Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

I'm bringing this back up to the top, with a few changes (nothing major).  It was one of our soups from my original post, when there were about 12 recipes per post. We made it again for lunch after both having had some extremely stressful days and nights at work. It hit the spot in a nourishing, comforting, and palate-entertaining way. If you're feeling sick, consider this instead of the usual homemade chicken soup.  So easy to make, and it makes the kitchen wonderfully fragrant.  My husband declared it restaurant quality. 

This is adapted from Arthur Schwartz' Soup Suppers.   

1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
1 can straw mushrooms (or one cup fresh mushrooms cut into chunks)
1/2 sweet red pepper, sliced thinly
2 stalks lemongrass, cut on the diagonal into 2 inch pieces
1/2 inch piece of ginger root, sliced
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
2-3 squirts of Sriracha (rooster) sauce or red pepper flakes to taste
3 T Thai fish sauce
3 T lime juice
1 14 oz. can light unsweetened coconut milk
2 green onions, chopped
4-5 sprigs of cilantro, chopped

Put about 2 1/2 quarts of water in a soup pan.  (This is an estimate.) Add the chicken, lemongrass, ginger root, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and mushrooms. Let it simmer until the chicken is tender. Add the sweet red peppers and basil leaves. Stir in the coconut milk, and let it simmer about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce. Stir in the green onions and cilantro just before serving.

  

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Fresh Split Pea and Ham Soup

This soup is so delicious.  When my older son was under the weather, this is what he requested...from Claire. She adds a new twist to the old split pea by using spinach and fresh peas at the very end.  The soup is greener, sweeter, and more vibrant, and so much more appetizing than the pea soup from that scene in the Exorcist.  If you have a ham bone, it adds additional richness to the soup. All you need now is a rainy day, a warm fire, and a good movie...

You can see the bright flecks of green!

Fresh Split Pea and Ham Soup
2 c dried split peas
2 T butter or olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
6 c chicken stock or water
1/2 lb spinach, chopped
2 c fresh peas (or thawed frozen peas)

1 ham bone (optional)
1 c chopped ham or turkey ham (optional)
3 slices pancetta, diced (optional)

If using pancetta, saute in your soup pot until crisp.  Take out and set aside.  Saute onions, carrots, and celery in butter or olive oil.  Add split peas, bay leaf, ham bone, and water or chicken stock, and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to a slow simmer for 45 minutes.  If soup is too thick, add additional water.  Discard bay leaf (and ham bone if using), and puree soup with immersion blender (or in a regular blender).  Add spinach and peas and let cook for additional 2-3 minutes.  Puree again until smooth, and stir in diced ham.  Serve with garnish of pancetta.

No-Fail Minestrone Soup from Scratch

This soup is hearty and heart-healthy.  It does not skimp on flavor.  Don't be daunted by the long list of ingredients- it basically all just gets thrown into the soup pot, and 30 minutes later, your meal is served!  It's even better the second day, and is a great meal to take to a friend. 

Serve with a big salad and crusty bread for dipping.

No-Fail Minestrone Soup
1 1/2 lbs Italian turkey sausage
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1- 28 oz. can tomato sauce
1 - 15 oz can of chicken broth (or 2 cups)
1- 15 oz. can cannellini beans
1/2 head thinly sliced green cabbage
1-2 small zucchini, diced
6-8 mushrooms, diced
1 T dried basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp fennel seeds
2 cups kale, finely chopped with ribs removed

Saute sausage, drain, and set aside. Saute onions, garlic, celery, and carrots.  Add tomato sauce, 1 additional (28 oz) can of water, and chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer and add everything else, including sausage.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

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Traditional Mexican Posole

A coworker, Kim, gave me this recipe years ago.  It is simple, colorful, fragrant, and delicious.  Posole is a Mexican stew made, in this case, with hominy and pork. Start this early in the day, as it does take some time. Adding a twist of lime and a splash of hot sauce brings all the flavors together, and kids love adding their own garnishes.  At our house, we add additional flavor with conversational gems such as, "Hominy? Probably two bowls of it. Maybe three." You may also want to try a homestyle tortilla or two on the side.

Posole

2-3 lbs of pork (shoulder or butt, with or without bone)
1 large can hominy (29 oz)
1 bag dry California chiles (dried Anaheim chiles)
3 large tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 T dried oregano
1 T garlic powder
salt to taste

Garnish:
1 c chopped cilantro
1 avocado, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
dried oregano
2 c cabbage, sliced thinly
hot sauce to taste

Cut the pork into large chunks and place it in a large stockpot of water, enough to cover the pork well. Boil until it is falling apart, about 4 hours depending on the size of the meat.  Add salt and garlic powder while cooking.  After about 3 1/2 hours, add the hominy.  (Hominy is done when it is soft.)

In the meantime, trim the stems and the seeds off the chiles and rinse.  Put them in a sauce pan on medium heat, and cook for about half hour or so using a couple of ladles of water from the pork. After the chiles have been simmering for about 10-15 minutes, add the garlic (peeled) and tomatoes.  Once the chiles are soft and easily pierced with a fork, blend the entire mixture in a blender or with a hand blender for 3-5 minutes until the chiles have no small pieces visible. Add more stock if necessary.  Add this mixture to the meat and hominy. Cook for another 30-45 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro, avocado, lime, oregano, and cabbage.  Serve with warmed tortillas.

