GLC Soup Series ~ Soup 3: Easy Peasy Greens and Beansies...

...AKA beans and greens or minestra

 

This is likely to be the easiest of all the soup recipes I post for the series--for one reason: it's a wicked versatile soup. You can alter it a million ways with additions (rice, pasta, meat, other veggies, whatever you fancy), varying ingredients (different kinds of white beans, different kinds of broth, different greens, etc.), or make it less a soup and more of a side by using only a little broth. However, since this is a soup series, that's what I did.

Basic Beans and Greens Soup

Ingredients:

1-2 onions, chopped (1 large or 2 small)
5-8 cloves of garlic, chopped
1-2 Tb good olive oil
2-3 quarts vegetable (or chicken) broth
1 & 1/2 cups of cooked (or canned), rinsed, and drained white beans (navy, great northern, or cannellini all work well)
2 lbs of escarole (about 1 large head) washed and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for topping each bowl

Start by sauteing the onions and garlic in the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot (like a dutch oven) over a medium flame. When the onions are translucent, add the beans and season with salt and pepper. To get the beans to take on the flavor of the onions and garlic, let it cook (with a watchful eye) for about 5-10 minutes, adjust the heat to avoid burning. Tip--if you want you can add a sage or bay leaf while sauteing the beans for a little extra flavor.

When the beans have cooked for a bit, add the broth and let it come to a light boil. Once the broth is boiling, add the chopped escarole. Once the escarole is wilted, the soup is ready to eat. Pour yourself (and others) a bowl and add cheese to your liking

For alterations and add ins:

If using greens other than escarole: keep in mind that different greens have different cooking requirements. For example, if you want to use collards, you'll want to cut them up in smaller pieces and cook them longer (I might even saute them along with the beans, then add the broth). If using baby spinach, pour the soup over the spinach in individual bowls, otherwise it can turn kind of slimy.

If using meat (such as, say slices of Italian sausage or pancetta): make sure it is cooked and heated through before adding the broth--usually you can cook these with the onion and garlic--that is to say, add a step before adding the beans by adding the meat before the beans.

If using additional veggies: be sure to cook them appropriately. For example, if you want to add carrots, I would saute them along with the garlic and onion to ensure they are soft by the time the soup is ready.

If adding pasta or rice: cook them separately and add them to each individual portion so the broth isn't all absorbed and the pasta or rice doesn't turn to mush after sitting in the soup for a while.

I like this basic recipe because it's so easy and it can be changed often. After I made this, a few nights later I made it with chicken broth and added chicken sausage. How will you make it?

GLC Soup Series: Review of Imagine's Creamy Tomato Soup (not homemade)

I've been experimenting a bit with soup recipes and trying to decide which one to make and write about next, but in the meantime I thought I might talk about a store-bought soup, that I found to be pretty tasty (after I doctored it, just a bit).

In my first soup series post, I mentioned how I still occasionally have Campbell's tomato soup, even though it's loaded with salt and sugar (that's why it's occasionally). I have yet to make a homemade tomato soup I find to be as comforting (though I'm working on it) as that childhood favorite.

Recently, Imagine brand's Organic Creamy Tomato soup was on special at the HWFC. It is low in sugar and calories (the sodium is quite high, though), and as a quick and easy meal, I thought I'd give it a try.

On it's own, the soup is good, but I wouldn't say it's great. However, when I decided to add (as my mom used to do to Campbell's) some tiny pasta (Tinkyada brown rice gluten free shells), some fresh baby spinach, fresh ground pepper, and some grated Parmesan cheese, it was delicious. It totally had the warming, filling comfort you look for in soup. The tomato flavor seemed to shine against the slight bitterness of the spinach, and the soup soaked into the al dente pasta making it more flavorful. And of course, the fresh pepper and cheese complemented the flavor of all the ingredients.

No, it's not homemade, but when it's doctored a bit, it almost seems like it is. I'll be picking up another box of the soup to have on hand for those cold nights when I want a warm, quick, but satisfying meal.

Other add-ins that might be good: cannellini beans sauteed with garlic and onions, homemade garlic butter croutons, or steamed cauliflower and broccoli--or any combination of those.

Quick Tip: If you do use fresh baby spinach, like I did, I suggest putting the spinach on the bottom of each bowl and then pouring the hot soup over it. That way the spinach cooks a little without wilting to the point of almost disappearing. :)

Buon Appetito!

