roni
3 to 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (she uses a rotisserie but you can also use Ina Garten’s roasted chicken breasts*)
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 can Healthy Requests cream of chicken soup
36 buttery crackers (Club crackers work best, and I used the reduced fat kind)
½ stick butter, melted
1 T. poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 375. Cook rice according to directions. Spoon rice into bottom of 11 x 7 baking dish (2 qt). Combine chicken, sour cream, and soup in a medium bowl, then spoon evenly over rice. In the same bowl, combine crushed crackers, butter, and poppy seeds. Bake 25-30 minutes, until bubbling and browned.
*Bonus recipe for Ina’s roasted chicken breasts: Using bone-in chicken breasts with skin on, brush with EVOO and sprinkle with generous amounts of kosher salt and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet/half-sheet pan in 350 deg. oven for 35-40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, pull chicken from bone, and either shred it by hand or chop it. Super moist and delicious—perfect for casseroles! I usually roast 3 at a time.
***
Today is my high school BFF’s birthday. We have known each other since we were four, and though we don’t get to see each other very often, we don’t skip a beat when we are together, and it’s so fun to watch our children becoming friends. It seems appropriate to post a recipe that she passed on to me today, one that is very often requested by her 3rd grade daughter. I was hoping to have similar results in my family, but it was my husband who loved it the most! Regardless of who likes this dish, it is very kid-friendly and quick to prepare.
Poppy-Seed Chicken
1 package of fried rice flavor Rice-a-Roni
3 to 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (she uses a rotisserie but you can also use Ina Garten’s roasted chicken breasts*)
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 can Healthy Requests cream of chicken soup
36 buttery crackers (Club crackers work best, and I used the reduced fat kind)
½ stick butter, melted
1 T. poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 375. Cook rice according to directions. Spoon rice into bottom of 11 x 7 baking dish (2 qt). Combine chicken, sour cream, and soup in a medium bowl, then spoon evenly over rice. In the same bowl, combine crushed crackers, butter, and poppy seeds. Bake 25-30 minutes, until bubbling and browned.
*Bonus recipe for Ina’s roasted chicken breasts: Using bone-in chicken breasts with skin on, brush with EVOO and sprinkle with generous amounts of kosher salt and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet/half-sheet pan in 350 deg. oven for 35-40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, pull chicken from bone, and either shred it by hand or chop it. Super moist and delicious—perfect for casseroles! I usually roast 3 at a time.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sock it to Me
Whew!
We are home from an absolutely fabulous long weekend trip with our almost-five-year-old for his fall break. It is just amazing how airplanes, taxi rides, subways, and sleeping in a hotel can be so thrilling for a little boy. I swear he could have skipped the museums and just used public transportation all weekend and he would have been delighted. What fun to see these things through the eyes of a little one...
I am always truly astounded, though, at how hard it is to eat healthy when traveling. Hats off to folks who travel for work frequently and manage to do it...
Since we just got back, I've not cooked a meal, gone to the grocery store, or done any meal planning in several days. But I do have one dinner idea to share:
You may remember last month I was making Ina Garten's spaghetti and meatballs (heaven in a dutch oven) and doubled the sauce recipe & popped the extra in the freezer. Hello!! Genius!! Wednesday afternoons are soccer practice for us, and I like to do a baked pasta dish that night, because I can put it in the oven before we go, and then walk in the house and supper is ready for us. Last Wednesday I took spinach and mozzarella ravioli (from Costco, in the frozen section - if you have a Costco in your town and are not getting this ravioli on a regular basis, honey, you are missing out!), dumped it into one of my pyrex baking dishes, topped it with the homemade marina sauce, sprinkled with a generous handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese, covered with a lid, and baked at 350 for 50 minutes (remember, "delay start" on your oven is truly your BFF).
Oh. My. Goodness. So delicious. The sauce, since it was made with the brown bits of the meatballs, had a wonderful meaty taste to it and was perfect with the spinach in the ravioli. And bonus points: with the tomatoes in the sauce and the spinach in the ravioli, no separate vegetable needed to be prepared. A true one pot meal and will be making the regular rotation.
Happy eating!
We are home from an absolutely fabulous long weekend trip with our almost-five-year-old for his fall break. It is just amazing how airplanes, taxi rides, subways, and sleeping in a hotel can be so thrilling for a little boy. I swear he could have skipped the museums and just used public transportation all weekend and he would have been delighted. What fun to see these things through the eyes of a little one...
