Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
On a roll for soup?
So I guess I am really enjoying making soups lately.. The other day I made an AWESOME vegetable soup and a few before that a "cioppino" with shrimp and spicy italian chicken sausage. Soups are so darn easy!! Although they are so easy they can also be so incredible and hold so much flavor. I am going to just go ahead and post two different recipes that I have come up with lately and tried that were wonderful!
Homemade Classic Vegetable Soup
2 finely diced stalks of celery
1 diced white onion
2 diced cloves of garlic
2 cubed large zucchinis
1 1/2 larger or 3 small cubed sweet potatoes
2 cubed squash (summer squash, butternut squash, or acorn squash will work)
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 8 oz can of tomato paste
1 quart of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of dried Thyme
1 tablespoon of basil
1 tablespoon onion powder
Start with your onion and garlic. Get those going in a hot heavy bottomed pot with some olive oil while you prep your other veggies. As you chop, dice and cube, throw in your colorful veggies as you go. When they are all incorporated add your tomato paste and stir for a few minutes. Finally add you crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, and spices. Let cook for about an hour on medium low.
Seafood Sausage Cioppino
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 spanish onion chopped
1 chopped celery stalk
2 tablespoons of olive oil plus more if needed
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 a lb. of jumbo shrimp
1/2 a lb. of spicy italian chicken or turkey sausage
1 Tablespoon of smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 can of cannelloni beans
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 a tablespoon of mustard seed
1 handful of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 quart of chicken stock (could use homemade seafood stalk that would make it amazing.)
Start off by browning your sausage with the onions, garlic and celery. Remember to season every layer for a well rounded dish. Add the rest of the ingredients at a medium temperature, stirring all the while. Finally add the stock and make sure you get a good sizzle to let you know that your de-glazing the pot and getting all of those beautiful flavors to merry together. Add your shrimp as close to serving as possible. This would be so great served over a pollenta or risotto. Also great with a good baguette.
ENJOY THESE YUMMY WARM SOUPS FOR THE COZY WINTER DAYS TO COME! :)
I have also found a new appreciation for beans. They are SO filling, SO packed with protein and SO yummy! Here is a great spin on a classic "Insalata Di Fagioli" = Bean Salad. Classically made with Cannelloni beans..I used Garbanzos. Both work well, I find that Garbanzos are a little bit lighter where you could eat more than you cold if you used the classic white beans.
And now...last but not least...
Super Salad
1 can of Garbanzo Beans drained and rinsed
1 finely diced celery stalk
Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
Handful of chopped parsley
Aprx 3/4 cup of tuna or albacore
Salt and Pepper to taste....YUM!
So simple, so good, so good FOR you. Super Salad.
ATTN Bakers that are reading... What is the difference between bread flour and regular all purpose flour? And Cake flour too? I have had some breads fail lately and all of them called for bread flour where I used All purpose. Please give me your baking knowledge...Thanks!
Until Next post..I'm Out Yall!
Homemade Classic Vegetable Soup
2 finely diced stalks of celery
1 diced white onion
2 diced cloves of garlic
2 cubed large zucchinis
1 1/2 larger or 3 small cubed sweet potatoes
2 cubed squash (summer squash, butternut squash, or acorn squash will work)
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 8 oz can of tomato paste
1 quart of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of dried Thyme
1 tablespoon of basil
1 tablespoon onion powder
Start with your onion and garlic. Get those going in a hot heavy bottomed pot with some olive oil while you prep your other veggies. As you chop, dice and cube, throw in your colorful veggies as you go. When they are all incorporated add your tomato paste and stir for a few minutes. Finally add you crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, and spices. Let cook for about an hour on medium low.
Seafood Sausage Cioppino
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 spanish onion chopped
1 chopped celery stalk
2 tablespoons of olive oil plus more if needed
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 a lb. of jumbo shrimp
1/2 a lb. of spicy italian chicken or turkey sausage
1 Tablespoon of smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 can of cannelloni beans
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 a tablespoon of mustard seed
1 handful of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 quart of chicken stock (could use homemade seafood stalk that would make it amazing.)
