Allen is 30

Math has never been my best nor my favorite subject, but tonight I think I reached an all time low with it. Russ and I are on the verge of turning 30, but until that happens we are enjoying celebrating our friends who are older turning 30 first. Tonight was Allen’s turn to leave his twenties behind, so to mark this occasion Russ and I decided to have a surprise birthday party at our house for him. We wanted to keep it casual, but have food for anyone who wanted to eat dinner. I decided to make Santa Fe Soup and Butternut Squash Roasted Garlic Bisque. Since we were having a small crowd I decided to double both the recipes….which brought math into the picture. Now you would think this wouldn’t be that hard, but somehow I added too much water to the Santa Fe Soup making it not as thick as I would have liked and I managed to not double the garlic in the Bisque. I mean seriously roasted garlic is half the name of the soup and I managed to forget to double it. The bisque was still good, but it didn’t have a pronounced roasted garlic flavor in it. I’ll chalk this up to a learning experience in paying closer attention when multiplying by two to double a recipe….

I found this recipe for Butternut Squash Roasted Garlic Bisque several years ago on the Cooking Light Bulletin Boards. It is hands down one of my favorite soups and is quite possibly in the number one position except that I really liked the Classic Tomato Soup from a couple weeks ago. Anyway, I have made this every year since I found the recipe and just love it. In fact my meat and potatoes husband loves it too even though it doesn’t have any meat in it. To make the soup you roast the garlic and butternut squash. To roast the garlic you cut it in half (crosswise) and rub olive oil on the cut surfaces. Then put it back together and wrap it in foil. For the squash cut it in half lengthwise and rub olive oil on the flesh side. Place the flesh side down on a baking sheet covered in foil. Both will roast for about 40 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile chop the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté these in butter until they are soft. Once the squash is roasted scoop the flesh out and add it to the pot along with the broth and sage. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Let it simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes. Once it has simmered you can add the roasted garlic (which you have squeezed out of the skin and mashed) to the soup. Then puree the soup either in batches in a blender or using a hand blender. (If you are making this a day in advance like I was then stop here and refrigerate and finish it off tomorrow.) Then add the cream to the soup and season it with salt and pepper to taste. I like serving the bisque with a crusty bread. Santa Fe soup showed up recently on the blog here.

The butternut squash is thick, creamy, and a beautiful orange color! I really love the flavor of butternut squash and it works so well with the roasted garlic. This is a savory delicious soup that is hearty and tasty. As I mentioned before I forgot to double the garlic, so the roasted garlic flavor did not come through as strong as it should have. Russ rates the soup a 9.

As for the party, Allen was totally surprised and I think everyone had a good time!

Butternut Squash Roasted Garlic Bisque, Found on the Cooking Light BB

2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

3 cups chopped onions

3/4 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces (or cut in half if you are going to roast it like I do)

6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth if you want to make it vegetarian)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whipping cream (I used half and half)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Rub cut surfaces of garlic with oil. Put halves back together to reassemble heads. Wrap each tightly in foil; bake until tender, about 40 minutes. Cool garlic in foil. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery; sauté until onions are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add squash, broth and 2 tablespoons sage. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until squash is tender, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, unwrap garlic. Squeeze from skin into small bowl. Discard skin. Mash garlic with fork until smooth. Stir garlic into soup. Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth (I use my hand blender). Return to pot. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Stir in 1/2 cup cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer soup to tureen. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon cream. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sage.

My Notes: I like to keep this recipe simple and roast the butternut squash along with the garlic. To do this cut the squash in half lengthwise and rub olive oil on the flesh side. Place the flesh side down on a baking sheet covered in foil. Depending on the size of your squash it may be done after 40 minutes (same as the garlic) or it may need a few minutes longer. Once it is done (aka soft) then just scoop out the squash and add it to the soup in the same place in the recipe where you would if you cut it into 1 inch pieces.

