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Home Alone with Soup and a Movie

September 19th, 2009

What do you do when you are faced with time alone? Sometimes I like to curl up with a good book and do nothing all day; no one to cook for, no extra laundry, no renovation projects to deal with. It is nice for a few days, but I can take only so much of it. David is on a two week motocycle ride with his buddies. I spent the first few days visiting my Son, Daughter-In-Law and Granddaughter. Since I have been home I have been somewhat slothful, cooking my favorite comfort foods like hamburgers, macaroni and cheese and an actually yummy quiche lorraine from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The week has been rainy and cool – the kind of weather that begs for warming, bubbling soup. So yesterday I donned my sweats, pulled out one of my easiest soup recipes and puttered in the kitchen while the soup simmered.

I have been making this escarole, white bean and sausage soup for years. It is easy and quick and very satisfying. I always have cannellini beans and chicken broth in my pantry so it requires few things from the grocery store.

I love making a tray to eat in front of the television to watch one of my favorite DVDs; movies that David does not necessarily love. Here are a few of my favorites.

Grey Gardens – This movie fascinates me. It is the true story of Jacqueline Kennedy’s Aunt Edie Beale and her daughter “Little” Edie. Their descent into mental illness, co-dependency, and isolation is unbelievable. Their beautiful estate in the Hamptons decays around them. It has recently been restored by Sally Quinn. Drew Barrymore’s portrayal of Little Edie is worthy of an Oscar. There was a documentary featuring the real Beales and Drew Barrymore nailed her role as Little Edie.

The Holiday – The movie itself is somewhat predictable, but the two homes featured are stunning in different ways. It is the story of two women in the throes of relationship problems who decide to swap houses for the holidays. Kate Winslett’s character lives in an English cottage into which I could move today and live happily ever after. Cameron Diaz lives in a sleek mansion in LA. It doesn’t hurt that Jude Law is one of the love interests. I have watched it several times just to study the houses . . . ok, ok, Jude Law too.

Something’s Got to Give – What’s not to love about Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson? But again it is the house in the Hamptons that I love. Do you see a pattern here? I love houses.

David will be facing his “home alone” time next week. My biker babe girlfriends and I are going to New York City for four days of shopping and a Broadway show (Jersey Boys). We have reservations at Mesa Grill for dinner one night. Before I give you the recipe, here are two questions. What are your favorite DVDs? And if you have any suggestions for good restaurants in NYC, I could use them. I am tired of “home alone” and could use some fresh ideas.

ESCAROLE, WHITE BEAN AND SAUSAGE SOUP

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3/4 pound Kielbasa or Sausage of choice, sliced or diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 cans low sodium chicken broth

2 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch escarole, washed and roughly chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add sausage and onion and saute until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add chopped garlic near end of cooking time. Add the beans and chicken broth and simmer to meld the flavors, about 20 minutes. Add the escarole and simmer until wilted. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Printable recipe

Gazpacho with Shrimp and Rosemary Flatbreads

June 24th, 2009

This is a day early to be posting for Barefoot Blogger Thursday but yesterday was a hot day so a cool soup seemed to be a very good idea for dinner. Meryl of My Bit of Earth selected Ina Garten’s Gazpacho for the second Barefoot Blogger recipe of the month. I decided to take Ina’s wonderful soup recipe and embellish it with shrimp and this flavorful flatbread to make it a complete meal.

There are many things I like about this dish. The chunky vegetables add lots of texture and taste. I did alter the recipe slightly by using only one red pepper instead of two and by using only a half of a red onion instead of the whole onion. If the soup had more time to rest in the refrigerator the onion and pepper would have mellowed, but since I was serving it in less than two hours I didn’t want too much of the raw taste. Another advantage is that the soup is quick to put together. Most of the chopping is accomplished in a food processor. To give the dish added flavor, I used V-8 juice instead of regular tomato juice. They now have a heart healthy low sodium variety of V-8 juice that I really like.

When I serve soup I have to have bread and these crispy rosemary flatbreads are one of my favorites. I have blogged about them before but sometimes a good thing is worth repeating. They are very easy to put together and they look beautiful and taste as good as they look.

The meal was perfect, eaten on the porch on a sultry evening. Even the shrimp were easy. I bought them already cooked from the supermarket. Thank you Meryl for selecting another great Barefoot Contessa recipe.

