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Vegetable

Roasted Potato Leek Soup

March 21, 2011
cooking, Potato, recipes, Soup, Vegetable
5 Comments

Outside cold, a blustery, muddy goop.
Inside warm, a calming, hearty soup.

The Barefoot Contessa’s Roasted Potato Leek Soup
Why mess with perfection?  There is nothing to add to this delicious soup that would make it any better. Just one thing, make sure to clean the leeks thoroughly, otherwise you’ll be eating dirt soup. Make that two things, 6-7 cups of stock is a lot of liquid. I didn’t use that much, especially since the recipe also calls for heavy cream and creme fraiche. Wait, one more thing. A little bit of this soup goes a long way!

FOR THE SOUP

2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks

4 cups leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned well (4 leeks)

1/4 cup good olive oil

Kosher Salt and Coarse  Pepper

3 cups Baby Arugula, lightly packed

1/2 cup Dry White Wine, plus extra for serving

6-7 cups Chicken Stock

3/4 cup Heavy Cream

8 ounces Creme Fraiche

1/4 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish

Crispy Shallots (see below)

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer.  Add the olive oil, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly.  Roast for 40-45 minutes turning them with a spatula a few times until they are very tender.

Add the arugula and toss to combine.  Roast 5 more minutes.

(Ina’s Recipe is a little different here but this worked perfectly well) Place the vegetables in a pot and make sure to scrape up the crispy roasted bits, stir in the wine and 1 cup of chicken stock.  Cook over low heat for a few minutes.

Unless you have an Immersion Blender, which is so much easier, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with a steel blade, adding the liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree.  Pour the puree back into the pot or large dutch oven.  Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they’re all done.  Add enough of the remaining 1-2 cups of stock to make a thick soup.

Add the heavy cream, creme fraiche, 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper and taste for seasoning.

When ready to serve, reheat the soup and gently whisk in 2 T of white wine and 1/4 cup Parmesan.  Serve hot with extra Parmesan and crispy shallots.

FOR THE SHALLOTS

1 1/2 cups Olive oil

3 T butter

5-6 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings

Heat the oil and butter in a pan over medium-low heat.  Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots and cook 30-40 minutes until rich golden brown.  Stir them ocasionally to make sure they brown evenly. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain well and spread out to cool on a paper towel.  Once they have dried and crisped, they can be stored at room temperature, covered, for several days.

Serves 6-8.

Red Pepper Soup with Bulgar, Garbanzos, Mint & Chile

January 10, 2011
Soup, Vegetable
4 Comments

 

No patience to write a poem this time,
I just don’t care about the rhyme.

Maybe eating so healthy,
Is making me a tad grouchy?

This soup is good and good for you,
Too bad I still feel like a shrew. :(

I found this recipe in Greg and Lucy Malouf’s, “Turquoise – A chef’s travels in Turkey.”  Almost everything is the same except for the molasses – he uses grape and I used pomegranate (only because I had it on hand).  Although the bulgar is healthy and tasty, I would prefer a noodle like vermicelli broken up into the soup.  I guess any pasta or grain would work. For more body, consider pureeing everything but the garbanzo beans and adding a little heavy cream – delicious, just a little less healthy. :)

7 ounces dried or 3 cans Garbanzo Beans

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 Onion, finely diced

1 large Red Bell Pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 long Red Chile, seeded and finely chopped

1 tsp. dried Mint

1 T Pomegranate Molasses (optional)

14 ounce can Chopped Tomatoes

1 1/2 quarts Water or Vegetable Stock

1/3 cup coarse Bulgar Wheat

1/3 cup shredded fresh Mint Leaves

1/4 tsp. Hot Paprike

juice of 1/2 Lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste


If using dried beans, either soak them over night in cold water or bring them to a boil in a pot, turn the heat off and let them sit for one hour.  For canned beans, make sure to rinse and drain them well.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan.  Saute the onion until it softens. Add the pepper, chili, dried mint and pomegranate molasses and mix gently on low for a few more minutes.

Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans and add them to the pan with the tomatoes and 1 quart of stock or water.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

Add the bulgar wheat to the pan with the remaining liquid and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When ready to serve, stir in the shredded fresh mint, paprika and lemon juice.  Serves 6-8.

Roasted Cauliflower

January 4, 2011
cooking, recipes, Side Dish, Vegetable
3 Comments

 

Cauliflower was just OK,
Until I tried a whole new way.

Break the head into it’s curds,
I love it when I find new words. :)

Pepper, salt and olive oil,
Set atop a pan with foil.

Bake for 30, add some cheese,
Broil for 5, done with ease.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH PARMESAN CHEESE

Thank you to my mom, Karen, for this delicious vegetable dish. Although this cauliflower will also taste good spiced up, sometimes simple is better.

2 heads cauliflower, broken into curds (florets)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1  tsp. coarse salt

1/2  tsp. coarse pepper

3 T Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Place the cauliflower curds in a mixing bowl and add the olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix until the cauliflower is well-coated with olive oil.  Transfer to a foil-lined baking pan (easy clean-up) and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the cauliflower with Parmesan cheese.  Change the oven setting to broil (high) and cook the cauliflower for approximately 5 more minutes or until the curds become brown on the edges.  Serve warm as a side or cold as a snack.

