Broccoli Rice Bake (a.k.a. Leftovers Casserole)

Now it seems like a no-brainer to cover some leftovers in creamy sauce, bake them up with some cheese, and then - voila - a whole new dinner, but I'd never tried it until I saw a recipe similar to this in a Cook's Illustrated special issue about quick meals. I love that magazine for ideas and tips, but even the quick recipes are so fussy I often don't follow the exact instructions. It's not that I doubt their version is more efficient and maybe even better, they're just so bossy. But the interchangeability of this meal is undeniable. You could make it with rice, pasta, or even potatoes for the "base," then add just about any protein (or not), and a wide variety of vegetables. All you'd make is the sauce. I do make it sometimes with no leftovers at all, but it's better to wait until I have some rice and chicken in the fridge so it's less work (the only thing I wouldn't use - veggies that are already on the soft side). And it freezes well. Oh, I forgot to mention it's delicious.

Broccoli Rice Bake (a.k.a Leftovers Casserole)
serves 4 generously

4 cups cooked/1.5 cups uncooked brown rice
2 chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds)
4 cups broccoli
4 T butter

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
1 cup stock
1 cup cream
1 t mustard
1.5 cups cheese (I like a mix of Parm and Cheddar)

• If you're not using leftovers, cook the rice; steam the broccoli until it's still a little crunchy (so it doesn't turn to mush when baked); then cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and saute in a couple tablespoons of butter or oil until light brown and cooked through. Set these aside.
• In a large, high-sided frying pan that can go in the oven,* melt the butter and add the onion. Saute until the edges start to brown and then add the garlic. 
• Saute until the garlic softens (a couple of minutes) and then sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic. Stir well so the flour has a chance to brown for a minute or two, but not burn (it will stick to the pan, but don't worry).
• Dump in the cream, stock, and mustard and whisk vigorously.
• Add the broccoli, chicken, and 2/3 of the cheese and stir well. 
• Add the salt and pepper to taste. 
• If you're using leftovers, stir this on the heat for a few minutes so that the ingredients are heated through.
• Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and pop under the broiler until brown and bubbly. 
• Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

*If you don't have a big enough pan, you can combine everything in a bowl and then transfer it all to a broiler-safe dish in the end.

Middle Eastern Meatball Soup

This soup inspired me to add (finally!) something new to the Basics page because it was yet another easy and delicious dinner and it also uses every one of my "Soup Tricks." It's a little on the complicated side because you have to make the meatballs and do some pureeing, so I'll call it a weekend or entertaining soup - great for a day when you have a little more time, but of course you still don't want to slave at the stove. I love the combination of lamb and mint and lemon and tomatoes. Right after I took this photo, I dropped in a dollop of plain yogurt and, oh my goodness, that tangy, creamy addition pushed it up to the level of New Favorite. Serve with warm pita or flatbread, a little hummus as an appetizer maybe, and you have a whole evening set.

Middle Eastern Meatball Soup
Serves 4 to 6

For the meatballs:
1 pound ground lamb (it's a little pricey, but the rest of the soup is pretty inexpensive)
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs or Panko
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t cumin
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 T parsley, minced
1 t fresh mint, minced
1/2 t oregano (I used dried, but fresh would have been great)
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

• Put all meatball ingredients together in a bowl and mix gently. Try not to mix anymore than is needed.
• Roll the mixture into small, bite-sized balls and set aside.

 For the soup:
4 T butter
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T paprika, hot and smoked if you can find it
2 T cumin
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of cinnamon
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
2 15oz cans of garbanzo beans/chick peas
4 to 5 cups stock
juice of 1 lemon
1 t fresh mint, minced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
3 cups spinach, chopped

• Saute the onion in the butter in the bottom of a soup pot. When it starts to brown, add the garlic and saute until it just starts to brown.
• Add the paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes and saute for about a minute to get them a little toasty.
• Have the tomatoes open in case the spices start to stick too much - you can quickly dump them in and prevent anything from burning.
• Simmer for about 20 minutes to cook off the extra liquid in the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, breaking up the whole tomatoes.
• Puree this in a blender or food processor or with a hand blender. You can make it as smooth or chunky as you want. I like it pretty smooth.
• Put the puree back in the soup pot and bring it back to a simmer. Drop in the meatballs (do your best to not have them piled on top of each other) and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Add the stock and garbanzo beans and simmer for about 30 minutes to finish cooking the meatballs and get all the flavors happy together.
• About 5 minutes before serving, add the lemon, mint, parsley, and spinach. Once the spinach is wilted, you're ready to go.

Whole Wheat Penne with Spinach Pesto and Chickpeas

This past weekend when I took a pair of garden shears to my spinach patch I thought, why did I plant this - I don't really like spinach. I prefer chard and beet greens and kale, all of which are exploding in the garden and I can't think of how to eat them all before they bolt. Then a friend suggested spinach pesto, which she makes exactly like basil pesto. Spinach pesto, even if it turned out as boring as I think spinach often is, would be garlicky and lemony and freshy. A pasta dinner started coming together in my mind. We were thinking we'd grill some chicken to add a little protein, but our budget for meat was busted (we're trying to only eat animal products from local, organic, ethical farms, but since we're on a serious budget around here that means we can't afford to eat as many as we used to). Inspired by my favorite ceci bruschetta topping, I added the chickpeas instead. It's a winner - fast, cheap, healthy, and super-flavorful.