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Pan-seared Scallops with Pecan-Arugula Pesto on Zucchini Noodles and Red Curry Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

My schedule has not been matching up with Claire's very well, so we are now both in cooking blog withdrawel. I've had to sneak in a post.  My first attempt was a wonderful grilled chicken, but the pictures came out all blurry and unacceptable. We'll have to save that for another time. In the meantime, these dishes are fantastic fall offerings.  Soup season is here!

Serve this with the soup below for a gorgeous and flavorful meal.

Pan-seared Scallops 
with Pecan-Arugula Pesto and Zucchini Noodles
Scallops are an overlooked favorite with kids, and a nice departure from chicken. The trick is to not overcook them, as they can get rubbery.  I used high heat and a dusting of flour to get a nice crisp coating. Fresh ones are the best, but I bought frozen so that I wasn't on a time crunch to get them cooked. The dried salted herb mixture is something that I use for my homemade croutons-- you don't have to be particular about the herbs that you add- adjust according to taste and what's in your spice rack.

1 lb. frozen thawed or fresh scallops
1-2 T flour
1-2 tsp salted dried herb mixture (sea salt, pepper, and a pinch each of thyme, oregano, rosemary, dill, parsley)

Toss scallops with flour and herb mixture. Heat pan on high with 1 T olive oil. Place the scallops in a single layer for a few minutes, and once browned, use tongs to flip to the opposite side for a couple more minutes.  Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your scallops. Once the scallops are done, arrange them them over a bed of zucchini noodles tossed with pecan-arugula pesto.

Pecan-Arugula Pesto and Zucchini Noodles

Zucchini noodles are one of my go-to favorites.  I use my lemon zester and mix the zucchini noodles with whole wheat pasta.  It cuts the carbs, adds moisture to the whole wheat pasta, and kids (and grown-ups) will gobble it up. The pesto was inspired by a familycircle.com recipe that originally called for almonds instead of pecans.  The leftover pesto is GREAT as a sandwich spread- try it with turkey and roasted red pepper with crisp lettuce.  Don't be afraid of the arugula.  It is not bitter at all.

Pesto:

1/2 c chopped pecans

2 1/2 c arugula

1 1/2 c spinach

1/2 c basil leaves

2 large cloves of garlic

1/2 c olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

black pepper to taste

Blend the first 5 ingredients together in a food processor, adding the oil slowly.  Add salt and pepper. 

Zucchini noodles:

2 small zucchini or 1 medium zucchini, zested in its entirety with a lemon zester

4 oz (1/4 package) whole wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked

1 small clove garlic, minced

In a large saute pan, heat 1 tsp olive oil and add garlic when it sizzles. Add the zucchini noodles and saute, but be somewhat gentle so you don't break up the noodles too much. After about a minute, add the cooked spaghetti. Add about 1/3 cup of the pecan arugula pesto, and toss gently in the saute pan until it is incorporated.  Add more pesto if necessary.  Serve with shaved parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper. I also added 1/4 julienned red pepper for color. 

Red Curry Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
This soup has the most wonderful aroma, and is fantastic on a cold, dreary day. You can adjust the curry to your taste, but don't forget that the coconut milk will temper the spice.  If you don't have curry paste, you can also use red curry sauce, which I found at Trader Joe's. The original recipe called for butternut squash only, but I didn't quite have enough, so I threw in a sweet potato and had no regrets.  If it's too spicy, you can always add a dollop of Greek yogurt to cut the heat.

1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1-2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 inch ginger root, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T red curry paste or 1/2 c red curry sauce
1 can (14 oz) lite coconut milk
3 c chicken or vegetable broth
2-3 T lime juice, and lime zest if you used fresh lime
1 tsp salt
1/2 c frozen corn (frozen roasted corn if you can find it)
2 diced scallions
1/4 c chopped cilantro (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Toss the squash and the sweet potatoes with 1 T olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until tender.  In a large soup pot, heat 1 T olive oil and add the onions, garlic, and ginger.  Saute until the onions are translucent and turn off heat. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, red curry paste, lime juice and zest.  Add the squash and sweet potatoes, and using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it is smooth. Turn the heat back on and add the corn, half the scallions, and salt to taste. Once the soup is heated, ladle into large bowls and garnish with the rest of the scallions and cilantro.

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Red and White Hearty Chili, Red Cabbage and Jicama Slaw, Greek Tomato Salad, and Classic Cornbread

Claire and I both had chili on our minds, with handfuls of veggies thrown in and turkey instead of beef.  We made two delicious versions, one white and one red. They both came together really quickly, which gave us time to come up with a few side dishes. Generally when Claire and I cook, we look through our refrigerators and our conversation goes something like  I've got red cabbage. I've got a lot of tomatoes.  I've got 1/2 a thing of jicama. We could make a red cabbage slaw.  Ok, what about tomato salad? That sounds good. I've got a little bit of feta cheese.  What about Greek tomato salad?  I have a recipe I've been meaning to try.  That will go great with chili.  Should we make cornbread too? I don't know if I'm a huge cornbread fan- the stuff from the box has that weird aftertaste. I have a from-scratch recipe.  Then we discuss our timing- this week for instance, we had a 1 1/2 hour window interrupted by various kid drop-offs and a teacher conference. So if the ingredients sometimes seem a little random, you might be onto something...

Served with Kale Chips. The phrase "Eat your colors!"
comes to mind, doesn't it?

