Spring!!!

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Donna Adams

Today is the first day of spring, a day that I usually relish because it signals change and rebirth.  When spring arrives I get an almost giddy sense of possibility.

I have always been a person that looks to the turning of the seasons as a signal of change and as a way to mark the passing of time.  As a former teacher, I took comfort in the fact that each year I had the opportunity to begin anew each fall and redesign the lessons that were my least favorites.  As a chef, the changing seasons also signal a change in cooking styles and in ingredients.  Summer, to me, is all about fresh, fresh and fresher!  Ripe, juicy tomatoes tossed with just-made pestos and vinaigrettes.  In the fall, I turn to heartier flavors, with some toasty spices tossed in, and my ingredients focus more on those traditional crops of fall like pumpkins, squash and apples.  By the dead of winter, I am immersed in stews and braises and root vegetables, and here in the western states, I have also come to love winter lemons as a way to brighten the season’s cooking.  By spring, I am ready to shed the heavy foods along with my winter clothes, and the tender foods of this season beg for more gentle cooking techniques like steaming and eating with a sprinkling of the first spring herbs.

As you may know, I belong to a CSA, which stands for “Community Supported Agriculture,” and is a fancy name for a farm share.  Basically, I prepay the farmer (Quail Hollow Farm) for the season, and in return they send me a basket of seasonal produce each week.  The busier my schedule is, the more I appreciate knowing that each week I will have the freshest vegetables delivered to my pick up location.  ”My farm” is in Overton, where it is possible for Laura and Monty to grow many things that just don’t thrive here in Las Vegas.  I am forever grateful to them for reestablishing my connection with seasonal foods and for nourishing my body and my soul!

We have had many delicious spring vegetables in our share baskets these past few weeks, and they have inspired my cooking.  One of my favorite new discoveries has been sorrel.  More popular in Europe, this tender green looks a bit like baby spinach, but tastes fresh and tart and practically melts into a soup or pasta dish.  Using it is a bit like adding both spinach and lemon to a dish.  I managed to score an extra bag of this recently, so I have been experimenting with this new flavor.

In honor of spring, I have created a dish that celebrates the first signs of spring–asparagus, peas, greens, and tiny shoots of herbs.  I give you my Spring Vegetable Risotto…

Let me know what you think, and let me know what your favorite spring dishes are!

Spring Vegetable Risotto: a delicate risotto that showcases the first vegetables of spring, and still warms you on a chilly spring evening

Ingredients

2 large leeks

3 spring onions, or fat green onions

1 small bunch asparagus, about 15 stalks

1 cup sugar snap peas

3 T garlic butter, divided (such as Kerrygold brand)

1 T olive oil

1 cup arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine or champagne

4-5 cups vegetable broth

zest of 1/2 lemon

2 cups spring greens, sliced into 1/2 inch ribbons (sorrel, spinach, arugula, etc.)

