Is there anything more romantic than beef heart? I don't think so. In a grand gesture of romance, my lovey love took a bus across town to an unfamiliar grocery store to get me some ground beef heart. He got there and found the beef heart, only to discover that Winco has a 50 pound grinding minimum. Oh. Darn. He bought a whole beef heart anyhow, and then went to New Seasons, which is only about 5 blocks from his house. They also had beef heart and only a two pound grinding minimum, so he ordered me some. The next night he came to my house, whole Winco beef heart in hand, and told me that there would be two pounds of ground beef heart waiting for me the next day at New Seasons. Swoon. I cried, obviously.
My quest for beef heart started when I began reading and cooking from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. She advocates for a diet more like those of traditional cultures, which includes more animal fat and minimally processed foods. This book has made me think long and hard about what is "healthy", and especially about what is healthy for me. She calls for organ meats in many of her recipes--they are a great source of vitamins and good fats. But mostly, they are delicious. They are rich and flavorful and even a small addition will add so much to a dish. I attempted the recipe below without the beef heart and it was good, but with the beef heart it was a whole different story.
My beef heart waited in the freezer all week, and Saturday night we gave the meatloaf another go. Oh my goodness, it was heavenly. Rich and juicy and flavorful. We served it along with a simple salad of purple cabbage, shredded carrots, and French breakfast radishes, and rich and creamy mashed potatoes. Amazing!
This recipe calls for some rich ingredients and you may shy away at first, but please, don't skimp here. And do use high quality, organic ingredients. It is well worth it. We used ground beef for the remainder of the meat, but ground pork, veal, lamb, or some combination, would also be delicious.
Sally Fallon's Spicy Meatloaf
2 pounds ground beef or other red meat
1/2 pound ground beef heart
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups whole grain bread crumbs*
1 cup cream
1 egg
4 tablespoons tomato paste or ketchup
Over medium heat saute onions, carrots, and celery in butter until soft. Add chili flakes, thyme, pepper, and salt and stir. Meanwhile, soak bread crumbs in cream.
Have a 9x13 inch Pyrex pan ready. Using your hands, mix meat with sauteed vegetables, soaked bread, and egg. Form into a loaf and set in pan. Spread ketchup over top of meatloaf. Add about 1/2 cup water to the pan. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.
*To make breadcrumbs, whir crust-less bread in a food processor or blender until you have fine crumbs.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Healthy (I swear) and Delicious Fried Rice
I do not like Chinese food, not even a little bit. I'll eat it if pressed, but I never crave it. And yes, I have tried fancy Chinese food from places like PF Changs, and no, I don't like that either. So you can imagine my surprise when one evening I craved fried rice.
I looked in a few different cookbooks but wound up using Mark Bittman's recipe from his encyclopedia of a cookbook, How to Cook Everything. While I don't often love any of his recipes, he does have a recipe for everything (hence the title) and his recipes are a fabulous jumping off point. I often use them for research and ideas, or as bare bones guidelines, rather than as recipes.
Over the past few months I have eaten a lot of fried rice. It is an easy and satisfying dish to prepare, and comes together with everyday fridge items. It is great for lunch the next day. Almost any vegetable works in this recipe, so its a great way to get your greens in, and use up odds and ends before they spoil.
When I first thought fried rice, I definitely did not think nutritious meal. But using brown rice, lots of veggies, and good quality organic eggs boosts this dish's nutritional profile. I also use a combination of olive oil and sesame oil rather than canola or vegetable oil. And while I'm usually not a nonstick lover, it is great here--you only use a fraction of the oil and the rice doesn't stick.
This is the way I have come to use Mark Bittman's recipe and technique. Quantities and vegetables are easily substituted. I have yet to make this with meat, because I find the eggs to be filling enough, but I'm sure bacon, or some leftover chicken, would be great additions.
