Category Archives: Main Dishes

Three Ingredient Tomato Sauce—Mother’s Day Salvation

A bright, safe spot well outside of the kitchen

A bright, safe spot well outside of the kitchen

Growing up, the Hallmark Holidays got no play in our household. My parents refused to acknowledge either Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, and my Dad was quick to remind us that “every day is Children’s Day” when we pondered the possibility of such a thing. My own household is apparently steadfast in their resolve to uphold this tradition. This is the long way of saying that no, I am not recovering from Mother’s Day festivities. The complete lack of fanfare might have even been upsetting had it not been for some strategic culinary failures that assured I will not be cooking on Mother’s Day next year.

We started the day with Vegan tofu waffles, which were awesome. As soon as I get a picture they’re going up on the blog. I kept the waffles’ key ingredient as a smug secret. Not a soul suspected anything other than maternal good will.

Then came lunch. The waffles had gone over so well that I proceeded with my next experiment, going to considerable effort to collect all the right, freshest, fanciest ingredients. This lunch, Cooking Light assured me, was a “Staff fave” that would satisfy the “heartiest appetites.”

Long story short, the Braised Tempeh Reubens were inedible. Everyone gave them a good faith go, but even one tentative bite was just too much. In justifying my effort, I revealed the truth about the waffles which tipped off my total loss of credibility, and an every-man-for-himself dash to the fridge to pinch hit for lunch. The raid left us with nothing for dinner. Nothing but a sheepish suggestion to go out. On Mother’s Day. With no reservations. Two words: Not Happening. And yet, the cupboards were bare.

Enter, Marcella Hazan’s brilliant tomato sauce made with three ingredients and no chopping. It is so effortless even a Mom striking on Mother’s Day can make it without considering it actual work. This is a must for your weekday repertoire and for those Mother Hubbard moments when you’re not on your fresh and fancy game.

I have no picture, but hey, it’s tomato sauce with lots of butter. And there is not a smidge of tofu or tempeh left in the house. What could possibly go wrong?

Three Ingredient Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups tomatoes, in addition to their juices (for example, a 28-ounce can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes)
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion (or a big shallot), peeled and cut in half
  • Salt

Method:

  1. Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter and the onion halves in a saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt.
  2. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon. Add salt as needed.
  3. Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta. (This is a stealth move. Moms—grab that onion for yourself and mash it right up. It’s delish!) This recipe makes enough sauce for a pound of pasta.

 

Chupe de Pollo con Chipotle

chipotle-chili-ck-1687650-x[1]First, I know it’s spring and everyone is thinking light, fresh, vibrant. So what’s with the winter stew you ask?  Here’s the scoop…

  1. It’s going to be 30 degrees and snowing at my house today (good grief!).  Every time I share this meal with someone they ask for the recipe (a Bring It pre-requisite).  I recently made this for a friend and I forgot how darn good it is.

In all seriousness, this recipe is a winner. It came to me from a friend who brought it to my house many years ago. I had a bike accident which resulted in a lot of couch time and several months on crutches. I couldn’t do much except sit, read, watch movies and visit with friend. It was so hard not to cook! On the up side, my unbelievably generous neighbors and good friends made meals for me and my family while I was out of commission. They delivered 3-4 meals each week right to my doorstep and there was always enough for left overs. It was so kind of them and very much appreciated (my husband loved it so much that when I came off crutches he actually said, “I’m going to miss the meal delivery”!). One of the meals they brought was this chicken stew. We all loved it and I had to have the recipe. Since then, I’ve made it over and over for friends and family and, every time I shared this meal with someone, they asked for the recipe. And so, a Bring It entry was way overdue!

This stew has a bit of a kick with the chipotle peppers. Careful if you are wimpy in terms of “heat”. It can get away from you quickly. Otherwise, go for it and enjoy!