Removing the Training Wheels on Cooking Fish

After dinner tonight Russ made the comment that her really likes having fish for dinner and you know what so do I, but for some reason we don’t eat it near as often as we do chicken or beef. We love the flavor and texture of grouper, tuna, Mahi Mahi, halibut, salmon, and the list goes on and on. We both appreciate how quick it is to prepare and how after dinner we are full, but in a very light, clean way. There are so many varieties of fish and so many different ways to prepare them that it should have us up to our ears in recipes to try for fish. So, why is it that we don’t eat it more often… I mean really at least once a week right. I really think a lot of this has to do with my not being able to take my cooking training wheels off. You see I am picky about where I buy my fish and there are only a couple places in town where I will go for fish. I almost always buy it the day I am going to prepare it, so that it is as fresh as possible. However, this carries a risk because I usually have bought all the other ingredients for the dish and what if I get to the fish counter and they are out of salmon and my recipe calls for salmon. This is where I get nervous and panic because what if there is not an alternative type of fish that fits my recipe… then what… I still consider myself a novice cook and I did not grow up eating fish or seeing it being cooked, so I am still learning how different types of fish taste, cook, and what types are able to substitute for another type. Consequently I find it easier and less nerve wracking to just skip the fish recipes and go for the chicken because have you ever gone in the store and had them be out of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Tonight I go to the store and my recipe calls for cod, but it lists seven other types of fish that will work well and you know what they didn’t have any of them….so I just asked the fish monger for his recommendation from what they did have and he suggested the black grouper. The black grouper worked great in fact Russ thinks he would prefer it in this recipe over the cod! I do love fish and want to have it at home more often, so I am going to try and remove the training wheels and go ahead and put fish on the menu more often and trust myself that it will turn out alright (and if it doesn't Papa John knows where we live).

Tonight I made the cover recipe from the January Fine Cooking, Cod with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Vermouth. You start by sautéing the mushrooms in a little butter for several minutes. You then add the garlic and sauté it for about 45 seconds. Next you add the vermouth, parsley, vinegar, salt, and pepper and bring it to a boil. Let this reduce by half and then add the fish to the dish. Cover the dish and leave it until the fish is cooked through. Once the fish is cooked remove it and add the last of the butter to the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the fish, add a little more parsley and serve. I served the fish with brown rice and green beans.

The mushroom sauce was fantastic! It was light, flavorful and I loved the mushrooms in it. The fish was light, flaky, and tasty. Cooking the fish with the lid on allowed the fish to cook through while staying moist. This came together very quickly in fact I had to wait to start it to give the brown rice ample time to cook. Russ and I both really enjoyed this dish. Russ rates it a 9.

Cod with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Vermouth, Fine Cooking January 2008
Serves four.

4 Tbs. cold unsalted butter
10 oz. white or baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced about 1/8 inch thick
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry vermouth
3 and ½ Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
Four 6 oz. skinless cod fillets

In a heavy 12-inch skillet, melt 3 Tbs. of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring only occasionally, until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown and fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add the vermouth, 3 Tbs. of the parsley, the vinegar, salt, and pepper and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, lightly season the cod with salt and pepper and add it to the pan (tuck under the tails if necessary to even out the thickness), nesting the fillets into the mushrooms and spooning some of the mushrooms on top.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, cover the pan, reduce to medium low, and simmer until just cooked through (use the tip of a paring knife to check), 7 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness. With a slotted spatula, transfer the fish to serving plates or a platter. Over low heat, whisk the remaining 1 Tbs. butter into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve sprinkled with the remaining ½ Tbs. parsley.

Variation: This recipe works well with many types of fish. Mahi mahi, pollock, haddock, sole, flounder, sea bass, and halibut make perfect substitutes; just reduce cooking time for thinner fillets.

A Delighted Husband

My favorite person to cook for is without a doubt Russ, but I also really enjoy cooking for friends and family. Some of my favorite meals with friends and family are the spontaneous, relaxing, casual weeknight dinners that seem to just plan themselves. Tonight I had planned to make Husband’s Delight for Russ and me for dinner. Russ and Allen just happen to be at a stage in the beer brewing process where they need to get together and move the beer from one container to another. So, Russ emailed Allen this afternoon to see if he wanted to join us for dinner and then beer stuff. Allen has heard Elizabeth, Seth, Russ, and me talk about Husband’s Delight before, but he has not eaten it yet and I just knew he would love it. Tonight was a relaxing, enjoyable dinner with Russ and Allen. While I enjoy entertaining on a more elaborate scale I also enjoy not worrying about how clean the house is, if the table is set, and how the food will turn out and just fixing a simple meal for a laid back evening with a good friend.