Fried Rice
slash of sesame oil
splash of olive oil
1-2 cups cooked brown rice
a few green onions, all of white and some of green stem, chopped
1/4 or so yellow, white, or purple onion, chopped
a handful of chopped bell peppers, any color
1 carrot, finely chopped
handful of frozen peas
whatever else you have in the crisper that seems like it may be good
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-3 tablespoons soy sauce, depending on your taste
Heat oil in nonstick skillet on medium high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add vegetables. Fry fast, stirring almost constantly, for a few minutes. When vegetables have softened and begin to brown, add rice. Fry fast, stirring, for a few more minutes. Make a well in the center of the rice and vegetable mixture. Pour in beaten eggs. When eggs begin to set, scramble in well. Start incorporating vegetable and rice mixture and stir, until egg is distributed throughout. When eggs are cooked, remove pan from heat. Stir in soy sauce to taste.
Bonus Rice Recipe
Don't have any rice made already? Use the homemade stock I know you all ran out and made after my last post to make the most delicious brown rice ever!
1 cup brown rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups stock
pinch of salt
Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Stir rice into melted butter, making sure all grains are coated. Add stock and salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 50-60 minutes, or until rice is done. If rice seems dry at any point during cooking, add more stock.
I looked in a few different cookbooks but wound up using Mark Bittman's recipe from his encyclopedia of a cookbook, How to Cook Everything. While I don't often love any of his recipes, he does have a recipe for everything (hence the title) and his recipes are a fabulous jumping off point. I often use them for research and ideas, or as bare bones guidelines, rather than as recipes.
Over the past few months I have eaten a lot of fried rice. It is an easy and satisfying dish to prepare, and comes together with everyday fridge items. It is great for lunch the next day. Almost any vegetable works in this recipe, so its a great way to get your greens in, and use up odds and ends before they spoil.
When I first thought fried rice, I definitely did not think nutritious meal. But using brown rice, lots of veggies, and good quality organic eggs boosts this dish's nutritional profile. I also use a combination of olive oil and sesame oil rather than canola or vegetable oil. And while I'm usually not a nonstick lover, it is great here--you only use a fraction of the oil and the rice doesn't stick.
This is the way I have come to use Mark Bittman's recipe and technique. Quantities and vegetables are easily substituted. I have yet to make this with meat, because I find the eggs to be filling enough, but I'm sure bacon, or some leftover chicken, would be great additions.
Fried Rice
slash of sesame oil
splash of olive oil
1-2 cups cooked brown rice
a few green onions, all of white and some of green stem, chopped
1/4 or so yellow, white, or purple onion, chopped
a handful of chopped bell peppers, any color
1 carrot, finely chopped
handful of frozen peas
whatever else you have in the crisper that seems like it may be good
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-3 tablespoons soy sauce, depending on your taste
Heat oil in nonstick skillet on medium high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add vegetables. Fry fast, stirring almost constantly, for a few minutes. When vegetables have softened and begin to brown, add rice. Fry fast, stirring, for a few more minutes. Make a well in the center of the rice and vegetable mixture. Pour in beaten eggs. When eggs begin to set, scramble in well. Start incorporating vegetable and rice mixture and stir, until egg is distributed throughout. When eggs are cooked, remove pan from heat. Stir in soy sauce to taste.
Bonus Rice Recipe
Don't have any rice made already? Use the homemade stock I know you all ran out and made after my last post to make the most delicious brown rice ever!
1 cup brown rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups stock
pinch of salt
Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Stir rice into melted butter, making sure all grains are coated. Add stock and salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 50-60 minutes, or until rice is done. If rice seems dry at any point during cooking, add more stock.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Home Made Vegetable Stock
Making your own stock sounds fussy, but I promise, it isn't. It's satisfying (both the process and the end result) and so flavorful, and does wonders for your food. It is also a great way to use vegetables that are a bit passed their prime, but that you would rather not throw away. Boxed stock is ok, I used it for a while, but it really doesn't compare to stocks made from scratch. Michael Ruhlman wrote that your home made soup will taste better made with water, rather than from canned or boxed stock. Zing. He's a smart man, he knows.
Basically, stock is several ingredients, usually vegetables, bones, and aromatics, simmered in water until the water is infused with their flavor. Each batch of stock will have it's own flavor, based on what ingredients you use and in what quantities. You can also tailor your stock to the dish you are cooking, but I have found that this versatile vegetable stock works with everything.
