Industrious: Food Musings

I know it's been sometime since my last blog entry and my "disappearance" has been cause for concern (thank you to those sending inquiries as to my whereabouts!)

So, why haven't I been blogging these days? A few reasons: the new school year (getting ready and acclimated to a child in real school), increased load of extracurricular and work activity, and probably the biggest reason I've been absent: watching the weight...

Just because you're on a diet doesn't mean your food has to be void of flavor. In fact, that's just the time to increase the flavor factor! You know, more garlic, more spice, more non-oil laden marinades, etc. One of the great bi-products of committing to a new eating regiment, is the fact that you can really save money. So it's this notion that has inspired me to lose the writers block and share what I know.

Sunday night I made a 7.65 lb. roast chicken. It was on sale for $.99 per pound. So for about $8, I managed to make dinner not one night - but two! And, I made lunch from my $8 purchase not one day - but two! And...I made chicken soup for the Jewish holiday that begins Friday night.

I can't tell you how easy this was and how amazing it feels to make dinner and then continue cooking. Naturally, even if you're not on a diet, you may still want to save money. So here are some ideas you can use for your $8 purchase (or similar amount).

Sunday night - To eat dinner at 6:30 p.m., begin roasting your chicken at 3:00. Wash it well, inside and out, and dry it. Rub Kosher salt inside the cavity and on top of the bird. Sprinkle with ground ginger and pepper. Cut two lemons and 1 onion and stuff them inside, loosely. Then add a bay leaf, fresh dill, and carrots and celery all around the bird. Cook for about 2 1/2 - 3 hours, depending on the directions and weight. See? No oil or other fat...count 3 points for 3 oz of chicken breast! Ours was served with rice and sweet potato and salad.

Pack yourself lunch - Place your alotment of chicken (whatever it might be!) into a take-to-work container and add a salad under it. Or add veggies and rice. Or make a chicken salad with dill and celery or with grapes and walnuts, instead.

Set aside in the fridge remaining meat from the bird (I had about 4-5 cups of chicken).

Soup: Carve the bird and serve - from your Sunday dinner. Place the carcass, all extra bones - with meat stuck to them, a little skin, and all the veggies left over from the roast and additional 1 1/2 cups of chicken into a large soup pot. Add 2 medium onions quartered, more carrots, more chopped celery, more fresh dill, more ground ginger, more salt, a peeled and cut parsnip, a peeled and cut turnip and a couple of whole cloves. Add enough water to just cover the mass. Set on high simmer for about 3-4 hours. Occasionally skim off the cloudy bubbles that form on top. Pour out the broth through a colander and into a large pot - leaving the bones and solids in the colander. Pick off all viable meat and add to the broth with any viable carrots and celery. With the bottom of a cup, squash the remaining veggies, etc. to ensure that all the flavor and juice comes out. Allow broth to cool completely before placing in the fridge, covered. In the morning, skim off the solidified fat. At that point, you can freeze it in small batches for a later date!

Dinner Tuesday night: How about Chicken Burritos? Take out your can of black beans and warm on the stove. Heat a large frying pan sprayed with Pam Spray and saute 2 sliced scallions for two minutes or until soft. Add remaining chicken and heat through. Add about 1 1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Mix well. Put into little cups: cheese (use reduced fat if you're watching), beans, avocado cubes, salsa, tomatoes and build a burrito onto a small fat-free tortilla!

Lunch the next day: repeat above!

Tonight...pork chops!

Pressure: Recipe

Walking in the door a few minutes after 6:00 p.m. means anxious children, anxious mom, and an extra mess to clean! I find that the faster I work the more dishes I accumulate - oh well, can't think about that while trying to come up with a "dish." I had defrosted pork chops in the fridge and needed to cook them but I just could not fry them, again. Rushing through the kitchen was tough - should I try a mango emulsion? Nah, too labor intensive for mid-week; should I use the frozen shrimp somehow? Nah, use that another night for another meal; should I try Edamame and chunks of mango and avocado? Oh well, avocado was too soft (rotten, I suppose)...so you can see I was creating as I went along. And, as it usually does...it hit me!

This dish was so good. The sauce was amazing! The chops were tender and not too thick, simply perfect. I'm not a fan of thick pork chops - I find them to be tough, usually.

Now that I did all the work, you can benefit from the recipe. This was easy!!! And it was delicious!