Hearty Turkey Chili
Hearty and heart-healthy.  Unless you serve it with the homemade cornbread posted below, which you should.  Don't be nervous about the quantity of zucchini and mushrooms.  They cook down, and we didn't need to add water.  The mushrooms also gave the chili some depth, while the tomato paste also added a lot of flavor.  We chopped the carrots so finely that you couldn't even tell they were there.  I like putting carrots, pureed or diced into tomato-based soups/sauces because it adds a little sweetness and cuts the natural acidity of the tomatoes. 

1 lb ground turkey, browned
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c diced carrots (very fine)
2 c diced mushrooms
3 c diced zucchini
2 x14 oz cans of diced tomatoes

3 T tomato paste

1 T chicken base

1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T smoked or Hungarian paprika
2 T chili powder
1 T coriander
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 T honey
1/2 c frozen corn
2 cans white kidney beans, liquid included

Brown the meat, and add the garlic and onions.  Saute together, and add carrots.  Add the zucchini and mushrooms, saute and let them cook down for a few minutes.  During this time, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken base, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, honey, and spices.  Add the frozen corn and the beans. Salt to taste, let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Garnish with Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, green onions, cilantro if desired. Serve with cornbread.  And hot sauce!

Hearty White Chicken Chili
This white chili, also known as stew, has three different types of meat in it, but it's PACKED with veggies and might even be, dare I say, healthy? Feel free to vary the vegetables.  I used a lot of what was leftover in my fridge from other meals- my baby carrots were on their last legs, and crying to be tossed in a soup. Top it with nonfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and don't forget the cilantro like I did.

1 lb. chicken sausage
4 slices turkey bacon
1 can white chicken breast, or 1 c leftover shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cans white navy beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 c diced carrots
1/2 c frozen corn
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 c spinach, chopped
3 c cabbage, shredded
1/4 red pepper, diced
1/2 large onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
6 c water or broth
(salt to taste, but the sausage and bacon may have plenty, so taste first)

In a large stockpot, heat 1 tsp olive oil and add garlic and onions. Saute until translucent. Add the sausage and bacon, cook until the sausage is done.  Next add carrots and celery and saute for a few minutes, adding a little water if the pot starts to scorch. Add the canned or rotisserie chicken, followed by the cabbage, zucchini, and corn. Add the beans and the water, followed by the spices. Let the chili simmer on medium heat until it reduces, about 20 minutes. Add the spinach and red pepper about 10 minutes before serving.

Red Cabbage and Jicama Slaw
This is great as a stand-alone side dish, but also works well with pulled pork or BBQ chicken.  I had some on a slice of toast with Chevre cheese.  It was so tempting that a co-worker asked to try it.  Besides, how can you resist the beautiful color? Don't be worried about the quantity- it will reduce as the dressing sets in.

1/2 head red cabbage, thinly sliced with mandoline (about 4-6 cups)
1 jicama, julienned (about 1 1/2 cups)

This is even more vibrant the next day.

4 green onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal.

Dressing:

1/3 c red wine vinegar

1/3 c olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T honey or agave nectar, or 2 tsp sugar

pinch of dried oregano

pinch of dried basil

sea salt to taste

pepper to taste

2 T water

1 T Dijon mustard

Toss the veggies with the dressing and let it sit for at least 20 minutes.

Greek Tomato Summer Salad
This was a huge hit with Claire's family.  She thinks the feta cheese was what roped them in.  The dressing has fantastic flavor and would be good on a regular salad if you're sick of balsamic and olive oil. 

4 c chopped tomatoes
1 chopped bell pepper
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
2 pinches dried oregano
6 basil leaves, sliced
1 T honey
salt and pepper to taste

Toss veggies with dressing, and let sit for 30-45 minutes. Add the feta cheese before serving.

Claire's Classic Cornbread
This is really good.  It is sweet, but not cloyingly so.  And it doesn't have that weird aftertaste that the box mix has. Claire had tried many different homemade cornbread recipes, and adapted this one from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, adding a little more moisture and frozen corn as well.  I agree that cornbread should have real corn in it for added texture and sweetness.  The kids loved it, especially the twins.

1/2 c unsalted melted butter
1 1/2 c lowfat buttermilk
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 T sugar
1 1/2 c fine cornmeal
1 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c fresh or frozen corn

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the melted butter together with the buttermilk, eggs, sugar, and corn. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients.  Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Pour the batter into the baking pan. Bake for 23-28 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.



Let us know if you try our recipes, what worked, what didn't... We love hearing your comments. 

Moroccan Chicken Stew and Thai Coconut Mahi Mahi

Today it was just Claire, myself, our 5 year olds, and the 18 month old twins in the kitchen.  These recipes were somewhat new for us, so we had to concentrate.  One of these days I will take a picture of the absolute mess my kitchen becomes when we do this.  Oh, and we also made a couple of Easy Macaroni and Cheese casseroles for other families.  (See the Lasagne: Red, White, and Bleu, Ole!  post.)  I didn't include the recipe here, but to make it vegetarian, I used one can of cream of mushroom and one can of cream of celery instead. And no bacon.

I've had a bunch of turnips in my refrigerator drawer that I've been wanting to use up, and our CSA farm helpfully gives us scads of great recipes that use things like Russian kale, chevril, and the arch enemy of all children: Swiss chard. This Moroccan Chicken and Turnip Stew was one of the recipes.  It turned out fabulously.  The zucchini noodles are so versatile- you can also serve them with a teriyaki glazed salmon steak or mix with spaghetti noodles with Bolognese sauce on top.

