Category Archives: Main Dish

Jul 08 3 comments
Main Dish, Recipes, Side Dish, Vegetable, Vegetarian

Panzanella

panzanellaindish

Ah, panzanella. I’ve wanted to make you for so long. Ideally when I have just let a boule cool on my counter, but the oven is dead to me.  The temperature keeps rising and the weather is trying to coax us into calling an air conditioning company. Yet, we survive with our oscillating fan I purchased several years ago. It has become a dear friend and we’re very close to giving it a name. Instead of baking bread, I went to the Farmer’s Market and picked up fresh cucumber, tomato, onion, peppers, basil and a sourdough boule. I did have to use the stovetop briefly to crisp up the bread cubes for this recipe and I am happy to report that it was worth it. This is the Barefoot Contessa’s famous recipe with some minor tweaks. It made a huge batch that you can take to a barbecue or nibble on all weekend. It’s light and full of vibrant vegetables. A light summer dinner during these steamy times in the Midwest.

panzanellavegetables

Panzanella

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Serves 12 as a side

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 small French boule, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (6 cups)

1 t. coarse salt

2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 cucumber, unpeeled, seed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (your choice of colors, I used orange and green)

1/2 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

3 T. capers, drained

Vinaigrette

1 t. finely minced garlic

1/2 t. Dijon mustard

3 T. aged balsalmic vinegar (or your favorite)

1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 t. coarse salt

1/4 t. freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large saute pan or cast iron skillet and add the bread cubes and salt. Cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently for 10 minutes or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

breadcubes

2.  Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together.

3. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, red onion, basil, mozzarella and capers. Add the vinaigrette and stir ingredients together. At this point you can add the bread cubes, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately or alternately, add half of the bread cubes and refrigerate for 1 hour. Add the rest of the bread cubes right before serving and season with salt and pepper.  This gives you some bread cubes that have soaked up the vinaigrette and some crisp bread pieces. This recipe originally called for 1 inch cubes of most of the vegetables and at the risk of sounding ridiculous, I found that a bit large and thought 1/2-3/4 inch is better for enjoying this dish.

Jun 01 2 comments
Main Dish, New Food, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Vegetarian

Green Garlic Pesto

pesto

I have sadly been too busy this month to get to the Farmer’s Market since it opened on Saturday mornings, but luckily we have a really great Whole Foods nearby and they feature fresh produce from local farms. I wanted to pick up some groceries and I spotted some green garlic that was 2/$4 for a generous bunch. I had no idea what I would do with it, but I remember hearing so much about garlic scapes last year and wondered if it was similar.

cleangreengarlic

I did a bit of research and found out that green garlic is garlic that is picked in the spring before it fully develops into the cloves we normally would use. Just like spring onions are picked before developing into large onions. Sure, you probably knew all about green garlic and I’m just late to the game. It’s ok, I’m used to it.

I needed Google, my dear, dear friend and began searching for green garlic recipes, hoping a pesto was on the menu. Many soup recipes popped up and sounded amazing, but did I mention that Michigan has been close to 90 degrees lately? I can only imagine the look my husband would give me if I serve soup during this heat wave. I did see a few mentions for green garlic pesto and dug out my pesto recipe from last summer. I modified it slightly and oh my, this is good. It has a fresh mild garlic flavor. I wouldn’t serve it to someone who doesn’t like garlic, but it does not have the usual bite raw garlic has. I tossed it with some spaghetti and a bit of butter and we had  a wonderful meal that required minimal heat in the kitchen.

pestoingredients

Green Garlic Pesto

adapted from this Basil Pesto Recipe

Makes about 1 1/2 C.

5-6 shoots of green garlic, trimmed of tough dark green parts and cut into 2 inch pieces

2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, cut into small cubes

1/2 C. pine nuts

3/4 t. coarse salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil (I used CA Olive Ranch Arbequina)

1. Add all ingredients above to a food processor or blender, except for olive oil. Process until cheese is broken down and everything looks pretty well combined. Open top and scrape down any large bits that moved to the top of the food processor or blender.

2. Stream in extra-virgin olive oil until you get a uniform texture and all is well combined. You may have to scrape down the large bits again to make sure everything is fully incorporated.