1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

2 T chopped dill

3 T chopped parsley

1 T chopped chives or garlic chives

Salt and White Pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Prepare the vegetables. Chop the roots and the green ends off of the leeks. Slice in half vertically and rinse very well, peeling back the top layers to remove any hiding dirt. Slice each half horizontally into 1/4 inch semicircles. Repeat with the onions. Snap the tough ends off of the asparagus. Chop off the pretty top two inches of each stalk and set aside for garnishing. Slice the remaining stalks into 3/4 inch pieces. Keep snap peas whole.
  2. In the meantime, place the broth in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. You need to have the broth hot to properly hydrate your risotto. We will also use it to blanch our vegetables, and this in turn with intensify its flavor. Starting with the asparagus tips, drop them in the simmering broth and cook for about 2-3 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove to a bowl. Next repeat with the snap peas. Add them to the same bowl. Lastly, repeat with the slices of asparagus. Remove them to a separate bowl.
  3. In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter and the olive oil. (I find that it is easier to make risotto in a pan with sloping sides and no corners, but any traditional pot will work.) Add the leeks and onions, and season with salt and white pepper. Keep the heat low; your objective here is to slowly “melt” the onions, not brown or fry them. Stir constantly until onions are soft, translucent, and reduced in volume by about half.
  4. Add the rice to the pan and stir to mix. Continue stirring for about 3-5 minutes until rice becomes partially transparent. You want to be sure that all of the grains are nicely coated with the oils and flavors of the pan.
  5. Add the wine to the pan. It should steam and sizzle. Adjust the heat if necessary, and cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated. You want the flavor of the wine without the alcohol which cooks off.
  6. Once the wine has cooked down, begin adding the hot broth, one ladle full at a time. Stir constantly, and wait for the liquid to be absorbed before you add more. The mixture should be at a very low simmer during this process. Taste the rice once you have added about 3 1/2 cups of broth. If it is nearing doneness, stop adding broth. If it is still firm, continue adding until the rice is cooked, but firm. Don’t overcook it here because it will continue to absorb liquid. The mixture should be loose and “creamy” from the starches on the rice.
  7. It is now time to finish the dish. Add the lemon zest and the greens. The green you choose will affect the final flavor–sorrel gives it a delicious tanginess, spinach an earthier flavor, arugula a peppery bite, etc.) Stir to combine and cook until the greens are wilted. Add the cheese and chopped herbs, reserving a few pinches of the herbs to garnish.
  8. In a small skillet, melt the remaining 1 T garlic butter. Add the asparagus tips and the snap peas. Toss to coat and warm.
  9. Plate the risotto in bowls and top with the tips and peas. Garnish with the reserved herbs and a sprinkle of parmesan.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 50 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4 as a main course, 6 as a side

Copyright ©2012 Gourmet Girl LLC.
Recipe by Donna Adams

Posted in General Musings, Recipes | Leave a comment

Easy Pho, or How I made Vietnamese Soup at Home

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Donna Adams

The other day as I was shopping, I noticed a new product in the soup aisle.  It was an organic broth labeled as “Soup Starters” for Pho.  Now, first of all, I love soup, especially in the winter.  Moreover, I love spicy soups on cold evenings.  Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup which I happen to love.  When you order it, you get a relatively plain bowl of soup that you get to garnish as you like and doctor to your heart’s content with all of the provided condiments.  For me this is heaven–I get the pleasure of being waited on and taken care of, but at the same time I get to have my food prepared exactly to my taste.

Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the process of making Pho, let me say that the broth, which is THE most important component, generally involves hours of simmering various meats and vegetables to get things started.  Now, just in case you neglected to boil your Pho stock for 15 hours this past weekend, there is a solution for the home cook!

I decided to try these broths out and see if they passed muster.  I warmed the broth, boiled my noodles, added some leftover turkey from the freezer, and we were off and running.  To make things more interesting (although admittedly less authentic), I also tossed in some sliced shitake mushrooms, some steamed baby bok choi and pok choi, and a soft boiled egg.  Now I felt like I had a complete meal.

To go along with this, I prepared a plate of garnishes so we could have some fun at the table!  This is truly the grown up version of playing with your food.  On the plate, I arranged cilantro, mint, Thai basil, bean sprouts, enoki mushrooms, lime wedges, sliced fresno chiles and chopped scallions.  I also set out a plethora of Asian sauces from soy to sriracha to chile oil to samba oelek (chile garlic sauce).

My husband and I sat down to delicious bowls of noodles and we enjoyed every last drop of them.  All in all, I’d rate these broths as a great product to keep on hand.  Add a few pantry items and some fresh veggies to them and you can create a hotpot-type meal that keeps everyone happy.  For the noodles, you can use any Asian noodle you like or substitute vermicelli noodles or even cooked rice.  

I will say my only disappointment was that the broth was a bit bland.  If you use this, you may want to season it a bit further to suit your taste.  The next time I use it, I think I will add a piece of ginger and some lemongrass to kick up the flavor.  You could also add some garlic and maybe a chile or two for heat.  On the flip side, I suppose that the broth is meant to be more like a canvas for all of the other ingredients, so it makes sense for it to be a bit bland.  Nonetheless, I would highly recommend trying these products if you see them in your grocery store.  Let me know what you think!

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Hire Me As Your Personal Chef!

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Donna Adams

I am pleased to announce that I am available for hire as a personal chef!

