Friday, September 26, 2008
Mac-N-Peas
I hate to admit this, but I have bowed down to the powers that be...Little Mister's current love for all things Kraft Mac n'Cheese. I'm not proud of this...but when we were recently at Costco and I did the mental math and a box of this ooooooy-gooooey-color-not-found-in-nature goodness was only $0.50 per box....well, I gave in. We now have a case of it in our pantry. To assuage my guilt over feeding my kids this stuff, I decided to throw in a bag of frozen mixed veggies while I was cooking it. Low and behold, it took this not from nature goo into a delicious treat. I'm sure this isn't an original idea - but for someone who cooks from scratch and worries about making sure our kids eat healthy, it makes me feel better. I've discovered that it works well with peas, or broccoli. The cool thing about the mixed veg is they are cut small enough that Little Miss can easily eat and enjoy.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Soups Make Due
Ok, so we're really working on trying to stay on a better budget. We are not very good at this however and often find ourselves wandering through a grocery store at 5p with the Soup Kids in tow.
Darling Mr Sunday's Soups decided he wanted a very delicious recipe for meatballs with tomato and pesto sauce with a side of roasted brocolli rabe. Seriously great. Seriously $50 last time we made it because of COURSE once you are in the store, other things follow you home...like an extra bottle of wine.
We are making due tonight. I just invented a LOVELY pantry pasta salad. Cooked up a box of rotini, tossed in a couple of chopped tomatoes, a can of drained/rinsed garbanzo beans and a sack of frozen grean beans. I added a bit of Italian Dressing and a scoop of mayo. Not roasted brocolli rabe, but delicious in its own way and the kids will eat it. Plus, plenty for lunch boxes tomorrow.
I do have a package of ground turkey thawing. Thinking of making making due turkey meatballs. Not sure what exactly the recipe is for those just yet, but will whip up something and report back later! Along with the reaction of Darling Mr Sunday's to the make due meal.
Darling Mr Sunday's Soups decided he wanted a very delicious recipe for meatballs with tomato and pesto sauce with a side of roasted brocolli rabe. Seriously great. Seriously $50 last time we made it because of COURSE once you are in the store, other things follow you home...like an extra bottle of wine.
We are making due tonight. I just invented a LOVELY pantry pasta salad. Cooked up a box of rotini, tossed in a couple of chopped tomatoes, a can of drained/rinsed garbanzo beans and a sack of frozen grean beans. I added a bit of Italian Dressing and a scoop of mayo. Not roasted brocolli rabe, but delicious in its own way and the kids will eat it. Plus, plenty for lunch boxes tomorrow.
I do have a package of ground turkey thawing. Thinking of making making due turkey meatballs. Not sure what exactly the recipe is for those just yet, but will whip up something and report back later! Along with the reaction of Darling Mr Sunday's to the make due meal.
Bouillabaisse - Florida Style
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 small)
2 cups large-diced small white potatoes
2 cups chopped fennel (1 large bulb)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups good white wine
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, chopped
1 quart store-bought fish stock
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
3lbs of fresh fish (e.g. hog tail snapper), cut in large chunks
3 tablespoons Pernod
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Toasted baguette slices, buttered and slathered with aioli
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, and garlic, to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the fish, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish should be cooked. Stir in the Pernod, orange zest, and salt, to taste. Serve ladled over 1 or 2 slices of toasted baguette.
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 small)
2 cups large-diced small white potatoes
2 cups chopped fennel (1 large bulb)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups good white wine
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, chopped
1 quart store-bought fish stock
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
3lbs of fresh fish (e.g. hog tail snapper), cut in large chunks
3 tablespoons Pernod
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Toasted baguette slices, buttered and slathered with aioli
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, and garlic, to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the fish, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish should be cooked. Stir in the Pernod, orange zest, and salt, to taste. Serve ladled over 1 or 2 slices of toasted baguette.
Fresh Pea Soup
This is from Ina Garten's Barefoot Cooks at Home book. LOVE IT!
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
5 cups freshly shelled peas or 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen peas
2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup freshly chopped chives
Garlic croutons, for serving
Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. (Frozen peas will take only 3 minutes.) Off the heat, add the mint, salt, and pepper.
*Puree the soup in batches: place 1 cup of soup in a blender, place the lid on top, and puree on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed. Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with garlic croutons.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
5 cups freshly shelled peas or 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen peas
2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup freshly chopped chives
Garlic croutons, for serving
Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. (Frozen peas will take only 3 minutes.) Off the heat, add the mint, salt, and pepper.
*Puree the soup in batches: place 1 cup of soup in a blender, place the lid on top, and puree on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed. Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with garlic croutons.
Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho
I came across this one from The Splendid Table. She got it from:
Heirloom Tomato GazpachoFrom Latin Evolution by Jose Garces (Lake Isle Press, September 25, 2008). Copyright 2008 by Jose Garces. Used with permission of the publisher.
Yields 4 cup
4 large red heirloom tomatoes
2/3 English cucumber, seeded
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons diced day-old baguette, crust removed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1. To make gazpacho: Core tomatoes. Dip tomatoes into boiling water for about 15 seconds then shock in ice water. Peel tomatoes.
2. In a blender, combine tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, vinegar, and bread. Puree until smooth. While processing, slowly add olive oil until emulsified. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper. Gazpacho can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Heirloom Tomato GazpachoFrom Latin Evolution by Jose Garces (Lake Isle Press, September 25, 2008). Copyright 2008 by Jose Garces. Used with permission of the publisher.
Yields 4 cup
4 large red heirloom tomatoes
2/3 English cucumber, seeded
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons diced day-old baguette, crust removed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1. To make gazpacho: Core tomatoes. Dip tomatoes into boiling water for about 15 seconds then shock in ice water. Peel tomatoes.
2. In a blender, combine tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, vinegar, and bread. Puree until smooth. While processing, slowly add olive oil until emulsified. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper. Gazpacho can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Recent Soup Obsession
I've become (recently) obsessed with the idea of soup. It started a few months ago with a simple fresh pea soup. Light, lovely, oniony, minty pea soup. Perfect...Then, a couple of weeks ago there was a recipe for Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho. What's not to love? Few ingredients...huge flavor! Just last week, we were invited to make bouillabaisse using freshly caught hog tail snapper. It was fantastic - none of the distractions of shrimp or mussels or crab. Just lovely white fish, spicy broth and aioli toast...I'll be posting the recipes. MmmmmmmmMmmm SOUP!
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