Green Garlic Pesto Spaghetti

4 entree servings

1/2-3/4 C. green garlic pesto (I eyeball about half of the recipe above)

1 lb. spaghetti (or your favorite pasta)

coarse salt for pasta water

2 T. unsalted butter

1. Make above recipe for green garlic pesto.

2. Cook spaghetti al dente in salted pasta water according to package directions. Drain pasta.

3. Add butter and pesto to hot pasta and mix with tongs until pasta is coated. Serve immediately.

greengarlicpestopasta

May 25 5 comments
Main Dish, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Vegetarian

Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Basil and Crisp Bread Crumbs

Fettucinewithbasiltomatoandbreadcrumbs

We recently had our family over for burgers and my darling husband was a bit too excited about cutting up the tomatoes and thinly sliced enough tomatoes to give one to everyone in the neighborhood. I really hate throwing away perfectly good food and it usually provides me with the motivation to find new recipes using those leftover ingredients. I had printed off this Joanne Weir recipe for Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Basil and Crisp Breadcrumbs a few months back and it seemed easy enough for a weeknight meal. Instead of using the cherry tomatoes she specified in her recipe, I cut our leftover tomato slices into large chunks and proceeded. The balsamic vinegar gives this dish a nice fresh punch. We had leftovers and I was afraid that the breadcrumbs would be soggy and inedible for lunch the next day, but it was delicious. I took my lunch out of the refrigerator that morning, let it come up to room temperature on my desk and by lunchtime it was perfect. The fresh breadcrumbs had soaked up the oil and balsamic, but the soft texture didn’t bother me because it was so flavorful. I look forward to trying this recipe again when I get my hands on some fresh farmer’s market tomatoes.

Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Basil and Crisp Bread Crumbs

Serves 6, recipe adapted from Joanne Weir

1 C. very coarse fresh bread crumbs (I put 3 slices of whole wheat bread in the food processor)

8 T. extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

5 T. balsamic vinegar

4 C. cherry tomatoes or your favorite tomato sliced into chunks

1 lb. fettuccine

1/2 C. basil leaves, sliced into thin strips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 T. of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss the crumbs to distribute oil and seasonings evenly. Bake in the middle of the oven, tossing occasionally, until they turn golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 4 T. of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and stir together. Set aside

4. Fill a large pot three-fourths full of salted water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes or according to the directions on the package.

5. Drain the pasta and toss with the tomatoes and vinaigrette. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with basil and bread crumbs. Serve immediately.

May 01 3 comments
Lamb, Main Dish, Recipes

Smoke-Roasted Leg of Lamb Provencal

lambongrill

On Easter we decided to go low-key and have a nice grilled meal for the two of us. The unpredictable Michigan weather was kind to us and cooperated with a slightly cool, but sunny Sunday afternoon. We sat on our porch and enjoyed some cocktails while we waited for the lamb to cook. It was a bit of heaven on earth.

lambseasoning

Smoke-Roasted Leg of Lamb Provencal

Recipe from Steven Raichlen

We made an almost 3 lb. boneless leg of lamb and we halved the ingredients below. We cooked the lamb for about 50 minutes. If you’re wondering why the olive slivers need to be frozen like I was, it is so you can easily insert them into the meat. I was taking pictures and they quickly defrosted and I tell you this to learn from the error of my ways. I cracked the peppercorns with a small drinking glass on a cutting board.

Serves 6 to 8

1 bunch of fresh rosemary

1 small or 1/2 of a large bone-in leg of lamb (4-5 lbs.)

6 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers

6 kalamata olives cut into slivers and frozen

Extra virgin olive oil for roast plus 3-4 T. for basting

1 T. coarse salt

1 T. Herbes de Provence

1 t. cracked black peppercorns

2 C. wood chips (optional, preferably oak) soaked in water for 1 hour and drained

If using a charcoal grill, get the grill ready with 2 sections of coals and a drip pan in the middle. Click the Steve Raichlen recipe link above for gas grill directions.

1. Strip the leaves off of 2 rosemary sprigs and finely chop the leaves of 1 sprig. Set aside the other whole leaves for inserting in the meat and also set aside the rest of the bunch for basting later.

2. Using a sharp, slender knife, make a series of 1/2 inch deep holes (1 inch apart) in the lamb, mostly in the sheath of fat on top, but also in the sides and bottom. Insert the garlic, olives and whole leaves from 1 sprig of rosemary into the holes, one flavoring per hole.