This recipe is one that I got from Elizabeth and it holds true to its name in that most males really like it. I will put a disclaimer out that I am not sure every husband or male will love it as much as Seth, Russ, and Allen do; however, if they at any point in their life were a fan of Hamburger Helper then I would pretty much guarantee they will love this! To make Husband’s Delight you start by browning the ground beef. Once it is cooked you pour off the excess grease and add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, and tomato sauce. I also added diced white onion because I love onion and tend to add it to any recipe that doesn’t already call for it and if it does call for it then I usually increase the amount called for – I’m just wild and crazy like that! Cover this and let is simmer for about 15 minutes. While it simmers bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. I used spaghetti noodles, but almost any thin or small size pasta will work well. While everything is cooking you chop the scallions (I increased the amount – again just wild and crazy) and mix them in with the sour cream and cream cheese. Once the noodles are cooked you drain them and set them aside to start the assembly process. One note on the noodles though, when you are making a dish like this where the noodles are going to be cooked or baked more it is imperative that you do not over cook them. I would recommend cooking them to al dente and not a second longer. For the assembly you take baking dish and spray it with Pam and then start layering the ingredients into it. Start with the noodles first, then the meat sauce, then the sour cream mixture, and then a layer of shredded cheddar cheese. Then repeat making sure that you end with the layer of cheddar cheese. This bakes for about 20 minutes at 350 F or until heated through and bubbly.

This really is like a fancier, homemade version of Hamburger Helper. It is gooey and cheesy and the pasta / beef / tomato sauce combo just seems to hit a homerun with Allen and Russ. I really like Husband’s Delight, but much like the Manly Sandwich while I like it Russ and Allen love it. It is a heavy dish, so I served it with a side of steamed broccoli to help balance it out some. This is a yummy comfort food dish that is great for a cold winter night. Russ rates it a solid 9.

Husband’s Delight, from Elizabeth (adapted from Linly Heflin’s recipe)

1 plus lb. ground beef (Elizabeth recommends doubling it)
1 clove garlic or garlic salt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Black pepper to taste
2 cans tomato sauce – 8 oz. size (Elizabeth recommends adding more)
5 scallions (I added more)
1 package small noodles – 8 oz. size
1 package of cream cheese, softened (the standard rectangular size, I used all of it)
1 carton of sour cream (I used the large size and used almost all of it)
½ cup grated cheddar cheese (I used more)

Brown beef, pour off excess grease. Add garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Cook noodles and drain. Chop part of tops and part of bottoms of scallions, finely. Mix with cream cheese and sour cream. Grease baking dish lightly. Put layers of noodles, meat sauce, sour cream mixture, and grated cheese, ending with the grated cheese on top. Bake about 20 minutes – to heat thoroughly – at 350 degrees. Best mixed the day before. Serves 8, with seconds.

Quick Chicken Roll Ups

After college I moved to Charlottesville, Virginia for graduate school. Sophie, the family Pomeranian, and I lived together in a cozy two bedroom apartment for two years. This was my first time to live without a roommate, a non-furry one that is. When I moved back to Birmingham I moved into another apartment by myself for a year before buying a condo. After living alone for several years I was ready to have a roommate again. I was excited when Elizabeth was moving back to Birmingham and we decided to be roommates in the condo. There are definitely great things to be said about living alone, but I was ready to have someone else around at night after work to talk to, eat with, and just have around. Living together was a lot of fun and one of the best parts was our shared interest in cooking. We would cook together almost every night after work and it was a wonderful experience to share with her. Once Seth and then Russ joined the picture you could find the four us eating together most nights. After Elizabeth got married and moved out we no longer cooked together every night, but we still enjoy getting together frequently to cook and eat together. Even though we both have different roommates now, Elizabeth and I still love to talk about cooking, share recipes, and get together to cook and eat.

Tonight’s dinner is a recipe that Elizabeth and I developed to mimic one of our favorite dishes at a local restaurant. We ate this at least once a week while we lived together as they were simple, quick, and delicious. To make the Chicken Roll Ups you start with cooked chicken. Russ smoked a beer can chicken last night just in case the turkey wasn’t big enough for everyone, so that is what I used. Elizabeth and I would either buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store or cook chicken tenders (often after marinating them in Italian dressing) on the indoor cast iron grill. You can pretty much cook it anyway you like but once it is cooked either shred or chop it into small pieces. Then sauté sliced onion in a little olive oil. Once they are mostly cooked add cut up tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes that I quartered) until they are heated through. I seasoned these lightly with salt and pepper. You then start an assembly line with the chicken, flour tortillas, crumbled feta, onions and tomatoes. Lay out a flour tortilla and add a little bit of all the ingredients to the middle and then roll it up. Once you have made all the rolls then place them on a lightly greased grill pan or skillet and let them heat through on each side for a couple minutes. Serve them with salsa for dipping.

