i like a simple soup when the weather is turning and to be honest, i’m a tad burned out on fall soups that are usually chunky and hearty and too much.  think of this soup as a nice little bowel cleanser.  what?  no, don’t think of this soup like that at all.

TASTE OF THE EAST… SOUP

(Recipe made for two meat-eating people, adjust as necessary)

3-4 c. broth (I used vegetable and turkey since that is what I had left over)

1 c. water

Green onions (one bundle, chopped – do use all the parts: the green part is nice and peppery and the white part is sharp and sweet)

1 chicken breast, pounded flat, sliced and cut

3 droplets of sesame oil

1 T. soy sauce (or to taste)

white pepper (black pepper works just as well; i just didn’t want to add to the clearness of the broth)

2 c. brown rice (already cooked)

Heat broth and water and onions over medium heat.  In the meantime, slice chicken breast lengthwise three times.  Pound gently with a meat hammer until very, very thin slices (almost falling apart) and then slice into long strips.  Halve the strips.

When broth is at a slow boil, add the chicken slices one at a time so as to not lose the boil.  (Overcrowding will reduce the heat and you want to keep it at a slow boil.)  When all of the chicken pieces are white, lower the heat to simmer and add the soy sauce and sesame oil and pepper to taste.

Before serving, add the brown rice at the last possible minute (you don’t want the rice to absorb more liquid and get too plump and steal all your broth.  Rice is a notorious broth stealer.)

and let’s end on that note.

“honey, what’s for dinner?”

“oh, just a little GGBPWCT i whipped up.”

really though, i should feel a little guilty at how easy this recipe is to throw together because it tastes stunningly complex compared to the amount of work i put into it:  fresh green beans, sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, salty pecorino cheese, fruity olive oil and the nutty bite of whole wheat pasta and garlic and red onions…

i should have made more.

this is a good pasta recipe that works for vegetarians and vegans, too,  if you want to lose the cheese. but you know how i feel about cheese.

now, i know it would be easy to substitute any kind of noodle in this dish but i feel pretty strongly that whole wheat pasta should be used – it doesn’t have to be enriched but a) it’s better for you in terms of fiber and b) the nuttier taste of wheat spaghetti contributes greatly to the flavor profile of this dish. but whatever, it’s your grave.  don’t say i didn’t warn ya.

GARLICKEY GREEN BEAN PASTA

(Adjust ingredients for the # of people you are cooking for – this recipe will be for 2 people)

2 c. whole wheat spaghetti (thin strand)

4 oz. green beans, washed with ends trimmed

6 cloves of garlic (halved)

3/4 c. sugar grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes, halved)

fresh basil (however much you like – i used about 10 large leaves, cut in half)

2 T. olive oil

1/2 red onion (cut into chunks)

Salt and Pepper and Oregano and Parsley

1/2 c. shaved/grated Pecorino cheese

Cook pasta in salted, boiling water for about 10 minutes (9 if you like it al dente) .  While pasta is boiling away, heat up olive oil in a pan over a medium heat.  Add green beans (salt and pepper) and cook until they get a little bubbly and brown looking (about five minutes).  Add onions.

Sautee for another 4 minutes until onions beging to look slightly translucent.  Add cherry tomatoes (2 minutes).  Add garlic last along with whatever seasoning you want to use.  I used oregano and parsley that I dried this last summer.

Drain pasta and add to pan, tossing to coat with olive oil.  Add basil (fresh, not dried!) on top and give it a minute to wilt, then toss pasta and remove from heat.  Toss with cheese and serve hot.

