Recipe Renovation : Italian-Inspired Vegetable Soup

I know, I know....it's been ages. I have my reasons, though - honest !

About a year and a half ago, I made the very difficult decision to leave a job I loved. Leaving was absolutely heart-wrenching, but I had no choice - it had become imperative that I focus on my family and my health, both mental and physical.  The job, while interesting and exciting and challenging and something I daresay I was pretty good at (and full of people who I loved dearly - still do, in fact) was too demanding, insanely stressful, and just took up way too much of my time...I was working nights and weekends, and even when I wasn't there I was working via my phone or thinking about working or feeling bad that I wasn't working. I couldn't focus on anything else; I quit my chorus, never saw my family, and just focused on getting through each day. So - with plenty of tears and not a small amount of fear - I walked out the door. And somehow, incredibly, against all odds I walked into another job that I love, with new people I adore, exploring a part of my field I hadn't really worked in much that turned out to be really interesting and a great challenge - but something I could definitely do. The new job not only gave me back my nights and weekends, but left me with enough mental energy to enjoy them. My family prospered, my chorus welcomed me back with open arms, and I was living more of the kind of life I had always envisioned for myself. Well, except for one little thing...actually, not so little.

My weight.

When I walked out that door so reluctantly my weight was the highest it has ever been in my life - including when I was pregnant. (Yes, 9 months pregnant me was smaller than new job and newly minted family woman me. ) I have always struggled with my weight; most members of my family are not small, and I'm definitely an emotional eater - and my emotions were in overdrive. Food was my main comfort - something that made me feel better, something I was good at making and talking about, and something I could use to make others around me feel good too. So I walked through another scary door..,,into a Weight Watchers meeting. I had done WW before and knew it worked; it's pretty much the only plan where you can eat absolutely anything as long as you keep track of it all...with my foodie predilections I have to have that flexibility or I can't do it. (No, I am no Oprah and this is not turning into a WW ad...the program has definite issues, especially with the newest revamp...but the basic premise is sound. The thing just works.)

I already knew how to cook and eat healthy...it just that I didn't. I ate (and drank) all the time, like there was never going to be enough to fill me. Occasionally I made good choices, but not consistently enough to matter, I was going to need the accountability of someone weighing me every week...so last April I finally took the plunge and walked in to my local meeting, I  cried hard when I got on the scale because I couldn't believe it really had gotten to that point, and I think I cried through my first few meetings too. But somehow, incredibly, my lucky streak with scary life choices was still with me. The meeting I walked into was not only full of supportive people with the same issues I had, but was led by an absolute dynamo of a woman who has cheered me on every step of the way. Her  no-nonsense take on what the program does and does not do is exactly my cup of (unsweetened) tea. And with her support, I have now lost over 80 pounds, Eighty. It's a ridiculous number, isn't it ? I barely recognize pictures of sad, stressed out me, I'm a new, happy woman - with knees and a back that don't hurt anymore - who has energy to get things done. And one of the things I want to get done is writing in my blog about all the exciting cooking I'm doing, And that, dear readers, is why we're here :)

If you've made it this far (yeah, I do go on :) ) you're probably thinking "Well, no wonder she was approaching maximum density - look at these recipes !! Butter ! Cream ! Cheese ! Pork fat !!" I assure you, I have not given up on any of these lovely things. I just keep track of how much of them I eat....and I don't eat them all the time. (And I definitely haven't quit drinking !)  I plan to keep blogging all the good things we love, as well as the good things that are good for us. Today's recipe is definitely in the latter category.

Each week at WW we get a weekly handout - usually consisting of some sort of pithy "yay us" articles and tips (this week's was all about an app with 1 minute workouts that we can download...of course, it didn't mention that it isn't available for Android. Because apparently screw us if we're not drinking the Apple Kool-Aid...wonder how many points that is ? See, I told you they have issues ! But I digress...). It also usually has a WW recipe...and herein lies the problem. While I cook a lot of Cooking Light recipes (for the most part they are pretty flavorful , filling, and work well with minimum tweaking) , I find most of the WW ones lacking - way too watered down, not enough flavor, too many points for not enough of a serving, This week's actually looked promising, though -a 0 point Italian-ish veggie soup that looked like it would actually work. With me spending most of Valentine's weekend alone I thought I might need the extra points for treats (and sure enough I woke up to caviar and chocolate...mmm !) , so I figured a pot of 0 point soup would fit the bill perfectly...I just had to fix it a little, Lose the fennel (personally can't stand the stuff), add in some other filling 0 point veggies to replace it...eggplant and mushrooms, that would be just the thing, Oh, and cook the onions a little first (really, WW - that's a soup making basic !) , and cook the firmer vegetables a little longer than the greens. Yup - minimal fuss, maximum taste...this stuff is awesome, Excellent flavor, perfect broth to veg ratio, just the thing for the sub-zero weather this weekend.. Eating a bowl while I blog, actually :)