If you are planning a special event, let me help you make it spectacular.  I take your vision, use my expertise and turn it into an event to remember!  I can handle everything from just the food to organizing the entire event.  My repertoire includes cocktail parties, formal dinners, paella parties, barbeques, casual events, open houses, romantic dinners for two, bridal and baby showers, and family gatherings.  Your event should reflect your style, but that doesn’t mean that you have to do all of the work.  With me as your personal chef, your event can be anywhere from casual to formal, the food will be excellent, the atmosphere as you envision it, and most importantly–you will be the relaxed host that gets to spend time with your guests!

I am a certified CSW, Certified Specialist of Wine, and can help you and your friends learn about and explore the often overwhelming world of wine.  I can work with you to plan and prepare for wine tasting parties, wine classes and wine pairing dinners.

I am also a certified teacher.  This helps me as I share my love of cooking wholesome, nourishing food.  I can help you and your friends learn to cook!  Whether you want to brush up on the basics or learn complex techniques or explore the cuisine of another region of the world, I can create custom classes to teach you.

Please call 702.630.3990 to contact me about scheduling your event!

 

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A New Take on Cabbage for St. Patty’s Day

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Donna Adams

Around the valley and across the globe, many of you will be making a meal in honor of St. Patty’s Day, so I wanted to share my take on the holiday foods with you.

Following in my grandparents footsteps, I will be out doing a wee bit of celebrating, so I made my holiday meal last Thursday.  That means that you, my readers, can benefit from it today!

My menu consisted of sausage rolls for an appetizer along with a bit of Irish cheese; corned beef with carrots, parsnips and pearl onions; Champ (mashed potatoes with green onions); sauteed cabbage and some hearty Irish brown bread with true Irish butter.  Before the purists out there get in a huff–I know that corned beef is an American take on Irish cuisine!  I however, am an Irish-American lass, and so I decided that it was okay so long as I knew what I was doing.  Besides, it’s what everyone wanted, and far be it for me to disagree with my hungry friends!

The recipe I want to focus on here is the cabbage, and then I will detail some of the other dishes I made and the links to their respective recipes.  About the cabbage, I and my digestive system strongly dislike the traditional boiled cabbage.  It just doesn’t do anything for me, and because I love to eat, I wanted to craft a new take on this that was in keeping with the spirit of the day, yet infinitely more edible.  Below is my recipe for Sauteed Cabbage.  If you can find it, use Irish Bacon, which is closer to true Canadian Bacon.  I could not, so I used country ham, a smoky salty delicacy hailing from the south and it worked perfectly.  Both of these options are meatier than bacon or pancetta, and therefore add more flavor and less greasiness to the overall dish.

Recipe: Sauteed Cabbage

Summary: a slightly smoky, slightly tangy, flavorful dish of sauteed cabbage

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cabbage, cored, quartered and thinly shredded
  • 1/2 cup Irish Bacon, diced (or substitute country ham or black forrest deli ham)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth, or more to taste
  • 2-4 Tablespoons cider vinegar, to taste
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, gently saute the bacon/ham in the oil until the meat renders its fat and begins to get crispy.
  2. Add the cabbage by the handful, tossing it in the oil and meat to coat it and wilt it as you go along.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper.  Saute for about 5 minutes until cabbage is wilted and fits in the pan.
  3. Add the chicken stock and continue cooking to soften cabbage to your preferred consistency. (I like mine a bit firmer, so I only go for a few more minutes here. If you prefer a softer cabbage, increase the chicken stock a bit so that there is more steam as it cooks off.)
  4. Once the chicken broth has evaporated, and you are satisfied with the tenderness of your cabbage, pour in the vinegar for a hit of bright acidity and let it cook for about a minute.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.
  5. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy!

Cooking time (duration): 15

Number of servings (yield): 8

Culinary tradition: Irish

Copyright © Copyright 2010 Gourmet Girl LLC.
Microformatting by hRecipe.

 

As promised, I will also share the other recipes I made with you.

