Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Tomato Lentil Soup
I, too, have been lurking too long. So here's a yummy, healthy & easy soup. By the way, I made the Huevos Rancheros the other night and it was really really good.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
dill
2 bay leaves
1-2 dried red chili peppers (I'd use 2)
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
feta cheese
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery & garlic; cook 10 minutes or til veggies are tender, stirring frequently. Add water, lentils, a few shakes of the dill, the bay leaves, chili & tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or til lentils are tender. Turn off heat. Stir in vinegar, salt, pepper & another shake of dill. Discard bay leaves and chiles. Serve with crumbled feta on top.
Like I said: easy, healthy, yummy. It's really good with some crusty bread and a salad.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
dill
2 bay leaves
1-2 dried red chili peppers (I'd use 2)
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
feta cheese
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery & garlic; cook 10 minutes or til veggies are tender, stirring frequently. Add water, lentils, a few shakes of the dill, the bay leaves, chili & tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or til lentils are tender. Turn off heat. Stir in vinegar, salt, pepper & another shake of dill. Discard bay leaves and chiles. Serve with crumbled feta on top.
Like I said: easy, healthy, yummy. It's really good with some crusty bread and a salad.
Coconut Bread
I've been lurking here for too long, so I decided to share the recipe of one of my favorite things I've made this year. This Breakfast/desert loaf (Courtesy of Tyler Florence) is one of my favorite things even though I don't really like coconut. It has the thickest crust and is amazing toasted and slathered with butter.
1/2 c -- unsalted butter
3c. -- all-purpose four
1Tbs -- baking powder
1tsp -- salt
1 tsp -- ground cinnamon
1c. -- brown Sugar (packed)
2 -- eggs, beaten
1tsp -- vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
1.5 cups -- Unsweetened coconut milk
1.5 cups -- Shredded Coconut
1) Preheat oven to 350 spread shredded coconut on a cookie sheet and toast in oven until golden (10-15 minutes).
2) Preheat oven to 375
3) Grease bottom and sides of a 9x5 loaf pan.
4) Mix dry ingredients in large bowl
5) Mix all wet ingredients in a separate bowl (add coconut milk after the rest have been combined)
6) Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a spatula until it becomes a smooth batter
7) Gently fold in toasted coconut.
8) Pour into prepared loaf pan, set it on a cookie sheet, and bake for 60-75 minutes (it's done when golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean).
9) Cool for 20 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.
1/2 c -- unsalted butter
3c. -- all-purpose four
1Tbs -- baking powder
1tsp -- salt
1 tsp -- ground cinnamon
1c. -- brown Sugar (packed)
2 -- eggs, beaten
1tsp -- vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
1.5 cups -- Unsweetened coconut milk
1.5 cups -- Shredded Coconut
1) Preheat oven to 350 spread shredded coconut on a cookie sheet and toast in oven until golden (10-15 minutes).
2) Preheat oven to 375
3) Grease bottom and sides of a 9x5 loaf pan.
4) Mix dry ingredients in large bowl
5) Mix all wet ingredients in a separate bowl (add coconut milk after the rest have been combined)
6) Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a spatula until it becomes a smooth batter
7) Gently fold in toasted coconut.
8) Pour into prepared loaf pan, set it on a cookie sheet, and bake for 60-75 minutes (it's done when golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean).
9) Cool for 20 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Herbed Fish and Red Potato Chowder
This is from the November issue of Cooking Light magazine. We really liked it! It was NOT like Splash Cafe clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl with seafood topping, but it WAS a healthier alternative that felt great in the tummy on a cool night.
Herbed Fish and Red Potato Chowder
2 bacon slices
3 c. diced red potato (about 1 pound)
1 c. chopped onion
3 Tbs. flour
2 (8-oz.) bottles clam juice
2 cups 2% milk
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. salt (we added a lot more at the table)
1/4 tsp. black pepper (we added more of this while eating, too)
12 oz. skinless halibut fillets, cut into 1" pieces (I bought cod instead because it was cheaper)
2 Tbs. chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from pan. Reserve about 1 Tbs. drippings in pan and discard the rest. Cool bacon, crumble, and set aside. Add potato and onion to drippings in pan; saute until onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add flour and cook one minute, stirring constantly. Add clam juice, bring to boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer 6 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk; simmer over med-high heat, stirring constantly (don't boil). Stir in thyme, salt, pepper, and fish. Cook 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Put in bowls, sprinkle with parsley and bacon.
We had ours with salad, french bread, and some Pale Ale.
Herbed Fish and Red Potato Chowder
2 bacon slices
3 c. diced red potato (about 1 pound)
1 c. chopped onion
3 Tbs. flour
2 (8-oz.) bottles clam juice
2 cups 2% milk
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. salt (we added a lot more at the table)
1/4 tsp. black pepper (we added more of this while eating, too)
12 oz. skinless halibut fillets, cut into 1" pieces (I bought cod instead because it was cheaper)
2 Tbs. chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from pan. Reserve about 1 Tbs. drippings in pan and discard the rest. Cool bacon, crumble, and set aside. Add potato and onion to drippings in pan; saute until onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add flour and cook one minute, stirring constantly. Add clam juice, bring to boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer 6 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk; simmer over med-high heat, stirring constantly (don't boil). Stir in thyme, salt, pepper, and fish. Cook 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Put in bowls, sprinkle with parsley and bacon.