Japanese-Italian Pork Chops
2 1/4 lb. pork loin rib end sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
salt
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (loose, not in oil)
1/4 cup Extra Dry Vermouth
2/3 cup water-packed artichoke hearts, sliced (mine came from Trader Joe's - in a jar)

In a food processor combine mustard, soy sauce, garlic and sundried tomatoes until well pureed. Set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat and slip in the chops. Sprinkle with salt. Cook about 4 minutes and then turn - cook another 3-4 minutes or until both sides are nicely browned. Remove chops to a plate and increase the heat. Add in the vermouth and scrape up the browned bits - let it come to a boil and then add the mustard mixture. Stir well and add back the pork chops. Turn the cops several times and spoon the mixture over them - cover the pan and let simmer about 4-5 minutes.

Remove the chops to a serving platter and slip in the artichokes. Turn several times and spoon over the chops.

French Onion Soup: Recipe

Honestly, what could be better than a rich sweet soup topped with a thick portion of cheese and then heated in the oven? Right; very few things. I don't think the soup has a great deal of calories since it's mostly onions and beef broth - which, if using the not-fat, low-sodium variety you cut your caloric intake by dramatic proportions.

I love FOS. When I was little, I remember my father loving it, too. In fact, I remember a time when he ordered it in a restaurant and when he finished eating all the cheese off the top, he sent it back to the kitchen for more cheese! I can't tell you where or when that happened but I have that memory burned on my brain. Each time I eat the cheese off the little crock in a restaurant, I think to myself (for just one moment)..."hmmm, I wonder if I could try that trick!"

In my mind, and on my tongue, this soup gets better each time it's made. The recipe is a take-off from something I once saw while watching the Food Network on a JetBlue flight. I didn't have my earphones on as they began making the dish so I had to recreate what the chef said - but I know that this rendition rivals any French Onion soup I've ever had!

French Onion Soup
This soup makes about 8 cups so the cheese and the bread amounts will vary depending on how many people you're serving

1 Tbsp. Olive oil
5 Tbsp. butter
1 large vidalia onion, sliced very thin
1 large red onion, sliced very thin
4 14.5 oz cans beef broth
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup Port
3/4 cup Burgundy
Crusty bread
1/2 Lb. Gruyere
1/2 Lb. Swiss
chopped parsley for garnish

In a large pot, melt the butter and oil together over medium-high heat until the butter foams. Add the onions and saute over medium-high heat, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and the flour together and stir well, sauteing another 5 minutes. Add in the broth and water and set to simmer for about 30 minutes. Next add in the wines and simmer for about 2 hours. A skin will form over the top - be sure to stir the soup a few times during the 2 1/2 hour cooking time to avoid the skin from forming.

Preheat oven to Broil.

Slice the bread into 1 1/2" thick slices and place one slice into the bottom of each oven-bakable crock. Next, ladle the soup to about 2" from the top. Layer one slice of each cheese over the top of the crock and broil until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on top. Sprinkle with parsley garnish and serve.

Time to Bulk-up: Recipe

Yesterday a friend and I were discussing weight and all the trials and tribulations that go with maintaining and losing. I thought long and hard about how to combat this as no one really likes to diet - it's such a bad word. "Dieting" conjures up images of watching others eat delicious food while you feed your face with an abundance of tasteless carrots and celery sticks. YUCK.

So how about "bulking-up" your meals? Start off with a cup of filling vegetable soup before your main course and you'll find yourself nearly full by the time you're halfway through your meal - a perfect time to stop eating. By doing this you certainly get in a wide variety of vegetables and you'll satisfy the urge to eat long before you cobble up everything on your plate!

Now, if only I could abide by this...Maybe I'll have two cups of soup!

Garden Vegetable Soup
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium leek, white and light green parts sliced thin
1/4 cup celery leaves, chopped
3 medium carrots, sliced thin
2 celery ribs, sliced thin
1 turnip, peeled and sliced thin
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced thin
1/8 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/8 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup parsley

In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add in the onion and the leek and saute until both are soft and translucent - about 5-7 minutes. Add in the celery leaves and saute another 3 minutes. Next add in the carrots, celery, turnip, parsnips and ginger and saute over low-medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Next add in the broth and the water along with the salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add in the parsley, stir and turn off the heat. With a hand-held stick blender (or a real blender, if necessary), puree the soup in the pot. Serve.

Mushroom Barley Soup: Recipe

This was a hit on New Year's Day. Phew - it could have gone either way, you know? But it was a winner and that makes a cook feel warm and yummy all over!