I wasn’t joking.  Why didn’t I make more of this?

this is a nice little recipe for a three way scalloped potato dish.  i like to make small versions in rammekins but this is the full recipe for the big old casserole dish.  is “three way” misleading?  there are countless versions of potatoes au gratin recipes that call for different kinds of potatoes but this recipe is simpler – any three cheeses you like.

the possibilities are quite limitless.  the original version i had planned on making would have used extra sharp cheddar cheese, danish blue cheese, and fresh parmesan.  i think just about any combination could be good with the sharp cheddar cheese.  any italian cheeses would be great.  mozarella would be uber gooey.  limberger cheese would be…  just don’t.  don’t do it.  feta and goat cheese could be interesting.  provolone would be great.

i’m going a little more midwestern on this one and using a sharp cheddar, an aged white cheddar, and a gruyere for a little nuttiness.  i may slip in some grated romano cheese as well.

incidentally, and this is not incidental at all nor does it have anything to do with this blog: i am listening to feliz navidad on the radio for the THIRD TIME IN FOUR HOURS.

and if that doesn’t say “cheese” i don’t know what does.

Scalloped Potatoes of Many Cheeses

3/4 c. grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 c. cheese of your choice
1/3 c. cheese of your choice
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes (cut into coins)
1t. sea salt
1 t. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped onion (scallions and chives = great)
3 T. all purpose flour
4 T. butter
3 c. milk (or 1/2 c. milk, 1/2 c. heavy cream)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter your casserole dish lightly.  Mix the cheeses in a bowl.  Arrange half of the potatoes in the dish, overlapping prettily.  Toss in salt and pepper.  Sprinkle in 1/2 of the onions.  Dot with butter.  Sprinkle half of cheese mixture all over.

Now do the next layer, same deal: potatoes, salt and pepper, onions, butter, cheese.  Reserve some cheese for the very top of the dish.

Make a rouxe with your butter and flour.  Add the milk to simmer in medium saucepan. Pour milk/flour/butter mixture over potatoes (milk will not cover potatoes completely). Cover baking dish tightly with foil. Bake 45 minutes. Uncover dish (liquids in dish may look curdled); sprinkle potatoes with reserved cheese mixture. Bake uncovered until potatoes are tender and cheese is deep golden brown, about 45 minutes longer. 

So, a little bit of work from this one to make it from scratch, but it’s completely worth it.  Nutmeg is a nice sprinkle on top if you use any sort of nutty cheese.  Chives are great with cheddar dishes.  Can be served with sour cream.  Go nuts.  (And then go for a three mile run to work off the calories from one serving…  care to join me?)

which basically describes what my body will look like after eating this.

Acorn Corn (there I go with the clever titles again)

2 small acorn squashes

1-2 c. fresh corn (4 ears)

salt and pepper

1 T. butter

1/4 t. anise seed (chopped)

1/2 c. scallions

1/4 t. grated nutmeg

1/3 c. aged, sharp white cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375.  Slice off tops of both squashes and scoop out insides.  Slice off a small piece from the bottom of each squash to make sure they will stand up in the pan without falling over.  Use the butter to rub the inside of each squash.  Salt and pepper the insides lightly.  Cover the squash with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Squash should be tender enough that a spoon can cut through the flesh.

In a bowl combine the corn, anise seed, half of the scallions, nutmeg, and salt. Fill each of the squash bowls 3/4 full. Put squash back in oven for about 25 minutes.  Before serving, sprinkle with cheese and put back in oven until cheese is browned and bubbling.  Toss rest of scallions on top.  Serve and enjoy.

If you are interested in the pudding version of this recipe, you would add two egg whites and 1 c. of milk to the corn mixture and you would bake it for about 40 minutes until the pudding sets.

(come for the laughs, stay for the food.  i just flew in from facebook and boy are my typin’ fingers tired.  wakka wakka)

anyway, yesterday was overcast and rainy and pitch black at about 4pm.  in other words, the perfect night for stew.  isn’t stew great?  not quite a soup, not quite a tew.  huh?

what i loved about last night’s stew was the rich tomatoey broth, both savory and light at the same time.  the recipe is fairly basic but what really makes it stand out are the dark red kidney beans.  there is this chili-like texture but the tomato base makes the creaminess of the beans really stand out, especially with fresh bay leaves and thyme.   the whole process took about 40 minutes, but i’m a slow chopper.

so cut me some slack.  cripes.

