Eat Like a Monk?

Juiceboy has been felled by stomach troubles, and I'm making him eat small, simple meals. My mother used to say, "No fats, no fruits and no fries" when we had tummy troubles. And so, that's been my motto too.

It worked. And then he thought he was all better and ate ice cream, and a pasta with olive oil, and he was up at 5:30am today moaning and groaning. So back we go to a monkish diet. But Juiceboy, despite being in the bathroom a lot today, was trying to dive into the tortilla chips, or have something like a hearty soup for dinner. I knew I had to make something that would satisfy his eyes, and baby his stomach.

For dinner, he and I had a simple, easy soup:

Sicky Soup

One rib celery, very finely diced
1/2 cup fideo (or well broken-up angel hair pasta)
Two small cans low-sodium chicken broth
Half a can petite-diced tomatoes
Splash of soy sauce
a few crusts or small chunks of day-old sourdough

Spray a pot with cooking spray, add the celery and pasta. Cook on medium heat until pasta begins to turn golden brown. Add broth, tomatoes, and soy sauce; bring to a boil, cook for 3 minutes until pasta is soft. Place bread in bowls and spoon soup over it.

The sourdough is an important part. The sourness adds a lot of flavor that the soup wouldn't have otherwise.

It was pretty good. Nothing you'd get in a fancy restaurant. And with no onions, no garlic, it's halfway to eating like a monk! (Switch the chicken broth to vegetable, and you'd have it....)

Can't Win them All

A Cooking Light recipe on braising prompted me to make something braised this weekend. It's been gloomy, we all have colds, and the thought of some slow-cooked, melt-in-your-mouth beef was just what the doctor ordered.

Being of stuffy-headed mind, I read the recipes and article twice and watched the videos on the website carefully. The videos were a disaster. The talking heads didn't discuss cuts of meat at all. They didn't show browning techniques. I wanted something more than a pot roast. I wanted delicious, braised beef.

Well...you can guess what happened. It was Saturday afternoon, so all the smaller cuts of bottom round were sold. There was a huge brisket--but I don't have a container big enough for a whole brisket. If I'm going to buy flank steak I'm going to marinate and grill it. No roasts. So, I got a four-pounder. It had to be cooked in my bigger, lighter pot.

I forgot that it heats faster. What happened as I was dicing onions? Yup, I burnt instead of browned. Picture it: the Bug coughing from smoke, the baby crying, and I'm scraping meat like it's toast. Juiceboy to the rescue, and dinner got back on track.

I slowly simmered it in a lovely red wine sauce with parsnips, carrots and red potatos (those added about 45 minutes from serving time). I served it on top of wide egg noodles.

In the end, dinner was an hour late. The veggies were just barely cooked and the meat was tough. And...it was your basic pot roast.

It made for good leftovers. I slowly simmered it the next two days, cooking extra egg noodles right in the sauce the second night. They were pretty good.

So--I don't know if I'm too excited by braising. I've yet to have truly tender beef come out of something braised. But then again, I'm known for my kitchen fiascos.

Did I mention I burnt the bacon the next day?

Steak Salad with Green Godess Dressing

We had leftover london broil in the fridge yesterday and I had seen a snippet of The Barefoot Contessa making a salad with Green Godess dressing. I thought, why not make a steak salad with Green Godess dressing? So I did, and oh boy, was it good. No pictures though--we ate it up too fast!

Steak Salad
Thinly sliced steak--like leftover London Broil
One to two heads butter lettuce, washed and dried
Two ripe tomatoes, cut in wedges
Steamed broccoli (I had it leftover)
Yukon gold potatoes, cut in quarters and roasted (again, I had leftovers)
Green Godess Dressing

Toss all the ingredients and serve immediately with crusty sourdough. I like the simplicity of the ingredients, but again, it was what I had in the fridge. What's in yours?