The great thing about a soup like this is that it's so adaptable. As written, it truly is 0 points - meaning you can really eat your fill, as much as you want - and it's actually pretty satisfying just as is. You can definitely change around the vegetables - go ahead and put the fennel bulb in (thinly sliced), add some leeks, use up the green pepper you have hanging around - whatever you like. You can also add pretty much anything as a garnish or mix in and it would work; the bowl in the picture had 2 oz of cubed cooked polenta stirred in at the end (2 points - you can get it ready made in tubes, though we happened to have some made already) and 1 tsp of grated Parmesan sprinkled on top (0 points). Cooked white beans would be outstanding (nothing wrong with canned - 1/4 cup is 2 points), as would your favorite cooked pasta (points vary); adding some fish with the greens or adding cooked chicken or shrimp at the end would turn this into a main course for not a lot of points. Bread would of course be wonderful - just make sure you know what and how much you're eating if you're tracking,

Bottom line : eat what you like; then it isn't a diet, and that's the only way it works (for me, anyway),

So...if you've really really made it this far...thank you for reading, and staying with me, I promise moving forward I won't be quite so...soul-baring; not that there's anything wrong with that, this is just not that kind of blog. Usually :)

Enjoy !

Italian-Inspired Vegetable Soup 
loosely based on "Weight Watchers Weekly" recipe of Jan 24-30

1 cup chopped onion
olive oil spray to lightly coat bottom of pot (or use 2 tsp of olive oil - adds 3 points)
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
couple grinds black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 small zucchini or yellow squash )or both), cubed
2 small eggplant, cubed
1 medium red pepper, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
6 cups vegetable stock
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp (or to taste) crushed red pepper
2 cups chopped escarole or kale, chopped (packed tightly)
2 cups fresh baby spinach (packed tightly)
28 oz fire roasted chopped tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat; lightly spray with cooking spray. Add onion and cook until it starts to get soft and a little translucent, stirring occasionally - 10 minutes is plenty. Add the salt and pepper after it's been on about 5 minutes,

Add the garlic, zucchini, eggplant, red pepper, mushrooms and stock; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the thyme, oregano, basil and red pepper. Let simmer for 10 minutes; add the escarole and simmer another 5 minutes, then add the spinach and tomatoes. Simmer another 5 or 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are done to your liking, Stir in the parsley and additional salt and pepper to taste.

Mark's Shrimp Étouffée

We didn't intend for our first experience making étouffée to be just in time for Mardi Gras...just one of those fortuitous coincidences . By all means, don't wait until Mardi Gras to make this, though...we are talking serious Culinary Orgasm here. And it's easier to get to than you think.

First, of course, a little background. "Étouffée" literally means "smothered" in French (side  note : I should get some interesting blog hits using the words "orgasm" and "smothered" in the same post...anyone that's here for the snuff film, your blog is in another castle ;) ). "Smothering" refers to an actual cooking technique wherein your tasty ingredients of choice are cooked in a covered pan over low heat with a small amount of liquid. Étouffée also involves a roux...but not the quick mix of fat and starch that you'd use to thicken a white sauce or gravy. This roux is cooked low and slow until it's nutty and brown and dead sexy. Scientists call this the "Malliard reaction" - the browning creates literally hundreds of different flavor components that do happy dances on your tongue. We just call it OMGWTF good. (If the scientists are boring you, just feed them more and tell them not to talk with their mouths full).

Our own journey with étouffée started with a not-so-great restaurant, actually. We're big fans of Cajun/Creole food here (Mark's jambalaya is legendary), and étouffée is something that we'd read about but never actually had. We'd gotten a line on a Cajun restaurant in the Springfield, MA area that was supposed to be amazing (supposedly complete with alligator jambalaya !), and when we were out there for a sportsman's show we decided to check it out. We were definitely...underwhelmed. No alligator to be had, so Mark went for the étouffée  - edible, but nothing to write home about. Once we tried it, we knew we could do better. I've been after Mark to challenge himself with some new dishes...and with a blizzard this past weekend, he had the perfect opportunity to google himself a couple of recipes (this one was inspired by both Paula Deen's and Emeril's...pretty good sourcing !). I did nothing with this other than eat it...and it was AWESOME. Serious, serious Culinary Orgasm.