Whole Wheat Penne with Spinach Pesto and Chickpeas
serves 3 to 4
printable

For the Pesto:
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 cups (loosely packed) spinach, washed and dried well
1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan, grated

For the pasta:
1 pound whole wheat penne, or other short pasta
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15oz can of chickpeas (a.k.a garbanzo beans)
1 sprig rosemary (optional)
extra parmesan for garnish

• While the water for the pasta is heating, make the pesto (or substitute store-bought basil pesto) by first grinding the garlic with a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Then add the spinach and lemon and grind again. Add the cheese and drizzle in the oil a little at a time until it is the consistency you like.
• In a small frying pan on medium heat, saute one garlic clove in a little olive oil until it just starts to brown.
• Add the (drained) chickpeas and the rosemary sprig. Cook, stirring only a few times, until the chickpeas have browned a bit - about 10 minutes.
• Toss the pasta with the pesto, chickpeas, and salt and pepper. Garnish with more parm. It's great warm or cold.

Simple (but so good) Chard and Sausage Lasagna

When I cooked at The Still Life in Fremont I had a love/hate relationship with lasagna as the lunch special. Love because it's easy (serve with salad, done) and endlessly adaptable to what's on hand or in season. Hate because half the time it turned out a little too wet and slippery and made for terrible presentation. Then I learned a trick: don't cook the noodles ahead of time, and I mean regular lasagna noodles, not the no-cook kind. When the noodles cook right in the dish with everything else, they soak up a lot of the liquid so a lasagna with vegetables doesn't turn into a sloppy mess. The recipe below includes sausage and chard, but you can use just about anything (pre-cooked) for the "flavor layer" - butternut squash, zucchini, chicken, ground beef, mushrooms, and on and on. We make a 9x13 pan for dinner and freeze the leftovers for emergencies, a.k.a. nights when we're too tired to cook.

Lasagna with Chard and Sausage
makes roughly 8 servings

6 cups cups tomato sauce (about 1 1/2 jars)
11/2 pounds mozzarella, grated
1 cup grated parmesan
1 15 oz container of ricotta
15 dried, regular lasagna noodles
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch of chard (or other hearty greens)
1 pound hot italian sausage, out of the casing

• Preheat the oven to 375.
• Saute the onion in a little olive oil until the edges start to brown. Add the garlic and saute until its edges are just starting to brown. 
• Add the sausage and cook until done, breaking it up into small pieces as you go.
• Cut the chard into thin strips and give it a rinse. Add this to the sausage and onions in the pan. Cook until wilted. This is your flavor layer.
• Combine the parm and mozzarella and divide into three piles (the third one a little bigger than the other 2).
• Heat up and doctor the sauce however you'd like. It's annoying that 1 jar of store-bought sauce is too little and 2 is too much. I use 1 jar, a can of tomatoes, about 1/2 a cup of red wine that's been reduced, and a bunch of herbs to make about 6 cups. 
• Set aside 2 cups of sauce for the final layer. If you are running short in the middle layer your can skimp on sauce, but you can't skimp on the top layer or the trick of the uncooked noodles won't work.
• Follow this order to layer the lasagna into a 9x13 pan: sauce, noodles set down the short way (break off the ends to make them fit), sauce, flavor layer, ricotta (don't bother spreading it, just drop it down in little lumps), cheese, noodles, sauce, flavor layer, ricotta, cheese, noodles.

 

• For the top, use a generous amount of sauce and make sure that all of the top noodles are covered. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. 
• Bake covered for 45 minutes (do your best to tent the foil a little so it's not resting on the cheese), then remove the foil and bake until the top is browned - usually 15 minutes more. I put a sheet pan on the rack below to catch any drips of bubbling sauce.
• Let it cool for 15 minutes before serving or it will goo all over and burn the roof of your mouth. I set the timer and make myself wait. Portion it out for leftovers the next day when it's cold.

Clay Pot Chicken (Pot not required)

I remember a couple of food trends from when I was growing up. There was the year of the fondue party (in my memory it was instead of a normal Thanksgiving, but that can't be right); the everything-gets-sundried-tomatoes year; the Microwaved Food Revolution year; and there was the year everyone got a Romertopf Clay Pot for Christmas. Except in my family that last one stayed around for a while because of one dish in particular - Clay Pot Chicken. Mom also called it Beggar's Chicken, but I recently discovered that that would normally be a whole chicken covered in clay and roasted. What it has in common with that traditional Chinese dish is the simplicity. This is just marinated chicken served with rice and vegetables, but that marinade - I love it so much I always sneak some spoonfuls before dinner. It's a perfect combination of soy sauce and sherry and sesame oil and spices. I wasn't thinking I'd ever post this recipe, but now I know that you don't even need the clay pot. John prefers the chicken grilled and I'm slowly coming around to agree with him. You can also just skip the chicken and cook the sauce down for a different sort of "teriyaki" sauce to use on everything.

Clay Pot Chicken (pot not required)
serves 4

Marinade:
1 c low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c sherry (in the stores near us you can find this with the vinegar and cooking wine, but don't get sherry vinegar)
1 T sesame oil
1 t Chinese 5 Spice (or substitute a pinch of anise, cloves, cinnamon, and fennel)
1 t white pepper
1 t ground ginger
1 T minced garlic

1 pound chicken - we use boneless thighs, but anything will work
1 t cornstarch
1 t cold water
rice and vegetables of your choice

• Combine all the ingredients for the marinade together in a ziplock bag or bowl and whisk well to incorporate the powdered spices. 
• Add the chicken and mix it around so that it is coated in the marinade.
• Let it sit for at least 30 minutes, but not all day or the chicken may become a little too salty.
• Meanwhile, start your rice and prep your veggies.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and grill it however you'd like.
• While the chicken is cooking, put the marinade in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Bring it to a boil for about 3 to 5 minutes to be sure you've killed any bacteria that may be in there from the raw chicken. If this feels too sketchy (but I promise we do this every time and we don't get sick), make a double batch of the marinade and save half for the sauce. If it seems to have cooked down too much in this step, add a little water.