These are so quick and easy to make that it is perfect for a busy weeknight or a night when you are really tired, but still want to eat at home. If you are having a really busy week then a great way to get quick dinners at home is to buy a rotisserie chicken and use it for the rolls ups one night and in other ways such as a salad or tacos another night. This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover chicken. The roll ups have great flavor with the feta adding a nice taste. After they are heated the feta turns soft and is just delicious. I also like the combination of onions and tomatoes. I think next time I might add cut up kalamata olives to the mix. You can really mix up the ingredients in lots of different ways to suite your taste. Russ rates the roll ups a 9.

Turkey Dinner with the Siblings

Russ and I are truly blessed to have not only our parents, but also all of our siblings in town. Selfishly we hope this never changes and everyone stays within a ten minute drive of us, but realistically we know this may not last forever. For now we enjoy seeing them any chance we get. Ever since we moved in our house we have wanted to have all of our siblings and their significant others over for dinner. After over a year and a half in the house a turkey of all things is what finally gave us the push we needed to get our act together and just do it. A turkey in February might sound out of the ordinary, but we have actually had it since the end of November. One of the local grocery stores holds an annual event each November where you can get a free turkey. Every time during a certain time period where you spend over $50 you get a turkey feather and once you have collected four you get a free turkey. Two years ago I came up one turkey feather short, so this past year I made an effort to only shop at this store in order to collect all my feathers. Ever since we got the turkey we have talked about having our siblings over, but with the holidays things got busy and then in January we were in the mood to relax after the holidays… so finally in February we did it!

Tonight we had Jess, Scott, Will, Mary Margaret, Jason, Jane, Daniel, and Beau over for dinner. Since our dining room is not very large and our table seats six at the most we decided to eat in our den. It is probably the largest room in our house and I have been entertaining the thought of moving some furniture out of it and putting tables in for a dinner party for a while now. Thanks to some loaner tables, table clothes, and extra chairs from my parents that is exactly what we did. I really enjoyed having everyone in the same room at the same table to eat!

Now for the food! Russ comes from a turkey frying family and he does an excellent job frying turkeys. This time he wanted to try something new and smoke the turkey. He did some research online and came up with a great recipe. The turkey had an amazing smoky, savory flavor to it that I loved! It wasn’t as moist as the fried turkeys he has done before, but we think that if he brines it and works on his smoking technique that it would be more moist. I do love fried turkey, but the smokiness was wonderful… I think next time Russ may need to do one of each for a side by side taste test!

I handled the sides and did mashed potatoes, green beans, and a salad. I also made a lime curd tart for dessert. For the mashed potatoes I tried a new recipe that I found on the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog. I chose it because it you can make it ahead of time and then reheat it in the oven just before serving. Also, it has cream cheese in it which I found very intriguing. I actually test ran the addition of cream cheese in some mashed red potatoes earlier this week and loved the creamy texture and flavor it added! To make the mashed potatoes you peel 5 lbs of Russet potatoes, cut them into large chunks and boil them. Once they are cooked you drain them, add them back to the pot, and mash them. Then you add the butter, cream cheese, half and half, salt and pepper. Once this is mixed well and seasoned then you add it to a buttered baking dish.

For the green beans I used a recipe of Jane’s (Russ’ sister) that she got from the Fresh Market cookbook. You cook the green beans in boiling water. When they are cooked you drain them and add them back to the pot. Then add small cherry or grape tomatoes to them. Lastly toss them with balsamic dressing (balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little creole mustard).

The salad recipe came from a cookbook that Jess and Scott gave me a while ago that I have never used. Russ is scared of this cookbook and has even tried to hide it before… It is the Enchanted Broccoli Forest and Russ is scared because it is a vegetarian cookbook. To make the salad you peel and section 6 oranges and then combine them with the cinnamon and honey and set it aside. Then you slice the radishes and onions. Lastly you toast some chopped walnuts. When it is time to serve you toss the greens with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then you add all the other ingredients including part of the juice that is with the oranges.