A note on the Shrimp Stock: it's definitely worth it to make this homemade as it's very, very easy (and you'll have everything on hand to make the étouffée anyway). This will make enough for two batches of  étouffée; it freezes beautifully and works in so many dishes (may I humbly suggest my own excellent seafood risotto...okay, maybe that wasn't so humble :) ) Oh, and one more note, this time on the rice : we strongly recommend making your rice using chicken stock instead of water, particularly for this dish...it adds a very nice touch.

shrimp stock a bubblin'

perfect caramel roux

add the veg...

 simmering !

 sourdough ciabatta rolls make a wonderful side

 ready to eat

YUM !

 

Mark’s Shrimp Etouffee

(inspired by Paula Deen and Emeril Lagasse)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra flour, optional
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
3 – 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more if desired
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (Mark used a mix of Emeril's Baby Bam and Essence, as we had mixed up both for some prior recipes...they are very similar, so either would work...or use your favorite blend !)
1/2 cup minced green onions, plus extra for garnish if desired
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves, plus extra for garnish if desired
2 to 3 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
2 cups Shrimp Stock (recipe below)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice (the fire roasted ones are fantastic in this )
Additional salt to taste
2 pounds medium shrimp (21-25 ct)peeled and deveined (save the shells for the stock !)
Cooked rice, for serving

 

Peel shrimp and make Shrimp Stock (see below)

Make the roux : melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over low heat. Whisk in flour to form a paste. Continue cooking over low heat and whisk continuously, until the mixture turns a caramel color and gives off a nutty aroma, about 15 to 20 minutes. To the roux, add the onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic and cook over low heat about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are limp. Add pepper, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, parsley, and hot sauce to taste. Add stock and the tomatoes with their juice, stir to blend. Add the salt, starting with 1/2 teaspoon and adding more if needed. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add shrimp and green onions and stir. It will take about 3 minutes for shrimp to cook, don't overcook. Remove from heat.  Garnish with additional green onions and parsley, if desired. Serve over hot cooked rice.

 

Shrimp Stock:

Shrimp shells from 2 lbs of shrimp

1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery (include the leafy tops)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrots
3 smashed garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Large sprig of fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
2 teaspoons salt

 

Place the shrimp shells and heads in a large colander and rinse under cold running water for several minutes. Combine the shrimp shells and remaining ingredients in a heavy 6-quart stockpot, add 1 quart water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim to remove any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, skimming occasionally.

Remove the stock from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container; let cool completely. Refrigerate the stock for up to 3 days or freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months.

Posole

Posole and friends...blue corn chips, limes, queso blanco, avocado...

Posole - a Mexican stew of meat (usually pork), hominy corn and chili peppers - is one of those dishes that I've wanted to try for years. I'd like to be able to say that the reason I've had posole on the brain was from perusing my vast cookbook collection (which I do have, peruse quite often, and blame for many of my obsessions), or because of the influence of some heretofore unmentioned Mexican great grandma.  I'm afraid I can't lay claim to anything quite so cool, however. I've wanted to make posole because of... Jude Deveraux.

Jude Deveraux is a writer of romance novels, which I've had a secret passion for for many, many years. I'm a voracious speed reader of many genres - history, biographies, sci-fi...and. of course, cookbooks. I also love really good historical romances - there's nothing like throwing the occasional brain candy in the mix to keep things happy (there's a reason we call it "brain candy") Most of Jude's novels are indeed historical, but her later stuff is mostly set in the present (she's pretty much the only author I'll read as far as contemporary romance goes.)  In her book "Sweet Liar" the protagonist Samantha moves to New York and does...well, a bunch of stuff...including making posole that makes people cry  (and go back for more). Ever since I read that, I've wanted to make it. What can I say ? That's how I roll :)

 

The main ingredient in posole is hominy (itself also sometimes called posole or pozole). Hominy is a pretty cool food product - it's corn that's been treated with an alkali (basically a weak lye solution) in a process called nixtamalization. Among other things, nixtamalization makes the corn easier to grind,  gives it a longer storage life, makes it taste better, and improves the nutritional value. What's really amazing to me is that ancient Mezoamericans somehow figured out that soaking the corn in water treated with ashes was the way to go...wouldn't you usually throw out the food that fell in the dirty water ? Not the Aztecs and Mayans. Craaaazy. In any event, once the corn has been treated it can either be ground finely into masa harina for making tortillas and tamales, coarsely ground into grits, or left whole as hominy. Hominy can be purchased dried or canned...since I was a first timer, I went for the can. No shame in my game.

