Beautiful Rice

There are few things we love more in this house than a huge spread of delicious Latin food. Homemade enchiladas, Cuban black beans, tacos, and a variety of recipes we discovered on our travels to Brazil are all favorites in our menu rotation.  So, when I came across this recipe for Beautiful Rice (also known as arroz verde) on Jocelyn Taylor's Raising Foodies blog, I immediately pinned it and knew we had to give it a try.

The recipe was included in a post on the details of a gorgeous homemade Mexican meal: grilled flank steak with salsa verde, pork tamales, beans, and this beautiful rice.  The punch of the cilantro in the recipe makes the rice a natural accompaniment to any Latin meal, but is not so overwhelming that it screams "Mexican".  In fact, the dish is so versatile that it is hard to think of something it wouldn't compliment.  This would be a perfect elegant side for a simple piece of grilled meat or fish, or an ideal way to dress up a vegetarian dinner and make it feel special.

I love the subtle, complex flavor of this rice, the hidden nutrients from the spinach, and the stunning green color on the plate.  There is a tad more mixing and chopping in the recipe than I'd want for a weeknight side, but I made it for Sunday dinner this week and for that it was perfect.  We had friends over and served it alongside Brazilian Muqueca, spicy grilled pork and black beans, and it was phenomenal. However, where it really stole the show was in my lunch today.  I heated up leftover rice and beans and topped them with a fried egg, a bit of grated cheese, and plenty of hot sauce.  

Like so many herbaceous dishes, this one was even better the next day... I'm so thrilled we have leftovers!  Knowing how well the dish keeps now, I'm certain large batches of it are going to make frequent Sunday night appearances, as there is nothing better than a leftover lunch that sings.  Put this dish on your short list of things to try... it is a deliciously unexpected way to give your side some glamour and punch!

Beautiful Rice (or Arroz Verde)

Recipe via Raising Foodies

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro

1 cup packed fresh spinach

1 1/4 cups homemade or organic chicken or veggie broth 

1 1/4 cups organic skim milk

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups organic long grain rice

1/4 minced onion

1 clove minced garlic

Directions

1) Put the cilantro, spinach, and broth in a blender and puree, add milk and salt and blend until combined.

2) Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy medium-sized pan, when butter is melted, add the rice and saute 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the onion and garlic and saute 1 minute longer.

3) Add the blender mix, stir well, bring to a boil. Turn to very low heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
4) Stir carefully and cook for another 5 minutes.

5) Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes until ready to serve.

Hippie Food

Yesterday, my energy was dragging.  The night before, I'd stayed up late-ish for a long-awaited girls' night of drinking red wine and watching The Help, only to be up with the little guy at 1, 2:30 and 4am, and then awake for good with him at 6am (we're thinking two-year-old molars are to blame? Not fun.).  Needless to say, the morning found me bleary-eyed, and I overcompensated with a quad latte in a bid to be mentally present for a date we had to spend the morning with friends at Boston's Museum of Science.

The museum date did not disappoint, and a good time was had by all mamas and boys, as we chased our four little dudes past the volcano and into the discovery zone, where they got to check out baby chicks, play with water tables and balance scales, and examine real animal bones.  Awesome.  However, by the time we got home, I was pretty much cross-eyed with exhaustion.  I had an evening yoga date to keep, however, and knew I had to rally.  In this situation, it is tempting to lean heavily on caffeine, but that's a quick fix, and always leaves you feeling worse for the wear in the end.  So I opted for a power nap, a little cup of green tea, and super-nutritous dinner to pick me up.

You see, I've found that when I'm feeling really wrung out, nothing revives me like some good, old-fashioned hippie food.  Kale? Check.  Tofu?  Yes, please.  Sauces made of things like tamari, agave, coconut oil, and miso?  Bring it.  When I'm bone tired, nothing tends to sound better to me than pizza, but that greasy comforting goodness will only give way to more sloth (which is all well and good if you have another movie night planned, but not so much if you need to rally).  If I can pull through and prepare something with all the vitamin and mineral-enriched loveliness of some hippie food, I always feel worlds with my body well-nourished.  

Last night, I chose two recipes that I've been wanting to try for awhile as a light, pre-yoga dinner: Sprouted Kitchen's Wild Rice Salad with Miso Dressing and the Kale Salad from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day. The wild rice salad looked just gorgeous on Sprouted Kitchen, and I've never tried anything from Heidi that hasn't come out amazing, plus my sister and her husband have been making this salad twice a week and loving it, so I had to give it a try myself. One side benefit of this menu plan?  It allowed me to take in and appreciate what a glorious natural foods pantry we've stocked over time...