Green Godess Dressing
1 Cup Lowfat Mayo
3/4 Cup light/low fat sour cream
2-3 garlic cloves
3-5 scallions
Juice of one plump lemon
1.5 cups fresh basil
1 teaspoon (or to taste) anchovy paste
Freshly ground pepper

Mix everything in a food processor until smooth and blended. Adjust consistency as needed. This is great as a sandwich spread as well!

Pasta e Fagioli

Fast, cheap and satisfying...Pasta e Fagioli is a perfect soup/stew for those dreary days of January. This dish was a hit with the whole family--The Bug had thirds!

It's a rustic dish, so don't worry about perfect sizes on the vegetables. Also, while it seems like a lot of ingrediants, it's really a "what's in the fridge that needs to be used" dish. Add and subtract items as you wish. I like to make this when I have some leftover crusty bread to throw in. Total cooking time should take no more than an hour. This is a fresh, fast dinner. (To make it vegetarian, skip the chicken and make with your favorite veggie stock.)

Pasta e Fagioli

2 Tablespoons olive oil
Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use the flash-frozen kind, so they're fairly big)
1/2 large yellow or white onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 head of celery, including center stalks, diced
1 large carrot, sliced or diced
1 head cauliflower, broken into bite-sized pieces
1 large can chicken broth
1 large can skinned, diced tomatoes
1 can white or black beans, with some liquid drained
1/2 cup small pasta, like tubetini or alphabets (if you do a mixture like me, watch cooking times)
8 oz frozen chopped spinach
1/4 cup romano cheese, shredded
crushed red pepper, to taste
freshly ground black pepper
day old sourdough bread, torn into bite-sized pieces (optional)
fresh herbs (basil, thyme, or parsley work well)

Heat olive oil in large stock pot on medium high; add whole chicken breasts. After they have browned on both sides, add onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Lower heat immediately to medium/medium low, saute until fragrant. Add chicken broth, turn to high heat and bring to a boil, then turn down to med/med-low again. Add cauliflower and tomatoes. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add pasta. Stir occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the pot.

Halfway in the pasta cooking time, add beans; stir well. Remove chicken breasts and slice into bite-sized pieces, return to pot with any juices that have collected in the cutting process.

When pasta is cooked, add frozen spinach. After about 3 minutes, add the bread, red and black pepper, and cheese. Check for seasonings.

Ladle into bowls and top with chopped fresh herbs.

Leftover Turkey Soup

I really call this Stone Soup, because you use whatever you have in your house. But it makes a great turkey soup, and if you happen to have lots of meat leftover, it's a fantastic stew.

Stone Soup (Leftover Turkey Soup)

Two tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)
One large yellow onion, chunked
Two large carrots, sliced (I like disks, but just keep it large however you do it)
Three ribs celery, chopped
Two to three cloves of garlic, minced
Turkey or chicken broth (I usually have more turkey broth leftover from the turkey than I can use, so I freeze it and use it for soup)
One bay leaf
Meaty turkey frame and leftover turkey
One large can of chopped tomatoes, with juice
If you have a potato or two that you want to use, dice them
One can white beans, slightly drained
A handful of frozen spinach (do you ever have a little bit left in a bag? Now's the time to use it as long as it's not freezer burnt)
A handful of pasta (any kind, though I like the bigger ones, like radiatore)
A cup of sliced cabbage

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot until shimmery. Add onions, carrots, and celery, and saute on medium about two minutes. Add the garlic and cook about one minute, or until fragrant. At this point, you can add any kind of raw veggies you like--cauliflower would be nice. I'd stay away from asparagus and bell peppers.

Add broth, bay leaf, and turkey, making sure your broth just covers the turkey frame. Don't add too much broth unless you like a thin soup, and too little--you just won't get all that leftover goodness.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a healthy simmer. Let cook for 20 minutes, then add tomatoes, and if you're using it, potato. Simmer for another 20 minutes.

Add the beans, spinach, cabbage and pasta. Simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring frequently so your pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.

