Swiss Chard at a small, local Farmer's Market
Showing posts with label Vegetables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegetables. Show all posts
Monday, December 3, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Finally getting to be soup weather!
I love the cooler weather. And I am looking forward to soup. Lots of soups. Hearty soups. So I went looking through past blog posts to see what's what. These are two I had forgotten about and I'm glad I went back to look. They will be on our table again very soon.
Minestrone with Tomatoes and Rice
Source: original recipe by Luca Marcato of Osteria al Doge, NYC
adapted There's Always Thyme to Cook
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1-inch dice
1 Japanese eggplant or 1/2 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup arborio rice
one 28-ounce can Italian peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 small stalk of broccoli — cut into 1-inch florets, stem peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 small head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
1 medium celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
6 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth
6 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Heat
the olive oil in a large non-reactive soup pot. Add the onion and red
bell pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally,
until softened and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the carrot
potato, zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant and cook, stirring often,
for 5 minutes.
Add
the rice to a skillet on medium heat with a little bit of oil, about a
tablespoon. Stir well to coat the grains with the oil and toast for
about two minutes. Then add the rice to the soup pot with the
vegetables. Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black
pepper, the crushed red pepper and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil
over moderately high heat. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, celery and
peas and cook, stirring, until all the vegetables and the rice are
tender, about 35 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
(MAKE
AHEAD: The soup can be refrigerated for 1 day. Reheat before serving.)
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve, passing the Parmesan cheese at the
table. If it's too thick next day, add some stock or water and season again!
Source: Food Network, recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
Printable Recipe
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 sage leaf
2 (15-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
1/2 cup cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices crusty bread, cut into chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, another 10-15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. It will be hot so be careful.
Once all the soup is blended add the cream. Salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm, covered, over very low heat.
Arrange the bread on a sheet pan in one layer. Drizzle the slices of bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Broil the bread until warm and golden, keeping an eye so they don't burn. Stir to toast all sides. Serve the soup in bowls with the croutons.
Printable Recipe
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 sage leaf
2 (15-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
1/2 cup cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices crusty bread, cut into chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, another 10-15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. It will be hot so be careful.
Once all the soup is blended add the cream. Salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm, covered, over very low heat.
Arrange the bread on a sheet pan in one layer. Drizzle the slices of bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Broil the bread until warm and golden, keeping an eye so they don't burn. Stir to toast all sides. Serve the soup in bowls with the croutons.
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Walking on Sunshine
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Balsamic Skirt Steak
Really simple and really fantastic. That's all I have to say. My husband would be happy if I stayed a woman of such few words for a while but that's never going to happen, nope never! LOL!
1 1/2 pounds skirt steaks, pounded thin; cut into 4 pieces
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 zucchini, cut into half-moons
salt and pepper
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
In a large skillet, on medium-high, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic and zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until zucchini is browned in spots and just softened, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet. Season steak with salt and pepper and cook until browned, turn steaks over and cook to desired doneness. Transfer to a plate.
Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet. Season steak with salt and pepper and cook until browned, turn steaks over and cook to desired doneness. Transfer to a plate.
Drain the fat from the skillet, then add the vinegar, salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring, until reduced by about half, about 2-3 minutes. Add the steak to the pan for another minute to heat through. Serve the steak along with the zucchini. Drizzle the steak with more sauce and serve.
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Friday, September 21, 2012
Shaved Brussels Sprouts
There's something to be said for convenience. And safety :) We really like Brussels Sprouts and shredded is a nice change from roasting them whole. The thought of shaving those little round sprouts on a mandoline kind of scares me. Green cabbage is one thing. Teeny sprouts are another. When I was at Trader Joe's last week I saw bags and bags of Shaved Brussels Sprouts! Problem solved. I have all my fingers intact. I'm sure there's plenty to do with this, probably great as a slaw, in a salad. But all I did was saute it with some garlic, pancetta and toasted pine nuts. Excellent. I went back to Trader Joe's for more. And ended up with three full bags of other stuff, too. Yeah, I'm also one of those shoppers who buys new and improved, and all the cute junk by the register. An advertiser's dream :)
Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Pine Nuts
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
1 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts (or 1 bag store-bought shaved)
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, cut crosswise into thin strips (or tiny cubes, if you have thick pieces of pancetta)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful of pine nuts, toasted in a small dry skillet
1/2 -1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Carefully use a sharp knife or mandoline to thinly slice Brussels sprouts crosswise (or buy a bag that is already shaved.) Discard the root ends.