Morrocan Turnip and Chicken Stew
There are a few ingredients that are in this stew that you can leave out if you are cooking out of your pantry. I didn't quite have all the turnips that the recipe called for, so I used a couple of potatoes in addition.  The original recipe calls for a whole chicken, but I grabbed a couple of boneless breast packets out of the freezer.  I also had  some kale and carrots on hand, so I added those for color. People talk endlessly about the wonders of saffron- I don't buy it regularly, but you can often find it for cheap in ethnic food stores. The reality is that most people don't stock it in their kitchens.  If that's the case, leave it out.  Consider substituting a teaspoon or two of curry powder in lieu of the saffron and turmeric.

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed
2 lbs. chicken drumsticks or thighs (boneless if desired)
3 T butter

1 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
5 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 pinch saffron threads
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 lb. small turnips, rinsed and quartered
2 potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
(1 1/2 c kale, chopped, optional)
(1/2 c carrots, small cubes, optional)
1/4 c lemon juice
salt and pepper

Melt butter and oil in Dutch oven-sized pot and lightly brown chicken on all sides, cooking in two batches if necessary.  Remove the chicken and cut into 1 inch chunks once cool. Leave to the side. Stir onions into butter and oil to color.  Add the chickpeas, stock, white pepper, ginger, saffron, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken. Add turnips, potatoes, and carrots and simmer 20 minutes more. Add kale. Simmer sauce to reduce, mashing some of the chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the sauce; it may take 10-15 minutes to produce a nice thick sauce. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook.

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Thai Coconut Sauce

Our friend Robi sent us an email with this mahi mahi recipe from epicurious.com, and we immediately had to try it.  It was delicious. The sauce would also be good on a flakier fleshed fish, like tilapia. Claire thought it might also be good with chicken.  As she puts it, "There is something magical that happens in my mouth when coconut milk, lime juice, and cilantro come together." I agree.  We served it over the zucchini noodles, but consider plain jasmine rice if you are short on time.  The sauce is actually very quick to make.  If you can't find clam juice anywhere, you could use chicken stock.  (I mixed 8 oz chicken stock with 1/2 tsp anchovy paste.)  Do not subsitute fish sauce for clam juice, unless you are trying to get your sodium fix for the next 3 months.  I garnished with thinly sliced sweet red pepper. Mmmm.  Original recipe at http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/359709

1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 tsp ground red pepper (or diced serrano chile)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 tablespoons minced green onion
4 6-ounce mahi-mahi fillets

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or in our case the George Foreman grill. Combine first 6 ingredients in medium skillet. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes or serrano chile, depending on level of heat desired; boil until sauce thickens slightly and is reduced to generous 3/4 cup, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons cilantro and 2 tablespoons green onions. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Brush fish all over with 1/4 cup sauce; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill fish until opaque in center and grill marks appear, 5 to 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness of fish. Divide coconut sauce among 4 plates; top with fish. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and green onions.

Delicious lunch is served. Low carb, anyone?

Zucchini Noodles

I had been wanting to let Claire try my Zucchini noodles.  I've seen lots of recipes that have you use a vegetable peeler, so if you don't have a lemon zester, you can use a peeler. I like to use the lemon zester because it makes the noodles more uniform.  I've also made the noodles where I'll mix 1/2 zucchini noodles with 1/2 cooked spaghetti noodles.  The zucchini noodles blend right in, while the spaghetti noodles give the "pasta" a little more substance.  It's impossible for kids to pick the zucchini out, and the bonus for the adults is that you're getting less carbs.  I like to push the envelope by serving broccoli and salad on the side in addition, and not even counting the zuke noodles as a veggie. Haven't been called on it yet...

1 small-medium zucchini per person
(small amount matchstick carrots for color, if desired)
1 clove of garlic, slivered
1 tsp canola oil

Holding one end of the zucchini, use a lemon zester to shred the squash down to nothing. Rotate as you go. Don't trim the end off until you are done, as it makes a nice handle.  Repeat with the other zucchini. If there are a few small pieces left, you can slice them with a knife and add them to the pile of noodles.

Heat the oil in a pan.  Add the garlic.  Add the zucchini and stir fry for less than a minute.  Just cook long enough to soften.  Cooking for much longer than that will turn the noodles to mush.  Toss with equal parts cooked spaghetti if desired, or serve as is. Garnish with shredded parmesan, sesame seeds or poppy seeds, depending on your main dish.

Banana-Raisin Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce
As I was flipping through the William-Sonoma catalog, this recipe caught my eye.  We had to try it.  Pros:  it smelled delicious. Cons: time-consuming, needy, dry, and lots of egg yolks and heavy cream. Good thing you had the low carb mahi-mahi and zucchini noodles for dinner, eh? Sadly, this recipe did not really live up to the visual and olfactory hype. But we are including it anyway.  We are currently on a mission to find a better banana bread pudding recipe. Stay tuned. 

1 1/2 lb sliced bread, cut into 1-inch squares
2 T unsalted butter, at room temp, plus 2 T melted
4 3/4 c heavy cream
3 c milk
7 egg yolks
3 eggs
2/3 c plus 1/2 c granulated sugar, plus more to sprinkle
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled, sliced lengthwise into quarters, then into 1/4 chunks
2 T firmly packed brown sugar
4 T spiced rum

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the bread squares until the bread is dry, 6-8 minutes.  Remove bread and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Grease a 3 quart baking dish with room temperature butter.