This dinner was so delicious, and completely reviving.  I felt ready for my little yoga night, and had a great practice.  I feel one thousand times better today.  The husband also really enjoyed this flavorful feast.  The light, Asian flavors in the rice salad make the wild rice, edamame, carrots and tofu shine.  I love having miso in the fridge, as it makes meals like this one taste restaurant-ready.  And the kale salad was everything my sister said it would be: salty, savory, sweet, crunchy, chewy, toothsome, and completely unlike any kale preparation I've made before.  Also, it was incredibly quick and easy to prepare, so you can bet it is getting a spot on the regular menu rotation.  

Since this rice salad is pretty much my dream lunch, I actually tripled the recipe, and we now have fabulous lunches awaiting us for the rest of the week.  It's worth noting that a single batch probably wouldn't make enough for leftovers at all, so consider multiplying the recipe... it keeps beautifully, and would be the perfect thing to make on a Sunday night and scoop over greens for lunches all week long.  For the record, I used two blocks of tofu in my triple batch, but only one shallot per the original recipe, to avoid onion-y overload.  We loved the combination of the two salads together.

For extra points, play some bootlegged Grateful Dead while you cook.

Namaste.

Wild Rice Salad with White Miso Dressing 

Serves 2 as an entree, 4 as a side

Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

Ingredients

For the Salad:

1/2 cup wild rice (I had a coupon for Whole Foods brand Red Rice, so I used that, but black forbidden rice or any other blend would work as well)

1 block extra firm tofu

2 tsp. coconut oil

2 tsp. soy sauce or tamari

fresh ground pepper

1 heaping cup shredded carrots (from 1 large or two medium carrots)

3/4 cup cooked, shelled, organic edamame

3 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Handful of Chopped Cilantro 

For the dressing:

2 Tbsp. white miso

2 Tbsp. agave nectar or brown rice syrup

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

2 1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 shallot, minced

Juice of half an Orange

Directions

1) Cook the rice according to package instructions. While the rice cooks, prep the rest of the salad:

2) Wrap the tofu between a few layers of paper towel  and set it aside to drain for 10-15 minutes. Cut it into a 1/2” dice. 

3) Heat the coconut oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and sauté for about five minutes.  Sprinkle the soy sauce and a few grinds of fresh ground pepper over the top and sauté another few minutes until the edges are browned. Turn off heat and set aside.

4) Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together.

5) In a large bowl, combine the rice, tofu, sliced carrots, edamame. Toss everything with the dressing. Add the sesame seeds and cilantro and give it another toss. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Kale Salad

from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day

Ingredients

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons shoyu, tamari or soy sauce

3 1/2 lightly packed cups chopped kale, stems trimmed, large ribs removed

1 1/2 cups unsweetened large-flake coconut (if you can only find finely shredded coconut flakes, which are much more common in stores, reduce the amount to 1/2 cup)

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with two racks in the top third of the oven.  

2) In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the olive oil, sesame oil, and shoyu or soy sauce.  Put the kale and coconut in a large bowl and toss well with about two-thirds of the olive oil mixture.  

3) Spread the kale evenly across two baking sheets.  Bake for 12-18 minutes, until the coconut is deeply golden brown, tossing once or twice along the way.  If the kale mixture on the top baking sheet begins to get too browned, move it to a lower rack.

4) Remove from the oven and transfer the kale mixture to a medium bowl.  Taste.  If you feel it needs a bit more dressing, add some and toss. Serve warm. 

Turkey Spinach Meatloaf

As a child, I hated meatloaf (sorry, Mom).  It always seemed dry, bland, and cumbersome to me, and so to make it palatable, I would drown it in a sea of ketchup (sorry, Dad -- he was always a tad grossed out by my ketchup obsession).  Now that I'm a bona fide grown-up, however, I can totally see the upside of meatloaf.  Though unfortunately named (because, really, who wants a loaf of meat?), it is an inexpensive, filling dish, generally easy to slap together on a weeknight, and it has all kinds of potential to be healthy and a great source of protein at the dinner table.

My favorite meatloaf incarnation bears little resemblance to the dense, oatmeal-studded loafs of the late 70s.  Inspired by a recipe I saw in the New York Times years ago, this meatloaf is equal parts spinach and turkey, making it a true nutritional powerhouse.  You start off by simmering garlic cloves in olive oil.  They become brown and caramelized, and then you chop these little golden nuggets and mix them into the meat, where they add the most complex, lovely flavor.  You also sear the loaf in this homemade garlic oil before baking it, adding more oomph to the flavor profile, as well as a delicious, savory crust.  Bonus: you're left with a good quarter cup of leftover garlic oil, which is a phenomenal base for a salad dressing or a veggie sauté for another meal later in the week. And because old habits die hard, I stir together a quick glaze of ketchup, dijon mustard and honey to go over the top.  Some things about the late 70s were oh-so-right, were they not?  Ketchup and meatloaf are a natural combo, even my Dad would agree.  

A few final notes: 

1) This is an ideal recipe to make in a heavy, cast iron skillet if you have one.