3. Coat the lamb with olive oil. Combine salt, herbs de provence, cracked peppercorns and chopped rosemary leaves, sprinkling all over the lamb and pat in with your fingers.

4. If using a charcoal grill, place half of the wood chips on coals after it is preheated to medium heat and right before cooking. Place the lamb on the hot grate over the drip pan and cover the grill.

5. Grill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours for medium rare and baste every 30 minutes with olive oil using the rest of the rosemary as a basting brush.  If using the charcoal grill, add the rest of the wood chips and 12 fresh coals after an hour of cooking. To test for doneness, stick an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the leg, but not touching bone.  It should register 145 degrees for medium rare.

6. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

finishedlamb

Apr 10 2 comments
Main Dish, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Seafood, Side Dish, Vegetarian

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Grilled Asparagus

asparaguspastaAsparagus seems to be everywhere I go lately and two things come to mind when I see asparagus. #1 is grilling asparagus with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and #2 is this recipe for creamy goat cheese pasta with roasted asparagus. I decided to bring my two asparagus loves together and grilled the asparagus instead of roasting it and combined it with the creamy goat cheese pasta. Oh yes, these two were made for each other. The smoky asparagus contrasts nicely with the creamy goat cheese and pasta. I usually make this as an easy weeknight entree with a salad, but we picked up some beautiful salmon at Whole Foods and I turned the pasta dish into a side. We marinaded the salmon in a butter rum sauce and it was quite tasty, but I sadly didn’t taste much rum once it was cooked. I’ll include that recipe here, too. If you cannot grill the asparagus or salmon, roasting works great.  I first fell in love with this creamy goat cheese pasta dish when I made the roasted asparagus version. It’s quick and delicious.

rawasparagus grilledasparagus

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Roasted (or Grilled) Asparagus

Adapted from Everyday Food

Serves 4 generously for an entree and 6 as a side dish

I’m going to share the roasted asparagus recipe below as I make it. Grilling works great if you are already grilling your protein. Place the prepared asparagus in a single layer on the grill for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally to prevent burning. It works out well to start the water boiling right before you place the asparagus on the grill. Let cool and cut into 2 inch pieces before adding to pasta.

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds), tough ends trimmed

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 T.  unsalted butter, but into small pieces

1 pound cavatappi pasta (or your favorite kind)

1 small log soft goat cheese (5-7 oz.), crumbled

2-3 T. snipped fresh chives for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces and place on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. While the asparagus is roasting, generously salt the now boiling water. Add pasta and cook al dente, according to the package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 C. of pasta water, then drain the pasta and return the drained pasta to the pot.

3. In a large bowl combine the goat cheese, 3 T. butter and 1/2 C. pasta water.  Season with salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Add pasta and goat cheese to the goat cheese mixture and toss to combine. Add more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat the pasta. Serve garnished with snipped chives.

salmonwithpasta

Butter Rum Grilled and Smoked Salmon

Recipe from about.com via frantic google search

I cut this recipe in half because we purchased 1 pound of salmon and not 2. I’m sure this cook be baked and taste great, too. I’d bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until if flakes easily in the center.

Serves 4-6

2 lbs. salmon

3 T. butter, melted

3 T. dark rum

2 T. olive oil

1 head garlic, peeled and minced

1 T. black pepper

2 t. salt

1. Set up a two zone fire in your charcoal grill (one cool side and one hot side). While grill is heating, soak your favorite wood chunks in water for at least 30 minutes.

2. Twenty minutes before you are ready to grill, lay salmon on a rimmed baking sheet and combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. Spread mixture evenly over the salmon. Let sit for 15 minutes.

3. Add wood chunks to the coals and oil your grill grates. Gently place the salmon over the cooler side of the grill. Close the lid and let the salmon smoke for 30-45 minutes, depending on the thickness. When finished the salmon should flake easily in the center. The color should be light pink without any shine.