GLC Soup Series ~ Soup Two: Caldo Verde

If you've been following this blog at all, you probably know by now that I am a fan of kale. Well... to be more precise, I try to eat a good amount of it since it's a super food, and when it's prepared the right way, it's quite tasty. I find that kale is a perfect green for soups since it's so hearty and even after it's been in the broth a while it still maintains some texture (unlike spinach, for example). So for the second soup in the series, I decided to include one where kale is a major component. 

Caldo Verde is a Portuguese soup (it's literal translation is "green broth"). It's traditionally made with linguiça (a smoked, cured sausage), but finding it around here was not so easy, so I substituted it with smoked kielbasa made at one of my favorite places in all of Schenectady, Garofalo's. If you're from around the capital region, and don't know this place, I highly suggest a visit (if you're a fan of Italian food or fresh meats, anyway). They've been in business for ages and their products and service are the reason why. After speaking with one of the sisters (an owner), she suggested I use chorizo or the andouille as a linguiça subsitute--which I agreed might be more appropriate replacement sausages--but after I explained that I can only handle so much "heat" from spice, she agreed that the smoked kielbasa was my best bet. 

So here we go, with Gigi's version of....

Caldo Verde

Ingredients:

• 2-3 TB olive oil 
• 1/2 to 3/4 lb linguiça or chorizo or andouille or smoked kielbasa, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (that's at least a lb pictured above, I didn't use the whole thing)
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced or chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
• 3-5 (about 1 lb) russet or red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 6-8 cups of water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lb kale, washed with stems removed and cut into small, bite-sized pieces

Before I go into the steps, please keep in mind that getting good quality sausage is key. You can use one of the supermarket brands for your sausage, but chances are you will end up with a greasy layer of fat on top of your soup, which isn't particularly appetizing. So, I want to make sure it is understood before you make this and decide that it's disgusting--the quality of your ingredients is what can make or break a meal. The majority of sausages I've gotten from Garofalo's are very lean, and there was hardly any fat melting off this keilbasa.

Ok... now on with the cooking.

First heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot (I use my dutch oven) on medium-high heat for approximately 3 minutes. Then add and brown the sausage. Once the sausage is done, transfer it with the spoon to a bowl or plate.

Add more olive oil to the pan if necessary (and let it get hot), then add the garlic and onions. Sauté them until the onions are translucent and then add the potatoes. Toss the potatoes around the pan a bit, but just so they absorb some of the garlic and onion flavoring, not so they get brown. Then add the water and salt, and cook the potatoes until very tender--about 15 minutes.  

Once the potatoes have softened, mash a couple of them within the soup with the spoon or a fork--this adds a little creaminess to the texture of the soup. Then add the kale and let the soup simmer for about 5-7 minutes. 

Once the kale wilts into the soup and appears to be cooked through, add the sausage and stir. Let the soup simmer with all the ingredients for about five minutes or so to make sure the sausage is heated though and the flavors come together nicely. Then it's ready to eat!

For a soup that is so simple, and has so few ingredients, the flavors and textures can't be beat. The smokey and spicy flavor of the sausage complements the bitter greens, while the potatoes add a rich comforting starch with an almost creamy texture. If desired, you could sprinkle a little grated parm on top of this soup, but I don't think it's necessary. And though dipping a nice piece of bread or some crackers might be your normal accoutrements for soup, I don't think this one requires any additions.

You can store leftovers in your refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze it for longer, but I doubt it'll last that long...  I have to admit, over the course of five days, I made it through this entire batch (about 2 quarts). No taste-testers or even frozen leftovers, this soup was all mine. I had it for lunch or dinner each day, and it was gone before I knew it! 

Put a Stock in It!

I love this time of year. It's my favorite kind of weather and the changing, colorful leaves makes everything seem so cheerful to me. The other day while on a bike ride, it felt somewhat magical when the wind picked up and I rode through a parade of little yellow leaves falling from the trees--even though my nose was running and I was looking forward to getting a warm beverage once I was finished. Of course, typically autumn means cool, often rainy, days become the norm and we seek comfort from the chill that sometimes gets into our bones through hot, flavorful foods. Many of those foods, particularly the soups we tend to make this time of year, include the use of stocks (chicken, veggie, etc.). You can buy stock at the grocery store, of course, but why not make it yourself, particularly if you have the ingredients on hand and they may otherwise not get used.