Start off by browning your sausage with the onions, garlic and celery. Remember to season every layer for a well rounded dish. Add the rest of the ingredients at a medium temperature, stirring all the while. Finally add the stock and make sure you get a good sizzle to let you know that your de-glazing the pot and getting all of those beautiful flavors to merry together. Add your shrimp as close to serving as possible. This would be so great served over a pollenta or risotto. Also great with a good baguette.
ENJOY THESE YUMMY WARM SOUPS FOR THE COZY WINTER DAYS TO COME! :)
I have also found a new appreciation for beans. They are SO filling, SO packed with protein and SO yummy! Here is a great spin on a classic "Insalata Di Fagioli" = Bean Salad. Classically made with Cannelloni beans..I used Garbanzos. Both work well, I find that Garbanzos are a little bit lighter where you could eat more than you cold if you used the classic white beans.
And now...last but not least...
Super Salad
1 can of Garbanzo Beans drained and rinsed
1 finely diced celery stalk
Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
Handful of chopped parsley
Aprx 3/4 cup of tuna or albacore
Salt and Pepper to taste....YUM!
So simple, so good, so good FOR you. Super Salad.
ATTN Bakers that are reading... What is the difference between bread flour and regular all purpose flour? And Cake flour too? I have had some breads fail lately and all of them called for bread flour where I used All purpose. Please give me your baking knowledge...Thanks!
Until Next post..I'm Out Yall!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
A white day for chili... and some more than hesitant corn bread
The great thing about food is that once you learn a technique or really good recipe, it usually sticks with you. Chili is one of those things. While my sister, my daughter, my boyfriend and I were cooped up in the house during the “blizzard” a few days ago I thought, what better to eat on a freezing day than chili?.. alongside the addition of something I can almost ALWAYS do perfectly, corn bread. I wanted to make a different kind of chili because, well I didn’t have any ground beef. I recently made some chicken meatballs with breast meat, parsley, garlic, and Parmesan, so I thought those would be a good addition. I was aiming for a “white chili”, traditionally that just means that your using meat that is not red. I wanted to make it even a little more different so I added some smoked sausage to the mix. This recipe ended up working out so well, that we ate the ENTIRE batch that night- minus one breakfast bowl that my beau had to have.
Here is the recipe for what I will call my: Snowball Blizzard White Chili
(the meatballs are the snowballs! Cute huh?)
1 Large green bell pepper, chopped
5 Long carrots chopped
2 Large cloves of garlic, minced (1 for soup, 1 for meatballs)
1 small or ½ large red onion, chopped
Scant 3-5 tablespoons of oil (olive, canola, veg. etc)
1 regular sized can of Cannellini beans, drained
1 larger sized can of Red Kidney beans, drained
1 wiener of Smoked Sausage, cubed
2 large chicken breasts, cubed
½ cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 handful of chopped parsley, fresh
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ tablespoon of garlic powder
½ tablespoon of onion powder
1 dash of thyme
1 dash of Chipotle Chili seasoning
1 ½ quart of Chicken Stock, store bought OR homemade
Salt and Pepper to taste
Note: This chili is very brothy, I like it that way because the corn bread soaks all that goodness up, if you don’t like corn bread or just want a thicker chili make a basic roux (butter and flour) and add that in and cook a little longer. Also note that the darker the roux the less thickening power it has.
Throw your green bell pepper, 1 clove of garlic, your onion and your carrots into a sizzling pan to begin sweating. Season every layer as you go with kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper. While that is working make you meatballs, if you decided to make your own chicken stock then you would have wanted to start on that about an hour before you brown your veggies. In a food processor, process the 2 cubed chicken breasts, salt and pepper, parsley, garlic, and parmesan cheese. When the mixture wont move anymore in the FP and looks like ground chicken meat than its done. Roll your meatballs into the size of a large marble and throw them and your smoked sausage into the sizzling pan with your veggies. You’ll want to brown the meat on each side and then you can go ahead and add your spices and your beans and finally your stock. Let it come to a boil for about 7 minutes and then let simmer until the carrots are fork tender. Pour over your best corn bread! Bon Apetit!
I cannot disclose my corn bread recipe, kind of a family thing, Sorry!