The stock recipe I use is Deborah Madison's Quick Stock from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. This woman knows vegetables, so naturally her vegetable stock is the best I've tried. This is a basic one, and she provides much helpful information on how to adjust and tailor it, along with several accompanying stock recipes.
Below is Deborah Madison's Recipe as I have come to use it.
A few notes:
While most vegetables work in stock, some do not, as they will make the stock bitter. Vegetables to avoid are:
So, how about some stock, hmm?
Quick Vegetable Stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
4 or more garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
8 or more parsley branches
Salt
Heat oil over high heat and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Then add any other vegetables and trimmings that you are using, along with garlic and herbs. Brown vegetables over medium to medium high heat for about 10 minutes. Scrape up and incorporate any brown bits that stick to the bottom of the pan. When vegetables are browned, add 2 teaspoons salt and 2 quarts cold water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 30-40 minutes. Strain stock through cheese cloth lined colander.
Stock will keep frozen for a while, and in the fridge for a few days. I freeze mine in one and two cup amounts so that I can always have some on hand. I use it in soups, but my other favorite use for it is cooking rice. Substitute stock for water the next time you make rice. You may never go back.
Basically, stock is several ingredients, usually vegetables, bones, and aromatics, simmered in water until the water is infused with their flavor. Each batch of stock will have it's own flavor, based on what ingredients you use and in what quantities. You can also tailor your stock to the dish you are cooking, but I have found that this versatile vegetable stock works with everything.
The stock recipe I use is Deborah Madison's Quick Stock from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. This woman knows vegetables, so naturally her vegetable stock is the best I've tried. This is a basic one, and she provides much helpful information on how to adjust and tailor it, along with several accompanying stock recipes.
Below is Deborah Madison's Recipe as I have come to use it.
A few notes:
While most vegetables work in stock, some do not, as they will make the stock bitter. Vegetables to avoid are:
- Turnips and Rutabagas
- Cabbages and Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli and cauliflower
- Red beets
- Any things ground or very small (spices and seeds) that cheesecloth will not catch
- Onion skins
- Artichoke trimmings
- Lots of dark, leafy greens (some are ok)
So, how about some stock, hmm?
Quick Vegetable Stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
4 or more garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
8 or more parsley branches
Salt
Heat oil over high heat and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Then add any other vegetables and trimmings that you are using, along with garlic and herbs. Brown vegetables over medium to medium high heat for about 10 minutes. Scrape up and incorporate any brown bits that stick to the bottom of the pan. When vegetables are browned, add 2 teaspoons salt and 2 quarts cold water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 30-40 minutes. Strain stock through cheese cloth lined colander.
Stock will keep frozen for a while, and in the fridge for a few days. I freeze mine in one and two cup amounts so that I can always have some on hand. I use it in soups, but my other favorite use for it is cooking rice. Substitute stock for water the next time you make rice. You may never go back.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Le Pigeon
If you are a foodie in any part of the country, you have probably heard about Le Pigeon. Gabriel Rucker's French inspired, Northwest centric food has been praised in several publications, both local and national. PDX Magazine voted him Top Chef of the Year and he received a similar award from Food and Wine. Willy Week and the Mercury were all over it, naturally, as was the Oregonian. So were Bon Apetit and Gourmet.
My lovey love Tim and I celebrated our year anniversary last night with a meal at Le Pigeon. We made reservations to eat at one of the three community tables (a friendly and clever solution to the problem of a very small dining room space), but ended up eating at the bar facing the open kitchen. When we first arrived, a few minutes early, they weren't ready for us and sent us out to have a pre dinner drink. The bar tender at Ron Tom's assured us that it was well worth our wait, saying that Le Pigeon is one of truly wonderful treats in Portland. Oh how right he was.
In all the times I had walked by Le Pigeon I had imagined it as a sort of hushed and quiet affair, a few young people, mostly middle aged people enjoying their fine food in a mellow dining room, and that the chef just happened to be one of the young and hip of Portland. I was wrong.