Optional: Mix the cornstarch and water together in a tiny bowl. Remove from the sauce from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Put the sauce back on the heat at low and just let it bubble for a minute or two to activate the cornstarch, stirring often.

• You can simply steam the veggies in a pan or microwave, but we like to cook them in a little canola oil in a wide, hot frying pan.
• When the chicken is done, cut it into strips and toss it with the vegetables and a tablespoon or two of sauce.
• Serve it with rice and more sauce, then add a little more sauce to the sauce - get it?

Roasted Tomato Pasta (sort of Amatriciana Sauce)

This is a perfect pasta for late Summer or for when some hothouse in B.C. is cranking out so many tomatoes that they're on super sale at the grocery store. Once they're roasted the tomatoes freeze well and are great to use on pizza, in dip, on a sandwich - so many things. This is basically an Amatriciana sauce - tomatoes, red chili flakes, and bacon or pancetta - though it would usually be served on spaghetti or bucatini (my new favorite). If you have the tomatoes on hand it only takes about 15 minutes to make. It's a great go to dinner - rich, spicy, simple, satisfying, and fresh.

Oops, too good to wait for the photo.

Roast Tomato Pasta
serves 4

5 pounds (about 15) ripe tomatoes
olive oil
salt & pepper
8 garlic cloves (papery skin still on)
4 slices of good bacon or equivalent of pancetta
2 generous pinches of red chili flakes
1/2 an onion, sliced
1 lb pasta
Parmesan cheese

• Cut the tomatoes into eighths and spread them onto two sheet pans with the garlic cloves. I use a non-stick liner to make clean-up easier, but tin foil or parchment paper will work also. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and then toss to coat.
• Roast in the oven at 325 degrees for about 2 hours - until they are dark, but not burned. I know that's a long time, but you can make these on the weekend, store them in the fridge for a couple of weeks or freezer for a couple of months, and you'll have the toms ready for whenever you want them.
• Scrape the tomatoes and any good pan juices into a bowl. Peel the garlic, mush it with the back of a spoon, and mix it in with the tomatoes.
• Put on your pasta water. I set a half cup measuring cup next to the pot to remind me to take out some of the pasta water before draining. This is the only way I ever remember to do it.
• In a frying pan, cook the bacon until brown but not hard.
• Add the onion and cook until it starts to brown, then add the chili flakes and cook for about 2 minutes more. Set aside.
• Cook the pasta and before draining take out about half a cup of the salty, gluteny water. 
• Add the pasta to the bacon and stir in the tomatoes. Stir in the pasta water a bit at a time. If you forget this step, don't worry about it, it just smooths the sauce a little and helps it coat the pasta better.

Lentil Caviar with Cod and a simple salad

I don't usually post a whole meal, but these three simple elements - lentil "caviar," cod cooked in butter, and and the simplest arugula salad - worked so well together that I have to suggest making the combination. I set out just to post the lentils which are great as a hot side dish or as the base for a lentil salad. We buy the tiniest green-black lentils we can find, but simple french lentils or small green lentils should work as well. To turn this into a salad just allow it to cool and then drizzle on a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat and you're finished (unless you feel like adding some minced carrots and tomatoes and maybe a little feta, but then it doesn't look as much like caviar).

Lentil Caviar
serves 2 to 4

1/2 yellow onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, diced small
1 carrot, peeled & diced small
1 1/2 cups tiny black lentils
3 cups stock
1 bay leaf
2 t thyme
1 t mustard
fresh ground black pepper to taste

• In a small pot, saute the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of butter or oil for about 5 minutes.
• Rinse the lentils and add them to the onions along with the rest of the ingredients.
• Simmer uncovered on medium (don't let it boil too hard or the lentils will turn to mush) for about 30 minutes. If the lentils are cooked, but soupy just ladle off some of the water. If the liquid cooks away before the lentils are done, add a little water.

Simple Cod in Butter
serves 2

• Cut 3/4 to 1 pound Cod (depending on how hungry you are) into 4 portions. 
• Heat 2 T butter in large skillet. 
• Salt and pepper both sides of the fish. 
• Pan cook the fish on medium heat until the fish starts to flake apart, about 10 minutes (flipping half way through cooking).

Green Chile Pork Tacos with Homemade Sour Cream

My favorite thing to make in my slow cooker is a spicy, tomatoey pork taco filling. I used to say it was the only thing worth making in a slow cooker, but now I know about a few other things. Lately, I've been trying to make my own tomatillo salsa for Stacked Tomatillo Enchiladas (success finally!), but since I still can't quite get that right I keep ending up with tupperwares full of decent, but not fantastic tomatillo salsa. What to do, what to do... Last week I adjusted my old, favorite taco recipe to be green instead of red and we were shocked to discover that we like it better. Shocked! How could our most loved dinner be changed and improved? Our world is rocked over here.
Oh, and, we served it with homemade sour cream. Maybe that's why these were some of the best tacos I've ever made...