A little odd looking, to be sure...draining in the colander it looked like nothing more that wet Styrofoam. I must admit that my romantic notion of posole slipped just the tinest bit...but onward I went.

The next step was to roast myself some peppers. I ended up buying some really gorgeous poblanos because that's what looked good in the market - but use whatever you find. Hatch chiles are popular for posole when you can find them...New Mexico peppers would be lovely...or, of course, you can use canned - there are some very acceptable canned roasted chiles out there. For this recipe I also threw in a couple of minced jalapenos since poblanos aren't very hot...and next time I'll add even more, as the crockpot really tames the heat (plus according to my friend "Aunt Bea" the hominy soaks up the heat as well...thanks as always for you wisdom, AB :))  

photo courtesy of http://www.chilipeppermadness.com as I was too lame to take any :(

To roast peppers, place them over an open gas flame until they blister on all sides (bbq tongs are a wise tool choice here), then place them in a closed paper bag for about 10 minutes until they soften. They can also be roasted in an oven - more detailed instructions can be found here : http://www.chilipeppermadness.com/roasting-chili-peppers.html .

Now that you've got hominy and roasted peppers, it's a snap to throw the rest of the ingredients together in the crockpot and just go about your business. About 15 minutes before you're ready to eat, start putting together the garnishes - I have a long list below, but by all means don't feel pressured to put them all out. Just choose whatever sounds good and off you go !

Posole

2  lb boneless pork shoulder cut into cubes

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 green chiles, roasted, peeled and chopped (or equivilant amount of canned)
2 - 3 jalapenos, seeded, and finely diced
2 cans hominy (28 oz), drained
1 teaspoon salt (smoked is lovely if you have it )

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons paprika (again, smoked if you have it)
1 quart (approximately) chicken stock 
Garnishes (see below)

Place posole ingredients except stock in crockpot and mix well.  Add enough stock to just cover ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 - 8 hours or on high setting for 3 -4 hours. Serve with any or all of the following garnishes :

Chopped cilantro
Tortilla chips (blue are particularly nice, and a great contrast) - the guys crumbed these right into the posole
Queso blanco (Mexican white cheese) or other mild cheese, cut into small cubes
Lime wedges
Avocados, sliced or cubed
Sliced radishes
Finely chopped red or white cabbage

Sour cream is also recommended by many, but we didn't love it with this (and I love me some sour cream). If you have some, by all means try it out !

TT's Black-Eyed Peas with Ham

oh yeah...

 

We're back ! And what better dish to kick off the New Year than a traditional feed of Black-Eyed Peas and Ham ? Even if you don't believe there's anything to the whole "lucky foods" tradition, black-eyed peas make some mighty fine eating. And hey...what if there's actually something to the good luck thing ? We could all do with a little more good luck this year.

 

"I've got a feeling...that tonight's gonna be a GOOD night !"

 

Black-eyed "pea" is actually a little misleading - these guys are legumes, as are peas - but where peas are usually eaten young and green, black-eyed peas are beans - more like a pinto or Great Northern bean than a green pea. The tradition of eating them as good luck food dates back 2500 years ago to Jewish culture - Jews would eat them during Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) to symbolize the prosperity that they hoped they would be blessed with for the New Year (click here to read more). Most people, though, associate black-eyed peas with soul food from the South, as they are a food that easily made the trip from Africa with the slaves. It is in the South that the unassuming little pea/bean is truly elevated to glorious heights - for they, like all beans, have a mysterious affinity for the pig - particularly smoked, fatty, delicious pork products. Their "luck" factor is variously attributed to their supposed resemblance to coins as well as the abundance of them in a spoonful. For me, though, the lucky part involves me eating them. 

 

Onions, garlic and bacon fat...usually the start of something good :)

 

My own introduction to black-eyed peas came from my mother's ex-partner - "TT", to my son. T was from Baltimore, and though she didn't give herself enough credit she was an amazing cook - I still have dreams about her fried chicken and homemade lemonade (my requested birthday dinner every year), which I would never even try to duplicate. The black-eyed peas, though...oh, did we love those too. Luckily, the peas were much easier than the chicken. T consented to let us hover in the kitchen long enough to get the hang of this one, and we've been lucky enough to make it on New Year's ever since - with our own modifications, of course, but still true to the original spirit of the dish. Thank you, TT. 

 

just look at that HAM !