1. Sausage Rolls–This Irish treat is basically souped up loose sausage wrapped in a thin sheet of puff pastry, baked and sliced into 2 inch sections.  I usually look for a “banger” type raw sausage, remove it from it’s casing, add sauteed onions, garlic, pine nuts or pistachios and some extra seasoning.  You can use whichever raw sausage meat you like.  Roll it into a 1″ log and tightly wrap it in a strip of puff pastry.  Chill for 30 minutes (or make scads of these while you’re at it, and freeze them individually wrapped for emergency entertaining!).  Bake on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes at 375.  Roll should be  golden brown and sausage fully cooked.  Serve with a dip made from mayo and whole grain mustard.  Yum!

2.  Champ–We all know that the Irish love potatoes (and who doesn’t) but what you may not know is that they are fond of adding other things to the mashed version.  Add cabbage and it is called colcannon, and add green onions and it is called champ.  I used the following recipe, posted by an Irish woman and it got rave reviews!  Irish Champ on All Recipes.

3.  Corned Beef–This is a slow cooker dish, no doubt about it!  First, buy a high quality piece of raw corned beef.  It’s readily available in supermarkets this time of year.  Look for a well-marbled brisket, and try to avoid too many additives beyond the spices.  The better the beef you start with, the better your dish will be!  Go natural or organic if you can find it–you will notice the difference!  Take the beef and lay it in the bottom of your slow cooker.  (It helps to have the wide oval sort here so the roast can lay flat in it.)  I leave the seasonings on it and don’t rinse the meat at this step.  Peel some carrots and parsnips, cut them into two inch pieces and spread them over the meat with a bag of frozen pearl onions.  The amount of vegetable you use will depend on the size of your piece of meat; you want to aim to cover it.  Add about 1 cup of beef broth to the crock pot to come up the sides of the meat, but not cover the vegetable.  The meat itself will release a lot of juices as it cooks, so you always need less than you think!  If you wish, add an extra tablespoon or two of pickling spices to the pot for more of that flavor.  Turn the cooker on low and wait for about 10-12 hours.  When it is ready, the meat will be pull apart tender.  Be patient and wait for that moment, or it will still be tough.  If you prefer a less mushy vegetable, pull them out about half way through the cooking–they will have softened and already lent their flavor to the broth.  When you are ready to serve, remove roast and slice against the grain.  Serve with creamy horseradish and whole grain mustard

4.  Irish Brown Bread–I think this rustic bread goes perfectly with this meal, much better than the fruit studded soda bread would.  The recipe is from King Arthur Flour, always a dependable source for excellent ingredients and recipes.  Make sure to serve it warm with plenty of soft butter to smear on the slices!  Irish Buttermilk Brown Bread at King Arthur Flour.  A note:  this recipe calls for stone ground flour and none of our grocery stores carry the King Arthur version; they do however carry Bob’s Red Mill which is what I used here.

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Homemade Salad Dressings

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Donna Adams

Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on the average bottle of salad dressing?  Really looked?  It’s crazy how many things go into making your Italian dressing taste like it has oil, vinegar, and a few seasonings!  That many ingredients for such a simple concept–no thanks, and it can’t be good for me.  This is definitely a case where less is more–less sugars, less emulsifiers, less ick!

As a rule, I try to make my own dressings as often as possible.  I know that it can seem daunting to make your own dressing, but it really is simple to make a basic, fresh dressing.  It won’t even take much more time than it takes you to dig a bottle of prepared dressing out of your fridge, shake it and pour it on your salad.  Once you start making dressings, you will find that salads taste so much better, and you may find it hard to go back to bottled dressings.

Dressings can be as simple or as complicated as you like them to be.  At its most basic, the dressing is oil and acid.  Ratios range from 2 parts oil to 1 part acid to 4 parts oil to 1 part acid, depending on which source you use.  I like a tart dressing, so I usually go for less oil and more acid, but you should experiment and learn what tastes good to you.

The oil in the dressings I make is usually extra virgin olive oil.  This is the time to use the good stuff since the flavor will shine through in the salad.  If I am going for a particular flavor in my salad, I might also use a nut oil like walnut or hazelnut, or sesame oil.  If the flavor of these oils seems too strong for you, try mixing them with a neutral oil like canola to make the dressing.  Sometimes all or part of the oil is replaced with something creamy like buttermilk, mayo, or tahini.