For example, ever buy a rotisserie chicken or bake a whole chicken at home? What do you do with the leftover bones/carcass? I know, "carcass" isn't the most appetizing word, but if you can get past it, I highly suggest taking what's left of the bird (especially if there's some meat left on it), and making a stock with it. I did just that recently.

I used my slow cooker, so making this stock was unbelievably easy. If you have one I would suggest using it as well, because other than maybe stirring it occasionally, you can just let the stock simmer all day and not worry about keeping an eye on it. However, it's just as easy to make on the stove as well.

Gina's Chicken Stock 

Ingredients:
1 medium-sized leftover chicken carcass from a rotisserie (baked works fine, too)
3-4 carrots (washed, but no need to peel them)
3-4 celery ribs (again just washed, no need to trim)
1-2 onions, skin peeled and cut in half
1-2 bay leaves (if small, use two)
3-4 whole cloves garlic (peeled)
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1-2 tsp of sea salt (or more to taste, but be careful not to over salt)
1/2-1 cup fresh parsley (washed, but again... no need to chop)
2 -3 quarts of water

Another item needed: a good mesh strainer

Now, this may be hard to believe, but all you need to do, is put everything in the pot (slow cooker or large stove top pot) and cover it with water then set it on low heat, put the cover on, and leave it for the next 6-10 hours. You want the stock to simmer* for the entire time, so you can stop to stir it occasionally, but other than that, you can just leave it alone until you're ready for the only (not really) challenging part of making the stock: straining it and storage.

After about three hours my house was beginning to smell of chicken soup (the good homemade kind, not the ring o' noodle kind). And this is what the stock looked like:

I let it cook for another four hours, though. I wanted to get the most out of my stock, and the longer it simmers the more the flavor develops. But after seven hours, I was ready to use some of the stock, so it was time for straining it.

Now, if I didn't have a slight tendency to be klutzy, I probably could have picked up the ceramic insert from my slow cooker and poured the whole thing into the large bowl over the strainer, but I didn't want to chance having the stock go everywhere--so I chose the safe and easy way to strain it, even if it was a bit more time consuming.

Using a pair of tongs, I removed all the large items from the stock and placed them in the strainer over the bowl. (I wanted to make sure to get as much liquid as I could out of this stock, so I didn't want to toss the large pieces of chicken and veggies).

Once all the larger items were removed and sufficiently strained of all liquid, I tossed the items away. Then I started pouring the liquid through the strainer using a large ladle. Because chickens have some tiny bones and using a slow cooker makes everything fall apart, I actually strained the stock twice to make sure I didn't end up with any "debris" in my stock. But after I was done, I ended up with just over two quarts of richly flavored stock. I froze a little more than half of it and put the rest in the refrigerator to use throughout the week.

So simple and easy, and it's a great way to save or get the most out of your money. I'll without a doubt be doing this again.

*If you have it on the stove make sure it doesn't start to come to a boil, otherwise you could end up with a bit of mess and a lot of liquid loss, which you want to avoid so the stock retains all the intense flavors (that's the point of a stock after all). 

Leftover Polenta? Try these!

Polenta Croutons

So, admittedly this recipe makes a lot of polenta and if you don't have a large family (or appetite) it can leave a good amount of leftovers.

I find that I usually prefer polenta the day I make it, even though there are a lot of recipes that suggest you spread the creamy or even "mushy" stuff into a pan, let it cool (in a refrigerator or on the counter) to harden a bit, and then slice squares or pieces of it to serve. Strangely,  I kind of like the semi-soft mush so that's usually how I eat it. However, a long while ago I was at an Italian-American restaurant that used polenta (i.e., gluten free) croutons in one of their salads and they were fantastic. Normally, I don't care for croutons--at least ones from a bag, etc. They're too crunchy and salty and they just don't work on a salad for me. The polenta ones, however, had the perfect tooth bite and didn't threaten to cut up the roof of my mouth.

So, anyway, I set out to use my leftovers to mimic those famous polenta croutons. And, not to toot my own horn (well, maybe a little), they were pretty damn good.

Ingredients:
Polenta spread into a pan and refrigerated overnight (or for several hours)
1 Tb butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
Olive oil, if needed


This is what I did:

I spread the leftover polenta into a cake pan so that it was maybe 1/2 inch high, then I refrigerated it overnight.