Green Chile Pork Tacos
serves 4 to 6

1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 pounds boneless pork (just about anything will work, but you might need to trim off fat depending on which cut you use)
2 cups chicken stock (depending on your slow cooker)
2 T cumin
2 T oregano
2 cups tomatillo salsa (store-bought or try this recipe)
1 bunch cilantro
1 to 2 T pickled jalapenos, minced (they're spicy)
1 7 oz can green chiles, or equivalent fresh chiles roasted and diced
2 limes
avocado
corn tortillas
sour cream

• Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan and brown it on all sides - you're not cooking it now, just creating flavor. Put the meat in the slow cooker and put the lid on.
• In the same pan, saute the onion until the edges start to brown, scraping up any good bits the pork left behind. Then add the garlic and saute just until it starts to brown.
• Sprinkle the onions and garlic with the cumin. Have your stock ready. Toast the cumin until it starts to stick, then, quick, dump in your stock.
• Add the rest of the ingredients BUT reserve 1 lime and some cilantro for the end. Bring this all to a bubble (I never put anything cold in my slow cooker) scraping the bottom to get all the toasted goodness off.
  
• Pour this over the meat in the cooker and give it a bit of a stir so that the meat is coated. Scrape down the inside of the cooker so that no sauce is splashed above the line of sauce/meat (this helps with clean-up and prevents burned edges).
• Cook on High for 6 to 8 hours. I check mine after 6 hours to see if it's too soupy. If it is, I cook it the last 2 hours with the lid off. Slow cooker vary a lot so you might need to stop after 6 hours or add a little more stock and keep going. The meat should me falling apart.
• Add the juice of the second lime, break up the meat a little, and stir it in with the sauce. Serve it however you like tacos or with rice and beans. 

Cauliflower & Tortellini Soup

I got this soup idea from one my friend Jess made for me. It's so simple and delicious. We arrived for dinner one night and she had just thrown everything into a pot. By the time we were ready to sit down it was ready to be pureed and we had a bright, fresh soup course (she's so good with the courses! I never do that). The squeeze of lemon really makes a difference.We changed the pasta from bowties to tortellini to make it hearty enough for dinner. It would be very easy to make this even heartier (add chopped chicken) or vegan (go back to the bowties).

Cauliflower & Tortellini Soup
serves 4

1 onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 medium cauliflower, roughly chopped
2 medium-sized russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
6 to 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 t fresh thyme
pinch of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste (always)
rind from a piece of parmesan (optional - it's just for extra flavor)
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 10oz package of tortellini (or other pasta)

• As with almost every recipe I make, start by sauteing the onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a medium soup pot. When the onion has just started to brown, add the garlic and continue until it just starts to brown.
• Pour in half of the stock to stop the browning, then add the potatoes and and cauliflower. Add stock just to cover everything.
• Stir in the bay, thyme, nutmeg, salt & pepper, and parm rind and bring to a low simmer. Let it bubble for about half an hour, stirring occassionally.
• After about ten minutes I start the water for the tortellini (just cook it according to the package). It would be nice if you could cook pasta in soup, but I've never had good results with that. If the tortellini is done before the soup, be sure to toss it with a little butter so it doesn't stick together.
• After the 30 minutes the potatoes and cauliflower should be falling apart. Fish out the bay leaf and the parm rind. Puree it with an immersion blender or let it cool just a bit so you can blend it in batches in food processor.
• Stir in the grated parm, lemon juice, and the cooked tortellini. Done!

Spring Risotto

I said it in my last post and I'll say it again - even when it's getting lovely out in Seattle in the Spring, it's still cold and I still need my comfort food. This is the time when I start making adjustments to many of my Winter favorites so that they're lighter, but hearty enough to satisfy after a day of gardening in the drizzle. I always make risotto the same way (my mom taught me and I think she learned it from Marcella Hazan's book, so I'm not fooling with it). If you have argula or sorel around instead of spinach, or different herbs, maybe a little white wine even, it's an endlessly flexible meal. Just keep the basics the same - 2 cups of rice, 6 to 8 cups of liquid, onion, flavorings, butter, Parm. I made a step-by-step instructable for a slightly different risotto, if you feel like you want a little more instruction.


Spring Lemon & Herb Risotto 
serves at least 6, but it works well to cut this recipe in half

2 to 3 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 c Arborio Rice, or short-grain sushi rice in a pinch
7 c chicken stock, simmering
1 large lemon
3 T mixed fresh herbs (I used oregano, thyme, and chives)
2 large handfuls baby spinach
1 T butter
1/2 c Parmesan plus more for garnish

• In a thick-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the onions and saute until they are starting to become translucent. Add the garlic and saute for about 5 minutes more. If things start to brown, turn down the heat a bit and move on to the next step. For the record, risotto doesn't traditionally have garlic, but I like it. 
• Add the rice to the pot and saute until you see one or two grains start to brown. If you don't see that, just saute for 5 minutes and move on. This is a great time to twist in a little pepper, but not salt (it will make the rice tough).
• Add 2 cups of stock to get started and stir well. Adjust the heat so that the rice is bubbling, but not furiously boiling. You should be able to walk away and just give it a stir every 2 or 3 minutes.
• Now you'll add the stock in 1 cup batches when the liquid has mostly cooked off, but the rice isn't sticking to the pan (every 5 minutes or so). I think this is the intimidating part, but you can't really mess it up unless you let it stick and burn. For the first couple of additions you should be able to see the bottom of the pot when it's time to add more.
• While the risotto is going, chop all your herbs and spinach and squeeze the lemon.
• Before adding the last cup of stock, give the risotto a taste. It should be creamy and thick and the rice should be almost cooked, but not mushy. You should be able to eat it with a fork. Sometimes I don't need the last cup, sometimes I need 1 cup extra. 
• With the last cup of stock, add the spinach, herbs, lemon, butter, and about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Stir vigorously.
• Serve with a sprinkle of Parm and a little more herbs if you'd like.