rawsalmon 1 rawsalmonwithmarinade

Mar 26 1 comments
Beef, Main Dish, Recipes

Beef Fajitas on the Fly

newfinishedfajita

I enjoyed fajitas, but hardly ever ate them because a.) I never had a good recipe and b.) I know ordering them at a restaurant is a “process”. Marc, on the other hand, loves the pomp and circumstance of ordering fajitas at a restaurant. He knows it means we have to back up for the steaming plate and all of the fajita toppings. I end up having to scoot my dinner plate to a far corner of the table to accommodate his many dishes. My view of fajitas has changed, though. Through Twitter and Alison, I found an easy beef fajita recipe that is as delicious as it is quick. Double score! I made this recipe for the first time one Saturday afternoon and Marc could not get over how good the fajitas were. He said they were better than the fajitas he’s ordered in restaurants and I’ve been making them ever since.  I thought that these might lack flavor from the small ingredient list, but luckily I was wrong. The paprika, cumin, oregano and jalapeno give the steak the right amount of smokiness and a very slight kick. The lime (or blood orange) juice adds that wonderful hint of acidity that complements all of the other flavors. I added to the original directions below because I like to be clear, but they come together quickly.

Marinatingbeef cookingbeef

Fajitas on the Fly

Recipe from Post College Cook via Dollars to Donuts

Serves 4

3 T. olive oil

2 limes, juiced (I subbed in blood orange juice once and it was yummy)

1/4 C. finely chopped cilantro (optional)

2 jalapeno peppers ribbed, seeded and finely diced (optional, but it’s not very spicy)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. paprika (I used smoked paprika and we liked it)

1 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. freshly ground pepper

1 1/4 lbs. skirt steak, sliced against the grain in 1/4″ thick slices

2 large red bell peppers cut into 1/4″ thick  strips

1 large white onion cut into 1/4″ thick half moon slices

8 flour or corn tortillas

salsa, hot sauce or your favorite toppings for serving

Marinate the meat:

Whisk 1 1/2 T. olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and black pepper together in a large bowl. Place the meat in the marinade and toss to coat. (*I defrosted the skirt steak by putting it in the fridge overnight and the next day it was partially frozen. I sliced the meat into 1/4″ strips while it was partially frozen and marinaded overnight. The next day it was defrosted and we were ready for dinner. You could also put the defrosted meat into the freezer for an hour or two for the same results.) Set aside while you slice the peppers and onion into 1/4″ strips.

Sear the steak:

Preheat the oven to warm. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet (cast iron works great) for 3 minutes over medium-high heat. Drizzle 1/2 T. of the olive oil in the pan and remove half of the steak from the marinade and put in the skillet. Try to layer the meat so that it is not overlapping so the pieces properly sear. Cook until steak is seared on both sides about 2 minutes. (*I undercooked them a bit at this point because you’ll want to keep the meat warm while you are finishing the rest of the meat and vegetables.) Transfer to an oven-safe large plate or platter and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper on the warm steak slices. Keep platter in warm oven. Use tongs and paper towel to wipe out the skillet. Be careful, it’s hot. Add 1/2 T. olive oil and repeat cooking and plating of steak slices.

Brown the vegetables:

Place the skillet back over medium-high heat and drizzle remaining 1/2 T. of olive oil in the pan. Add the onion and red pepper in the skillet  and cook until charred and softened, about 5 minutes.

Heat the tortillas:

While the vegetables cook, heat the tortillas by microwaving in a towel for 20-30 seconds or use my favorite method and place directly on a gas burner until soft and slightly black on the edges.  Transfer to vegetables to same platter with steak (or different platter) and serve with warm tortillas and your favorite toppings.

platedfajitas

Mar 04 2 comments
Beef, Main Dish, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Restaurants

Cincinnati Chili

chilithreeway

How we came to know Cincinnati Chili

Last summer we went to North and South Carolina and on our way there, we stopped by my brother-in-law’s place in Florence, KY. He lives in Kentucky, but Cincinnati is so close that you can see it from his condo. It was our first time visiting and we were there for only a short time, but he recommended we check out Skyline Chili. This midwest chain is big all around Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana with some locations in Florida. I’m all up for trying new things, but in the far back of my mind I was wondering what was special about this particular chili. Chili is chili, right? At Skyline, their chili has unique spices like cinnamon and allspice that change the flavor of your average chili. One of their most famous meals is called the Three Way, spaghetti topped with their famous chili and lots of finely shredded cheddar cheese. We loved this chili with its unique spices and a week ago I saw that Cook’s Country had a recipe for Cincinnati Chili! Could it be? Could I possibly make my own at home?!? Our homemade version was really, really good. You can taste those earthy spices and there aren’t any hot spices which is perfect for people that don’t like spice, but serve with your favorite hot sauce for an extra kick. The chili is also very meaty. This would be a great recipe for a crowd. It makes a great chili all by itself, but try it on top of spaghetti with cheese. It may sound strange, but it is really delicious.