Taste for seasoning and thickness. Too thick? Add some more broth or tomato juice. Too thin? Let it simmer some more uncovered or add a tablespoon of ditalini or other small pasta. (Go easy with the pasta as it sucks up ALL the liquid it can.)

I like to add a little basil and rosemary, and lots of fresh black pepper.

Turkey Chilaquiles

I've been reading the Married..with dinner blog and they've got Chilaquiles all over it. They reminded me that I've been meaning to try Rick Bayless's Guajilla Chilaquiles for a while.

So, I used his recipe and added turkey right at the end. Delicious! Sadly, I had no crema or other fresh Mexican cheese, so I used a shredded blend. For veggies, this could easily be vegetarian, and even vegan.

It was a great brunch on a dreary, rainy day. And a FANTASTIC use of leftover turkey!

Bubble and Squeak

Bubble & Squeak

First, make the mashed potatoes:
About 2.5 pounds russet potatoes. peeled and cut into 2" chunks
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/3 cup cream
1 garlic clove, gently mashed
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Boil a large amount of salted water, add potatoes, bay leaves and peppercorns. Cook until fork tender. Drain very well, removing leaves and pepper corns. In cooking pot, add cream, milk and garlic, and warm for 5-7 minutes. Remove the garlic and add in the potatoes. Mash with potato masher until lumpy (NOT SMOOTH), adjusting with milk and salt & pepper to taste. Add cheese and mix. Remove all to a bowl to cool.

7-8 slices thick bacon
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped into 2" chunks
1 large yellow onion, chopped coarsley
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup colby jack or cheddar cheese, grated
Durkee fried onions

Place bacon in heavy skillet and cook on medium low. When bacon is cooked but not crisp, slice into 2-3" slices. Add onion, saute for one minute. Add cabbage and a pinch of salt. Cook until cabbage is bright green and still almost crisp. Add pepper to taste. Mix this into the potatoes.

Spread potatoes into a 13x9" pan (I line mine with foil to save cleanup). Top with cheese and then with onions. Cook for about 30 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Scotch Broth

I've worked about 87 billion hours this week, shoring up Juiceboy and the Bug with lamb; black bean stew; and various leftovers from catered events.

Today is Saturday and I've finally had a chance to survey the fridge. I think they had one meal of each, and then opened cans of soup. JEEZ.

Since they like soup so much, I've decided to make scotch broth with the leftover lamb and stick it in the freezer for future crazy weeks. I think it's interesting that I can't find one recipe that isn't a) bland as water; b) incredibly strange (Emerille Lagasse is pushing a version with whiskey and blue cheese).

Over at Epicurious, the sole recipe for Scotch Broth has the following intro from the author:

"...my brother and I nicknamed "Witches' Brew." I've hated it for as long as I
can remember. I didn't start eating soup again until I was in my late 20s, and I
still dislike stewed meat and cooked carrots. I blame it all on Scotch Broth."

Mmmmm. Sounds like it's going to be a great recipe, huh?

Sure enough, it includes stewed meat and about six carrots.

So off I go to update the traditional scotch broth recipe into a delightful dish! Any tips?

Best Soup Ever

I had leftover meat from the pork roast and decided to make soup. I was just winging it, but will try to recreate it. It was delicious! Here's the basics:

I simmered about a pound of trimmings, bone and meat from my pork roast in about 3 cups of chicken broth. In it I through a handful of baby organic carrots, about a cup of celery with leaves, a whole chopped onion (1" cubes), and about 2 mashed cloves of garlic.

I simmered that for about an hour, then let it cool and chilled it overnight in the fridge. The next evening I skimmed the fat off it, brought it back up to a simmer, then removed all the meat and reserved that. Then, I strained the veggies, but mashed them with the back of a spoon as the carrots still had flavor, and I sat the strainer in the pot as it simmered for about 20 minutes.

I threw away the spent veggies, added a handful of little Mexican alphabet pastas (I find them in the "Mexican Foods" section at Safeway for 33 cents a bag. I also added a can of chopped "petite diced tomatoes". After the pasta was almost cooked (it really puffs up), I added about a tablespoon of chili powder, cumin, and fresh ground pepper. No salt was needed. Right before the end I added about a cup of fresh, chopped cilantro.

