Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup

Every day my inbox gets flooded email newsletters. There are a few, however, that I secretly love to read. One of those is the Epicurious Recipe Flash, which gives a sneak peek at Epicurious’ new recipes and featured articles. Yesterday the “6 Foods to Fight the Flu” guide caught my eye. Sam and I decided to make the Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup featured in the guide. Like many of the people who made comments on the recipee, we decided to make a few changes of our own: we switched the amounts of chicken broth and water; added a chopped potato, a glug of Marsala wine, plenty of fresh herbs; and Sam insisted we add diced jalepeno to give it kick (and I’m glad we did!). The recipe below reflects our changes, but feel free to change it however you like.

 

Hearty Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/3″ thick slices
• 2 medium celery ribs, cut crosswise into 1/3″ thick slices
• 1 medium potato, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 2 tablespoons Marsala wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• diced jalepeno for garnish

Directions

1. Bring water and broth to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Add chicken and simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cover, then let stand until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and cool 10 minutes. Reserve poaching liquid, uncovered.
2. While chicken is poaching, cook onion in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, celery, salt, and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add poaching liquid and marsala wine and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into 1/4-inch-wide strips (about 1 inch long). When vegetables are done simmering, stir chicken into soup along with parsley, herbs and jalepeno.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious. Read the Flu Foods Guide.

Clean-Out-the-Fridge Friday

In many workplace kitchens, Friday is clean-out-the-fridge day. I decided to implement that same work ethic to my fridge at home today. Though the steamed cauliflower and asparagus braised with red bell peppers and onions was delicious a couple nights ago, I was hankering for something different today.

The answer: an immersion blender to turn those veggies into a bright spring puree I’ve been seeing in all the magazines. I reheated the veggies on the stove with some milk and then blended away. The milk had watered down the intense vegetable flavor so I added some chicken broth to add another level of flavor. A splash of sherry vinegar brought depth, while a handful of fresh thyme added freshness. To garnish, Greek yogurt and more thyme. Voila — a tasty soup to proves that eating leftovers isn’t quite so painful after all.

Romaine: A Tabula Rasa of Sorts

Ask me what I feel like eating for lunch and chances are I’ll say, “Salad.” And I’m not talking about wimpy, gotta-lose-some-weight salads. These are salads crafted with all-important salad elements: protein, crunch, color, variety. A plate of lettuce is a like a blank slate, just waiting to be turned into a culinary masterpiece.

Most days the salad elements consist of things like last night’s leftover pork, black beans or tomatoes and whatever cheese I can find in the fridge. Sometimes, though, the contents of the fridge fortuitously come together to create a refreshing and gratifying salad. Such was the case last Thursday. It was the last day of winter and the sun spilling onto the back deck had me craving a lunch to welcome spring. With a plate of romaine as my tabula rasa, I grew excited as I discovered what we had in the fridge: cucumber, red bell pepper, goat cheese. All I needed to do was sprinkle on some pepitas, tear up a handful of cilantro, drizzle on some olive oil and orange muscat champagne vinegar. Add a few grinds of black pepper and my salad was ready. Yum. Welcome, spring.

Lobster Salad with Spicy Lemon Dressing

During Thanksgiving week we took a break from all the Turkey and stuffing (though not completely!) and ventured into the world of live seafood. One evening Sam brought over two clawing lobsters, which were destined to end up on our salad plates. We compared many lobster salad recipes at epicurious.com and decided on this one, which has an Asian flair. Cooking the live lobster was surprisingly simple: drop it into a pot of boiling water, let it boil for 4 minutes, then plunge it into an ice bath. It took more time to muster the courage to put the live lobster into the pot than to actually cook it. After just four minutes, the lobster turned bright red—it was cooked. With various kitchen tools including a nutcracker, Sam set to work releasing the tender white flesh from its rigid red shell. 15 minutes later, the lobster was ready to be added to the salad. In the meantime, I had made a dressing, grilled Shiitake mushroom caps and fried slices of garlic. We assembled the ingredients on a platter and voila! our fabulous lobster salad was ready for the dinner table. A lively kick from the spicy lemon dressing, a crunch from the garlic chips and a deep, full-bodied flavor from the grilled Shiitakes were brilliant complements to the bright, clean lobster. Instead of gawking at the live lobsters in the tank at the market, go ahead and take one home. You just might become a fan of this lobster salad.   

Serves 4 as an entree. 

For Spicy Lemon Dressing

1/4 cup (50 ml) lemon juice

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon finely grated garlic

1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, passed through a sieve

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

a little freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil

For Lobster Salad

1 fresh lobster

sea salt

vegetable oil for deep-frying

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

5 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

3 ounces (80 g) assorted salad greens (i.e., mizuna , rocket leaves, baby spinach, mustard greens, lollo rosso lettuce, tomyo pea sprouts, Swiss chard)

1/4 cup (50 ml) spicy lemon dressing

Preparation

Make dressing:

Combine all the ingredients except the oil. When the salt is fully dissolved, add oil.

Prepare salad:

1. Have ready a large saucepan of boiling water (enough to cover the lobster) and a bowl of iced water. Add a pinch of sea salt to the boiling water and scald the lobster over high heat for 4 minutes. Plunge the lobster into the iced water, then remove the meat from the shell. Cut into bite-size pieces.