For dessert I decided that I wanted something that was not too sweet or heavy since we were having a large meal. After flipping through several cookbooks I decided to make Ina Garten's Lime Curd Tart. To make the tart you mix the butter and sugar together. Once mixed you add the vanilla and finally the sifted flour and salt. The batter looked to dry and crumbly to me, so I added one egg to hold it all together. You then fold it into a disk and press it into the tart pan. The dough chills in the refrigerator until it is firm. Once firm you bake it covered and filled with beans for 20 minutes. You then remove the foil and beans and prick it with a fork and let it bake again for about 20 minutes. Set it aside to cool. To make the lime curd. You mix the sugar, lime zest and butter until combined. You are supposed to mix the zest and sugar in a food processor prior to this step, but I left it out by accident. Once it is all combined you add the eggs. You then pour the mixture into a saucepan until it reaches about 175 F and thickens. Ina says this should take about 10 minutes, but mine took about 30. Once it thickens pour it into the tart shell and let it cool.

Overall the sides were really good, however, I was a little disappointed that the mashed potatoes and green beans were not hotter when we served them. I failed to do a heat test before putting them out and regretted it later… The mashed potatoes were creamy, soft, and tasty. I think the cream cheese actually worked better with the red potatoes in my test run earlier this week though as they added a more distinctive flavor. I would definitely make these again when making a large dinner as the ability to make them ahead of time is very helpful and with the butter, half and half, and cream cheese you know they are good. They did reheat very well just not quite long enough. The green beans were very tasty. This is a simple, colorful, and flavorful dish. The contrasting color and texture of the green beans and tomatoes makes this a real winner. Their flavors work really well together and the dressing adds a great tangy zip to the dish. The salad was excellent! I happen to love salads that combine fruit, vegetables, and nuts. The combination of oranges, walnuts, red onions, and radishes did not disappoint and worked really well together not to mention being very colorful. I was a little concerned that there really isn’t a dressing to the salad, but when eating it you didn’t even notice or miss it. The olive oil, salt, and pepper along with a little of the juice added all the dressing the salad needed. What really made this fantastic to me though was the hint of cinnamon from the oranges – perfect! If this salad is any indication of what other tasty recipes are hidden in the Enchanted Broccoli Forest… then I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more out of this cookbook in the near future. Russ is still scared of it, but the salad did help him to start conquering this fear. The tart turned out fairly well. I felt like the tart shell browned a little more than I would have liked. Next time I'll check it earlier and cover it with foil if the edges are browning up to much. The tart shell had a great buttery flavor with good texture. The lime curd had a wonderful light flavor that was both sweet and tart. The recipe has you serve it at room temperature, but I think it would have been better to chill it and serve it chilled. The texture was firm, but at the same time a little runny. I think if it had been chilled it would have had better texture and would have been more refreshing. Overall I really liked it and think it would be a great summertime dessert. Russ rates the turkey a 9, the potatoes a 9, the green beans a 9, the salad a 9, and the lime curd tart a 8.

It was a truly enjoyable night with wonderful company! My only regret (besides the vegetables not being hotter...) was that we waited so long to finally have everyone over. I certainly see a Sibling Summer Party in our backyard with maybe some croquet or bocce and Russ grilling something yummy!

I also want to mention that Scott and Jess brought an appetizer. First, a big thanks to them for bringing it! Second, it is a recipe that I have reviewed on the blog before here and it is so tasty and such a crowd pleaser that I want to bring your attention to it again. It is simple to make with only five ingredients and the bowl was all but licked clean tonight – it is that tasty!

Last, but not least a big thanks to Mom who provided and arranged all the beautiful flowers!

Moroccan Orange-Walnut Salad, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest
Yield: 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients:
6 large oranges
1 Tbs. honey
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 lb. mixed salad greens – cleaned, dried, and chilled
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
10 radishes, thinly sliced
6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

1. Peel and section the oranges, using a sharp paring knife or a serrated knife. To do this, first cut off the polar ends of the peel off the sides. With a gentle sawing motion, cut in one side of the membrane and out the other, releasing each orange section into a bowl. Squeeze all excess juice from the remaining membrane in to the bowl as well, and pick out the seeds, if necessary. Discard the membrane.
2. Drizzle honey and sprinkle cinnamon into the orange slices. Stir gently to mix, cover, and set aside until serving time.
3. Shortly before serving, toss the greens in a large bowl with the onions, radishes and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. To serve, bring the orange sections, the tossed greens, and the walnuts to the table in separate containers. Let each person assemble his or her own salad, by piling some greens on a plate, spooning over some oranges-au-jus, and sprinkling a few walnuts on top. (My Notes: I did not serve it this way due to limited table space, but I think if you have the space it is a nice way to do it.)

