Week 91: Sourdough and Tomato Soup

Today's assignment: make a delicious tomato soup, only make it BETTER by adding delicious carbs.  Dream come true?  Pretty much.

My only complaint with this soup was that the tomato part tasted a little like pasta sauce.  I'm not sure what was needed to make it taste less saucy, and more soupy.  I just imagined that I was using yummy bread to sop up the extra sauce from my pasta, and all was good.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds plum tomatoes

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sourdough bread, without crusts, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup grated ricotta salata
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS
1. Core and quarter plum tomatoes. Place tomatoes in food processor and pulse to chop, but not too fine.


2. Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, but not browned. Add tomatoes and their juices. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a slow simmer and cook 45 minutes, covered, stirring from time to time.

3. When the soup has simmered for 45 minutes, stir the bread cubes into the soup and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Check the seasoning.

4. Serve hot or at room temperature, with grated ricotta salata and minced basil strewn on each serving.

Recipe courtesy of The Wednesday Chef

Week 90: Green and Red Chile Nacho Burgers

One thing that you really need to admire Ms. Rachael Ray for is her ability to concoct SO many different kinds of burgers. I've frequently said that I think I could probably be a vegetarian if it wasn't for hamburgers. This one is definitely one that would cause me to cheat. I love Mexican flavors, and crumbling tortilla chips just sends this burger over the edge.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
For the Burger:
•1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Red Chili Paste:
•2 red Fresno chilies, sliced
•2 large cloves garlic
•1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
•2 fresh bay leaves
•Generous handful fresh cilantro leaves

For the Green Chili Sauce:
•2 large poblanos
•Vegetable oil, for drizzling
•5-6 tomatillos, papery skins removed, coarsely chopped
•1 small onion, chopped
•2 cloves garlic, chopped or sliced
•Small handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
•1 teaspoon cumin, (1/3 palmful)
•2 teaspoons honey or agave
•1 lime, juiced
•Kosher salt

For Topping:

•Good quality tortilla chips
•Mild Mexican melting cheeses, Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese, shredded
•Pickled, sliced jalapenos, drained
•8 hamburger slider rolls or brioche rolls, split

DIRECTIONS
To make the red chili paste, place the Fresno chilies, garlic, red onion, bay leaves, and cilantro leaves into a food processor and process into a fine paste. Scrape into a mixing bowl and reserve. Return the food processor bowl to its base. Do not rinse.

To make the green chili sauce, char and blacken the poblanos over the burner of gas stovetop or under the broiler with the oven door ajar to allow steam to escape. Place the peppers in a bowl to cool, covered with plastic wrap, then peel and seed.

Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add a good drizzle of vegetable oil. Cook the tomatillos, onion, and garlic until the onions are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Place the onions and tomatillos in the food processor with the charred poblanos, cilantro, cumin, honey, lime juice, and salt. Puree sauce and adjust seasoning.

Combine the ground beef and ground pork with the red chili paste and season with salt and pepper. Form 8 (3-inch) patties that are thinner at the center and thicker at the edges. Heat a griddle pan or large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of vegetable oil to the pan and cook the burgers, about 3 minutes on each side. Leave in the skillet.

In a small skillet over medium heat, reheat the spicy refried beans with a splash of water to thin them out a bit.

Top the burgers with green chili sauce and a few chips. Top the chips with refried beans, shredded cheese, and pickled jalapenos. Tent the pan with foil to melt the cheese, 1 minute. Serve nacho sliders on slider or brioche rolls.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

•1 can spicy vegetarian refried beans

Week 89: Mediterranean Farro Salad

I'm always looking for new ways to use the yummy bulk grains that I keep in my pantry, so as soon as I found this farro salad I knew that it would be made soon.

The most notable thing that I learned from this recipe: I think that chives taste (and smell) like dog poo. I would be pretty okay with never adding those to anything I plan on eating ever again.

Otherwise, this salad was lovely. Good texture. Good flavor. The only thing I might add would be some feta.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
10 ounces farro (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1 medium red pepper, cut into thin strips (about 4 ounces or 1 cup)
3 ounces Parmesan, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
1 small bunch chives, snipped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water with the farro. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the farro is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and simmer until the farro is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 2 minutes. Drain the green beans.

Once the farro has cooled add the green beans, olives, red pepper, Parmesan, and chives. Stir to combine. In a small bowl mix together the sherry vinegar, olive oil, mustard, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Pour the sherry vinaigrette over the farro salad. Toss to combine and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Giada DeLaurentis

Week 88: Beet Soup

It seems I am in a bit of a predicament. As you might have noticed, I haven't been keeping up with blogging quite as I should have been. Abby and I have still been cooking weekly. I have still been taking pictures of what we have made. I have even used my fancy-schmancy iPhone to start drafts of each recipe as we have made them. I just haven't gone so far as to stick the recipes in there, and publish. Because of that, the recipes I put in here might not be EXACTLY what we made since we get our recipes from ALL over the place, but I'll get as close as I can...

This soup was really interesting. I have been under the impression for years that I simply do NOT like beets. This soup made a pretty good case for beets, but I still prefered the spoonfuls that had a good amount of goat cheese in them. Goat cheese just makes everything better.