 

As with many bean dishes, the ingredients for this one are easily adaptable. Don't have bacon fat ? Oil or butter are just fine. Throw the ham bone from your next ham dinner (along with the leftover meat) into the freezer, and use that instead of the hock. Can't find a Spanish chorizo ? No big deal, just throw in more ham (or less, if you'd like a bigger ratio of peas). You could even do this entire dish with smoked turkey parts, if you're not a pig person. We won't judge :)

 

Cornbread (mine is here ) makes an excellent accompaniment, as do greens (more on those in another post).

 

A note on the vinegar - traditionally, the vinegar is stirred in at the end to kick up the flavor as well as to make the beans a little less...um..."musical". It's totally optional, though - we actually just put the vinegar on the table and let people use it at will. Personally, I like them both ways - so I usually do one bowl with, and one without. Hey, it's your party...go forth and pea !

 

 " As we start the New Year, let's get down on our knees to thank God we're on our feet! "

-Irish blessing

Happy New Year !

 

 

TT's Black-Eyed Peas with Ham

 

1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight (or use Quick-Soak method below)

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons bacon fat (or vegetable oil)

1 large, meaty ham hock

2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tsp (or more to taste) "house" seasoning (see below) 

1 quart (about) chicken stock - see directions

1 small Spanish-style chorizo, diced*

1/2 lb ham (leftover, or use a ham steak - just not lunchmeat !), diced

1 tablespoon white vinegar (optional)

Salt, to taste (only add towards the end, as too much will toughen the bean skins)

Additional white vinegar and/or Tabasco, for serving

 

Melt bacon fat in bottom of kettle or Dutch oven. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add peas, ham hock and spices, and stir well to combine. Pour in chicken stock until it just about reaches top of beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. When you stir, check your liquid level - add more stock if needed to keep level right below tops of peas.

 

After about an hour, stir in the diced chorizo and ham. Check the liquid level, adding more stock if needed. Simmer another hour, stirring occasionally, until the peas are done to your liking. Remove from heat and stir in additional salt to taste and vinegar, if using.

 

 

 

 

Note #1 - Quick Soak method for beans - if you forget to set them out to soak the night before :

Place beans in a large pot and add enough HOT water from the tap to cover by a few inches. Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes; turn off heat and leave covered for an hour. Drain, and proceed with recipe.

 

Note #2 - "House" seasoning - so there I was researching collard green recipes one day (more on that in another post). Found a Paula Deen recipe, which seemed to make sense - after all, who would know more about collard greens  ? It called for her "house" seasoning, though - which I assumed was some sort of seasoned salt thing. Well, I didn't have any of that - but I did have a jar of Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning (given to me by my sister, who bought it by accident). Salt, pepper and spices...I figured a little of that would do the trick...wow, did it ever - those greens were AWESOME. Since the flavorings for black-eyed peas are very similar, I used a little of it here too...perfection. When I finally use the jar up, I'll just mix up my own as it's pretty easy...here's a typical blend http://www.canadianliving.com/food/great_canadian_steak_spice.php .

 

Note #3 * - Spanish-style chorizo is different than Mexican chorizo...one of the main differences is that it's fully cooked, which is why it's added so late in the cooking process here. Do not substitute Mexican chorizo unless you plan to cook it first.   

 

Pierogies with Potato, Mascarpone, and Caramelized Leek Filling

I love pierogies.

I had actually never had a pierogi until I met my husband (way back in my impressionable teenage years :) ) .  Potatoes in every conceivable guise from dumpling to latke to warm German salad, yes...pierogies, no. I had no idea those brilliant Eastern Europeans were stuffing delicious ravioli-type jewels with lovely fillings like like mashed potatoes and cheese, gently boiling and/or frying them, and carbo-loading to their heart's content. And lo, though I have been enjoying pierogies for many a year now, I've never actually tried to make these pillows of tastiness myself.

Until now.

Flash forward to Thanksgiving 2012. Since we never seem to be able to cook for the actual number of people we have, we had an absolute ton of Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Leeks left over (along with everything else !) We tried for days - truly, a valiant effort - but in the end, we just couldn't get through all those damn potatoes. The last of our turkey got turned into Turkey Tetrazzini and frozen for Turkey Barley Soup...and those dishes even make clever use of all the other vegetables and the gravy. But what to do with the delicious, delicious potatoes ? Shepherd's pie was out, and I really don't like frozen potatoes (they have a weird aftertaste). And, of course, my frugal Scots side rebelled against just throwing them out. And then it finally hit me - pierogies were basically filled with mashed potatoes, right ? Well, if regular pierogies were good, then ones stuffed with oh-my-god-to-die-for mashed potatoes would be AWESOME, right ? So what if I'd never made a pierogi in my life ? That's what the internet is for !