Super Yummy Tomato Soup

As you probably know by now I LOVE soup and I love it in any form thick and chunky, thin and pureed, brothy, with meat, without meat… Russ likes soup, but I am not sure he feels quite as passionately about it as I do. He also tends to prefer just the hearty soups that include meat; however, he has a soft spot in his heart for Campbell’s Tomato Soup. This is his go to soup when he is not feeling well, but he likes it paired with a grilled cheese sandwich even when he is healthy and feeling fine. Call me a food snob, but I’ll be honest I really can’t eat Campbell’s soup unless I am super sick and no one will bring me Hot and Sour Soup or Chicken Corn Chowder from the Chinese restaurant. So, when Fine Cooking had an entire section on tomato soup I was elated because we could now both enjoy a meal of tomato soup since it wouldn’t be coming out of the red and white can. I let Russ pick which recipe we try first and he selected the Classic Tomato Soup. While the other recipes sound a little more interesting and different what better place to start than with the classic. So, I made it and I am in LOVE with this soup and once Russ eats the last can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup that is sitting in the pantry I will never buy it again because this was so, so, so much better and super easy to make.To make the soup you start by heating the oil and butter in a large Dutch oven and then adding the garlic and onion until they are soft. Then mix the flour in with the garlic and onion until they are combined. Next add the broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper. (A couple things on the can of tomatoes: First be sure and buy a high quality brand of tomatoes. Second, I realize that you are buying a can of whole tomatoes just to puree it, however, I forbid you to buy a can of pureed tomatoes for this recipe. You will be compromising the taste and it only takes a couple seconds to puree the whole tomatoes.) Bring this to a simmer while stirring and then reduce the heat to low, cover it, and let it simmer for 40 minutes. Once it has simmered remove the thyme sprig and throw it away. Then puree the soup. I used a hand blender which if you don’t have one is a very useful thing to have for making soups or smoothies (which is why Russ bought ours). Then taste it and add salt and pepper as needed. Ours needed both with a little more salt than pepper. You can then top it with any of the garnishes mentioned in the recipe. I went simple and just used a dollop of sour cream. After tasting it though I am definitely going to garnish it with thin slices of fresh basil next time.This soup is so simple and really quick to make except for the 40 minutes of simmering and the taste is fabulous! Both Russ and I were blown away with what great flavor it had! We both thought it would be good, but it was really fantastic with a light, fresh tomato flavor and a smooth texture. My only complaint is that I wish I had made more. Next time I make it I will definitely double if not triple this recipe. The leftovers will be eaten tomorrow for lunch, but this would freeze really well. It would be a great soup to make and stock your freezer with the leftovers for a cold, rainy day or really any ole day for that matter. We served ours with a side of cheese toast, but I think a small salad of mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette would be another great side option. Russ rates the soup a 10.

Classic Tomato Soup, Fine Cooking February / March 2008
Yields about 8 cups, serves eight (Russ and I had it as an entrée, so in our case it would serve 4)

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
28 oz. can whole peeled plum tomatoes, pureed (include the juice)
1 and ½ tsp. sugar
1 sprig fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh basil, chives, or dill, or a mixture of all three (omit if using one of the garnishes below)

In a nonreactive 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the flour and stir to coat the onion and garlic.

Add the broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme, and ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat while stirring the mixture to make sure that the flour is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Discard the thyme sprig. Let cool briefly and then puree in two or there batches in a blender of food processor. Rinse the pot and return the soup to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat if necessary. Serve warm but not hot, garnished with the herbs or dolloped with one of the garnishes below.

Add a creamy touch:
Sour cream, goat cheese, and Parmesan garnish: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup sour cream with ¼ crumbled goat cheese. Add 1 Tbs. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1 Tbs. thinly sliced chives, and 1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil. Mix thoroughly and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a dollop to each serving.
Crème fraiche, herb, and horseradish garnish: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup crème fraiche with 1 Tbs. minced fresh dill and 1 Tbs. minced scallion. Add ½ Tbs. well-drained prepared horseradish and mix well. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a dollop to each serving.