To be honest, this recipe doesn't have a great recipe, so to speak. I made it two days before the party and needed beef broth but ran out, so I added chicken broth to make up for the broth I was missing. Then, when I was heating it for the party, I brought some to our neighbor which didn't leave enough broth in the pot so I added some more chicken broth. See where I'm headed with this? So here is the "recipe" as best I can recall...

Mushroom Barley Soup
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 lb. mushrooms (baby bella, white button, and shittake), sliced thin
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 oz. pancetta, cubed
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup pearl barley, washed
8 cups of broth (6 beef and 2 chicken)
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. dill, finely chopped
Salt and pepper


In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and add in the leek and the onion. Saute about 10 minutes until both are very soft. Add in the pancetta and saute another 6-8minutes or until the oil falls away and the meat gets crispy. Next add in the mushrooms and saute about 10-15 minutes over medium heat until they become very soft and lose much of their liquid. Next add in the dill and the parsley and saute quickly - about 1-2 minutes. Add in the broth, bay leaves, the barley, and the salt and pepper, and lower the heat to simmer - about 1 hour or so, until the flavors really come together. Remove soup from the heat and with a handheld stick blender, puree the soup in the pot until the mushrooms are chopped well and soup takes on a slightly thicker look. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Ready to serve (though I believe this tastes better a few days later!).

Butternut Squash Soup: Recipe

I purchased a butternut squash nearly two weeks ago and it's been sitting on the kitchen counter ever since. Totally swamped with other priorities, I continued to imagine myself making soup some time in the near future. The time had arrived. It's chilly today and it was the perfect excuse to peel it and cook it.

The soup was super easy - admittedly there is a good deal of chopping and such, but it is not difficult. The soup was full of flavor but do not add any additional salt; it doesn't need it. If you can, use low-salt chicken broth.

Butternut Squash Soup with Prosciutto
1 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 pieces
1 onion, sliced thin
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large garlic gloves, smashed and chopped
1 large leek, washed well and sliced
4 oz. prosciutto
1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin
1 celery stalk, sliced thin + 1/4 cup celery leaves, chopped
1 cup + 1 Tbsp. white wine
2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup roasted and toasted pumpkin seeds

In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat and add the prosciutto. Stir quickly for about 3 minutes - do not burn - and remove prosciutto to a bowl with slotted spoon. Add onion to the pot and lower heat slightly. Stir occasionally until onion gets soft. If pot gets too hot and starts to smoke a bit, add the Tablespoon of wine and deglaze. Add in the garlic and saute another 1 minute. Then add in the leeks, celery, leaves, and carrot and the squash. Saute another 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Add in the wine and the broth and cook uncovered over medium-low heat about 25 minutes or until the squash is easily pierced with a fork.

Remove pot from the stove and with a handheld stick blender, puree the soup to desired consistency. Once complete, add the cream and heat another 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

Serve with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Italian Egg-Drop Soup: Recipe

I've watched my mother make this dish a long, long, time ago (without a written receipe, of course). It's a wonderful feel-good dish that I love to eat on cooler days and it takes (literally) no time at all to make. I looked at a recipe from Marcella Hazan and found that she has something similar but seriously it's not close to what I've put in my family's tummy.

Hazan's recipe is called "Passatelli" - Egg and Parmesan Strands in Broth. My soup sounds the same but yet the ingredients are different. Hers has grated lemon peel, grindings of whole nutmeg and breadcrumbs. As you can see, mine does not.

This takes less than 10 minutes to make. The result is a perfect mix of salt and savory all rolled into a healthy meal. It's perfect for rainy Fridays, Sundays, Saturday lunch, etc. Just enjoy.

Italian Egg-Drop Soup
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pour the broth into a pot and cover. Set over medium-high heat and wait for it to boil. Remove the lid and while the soup is boiling, slowly whisk in the egg (pour the egg in a steady stream while mixing at the same time). Lower heat, slightly and mix the egg again until it looks like fluffy strands. Add in the chopped scallions and mix. Lower the heat slightly, again, and add in the cheese and mix well. Ladle into warm bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Craving Comfort: Recipe

Rainy days require "comfort food," at least that's what "they" tell us...

What is comfort food, exactly? I guess it's food that makes you feel, well...comforted or soothed. To me, it's things like baked mac and cheese, pasta with creamy sauces, or grilled cheese with bacon and tomato, or...soup. Today it poured rain and it made me want soup.