 

Split Pea Soup with (optional) Ham Hock

When I say optional ham hock I really mean optional. I used to make this at The Still Life without the ham hock and it wasn't uncommon for vegetarian customers to complain that they'd been served a meat soup. There is something about the marjoram and cumin, maybe the wine also, that makes it so hearty and savory that people assume there's meat in it. A few years ago I added the ham hock mostly out of curiosity about cooking with a ham hock - they're sort of out of place and cavemanish in the grocery store, I think - and now I always include it. I love the smokiness from the hock, and the chewy bits of pork. This soup makes great leftovers, but you'll probably need to splash in a little water when you reheat.

Split Pea Soup with (optional) Ham Hock
makes about 6 servings

1 onion, diced
1 shallot, diced (optional, but yummy)
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup white wine
2 cups dried split peas
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (or equivalent amount of sweet potatoes)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves
1 T dried thyme or about 4 fresh sprigs
2 t marjoram
2 t dried mustard
1 T cumin
red pepper flakes to taste
salt & pepper to taste
1 ham hock (preferably smoked)

• Saute the onions, shallots, and garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil until they are starting to brown.
• Sprinkle the cumin over this and saute about 1 more minute, or until things start to get too dry.
• Add the wine and simmer for about 3 minutes just to cook off the alcohol.
• Add the rest of the spices, the peas, carrots, potatoes, stock, and the ham hock (if you want meat in the soup, but you can't deal with a hock, you can add diced ham).
• Bring the soup to a low simmer and let it bubble for about an hour. Stir a few times in the beginning, but since split pea is a thick soup it might try to stick to the bottom of the pot near the end - just keep your heat low and stir a little more frequently.
• Remove the ham hock and pick off all the good meaty bits, returning them to the pot. 
• Serve with buttered toast or croutons. Seriously, don't skip the toast.

Turkey & Green Chile Chili

If it seems like the only thing I eat is soup, that's actually pretty close to the truth. It's so warm and comforting and it packs well for lunch the next day. If it seems like at least half of what I cook falls into the tangy/acidic category, this is also pretty accurate. Put it all together into something that is hearty, limey, packable, easy, made in my slow cooker, and is an excuse to let myself eat Fritos and you have one of my favorite meals.


Turkey, White Bean, and Green Chile Chili
serves 4 to 6

1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.25 lbs ground turkey (because that's the only size they sell in the store near my house!)
3 T ground cumin
3 T oregano
1 T chili powder
1 t mustard powder
smidge of cayenne
4 cups chicken stock
5 cups cooked white beans*
1 T pickled jalapenos, minced
14 oz diced green chiles (2 cans)
7oz  green salsa (1 can)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 lime
sour cream
grated cheese
Fritos

• In a large frying pan, in a few tablespoons of oil, saute the onion until the edges start to brown. Add the garlic and saute it until it starts to brown.
• Add the ground turkey and break it up into bite-sized pieces as you stir.
• When most of the pink is gone from the turkey, sprinkle the cumin over everything and saute until the cumin is toasty or until the pan is getting dry. Add the stock and warm it up (this makes your slow cooker work more efficiently).
• Add all of this to the slow cooker along with the rest of the spices, green chiles, salsa, pickled jalapeno, half of the cilantro, the lime juice, and the beans.
• Set the slow cooker on high and leave it for 6 to 8 hours. If you're not using a slow cooker, do all of the above steps in a large soup pot and let it simmer for and hour at least.
• Serve topped with the rest of the cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese, and Fritos.

*I'm trying not to used things in cans (when reasonable) so I cooked the beans from dried. It's so easy. Just rinse 2 cups of dried white beans, cover with 8 to 10 cups water, and simmer for about an hour. Rinse off the cooking liquid before using them. You can also add some spices and watered down stock to give them more flavor.

Turkey & Green Chili Chili

I was supposed to take a pretty picture of this chili so that I could put it with the post, but when I got home from work at 8:30 on a rainy evening my house was so full of the smells of spices and limes and chilies that I completely forgot about taking pictures. Chili and the Slow Cooker are best friends. All the spices that give Chili its flavor can be gritty and harsh if they aren't cooked for a while, but I pretty much refuse to make most things that have to be tended over a long period of time (I've never roasted a turkey or made a pot roast in the oven or baked a loaf of yeasty bread). Except for rare special occasions, I run out of patience at about an hour. This Chili requires about 20 minutes of working time. It's also a perfect September recipe because it has a Summery feel, but it's warm and comforting (for weather that can't make up its mind). On top of that, it freezes well for leftovers.