Horrific Story

This recipe almost broke me last week. The following is an unappetizing and ridiculous story, but every time I make this chili, I will think of this first experience, so here goes. I looked at the recipe a week ago and saw that it was very simple and would come together quickly. I had almost all of the ingredients already in my pantry and I was planning on making it on Monday evening after work. As my onions were browning, I started to put the spices in a small white bowl and suddenly I saw…gulp…2 small bugs! Please don’t leave my blog. I’m not gross, promise. I was horrified into stunned silence. I seriously did not know what to do since this had never, ever happened before. I try to be so careful about how long I’ve had my spices. As my onions turned from brown to black I vented my frustrations to Marc while he was attempting to solve a work problem on his laptop. I finally snapped out of it and decided that the spice culprit must be the allspice. I purchased it about a year ago and I use it sparingly, so I figured, yep, that was it. Monday dinner was ruined. I dumped the bowl of spices in the trash along with any remotely suspect spice in my cabinet and then had to clean burned onions out of my pot for a meal that never was, grrr. Marc noticed my foul mood and told me to take a seat and he would whip up some spaghetti quickly. The next morning I bought some new oregano and allspice from the grocery store and was ready for round #2. This time, I started with the spices and thank goodness I did, because when I poured out my fancy (not even two months old) ancho chili powder that I purchase from a boutique spice place in my hometown, I saw something. Those somethings were not alive, but I will not expound further as not to gross you out. I couldn’t believe it. I was going to have to go to the grocery store again to buy chili powder.  In the end, the dish was worth the trouble because it made for a very tasty Sunday afternoon and now we have a memorable story that we’ll laugh about one day.

Cincinnati Chili

Recipe from Cook’s Country

Serves 6 to 8 for just chili, but can serve more on top of spaghetti

1 T. vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. tomato paste

2 T. chili powder

1 T. dried oregano

1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. salt, plus more to taste

3/4 t. ground black pepper

1/4 t. ground allspice

2 C. low sodium chicken broth

2 C. canned tomato sauce

2 T. cider vinegar

2 t. dark brown sugar

1 1/2 lbs. 85% lean ground beef

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until soft and brown around edges. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, salt, pepper and allspice and cook until fragrant., about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce, vinegar and brown sugar.

2. Add beef and stir to break up meat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chili is deep brown and slightly thickened, 15-20 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve. Chili can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.

Three Way Chili

1 batch of Cincinnati chili-recipe above

1 lb. spaghetti

2 C. cheddar cheese, shredded on the fine side of a box grater

your favorite hot sauce

1. Cook spaghetti al dente while your chili is simmering away.

2. Add a portion of spaghetti to the plate, top with chili and a generous amount of cheese. Add a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce, if desired.

Feb 11 2 comments
Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Crunchy Fish Wrap with Spicy Mayo

openfishwrap

I have this lofty goal of one day having a binder full of delicious recipes I can make in no time at all and when I start to think that dream is impossible, a miracle recipe like this comes along. I took a technique for fish I saw on Everyday Food and turned it into a different, but delicious recipe.

fishwraptoppings fishinskillet

Crunchy Fish Wrap

my recipe adapted from Everday Food, serves 3-4

1 lb. cod filet (or your favorite white fish), cut into 1″ strips

3 T. cornmeal (medium ground)

coarse salt and ground pepper

3 T. oil (high heat, flavorless variety)

Large handful of baby spinach

1 tomato, sliced or diced

1 avocado, sliced

4 whole wheat tortillas or other whole grain wrap

Spicy Mayo

1/2 C. good mayonnaise

1 t. cayenne pepper (it’s pretty spicy, but you spread it lightly)

*Have your wrap toppings ready because the fish cooks quickly!*

1. Pat fish dry and place in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle corn meal, salt and pepper over fish and toss to coat.

2. Heat oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet over high heat. Brown fish on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Do not move fish during the first 2 minutes so it develops a nice golden brown crust. If you move it too soon, the fish will fall apart.

4. While fish is cooking, combine mayo and cayenne into a small bowl and mix well.

5. Transfer finished fish to a paper-towel lined plate and sprinkle with a bit more coarse salt, if desired.

6. Heat wraps in oven or microwave to soften or use my favorite method- put wrap or tortilla directly onto a medium-heat gas burner for a a few seconds until you see some dark brown spots, flip with tongs until the tortilla is warm and slightly crispy.