In a large bowl, whisk 3 c cream, milk, 3 of the egg yolks, the whole eggs, 2/3 c granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Submerge the dried bread into the mixture and let soak for 30 minutes. Stir and press the bread into the liquid every 10 minutes.

Combine the banana slices and brown sugar in another bowl.  Toss well.  Place half the soaked bread into the prepared baking dish and cover evenly with bananas.  Top with remaining bread, and pour any remaining cream-egg mixture over the top.  Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 T granulated sugar.

Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan, transfer the pan to the oven and pour 1 inch of very hot water into the roasting pan to make a water bath. Bake until top is golden brown and the pudding is just set, about 1 hour.  Transfer the roasting pan to a wire rack and let pudding cool in the water bath.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk the remaining 1 3/4 c cream, 4 egg yolks, and 1/2 c granulated sugar.  Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 5-6 minutes.  Do not let the mixture boil. Whisk in the rum, and strain sauce through a fine mesh sieve.

Serve in warm pudding bowls and drizzle with sauce and vanilla ice cream.  Serves 12.

• 

  The rum sauce separated as it cooled.
  Still pretty tasty, but overall disappointing recipe.
  We're calling it a Fail, but including it for posterity.
  As printed on one of those motivational kitten posters, 
  "Nobody's perfeck."

  • Please leave us comments and suggestions!
                   
                      
  
  
  
  
  
  
                                     
  

Lasagna: Red, White, and Bleu, Ole!

Claire had a bunch of company coming in for a family event, and I took a look in the freezer the other day and was out of pre-made dinners.  So we had a Lasagna Assembly Fest to serve both of our needs.  We made 11 dinners and 1 full lunch in about 2 hours. Technically, one of the lasagnas is actually Mac & Cheese, but it's got bleu cheese crumbles, bacon bits, and caramelized onions in it, so go ahead and file a complaint in the comments below if you want. But I'm thinking you might be too busy wiping that drool off your keyboard before it shorts out. The Mac & Cheese is quick and easy (if you leave out the fancy stuff), and always a hit with kids.  Added bonus: you can brag about how you made homemade mac & cheese the next day. 


Claire's Traditional Lasagna
As with all the recipes presented in this post, make a double batch and stick one in the freezer. You will be so thankful later in the month when you are strapped for ideas and remember that you have this premade meal ready to thaw and bake.  Also, while no-bake lasagna noodles are easily available, you can still use regular lasagna noodles without boiling them first. It turns out just fine- we've been doing this for years. It saves a good half hour of prep time. Claire has tried other types of lasagna, but as she puts it, "This really has my heart with a great tossed green salad with balsamic and olive oil."  The texture of the diced tomatoes in the sauce is wonderful, and most of the stuff is probably in your pantry.  The store bought stuff is just not as good. Recipe makes enough for 2 lasagnas, one to eat and one to freeze.

1 lb Italian sausage, browned and drained

Sauce
3 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (adds a lot of flavor- don't shy away from it)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can tomato sauce (28 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (14 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)
6 mushrooms, minced
1 carrot grated super fine on a microplane (leave it out if you can't grate it super fine)
1 T fresh basil (add at the end)

Back into the oven for a little more browning...

Filling
32 oz or large size ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 c mozzarella, shredded
1 cup finely grated fresh parmesan
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 c fresh spinach, finely chopped
black pepper to taste

1 package lasagna noodles
1 cup additional shredded mozzarella
1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese

Add olive oil to a heated pan. Saute garlic for about 1 minute before adding all herbs, except fresh basil. Saute another 30 seconds and add tomatoes, carrots, and mushrooms. Simmer 5 min.  Add browned, drained sausage and simmer 10 min.  Turn off the heat and stir in fresh basil.  


In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients.

Freeze the second tray of lasagna, and thaw first before baking.  It makes a great dinner for a busy night or for a friend in need.  If you put the date you made it and the cooking directions in permanent marker on the foil wrap, anyone can bake it.  Anyone.  

Laura's Lemon Chicken Artichoke Lasagne
This dish was inspired by an entree my husband and I ordered at a local restaurant. I thought it would be even better with a layer of thinly sliced potatoes shingled across the top and left to brown. My daughter said that she thought they were like potato chips!  I used a jar of store bought alfredo sauce to save time, but I don't like how thick it is, so I dilute it with milk. You can use any type of chicken, including leftover rotisserie (use #278 for leftover rotisserie chicken!).  Serve it with roasted asparagus and a crisp salad.

2 cups cooked chicken
1 package lasagne noodles (I like a mix of regular and spinach noodles)
1 jar alfredo sauce
2/3 jar of milk
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 cups spinach leaves, chopped
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
3 T olive oil
1 T dill weed
dash nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste (minimal salt if you're using premade sauce)
1 c shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the jar of alfredo with equal parts of milk in a bowl (no need to heat it, but do mix it well).  Add lemon juice and zest, dill weed, dash nutmeg, and pepper.  Ladle about 3/4 cup of white sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Layer lasagna noodles. Sprinkle  1/2 of the chopped artichoke hearts next, followed by another layer of lasagna noodles. Ladle 3/4 c of sauce over noodles. Layer 1/2 the chicken and 1/2 the spinach. Sprinkle 1/2 c parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers again, but reserve 1/2 c parmesan cheese for the top layer. If there is any sauce left, ladle that in. Toss the thinly sliced potatoes with the olive oil and some good salt and pepper.  Layer like roof shingles over the top of the lasagna, and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese over the top.  Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and golden brown.  If the potatoes are not golden brown, broil for 5 minutes right before serving. 