Year of Yum Rating: 3 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
4 red beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable Stock
Fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 ounces of crumbled goat cheese or 1/4 cup of sour cream

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Clean beets and trim the greens from the bulbs. Slice the beets in half and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Clean the shallot similarly, slicing off the two ends of the onion and removing any papery skin. Slice the onion into fourths and place alongside beets. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the beets are soft and tender when poked with a fork. Remove the beets from the oven and allow to cool slightly before scooping the soft flesh from the skin and placing into a blender. Add the roasted onion, vegetable stock, and fresh thyme. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a small pot, heat until steaming. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese or sour cream. Enjoy.

Week 87: Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Recipe courtesy of: Fat Girl in a Skinny Body

I know what you're thinking. I can hear you know:

"But, Jennifer, you guys have already made lettuce wraps. Isn't the point to make something NEW???"

This is true. Only these lettuce wraps are different because they're vegetarian. Instead of chicken, they use tofu.

Another important difference was the Peanut Satay Sauce. No lettuce wraps needed...just grab a spoon. I won't judge.

Sidenote: Does anyone else find it horribly difficult to get whole lettuce leaves off of the head that are actually good for holding all the filling? I find this to be SO hard.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
Lettuce Wraps:
14 ounces firm tofu, drained
2 cups diced mushrooms (shitake are best, but any will do)
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup stir fry sauce (I used one from Trader Joe's)
1 tbsp sherry wine vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp brown sugar

1 head iceburg lettuce

Peanut Satay Sauce:
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Combine stir fry sauce, sherry, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until almost translucent, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes then add crumbled tofu. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the sauce.

Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce reduces to a consistency you like.

To make the satay sauce, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Put out at room temperature at least 15 minutes before serving. If the sauce if too thick for you, just whisk in some water.

To serve, place desired amount of tofu mixture in lettuce leaf, spoon on peanut satay and wrap to enclose.

Week 86: Fresh Pea Ravioli with Crispy Prosciutto

This week I discovered a fun new ingredient: wonton wrappers. How amazing are these little guys? I can't wait to experiment with filling them with anything and everything!

As convenient as the wonton wrappers were, there WAS a slight problem with them falling apart a bit while they were cooking. Perhaps cooking fewer at a time would help fix this issue.

If you know (the foodie side of) me at all, you would be surprised to hear me say this, but the prosciutto is what turned this dish from "fun and yummy" to "WOW and DELICIOUS". The salt and crisp was exactly what was needed to balance out the sweetness of the peas.

This recipe came from Claire Robinson (host of 5 Ingredient Fix). I should really try more of her recipes, because I love that they don't overwhelm you with a huge list of ingredients.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
-2 tablespoons lemon infused olive oil, plus more for drizzling (we just whisked together some olive oil and lemon juice)
-4 slices prosciutto, cut into thin strips
-12 ounces fresh whole milk ricotta
-1 1/2 cups fresh shelled English peas, plus more for garnish (we used frozen...shh...)
-Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
24 to 36 square wonton wrappers

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a skillet, over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Lightly oil a serving plate with some of the prosciutto crisping oil and put it in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Drain the ricotta of excess moisture in a fine mesh sieve for 10 to 15 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the peas and blanch them until just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the peas to an ice water bath, to shock and stop the cooking and preserve the color. Keep the pot of hot water on the stove to cook the ravioli.

Transfer the peas to a food processor and puree with the drained ricotta and salt and pepper, to taste. Put a teaspoon (or more depending on wonton size) of the pea mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper; avoid overfilling. Dampen the inside outer edges of wonton with water and fold, pinching around the borders to ensure that the ravioli is well sealed. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers and filling.

Bring the pot of hot water to a boil over medium heat.

Drop the ravioli, in batches, into the boiling water and cook until tender and the wrapper becomes slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer the cooked ravioli to the lightly oiled serving plate. Drizzle with lemon infused olive oil and top with crispy prosciutto and a few peas. Serve immediately.

Week 85: Spicy Chickpea Salad

This recipe immediately caught my eye when browsing the blogs I follow because I'm usually a sucker for just about anything spicy, and I always am in the market for new, interesting salads to mix things up a little bit.

My initial impression was that the salad had good flavor, but wasn't anything extraordinary. The good news is, that the leftovers for lunch the next day were noticeably more delicious. Maybe the flavors just needed time to hang out a while longer and become better friends.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 to 1 whole jalapeno, deseeded and finely diced
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/3 cup roasted, salted almonds
1 ripe avocado, diced into chunks
small handful flat leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
heaping 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon agave
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt to taste
2 cups clean baby spinach leaves, coursely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Start by making the dressing. In a medium bowl, with a fork, mash together garlic and salt until it forms a paste. Blend in the mustard, agave, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until mixture is thick and emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, toss together chickpeas, onion, jalapeno, lemon zest and juice, nuts avocado and parsley. Toss the dressing into the chickpea mixture and blend well. Add the cleaned spinach leaves just before serving. Serve immediately or store in a container in the refrigerator for up to three days.