The acid in the dressing is often vinegar of some sort–cider, red wine, rice wine, etc.  It can also be lemon, lime or orange juice.  Some recipes will feature a combination of acids to achieve a more complex flavor.

To the oil and acid, is often added seasonings, like dijon mustard (which thickens the dressing and acts as an emulsifier), shallots, garlic, herbs and spices.  Some recipes might also add a touch of honey or maple syrup to balance the acidity.  All dressings are also salted and you should remember to include a good pinch in your dressings since it will be covering, and therefore seasoning, a lot of lettuce.

When making a dressing, begin with the acid, add any seasonings, salt and pepper the dressing, stir and then add the oil.  If you add the oil first, the salt and other seasonings will not dissolve.

Beyond that, the sky is the limit.  With a few simple pantry ingredients and some creativity you can make a fresh dressing any time you want.  Don’t limit yourself to just salads either–homemade dressings are wonderful drizzled on steamed veggies, grilled fish, or roasted chicken as a finishing sauce.

Below are a few of my favorite dressings to get you started.  Each recipe dresses about 2 dinner salads or side salads for 4, depending on how generous you are.  You can multiply these as much as you want, and they also generally keep in the fridge for a few days.

1.  Classic Vinaigrette–Combine 1 tsp. dijon mustard, 1 tsp. minced shallot (optional), 1 Tablespoon champagne vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Mix well and add 2-4 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  For a balsamic vinaigrette, simply substitute balsamic vinegar for the champagne vinegar.

2.  Mediterranean Style Dressing–My Lebanese friend is an excellent salad maker and he taught me that simple is often the best.  This is his recipe.  Combine 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 small minced garlic clove (I use a microplane and grate it), salt and pepper in a bowl.  Mix well and add 2 Tablespoons very fruity olive oil.  Add a few torn leaves of basil and or mint to the salad greens for a wonderfully fresh meal.  (I often use this for a summer salad of just fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.)

3.  Rosemary Dressing–Combine 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Mix well and add 1-2 Tablespoons of walnut oil.  This dressing is particularly good over a winter salad of roasted squash, prosciutto and arugula.

4.  Greek Salad Dressing–Combine 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 small minced garlic clove, 1 tsp. dried oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Mix well and add 2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.  You can also add a bit of finely crumbled feta to the dressing.

5.  Blue Cheese Dressing–Combine 2 Tablespoons buttermilk (sub sour cream if you have none), 1-2 teaspoons mayo, 2-3 teaspoons white wine vinegar, a dash of Tabasco, a dash of worcestershire sauce, salt and white pepper in a bowl.  Mix well and add 1-2 Tablespoons finely crumbled blue cheese.

I hope this gets you started trying a few dressings on your own.  Once you get going, you will find many interesting ways to dress a salad.  And, if you crave a more complex dressing but aren’t sure where to start, Penzey’s Spices makes great mixes for dressings that you add to your own oil, vinegar, buttermilk, etc.  I promise you won’t miss any of the additives in the bottled dressings!  For a less pungent garlic flavor, I often use their granulated garlic in dressings instead of raw garlic.

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Smoked Turkey Salad

Posted on February 12, 2011 by Donna Adams

For the Superbowl, my husband smoked a whole turkey in our smoker.  It was delicious, it made amazing sandwiches, it made great soup, and then we got tired of it!  Because of its smokiness, I think I was limiting myself to simple preparations.  I started to think about a smoked turkey salad, and it started to sound pretty tasty…

I began with a web search for such a thing and came up with a few recipes, but none of them seemed like exactly what I was looking to make.  I took a few ideas away from them, and thought back to my basic chicken salad, and decided to make something in-between.

We ate this served atop a bed of lettuce, but it would be just as at home on some bread with lettuce and tomato.  As a side note, the flavor actually improved overnight in the fridge and the next day it was addictively good!  This would be an excellent do-ahead lunch to pack the night before.  You could easily make this with smoked turkey breast from the deli, just be sure it is the sort that actually looks like turkey meat and not “pressed” mystery meat.  Have the counter person slice it in thick planks which you can chop up later.