GAZPACHO

1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled

2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded ( I used 1)

4 plum tomatoes

1 red onion (I used 1/2)

3 garlic cloves, minced

23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups) (I used V-8 juice)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup good olive oil

1/2 Tbls kosher salt ( I omitted )

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Roughly chop the cucumber, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1 inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not over process!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

CRISP ROSEMARY FLATBREADS – Gourmet July 2008

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary plus 2 (6 inch) sprigs

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing

Flaky sea salt such as Maldon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.

Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 to 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

Lightly brush top with additional oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary leaves on top, pressing in slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break into pieces to serve.

Flatbread can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Printable recipe – Gazpacho

Printable recipe – Crisp Rosemary Flatbreads

St. Patrick’s Day Cabbage Roll Soup

March 17th, 2009

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone. In honor of the occasion I have made my friend Maxine’s cabbage roll soup. This is not a typical St. Patrick’s day dish by any means. As a matter of fact it’s origins are in Eastern Europe I am sure. But cabbage is associated with St. Patrick’s Day, so it seemed fitting that it could be served to celebrate this day.

Our Mothers and Grandmothers made cabbage rolls – at least mine did. About ten years ago I asked my Mother to show me how she made her cabbage rolls and we spent a memorable afternoon boiling and rolling cabbage around ground beef and rice. The rolling had to be just so, with the edges tucked and sealed before being placed in the pot atop shredded cabbage to protect the leaves from burning. My Mother’s hands were as deft and sure as mine were clumsy and hesitant. And I learned more than making cabbage rolls that day.

Maxine’s Grandmother also made cabbage rolls. Over the years she has adapted the recipe into a soup using the same ingredients that her Grandmother used, but simplifying the process. The first time I tried this soup I loved it. It has delicious meatballs in a fragrant and flavorfull cabbage soup, accented with raisins and a sweet and lemony taste. Maxine, thank you for sharing your recipe with us.

MAXINE’S CABBAGE ROLL SOUP

For the Soup:
1 head of cabbage, shredded
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup raisins
5 cups water

For the Meatballs:
1 pound ground chuck or round
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup bread crumbs

In large dutch oven saute onions and garlic in small amount of olive oil till soft. Add salt and pepper. Add shredded cabbage and lightly saute till soft. Add tomatoes with their liquid, tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, raisins and 5 cups water. Stir to blend.

Mix all meatball ingredients. Form cocktail size meatballs from mixture and add to liquid. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Enjoy. Serves 4 to 6.

Printable recipe

You say Manhattan. . .I say Minorcan

March 10th, 2009

There has been a long standing debate over Manhattan and New England clam chowders. Some love the creaminess of New England chowder and others are convinced that the tomato based chowder is the only way to go. There is another kind of chowder known only to a small segment of the population – known only to St. Augustine Florida in fact. The key to this version of chowder is the datil pepper which is grown exclusively in St. Augustine.

A group of Minorcans were brought to Florida in 1768 from their native Island of Minorca, off the coast of Spain to work the indigo plantation in New Smyrna Beach. They suffered great hardship for nine long years under the cruelty of the plantation owner and finally escaped to St. Augustine in 1777. They had brought their own spices, seeds, and cooking traditions with them and when they were free to plant their own gardens with the datil peppers, and fish the ocean waters, Minorcan clam chowder was born.

The datil pepper is a little bigger than a jalapeno pepper and is hotter, but not as hot as a habenero pepper. You can substitute any pepper you want in the recipe but you can also order datil products here . The jar of pickled datil peppers that I used was from a local market that is not set up for delivery out of state.

I served my Minorcan Chowder with the most remarkable rosemary flatbread I have ever eaten. It was easy to put together and bake and tasted like a homemade cracker – crisp and herby. If you make nothing else from this post you have to try this recipe. It came originally from Gourmet, but I saw it on the Smitten Kitchen website. Thank you, Deb. It was easy to handle, which was a surprise to me because the directions have you rolling it thinly on parchment paper and then transferring it to a hot baking pan. Yeah, sure. Well it worked!
Added note here. I just re-read the recipe on Deb’s blog and you are supposed to leave the dough on the parchment paper when you put it on the baking sheet. I didn’t do that because parchment paper is good only to 400 degrees, or so I thought, and this bakes at 450. It lifts easily from the parchment paper if you want to place it directly on the baking sheet.

There are many recipes for Minorcan Clam Chowder and I combined ideas from several of them. Hope you agree that Minorcan Clam Chowder is a contender in the ongoing debate over the best chowder in the world. What is your favorite chowder?