2. Bring about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil in a small saucepan to 320°F (160°C). Deep-fry the garlic slices until crisp.

3. Brush mushroom caps with grapeseed oil and lightly grill.

4. Arrange the salad greens, mushrooms, and lobster on a serving dish. Pour the Spicy Lemon Dressing over all and garnish with the garlic chips.

Recipe from Epicurious.com. 

 

Endive, Apple & Walnut Salad with Roquefort

Serves 6

Wait to cut the endive just until before serving-like an apple, it browns quickly once cut.

1 ½ Tablespoons sherry vinegar
Scant ½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup walnut oil
1 small handful watercress (1 ½ ounces) or flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 medium eating apple, such as Braeburn, Red Delicious, or Fuji
4 heads Belgian endive, wiped, brown leaves removed
3 ounces (3/4 cup) walnuts, lightly toasted and crumbled
4 ounces Roquefort cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and salt; slowly whisk in the walnut oil. Put the watercress in a salad bowl. Quarter and core the apple, slice it 1/8 inch thick, and then cut the slices in half crosswise. Add the apple to the salad bowl. Slice the endive heads on a sharp diagonal into ¼ -inch-wide strips, turning the heads as you slice and whittling down the core. Add the endive to the salad, along with the walnuts. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and arrange on plates. Crumble the Roquefort onto each serving, finish with a few grinds of black pepper, and serve.

-Alan Tangren
 
From Cooking New American (Tauton 2004, p 32)

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower

For lunch yesterday we made roasted cauliflower to accompany our asparagus and grilled salmon. Not only is roasting cauliflower simple, but it is a refreshing change from traditional steamed or blanched cauliflower. The roasted cauliflower can be served as is or with any of the variations listed below. We tried the lemon juice, rosemary and caper variation, a fitting complement to our salmon and asparagus.

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 400° F. On a large baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with the oil, salt and pepper. Spread to a single layer without crowding and roast, turning every 10 minutes, until golden brown and crisp-tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Variations:
●Toss with lemon juice, minced fresh rosemary and chopped capers.
● Add orange zest, minced fresh parsley and chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.
● Add a mustard vinaigrette and fresh thyme.

From The Best of Fine Cooking: 101 Quick and Delicious Meals (fall 2003).

Chiles Rellenos con Queso

In early August we had a mini-family reunion and chose Rancho Cooking as a theme for our meal, inspired by my mom’s new California Rancho Cooking cookbook. It was especially fun because Rancho Cooking, which fuses Spanish and Mexican food traditions, is rooted in the very place I live. The cookbook author, Jacqueline Higuera McMahan, tells stories of her great-uncle coaxing the coals of the fire to perfection or her great-grandmother making tortillas so they could make meals such as this one–and all just 30 miles from my home.

For our barbecue, we made the chiles rellenos con queso, which were a favorite at the party. Though the preparation can be tedious, the ingredients are few and the finished chiles taste delicious. We did not make the crusty chiles variation but opted for simplicity as this was a side dish. We used Monterey Jack cheese and uncooked flour tortillas, which we cooked briefly on the grill. A surefire party pleaser!

Ingredients

1 to 8 Anaheim, New Mexican or poblano chiles

½ cup grated cheese per chile, such as Monterey Jack, Italian Fontina, or Mexican Chihuahua

1 to 8 flour tortillas, warm (optional)

Method

Char each chile over a flame or on a grill and place under wet paper towels to steam for at least 10 minutes. Use a paper towel to help wipe off the charred skin. Leave bits of charred skin on for flavor.

Slit the chile down the side and shake out the seeds, or pull out the heavier seed pod of the pobalno if using that. Fill the chile with grated cheese. Place the chile on a dry griddle and cook until the cheese melts. Eat as is or wrapped in a tortilla, if desired.

Serves 1 to 8.

Variation: Crusty Chiles. Dip each cheese-filled chile in 2 eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons water. Spread ¼ cup bread crumbs per chile on a piece of waxed paper and place the chiles on top. Press the crumbs into the chiles. Place the chiles on an oiled baking sheet. Drizzle each chile with about 2 teaspoons of olive oil or melted butter Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven until golden, about 15 minutes.

Note: Place 4 to 5 slices of day-old French or Italian bread into a food processor. Add 2 sprigs parsley, 1 clove of garlic, and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Grind bread into fluffy crumbs.

From California Rancho Cooking by Jacqueline Higuera McMahan (Sasquatch Books 2001).

Beets with Lime Butter

With their bright purple-red color staining fingers and pages of the cookbook, the mark of the beet is unmistakable. The lime zest and juice in this recipe brighten the beets’ flavor, making this dish a perfect accompaniment to grilled beef or pork in the summer. Taking about 15 minutes to prepare from start to finish, this recipe is extremely quick and easy. Grate the beets in a food processor for even faster preparation. And don’t throw away the leafy green tops of the beets: they can be prepared like Swiss chard.

Serves 4

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ pounds beets, peeled and coarsely grated (3½ cups)
¼ teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
finely chopped scallion greens to garnish

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat. Add beets and lime zest and cook, stirring, until beets are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, lime juice, salt and pepper. Garnish with scallion greens.

From The Gourmet Cookbook.