The next day, I cut it into "crouton-sized" squares. In a medium frying pan, I added the butter and garlic powder and turned the flame to about medium heat.

Once the butter was melted and a little frothy, I added the polenta. Then it was a patience game because in order to make sure the squares get crispy, I needed each side (or almost each side) to brown a little. I would say I gave it about 7 minutes per side on medium to low heat.

You really just need to keep your eye on them and try not to let the butter brown much. If you find the polenta sticking at all, add a couple drops of olive oil (you can also add more butter, if you prefer).

Once they were lightly browned and crisp on the outside, I gave one a try on its own. Buttery and garlicky crispiness on the outside and a creamy polenta center... it was pretty heavenly--and I think I managed to replicate the ones I had at that restaurant... mine might even have been better. 

This is how I served them:

I think it was one of the best salads I've ever made (mesclun greens, herbs, roasted red peppers, cucumbers, and some fresh mozz with a balsamic vinaigrette--and of course the croutons).
  

Breaking Bread Tradition: Caprese Panzanella

Summer in the Northeast brings fresh veggies and there's really nothing quite like a fresh garden tomato--a real tomato, the way it's supposed to taste--not those mealy, pink things so many restaurants and markets try to pass off to people most of the year.

Traditionally, or perhaps just typically, Panzanella salad is made with day old crusty bread that is cut up and moistened with water before it's added to the salad. It's usually tossed into a salad with capers, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. Actually, a fantastic recipe for the real thing comes from this book by Marcella Hazan, and someone even posted it out on the web.

I don't really care for capers (don't ask me what I think they look like or you may not want to eat them either), and I'm definitely not an anchovy fan, so her recipe is a little more "done up" than what I'd prefer. In fact, admittedly, my salad is more Caprese than Panzanella. Still, I thought, instead of the traditional Caprese salad, I would try making this classic Italian salad with some gluten free bread and make it more into a Panzanella--though in all honesty, maybe it is just Caprese with gluten-free croutons, but it doesn't sound nearly as pretty, just listen to it here: Caprese Panzanella.

Anyway...

What I used (aka Ingredients):
(Serves 3-4)

2 ripe garden tomatoes

1/2 lb of fresh mozzeralla (pic shows just under a lb)
3 slices of gluten free bread (I used Udi's white)
1/2 cup (?) basil
1 scant TB butter (pic shows much more than I used)
2-3 cloves of garlic (crushed or minced)
2 hearts of romaine
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

First I tossed the gluten free bread into the toaster oven for a few minutes to give it some crunch and to keep it solid (it really falls apart sometimes). While it was toasting I chopped up the tomatoes and basil.

When the bread was toasted, I cut it into squares. Into a small frying pan I added the butter and garlic and let it simmer just slightly (medium-low flame) before adding the pieces of bread into the pan. Tossing the pan around a bit made sure the bread was nicely coated with the garlic butter and that the bread would stay/get brown. Once all the pieces seemed browned I lightly salted them and removed the pan from the heat. 


As the bread cooled a bit, I cut up the mozzarella into chunks and added it to the tomato-basil mixture. Once I felt the bread was sufficiently cool enough, I through it into the bowl with the cheese and tomatoes, splashed it with some Balsamic and olive oil, and tossed it.

  

Though it looked pretty tasty just like that, I still wanted my crunchy greens so I tore up the romaine for individual dishes and plated the salad on top (see picture at the beginning). It really made for a lovely and delicious dinner--and since the bulk of the salad was quite rich the lettuce really added a nice balance of fresh crispness. I mean garlic butter (ok) "croutons," cheese, tomatoes, and basil... who wouldn't love this salad?

I may try making the traditional Panzanella one of these days with a different type of gluten free bread--and will of course let you folks know how it turned out. Also, stayed tuned for a post about polenta in the crock pot...

Rrrrrapid Hhhhuevos Rrrrancheros!

The other morning I woke up with a hankering for huevos rancheros. And aside from the ranchero sauce,  I had everything else needed.

Here's what I used:

1 can of black beans
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Pinch (or two) of sea salt
2 eggs (I scrambled them, but your choice)
1/2 a pat of butter for cooking the eggs
2 small corn tortillas
Sprinkle of cheddar cheese
Salsa Verde
Red Salsa
Fresh cilantro

I began by cooking the beans (after rinsing them well--I always do this for all canned beans, even those canned without salt) with the spices (cumin through salt) on medium for about 10 minutes. While those were cooking, I scrambled the eggs and poured them in a nonstick pan with the butter melted.