I partially cooked this so I could get it in the freezer.
Once reheated, it will be a little browner. Delicious.

Easy Homemade Mac & Cheese: Plain and Fancy
The original version is Claire's- so simple, and a great way to use up leftover sour cream.  Kids love it.  We highly recommend the rigatoni noodles- they just hold the cheesy sauce better.  If you want a less authentic, more orange-y look of store bought mac-n-cheese, add a jar of pureed carrot baby food! If your kids can handle flecks of green, add a handful of chopped spinach, too. I made an adult version that blends bleu cheese, bacon, and caramelized onion- it takes a little bit longer to prepare the additions, but it's so worth it.  

1 lb box rigatoni noodles

Before baking, adult version.

1 tub sour cream (or most of one tub- doesn't need to be exact)
2 cans of condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (can substitute cream of mushroom)
2 cups cheese- cheddar, preferably
1 cup toasted and seasoned bread crumbs (panko or homemade is better)

Adult version:1/2 thinly sliced onion
6 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/3 c bleu cheese crumbles

Boil and drain the rigatoni noodles, al dente. Place the noodles in a big mixing bowl and pour in the sour cream and soup.  Stir until the noodles are all coated. Blend in 1 1/2 c cheese. (Here is where you would also add the baby food carrots and chopped spinach if you want.)   Pour into a 9 x 13 baking pan, or two 8x8 inch baking pans.  *Layer the top with the rest of the cheddar cheese and a thin layer of bread crumbs.  Bake for 30 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees or until golden brown.

*Adult version:Follow instructions as above, but leave out the last bit of grated cheddar.  Sprinkle the onions, bacon, and bleu cheese crumbles. Top with panko bread crumbs, but don't make it a full-thickness layer- you want some of the bleu cheese, bacon, and onions to peek through. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown. 

After baking, with the cheese all melty. There wasn't much leftover.

Mexican Lasagna Ole!
This is a version of Chicken Chilaquiles.  I had a stack of leftover, stale tortillas and a tray of pinto beans from a catered lunch.  It all would have gone in the garbage, but I mixed the beans with some shredded chicken and cheddar cheese and layered it with the tortillas and poured enchilada sauce over it. It was a big hit. Because I was using leftovers, the portions are approximate.  You'll note that the chopped spinach is missing from the list of ingredients.  I actually did put it in there; I just don't want to appear obsessive about adding chopped spinach to EVERYTHING. No one will notice the spinach in there, and you will feel good about feeding it to your family.

3 cups of cooked pinto beans (or about 2 cans, drained)
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 small onion, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can enchilada sauce
1 small can tomato sauce (I diluted the spice a little for the kids)
2 cans chicken, or about 2 cups leftover shredded chicken
1 package of tortillas, white or corn

Saute the onions and garlic until the onions are soft. Mix the onions and garlic with the beans, 1 c cheese, and the chicken together. Mix the enchilada sauce with the tomato sauce. You can also just use the enchilada sauce alone. Place a spoonful of enchilada/tomato sauce in a 9x13 inch casserole dish.  Put a single layer of tortillas down, followed by a layer of the chicken and bean mixture.  Add another spoonful of the enchilada/tomato sauce, followed by a layer of tortillas.  Repeat until you have used everything up. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for about 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Lunch looked like this:

Hungarian Cucumber Salad
This is a great go-to summer salad that is quick to make. The dressing just takes a minute, and I usually make it with just cucumber in it. The last time I made this, I had extra cubes of stale bread, so I toasted them and tossed them in with the salad. Filling and yummy!  This is adapted from Molly O'Neill's New York Cookbook. 

3 T red wine vinegar
1 heaping T Dijon mustard
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dill weed
1 tsp paprika
approximately 4 T olive oil
1 seedless cucumber

Whisk red wine vinegar, Dijon, sugar, salt, pepper, dill weed, and paprika in a small bowl.  Continue whisking as you drizzle olive oil into the dressing mixture. Whisk until emulsified. Toss with cucumber, let the flavors marry for a bit before serving if you have time.  This makes a lot of dressing- you can reserve half of it for later, or use all of it and add in other veggies such as another cucumber, 1-2 sliced radishes, 1/2 sliced red pepper, 1 cup toasted bread cubes, and a chopped green onion/scallion. 


White Chicken Chili
This is adapted from Soup Suppers by Arthur Schwartz. It's filling enough to be a meal on its own.  Without a few drops of tabasco and a lime wedge, the soup is merely ok, but once you add the spicy and the sour, and toss in some cilantro, it pops!

2 lbs chicken breasts
6 cups of chicken broth

1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
1/2 cup cabbage, shredded
1 can green chiles
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 can cannellini beans
sea salt to taste

Garnishes: 
lime wedges
grated cheddar cheese
avocado chunks
chopped cilantro
tabasco
sour cream

Boil the chicken breasts in the broth. Once the chicken is done, remove from the broth (but reserve the broth), let cool until you're able to cut up into chunks.  In a separate pan, saute the onions and garlic in 1 T olive oil. Add to the broth.  Add the potatoes, carrots, chiles, and spices to the broth. Let simmer for 10 minutes and add the beans. When the carrots are tender, add the chicken and simmer another 10 minutes. Serve with garnish.

Please leave any comments you have about our recipes!  We love hearing from you.