On any given day, at about 11:00 a.m., I am usually hungry for lunch. Well, to be honest, I'm usually dreaming of food just as my alarm clock is about to go off...never seems to leave my brain.

Anyway, today I wanted comfort food as it was dark and gloomy out but I didn't want to get into the car at lunchtime. Fortunately working at a university affords me the luxury of making do without doing far. However, when I came home, I decided to indulge my craving and I made some soup.

I've actually never made potato soup before but I imagined what should be included and then began cooking. It was delicious! I could eat the whole batch. I'm not really sure how good for you it is with it's prosciutto and cream (and really, the debate is out on whether potatoes are good or bad for you...guess it depends). But this was really flavorful and smooth. For a day like today...who cares about good or bad. Just eat.

Potato-Leek Soup
2 Tablespoons butter
4 oz. cubed Prosciutto
2 leeks, washed well, and sliced thin (all of the white part and about 3 inches of the green)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cubed
(2) 14.5 oz. cans of chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat and add prosciutto...saute for about 3-4 minutes, lowering the heat if meat begins to brown too quickly. Add onions and saute about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add in the leeks and the garlic and saute all together about 10 minutes, stirring often and adjusting heat toward low-medium. Add the broth and the potatoes and simmer about 35 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Add the heavy cream and stir well.

With a ladle, spoon 3/4 of the soup into a blender (leave only a few of the potato cubes) and puree until smooth. Add back into the pot and stir well. Serve.

New Place stirs up an Old Favorite: Recipe

My husband and I just returned from four days in Block Island where we went to share in the wedding of a close friend of mine. She was simply gorgeous, as was her awesome spouse, but this was the first time we had been to "The Block," as it's affectionately called, and we were stunned and overwhelmed by this great space between Montauk, Long Island and Rhode Island. It was wonderful - laid back and relaxed yet active and busy. I took a photo at a four-way intersection that seemed to describe the Island...organized chaos, I called it. The photo shows cars, bicycles, pedestrians, and motorcycles all in one spot. And that's it - right there! You can bike or walk or ride or drive to wherever you're headed and once you get there the options are abundant. Swimming, surfing, lounging, hiking, running, biking, riding, eating, etc., etc.

The food was great, too. Among others, we had an incredible meal at The Atlantic Inn where we started off with tapas and cocktails on the lawn overlooking the Atlantic. What a site. We moved inside for dinner and had a four-course prix-fix meal for a reasonable $54 per person (of course, as we usually do, we added on and the bill never had a chance to stay at $108 plus tax/tip). I had the most unbelievable monkfish I've ever eaten. The choices were great - something for everyone.

But all of this made me long for an old favorite - New England Clam Chowder. Of course we had it on the Island (my husband ate it twice!) and it was great, for sure. I knew that when I returned I would have to take a crack at it myself. Even though it's desert hot outside here at home, I still needed a bit of soup to rekindle the memories of Block Island.

An Islander's New England Clam Chowder
2 doz. clams, washed and scrubbed well
1 2/3 cup water
1/3 cup sherry
4 oz. prosciutto, cubed into tiny squares
2 onions, chopped fine
2 leeks, sliced thin
3 celery stalks, sliced thin + 1/4 cup celery leaves, chopped
3 carrots, sliced thin
4 cups of potatoes (about 4 or 5 large ones), peeled and diced
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. fresh Thyme leaves + 4 sprigs
1 ear of corn, cooked and removed from the cob
1/4 cup flour
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. salt (more to taste)
1 1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
several grindings of fresh pepper

In a large soup pot, combine clams, water, and sherry. Cover and put on med-high heat for about 15 minutes - until all clams have opened. Remove clams from shells and place in a small bowl to cool completely. Strain liquid and set aside in another bowl. Once cooled, chop the clams.

In the same pot, cook prosciutto over medium heat until fat begins to release about 5 minutes. Add butter and melt and then add onions and leeks. Saute until soft - about 10 minutes. Add thyme leaves, carrots and celery plus celery leaves. Saute another 10 minutes. Add in the flour and mix well for about 5 minutes. Do not let it burn. Then add in the bay leaves, some salt and pepper, the reserved clam liquid, and the potatoes and the thyme sprigs. Simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Stir once.

Then add the corn and the clams and allow to simmer another 15 minutes. Finally add the cream and milk, more salt and pepper, and simmer about 10-15 minutes.