Recipe: Smoked Turkey Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chopped or cubed smoked turkey meat
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise to taste (I use lowfat Best Foods/Hellman’s)
  • 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup toasted nuts (I used spiced pepitas)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until the desired consistency is achieved. I like this salad to be better mixed and the turkey closer to shredded rather than chunky.
  2. Taste the seasoning and adjust as necessary.  Serve on a sandwich or a bed of lettuce.

Quick Notes

If the smokiness on your turkey is missing or not pronounced enough, add a few pinches of smoked paprika or a BBQ rub to the salad to enhance the barbeque flavors.

Cooking time (duration): 10

Number of servings (yield): 4

Copyright © Copyright 2010 Gourmet Girl LLC.
Microformatting by hRecipe.

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Mom’s Jewish Apple Cake

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Donna Adams

My mom is a wonderful baker.  Growing up, it seemed like there was always some homemade baked good for us to eat.  My dad’s family is know for their sweet tooth, and I definitely inherited that!

This is one of the recipes that I remember my mom making all the time.  To me it is a cool weather dessert, best eaten with a cup of warm tea or coffee.  Apples are harvested in the fall and stored for eating and baking all winter, so that is when I usually make this cake.

As an aside, I have no idea where my very-Catholic mom got a recipe for Jewish Apple cake, or what makes it Jewish.  If anyone can tell me, I’d love to know why this particular cake has a denomination!  (I suspect it has to do with the mix of ingredients, but…)

This is a great recipe for dessert, or for an afternoon snack.  It’s not too sweet, so it seems right at home with coffee for breakfast–hey, it is fruit!  And be warned, after baking for almost 2 hours, this cake will make your house smell so yummy that you will not be able to resist a piece of cake as soon as it comes out of the oven…

Recipe: Jewish Apple Cake

Summary: A deliciously spiced cake that shows off the flavors of fall’s apples

Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup oil, such as canola or vegetable
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Juice of 1 orange (1/2 cup)
  • 5 large apples
  • 5 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a tube pan, or spray with non-stick spray for baking.
  2. Peel, core and slice the apples. Set aside.
  3. Mix the cinnamon with the 5 tablespoons of sugar and set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a mixer combine the first 6 ingredients and mix well.
  5. Pour one half of the batter in the tube pan. Top with half of the apple slices. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar. Pour the remaining batter in the tube pan. Top with the remaining apples and cinnamon sugar.
  6. Bake for about 1 3/4 hours, or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.
  7. Using a thin knife, gently separate the cake from the sides of the tube pan. Remove the base of the pan from the sides and let cool completely.
  8. Run your knife around the base and center of the cake pan to separate the cake and the pan. Remove the cake from the base and place on a serving plate. Enjoy!

Quick Notes

Any type of apple works well in this recipe. I used granny smiths because I like their tartness and they seem to hold their shape well.

Variations

To those of you who like to incorporate more whole grains into your diet, this recipe can easily be made with of whole wheat pastry flour in place of the all-purpose flour.

Meal type: dessert

Copyright © Copyright 2010 Gourmet Girl LLC.
Microformatting by hRecipe.

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Making Broth–”Stone Soup” for Your Kitchen

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Donna Adams

To me, there is nothing like a great broth.  So simple, but so comforting and nourishing.  I recently had a bout with the stomach flu that’s going around, and let’s just say that I was miserable for several days.  When I was finally ready to try eating again, I knew I wanted to start with a steaming cup of fragrant broth.

Making broth is one of the most economical things you can do in the kitchen.  Do you remember the book “Stone Soup” from your childhood?  In it, the town makes a dish, starting with a stone, adding a bit here and a bit there and soon a wonderful soup is born from what everyone thought was nothing.  Making broth is a lot like this.

The two broths that I make most often are chicken and vegetable.  I know that making broth can be intimidating, and many cookbooks offer recipes for this task, but I’m here to tell you that it’s a lot simpler than that!

When I buy chicken and have to trim it, I save the bits in the freezer.  When I roast a chicken, I save the carcass in the freezer.  I save that baggie of parts from the chicken in the freezer.  And then, some afternoon when I know I will be home, I thaw it all out and make broth.  These were all things that would normally be discarded, hence the frugality of it all.