7. To assemble, take a warm tortilla or wrap, spread a layer of spicy mayo over it and then layer your favorite toppings with a few piece of crispy fish. Roll tortilla and serve.

Mmmm....spicy, crunchy goodness

Mmmm....spicy, crunchy goodness

Jan 10 NO comments
Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood, Soup, Vegetarian

2010 and Mushroom Tarragon Soup

Mushroom Tarragon Soup

Happy New Year! I am hoping 2010 will be an exciting year of more exercise (what a terrible cliche!) and my first full year of liking mushrooms. Mushrooms and I have had a hard relationship in the past, but I’ve decided we can make things work. Since our Michigan weather is now really cold and that white stuff is all over the ground, all I seem to want these days is soup. Maybe I want to be in one of the Campbell’s soup commercials. Remember the one with the boy that is a snowman and the soup defrosts him? While at my parents’ for the holidays, Marc and I went to one of our favorite new restaurants, “The Biscuit” and had a delicious Mushroom Tarragon soup. It was a bit creamy, but it wasn’t super thick. For me, it was perfection. It was silky and just really good. To combine my dreams of being in a soup commercial and my new found love of the mushroom, I sought to recreate the delicious soup. After some internet research, I think I found the perfect one. It’s full of flavor and gets its creamy texture from some low-fat milk and blending half of the soup. I know I said in a previous post that I don’t like getting out my food processor or blender for soups, but after working hard to chop the ingredients, I did not want to taste the soup and feel like it might have been better. The chopping is pretty labor intensive, but it’s worth it. I promise.

Mushroom Soup Ingredients Shallots in Pot

Mushroom Tarragon Soup

Adapted from Epicurious

Serves 4-6

1 T. butter (or olive oil)

4 shallots, minced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups cremini mushrooms, minced

1 1/4 C. vegetable stock

1 1/4 C. 1% milk (you could use 2%, whole or half and half if you would like it extra creamy)

2 T. fresh tarragon, chopped

2 T. dry sherry

1 t. salt (more to taste)

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper (more to taste)

1. Melt butter (or add olive oil) in a large pot. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the mushrooms and cook gently for 4 minutes, stirring.

3. Add the stock and milk and bring to a boil (watch carefully as the milk can make this boil over quickly). Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.

4. Stir in the chopped tarragon, salt and pepper. Taste and check if you need more seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Ladle half of the soup into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return the pureed portion back to the pot and reheat slowly on medium low heat.

6. Stir in sherry. Serve immediately.

You know what else I’m resolving to do in 2010? I want to use up ingredients in my fridge before they go bad or before I’m sick of looking at them. I get very sad when I have to throw food in the garbage. Since this is my first time ever purchasing tarragon, I was trying to think of a way to use up the rest of my package. When I opened the package, there was a dandy marinade recipe inside and I quickly thought of a beautiful piece of halibut I had in the fridge. Oh yes, I used all of my tarragon and made two delicious and healthy dinners from it. Score.

HalibutwithSpinach

Tarragon Chili Marinade

Recipe from The Herbal Garden package of tarragon

I made half of the recipe and it made enough for a marinade for 1 lb. of halibut and enough left over to dress a spinach salad and spoon over the top of the finished dish. Below are the measurements I used, but you can double it if you’d like more.

1/2 pkg. of tarragon (or approximately 6 T. of tarragon)

1/8 C. chili powder (I used good quality ancho chili powder)

4 cloves garlic

1/4 C. lemon juice (I juiced 1 lemon)

1/8 honey (I had agave nectar on hand)

1/8 C. sweet molasses

1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste (I used about 1/2-1 t.)

Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor, except for extra virgin olive oil and blend well. With blender or food processor running, stream in olive oil (this was tricky with my blender, because it wanted to spit out of the top. I ended up adding a bit at a time and covering the blender completely after each addition and it worked just fine). Adjust with salt or chili powder to your taste.