Sticky Fingers was playing at near top volume when we walked in. There were three chefs behind the bar, one wearing a sweatband with a meat clever pictured on it, and another wearing a baseball had with a silver skull and cross bones on it. Oh, right, we're in Portland, duh. Nothing is that fancy.
Oh, the food. Sigh. Sooooo good. Amazing. Worth all the hype. We started with a fois gras (because we are only unethical on our anniversary, we decided) so rich we couldn't finish it. On top of the fois gras were shaved black truffles, with toasted brioche and homemade fruit jam to accompany. I tried not to fill up on the bread and delicious salt sprinkled butter. Because there was more meat to come.
For dinner we ordered Beef Cheek Bourguignon and, because nothing goes better with liver than more liver, the Duck with liver stuffing and marmalade. Both were excellent, but the duck was just a teeny tiny bit more excellent. The house made marmalade was not too sweet, not to tart, and a nice counter to the richness of the best thing I've ever put in my mouth liver stuffing. The Beef Cheek was flavorful and tender and easily fell apart into the vegetables and sauce surrounding it.
If you know absolutely nothing else about Le Pigeon, you probably know about The Dessert. I do believe this dessert has been mentioned in all press that Le Pigeon has received, and rightfully so, for it's delicious and unusually paired ingredients. Naturally we ordered The Dessert. Bacon apricot cornbread topped with maple ice cream and bacon bits. Uh huh, that's right. Bacon on ice cream. Again, worth all the hype.
Obviously, I loved the food at Le Pigeon. But I also loved the experience of dining there. The wait staff was casual and friendly, and so were the chefs. The open kitchen created a connection between chef and diner, and the chefs were more than happy to answer questions and chat. They were the ones to hand us most of our dishes, over the bar right after they finished making them. All of the dishes and silverware were mismatched, a look that I personally love. My other favorite detail were the jars of pickled and preserved fruits and vegetables lining two high up shelves, interspersed with other eclectic odds and ends, like a pigeon skeleton in a glass case.
So, if you have not yet been to Le Pigeon, save your pennies and go, soon. Unless of course you are a vegetarian, in which case you should do some thinking and reading, and seriously reconsider that dietary choice. Then start eating meat so your stomach will be ready for Le Pigeon.
To visit the Le Pigeon website, click here.
Note: We did have wine which was delicious, but I didn't write about it because a) I can't remember what it was and b) I know nothing about wine and am therefore not at all qualified to say anything about it.
My lovey love Tim and I celebrated our year anniversary last night with a meal at Le Pigeon. We made reservations to eat at one of the three community tables (a friendly and clever solution to the problem of a very small dining room space), but ended up eating at the bar facing the open kitchen. When we first arrived, a few minutes early, they weren't ready for us and sent us out to have a pre dinner drink. The bar tender at Ron Tom's assured us that it was well worth our wait, saying that Le Pigeon is one of truly wonderful treats in Portland. Oh how right he was.
In all the times I had walked by Le Pigeon I had imagined it as a sort of hushed and quiet affair, a few young people, mostly middle aged people enjoying their fine food in a mellow dining room, and that the chef just happened to be one of the young and hip of Portland. I was wrong.
Sticky Fingers was playing at near top volume when we walked in. There were three chefs behind the bar, one wearing a sweatband with a meat clever pictured on it, and another wearing a baseball had with a silver skull and cross bones on it. Oh, right, we're in Portland, duh. Nothing is that fancy.
Oh, the food. Sigh. Sooooo good. Amazing. Worth all the hype. We started with a fois gras (because we are only unethical on our anniversary, we decided) so rich we couldn't finish it. On top of the fois gras were shaved black truffles, with toasted brioche and homemade fruit jam to accompany. I tried not to fill up on the bread and delicious salt sprinkled butter. Because there was more meat to come.
For dinner we ordered Beef Cheek Bourguignon and, because nothing goes better with liver than more liver, the Duck with liver stuffing and marmalade. Both were excellent, but the duck was just a teeny tiny bit more excellent. The house made marmalade was not too sweet, not to tart, and a nice counter to the richness of the best thing I've ever put in my mouth liver stuffing. The Beef Cheek was flavorful and tender and easily fell apart into the vegetables and sauce surrounding it.