Add the meat back in (I'd gone through it and cut it into bite-sized bits). Ladle it out and top with lots of diced avocado.

MMMMM!

Spaghetti Fritatta

It's Saturday Brunch and everyone wants to know what I'm making. And honestly, I don't know. Juiceboy ate the ham I was going to use for a dish. What now?

Let's Look in the the Fridge! Leftovers...leftovers...ah and leftovers. It guess it's time for leftover fritatta!

Spaghetti Fritatta
Heat your oven to 350.
Cook the following in an oven-proof skillet.

Brown some ground pork. Remove and drain on a paper towell.

Saute 1/2 yellow onion and one clove garlic in the pan. Add 1T butter. Add about two cups leftover spaghetti (really, d0n't cook this up fresh. That's just silly.).

Add 1/2 cup sliced green pepper and 1/2 cup chopped tomato.

Season with basil, oregano, fennel (for sausagey flavor) , salt and pepper.

Throw in whatever tasty leftovers you have in the fridge.

Beat a bunch of eggs--I used 10, because 6 wasn't enough. I think 8 would have been fine.

Cook for approximately 20 minutes until eggs are set. Top with parmesan and some grated monterey jack cheese (cheddar would be v. nice as well). Put back in the oven for about 10 minutes until bubbly. If you want the cheese browned, turn on the broiler for about 3 minutes.

I think chopped broccoli would have been good, too. This is not healthy cooking, I know. We're having veggie stir-fry for dinner.

Cream Cheese Wontons

What to do when you find out your mother-in-law is coming three hours earlier than you thought--with her best friends who are visiting from overseas? You throw together a plate of quick-to-make food, like cheese & crackers and fruit. But what if you want to really impress them? Make cream cheese wontons with your leftover wonton skins!

The picture is all that was left of about 24 wontons.

Cream Cheese Wontons
Square egg roll wrappers--I used the large ones and cut them into four.
Water or egg substitute for sealing.
Cream cheese or neufchatel cheese, softened at room temperature if time allows.

Add ins. You can make plain cream cheese filling, or add in any of the following:
Crab meat
Chopped scallions or chives
1t to 1T curry powder or paprika

Place about a half teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrapper. Dampen two sides and of wrapper and fold to create a triangle, eliminating as much air as possible. Or, twist into a little "purse".
Use a small, heavy frying pan with about 1/2 an inch of corn oil, on medium high heat. Gently place wontons and cook until golden brown, turning over when done. Then, drain on paper towel.

Serve immediately--these don't taste as good later. (And you can plan for two or three per person. They are yummy, but fattening. What did you expect from deep-fried cheese?)

Beating the heck out of dim sum

My in-laws and their visiting friends were coming for cocktails tonight, and I needed something fast for dinner after. What to do with a fridge full of half-cooked dim sum? Add chicken broth!

Yes, this is my recipe for won ton soup.

Won Ton Soup

• Spray your favorite stock pot with Pam.
• Add one diced carrot, one diced stalk celery, about 1T chopped ginger, one chopped clove garlic.
• Cook till fragrant but not soft.
• Add one big huge can of Swanson's chicken broth (or the broth of your choice).
• Cook on low heat until steaming.
• Add leftovers from nights before, including: chopped cabbage, filled wontons, linguine, spinach wontons, pork/shrimp meatballs, and diced tofu.
• Simmer until meatballs are cooked through. Do not boil!
• If you made fresh wontons tonight from the leftovers, now's the time to add any beaten egg you have leftover.
• Stir in about a tablespoon of sesame oil and one tablespoon soy sauce.
• Top with fresh chopped scallions.

Serves Plenty

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The Bug, who is nine and not always the easiest to please, announced "We should have this every night!"