Oh, thank you thank you THANK YOU, internet. I found myself a great-looking, easy to follow pierogi dough recipe and set out to make myself some pierogi. I mixed and rolled, cut and stuffed, folded and crimped and froze. And a few days later, we were able to pull a bag of homemade pierogies from the freezer and cook them up. And readers, let me tell you...from now on, whenever I make mashed potatoes, I'm definitely making enough that I'll have leftovers for this fantastic, fantastic dish. These things were so easy...and so, so, SO good...,hopefully I'll never buy frozen ones again ! (No offense, Mrs. T).

A few notes on preparation : one, you definitely do not need to make the same mashed potatoes we did - your favorite recipe will be just fine, though I do recommend mixing in some mascarpone, cream or farmers cheese and a little bit of cooked onion before using for pierogi filling (as much as you like - nothing needs to be exact here ! ). Two, make sure you really stick with about a tablespoon of filling in each one of these - any more, and your pierogi will be too thick. Three, pierogies freeze extremely well (even though they contain potato) - the trick is to freeze them individually, spread out out on cookie sheets. Once they are completely frozen you can pile them all in a bag and they won't stick together. Just take out as many as you need - no need to defrost before cooking. And four, pierogis are great just boiled with butter and/or sour cream, but if you brown them on both sides in a little butter with some onion they're even better - definite Culinary Orgasm !

Pierogies with Potato, Mascarpone, and Caramelized Leek Filling

Each batch of dough makes about 12-15 pierogies, depending on size - can be very easily doubled

Dough
(adapted from About.com)

2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces

 

1 cup leftover Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Leeks (recipe follows), or your favorite mashed potatoes)

To prepare the pierogi dough, mix together the flour and salt. Beat the egg, then add all at once to the flour mixture. Add the 1/2 cup sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes). You can use a food processor with a dough hook for this, but be careful not to overbeat (my Kitchen-Aid with dough hook took about 3 minutes to get it all together.)Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8" thick. Cut circles of dough (3 to 3 1/2 inches is ideal - we used biscuit cutters, but round cookie cutters or even a drinking glass would work well) . Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork. The pierogi can be frozen at this point (see above), or cooked right away.

When you're ready to cook them, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop the pierogies in. Boil them gently for 8 - 10 minutes (a little longer if frozen), or until a tiny bit of the doughy part doesn't taste like raw dough. Drain them well, and either serve right away or brown them for a few minutes on each side in a frying pan with a bit of butter - and a little chopped onion, if you're game...

Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Leeks
(Makes more than you need for this recipe !)

2 leeks, cleaned and sliced into rings
1/2 stick butter
3 pounds baby potatoes (white or red), skin on and scrubbed
2/3 milk or half and half
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a good-sized saucepan, and add the leeks. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are golden brown. (If they seem to be drying out, add a splash of water or white wine). 

While the leeks are caramelizing, place potatoes in a large pot and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, drain, and add back to the pot with the mascarpone and milk or cream. Mash to desired consistency, and stir in the cooked leeks. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Giving Thanks

Thank YOU !

So many people have expressed surprise about me not having a Thanksgiving blog that I decided that I needed to have something up here - no matter how weird it feels. I'll explain. 

I absolutely love Thanksgiving, of course - don't get me wrong. All that cooking and eating - and no gift giving ? Sweet !  The truth is, though, that we do tend to go pretty traditional around here for Turkey Day...and nothing I've made here isn't something that I haven't made before. I feel sort of guilty making a new blog post out of old recipes - but you, dear readers, have asked. And so you shall receive. It is, after all, the holidays ! And I am so thankful for all of the support I've gotten since I started this blog...I've had so much fun honing my writing skills, and the positive feedback has been absolutely fantastic. I feel truly blessed, and I am so thankful....so let's give thanks.

This year , we actually did the Thanksgiving day meal itself with some special, special friends - at their house. Such a wonderful night, and excellent food...but all we brought were pies and cranberry sauce. Us being us, of course, we had to make our own meal too, the next day...I mean, half the fun is all the leftovers.

Here's how we got ours :

Brined Roast Turkey

As I mentioned last year on this one...don't worry, this guy is definitely not burnt. The sugar (well, actually in this case maple syrup) in the brine makes it brown up extra crispy. An absolutely fantastic way to do turkey. Save the label from your turkey so you remember how much it weighs, and after you brine it up in the following deliciousness , stuff if desired (this year's winning recipe included), and cook according to your saved label directions.