If you know absolutely nothing else about Le Pigeon, you probably know about The Dessert. I do believe this dessert has been mentioned in all press that Le Pigeon has received, and rightfully so, for it's delicious and unusually paired ingredients. Naturally we ordered The Dessert. Bacon apricot cornbread topped with maple ice cream and bacon bits. Uh huh, that's right. Bacon on ice cream. Again, worth all the hype.
Obviously, I loved the food at Le Pigeon. But I also loved the experience of dining there. The wait staff was casual and friendly, and so were the chefs. The open kitchen created a connection between chef and diner, and the chefs were more than happy to answer questions and chat. They were the ones to hand us most of our dishes, over the bar right after they finished making them. All of the dishes and silverware were mismatched, a look that I personally love. My other favorite detail were the jars of pickled and preserved fruits and vegetables lining two high up shelves, interspersed with other eclectic odds and ends, like a pigeon skeleton in a glass case.
So, if you have not yet been to Le Pigeon, save your pennies and go, soon. Unless of course you are a vegetarian, in which case you should do some thinking and reading, and seriously reconsider that dietary choice. Then start eating meat so your stomach will be ready for Le Pigeon.
To visit the Le Pigeon website, click here.
Note: We did have wine which was delicious, but I didn't write about it because a) I can't remember what it was and b) I know nothing about wine and am therefore not at all qualified to say anything about it.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Super Bowl Food or Cooking with Aunt Robin: Part One
Aunt Robin is not actually my aunt, but my dear friend. I started calling her aunt Robin because her adorable toddler niece calls her aunt Robin and it's cute. So, Aunt Robin it is.
Aunt Robin is from the Midwest, Ohio to be exact. And being from the Midwest, she eats some funny things. Not funny to her, funny to me. Back when we worked together oh so many weeks ago, Robin would bring in casseroles, dips, hot dishes, and desserts that I had never heard or conceived of. Many of them were family recipes that she had grown up eating. At first I was skeptical of Robin's strange foods, absent of whole grains and with mysterious cans of soup involved, but you know what? Her food is damn good. How could I not like a dessert called Magic Cookie Bars?
I have two favorite Aunt Robin recipes, one of which I am going to share now. It is Robin's family dip, and oh my goodness is it good. Addictive. You can never just have one bite. You go back again and again until your tummy hurts. And then maybe one more time after that. It's a very simple and forgiving recipe, easily adjusted to suit different tastes. And oh, is it yummy.
I will be bringing this to the super bowl party I will be attending tomorrow. Yes, I am going to a super bowl party. I will be watching football on HD TV, one of the most amazing inventions of our time (you can see every blade of grass! and the lines and colors are so sharp! and it's shiny!).
Aunt Robin's dip
2 80z packages cream cheese, softened
2 or more tablespoons ketchup
10-20 green olives, chopped
1/2 white onion, finely chopped.
Mix together ketchup and cream cheese. Stir in olives and onions. Chill until firm.
Some notes: You can play with the quantities of ingredients as much as you like. I think ketchup is gross, so I put in less than Robin does. Both of us like olives, so we used a lot of them. Robin's little bro doesn't like onions or olives and just likes it as cream cheese and ketchup. And yes, you really should chill it a while. It's kind of yucky when it's at room temperature. We're not sure why.
A special thank you to Robin's lovely family for their recipe. Sorry I wrote "damn" earlier.
Aunt Robin is from the Midwest, Ohio to be exact. And being from the Midwest, she eats some funny things. Not funny to her, funny to me. Back when we worked together oh so many weeks ago, Robin would bring in casseroles, dips, hot dishes, and desserts that I had never heard or conceived of. Many of them were family recipes that she had grown up eating. At first I was skeptical of Robin's strange foods, absent of whole grains and with mysterious cans of soup involved, but you know what? Her food is damn good. How could I not like a dessert called Magic Cookie Bars?
I have two favorite Aunt Robin recipes, one of which I am going to share now. It is Robin's family dip, and oh my goodness is it good. Addictive. You can never just have one bite. You go back again and again until your tummy hurts. And then maybe one more time after that. It's a very simple and forgiving recipe, easily adjusted to suit different tastes. And oh, is it yummy.