I am always truly astounded, though, at how hard it is to eat healthy when traveling. Hats off to folks who travel for work frequently and manage to do it...
Since we just got back, I've not cooked a meal, gone to the grocery store, or done any meal planning in several days. But I do have one dinner idea to share:
You may remember last month I was making Ina Garten's spaghetti and meatballs (heaven in a dutch oven) and doubled the sauce recipe & popped the extra in the freezer. Hello!! Genius!! Wednesday afternoons are soccer practice for us, and I like to do a baked pasta dish that night, because I can put it in the oven before we go, and then walk in the house and supper is ready for us. Last Wednesday I took spinach and mozzarella ravioli (from Costco, in the frozen section - if you have a Costco in your town and are not getting this ravioli on a regular basis, honey, you are missing out!), dumped it into one of my pyrex baking dishes, topped it with the homemade marina sauce, sprinkled with a generous handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese, covered with a lid, and baked at 350 for 50 minutes (remember, "delay start" on your oven is truly your BFF).
Oh. My. Goodness. So delicious. The sauce, since it was made with the brown bits of the meatballs, had a wonderful meaty taste to it and was perfect with the spinach in the ravioli. And bonus points: with the tomatoes in the sauce and the spinach in the ravioli, no separate vegetable needed to be prepared. A true one pot meal and will be making the regular rotation.
Happy eating!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Chock Full of Chips
A quick follow-up today:
I posted a recipe a few weeks ago for the best ever buttermilk pancakes. These are fabulous all on their own. But if you're looking for a special dinner for two little boys who were very, very brave when getting their flu shots, make these with a big handful of mini-chocolate chips. Just stir the chocolate chips right into the batter, and cook on the griddle as you normally would. All will soon be right with the world.
I posted a recipe a few weeks ago for the best ever buttermilk pancakes. These are fabulous all on their own. But if you're looking for a special dinner for two little boys who were very, very brave when getting their flu shots, make these with a big handful of mini-chocolate chips. Just stir the chocolate chips right into the batter, and cook on the griddle as you normally would. All will soon be right with the world.
Monday, October 5, 2009
To Be, Or Not To Be (Fall)
Savannah weather just cannot make up its mind. This weekend was a beautiful fall weekend, cool overnight but warm and sunny during the day. Gorgeous. But now they're saying we'll see 90 degrees again by the end of this week - Arg! So much for pot roasts; we'll be breaking out the popsicles and pasta salads.
I did take advantage of the cooler weather this weekend to make one of our all time favorites for dinner Sunday night - roasted chicken and wild rice soup. I've been making this recipe for years and years and everyone loves it, including my 4 year old who has been known to literally lick the bowl. (Hmmm...that may be more of a statement on his table manners than the fabulousness of this soup, but I'll take what I can get). This recipe makes about 8 generous servings, and freezes beautifully.
Roasted Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
1 6oz box of long grain & wild rice (I like Uncle Ben's)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, diced
4-6 carrots, peeled and diced
4-6 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 80z package of mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cups of chicken broth
1 12oz can fat-free evaporated milk
Shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken - use all the chicken you can get off the poor sucker
Prepare rice according to package directions, set aside. Heat oil in large dutch oven. Saute onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and mushrooms over medium heat until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Add flour, salt, and pepper, stir well. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add Worcestershire sauce and evaporated milk, stir well, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add chicken, cover, and let simmer for another 20 minutes. Add rice, and continue to simmer covered for another 10 minutes. Soooo good.
Happy eating!
I did take advantage of the cooler weather this weekend to make one of our all time favorites for dinner Sunday night - roasted chicken and wild rice soup. I've been making this recipe for years and years and everyone loves it, including my 4 year old who has been known to literally lick the bowl. (Hmmm...that may be more of a statement on his table manners than the fabulousness of this soup, but I'll take what I can get). This recipe makes about 8 generous servings, and freezes beautifully.
Roasted Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
1 6oz box of long grain & wild rice (I like Uncle Ben's)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, diced
4-6 carrots, peeled and diced
4-6 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 80z package of mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cups of chicken broth
1 12oz can fat-free evaporated milk
Shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken - use all the chicken you can get off the poor sucker
Prepare rice according to package directions, set aside. Heat oil in large dutch oven. Saute onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and mushrooms over medium heat until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Add flour, salt, and pepper, stir well. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add Worcestershire sauce and evaporated milk, stir well, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add chicken, cover, and let simmer for another 20 minutes. Add rice, and continue to simmer covered for another 10 minutes. Soooo good.
Happy eating!
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