Chicken Adobo and Cake Pops

This week we planned ahead of time, but still managed to not have a couple of ingredients on hand.  Instead of running to the store, we just left them out this time. No school for the kids, so the olders "finally" (as they put it) got to play.   My sister arrived to join us, and brought with her a bunch of cake pops, so I've included that recipes below.  The challenge this week was to find eggplant that Claire likes. I didn't quite succeed, but I've included my favorite eggplant chutney recipe below anyway.

Chicken Adobo, Yellow Rice Pilaf, and
some roasted veggies on the side.

Chicken Adobo

You will not believe how tender and flavorful this chicken is.  The meat just falls off the bone. My kids loved pouring spoonfuls of the juice over their rice. I've heard this is good with pork, and if you wanted to do a vegetarian version, it would be good with tofu- just don't marinate it as long.

·     4-5 lbs. chicken thighs or drumsticks

·     1/2 cup white vinegar

·     1/2 cup soy sauce

·      4 cloves garlic, crushed

·      1 tsp. black peppercorns

·      3 bay leaves

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Cover and marinate chicken for 1-3 hours. Bring to boil, then lower heat. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer until sauce is reduced and thickened, and chicken is tender, about 20 more minutes. Serve with steamed rice. 

We had not a single drumstick leftover.

Yellow Rice Pilaf
I have a confession.  I have never actually made rice in a stovetop pot.  I grew up with a rice cooker, and I've my own since college.  I cook all my rice and grains in that, including couscous, quinoa, etc- and they all turn out perfectly.  What I actually did was to put everything except the almonds and the parsley (which I stirred in at the end) in the rice cooker.  But here is the recipe for the stovetop method. 


3 c chicken broth (I used my leftover homemade)
1 handful of raisins
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 pinch saffron threads
1 1/2 c white rice
1/2 c chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup slivered almonds


Bring broth, raisins, turmeric, and saffron to a boil.  Stir in the rice, cover the pot, and let it simmer on low heat for 18 minutes.  When the rice is done, add the parsley and almonds and fluff. 

Eggplant Chutney
I first made this recipe when I was 15 years old, in high school. It sounded interesting to me, and growing up in the midwest, we didn't have a lot of exotic foods. So I tried it.  I don't remember how I managed to acquire fenugreek or cumin seeds- they didn't just have that at the local Shopping Center.  The chutney is very rich, and is great as a bruschetta topping. It's from The Africa News Cookbook African Cooking for Western Kitchens.  (see below)  Don't let the oil get too hot, or your garlic and other spices will burn, and it won't taste right.

2 lb. eggplant

1 tbsp. ginger, grated

1 tbsp. garlic, pounded

3/4 cup white vinegar

6 chili peppers, sliced lengthwise or 1-1/3 tbsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. fenugreek

1 tsp. mustard seeds

1/4 tsp. cumin seeds, pounded

1 tsp. turmeric

2 tbsp. sugar

1-1/3 tbsp. salt

Peel the eggplant and cut into one inch cubes. Cover the pieces with cold water in a bowl, and let them sit while you mix the ginger, garlic, vinegar and chilies and pound or blend them to a paste. Next, heat the oil in a pot, and stir in the fenugreek, mustard, cumin, turmeric, sugar and salt. When the mustard seeds stop sputtering, mix in the spice paste. Drain the eggplant, add it to the pot, and simmer until tender. Spoon into clean jars, cool and refrigerate. The chutney will keep for about a month.

Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
My husband's been hankering for apple pie lately because he bought one at a local bakery that was supposed to be one of the best in our area.  When we brought it home and cut into it, it became evident that they don't peel their apples.  Who doesn't peel their apples for apple pie? My sister sings the praises of her apple peeler and corer, but I just used a plain old fashioned knife while one of my toddlers tried to climb on my back.  I used pre-made pie crust to save time. I like the kind you unroll better than the ones in the tins, which always seem to crack (which is not a huge deal).  
Oh, also, I am kind of picky about the apples that I use in my pie.  I'll spare you my full-length apple rant.  The easiest ones to get year round are Granny Smith. Sometimes I will put one or two sweeter apples into the mix, but many eating apples do not hold up well during cooking, and I hate mushy apples.  Never ever even think about using a Red Delicious for, well, for anything really. 


Prepare pie crust as directed. (I like to prebake them for about 5 minutes.)

8 cups PEELED, cored, and thinly sliced apples

Me trying to peel and cut apples
with one of my happy helpers.

1/4 c flour
3/4 c sugar (I used mostly brown sugar)
1 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg (also a dash each of allspice, optional)
pinch salt
1 T lemon juice (optional)


Mix ingredients above in a large mixing bowl and pour into pie crust.  Top with crumb topping, recipe below.


1/2 c brown sugar, light or dark
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c flour
1/4 c butter, chilled (one stick)


Using either a pastry blender or your fingertips, mix the ingredients above until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Spread evenly over your pie, and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
*You can wrap the edge with foil to keep it from browning too much.
*Bake it on a baking sheet so that if it bubbles over in a yummy way, your oven won't be a mess.

Yes, that's a pi plate. 3.14159665...
Those of you that know me shouldn't even have to ask.

Also, this is what happens when you don't have chilled butter
when you make the crumb topping.  Still yummy, though.

I had a roll of crescent roll dough in the fridge, and a little bit of filling to spare, so I made Apple Pie in a Blanket.  Just wrap about 1 T of apple pie filling in the dough.  Roll it up and bake it as directed, or until golden brown.  The kids REALLY loved these.  I may or may not have shoved one in my mouth while finishing up the dishes, and another one on my way out the door to work in the morning.  You can't prove anything, and there were no witnesses.