I will be bringing this to the super bowl party I will be attending tomorrow. Yes, I am going to a super bowl party. I will be watching football on HD TV, one of the most amazing inventions of our time (you can see every blade of grass! and the lines and colors are so sharp! and it's shiny!).
Aunt Robin's dip
2 80z packages cream cheese, softened
2 or more tablespoons ketchup
10-20 green olives, chopped
1/2 white onion, finely chopped.
Mix together ketchup and cream cheese. Stir in olives and onions. Chill until firm.
Some notes: You can play with the quantities of ingredients as much as you like. I think ketchup is gross, so I put in less than Robin does. Both of us like olives, so we used a lot of them. Robin's little bro doesn't like onions or olives and just likes it as cream cheese and ketchup. And yes, you really should chill it a while. It's kind of yucky when it's at room temperature. We're not sure why.
A special thank you to Robin's lovely family for their recipe. Sorry I wrote "damn" earlier.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
My Pasta
Sometimes you just don't feel like cooking. Those times are rare for me but when they strike, they strike hard. I look at my fridge with dread. Sometimes my lovey love makes me a stir fry while I sit on a stool, drinking beer and watching. Other times I just munch until I'm full. Or I grudgingly cook something up and eat it just because I'm hungry, not because I feel like it. In times like this, it's good to have a few stand bys that are easy, come together quickly and without much thought, and are made of items that you always have. Well, I always have olive oil, pasta, and kalamata olives. So when I can't be bothered to be creative, or when I just want something familiar and comforting, I whip out this quick pasta dish.
It is based on a recipe from Moosewood's Simple Suppers. Really loosely based. I skip most of the steps and ingredients, or change the ingredients around for an always delicious pasta dish. So this isn't really a recipe, but more of a suggestion.
In it's most bare bones form, the dish is pasta tossed with olive oil and about a handful of roughly chopped olives. I usually use just kalamata olives, but a combination of olives is also tasty. If you are feeling fancier, or have any of these other ingredients around, you can add some toasted pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. In the summer I throw in some roughly chopped fresh tomatoes, and maybe some parsley if I'm feeling really fancy.
This pasta is delicious no matter what combination of these ingredients you put in, or in what quantities. The only time I screwed it up was when I made it for Tim. It was the first time I made him dinner and I was soooooo nervous that I overcooked and over oiled the pasta, and let my re-hydrated sun dried tomatoes get cold before putting them in. The dish was mushy, coldish, and oily.
But I'm sure that won't happen to you. Just don't be nervous and it will turn out well.
It is based on a recipe from Moosewood's Simple Suppers. Really loosely based. I skip most of the steps and ingredients, or change the ingredients around for an always delicious pasta dish. So this isn't really a recipe, but more of a suggestion.
In it's most bare bones form, the dish is pasta tossed with olive oil and about a handful of roughly chopped olives. I usually use just kalamata olives, but a combination of olives is also tasty. If you are feeling fancier, or have any of these other ingredients around, you can add some toasted pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. In the summer I throw in some roughly chopped fresh tomatoes, and maybe some parsley if I'm feeling really fancy.
This pasta is delicious no matter what combination of these ingredients you put in, or in what quantities. The only time I screwed it up was when I made it for Tim. It was the first time I made him dinner and I was soooooo nervous that I overcooked and over oiled the pasta, and let my re-hydrated sun dried tomatoes get cold before putting them in. The dish was mushy, coldish, and oily.
But I'm sure that won't happen to you. Just don't be nervous and it will turn out well.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Leafy and Lemony Lentil Soup
I love lentil soup. It's perfect in so many ways. It is a hearty and satisfying winter meal, something to get the Portland chill out of your bones. It is also protein rich, filling, and light, even though it has a thick, stew like consistency. I usually use the Hearty Lentil Soup recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone but last week I came across two different lentil soup recipes to try.