Ingredients

1 (7 ounce) can chipotle in adobo sauce
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
6 garlic cloves, crushed
6 cups fat free, less sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 (15.5 ounce) can white or golden hominy, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup whipping cream (I used 1% milk)
1 cup chopped, seeded plum tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Remove 1 chile and 1 tsp adobo sauce from can (reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use). Finely chop chili, set chile and sauce aside separately.
  2. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped chile, onion, and next 6 ingredients (through garlic), cook 6-7 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Stir in broth, bring to a boil. Add chicken, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and cool slightly (enough so you can handle it). Shred chicken with 2 forks, cover, keep warm.
  3. Remove pan from heat, let stand 5 minutes. Place 1/3 of broth mixture in blender and process until smooth. Pour broth mixture into large bowl and repeat procedure in two more batches. Return pureed broth to Dutch oven. Stir in potatoes and hominy; bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in chicken and cream, simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining adobo sauce, tomatoes, cilantro, and salt/pepper.

Bring It

Bring in original pot or crockpot with crusty loaf of bread – super easy.

Thanksgiving Samosas

A twist on Thanksgiving leftovers

A twist on Thanksgiving leftovers

Thanksgiving was so great this year. My mom, my sister and my brother-in-law came to visit from Connecticut. The three of them combined with my small family made for a total of six at the table. It was a small, quality group. My mom is very traditional and she was front and center when I created the Thanksgiving menu.  It consisted of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, cranberry sauce, rolls, pickles, and olives. All followed up by the standard apple and pumpkin pie. We busted a move from tradition with a side of quinoa for the vegetarians in the group (running with scissors, I know!). We had a wonderful meal, great conversation and a nice, cozy time together. One of my favorite parts to the meal was the Gratitude Game we played at the end (Google “Gratitude Questions” and you can play too!).

The next day, I started thinking about what I could make with the leftovers that is non-traditional.  Since I didn’t play the “non-traditional card” on Thanksgiving Day, I figured I could do something fun with the leftovers. I pulled out my cookbooks for inspiration and found it right away. Samosas with turkey leftovers inside! That was it. I hesitated for just a split second thinking, “this borders on pie” (given that Samosas are essentially savory food inside pie shell). But then I realized, dare I say, I’m getting pretty good with the pastry shell.  And so, I forged ahead, making the pastry dough and gathering my leftovers to assemble these tasty nuggets.

Oh, one last thing…. In the interest of full disclosure, I did not BRING these Samosas anywhere. My boys scarfed them down in what seemed like nanoseconds.  Every now and then they would take a small breath and utter, “these are killer”!  Enjoy and happy holidays.

Ingredients

Dough:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp paprika
2/3 cup cold butter, cubed
2/3 cup cold water

Egg wash:
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk

Filling:
Leftovers!  This can include anything in your fridge.  I used turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. I wished I had more leftover veggies, because I definitely would have stuffed a few of these with veggies! Have gravy on the side for dipping!

Method

To make the dough, place flour, salt, baking powder, turmeric, and paprika in a food processor. Add butter and process until sand-like, approximate 10 seconds. Add water and pulse until mixture just comes together. Wrap dough in saran wrap and allow it to rest in refrigerator for at least an hour.

When ready, line up leftovers and take dough out of fridge and preheat the oven to 350. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough and cut into circles approximately 5 inches in diameter (I used the top of a large yogurt container to make the cut outs). Place approximately ¼ cup of filling on half of the circle of dough. Fold the dough over to make a half moon. Seal the edges well by pinching dough together. I used a folk to push down the edges and make little ridges.

Place samosas on parchment lined baking sheet. Mix 1 egg with 1 Tbsp of milk to make egg wash. Brush each samosas with the egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. They can be shallow fried if you prefer in 2 inches of vegetable oil until golden brown.

Gobble, gobble!

Colorado Summer Corn Souper Chowder

Fresh corn and peppers in their raw, pretty state. What happens later is tasty but not so pretty.

Fresh corn and peppers in their raw, pretty state. What happens later is tasty but not so pretty.

Cowgirl and cook Tania Coffey is back on the cooking range, this time helping us figure out more ways to enjoy summers sweetest fresh corn. This recipe is adapted from a vegetarian version created by Aaron Bennett, a chef at the Aspen Ritz Carlton. It was created as an appetizer to showcase Colorado’s produce, in particular Olathe corn.