Unfortunately the corn bread, that I so humbly bragged about before, did NOT turn out well; although it was fine because all we did was crumble it up and pour the delicious chili over it. I accidentally bought all purpose corn meal instead of the usual self rise because I knew that was what you use for pollenta, and I’ve been wanting to try that. I have been making the same corn bread by the same in-my-mind, completely eyed recipe for as long as….well every time I have ever made corn bread EVER! This time I was devastated at what came out of the oven, because it had always been perfect!! I didn’t add enough baking powder and alone, the corn bread pretty much sucked, for lack of a better word. The baking powder got me AGAIN! I can remember trying to bake cakes as a younger adolescent and always having problems with baking powder or soda or just the baking in general…In fact if you keep reading, you are going to see a lot more on baking. I have recently begun admiring pastry and baking a world more than I used to. I am a better than good savory cook and I know that for sure but I believe that the challenge of pastry is creeping its way into my quest, I find myself reading my copy of “How to be a Domestic Goddess”- Nigella Lawson, sometimes just for fun. I made bagels, by her recipe, bagels of which I burnt because I was sitting outside while they were baking, how foolish. I am definitely going to start baking more often, breads, cakes, treats, pot pies, filo and puff pastry (maybe the hardest challenge!! Its so thin!) or whatever my heart desires to bake. I have also been really thinking about fondant lately. I want to learn how to work with it for sure, that could be a great part of the business that I will someday have. I’m hoping it will fall in place as a GastroPub/Bakery if you will? Well fellow food lovers, Ive been writing awhile and I think its time for me to do some cleaning around the house! I hope you enjoy the chili recipe if you try it and keep reading! Toodles!
Here is the recipe for what I will call my: Snowball Blizzard White Chili
(the meatballs are the snowballs! Cute huh?)
1 Large green bell pepper, chopped
5 Long carrots chopped
2 Large cloves of garlic, minced (1 for soup, 1 for meatballs)
1 small or ½ large red onion, chopped
Scant 3-5 tablespoons of oil (olive, canola, veg. etc)
1 regular sized can of Cannellini beans, drained
1 larger sized can of Red Kidney beans, drained
1 wiener of Smoked Sausage, cubed
2 large chicken breasts, cubed
½ cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 handful of chopped parsley, fresh
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ tablespoon of garlic powder
½ tablespoon of onion powder
1 dash of thyme
1 dash of Chipotle Chili seasoning
1 ½ quart of Chicken Stock, store bought OR homemade
Salt and Pepper to taste
Note: This chili is very brothy, I like it that way because the corn bread soaks all that goodness up, if you don’t like corn bread or just want a thicker chili make a basic roux (butter and flour) and add that in and cook a little longer. Also note that the darker the roux the less thickening power it has.
Throw your green bell pepper, 1 clove of garlic, your onion and your carrots into a sizzling pan to begin sweating. Season every layer as you go with kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper. While that is working make you meatballs, if you decided to make your own chicken stock then you would have wanted to start on that about an hour before you brown your veggies. In a food processor, process the 2 cubed chicken breasts, salt and pepper, parsley, garlic, and parmesan cheese. When the mixture wont move anymore in the FP and looks like ground chicken meat than its done. Roll your meatballs into the size of a large marble and throw them and your smoked sausage into the sizzling pan with your veggies. You’ll want to brown the meat on each side and then you can go ahead and add your spices and your beans and finally your stock. Let it come to a boil for about 7 minutes and then let simmer until the carrots are fork tender. Pour over your best corn bread! Bon Apetit!
I cannot disclose my corn bread recipe, kind of a family thing, Sorry!