As some of you know, I am blissfully unemployed this week, leaving me lots of time to think about lentil soup, among other things. So after some careful consideration and a glance at my produce drawer, I decided to combine these two recipes. The base recipe is from an article in the NY Times food section, and the second is from 101Cookbooks, one of my favorite food blogs. I was drawn to the NY Times recipe because it uses red lentils and calls for lemon. The 101Cookbooks recipe didn't look all the impressive, honestly, except for the addition of dark, leafy green to the soup at the end. Hmmm...
So here is my hybrid soup recipe, with a few notes that I deem important. The resulting soup is lighter, oranger, and thinner than most lentil soup recipes. It also has a bit of zing at the end, due to the lemon and a pinch of cayenne. It's a nice change, but I do plan to post the old standby recipe at some point as well.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter*
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste*
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of ground cayenne
1 quart stock, chicken or vegetable
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, diced
juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch kale or chard
In a large pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute a few minutes until golden. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne, and saute a few minutes longer. Add stock, 2 cups water, lentils, and carrot. Bring to a simmer, cover partially, and simmer until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse and roughly chop greens. You want bite size pieces rather than long ribbons that will hang off of your spoon and burn you as you try to eat your finished soup (trust me). Saute over medium heat in 1 tablespoon olive oil until greens start to wilt. Then cover and steam greens until tender. Remove from heat and squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon over greens. Set aside.
When lentils are cooked, puree part of the soup (in a blender or with an immersion blender) and return to pot. Add greens and juice from the other half of a lemon and heat through.
*I love the flavor combination of butter and olive oil. The butter boosts flavor, and the olive oil keeps it from being too heavy. I use this combo for most everything now.
*The original recipe called for only 1/4 teaspoon salt, which wasn't nearly enough for my soup. However, I was using homemade turkey stock (remember the turkey carcass?) that was not very salty. If you are using store bought stock, which tends to be saltier, I would use just 1/4 teaspoon salt to start and then go from there.
Oh! And, don't forget that lentil soup tastes better as it ages. The longer you leave it in the pot, the more intense the flavors will be. It's most delicious point is the day after, for lunch.
As some of you know, I am blissfully unemployed this week, leaving me lots of time to think about lentil soup, among other things. So after some careful consideration and a glance at my produce drawer, I decided to combine these two recipes. The base recipe is from an article in the NY Times food section, and the second is from 101Cookbooks, one of my favorite food blogs. I was drawn to the NY Times recipe because it uses red lentils and calls for lemon. The 101Cookbooks recipe didn't look all the impressive, honestly, except for the addition of dark, leafy green to the soup at the end. Hmmm...
So here is my hybrid soup recipe, with a few notes that I deem important. The resulting soup is lighter, oranger, and thinner than most lentil soup recipes. It also has a bit of zing at the end, due to the lemon and a pinch of cayenne. It's a nice change, but I do plan to post the old standby recipe at some point as well.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter*
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste*
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of ground cayenne
1 quart stock, chicken or vegetable
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, diced
juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch kale or chard
In a large pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute a few minutes until golden. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne, and saute a few minutes longer. Add stock, 2 cups water, lentils, and carrot. Bring to a simmer, cover partially, and simmer until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse and roughly chop greens. You want bite size pieces rather than long ribbons that will hang off of your spoon and burn you as you try to eat your finished soup (trust me). Saute over medium heat in 1 tablespoon olive oil until greens start to wilt. Then cover and steam greens until tender. Remove from heat and squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon over greens. Set aside.
When lentils are cooked, puree part of the soup (in a blender or with an immersion blender) and return to pot. Add greens and juice from the other half of a lemon and heat through.
*I love the flavor combination of butter and olive oil. The butter boosts flavor, and the olive oil keeps it from being too heavy. I use this combo for most everything now.
*The original recipe called for only 1/4 teaspoon salt, which wasn't nearly enough for my soup. However, I was using homemade turkey stock (remember the turkey carcass?) that was not very salty. If you are using store bought stock, which tends to be saltier, I would use just 1/4 teaspoon salt to start and then go from there.
Oh! And, don't forget that lentil soup tastes better as it ages. The longer you leave it in the pot, the more intense the flavors will be. It's most delicious point is the day after, for lunch.
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