Tania says: “This soup is so much of a pain to make that after many efforts we decided to grill a chicken breast, shred it, toss it in with the soup, rename it chowder and not cook another thing for dinner.  That said, it is so good that in August we make it over and over until we are sick of it and can wait another year for fresh corn.”

So there’s your motivation. Armed with Tania’s disclaimer I made this soup, with my own set of preconditions. First, I only had four ears of corn so I had to cut it in thirds which challenged my math skills. Second, in New England my pepper selection is limited, so I had to go with jalapenos and a couple of canned chipotles in adobo. (Update: as anticipated, Tania politely points out in first comment below that cans have no place in this recipe. So let’s all just pretend I never used those chipotles). Third, I had no chicken, so I reverted to a soup more like the original. The good news is that you now have our guarantee that it is delicious with or without chicken.

Before you embark, I will soften the prep warning a bit by summing up the procedure. You are cutting fresh corn off the cob, and boiling the cobs in milk and broth. You are roasting corn kernels in the oven. You are sautéeing diced onions and peppers in butter. Then you are throwing it all together and pureeing part of it. When it’s done it is really truly NOT pretty. But as Tania notes, “it is incredible when the corn is sweet.” So let’s get over appearances shall we?

You will need two big stock pots and a hearty blender (or an immersion blender along with the good sense to keep it deep in the pot while blending).

Colorado Summer Corn Chowder

Adapted from chef Aaron Bennett via Tania Coffey

Makes: A lot; 10-12 servings at least, or more if it’s eaten by the mug vs the bowl.

Ingredients:

  • 12 ears fresh sweet corn
  • 1 1/2 sweet onion diced
  • 3 poblano peppers diced (If you can find roasted poblanos use them for a totally different— and fabulous—taste).
  • 3 jalapeños ribs and seeds removed minced
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 2 T garlic minced
  • 4T butter
  • 2 quarts chicken stock
  • 2 quarts whole milk
  • 2 T olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 lb chicken breast grilled and shredded with 2 forks.

Method:

Seatbelts on. Preheat oven to 350
Preheat grill for chicken (or bake chicken with corn)

Peel corn. Cut kernels from cobs.  Save cobs.
Put cobs in one stock pot with chicken stock and milk and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer gently for 45 minutes.

Grill the chicken breast.  Don’t over cook it as it is going in the hot soup.  Remember, this step makes the soup a meal but is not mandatory!  The chicken is added after the soup is completely made so you can live dangerously and decide then.

Toss corn kernels with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Put kernels on baking sheet and roast for 15-25 minutes until lightly browned. (You’ll need at least two baking sheets if making the full recipe).

In an 8 quart stock pot melt butter and add all peppers, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat stirring often until onion is translucent but not browned.  Add roasted corn and cook for another 2 minutes.

Remove cobs from stock and discard.

Pour broth over peppers and corn.  Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Blend 3/4 of the soup in batches in a powerful blender until smooth.  The remaining 1/4 stays lumpy for texture.  Season with salt and pepper. Add shredded chicken.

Told you it wasn't pretty. Not that you would judge on looks.

Told you it wasn’t pretty. Not that you would judge on looks.

This is how corn takes a bath.

This is how corn takes a bath.

THE Panzanella

PANZANELLA

It’s toasted bread! It’s veggies! It’s panzanella coming to the rescue!

First off, apologies all around for the technical difficulties last week, and to those of you who got a sad, gray, “Legacy IP DNS blah blah” message instead of a recipe for Watermelon Rosemary Lemonade. Thanks to a kind man named Piotr who desperately needs a vowel, we are back up and running. Now, on to this weekend.

