Carrot-Sweet Potato Soup

This delicately sweet and hearty soup is perfect on a snow-filled day like today. With just a few ingredients, the flavors come together. You can get creative here with your favorite greens and spices. I used cumin but feel free to swap for anything else. You can make this soup in advance for weekday lunches or use it to start off a healthy meal.

3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2-inch piece of ginger, chopped
1 1/2 pounds of carrots
1 large sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp cumin

1. Put the oil in a large, deep saucepaun over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the carrots, sweet potato, onion and ginger. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the carrots soften a bit. Add the stock and cook until the vegetables are very tender, 15-20 minutes. Add the cumin.

2. Let cool a bit and pour the soup into a food processor, or use an immersion blender if you have  one (I don’t) to puree the soup. Puree until smooth. At this point you can cover and refrigerate it if you’re making it in advance.

3. To serve, pour the soup back into the pot and heat again for a few minutes. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with parsley if you’d like

This is from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters, with some personal touches.

Spaghetti with Pistachio Dressing, Kale and Pomegranate

This is the second, very colorful vegetarian dish that I prepared for Tu B’Shevat last week. Whole wheat pasta gets cloaked in a pistachio/garlic/salt blend and tossed with bright pomegranate seeds and hearty kale. It’s a great cross-section of salty sweetness and one nourishing bowl of pasta!

Save a couple large kale leaves to garnish your serving platter.
8 ounces whole grain linguine or spaghetti
2/3 cup pistachios, toasted
1 medium clove garlic, smashed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large bunch of kale, washed, de-stemmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 pomegranate, just the seeds*

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating, break the pasta into 1 1/2-inch segments and make the pistachio sauce by pureeing 1/3 cup pistachios, garlic, salt and olive oil in a food processor. Set aside.

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Barley with Walnut Pesto and Kalamata Olives

For my Tu B’Shevat feast on Saturday, I decided to go beyond the plethora of fruit and go-green with a vegetarian dinner. I find myself constantly excited by the recipes on 101 Cookbooks, and I had plenty of creative vegetarian recipes saved to make a full meal. I’ve modified Heidi’s Arugula Pesto Wheat Berries recipe and made it my own here. I had a tough time finding wheat berries and substitued for barley since it comes from Israel, making it one of those special foods to eat on the holiday. Its super starchy character yields a risotto-like quality when blended with cheesy pesto. Barley needs a better PR department. You rarely find it as the shining star in a dish. But this recipe was mine and E’s favorite of the meal.

Let’s give barley its moment in the sun!

Serves 6

3 cups barley
3 garlic cloves
2/3 cup walnuts
1 bunch or 3 cups arugula leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan
2 big pinches salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
10 black Kalamata olives

Simmer the barley in 6 cups of water for about an hour, until plump and soft. While the barley cooks, place the walnuts in a small pan and toast on the stove for 2-3 minutes. Place the walnuts aside.

Make the arugula pesto by combining the garlic, lemon juice, Parmesan, salt and most of the arugula and walnuts (leave some out for garnish) in a food processor. Pulse a few times and then slowly drizzle the olive oil into the food processor as the mixture blends. Stop it a few times along the way and add extra salt or lemon juice as needed. When it is smooth and the barley is done, empty the barley into a serving bowl and pour the pesto over the barley. Mix together so that the pesto evenly coats the barley.

Top the pesto-barley with the remaining arugula leaves, olives, and walnuts. Enjoy!

Wild Mushroom Crostini

If your New Years’ resolutions are already boring you, some Winter entertaining may be in order. These wild mushroom crostini are an earthy, party-starting snack. My sister prepared them for Thanksgiving and our whole family gobbled them up. She drizzles truffle oil on top to add lovely dimension into each bite. These are perfect for a novice chef looking to impress friends. Enjoy!

Makes 36 crostini

36 1/3 inch thick baguette slices
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup chopped shallots
2 1/4 cups chopped oyster mushrooms
2 1/4 cups chopped, stemmed shiitake mushrooms
1 1/4 cups chopped chanterelle mushrooms
1 cup red wine
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
truffle oil, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 375°F

Butternut Squash Turnovers

This is a guest post from my sister, Jacqueline, who made these sweet and savory turnovers (from Food and Wine) for Thanksgiving and again for a recent holiday party. They’re a big hit, especially with her sister, so I asked her if I could share with you all. The creamy goat cheese and little bites of squash is a delectable combination. Leave yourself ample prep time for this cold-weather treat.

Ingredients (Serves 12):

1. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2. 3 large leeks, white parts only, cut into 1-inch dice (2 cups)
3. 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced 1/4 inch thick
4. 2 garlic cloves, chopped
5. 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
7. One 2-pound butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
8. 14 ounces all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen
9. 3/4 pound fresh goat cheese (1 1/2 cups)
10. 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the diced leeks and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the shiitake and cook, stirring often, until their liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a medium bowl.

2. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil the parchment. In a large bowl, toss the squash with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the squash on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, until softened and starting to brown. Add the squash to the leeks and mushrooms and toss.

3. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, gently roll out the puff pastry to a 12-by-16-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the pastry into twelve 4-inch squares. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the shiitake-squash mixture onto each square and top with 2 tablespoons of the goat cheese. Lightly brush the edge of the squares with some of the beaten egg. Fold the squares over to form triangles and crimp the edges decoratively with a fork.

4. Arrange the turnovers on the prepared baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. Brush the tops of the turnovers with the remaining beaten egg. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Slow-Cooked Rack of Lamb

This rack of lamb is both basic and beautiful. I made it for dinner last Friday and its easy preparation allowed me time for more complex side dishes. I served it with an orecchiete with chickpea-tomato sauce (recipe to come) and a golden beet salad.  The fragrant sauce this dish renders would be lovely on a variety of meats .

Ingredients:

1 rack of lamb, trimmed and frenched
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry red wine
1 fresh thyme spring, plus additional sprigs for garnish
1 small fresh rosemary sprig, plus additional sprigs for garnish
1 cup meat stock (lamb, beef or duck) or canned low-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons butter or margarine to make kosher

Preheat the oven to 300°F

Season the rack of lamb all over with salt and pepper. Set a small roasting rack over a heavy pan, set the lamb on the rack and place on the middle rack of the oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes, until the temperature in the center of the middle rib reaches 125F for rare, 130°F for medium-rare or 140°F for medium. Transfer the roasting rack to a work surface and cover loosely with foil.

Set the roasting pan over high heat on top of the stove. Add the wine and herbs and cook, stirring to loosen any bits of meat, until the wine is reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Add the stock and cook until rich and thick. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat and discard the herb sprigs.

Whisk 1 tablespoon butter/margarine into the sauce and when it is completely incorporated, whisk in the remaining. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Cover the pan and set aside briefly. Carve the rack of lamb between the rib bones.

Serve the sauce alongside the lamb either by pouring onto plates or in a small bowl. Garnish the lamb with herb sprigs and serve immediately.

We enjoyed this lamb with a meaty Edna Valley Syrah. The peppery notes of the Syrah and its robust mouthfeel made an awesome pairing. Enjoy!

This recipe is from our Wine and Food Pairings Cookbook which consistently offers me creative, thoughtful recipes. If interested, you may learn more about it here!

Whole Wheat Margherita Pizza with Heirloom Tomatoes

I was always intimidated by the idea of homemade pizza, until I found a very basic recipe from Giada de Laurentis and realized how simple it can be. It’s part of my repertoire now, and I’ve used her dough here, with some improvisations of my own. Heirloom tomato season is almost over and Whole Foods had some plump yellow and red ones that I had to buy. Their gorgeous color and unique sweetness are the centerpiece of this pizza, plus some gooey mozzarella, herbed jack, loads of garlic and basil. With only a few tools and a little bit of time, a homemade pizza is very attainable!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup purchased marinara sauce- I’ve used the 365 Whole Foods brand or Enrico’s
1 cup coarsely grated hard cheese like herbed jack or fontina
Fresh mozzarella, cut into thick slices (I used about 10 slices)
2 heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
10-15 basil leaves, plucked from the stem

3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups (or more) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Begin by making the pizza dough. You can also make this a day in advance if it is more convenient. Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch down dough. Roll out dough by starting in the center and working outward toward the edges, but not rolling over them.

Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface into a rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet. Spread marinara sauce over pizza, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle garlic and hard cheese all over the surface of the dough. Then alternate between tomato slices, mozzarella and 10 basil leaves. Finely chop the other 5 basil leaves and mix with a teaspoon of oil in a small bowl. Spread the basil/olive oil mixture on the crust. Sprinkle with salt and generous amount of pepper. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil.

Bake the pizza until it’s brown on the bottom and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Cut the pizza crosswise into rectangles.

We enjoyed this pizza with an arugula salad with baby beets and sliced almonds, plus some extra cheese from the recipe. Paired it with our favorite Pinot Noir from our trip to Oregon, the Scott Paul Audrey, it was a divine combo!

My crust needs improvement, which I hope will come with practice. Anyone have any tips for pizza crust? What’s your favorite pizza recipe?

Garlic Chicken Breasts with Sauteed Fennel and Spaghetti

Sometimes I find myself in the mood to cook, without much time for planning. In these times, I don’t have the luxury of looking up a recipe and running out to the store to get all of the perfect ingredients. In these times, I’m happy to have fennel on hand.

Fennel needs a better PR department. It is wholly under-appreciated by many people who are averse to that anise/black licorice flavor. Not me! Though I would still give all of my black jelly beans away to my Dad (he loves’em!), a little bit of aromatics adds spunk to a vegetable like fennel. Fennel is so versatile it can be chopped up in a salad, roasted, or sautéed like below. And it’s a lot fancier than broccoli, right?