CHICKEN BEAN STEW

2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

2 celery ribs

2 carrots

1/2 yellow onion

fresh bay leaves, thyme, basil, oregano, parsley (dried is ok but you want at least one fresh herb in there to really make the stew “pop”)

1 can whole tomatoes (24 oz)

3/4 c. kidney beans, presoaked (or 1 can kidney beans – 12 oz)

2 cups chicken stock (or veggie stock)

Soften the diced celery, carrot slices, and chopped onion in a stock pot in olive oil for about five minutes, until onions are translucent.  Add chicken breasts and brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes each – medium heat.  Add whole tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Add stock and seasoning.  Salt to taste.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook without a lid for 20 minutes.

Remove chicken to cool.  While chicken is cooling, add kidney beans and pump up the heat again until the stew is at a slow boil.  Chop up the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add back into stew.  Reduce heat and cover with a lid for 25 minutes.  Take off heat and allow the stew to sit; 10 or more minutes if you like it a little thicker.

Or eat it super hot and burn your tongue.  Don’t say I didn’t warn ya…

****UPDATE****

Leftovers:  Added Orecchiette pasta to the leftovers for a really hearty stew – wait, can we still call it a stew at this point?  It was more like a nice, chunky pasta with some kidney beans.  Good times.

raw brussel sprouts?  prunes?  nuts?  why do i have a knack for giving the most delicious dishes the most unappetizing names?  last night for dinner i threw together a chicken stew and a raw brussel sprout salad; again, sounds unappetizing.  all i can tell you is that this “slaw” was so good that i only ended up having 2 bites of the chicken stew.  i filled up on raw brussel sprouts.  who knew it could be done?

the salad has a wonderful crunch because of the slicing of the brussel sprouts.  i sliced them very thin so that the salad was made up of rings.  i also threw a few heads through the cuisinart for a confetti-like texture.  the natural sweetness came from the carrots and prune with just enough bite from the lemon juice and white wine vinegar… topped off with a really fantastic saltiness from pecorino shavings and a richness from toasted hazelnuts.

is there anything better in this world than hot nuts?  side note:  yeah, i said hot nuts.  you know you laughed.  the thing about hot nuts is that toasting any kind of nut takes about 5 minutes, tops – but the effect on a dish is oftentimes stunning.  hot walnuts or almonds or pignolis (pine nuts) in salads or mashes completely change the flavor profile.  and what’s better than the sound of hot nuts hitting a cold salad?

wow.  did i really just write that?  let’s move on from hot nuts.  [but really, next time a recipe calls for toasting some kind of nut, do it!]

this is one of those easy recipes that will wow whoever is eating it.  complex flavors, great texture, great crunch, gorgeous colors and versatility as a main dish for vegetarians (lose the cheese for vegans) or a side salad for picnics, potlucks and parties.  see?  there is something to be said for alliteration.  and hot nuts.

BRUSSEL SPROUT SLAW

brussel sprouts (used 1/2lb. for 2 people), thinly sliced (or shaved, confetti’d, mandolin’d)

2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

5 dried prunes, diced

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 carrot – peel and then chop up peels

1/4 c. hazelnuts, chopped and toasted

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c. shaved pecorino cheese (or asiago would be good, too!)

After everything has been chopped and sliced and diced, toss together with oil and vinegar, lemon juice, and salt.  Pepper if you so desire.  Toast the nuts for about 5-10 mins in a 350 degree oven (or pan roast) and toss.  Add shaved Pecorino cheese last.  Eat it, fast.

basically you need hearts of romaine lettuce.  wash and peel apart and just lay out a few leaves.  they’re like little boats (hence my amazingly creative yet non-appetizing title here) that you can fill with deliciousness.  last night i cut very thin slices of cucumber and vidalia onion – literally just shaved a few pieces to put into the salad boats.

then i threw maybe 3 or 4 dried cranberries in each boat.  salt and pepper.  little oregano.  extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar (light light light drizzle; you don’t want drippy boats) and then i topped off with shaved pecorino.