Halibut with Tarragon Chili Marinade

my recipe, if you want to call it a recipe

3/4-1 lb. halibut filet (or your favorite firm, white fish)

1 batch of Tarragon Chili Marinade (recipe above)

4-6 C. baby spinach leaves

1 orange, supremed

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and add halibut filet. Cover the fish generously with about half of the marinade recipe. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wipe off all of the marinade from the halibut and discard so the sugars in the marinade do not burn in the oven. Bake halibut for 15-25 minutes or until it flakes easily.

3. Toss a few tablespoons of the marinade with spinach and add orange slices.

4. Add generous helping of salad to plate and serve halibut over the salad. Spoon extra marinade over, if desired.

We love, love, loved the soup. So flavorful and interesting from the combination of flavorful mushrooms and tarragon. We were really happy with how the halibut turned out, too. The marinade is sweet from the molasses and has a kick from the chili powder and garlic. I thought the orange in the salad really made the flavors come to life. This marinade would be really good with shrimp, pork, chicken, veggies, anything really. I like how 2010 is going already.

Dec 14 2 comments
Main Dish, Recipes, Soup, Vegetarian

Easy Red Lentil Soup

Red Lentil Soup

The good weather in Michigan lasted longer than any of us expected. We had warm, yes warm, days in November and on the east side of Michigan, we didn’t even get our first bit of snow until last week. Crazy talk. Now that it’s mid-December, though, the blowing wind plus low temperatures are what we’re used to around here. When the weather gets chilly Marc turns into a pyromaniac and tries to build a fire every night and I start dreaming of delicious soup recipes. There are so many good soup recipes out there, but alas, I do not want to blend anything in my blender to get the creaminess I crave. I want to throw yummy things in a big pot and come out with something that doesn’t need to be fussed with. Is that too much to ask? I know, I’m lazy. I think I’ve found a keeper, though. Healthy, delicious, easy and inexpensive Red Lentil Soup from Heidi of 101 Cookbooks. Seriously, it’s all of those things. I’ve made it twice now and I know the recipe by heart, that’s how easy we’re talking. The only ingredients I don’t normally have on hand are the garnishes Heidi recommends and they are a wonderful addition to this soup. Heidi is way cooler than me and just happened to have these items lying around and that’s how she came to garnish the soup in this way. Me, I make a quick trip to the fancy olive bar to get a few olives and make sure to pick up some good feta and then I’m good to go. If you have a Whole Foods by you, go to the bulk section for red lentils and brown rice, pick up their 365 brand broth and we’re talking super cheap.

Red Lentil Soup

Slightly adapted from Heidi of 101 Cookbooks

I added extra red pepper flake because I like spicy things, but you can kick that back to 1/2 t. like Heidi did. I also have tried this using 2 onions and 1 shallot because that’s what I had on hand and I did not notice a difference. It’s not fussy. You can garnish any way you like, but the creaminess and tang of the feta melting on top with the brininess of the olives and the crunch of the almonds is heaven.

Serves 4

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 shallots, chopped

1 t. red pepper flakes

6 C. low-sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth or water (I like 365 low-sodium chicken broth)

1 1/3 C. red lentils, picked over and rinsed

1/2 C. brown rice, picked over and rinsed

1-2 t. kosher salt (this will vary depending on broth you use, I used 2 t. with the low-sodium chicken broth)

almonds, chopped and toasted

your favorite olives, chopped (I used green olives from the olive bar)

feta cheese, crumbled

1. In a big soup pot over medium heat, add 2 T. olive oil and then the onion, shallots and red pepper flake. Let them brown and caramelize, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in broth or water and bring to a boil. Stir in lentils and rice and simmer for 30 minutes until rice is very tender and not at all toothsome. During this time, I chopped up whole almonds and put them in a small pan to toast until golden brown. Chop olives, crumble feta and set the toppings aside. The lentils really absorb the liquid and will make the soup very thick. You can thin it out with broth or water until it is the consistency you prefer, but I enjoyed it as is.

3. Taste and check for seasoning. Add salt if needed. Serve topped with almonds, olives and feta.

I realize this blog has a definite lack of holiday cheer. I want to bake something sweet and seasonal more than anything, but I’m still fussing with baseboard molding at home. I have some ambitious baking plans next week, though, so here’s hoping that Santa drops off his elves and they are good with a caulk gun.

molding books

On the left we have recently caulked molding from our office that is awaiting its final coat of paint. On the right we have what our bedroom has become, a storage unit for our monstrous office bookshelf with the contents of our closet lining the walls. I despise the mess, but it’s motivation to finish.