Some recipes you just have to know. Ina Garten’s panzanella is one of them, especially in summer. In addition to being a way to use a whole lot of summer’s best produce, it’s easy to prep, easy to bring, easy to assemble and it’s DELISH. Plus, it’s a way to eat crispy bread and call it dinner (or breakfast if you can’t help yourself the morning after). Ina (AKA The Barefoot Contessa, and the goddess of bringing it) has many panzanellas in her repertoire, including an awesome greek version, but if you only master this one (and you will on your first try) the Kingdom of Picnic Greatness is yours. 

As I mentioned in the recipe for Asparagus Panzanella, you can use your imagination, your cravings and the contents of your produce bin to tweak panzanella in all kinds of ways. It’s a tasty go-to on some seriously hot days. And by the way, if you live in the Upper Valley and are looking for some places to cool off check out this post on Swimming Holes and Soft Serve.

Ok peeps, stay cool out there!

Ina’s Panzanella

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS

For the Salad:

  • 3 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (I have used halved cherry or grape tomatoes as well.)
  • 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/2 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
  • 20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:

  • 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
  • 1/2 cup good olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the ingredients.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Bringing it:

You can prep the bread, veggies and vinaigrette in advance and store in their own containers. Mix it all up on site a half hour before serving.

Spicy Salmon on a Stick

Fish on! Pure goodness on the grill…and a pro photo by Tania. The single skewer technique is for risk takers. Two skewers per kebab makes the grilling and flipping easier.

I know. It’s the 4th so you’re thinking burgers and dogs on the grill. It’s All American, it’s easy and it’s good. But one of many happy consequences of having the 4th fall on a Saturday is that it makes for a really long weekend. And that means more opportunities to get your grill game on. It is the perfect time to try something new. For me, that was salmon kebabs. I’m slightly intimidated by cooking fish on the grill in the first place, but cubed fish? With little lemon slices? This was a leap.

It was so worth it. This recipe came to me from my Rocky Mountain Correspondent Tania, purveyor of all things spicy and delicious. She also happens to be a fantastic photographer (of fast ski racers and food). She advised me to get the salmon skinned at the store which I did. My fish mongress tried to boss me otherwise (it was from a loving not lazy place, because she likes the skin) but I persevered and am so glad I did. Who wants bits of salmon skin at clean up time? Correct—not me.

I was nervous that the fish would fall apart, or be a pain to skewer or just not be that good, but it was pretty easy and very tasty. One slacker note: I wanted to skewer these a few hours ahead of time, so I did this before prepping the salmon with the oil and spices. Just before grilling I brushed them with oil and rolled them in the spice mixture which I had spread on a baking sheet. Second slacker note: I could not wade into the garden to find my fresh oregano so I used dried. Again, it was really good, but I know in my heart it could have been even better. These are the sacrifices we make.

Spiced Salmon on Skewers

By guest cook Tania Coffey via Bon Appetit

Ingredients

Servings: 4

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet (preferably wild), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 lemons, very thinly sliced into rounds
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 16 bamboo skewers soaked in water 1 hour

Method:

prep: 25 min total: 25 min

  • Prepare grill for medium heat. Mix oregano, sesame seeds, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl to combine; set spice mixture aside.
  • Beginning and ending with salmon, thread salmon and folded lemon slices onto 8 pairs of parallel skewers to make 8 kebabs total. The parallel skewers are pretty key in keeping the fish stable. Brush with oil and season with reserved spice mixture (or brush and roll entire kebab as described above).
  • Grill, turning occasionally, until fish is opaque throughout, 5–8 minutes.

Serve these with lemon cauliflower couscous, a green salad with everything from your CSA and maybe even some watermelon sangria. Save the burgers for your next bbq—it’s right around the corner. Happy 4th to all!

Love, and a Side of Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

a few of the best friends in the world. Way better looking than meatballs in the sun.

A few of the best friends in the world. Way better looking than meatballs.

This is about meatballs, but it’s not really about meatballs. It’s about friends and family and communities and about the times that remind you how much you love all of the above. Those times are called parties.

I’m on spring break, which is why we’ve sort of lost touch (It’s not you, it’s me.) The anchor of the trip was the party (see happy purple people above) to honor my awesome mama. The whole process of throwing a party in your hometown—especially when you have no definitive vision or time or really any business thinking you can pull it off—is confirmation that Dorothy and her sparkly red shoes really had it right. There’s no place like home.