they were AWESOME.  i call them finger salads because to eat them, you just need a pair of clean hands.  pick up a boat by the bottom and eat like it’s a folded piece of pizza.  you could fill your finger salad boats with anything – walnuts, parmesan, red wine vinegar, red onions, capers, thinly sliced tomatoes, bread crumbs… i mean, the possibilities are endless.

finger salad boats.  ahoy!

ina has you use parchment paper as well as greasing and flouring the pan but i used a springform pan, a little parchment round, and organic “pam” spray and it was fine.  the flour is excessive unless you don’t have parchment paper.  i would store it on parchment or wax paper though.  it’s sticky and i can’t eat anything without dropping it on my shirt.  i should start a line of parchment paper bibs for adults.  sexy, right?

anyway, the peanut butter and jelly bars were sickeningly delicious.  the peanut butter bar part is a little like a peanut butter cookie but it’s very moist and crumbly.  the peanuts on top are the perfect salty accoutrement and give a nice textural bite to the bar.  i think using good peanut butter and fantastic jelly is the key to this recipe.  i mixed a few jams together – cherry, boysenberry, and huckleberry (my favorite).  oh, and a little teensy bit of strawberry, for color.  the effect was a really deep purple.

did anyone else just get “smoke on the water” stuck in their heads?

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter (recommended: Skippy)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups (18 ounces)  jam
• 2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don’t worry if all the jam isn’t covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

every week i cut up vegetables to bring to work to eat (carrots, cucumbers, radishes, celery, zucchini) and usually a hummus side.  the first hummus i made was disastrous; the chickpeas were too firm and the garlic chunks were too huge and it was too soupy from the tahini oil… but now i’ve got this hummus thing down to an art form.

hummus is one of those fun things to make because you can constantly update it.  you like red peppers? add ‘em.  lime instead of lemon? go for it.  olive oil? parmesan? pignoli?  raisins?  whatever, freak.  that’s just gross.  parmesan? add it.

so combining my love of black beans and chickpeas seemed like a natural pairing.  canned beans is probably the easiest way to go.  if you want to avoid the bhc, it’s cheaper to buy bulk beans and just let them soak overnight.  but if you’re not an anal retentive list making planner like i am, then canned is a-ok.

aren’t black beans the absolute best?  can i get a witness?

Black Bean Hummus

1 c. black beans

1 c. chickpeas

1 lemon (grate rind and juice)

3 garlic cloves (grated or mashed to paste)

1 T. tahini (or you can use fat free greek yogurt if you want to cut the natural fats out)

1 T. olive oil (see above note)

Directions:

Step One: Puree all of the above.  Step Two:  Eat.

Super Secret Recipe additive:  one of my favorite things to drizzle on top of hummus is a really light basil pesto sans the pine nuts.  i just cuisinart up basil and garlic and olive oil and this way you can omit the olive oil in the hummus recipe (so it’s a little thicker) and use the good fat on top.

i made a huge stock pot full of vegetable soup this weekend and the 150 calorie p/cup servings are great for lunch.  i won’t include a full recipe here but i will leave a list of the ingredients.  you basically just brown the vegetables in a little olive oil and then you add your liquids, season and simmer over a low heat for a good 2-4 hours.

i used veggie stock, crushed tomatoes, basil, garlic, thyme, oregano, mint (secret ingredient!), marjoram for my stock and seasoning.

i like small bite veggies so i diced and chopped the following:

parsnip

yam

zucchini

carrots

celery

onion

wax beans

kale (add this last)

corn (don’t chop)

leeks

fennel

so my point here is that you can make a veggie soup out of just about anything at all.  i love a leafy vegetable in my soup and i love throwing in an odd veggie here and there, like fennel.  the mint and fennel are very, very subtle but good!  usually i will add a small pasta, like an orzo or alphabets but i really need to lose the 0.01 lb. i gained after eating 90 pounds of hungarian goulash.

enjoy!