Since eggs have a tendency to burn if I walk away from them, I finished cooking them and then moved on to heating up tortillas in a small frying pan. To save a step, I probably could have just zapped the tortillas in the microwave, but I find that they fall apart when I go to eat them any time I use the microwave... maybe it's just me.

Since the eggs were warm I decided to sprinkle some cheddar cheese on them and put the cover back on--letting the cheese melt while I got the tortillas ready. 

I put a large spoonful of the beans on each tortilla and then sprinkled some fresh cilantro on top of those.

Then I split the scrambled eggs up on each tortilla and dressed one with salsa verde (my new favorite is from Trader Joe's) and the other with Green Mountain Gringo salsa. And as you can see from the first photo, I garnished the plate with red grapes and carrots.

I realize this dish was hardly from scratch (and that my attempt at a Spanish sounding title could really use some work), but I think this quick huevos rancheros was quite tasty. Now, I could have gone ahead and made an actual ranchero sauce, and if I did, I'd likely make this one (though, i would substitute the green bell pepper for yellow or red since green bells don't agree with me).  However, in the interest of time, I decide to forgo the real deal and use two different kinds of salsa. For shame? I don't think so. I love both of those salsas and I'm willing to bet I still put more steps in the process of making theses than a certain food network star who thinks adding fresh cilantro to jarred sauce makes it "semi-homemade." Just saying...

Eating More Kale

Lemony Kale and Walnut Pesto

Recently at the HWFC Cheese and Specialty department, where I work as a monger (well, kind of), we acquired a new product. It is a Lacinato kale and garlic pesto, and it's very good, but also very expensive. I read the ingredients and it seemed pretty straight forward. Since I've been doing my best to get more greens into my diet, I had a ton of kale in my house (regular curly kale, however) and set out to make my own. 

Before I started I did a "something" search for some basic recipes to see what other people out there have done to make a kale pesto--I wondered if people basically did the same thing as a basil pesto or if anyone had added some tricks (certain special ingredients, etc.). I found for the most part that it was more or less like a basil pesto, except in all the recipes the kale was blanched first. This makes complete sense to me because otherwise it might still be too tough to make the pesto smooth. Plus, since I have trouble digesting raw kale, I was happy to find this as the first step. 

What I used and did:

Ingredients

3-5 cups raw kale, stems removed and roughly chopped (then blanched)

3-4 cloves garlic

1 small shallot or half a medium one

1 lemon for juice and zest (all the juice and about a teaspoon of its zest)

1/2 cup toasted walnuts (more or less can be used depending on how creamy you want the pesto)

1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano

1 cup (more or less) of good extra virgin olive oil

After removing any tough stems left on the kale, I blanched it in boiling water for about one to two minutes. On top of softening the kale, blanching gave it a really nice bright green color. 

After the couple minutes in the hot water, I moved the kale to a bowl of ice water to stop it from cooking too much (and losing some of its nutrients to the water). 

While I let the kale cool off in the cold water,  I gathered all the other ingredients: walnuts (which I toasted), a lemon (for juice and zest), 4 cloves garlic, half a shallot, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Oh, and olive oil, of course. 

After toasting the walnuts and letting them cool, I tossed them in the mini food processor and gave them a whirl for about 20 seconds. Then I added, the shallot and garlic and spun all of them together for another 10-15 seconds. 

Once those were all nicely ground up, I added the lemon juice and zest, and whirled it for a few seconds just to make sure it was all combined. 

I then drained the kale and patted it dry with a clean, lint-free towel and tossed it in the large food processor. After chopping it up nice and fine, I added the walnut mixture. 

I spun that together and then got ready to add the cheese.

I shredded the cheese then added it to the food processor and whirled it together, then I slowly added the olive oil. 

I think I may have used a little more walnuts than necessary because the mixture was extra creamy and thick, but it was still tasty. It wasn't quite as garlicky as the one from the coop (or as oily), but it had a nice lemony flavor making it taste very fresh. The yield was about a pint of pesto total. 

I brought over a half pint to my buddy's house for a picnic, and we served it with a very tasty cheese and homemade spelt crackers (she made). 

I think everyone liked it because it was all gone before we had dinner. :)