Judging a Book by the Title

I am sure you have all heard the saying “Don’t Judge a Book By the Cover” and I am well aware that it is talking about a lot more than books… however, tonight’s dinner came from one of my neglected cookbooks (remember my New Year’s Resolutions) and it is safe to judge this one by the cover or better yet the title. Jessica and Scott gave me Southern Living’s Light and Easy Comfort Food well over a year ago and in that time I have used it once... So this weekend I pulled it off the shelf and began thumbing through it again and it is full off recipes that are just as the title reads light and easy comfort food dishes. None of the recipes are super complicated or time consuming, they are all on the lighter side, and they are all dishes that at some point in time during the year you crave. I found several recipes that looked tasty and perfect for a weeknight dinner. I couldn’t decide so I asked Russ to pick between the three and he chose the Lemon-Chicken Pasta.This particular recipe came out of a section on Cooking for Two. I want to point out that while it does make two servings that it would still be a good recipe for one person. You could easily half this recipe and most of the ingredients are ones that will save for later such as the frozen peas and extra dried pasta. Other ingredients such as the unused chicken and chicken broth could be frozen for later.

Russ and I both really liked this dish and it fit the title of the cookbook exactly as it was easy, light and comfort food. It wasn’t an out of the ball park homerun for us, but it was a solid, delicious weeknight dinner for just the two of us. One aspect of the dish I did really like is the use of chicken broth with cream cheese. The sauce is both light and tasty and one that you could adapt in so many different ways. I don’t know that I’ll follow this recipe exactly again, but I certainly will use aspects of it and then make it my own by adding different vegetables and flavors to it. You could easily sub asparagus (as long as you let them cook a little longer) and shrimp and I think it would be super tasty. I also think I would add a little lemon juice to it. Russ rates it an 8.
Quick Note: If you are interested in tracking my progress towards my New Year’s Resolution of cooking from my underused or never used cookbooks I am categorizing all applicable blog entries as “Cooking the Books”.

Lemon-Chicken Pasta, Southern Living Light and Easy Comfort Food
Yield: 2 servings

Cooking Spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into ¼ inch-wide strips
½ cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/3 cup shredded carrot
½ cup condensed low-sodium chicken broth, undiluted
2 tablespoons tub-style light cream cheese
2 cups hot cooked farfalle (about 1 and ¼ cups uncooked bow tie pasta), cooked without salt or fat
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Fresh chives (optional)

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and oil and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic; sauté 15 seconds. Add chicken and sauté 1 minute. Add peas and carrot; sauté 1 minute. Remove chicken mixture from skillet and set aside.
Add chicken broth and cream cheese to skillet, and cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes of until cream cheese melts, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return chicken mixture to skillet. Stir in pasta, Parmesan cheese, lemon rind, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Garnish with fresh chives if desired.This is a family photo with the addition of Cash's cousin Hugo from our hike this weekend.

My Chocolate Chip Cookie Quest

A couple of weekends ago I made two different kinds of cookies including a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. While we liked the chocolate chip cookies I didn’t think they were the end all be all for chocolate chip cookies. I’ve made several cookies that were to me a look no further this is the recipe such as these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip and these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, however, I have not had such an experience with a chocolate chip cookie recipe yet. I’ve decided to try and make an effort to seek out the best chocolate chip cookie recipe out there. Now, this is tricky as everyone has different things that they like about a cookie since I like chewy cookies over crunchy or cakey ones that will be goal. I also like a lot of chocolate chips in them and for them to be sweet, but not too sweet. Since Russ and I were going over to Allen’s to watch the Super Bowl I thought it would be the perfect time to try out another chocolate chip cookie recipe and what better one to start my quest with than the classic Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Believe it or not this is my first time trying this recipe even though I know it is considered the standard recipe to many people. I tend to shy away from recipes that I find on packages although I am not quite sure why except that I might be developing a few food snob tendencies…

I followed the recipe as is, however, it doesn’t specify unsalted or salted butter or light or dark brown sugar. I used salted butter and light brown sugar this go around. Cookies tend to come together in a very similar fashion – wet ingredients in one bowl (mix together to incorporate the butter) and dry ingredients in another. Then slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet and finally fold in the chocolate chips and nuts if you use them (I left out the nuts since Russ doesn’t like them in his cookies). These bake for 9 – 11 minutes at 375 F.

I can see why this recipe is considered the standard for chocolate chip cookies as it was a good, classic chocolate chip cookie. However, I felt like it was a little cakey for me. I am not sure if maybe I should have made them smaller to make them less cakey or not. I also felt like while some cookies had plenty of chocolate chips that there were others that were lacking in the chip department. I do think that at some point I’ll give this recipe another go and this time I’ll add more chocolate chips, try using dark brown sugar, and make smaller cookies. Everyone seemed to like them, but there were no rave reviews like those that the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies garnered the other weekend… so, I’ll keep trying out recipes until I find one that gets the same wow reviews. Russ rates these chocolate chip cookies a 9.