Apple-Citrus-Spice Brine

5 cups water
1 quart apple cider
1 quart orange juice
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon of whole cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Bring the water, salt and sugar to a boil, and simmer until everything is dissolved. Let cool and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Seal turkey and brine in a large ziplock bag, and let it sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

Stuffing with Leeks and Sausage

We used Alex's venison sausage this year...more on that in a later post. Ungodly good stuff.

8 cups 1-inch-bread cubes
2 pounds sausage, removed from casings
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and rinsed
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
4 carrots, chopped (rainbow are great)
4 stalks celery, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Bells Seasoning to taste (start with a teaspoon)
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While the sausage and vegetables are cooking (see below), spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until dry and pale gold, about 20 minutes, turning pan about halfway through. Transfer to a large bowl.
Trim leeks, slice in half lengthwise, and rinse well. Place the leeks in a large bowl with water to cover to which you have added the cider vinegar. Soak for 15 minutes, then lift out of the water. Rinse again, and slice into 1 inch lengths.

While leeks are soaking, heat up a large skillet (medium to medium high) and add oil. Brown the sausage meat in the oiled pan, and set aside. Wipe out pan and melt butter in it over medium high heat. Add leeks, carrots, and celery to pan. Sauté until vegetables are tender 10-15 minutes or so. Season with salt, pepper, and Bell's.

Add sausage and vegetables to bowl with bread cubes, and toss well to combine. Let cool a bit and stir in eggs. Stuff into turkey, and pile any extra into a buttered casserole dish. Cook the extra stuffing at 375 for 30 minutes.

Culinary Orgasm Cranberry Sauce

1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. water
12 oz bag cranberries
6 oz apricot preserves
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

In a large saucepan, bring the sugar and the water to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes; do not stir. Add the cranberries and simmer until they all burst. Remove from heat and add preserves and lemon juice. When cool, stir in the nuts.

Makes about one quart - keep refrigerated until needed.

Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes

3 pounds baby potatoes (white or red), skin on and scrubbed
2/3 milk or half and half
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, drain, and add back to the pot with the remaining ingredients. Mash to desired consistency.

Baked Acorn Squash

One of the only microwave recipes you will ever find in this blog :)

3 acorn squash, halved and cleaned

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Place squash halves, cut side down, in microwave and cook for 10 minutes on High. Flip over and add remaining ingredients, distributing evenly among the 6 halves. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until nice and soft.

Creamed Spinach

This is actually a new addition for me...usually we always have Spinach Provencal , but this year I had some cooked spinach I wanted to use up so I made the creamed. Loved it !

2 pounds baby spinach

1 stick butter

2 large shallots, sliced into rings

6 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups cream

salt and pepper to taste

Steam or saute spinach until lightly cooked, and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in a saucepan, and whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in milk, and then cream. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, whisking regularly, until no flour taste remains.

Combine spinach, shallots, and cream sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

yeah, we went there too :)

Maple Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin perfection. Highly recommend the Spiced Whipped Cream with this !

1 3/4 cups cooked pureed pumpkin (this is the amount in a standard can; I cook my own when I can)

3/4 c maple syrup
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c sour cream
2 eggs, separated

unbaked 10" pie shell (your favorite will be just fine - my favorite is below. If you use one smaller than 10 ", you'll have extra filling for tiny graham cracker crusts, or baking up as a custard)

Preheat oven to 425

Puree all ingredients except egg whites in food processor. Beat whites until stiff, fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into pie shell(s)

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 350 and bake for 45 minutes . (Tiny pies will only need 20-30 minutes at the lower temperature)

Spiced Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream, well chilled
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Whip cream to very soft peaks, add sugar and spices, and continue to whip until it holds stiff peaks. Serve as soon as possible.

Lard Pie Crust

if you're really going for the gusto...pork fat all the way baby !

2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup lard, cold, cut into cubes
about 1/4 cup ice water (see directions)

Pulse flour, salt and sugar in food processor fitted with steel blade until mixed. Add lard, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Keep pulsing, and dribble ice water in until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl and you can ball it up. Remove from bowl and divide into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Makes two single crusts or one double crust.

If you have scraps left over (as I did above), roll and cut or stamp into decorative shapes. Brush with beaten egg and bake alongside the pies for 10 - 15 minutes or so, until done. Place on pumpkin pies when cool.