Friends appeared at just the right time to help me shop, delivered fondue pots, brought drinks and favorite dishes, ship-shaped the house, helped prep, cook, clean and tend each other throughout, took pictures and showed up with their rally caps on. They asked “how can I help?” and when I hesitated they just jumped in and did. The timeliness of the help was downright freaky, as when I was lamenting that I’d failed to order a cake and the phone rang: “Could I prepare a signature dessert to honor your mom?” I’m talking crazy good.

Like I said, this isn’t much about meatballs. BUT for this occasion I needed something easy I could make ahead and then pop in the oven, something that would not require any utensil beyond a toothpick, and something that was worthy of the best friends and family a girl could ever have. These mighty meatballs (poached from Epicurious) delivered in all areas. As a bonus, the leftovers were good the next day, cold and reheated.

Make these and have a party to remind yourself of all the good stuff and good people in your life.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or any other favorite hot sauce
  • 1 pound ground chicken, preferably thigh meat (turkey works too)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 celery stalk, minced
  • 3/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Some kind of Blue cheese dip or dressing

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the vegetable oil into a 9×13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.

Combine the butter and hot sauce in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat, whisking until the butter is melted and fully incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.

Combine the hot sauce mixture, ground chicken, egg, celery, bread crumbs, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.

Roll the mixture into round, 3/4 -inch balls, making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.

Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.

Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

Serve with blue cheese dip for the real buffalo experience

See? I told you. But don’t judge. Just make them. Trust me on this.

See? I told you meatballs aren’t as pretty as friends. But as with friends, don’t judge. Just make them, love them  and be happy.

Taco Tuesday Solved

tacos

So easy. So cheesy. So…yeah baby!

Yay—taco night! It sounds so easy, so crowd pleasing, so autopilot for a busy weeknight. It is easy if you and your people prefer soft shell tacos. But let’s talk about hard shell tacos. The opening is too narrow and the shells are too brittle, so if you do end up creating your masterpiece in one piece, it explodes on the first bite. No bueno.

Even less bueno are the proposed solutions, helpful techniques like grabbing each taco with tongs and frying it in oil. Honestly, I’d rather sort rogue socks from the laundry than fry individual tacos. However you say “not happenin’” in Spanish is how I’m dealing with those tacos.

Bevin Wallace out in Colorado has solved this for us on her Real life Delicious blog. The key is filling the shells, standing them against each other in a baking dish, covering them with a loving sprinkle of cheese and then baking them. You get slightly softened hard shell tacos that are totally easy to eat without losing half the filling on the plate.

Bevin is super healthy and organic and fills her with elk meat or grass fed ground beef. The slacker (my) version is to take out the word organic everywhere, and use what you’ve got, which in my case most recently was ground turkey. Non meat eaters can use whatever non meat feels right. Other keys to the recipe are the veggies (they keep us honest on taco night) and the refried beans in the filling mixture that sort of hold it all together. And oh yeah, you can make them ahead and bring the dish over to pop in the oven. It’s all good stuff. Try these, and go sort socks with all your spare time.

Baked Tacos

à la Real Life Delicious
Makes 10-12 tacos

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. lean ground meat (I use ground elk, but grass-fed beef, bison, or pasture-raised turkey are also good)
  • 1 tbsp. taco seasoning (Slackers, open that yellow Ortega packet)
  • 1 tsp. salt (omit if you are using the package)
  • 1 13.5 box organic refried beans, or 1 can refried beans
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped (try to buy organic because peppers are on the Dirty Dozen)
  • 1 package organic taco shells
  • 1/2 cup shredded pepper Jack (or sharp cheddar) cheese

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the meat in a large skillet, add the taco seasoning and salt, and brown over medium-high heat. When the meat is almost done, add the chopped vegetables and cook until soft. Stir in the beans and heat through. Make sure the meat, veggies, and beans are well incorporated. Bring a large rectangular baking dish and the taco shells over next to the stove and spoon the meat mixture into the taco shells (about 3/4 full). Stand the tacos in the baking dish as you fill them. They will want to fall over until they are all lined up in there fairly tightly. After you’ve filled the tacos, sprinkle the cheese over them and bake for 10 min.