This is a good use of leftover chicken when whole chickens are on sale. I bought two, and was able to have two dinners of roasted chicken, a couple of lunches of chicken sandwiches, and then this yummy, stewy soup. And I REFUSE to go the Rachael Ray way by calling it "stoup"!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Make a broth with the meaty bones of two roast chickens. (I like to reserve the meat from one and add it at the very end before the soup is served.)
• How to make a broth: take the chicken bones/meat, at least one onion, one or two large carrots, celery hearts with leaves, a handful of smashed garlic cloves, and a handful of peppercorns. If you want to saute the veggies to bring out the flavor, do! Then, cover with fresh, cold water. Simmer for a number of hours until reduced to about 50%.
• Strain the solids from the broth, reserving any good meat and carrots. But for lord's sake, throw out the skin! Allow broth to cool, then skim any fat.
• Saute in butter or olive oil one chopped onion, two carrots, two-to-three ribs of celery, until fragrant.
• Add back the broth and meat, bring to a slow boil.
• Add one 16oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes, with liquids.
• Add one can black beans, with liquids.
• Add one cup frozen corn.
• Add chili powder and cumin, to taste.
• Add about 1/2 cup of small pasta, such as orzo. I like a star shape. The smaller, the better, because pasta absorbs a lot of liquid as the soup sits. Don't add too much or you'll have pasta stew.
• Taste for seasoning (salt, pepper, spiciness)
• Crush tortilla chips into the bottom of each bowl, add soup. Then top with chopped green onion, cilantro and about a tablespoon of shredded mexican blend or colby jack cheese. Cheese is, of course, optional.

Chicken Piccata & Bread Salad

I really am trying to make smart choices in cooking. Of course, this was a Sunday dinner, so it had to be a little fancy. We had the leftover No-Cook Tomato Basil Pasta from last night plus:

Chicken Piccata

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded thin or butterflied if you want, but I just left mine as is, straight out of the freezer)
• 1/2 can chicken broth
• Juice of one lemon
• One large clove of garlic, smashed but not chopped
• Black pepper
• 1/4 cup (eyeball it) chopped parsley
• About 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• Grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Capers (optional)

In a heavy skillet, place frozen chicken breasts, broth, lemon juice and garlic. Cover and simmer pm medium low about 15 minutes, turning occasionally. When cooked almost through, remove from pan. Reserve broth, straining first.

Add butter and olive oil to the pan--I wash the pan first--and turn pan to medium high. (NO NON-STICK PANS!). Return chicken to skillet and let brown, about 5 minutes each side.

Remove meat once again. Add pepper and parsley. Whisk some leftover broth with cornstarch in a cup till thin and lumps are gone, then add sparingly to sauce. Do this slowly. You don't want a sticky mess, just to thicken it slightly.

Sprinkle parmesan on chicken, then add sauce and capers. Garnish with parsley.

I have nice homemade bread that's just one day past eating for sandwiches. I also have lots of tomatoes from our backyard plants and the farmstand. Here's a simple recipe that celebrates the flavors of summer. It's all eyeballed and to your taste. Go easy. And remember, the bread is supposed to be soggy. It's bread salad.

Bread Salad (Panzanella) day-old homemade bread or other bakery bread--crusts are great--Cut fresh, juicy tomatoes, at least a pound, in coarse pieces. Whatever you do, don't dice into nothingness. This is not about mashed tomatoes. Throw on top of the bread.

Peel and slice a cucumber into 1/2 inch chunks. Don't worry about the seeds. They're good for you.

Add either thinly sliced red onion or chopped scallion (aka green onion).

Tear fresh basil--don't chop it. Throw it in.

Let it all sit for a while, then add 1/4 cup olive oil with a splash of balsamic vinegar whisked in. Season with salt & pepper. Taste. You might want to repeat the olive oil and vinegar.

Please, please, don't use store-bought Italian dressing or vinagrette. The fresh, summery flavors need only to be highlighted by the oil and vinegar, not overpowered by corn syrup, soybean oil, and artificial flavors.