Fish Tacos with Tequila-Lime Aioli and Auntie Jojo's Black Bean Salad

TACOS RULE !! *

I love fish. Growing up, whenever we ate out I almost always ordered fish...even as a kid at McDonald's, I was far more likely to be found with a Filet-O-Fish than I was with a Happy Meal. My little sister hated fish, so we never got to have it at home...so I ate it every chance I got. Even now, more often than not I tend to order fish when I go out. Old habits die hard, I guess - or I really do love fish that much !

I also love tacos. I remember tacos being the first meal I was ever allowed to cook in Maine, which was a huge deal (that was a house full of seriously good cooks, and the kids weren't really allowed in the kitchen).  Tacos are not only tasty and fairly healthy (well, except the cheese and sour cream), but they are great for feeding kids (and picky grownups). Fun to build your own food, and you can just put in what you like. Kid friendly, grown-up foodie approved !

Given my affection for all things fish and taco related, it seems amazing that I had never sampled the delight that is the fish taco until last year. Somehow fish and taco were two words that never went together in my head...sort of like bacon and chocolate. (Which actually do go together. But I digress :) ). After seeing a coworker order some really fantastic-looking fish tacos at one of our favorite lunch spots, I decided to take the plunge. Oh, yeah. Spicy bits of fish, the cooling crunch of cabbage, the silkiness and tang of the cream...that's some Culinary Orgasm right there.

Fish tacos originated in Baja California , and are very popular on the West Coast - though they are definitely working their way on to a lot of menus here in the Northeast. There are two popular varieties - one in which the fish is battered, fried and crunchy, and one where the fish is spiced and grilled or quickly pan-seared. Though we're definitely not afraid of the deep fryer around these parts, I decided to go with the non-battered version...even here at CO HQ, we do try to eat healthy at least once in a while. Shredded cabbage, a sour cream or crema (basically Mexican sour cream), and some sort of salsa round out the basic construction. The version you see here is one of my usual mashups - I did a lot of reading and incorporated bits of different recipes as well as my own ideas. This one is basically a  Bobby Flay / Alton Brown / Guy Fieri cover (the aioli is pretty much all Guy, and a brilliant idea). The only thing I really wish I had done differently is used a crunchy corn shell wrapped in a flour shell...I had them that way once, and it was by far the best presentation when using a non-battered fish component. (I did soft and soft, which was okay...but soft/hard would have been much better !) You can of course do just soft or just hard rather that doubling up - it's your party ! The doubling prevents the hard shell from disintegrating at first bite, which is my major problem with hard taco shells.

Black bean salad is a perfect accompaniment to tacos - my sister (the fish hating one) actually puts it in her tacos, which I have to admit is a pretty damn good idea. My much beloved sister-in-law who moved to Key West a few years ago sent us back this recipe, and it is truly a winner - easy to make, plenty of flavor, super cool and refreshing. Jojo specifies English cucumbers, which I do prefer myself - but the guys who live here are not fans of the English, so I use plain ol' American instead. I wish she would send herself back more often - I miss her all the time - but for now, I'll just eat this salad and think of her.

yummy fishes !

choose your weapon

Tequila-Lime Aioli

Black Bean Salad

* "Tacos Rule" is a Robot Chicken reference - see here or here . Yes, I know it's pretty dumb. So am I, sometimes :)


Fish Tacos

Fish :

1 1/2 lbs white flaky fish - tilapia or mahimahi work very well
2 T canola oil (plus extra for pan)
2 T tequila
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 clove garlic
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes :

Sour Cream or Tequila-Lime Aioli (recipe follows)
Prepared salsa of your choice
Shredded cabbage (I like the look and flavor of the red, but use whichever you like better)
Chopped red and green onions
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
8 - 10 hard taco shells, heated according to package directions
8 - 10 flour tortillas, heated

Tequila-Lime Aioli

8 oz sour cream OR crema OR Crème fraiche
juice and zest of 1 lime
2 T tequila
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
2 T cilantro

For fish - combine all ingredients except fish in blender, and blend well to make a marinade. Pour marinade over fish (large Ziploc works well) and marinate for 15 - 20 minutes. Heat a large pan (a griddle or grill pan works great) and brush with oil. Cook the fillets until just cooked through and opaque, about 4 minutes per side. Serve in taco shells wrapped in tortillas, and let everyone garnish accordingly.

Auntie Jojo's Black Bean Salad

1 large or 2 small cucumbers, peeled and chopped into cubes
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can kernel corn, drained and rinsed
1/2 c chopped red onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
juice of 2 limes (I throw a little of the zest in too)
chopped cilantro to taste

Mix all ingredients, and chill.