So, to a big pot, you add the chicken parts, and enough water to cover them.  (I usually wait until I have enough parts that I can make several quarts at once.)  To this pot you then need to add aromatic vegetables.  This is a great opportunity to go through your veggie drawer and use up those things that are still good, but way past their prime.  The three ingredients you most want are–onions, carrots and celery.  I usually use one large onion to two large carrots and two celery stalks.  It’s about the ratio of ingredients here.  For a small pot use one onion, and for a larger pot double the amounts.  Just chop them into big chunks and toss them in.  Don’t worry if you’re missing something, just add a bit more to fill in the flavor.

To this, you can add other ingredients to tailor the flavor of your broth to your tastes.  I usually toss in parsley (use the stems after you’ve used the leaves in a recipe), some thyme or other herbs, a bay leaf or two, some garlic cloves and a few peppercorns.  A splash of light white wine would not be out of place here, either!

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce it to a simmer and let it cook for about two hours.  Your house is going to smell divine by the time it’s finished!  Don’t salt the mixture yet; it reduces as it cooks, and you don’t want to over-salt it by doing it too soon.  Once the broth is rich enough for your taste, strain out all the bits using the finest strainer you have, or some cheesecloth, and you will have a delicious broth.  I usually discard the solids because I have extracted as much flavor as I can from them in the cooking process.

To make vegetable broth, the process is similar, but you’re obviously omitting the chicken!  In place of that, I add some tomatoes to give the broth a bit more depth.  I get a bit more creative with vegetable broth, as well, tossing in any odds and end vegetables I have left in the fridge.

Broth made this way is great in so many ways.  I usually have a cup of it fresh from the pot.  Saute a few fresh vegetables in some olive oil or butter and toss them in a warm bowl of the broth for a light dinner.  Boil a bit of pasta or rice and voila you’ve got chicken noodle soup!  It freezes beautifully, and once you’ve made a big batch, you can store it in the freezer in smaller containers to use in your cooking all month long.

This winter, try making a pot of broth one afternoon or evening, and you will see for yourself how rewarding this can be.  You get to use up the vegetables and meat bones that might otherwise be thrown away, you save money at the grocery store, and you have homemade broth any time you want it.  Enjoy!

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Roast Chicken Breast with Lemon-Mustard Marinade

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Donna Adams

I must admit that I am not a big fan of chicken.  I love to eat so much, that I just don’t waste time eating what doesn’t thrill me.  The only exceptions to this are whole roasted chicken fresh out of the oven, and of course, fried chicken!

Since my husband and I are usually the only diners around our table, I don’t often make whole chickens for us, and since we like to actually fit around the table, ditto for the fried chicken!

I developed this recipe for Lemon-Mustard Chicken Breasts many years ago to approximate the flavor of whole roasted chicken without all of those leftovers.  I use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts in this recipe because they roast better, and tend not to dry out like a boneless, skinless breast can.  This cut is often labelled as “Split Chicken Breast” in the grocery store, and it should generally be priced considerably less than the boneless skinless kind.  After cooking, you can choose to eat the skin or remove it, depending on your preference and mood!

The idea for this recipe came from a very old episode of the Martha Stewart show.  In this segment, she had singer Patti LaBelle talking about her favorite things to cook.  They made a whole roasted chicken together.  To Martha’s astonishment, Patti simply mixed ordinary yellow mustard with a bit of lemon juice, salted and peppered her chicken, smeared the mustard mixture all over it and baked it.  That was it!  It was so easy that I had to try it, and I loved it!  Over time, I’ve used this marinade on different cuts of chicken and added different herbs as my garden allowed, but I still stand by the original mixture.  Basic as it is, the sum is greater than the parts and this creates a moist juicy piece of chicken in the oven.

This is the perfect recipe for this time of year.  Lemons are currently in season here, and although they are a winter crop, most of us think of sunny summer days when we taste lemon, so this is a great way to brighten a dull, winter day!

Recipe: Lemon Mustard Chicken Breasts

Summary: Moist, juicy roasted chicken infused with the tang of mustard and the brightness of lemon.