Turkey & Green Chili Chili
(Printable Version)
serves 4 to 6

1 onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
20 oz. ground turkey (I never have just a pound because of the stupid way it comes packaged around here)
2 T cumin
4 T chili powder (I use one low in salt from a natural foods market)
1 T dried oregano
1 t garlic powder
cayenne to taste (start with a pinch)
14 oz (2 cans) Herdez Salsa Verde, or your favorite brand
8 oz (2 cans) diced green chilies
4 cups chicken stock
4 to 6 cups cooked beans (white or pinto) depending on how thick you like your chili
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
juice of 2 to 4 limes (I like 4, but it's pretty limey)
sour cream for garnish

• Saute the onions and garlic for a couple of minutes and then add the cumin, chili powder, and cayenne. Saute until the spices are toasty or until they start to stick to the pan.
• Add the turkey and cook until it's no longer showing pink (it doesn't matter if it's cook all the way through).
• Add the oregano, garlic powder, salsa, green chilies, and stock to the pan and bring to a simmer. You can skip this step and just put it all right in the slow cooker if you want. I find that mine works a little better if the ingredients are warm when they go in.
• Transfer this to the slow cooker and add the beans. Cook on high for 4 hours. 2 hours will do (in most slow cookers) if you're in a hurry or if you're doing this on the stove top.
• Add the cilantro (reserving some for garnish if you want) and the lime juice. Cook for another 2 hours.
• Top with sour cream and cilantro and serve with corn bread or toast.
  

Corn & Chicken Chowder

This is my the first soup of the season and I'm not sad to see the our weekly menus turning toward Fall dishes. After I left my last kitchen job I had to take some time away from soup (I still have mild PTSD around Butternut Squash thanks to that mole soup I made once a week at Essential), but I'm slowly re-learning all my old favorite recipes. I remember now that the reason I was (mostly) a soup chef for 4 years was that I love soup - the comforting warmth of it, the fact that it takes a little set up, but then is mostly left alone, and I also just love things served in a bowl.
This Fall I hope to post Pork Posole (both the long way and a quick variation), a Portuguese sausage and Kale soup that's so good, two kinds of Chili, Rosemary and White Bean soup in the slow cooker, just to name a few. I'd love to hear your favorite soup ideas.
If you're doing corn and chicken at a late Summer barbecue, cook a little extra so that you can use the leftovers for this chowder.

Corn and Chicken Chowder
serves 4 to 6

1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 T cumin
1 T oregano
1 t dried sage (or a few fresh leaves)
1 t mustard powder
2 bay leaves
smidge of cinnamon
smidge of cayenne
8 cups stock (or enough stock base to make that)
2 pounds chicken (cooked and cubed)
6 ears of corn, cooked (or 2-3 cans)
2 fresh jalapenos
2 russet potatoes, cut bite-sized (I like skin on)
8 shakes hot sauce
6 T each of butter and flour
2 cups cream

• Like just about every recipe I know, start by sauteing the onions in a little oil until they're just starting to brown. Then add the garlic and saute until it just starts to brown.
• Add the spices (except the oregano) and let them toast for just a minute or two.
• Add the oregano, stock, corn that's been cut from the cobs, the cobs too(!!), potatoes, chicken, and jalapenos.
• Allow this to simmer (not boil) for about an hour. Give it a stir from time to time to make sure it doesn't stick. Add more stock if you need to.
• Remove the corn cobs and add the hot sauce.
  

Now we're going to make a roux to thicken the soup. Don't be afraid. Just read this through first and if you haven't made a roux before have someone there to help pour the liquid for you because that's the scary part.

• Melt the butter in a frying pan (best if it's not non-stick) over medium-low heat.When it is bubbling, have a whisk and a ladle ready.
  
• Sprinkle the flour over the butter while whisking. Keep the butter and flour moving (but you don't need to go too crazy) and you should notice the color start to lightly brown. The mixture should also be bubbling. If you were making gravy you'd keeping going until the flour was dark brown, but this is for chowder so you just want a light brown.
  
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream in a steady stream (not a dump or you might get lumps) while whisking vigorously (now you can go crazy). Add a couple of ladles of the broth from the soup so that the roux stays smooth.
• Add this roux, cream, and broth back into the soup and stir well.
• Adjust the salt and pepper.
  
• Try adding a little lime or cooking the onions with bacon and bacon fat.
  

Here's a quick summary of my tricks for soup:
-use more spices than you think you should,
-sneak in some mustard powder (it's often the secret something that makes my soups flavorful and I don't even really like mustard!),
-use a stock paste instead of liquid stock (like Better Than Bouillon) because then you can control the stockiness and also because a lot of liquid stocks taste too much like carrots or celery or fake things,
-add tough and sharp things (meats, fresh sage, beans, onions) in the beginning so they can mellow, add soft things (basil, soft veggies, dairy) at the end so you don't end up with mush.

Italian Slow Cooker Variation

During our almost 29 straight days of sun here in Seattle we had maybe 2 cloudy, cool nights. On one of them, we decided to make comfort food suitable for a dark day in December. This is absolutely one of my favorite dinners for simple reasons - I just love the taste of tomatoes, rosemary, wine, and braised anything, but also because upon opening the door after work the house is filled with the smell of a meal all ready to go.
The Creamy, Cheesy Polenta for the side dish is key for my enjoyment, but if you're in a hurry it would be a great with buttery noddles or roasted potatoes. It's made the exact same way as our Slow Cooker Pork Taco Filling so I've just copied those instructions with a little variation.