E was coming over for dinner and I had some chicken breasts, fennel, mushrooms and pasta that I figured could lead to a great dinner. But I needed inspiration. I consulted with some of my Twitter buds, Evan Dawson (of Lenndevours) and Catie (Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman) to develop a recipe. The result is this nourishing, flavorful dinner, made with basic ingredients. Perfect for a weeknight in!

Enjoy!

Serves 2

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 fennel bulb
1/4 package whole wheat spaghetti
1 package of cremini mushrooms, washed, and sliced in half
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Parsley, a generous handful, coarsely chopped
1 lemon
8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Splash of chicken stock
1 tsp honey
Fresh thyme, a few sprigs
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Chop the fennel bulb away from its wispy stem and discard the stem. Cut the bulb into quarters.

2. Wash the chicken and pound it with a mallot, for a thinner breast which will absorb more of the flavors. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Soften the fennel in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes until slightly soft, but not cooked through. Empty the water from the pot and put the fennel on the side.

4. Place a large skillet on the stove on medium-high heat. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic cloves. Add the fennel to the pan and sauté on each side of the fennel for a few minutes until slightly brown and until the pieces start to pull apart. Add salt, to taste. While the fennel sautes, refill the pot with water and bring to a rolling boil again, for the pasta.

5. When the fennel is done, remove from the pan and divide the pieces amongst 2 plates. Some of the garlic cloves will adhere to the fennel and some will remain in the pan for the chicken, that’s fine.

6. Add a splash of chicken stock to the pan and stir up all of the bits of garlic from the bottom. Add the honey to the sauce and stir together in the pan, then add the chicken breasts and turn down the heat to medium.

7. When the pot of water reaches a boil, add the pasta and cook for about 8 minutes, or until just soft.

8. While the chicken sautées add handfuls of parsley to the pan. Add the mushrooms and saute together for about 10 minutes, or 5 minutes on each side for the chicken. While the chicken and mushrooms cook, pluck some thyme leaves from your sprigs and add them to the pan.

9. Drain the pasta when done and place in a large bowl. Toss with remaining olive oil, salt to taste, and sundried tomatoes.

10. When the mushrooms are done, toss them with the pasta.

11. When the chicken is done, place a breast on each plate along side the fennel and spoon the pasta onto the plate, or serve in a bowl along side.

12. Serve with slices of lemon to squeeze on the chicken

Quinoa Salad with Lemon-Tahini and Chickpeas

Did you know that quinoa is actually not a grain, but a protein in the same group as spinach? I learned this the hard way in a heated debate with E (I was on the losing side). So you can eat mountains of this stuff without guilt, if you care about that sort of thing. Anyway, here is a healthy, hearty side featuring quinoa and plump chickpeas with a zesty lemon-tahini dressing. Leftovers will stay well in the refrigerator for weekday lunch at the office, just add an extra spritz of lemon to keep the quinoa moist. Inspired from a recipe on 101Cookbooks, where I seem to get all of my side dish recipes these days! She makes the tahini from scratch but I cut a corner with a store-bought Sabra brand (sue me!). Enjoy!

Serves 4
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 can of garbanzo beans
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup (about) creamy tahini dressing, Sabra brand works, or make it from scratch:
Tahini Dressing:
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup tahini
Zest of one lemon
scant 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons hot water
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa and water until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Drain any extra water and set aside.

While the quinoa is cooking make the dressing. Whisk together the garlic, tahini, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Add the hot water to thin a bit and then the salt.

Toss the cooked quinoa, beans, cilantro, red onion, and dressing to taste. Serve garnished with a bit of cilantro. Add more lemon juice and salt to taste if you’d like.

Turkey Burgers Stuffed with Sundried Tomato, Olives and Thyme

If you’re tired of boring hamburgers and hot dogs these Mediterranean-inspired turkey burgers provide a creative reprieve. I made these for E for lunch a few weeks ago and I loved the quick prep time and great flavors. Prepare the meat in advance for a big BBQ to impress guests with minimal effort!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
10 pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 pounds of ground turkey
2 tbsp chopped sundried tomatoes packed in oil
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 sesame buns
arugula leaves

Optional: basil mayonnaise spread
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup mayonnaise

In a small bowl blend together the olives, turkey, tomatoes, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Form mixture into 4 1-inch-thick patties. Handle the meat as little as possible for a juicier burger. Combine basil and mayonnaise in a small bowl on the side.

Prepare the grill or heat a large pan over medium heat. Grill or saute burgers for 4 minutes on each side for medium, or less time if you prefer a rarer burger. Transfer burgers to buns and top with basil mayonnaise and arugula.

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine via Epicurious.com