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup yellow mustard
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed if possible
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs (I like thyme or rosemary), or substitute 1 teaspoon dried herbs
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl or ziplock baggie. Get your hands in there and massage the mixture into the chicken so that all of the nooks and crannies are coated.
  2. Let the mixture marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours. (If you’re pressed for time, just let it sit in the mixture on the counter for 20 minutes while your oven preheats.)
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 and remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Let it sit for about 20 minutes so the chicken comes closer to room temperature (it roasts better this way).
  4. Place chicken breasts skin side up in a 9 x 13 baking pan that has been coated with a bit of oil or cooking spray to prevent excessive sticking.
  5. Roast for 30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer measures 170 in the thickest part of the meat. Remove from oven and let meat rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Variations

This marinade works well for any chicken parts, like thighs or drumsticks. It also is great on a whole chicken. When roasting a whole chicken this way, I stuff the cavity of the chicken with the juiced lemon halves and some extra sprigs of herbs.

Number of servings (yield): 4

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Mediterranean Lamb and Feta Pita Pizzas

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Donna Adams

I don’t partake of fad diets or “engineered” foods to eat healthy.  For a food to qualify as healthy to me, it must a) taste good, b) have nutritional value and c) be recognizable as food!  I cook with ingredients in their raw form, building the dish and its flavor with what I do to it, rather than what some manufacturer has done to it.  I use a lot of vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, with occasional indulgences to keep my soul happy!

One of my favorite cookbooks for eating well and healthy is Ellie Krieger’s So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week.  Ellie talks about the pantry and her food philosophy in the beginning of the book.  She is a nutritionist and has a sound idea of what makes a diet healthy, with good food, not gimmicks.  Besides, if you’ve seen her on TV, she practically glows and if that’s not a testament to her health, I don’t know what is!

The book is divided into the usual meals, but each meal is broken down into quick and slow sections.  For example, breakfast on the go includes recipes for things like smoothies that can be made in minutes and taken with you.  Leisurely breakfast recipes, for days that you have more time to cook, include things like pancakes and french toast.  The same is true for lunch, dinner and dessert.  Ellie recognizes that we lead busy lives and need recipes for those hectic times, as well as for those times when we want to slow down and unwind with family and friends.

I have made many recipes from this book, but one of my favorites is a lunch recipe for lamb and feta pita pizzas.  I make this recipe for lunch, dinner or brunch.  The great thing is that the lamb mixture can be made ahead of time and spread on the pitas when you are ready to bake them.  This means that I can mix up a batch early in the week, and eat it on days when I want a home-cooked meal, but don’t have a lot of time to do the prep work.

Recipe: Lamb and Feta Pita Pizzas

Summary: a tasty pizza of savory lamb and mediterranean flavors served on a whole wheat pita

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 8 ounces lean ground lamb
  • 4 medium plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 whole wheat pitas
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and place the rack in the center of the oven.
  2. In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and lamb for about 5 minutes over medium heat until onions are translucent and lamb is no longer pink. Using your spatula, break the lamb up into small bits as it cooks. Transfer the meat to a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess fat and wipe out any fat that has accumulated in the pan. (Even if you are not concerned with fat content, I still recommend this step because the flavor of the lamb fat can sometimes overpower a dish.)
  3. Return the onion and meat mixture to the pan and add the tomatoes, parsley and cinnamon. Cook for several minutes to soften the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat. (This mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.)
  4. Place the pitas on a cookie sheet and brush the surfaces with the olive oil. (You can also spray them with olive oil cooking spray.) Top each pita with 1/4 of the lamb mixture and spread it around evenly. Sprinkle the pitas with the feta and the pine nuts.
  5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until cheese is soft and pita is toasty.

Quick Notes

Feel free to add other similar flavors to this dish. I often add a diced roasted red pepper or chopped olives to the mixture for variety.

When I don’t have fresh parsley I also use 1 teaspoon of dried oregano or marjoram in its place.

Serve this with a light salad for a complete meal.

Variations

If you don’t like lamb, you can easily substitute ground beef or turkey in this recipe.

To make an unusual brunch dish, top each pita with a fried egg–the oozy yolk perfectly compliments the other flavors.

Cooking time (duration): 30

Number of servings (yield): 4

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