We had ours with salad, french bread, and some Pale Ale.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Chickpea Farfalle
Forgive me, this is just from memory, but it's a pretty simple recipe and it is without a doubt a Dutton family staple. It hails from our vegetarian days and was the meal we made when we first found out we were going to have a Harper.
Chickpea Farfalle
1 box farfalle
2 cans chickpeas - mostly drained
5-9 cloves garlic - crushed, minced etc.
1 bunch parsley (I like the italian flat leaf kind) chopped
1+ tsp. red pepper flakes - I often use more
big mound of grated parmesan - use good stuff - like 1 cup or more
1/4 cup toasted bread crumbs - I like the italian kind, homemade is great too
In a large saute pan, heat 1-2 Tbs. olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper and about 1/4 of the chopped parsley. Cook for a few minutes. Add the chickpeas and coat in the garlic/oil mixture. Saute for a minute or two, then add a splash of water, about a 1/4 cup and continue to cook uncovered over medium to medium high heart.
Start a large pot of water to boil. While the water boils, keep an eye on the beans, you want them to cook and get all nice and toasty, roasty, nutty, but don't burn them. You can add a splash of water any time they start to look too dry.
Cook farfalle according to directions. (I usually grate the cheese and toast the crumbs while the water boils and the pasta cooks)
Once the pasta is ready, drain it (save about 1 Cup of the pasta water) return noodles to pot, add the beans, cheese, bread crumbs, remaining parsley and a swirl of olive oil. Stir it up. This is not a saucy dish at all, but if the bread crumbs are still really dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.
Serve with roasted asparagus, a simple green salad and a bottle of wine (Sauvignon Blanc, or a even a nice Merlot, I don't care what everyone says, there are still some very nice Merlots out there)
This dish is very easy and quite hands off. Once you get the beans going, just boil noodles and combine everything. You can make all the side dishes while the pasta cooks and you can be in and out of the kitchen in 30+ minutes.
Chickpea Farfalle
1 box farfalle
2 cans chickpeas - mostly drained
5-9 cloves garlic - crushed, minced etc.
1 bunch parsley (I like the italian flat leaf kind) chopped
1+ tsp. red pepper flakes - I often use more
big mound of grated parmesan - use good stuff - like 1 cup or more
1/4 cup toasted bread crumbs - I like the italian kind, homemade is great too
In a large saute pan, heat 1-2 Tbs. olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper and about 1/4 of the chopped parsley. Cook for a few minutes. Add the chickpeas and coat in the garlic/oil mixture. Saute for a minute or two, then add a splash of water, about a 1/4 cup and continue to cook uncovered over medium to medium high heart.
Start a large pot of water to boil. While the water boils, keep an eye on the beans, you want them to cook and get all nice and toasty, roasty, nutty, but don't burn them. You can add a splash of water any time they start to look too dry.
Cook farfalle according to directions. (I usually grate the cheese and toast the crumbs while the water boils and the pasta cooks)
Once the pasta is ready, drain it (save about 1 Cup of the pasta water) return noodles to pot, add the beans, cheese, bread crumbs, remaining parsley and a swirl of olive oil. Stir it up. This is not a saucy dish at all, but if the bread crumbs are still really dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.
Serve with roasted asparagus, a simple green salad and a bottle of wine (Sauvignon Blanc, or a even a nice Merlot, I don't care what everyone says, there are still some very nice Merlots out there)
This dish is very easy and quite hands off. Once you get the beans going, just boil noodles and combine everything. You can make all the side dishes while the pasta cooks and you can be in and out of the kitchen in 30+ minutes.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Panzanella
I know it's getting late for fresh tomato recipes, but maybe there are still some good tomatoes out there. I enjoyed eating this a lot during the hot month of July when I was in Atlanta without Steve. (We all know how he feels about tomatoes!) You can use whatever quantities of bread, tomatoes and basil you want. It's fresh, basic, yummy, and perfect for one.
Panzanella
French bread
tomatoes
fresh basil
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
garlic clove
salt
Cut French bread into bite-sized cubes and bake at 200 degrees for 15 minutes. (Or just use French bread that's already stale.) While it's baking, chop tomatoes into pieces the same size as the bread cubes. You should have about equal amounts of bread and tomato cubes. Coarsely chop fresh basil and add to tomatoes in a big bowl. In a separate bowl, mix three parts olive oil and one part balsamic vinegar. Crush a clove of garlic and put it in there, too. Put dressing in the refrig. When bread is done, salt the tomato/basil, then toss bread in. Put in plates/bowls immediately and drizzle with the balsamic vinegarette.
Panzanella
French bread
tomatoes
fresh basil
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
garlic clove
salt
Cut French bread into bite-sized cubes and bake at 200 degrees for 15 minutes. (Or just use French bread that's already stale.) While it's baking, chop tomatoes into pieces the same size as the bread cubes. You should have about equal amounts of bread and tomato cubes. Coarsely chop fresh basil and add to tomatoes in a big bowl. In a separate bowl, mix three parts olive oil and one part balsamic vinegar. Crush a clove of garlic and put it in there, too. Put dressing in the refrig. When bread is done, salt the tomato/basil, then toss bread in. Put in plates/bowls immediately and drizzle with the balsamic vinegarette.
