Really should come up with a better name for this, as "Fall Soup" is a bit odd and boring. But if I call it by its ingredients, I doubt anyone other than my mum would eat it with me...
Mats:
1 Butternut Squash
2 Turnips
1 Parsnip
2 "Horse Carrots" - the bigger, the sweeter
4 Red skin potatoes
6oz frozen corn
2c Chicken stock (from bouillon or ready-made)
4c water
1/4 milk or heavy cream
Pepper
Prep:
Cover your broiling pan with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up), and preheat the oven to 450
Slice the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, making sure to get all the stringy stuff out. Place the halves cut-side down on the broiler.
Peel the turnips, cut in half and place cut-side down on the broiler.
Peel the parsnip, cut in half lengthwise, and place cut-side down on the broiler.
Try to arrange all the veggies evenly on the broiler, you don't want one half really heavy and the other with just a bit of parsnip on it. Brush the topside of the veggies with a little bit of olive oil, then put the broiler in the oven.
Roast the vegetables at 450 for 35-40 minutes, or until you can *easily* pierce the veggies with a knife. The skin of the squash should have black bubbles on it and be about as tough as wet tissue paper.
Let them cool for about 20-30 minutes on the counter, burned fingers are not worth it.
Scrape the flesh of the butternut squash into a blender or food processor. Chuck the turnips and parsnip in the blender as well.
*NOTE* if your blender isn't big enough, do half the squash, one turnip and half the parsnip as one batch, then repeat.
Add 1c of water to the veggies and blend thoroughly (about 1 minute on high). Odds are your blender will seize up and complain because the soup is so thick; if that happens, stop the blender, stir the mixture around (add a bit more water if you think it needs it), and give it another go. Keep adding water until you can run the blender for a full minute on high without the blender complaining or only mixing the bottom third of the soup.
Once you've gotten the soup to a consistency resembling baby food, pour the soup into a large saucepan. Set the heat to medium-high.
Add the chicken stock. If you're using bouillon, reconstitute it according to package directions FIRST, then add it.
Chop the potatoes into cubes about 1/2 inch thick, add to the soup.
Chop the carrots into rounds about 1/2 inch thick, add to the soup.
Add the corn
Salt/Pepper to taste.
Cover with a lid and bring to a low boil. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are done.
Swirl the milk/heavy cream in, stir a little and serve.
If you want, a few crumbles of bacon as a last minute topping on this would be divine.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Summer Pasta Salad
Great for bringing to picnics or just for a light summer dinner, this pasta salad is a simple one-pot meal.
Mats:
1 lb shrimp - the smaller the better
4 carrots
4 stalks celery
3 tomatoes
2c leafy green. So far, I've used baby spinach, kale and bok choy. Mustard greens, swiss chard, or beet leaves would all be fine as well.
1 box elbow macaroni. Or something similarly-sized, like small shells or tiny penne or wheels.
1 bottle Ranch dressing.
Put a pot of water on to boil. When it reaches a full boil, dump in your pasta of choice and cook to 'al dente' (Italian for 'with tooth', you don't want to overcook the pasta at all or it won't hold up), usually about 10 minutes.
Drain your pasta and put it in a large bowl.
Fill the pot back up with about 3c of water and put it back on to boil.
Peel the carrots and cut into 1/4 in rounds. Add to the water (it's ok if the water hasn't fully come to a boil yet).
Cut the celery into 1/4 in slices, add to the water.
Peel and de-vein the shrimp (or just buy it pre-shelled) and add that to the pot of water too.
Cut your leafy green into bite sized pieces, about 1/2 inch, and add to the water.
Cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes or so, just enough to cook the shrimp and leafy green.
Drain the veggie mixture.
Put the pasta and the veggie mixture into a large bowl. Add the entire bottle of ranch dressing, 1 tsp salt and pepper (to taste. I like to used a cracked black pepper as it gives it a nice texture).
Mix thoroughly and stick in the fridge to cool.
Mats:
1 lb shrimp - the smaller the better
4 carrots
4 stalks celery
3 tomatoes
2c leafy green. So far, I've used baby spinach, kale and bok choy. Mustard greens, swiss chard, or beet leaves would all be fine as well.
1 box elbow macaroni. Or something similarly-sized, like small shells or tiny penne or wheels.
1 bottle Ranch dressing.
Put a pot of water on to boil. When it reaches a full boil, dump in your pasta of choice and cook to 'al dente' (Italian for 'with tooth', you don't want to overcook the pasta at all or it won't hold up), usually about 10 minutes.
Drain your pasta and put it in a large bowl.
Fill the pot back up with about 3c of water and put it back on to boil.
Peel the carrots and cut into 1/4 in rounds. Add to the water (it's ok if the water hasn't fully come to a boil yet).
Cut the celery into 1/4 in slices, add to the water.
Peel and de-vein the shrimp (or just buy it pre-shelled) and add that to the pot of water too.
Cut your leafy green into bite sized pieces, about 1/2 inch, and add to the water.
Cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes or so, just enough to cook the shrimp and leafy green.
Drain the veggie mixture.
Put the pasta and the veggie mixture into a large bowl. Add the entire bottle of ranch dressing, 1 tsp salt and pepper (to taste. I like to used a cracked black pepper as it gives it a nice texture).
Mix thoroughly and stick in the fridge to cool.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Sausage and Rigatoni
Mmmm, Italian Classic:
Mats:
6 links sweet Italian sausage
1 box Rigatoni pasta
1/4 c Lemon Juice
1/2 c Water
2 cloves garlic
1 can red kidney beans (or cannelloni beans)
1 c Kale
Parmesan cheese
Steps:
Put a pot of water on to boil, add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp olive oil. When it boils, add rigatoni, cook for 14 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet on med-high heat, cook the sausage links. They go in the pan 'dry' (don't add butter or oil). Cook for about 10-12 minutes, rolling them so they get nicely browned on all sides.
Pull out the sausages and set aside to cool.
Pour the lemon juice and water into the sausage pan, reducing the heat to med-low. We're looking for a very low simmer, just enough that you see tiny bubbles on the bottom of the pan. Stir the juice around to scrape up any sausagey bits that stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Chop the garlic very fine (use a garlic press if you have one) and add it to the pan.
When the sausage is cool enough that you don't scald your fingers, slice it into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Throw the sausage back into the pan with the juices, and try to get as much of the juice off your cutting board and back into the pan.
Add the beans.
Chop the kale into 1/2 inch sized pieces (the stems on kale are notoriously tough, so you can throw them out if you like. If you don't like waste, just cook the dish for an extra 4 or 5 minutes) and add to the pan.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Add 2 or 3 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese to the pan and stir so it gets dissolved in the juice. This will thicken the sauce a bit.
Dish out a bowl of rigatoni pasta, top with the sausage/greens and pour the sauce over! Top with extra cheese if you'd like.
Mats:
6 links sweet Italian sausage
1 box Rigatoni pasta
1/4 c Lemon Juice
1/2 c Water
2 cloves garlic
1 can red kidney beans (or cannelloni beans)
1 c Kale
Parmesan cheese
Steps:
Put a pot of water on to boil, add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp olive oil. When it boils, add rigatoni, cook for 14 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet on med-high heat, cook the sausage links. They go in the pan 'dry' (don't add butter or oil). Cook for about 10-12 minutes, rolling them so they get nicely browned on all sides.
Pull out the sausages and set aside to cool.
Pour the lemon juice and water into the sausage pan, reducing the heat to med-low. We're looking for a very low simmer, just enough that you see tiny bubbles on the bottom of the pan. Stir the juice around to scrape up any sausagey bits that stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Chop the garlic very fine (use a garlic press if you have one) and add it to the pan.
When the sausage is cool enough that you don't scald your fingers, slice it into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Throw the sausage back into the pan with the juices, and try to get as much of the juice off your cutting board and back into the pan.
Add the beans.
Chop the kale into 1/2 inch sized pieces (the stems on kale are notoriously tough, so you can throw them out if you like. If you don't like waste, just cook the dish for an extra 4 or 5 minutes) and add to the pan.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Add 2 or 3 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese to the pan and stir so it gets dissolved in the juice. This will thicken the sauce a bit.
Dish out a bowl of rigatoni pasta, top with the sausage/greens and pour the sauce over! Top with extra cheese if you'd like.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Carnitas
Very tasty Mexican-style recipe - takes a while to cook the pork shoulder but fairly low-maintenance.
Requires:
half pork shoulder (also called a 'picnic ham' in some places)
4 large burrito shells
1c white rice
1 can black beans
1 green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
cheddar cheese
1 jar salsa
Procedure:
Cut the skin off the pork and place in a crock-pot. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4.
Take the pork out of the crock-pot and let it cool on a cutting board for 30-45 minutes. Trust me, you don't want to keep burning your fingers on hot pork fat.
Pull the pork off the bone and shred with your fingers. It'll separate into long strands - you're looking for a consistency like barbecue.
While shredding the pork, put 1c white rice into a small pot with 2c water and cook on low for 20 minutes.
Core and seed the bell pepper and put into a food processor with beans and garlic. Remember to take the paper off the garlic first!
Run the food processor for a minute or until the mixture is smooth. This mixture is known as 'sofrito' and is a staple in many Mexican foods.
Grease a large Pyrex dish (spraying it with some oil is fine) and set the oven to 350 F.
Take a burrito shell and place it in the Pyrex dish. Spoon in 1/4 of the rice, add some pork and cover with 6Tbsp or so of sofrito. Top with cheddar cheese.
Fold up the burrito, tucking the top and bottom in first, then rolling the sides.
GENTLY flip the burrito over so it's seam-side down.
Repeat until your Pyrex dish is full or your run out of fillings.
Pour the salsa over the burritos and place the dish in the oven for 15 minutes.