Slow Cooker Pork, Italian Flavors

3 to 4 pounds pork
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup red wine*
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 - 2 big springs of fresh rosemary
1 T oregano
2 bay leaves
tiniest smidge of cinnamon

• Trim the fat from whatever boneless pork is on sale (but don't go crazy, fat=flavor). If you're doing meat in the oven, the fat renders and drips into the pan, but if you're doing meat in the slow cooker all the fat stays in the cooker.
• Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan and brown it on all sides - you're not cooking it now, just creating flavor (because brown also = flavor). Put the meat in the slow cooker and put the lid on.
• In the same pan, saute the onion until the edges start to brown, scraping up any good bits the pork left behind. Then add the garlic and saute just until it starts to brown.
• Add the the tomatoes and wine and boil for about 5 minutes (save this pan to the side in case you need to reduce a little wine later to add in).
  
• Pour this over the meat in the cooker, add the bay leaves and rosemary, and give it a bit of a stir so that the meat is coated. Scrape down the inside of the cooker so that no sauce is splashed above the line of sauce/meat (this helps with clean-up and prevents burned edges).
  
• Cook on High for 6 to 8 hours.*
• Break the meat into chunks and serve it over Creamy, Cheesy Polenta (be sure to spoon the sauce over the top).

* I have an old slow cooker so High is plenty high enough, but I'm not sure it really equals the High of a new, fancy cooker. If you have a hot cooker (or if you're not sure), check to see if it needs more liquid after 6 hours. If yes, add another cup of wine, but be sure to simmer the wine for about 5 minutes first. Wine added right to the cooker can make the dish taste a little alcoholy.

Jambalaya

Even snap peas fresh from the Farmer's Market couldn't make this Jambalaya photograph better. Don't hold that against it. This is one of my favorite fast, fake recipes. I promised myself I'd stop actually putting the word "fake" in the recipe titles because most of them are simplified versions of already known dishes. When I worked at The Still Life in Fremont I had to come up with tons of soup ideas. With the help of the awesome book Culinary Artistry, I figured out that any great combination of flavors can be turned into a simple version. The great combo in Jambalaya is tomatoes, rice, bell peppers, seasonings, and Andouille sausage. Traditionally, there would be other proteins (chicken, shrimp, ham), but this is a fast home version.

Jambalaya

2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 red or green bell pepper, cut bute-sized
3 or 4 Andouille sausages, sliced (It's a little like kielbasa, so you can substitute anything else that's smoky and spicy. Aidells makes a brand that is in a lot of stores around here.)
1 recipe of our easy Spanish Rice which is:
1 cup white rice
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup water
1 onion, diced
1T oregano
1t garlic powder
1T cumin
1T chili powder
smidge of cinnamon & cayenne
1T butter

• Saute the onion (in a little oil) in a smallish pot with a good lid.
• When the onions have just started to brown, add the garlic, peppers, and sausage and saute until the edges are starting to brown. Most Andouille that I've seen is pre-cooked so it won't need a lot of time here. If you're using raw sausage, just cook it a little longer
• Add the rice and sprinkle in all the spices (no salt) and saute until you're worried they're sticking to the pot.
• Stir in the butter, water, and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover for 20 to 30 minutes.
  
• I know that rice usually has a strict time for cooking and you're not supposed to take the lid off, but I find that with all the added extras that doesn't work quite as well. I sneak a peak after 20 minutes, give it a little stir and then usually cook it for about 5 minutes more.
  
• When it's finished, add salt to taste. I like a dollop of sour cream, but that's optional (and not traditional).
  

Spanish Rice

Dear Zatarain's Spanish Rice,
I love you. I've loved you for years now, but it's finally over. I'm sorry. You're processed and I just can't make an exception anymore. I've gotten rid of almost all the processed foods I eat and you're one of the last to go. I know, I know, I still use canned tomatoes and beans, but that's different - I can't figure out how to effectively substitute them. We've made a recipe of our own (and I really like it), but I'll still miss you.
Love always,
Lil

Spanish Rice

1 cup white rice
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup water
1/2 an onion, diced
1T oregano
1t garlic powder
1T cumin
1T chili powder
smidge of cinnamon & cayenne
1T butter

• Saute the onions (in a little oil) in a smallish pot with a good lid.
• When the onions have just started to brown, sprinkle in all the spices (no salt) and saute until you're worried they're sticking to the pot.
• Stir in the rice, butter, water, and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover for 20 to 30 minutes.
  
• I know that rice usually has a strict time for cooking and you're not supposed to take the lid off, but I find that with all the added extras that doesn't work quite as well. I sneak a peak after 20 minutes, give it a little stir and then usually cook it for about 5 minutes more.
  
• When it's finished, add salt to taste. It's optional, but nice to stir in a little cilantro and lime at the end too.
  

(Fake) Saltimboca

Oops, blog burnout. Ok, really it was recipe testing burn out. I had one too many nights getting off work at 8pm, rushing home, scribbling notes as I furiously cooked dinner, and then trying to take photos (while starving) and sitting down to eat at 9:30. That's no good. The recipe didn't even work that last night two weeks ago because the above is really a recipe for a disaster dinner (and arguments about camera settings).
To get back into the swing of things I thought I'd post a super simple variation on the pasta dish I always make. This one is inspired by Saltimboca, which I love, but is too time consuming for a weeknight. It usually involves pounding chicken into thin pieces (or paillards), then attaching prosciutto and sage leaves to it before flouring and frying in a pan. Seriously, it's so good. This dinner takes my favorites flavors from Saltimboca, but with a throw-it-all-together method.