Koussa – Stuffed Squash

November 10, 2010
Lebanese, Meat, Vegetable
3 Comments

I’m at a loss for words tonight,
There’s nothing that I want to write.

I don’t want to be verbose,
So I’ll just say adios.


Koussa Recipe
1.5 lbs. lean ground sirloin
2 large red onions
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 sweet red pepper or red bell pepper
3/4 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1 1/2 T coarse salt
2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. allspice (optional)
2 tsp.cumin (optional)
4-5 cups tomato juice
2 T butter
1/3 cup olive oil

Wash and dry the squash. With a corer, gently scoop out the inside. Scoop out as much as possible without poking any holes in the squash. After all have been cored, set aside.

In a food processor, add mint, 1/2 a large onion, and red pepper. Mix until almost pureed. Set aside.

In a bowl, add the top sirloin, rice, allspice, cumin, 1 T salt, pepper and pureed mixture. Thoroughly mix until well blended (it is best to use your hands for this).

To stuff the squash, take a little bit of the meat and rice mixture and gently fill the squash. The squash should be completely filled but not too tightly or else the rice will not cook. Fill all squash and set aside. If there is any of the meat and rice mix left over, consider stuffing a potato or just making some meat balls to add in with the squash.

In a pot, place the squash as close to standing upward as possible so the meat does not fall out. Add the tomato juice, butter, and 1/2 T salt and bring to a boil. Bring the heat down to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.

In a pan with olive oil, slice the remaining onions and saute until translucent. They can be added directly to the pot or placed on top of the squash when serving.

Bresaola, Burrata & Golden Beets

November 3, 2010
Appetizer, Bread, Cheese, Vegetable
4 Comments

Bresaola, Burrata & Beets

I have to visit Italy,
But not to dive into the sea.

I don’t even want to go,
To see Michelangelo.

With my conscience I will grapple,
Cuz I won’t see the Sistine Chapel.

I don’t want to stand in line,
To see any ancient shrine.

I’m sure to miss the Colosseum,
And Uffizi’s fine museum.

It’s all about what I can taste,
I won’t worry ’bout my waist.

Pizza, pasta, wine and cheese.
Oil that comes from olive trees.

Like this here Italian snack,
That you pile into a stack.

A simple fresh baguette will do,
One that’s crunchy when you chew.

Start with paper-thin cured meat,
Add a slice of golden beet,

Top it with some creamy cheese,
This deserves a Master’s frieze. 

BRESAOLA, BURRATA & GOLDEN BEETS

The idea for this recipe came from a local Inn and Restaurant, Wine & Roses. If you have the best ingredients, this combination is delicious! The bresaola, found at any fine deli, should be sliced very thinly. Italian burrata, basically a cream-filled mozzarella, is very creamy and flavorful. If you cannot find an Italian burrata, there are some very high-quality American ones too.

Ingredients
1/4 lb. bresaola (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup burrata
3 golden beets, peeled, cooked and thinly sliced
2 pears, optional
Extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt
1 loaf crunchy bread, cut into bite-size pieces

Golden Beets

Burrata

Add beets to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes or until tender. Check for readiness with a fork. Set aside to cool in refrigerator. When cool, cut into thin slices.
On a serving platter, lay out the bresaola, beets (pears) and bread. In the center of the platter, add the burrata. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly salt beets.

ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO…

September 13, 2009
Potato, Side Dish, Vegetable
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Rustic “Hammered” Potatoes

Rustic "Hammered" Potatoes

Rustic “Hammered” Potatoes Recipe

The great thing about potatoes is that they always make an excellent addition to any main course.  If you are serving only heavy hors’ d’oeuvres, these potatoes would make an excellent addition to your selection.  Are these particular potatoes fancy?  No, not at all.  In fact, they are very rustic and easy to prepare, and that is what I like about them.  What they lack in refinement and elegance, they more than make up for in taste.  You can spice them up to make them more of a highlight as opposed to a simple side-dish.  With as many spices, chutneys and sauces as there are out there, the possibilities for these potatoes are endless.

I have made them several times now and they are always a winner.  The first time, I served them with an Indian meal and toppped them with onions sauteed in butter and curry.

Potatoes Topped with Curried Onions

Potato Topped with Curried Onions

The second time, I served them topped with a beautiful halibut filet, both on a bed of spinach.  My mother served them on top of a juicy steak.  Any way you make them, you cannot lose.  Please try them and share your own ideas.

Potatoes Topped with Sour Cream, Bacon & Chives

Potato Topped with Sour Cream, Bacon & Chives

10 Small Unpeeled Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
Coarse Salt
With the tines of a fork, poke the potatoes so that they do not explode when cooked.  Place on a plate in the microwave for 5-6 minutes.  When cool, lay the potatoes on a cutting board.  Using a long, flat stainless steel or wood spatula, press down on top of the potatoes, flattening them.  Heat your vegetable oil in a pan on medium-high.  When hot, add two potatoes at a time and fry until golden brown.  Place on a paper-towel lined plate to soak up the excess oil.  Immediately salt to your taste.  At this point, add any topping you desire.
Breakfast Potato with Bacon & Eggs

Breakfast Potato with Bacon & Eggs

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