Bringing it:

Stack those bad boys, cover the dish with foil and proceed to the party where you will be greeted with mucho gusto.

 

Basic Lentil Soup, from the hip

Right from the hip....

Right from the hip….

We’ve shared a lot of desserts and drinks and appetizers lately and I thought, gosh…where are all the soups and stews? Then I saw this recipe for Basic Lentil Soup made “from the hip”, and I thought, it must be easy, now let’s just hope it’s good. So, I whipped up a pot and yes, in fact, it is very good! 

I got this recipe from a friend of mine, Michele Estes who works in health and wellness.  For a link to her Facebook page, click here.  She has wonderful, healthy recipes and can offer great advice, tips and tricks for leading a healthier lifestyle. 

Now onto the recipe which, is “from the hip”, so don’t stress about any of this…wing it… throw in whatever you have on hand….. and enjoy!

Ingredients

Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, diced
3 celery stalks and leaves, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
Splash of wine (whatever you have on hand)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup lentils, rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Drizzle oil into a heavy bottomed pot, add onion and sauté for a few minutes and then add carrots and celery. Sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes (don’t let the garlic burn). Add kale and sauté for a couple minutes. Add wine and canned tomatoes. Add each spice and stir until you can smell the spices. Add vegetable broth and lentils bring to a boil, and then simmer for approximately 45 minutes, until lentils are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For a thicker soup, puree one cup of the soup in a blender and add back to larger pot.

Bring It!

To bring to a party or someone’s house for dinner, a crockpot is the way to go.  That mean no fuss for the hostess and you can keep it warm once you get there.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Beef Stew

Melts in your mouth for sure!

Melts in your mouth for sure!

My boys put up with enough vegetarian fare that I thought a big pot of hearty beef stew would be a great carnivore fix. This recipe, taken from Jamie Oliver’s Cook with Jamie cookbook, makes your mouth water just reading the title. Jamie teaches you how to cook like your mothers and grandmothers, but with a modern flare.

Last night I served this up as an experiment to “Bring It” because in all honesty, I have never made beef stew. But, I thought, this would be a great dish to bring to someone’s house in the winter when we are all looking for hearty winter meals and comfort food. After a bite or two, I ask my family what they think. My husband, said, “this is the best [fill in expletive here] stew I have ever eaten”. He then asks if I will make this and dehydrate it for an upcoming trip he has to the Brooks Range in Alaska. And so this recipe may become a new twist on “Bring It” food because it will be made here in Lyme NH and brought, dehydrated in a plastic bag, to the Artic Circle where it will be re-hydrated and shared with a few friends. Below a few photos of the Brooks Range. Enjoy the stew and if you are simply bringing it next door, a crock pot will do!

Ingredients

Olive Oil
2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 sticks of celery, trimmed and roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
A small handful of dried porcini
1 cinnamon stick
2 lbs beef stew meat, cubbed (preferably chuck)
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp flour
28 oz can good quality plum tomatoes
2/3 of a 750ml bottle of Chianti

Method

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In heavy-bottomed ovenproof saucepan, heat splash of olive oil and gently fry the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, herbs, porcini, and cinnamon for 5 minutes until softened slightly. Meanwhile toss the beef in a little seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Add the meat to the pan and stir everything together, then add the tomatoes, wine and a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently bring to a boil, cover with a double thickness piece of aluminum foil and a lid and place in your preheated oven for 3 hours or until the beef is meltingly tender and can be broken up with a spoon. Taste and check seasoning, remove cinnamon stick, rosemary springs, and bay leaves. Serve with crusty bread or egg noodles.

Bring It

Who doesn’t love when you show up with a crockpot. Just plug it in and keep it warm until dinner is served.

Brooks Range

BrooksRange-II  

 

 

 

Brooks_Range-I