Setting the Record Straight on Breakfast

There have been several breakfast posts where I have made waffles, pancakes, muffins, cinnamon buns etc. Russ has even made it on the blog once for his omelets. However, I feel like you may be getting a skewed view of what breakfast is really like in our house. You might think that Russ is spoiled rotten by my making him homemade breakfasts on Saturdays… but truth be told I am hands down the one that is spoiled rotten in the mornings. On weekday mornings Russ wakes up, showers, and then starts to wake me which tends to take a while, so in the meantime he lets Cash outside, then feeds him, and starts a large pot of coffee. He then brings me a cup of coffee with just a little milk and sugar and Cash and he continue to check on me until I finally make it out of bed and into the shower. So, despite Russ getting a yummy homemade breakfast every now and then on Saturday morning I am the one who is spoiled in the mornings with coffee delivered daily. I did treat Russ to homemade pancakes this morning and I even made the coffee to go with it!

The recipe for Lemon Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce is from one of the cookbooks that Russ had before we got married that has sat on our shelf gathering dust until today. I am working on cooking from some of my poor underused cookbooks as part of my New Year’s resolutions. Since this cookbook is Williams Sonoma Weekend with Friends the recipes are for several people, so I cut it in half for just Russ and me.

I started by making the blueberry sauce. You mix water, lemon juice and cornstarch in a pan until the cornstarch has dissolved. You then add a portion of the blueberries (I used some of our remaining stash of Mentone blueberries – yum!) and let it cook until the sauce thickens. You then puree the mixture in a food processor and then run it through a sieve back into the pan. Next you add the rest of the blueberries and the sugar and let this cook for just a couple minutes. The last step is to add in the cinnamon and more sugar if needed.

To make the pancakes you mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls. You then slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry. The batter is still a little lumpy. You then cook them on a skillet. I used a non-stick skillet with just a little bit of butter. If you were cooking for a crowd then you would keep the cooked pancakes in the oven while you cook the rest. Serve the pancakes with the blueberry sauce on top.

Russ and I both really liked the pancakes and the blueberry sauce. Lemon and blueberry is a wonderful flavor combination and they work really well together here. Russ felt like the blueberry sauce could have been a little sweeter as he tends to like his sweet breakfasts a little sweeter than I do. Next time I’ll add a little more sugar to part of the blueberry sauce for him. We both thought the texture and flavor of the pancakes was excellent. They are light and fluffy with a hint of lemon. These are really delicious and would be perfect for a weekend in Mentone with friends. Russ rates them a 9.


Lemon Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce, William Sonoma’s Weekend with Friends
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients
For the Blueberry Sauce:
1 cup water
5 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups fresh or unsweetened frozen blueberries (thawed and well drained)
5 tablespoons granulated sugar, or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 and ½ cups milk
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 tablespoons lemon juice
4 and ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest

About 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or unsalted butter
Confectioners’ sugar

To make the blueberry sauce, in a saucepan over low heat, stir together the water, lemon juice, and cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add 2 and ½ cups of the blueberries and raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes, then transfer to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, then pass through a sieve placed over the saucepan, pressing down with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Add the 5 tablespoons granulated sugar and stir the remaining 1 and ½ cups blueberries. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the berries soften slightly, 1 – 2 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon. Taste and add more sugar, if needed. Keep warm. You should have 2 and ½ cups.

Preheat over to 200F.

To make the pancakes, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons of the zest. Pour the milk mixture over the flour mixture and stir just until combined. The batter will be lumpy.

Place a griddle or large, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Brush lightly with some oil or butter. When hot, using a ¼ cup measure, ladle the batter onto the griddle or pan; do not crowd the surface. Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and bottoms are lightly browned, 2 – 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the second sides are lightly browned, 1 – 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a baking sheet in one layer, tent loosely with foil, and place in the warm oven. Repeat, using more oil or butter as needed. You should have 24 pancakes.

To serve, gently reheat the sauce. Serve the pancakes on warmed individual plates. Ladle some of the warm sauce over them and sprinkle with the remaining 1 and ½ teaspoons lemon zest, dividing evenly. Dust with the confectioners’ sugar. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.