MINORCAN CLAM CHOWDER

1 Qt. chopped clams with juice (or 3 cans chopped clams with juice)

4 slices bacon, diced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

3 potatoes, chopped

3 datil peppers, seeded and chopped ( This was enough for a medium heat)

1 28 0z can of diced tomatoes

1 14 0z can of diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 pound shrimp, cut in halves

Fry bacon until crisp in dutch oven. Remove to drain. Saute vegetables in bacon drippings until tender. Add datil peppers, both cans of tomatoes, chicken broth and clams with juices to pot and simmer until potatoes are tender. You may have to add a little water to thin chowder. Stir in shrimp near end of cooking time. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a sprinkling of bacon.

Printable recipe – Crispy Rosemary Flatbreads
Printable recipe – Minorcan Clam Chowder

Something Fishy

February 12th, 2009

My husband, David, likes fishing and motorcycles, and also occasionally likes to try his hand in the kitchen. Recently, when one of his riding buddies called to confirm their plans for Daytona Bike Week, Ron happened to mention that he had just enjoyed a delicious seafood corn chowder in a restaurant. The corn chowder had incorporated both salmon and smoked trout, and Ron loved it. That started the wheels turning in David’s head due to the happy coincidence that he had several smoked blue fish chilling in the fridge without a good plan for their ultimate use. When he broached his plan with me, I was less than enthusiastic because not only am I not a fan of smoked fish in general, I have an aversion to blue fish in particular. He agreed that if I let him experiment with a seafood corn chowder, he would prepare two versions….one with salmon only for me, and the other with both salmon and smoked blue fish for his exclusive consumption. So, today I am turning the blog over to David. I loved his Seafood Chowder.

A quick Google search for corn chowder yielded a very basic and simple recipe that served as a good starting point. It called for one can each of both creamed corn and whole kernel corn, diced potatoes, celery, and condensed milk. Instead of the condensed milk, I substituted Skim Plus milk and some half-and-half, and added onion, green pepper, jalepeno pepper, garlic, and a little butter and sherry to the mix. The results were quite tasty, although I admit to overdoing it a bit on the smoked fish in my batch. Penny’s batch, with salmon only, was pretty good, and I think if I had it to do over again (and I will), I wouldn’t put a whole smoked fish into the rather small pot that I made for myself. A little smoked blue fish goes a long way in a chowder. It can take the place of the bacon, or pancetta, or salt pork that some recipes call for, but it would probably require only two or three tablespoons to impart a nice smokey flavor to a whole pot of chowder – a whole smoked fish in the pot was a little overpowering.

I should also mention the toasted sourdough french baguette with olive oil and pepper that I made to go with the chowder. I make this toast several times a week these days and we have both become seriously addicted to it. The baguettes are readily available at the ubiquitous Publix grocery stores here in Florida, but when we head back to Lake Lure in the spring we will either have to do without (I foresee severe withdrawal symptoms) or learn to make them ourselves. The simple recipe for the toast is included below.

SEAFOOD AND CORN CHOWDER

2 medium potatos, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

2 jalepeno peppers, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can creamed corn
1 small package of frozen corn niblets
1 fresh salmon fillet (about 3/4 lb) skinned and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Diced Smoked fish to taste (don’t overdue it, a little goes a long way, but it adds a nice smoky flavor, and takes the place of smoked bacon or fatback called for in many chowder recipes)
1/2 cup Skim Plus milk (or milk of your choice)
A little half-and-half, maybe 1/4 cup — add more or less milk and/or half-and-half to achieve the consistency you desire in the chowder. I wanted it kind of thick.
1 Tbs olive oil for sweating the vegetables
1 Tbs sherry (just for the nice flavor it imparts — leave it out or use more as you desire)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes for a little more kick
2 Tbs butter
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Saute the potatoes, celery, onion, green pepper, jalepeno pepper, and garlic in a little olive oil in a large pot over medium heat to soften them and give them flavor. Add enough water to just cover the vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatos are cooked. Drain the water and add the creamed corn and corn niblets to the pot, followed by the milk, half-and-half, sherry, butter, and red pepper flakes. Add the cubed salmon and smoked fish and then salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for about 20 minutes to be sure the salmon is cooked. Serve and enjoy with any bread of your choice, but if you have access to sourdough french baguettes, try the toast below.

Sourdough French Baguette Preparation:

Slice a sourdough french baguette on a diagonal making slices about 1/2 inch thick
Arrange slices on a baking sheet
Liberally coat each slice with olive oil and rub the oil in
Top each slice with fresh ground black pepper to taste
Place in a toaster oven or under the broiler of an oven until nicely browned

Printable recipe – Seafood and corn chowder