(Fake) Saltimboca
(serves about 4)
2 chicken breasts
1 small, yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
4 prosciutto slices, cut into thin strips
4 - 6 fresh sage leaves, minced
juice of 1 lemon
4 cups short pasta (usually penne, measured before cooking)
a generous handful of fresh spinach cut into thin strips
sprinkles of Parmesan (optional)
salt and pepper to taste, of course

• Start the pasta water. On my stove is usually takes 30 minutes (from cold water to straining) to cook penne, so the timing is just about right.
• Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. If you feel like taking the extra time to cut these thin it will cook faster and be a little more Saltimboca-y.
• In a largish, high-sided frying pan, saute the onion in a bit of olive oil until it just starts to brown. Add the garlic and saute until it is just starting to brown.
• Add the chicken pieces and prosciutto* and saute for about five minutes - they just need to get some color, they'll continue to cook through the rest of the preparation.
• Hopefully your pasta water is ready. Throw in a generous pinch of salt and the pasta.
• Add the spinach and lemon to the pan and stir this around as the pasta finishes cooking. It's ready when the spinach is cooked and most of the liquid is gone.
• Toss with the pasta and sprinkle with a little parmesan. Yum!

*If you have time, the prosciutto is even better if you crisp it before starting anything else. Just saute it in the pan with a tiny bit of olive oil. When the strips are crisp (almost like bacon, which would be a fine substitution) set them aside on a plate and start at the beginning of the recipe. Add the prosciutto when you mix in the pasta.

Pasta with Chorizo, Red Peppers & Queso Fresco

One of the main staples of our dinner repertoire is a very simple dish we call "Sausage Pasta." It started as a combination of two pasta recipes - one with sausage and onions (which required a side dish and I'm usually too lazy to make a side), and one with broccoli and parmesan (good as a side, but...). I'll post that recipe soon, but here's a variation I've had bouncing around as an idea for ages and the result is delicious. The basic idea is almost too easy to be good - sauteed onions and garlic, some sort of sausage, any short pasta, a complimentary vegetable, and a cheese to top it off. There is a dinner out there for pretty much every sausage flavor (maybe not brats...).

Pasta with Chorizo, Red Peppers & Queso Fresco
1 regular onion, sliced (or 2 of the small ones that come in the bulk bags - such a deal)
4 gloves of garlic, sliced
4 chorizo sausages, casings removed (or a little less than a pound of bulk sausage)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into about 1 inch pieces
1 t cumin
1 T oregano (fresh when possible)
hot sauce (we like Cholula) to jazz it up a bit
about 4 cups of uncooked rigatoni or penne
Queso Fresco*
cilantro

• Put a pot of water on for the pasta.
• In a large pan, saute the onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil (over medium heat, so they brown but don't burn), stirring often. When most of the edges are beginning to brown, add the garlic and saute that until it starts to brown.
• Add the chorizo to the onions and garlic, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. You may have to add a bit more oil, but the chorizo will release its fat any second now so add sparingly.
• Add the cumin and oregano.
• Have the pepper ready so that when the pasta goes into the water you can add it to the sausage mixture. If you have good brown bits stuck to the pan, splash just a little of the pasta water into the pan and scrape them up.
• When the pasta is cooked, toss it with the sausage mixture, and some hot sauce to taste.
• Serve sprinkled with the cheese and cilantro.

*I'm going to test cheddar or maybe asiago- Queso Fresco is $8 a package around here and that's a little rich for my blood.

Braised Moroccan Chicken

This may be surprising to many of you who know me, but I think my food flavor soul mate is actually Moroccan. I cook mostly Mexican, French, and plain-old American food at home, but the combination of mint and parsley, paprika and yogurt and almonds and honey and, well, a lot of things associated with Moroccan and North African cuisine just can't be beat (it all falls apart when I think of how often sweet and savory are used together because I don't mix my sweet and savory). The recipe below is like so many things I make - if you vary the spices, but keep the rest the same, you have another great dish. Change the spices to curry powder and it's my most basic Indian dinner, or change the spices to Italian, and the beans from garbanzo to white, and you have a great braise to serve with a big salad or sauteed greens. Hmm... you could even make the spices Mexican, and the beans black, and serve it with lime and japalpeno rice... So many possibilities.

Braised Moroccan Chicken Thighs
8 chicken thighs (with or without bones)
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
1 15 oz can of tomatoes (with liquid)
1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans (drained)
1 T paprika (smoked if possible)
2 t cumin
white pepper to taste
smidge of cinnamon
1 bay leaf
salt
1 lemon (or 2 T red wine vinegar)
Garnish:
chopped mint and parsley
plain yogurt (preferably not lowfat)

• Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large, deep pan. Saute the onions until they just begin to brown, then add the garlic and saute until it just begins to brown.
• Have your stock ready and your cans opened, then sprinkle the spices over the onions and toast the spices until the pan is dry (and starting to make you worry you'll burn it).
• Add your chicken thighs (breasts will work too) and splash in a little stock so that things don't actually burn. Cook this all together for a few minutes to allow the spices to soak into the thighs. This was an accidental innovation! I used to always sear the thighs first and add them back in here with all the other ingredients, but something about sauteing them for just a bit with the spices and onions created my best batch ever.
• Add the stock, garbanzos, and tomatoes and bring to a nice bubble (but not a crazy boil). It will be ready in about 30 minutes, but it's even better if you simmer for an hour adding just a smidge more stock if needed.
• When you're about to serve it, add the lemon or vinegar and adjust the salt.

I like to serve this with couscous and the garnishes mentioned above. Follow the directions on the package (or from the bulk container, which is the cheapest way to get couscous), but add a splash of red wine vinegar and a pat of butter to the boiling water.