Working Person's Crock Pot Pot Roast
Claire is the expert on slow cooker recipes.  Her tip of the week:  do NOT open the lid to peek.  Every time you open the lid, you have to add 30 minutes onto the cooking time.   I made this ahead of time for tomorrow night's dinner.
3+ lb rump roast

The picture truly doesn't do it justice.

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can French onion soup
1 can Italian-style tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 leek finely diced
1 onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 T Cognac
2 T red wine


Cook on low heat in a crock pot for 10 hours.  Serve with roasted potatoes or noodles, and salad and veggie on the side.  Leftover meat is great for minestrone (see last week's minestrone recipe).

*********

This was our lunch.  Lettuce wraps, borscht, and cake pops!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
These are so yummy.  The kung pao sauce can have a tiny kick to it, so be wary with kids.  Most of our kids like it anyway because they are so fun to eat.  The lettuce has a nice cooling effect.  You can make your own kung pao sauce and leave out the spice if you want.


1 1/2 lb ground chicken or turkey
10 mushrooms finely diced
2 cans water chestnuts finely diced
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup kung pao sauce 
dash white pepper
4 green onions finely chopped
1 head iceburg lettuce

Saute ground chicken.  Once cooked, add mushrooms and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.  Add water chestnuts, kung pao sauce, white pepper and diced green onions.  Slice lettuce in half.  Serve cool lettuce as a cup to hold the hot chicken.


*If the sauce is a little watery, you can thicken it by taking out 3-4 T liquid from the pot and mixing it with 2 T cornstarch, and stirring it back in with the chicken mixture.  It should start to thicken within a minute or so. 

Ukrainian Borscht, the real stuff

I am a huge borscht fan, and here's where I come down on several borscht debates.  It HAS to have beets, a lot of them. It has to have oxtail, or at least a handful of cubed beef.  Dill is a must- doesn't taste right without the dill.  And, absolutely sour cream. Some people use vinegar to make the borscht sour.  This doesn't taste right to me. I will tell you that I only used 2 beets for this particular batch- thought I had more, so it didn't turn out the beautiful red that it normally does.  This recipe was given to me by Grandma Nadia, a Ukrainian neighbor that was an amazing cook.  I wish I had more of her recipes. 


4-5 beets, peeled and grated (add last)

1/2 chopped onion

1/2 c diced carrots

1/2 c chopped mushrooms

1/2 c chopped parsley

1 small tomato, diced

1/2 c finely chopped cabbage

2 small potatoes, diced

2 tsp dill weed

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 oxtails

salt to taste


Add everything to a pot, with enough water to give you the amount of broth you like. Add the beets last.  Add a dollop of sour cream for garnish.  Mix it in well and enjoy.

And last but not least....

Cake Pops

http://www.marthastewart.com/315587/cupcake-pops-and-bites

Here's what my sister had to say:  I used white cake. I had to finger shape them. I didn't have a cookie cutter. Most of the stuff is available at Michael's now, like the lollipops sticks, the candy melts, and the baggies. The cake and frosting and sprinkles you get at the grocery store. 

• 9-by-13-inch Chocolate Cake for Cupcake Pops
• 2 cups Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
• 1 package chocolate coating bark
• 1 package white coating bark or pink candy melts
• Sprinkles, for garnish
• Candy-coated chocolates, such as M&M's, for garnish

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Trim about 1/2 inch from the perimeter of the cake. Working in batches, crumble cake into the bowl of a food processor; process until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a large bowl and add frosting; blend together using the back of a spoon, until well combined, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Roll mixture into 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch balls; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with parchment-paper-lined aluminum foil. Transfer to refrigerator until chilled, about 2 hours or to a freezer for about 10 minutes.
3. Begin to shape balls into cupcakes by rolling balls first into logs. Fit logs into a 1 1/4-by-3/4-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter. Push cake mixture into the cutter halfway so that some of the cake mixture extends beyond the top of the cutter. Shape extended cake mixture into a cupcake-shaped top. Push cake from cutter to remove. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Transfer to freezer until chilled, 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Remove cupcakes from freezer and dip the bottom of each cupcake into the chocolate; transfer, bottom-side up, to prepared baking sheet. To make lollipops, insert a lollipop stick into the bottom of each cupcake. Let chocolate set, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Melt white chocolate or pink candy melts in heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the chocolate and place right-side up on prepared baking sheet or stick lollipop sticks into a Styrofoam square. Place a candy-coated chocolate in the center of each and top with sprinkles. Let dry completely.

Stuff We Like

Better than Bouillon is awesome.  
I converted Claire recently, and she thought we should mention it since we use it all the time in our recipes.  You just need about 1 tsp of it per cup of water.  The broth that it makes is flavorful and healthy, and there is no MSG.  (A lot of chicken broths have MSG in them- I hate that.)  In addition, if you don't need a whole can or box, you can just refrigerate the what's left in the jar for next time.  We get a huge jar at Costco for about $6-7, and it lasts a couple of months. You can get vegetarian and beef flavors, too.

This is now out of print,
but it's worth a look.
It's got a great recipe for
doro wat and quick injera bread.

This is what we used today,
but there are lots of other good brands.

             

Pi plate. This one is the closest I could find.

  

For tons of cute ideas, take a look at this.
Great for birthday parties!

Please leave a comment if you tried any of the recipes, or if you made it to the end of this post!