Unfortunately the corn bread, that I so humbly bragged about before, did NOT turn out well; although it was fine because all we did was crumble it up and pour the delicious chili over it. I accidentally bought all purpose corn meal instead of the usual self rise because I knew that was what you use for pollenta, and I’ve been wanting to try that. I have been making the same corn bread by the same in-my-mind, completely eyed recipe for as long as….well every time I have ever made corn bread EVER! This time I was devastated at what came out of the oven, because it had always been perfect!! I didn’t add enough baking powder and alone, the corn bread pretty much sucked, for lack of a better word. The baking powder got me AGAIN! I can remember trying to bake cakes as a younger adolescent and always having problems with baking powder or soda or just the baking in general…In fact if you keep reading, you are going to see a lot more on baking. I have recently begun admiring pastry and baking a world more than I used to. I am a better than good savory cook and I know that for sure but I believe that the challenge of pastry is creeping its way into my quest, I find myself reading my copy of “How to be a Domestic Goddess”- Nigella Lawson, sometimes just for fun. I made bagels, by her recipe, bagels of which I burnt because I was sitting outside while they were baking, how foolish. I am definitely going to start baking more often, breads, cakes, treats, pot pies, filo and puff pastry (maybe the hardest challenge!! Its so thin!) or whatever my heart desires to bake. I have also been really thinking about fondant lately. I want to learn how to work with it for sure, that could be a great part of the business that I will someday have. I’m hoping it will fall in place as a GastroPub/Bakery if you will? Well fellow food lovers, Ive been writing awhile and I think its time for me to do some cleaning around the house! I hope you enjoy the chili recipe if you try it and keep reading! Toodles!
Monday, January 10, 2011
The beginning of the beginning...
So, I love food. Thats why I'm writing this blog. I have loved food since I could eat it, and have been cooking since I could reach the counter on a step stool. For me, like anything, cooking has been all about trail and error...lots of trials, and even more errors. Through all my years of cooking I (along with various cook books, show, etc.) have taught myself so much and learned most of all about my unquestionable passion for food. Food is not only for the human body to thrive, it is for your soul to thrive, a tool for creativity, a centerpiece for the gathering of friends and family, and most of all it is a universal entity. Everyone eats, everyone tastes, and at one point or another in ones life, he cooks.
When I am in my kitchen, pondering over what I will cook for dinner that night, I never think about a mediocre meal; although I sometimes opt for one. I always want to create something that will satisfy my tummy and my taste buds...and even my eyeballs. Food is a portal to peace for me. Its like when I'm holding that knife and chopping, slicing, dicing or whatever the technique, I'm only hearing the cripisness of an apple, feeling the density of a cheese, smelling the citrusy juices of a lime or admiring the beautiful color of a red bell pepper. Every part of me and every sense I have are absorbing every factor of the food of which I am manipulating. The end goal, of course, being a beautiful, tasty, satisfying meal. But lately, I'd say for the past few years my passion and love for food has grown more and more. I am now on a quest to be a master. A master of food!! I know this will be hard to achieve and take close to forever but its not about being there, its about the getting there. I can't imagine ending up in a profession for the rest of my life that didn't involve food. If you know me you already know of this fetish for food that I find myself having.
Well I think that this should do for a first blog entry. I hope that you (my hypothetical reader) look forward to reading about my mad love for food and the ways that I show it affection by artfully construing them into luscious meals for myself and my loved ones. I will share recipes, techniques, tips and more glorified food stories...and I look forward to sharing them with you! Au Revoir!
When I am in my kitchen, pondering over what I will cook for dinner that night, I never think about a mediocre meal; although I sometimes opt for one. I always want to create something that will satisfy my tummy and my taste buds...and even my eyeballs. Food is a portal to peace for me. Its like when I'm holding that knife and chopping, slicing, dicing or whatever the technique, I'm only hearing the cripisness of an apple, feeling the density of a cheese, smelling the citrusy juices of a lime or admiring the beautiful color of a red bell pepper. Every part of me and every sense I have are absorbing every factor of the food of which I am manipulating. The end goal, of course, being a beautiful, tasty, satisfying meal. But lately, I'd say for the past few years my passion and love for food has grown more and more. I am now on a quest to be a master. A master of food!! I know this will be hard to achieve and take close to forever but its not about being there, its about the getting there. I can't imagine ending up in a profession for the rest of my life that didn't involve food. If you know me you already know of this fetish for food that I find myself having.
Well I think that this should do for a first blog entry. I hope that you (my hypothetical reader) look forward to reading about my mad love for food and the ways that I show it affection by artfully construing them into luscious meals for myself and my loved ones. I will share recipes, techniques, tips and more glorified food stories...and I look forward to sharing them with you! Au Revoir!
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