When the timer is up, pull the dish out and cover the burritos with more cheddar cheese. Stick back in the over for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melty and begins to brown.
Take out, separate burritos with a spatula and serve! Possibly with guacamole or sour cream, if that's to your taste.
Requires:
half pork shoulder (also called a 'picnic ham' in some places)
4 large burrito shells
1c white rice
1 can black beans
1 green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
cheddar cheese
1 jar salsa
Procedure:
Cut the skin off the pork and place in a crock-pot. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4.
Take the pork out of the crock-pot and let it cool on a cutting board for 30-45 minutes. Trust me, you don't want to keep burning your fingers on hot pork fat.
Pull the pork off the bone and shred with your fingers. It'll separate into long strands - you're looking for a consistency like barbecue.
While shredding the pork, put 1c white rice into a small pot with 2c water and cook on low for 20 minutes.
Core and seed the bell pepper and put into a food processor with beans and garlic. Remember to take the paper off the garlic first!
Run the food processor for a minute or until the mixture is smooth. This mixture is known as 'sofrito' and is a staple in many Mexican foods.
Grease a large Pyrex dish (spraying it with some oil is fine) and set the oven to 350 F.
Take a burrito shell and place it in the Pyrex dish. Spoon in 1/4 of the rice, add some pork and cover with 6Tbsp or so of sofrito. Top with cheddar cheese.
Fold up the burrito, tucking the top and bottom in first, then rolling the sides.
GENTLY flip the burrito over so it's seam-side down.
Repeat until your Pyrex dish is full or your run out of fillings.
Pour the salsa over the burritos and place the dish in the oven for 15 minutes.
When the timer is up, pull the dish out and cover the burritos with more cheddar cheese. Stick back in the over for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melty and begins to brown.
Take out, separate burritos with a spatula and serve! Possibly with guacamole or sour cream, if that's to your taste.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
African-Style Stew
Yes, the ingredients in this stew are slightly out of the ordinary. Don't be scared! It really does taste fantastic.
Needed:
1 lb goat meat, cut for stew. (Hopefully you can get this deboned)
1 Sweet Potato
1 onion
2 carrots
1 box of Chicken Stock - 32 oz.
2 Russet-Burbank potatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 knob of fresh ginger - about the size of your thumb (or 1 1/2 tsp ground dried)
allspice
nutmeg
peanut butter - I use creamy because that's what I generally eat, but chunky is fine
flour
In a medium pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.
Debone the goat meat (if necessary) and trim the connective tissue and fat from the meat.
Toss the meat in the oil and sear for 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Don't worry about cooking it through, you're just going for a nice brown.
Finely dice the onion and add it to the pot. Saute it for 4 minutes, or until the onions start to become translucent.
Add the chicken stock and turn the heat down to low.
Peel the sweet potato, cut it into ~1 inch chunks, add to the pot
Peel the carrots, cut into rounds ~1/2 inch thick, add to pot.
Peel the ginger, dice finely as you can, add to pot
Also add 3/4 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
Cover and simmer on low for 2 hours
After 2 hours, stir well. In a separate cup, mix 1/2 cup peanut butter with 2 Tbsp flour. Add the mixture to the stew and stir well until the mix is dissolved.
Cover and cook for another hour.
Cut the potatoes into cubes ~1 inch cubes, add to the pot and stir. Make sure you scrape the bottom well, the sweet potatoes will be mushy and tend to clump up at the bottom and threaten to burn.
Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until potatoes are done.
Serve over white rice
Needed:
1 lb goat meat, cut for stew. (Hopefully you can get this deboned)
1 Sweet Potato
1 onion
2 carrots
1 box of Chicken Stock - 32 oz.
2 Russet-Burbank potatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 knob of fresh ginger - about the size of your thumb (or 1 1/2 tsp ground dried)
allspice
nutmeg
peanut butter - I use creamy because that's what I generally eat, but chunky is fine
flour
In a medium pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.
Debone the goat meat (if necessary) and trim the connective tissue and fat from the meat.
Toss the meat in the oil and sear for 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Don't worry about cooking it through, you're just going for a nice brown.
Finely dice the onion and add it to the pot. Saute it for 4 minutes, or until the onions start to become translucent.
Add the chicken stock and turn the heat down to low.
Peel the sweet potato, cut it into ~1 inch chunks, add to the pot
Peel the carrots, cut into rounds ~1/2 inch thick, add to pot.
Peel the ginger, dice finely as you can, add to pot
Also add 3/4 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
Cover and simmer on low for 2 hours
After 2 hours, stir well. In a separate cup, mix 1/2 cup peanut butter with 2 Tbsp flour. Add the mixture to the stew and stir well until the mix is dissolved.
Cover and cook for another hour.
Cut the potatoes into cubes ~1 inch cubes, add to the pot and stir. Make sure you scrape the bottom well, the sweet potatoes will be mushy and tend to clump up at the bottom and threaten to burn.
Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until potatoes are done.
Serve over white rice
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)