Add olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat; add pancetta and stir until slightly crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts, and cook, stirring often, until sprouts are bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the toasted pine nuts. Stir in a little butter, if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, cut crosswise into thin strips (or tiny cubes, if you have thick pieces of pancetta)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful of pine nuts, toasted in a small dry skillet
1/2 -1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Carefully use a sharp knife or mandoline to thinly slice Brussels sprouts crosswise (or buy a bag that is already shaved.) Discard the root ends.
Add olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat; add pancetta and stir until slightly crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts, and cook, stirring often, until sprouts are bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the toasted pine nuts. Stir in a little butter, if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
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Thursday, August 2, 2012
This has a-peel!
So I am a little addicted to kitchen gadgets and toys, I'm sure you dish addict people will understand the kitchen addiction! I already have the Y-style peeler to julienne and I found that it worked great, but just a little difficult for me. The julienne mandoline worked great, especially for potatoes and apples, but there is always that fear factor after a few slicing incidents and an abundance of band aids. Then someone mentioned a side peeler on their blog so I googled and then ordered one by Messermeister.
My new favorite kitchen gadget. For now anyway :)
There's a new lemon zester coming any day now.
There's a new lemon zester coming any day now.
To make Zucchini "Pasta" peel a few zucchini using a julienne peeler or mandoline. Saute with some oil and garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Top with fresh Parmesan shavings and serve.
or this...
Zucchini "Spaghetti"
adapted by http://theresalwaysthyme.blogspot.com
2 tablespoons olive oil (for the pan)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)
1 cup (or more) freshly grated cheese
Saute the zucchini in a bit of olive oil,
add a little salt and pepper to taste, don't cook the zucchini too
long, you don't want it turning to mush. Add the tomato sauce and grate a
little cheese on top, and mix it in. Take it off heat and pour it into a bowl, and grate some cheese on top and serve!
I'm joining
Beth Fish Reads for the Weekend Cooking Party.
Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
Foodie Friends Friday
hosted by
Walking on Sunshine
Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Cottage
Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House
Foodie Friends Friday
hosted by
Walking on Sunshine
Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Cottage
Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Mini Chicken Pot Pies
So I cheated in the kitchen. When my friend Debbie from Mountain Breaths gave the heads up that Williams-Sonoma was having a sale on the Breville Mini Pie Maker I jumped right away and ordered one. I'm a sucker for kitchen stuff! But I am a little baking challenged. So I took the easy way out. Store-bought dough. Soup from a can. I know. I know. That was practice. Next time from scratch. But these mini pies were a big hit anyway.
 |
| photo from the Williams-Sonoma Website |
Took a couple months to finally have a moment to use it and I am so glad I did. First time around was mini chicken pot pies. I need a little more practice, this one needed more filling so the top would have browned better. My son ate the one that was somewhat picture perfect. And it must have tasted as good as it looked because he wanted a second. And some to take to work tomorrow.
This is a basic recipe. Instead of pie shells in the tins, I used store bought pie crusts that are rolled. Two pie crusts per box, made about 6 mini pies, if you re-roll out the scraps. Next time I will try homemade dough. Hopefully. But this worked out fine.
Really Easy Chicken Pot Pie
2 (9 inch) deep dish frozen pie crust shells, thawed (or not!)
10-oz frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cooked, diced chicken breast
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
8 cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
1 potato, diced and par-boiled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl combine the mixed vegetables, mushrooms, chicken, cream of chicken soup and milk. Pour mixture into one of the pie crusts. Turn the other crust over and pop out of the tin onto the top of the filled pie. Poke a small hole in top crust.
Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl combine the mixed vegetables, mushrooms, chicken, cream of chicken soup and milk. Pour mixture into one of the pie crusts. Turn the other crust over and pop out of the tin onto the top of the filled pie. Poke a small hole in top crust.
Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
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Joining
Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
AND
Mosaic Monday
at the Little Red House
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