2)  I don't have to tell you this, but the best part of meatloaf is the leftovers.  The next day, a slice of this between two pieces of soft bread with a dab of mayo is a total comfort food childhood throwback in the best possible way.

3)  Unlike the meatloaf of the 70s, this is not a quickie weeknight meal, unless you prep your garlic oil and spinach ahead of time.  But if you have the time to spare, this recipe is worth it.  Or make it on a Sunday and let the leftover sandwich make your Monday a little more delicious. 

4) No matter how you slice it (ha!), meatloaf just doesn't photograph well.  I promise this dish is more appetizing than it appears.

Turkey Spinach Meatloaf

Adapted from Troy and Nancy Dupuy, New York Times, August 2004

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

1 pound fresh baby spinach, well rinsed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs

Pinch cayenne

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

Directions 

1. Place garlic cloves in small saucepan, add enough olive oil to cover them, and place over very low heat. Cook about 40 minutes, until garlic is tender but not browned. Drain garlic, and reserve oil. Chop garlic into small pieces.

2. Place onion in a sauté pan over low heat. Cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add spinach leaves and salt, and stir until spinach wilts. Line a small baking sheet with several thicknesses of paper towel, and spread spinach mixture on towel and refrigerate to cool.

3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine turkey, thyme, pepper, egg, breadcrumbs, cayenne and cooked, chopped garlic cloves; mix well.

4. Remove spinach from refrigerator, and chop. Add to mixing bowl, and mix well by hand or on low speed by machine. Form into loaf shape.

5. Stir together ketchup, dijon mustard and honey in a small bowl.  Set aside.

6. Heat a heavy skillet, preferably oven-proof. Add a little of the garlic oil and sear loaf top and bottom until lightly browned. Sides can be seared but only if you have a very large spatula to turn loaf easily. 

7.  Remove the pan from heat, and use a spatula to cover the top and side with the ketchup glaze.

8. Place skillet in oven or transfer loaf to shallow baking dish, then place in oven. Bake about 50 minutes, until a thermometer registers 160 degrees. Remove from oven and serve, or refrigerate and serve cold. Reserve remaining garlic oil for another use.

New Fave Side: Edamame and Sweet Corn Succotash

I love Joslyn Taylor's gorgeous, eloquent lifestyle/design/mama blog called Simple Lovely, and while perusing it I have also checked out her side projects: Operation Simplicity and Raising Foodies.  I'm particularly drawn to the latter, which concerns trying desperately to cook for and nourish picky eaters, a subject with which I am intimately entangled at the moment.  As I scrolled through Raising Foodies for the first time, I came across her recipe for Edamame and Corn Succotash and knew immediately that I had to give it a whirl.  It looks like the perfect weeknight/winter side/veg option: a frozen bag o' this, a quickly chopped up that, and you have a restaurant-quality side at the ready in about five minutes.  Yes, please.

Here's the exceedingly simple recipe:
Ingredients
1 bag frozen organic sweet corn
1 bag frozen organic edamame
1 small shallot
2 tablespoons butter
1 marinated roasted red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Completely thaw the corn and edamame. Saute the shallot in butter. Add corn and edamame and saute until cooked through. Dice red pepper and add to the pan, cooking for a few more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
* I also added a heaping teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of paprika to my dish as I was feeling creative.  All were great additions and probably ones I will use again in the future.

It was love at first sight between this recipe and me, for a few reasons: there is almost no work involved, anything with shallots is gold, a side/veg rich with protein (from the edamame) is always a good thing in my book, and there was the slimmest margin of a prayer that my picky guy would eat this (he has been known not to flatly reject edamame and sometime deigns corn acceptable). 

Unfortunately, he was not into it, but the husband and I most certainly were.   I served the succotash alongside spice-rubbed, pan-seared, bone-in pork chops and jasmine rice for a special weeknight dinner, but I think this would make a fabulous veggie entree with a great salad on the side, and also would stand up alone as a side to a meat dish without any starch at all.  I'm thinking I'll eat the leftovers for lunch today with a fried egg on top and a little shaved sharp cheddar.  This is a dish that can wear a lot of hats, and for something so low-maintenance, it's incredibly elegant.

I think the husband said it best, "... you shouldn't call this succotash, because it really doesn't suck, it's delicious.  I think you should call it awesome-tash."  There you have it.  Serve some awesome-tash with dinner tonight!  Even your toddler might like it... just don't hold your breath.

Pasta e Fagioli

Just when I was feeling particularly smug about the lack of mid-winter sickness in this house, I suddenly got a cement-block head and serious case of the sniffles.  You may remember that during Baby J's first winter and the one after, all of us were basically sick as dogs from October through April.  Things have certainly improved since then, and we had seemingly made it all the way to January without much more than a round of stuffy sinuses right around Thanksgiving.  Please remind me next time I say, write or think that to find the nearest, largest piece of wood and knock on it one hundred times.  I really don't want to tempt the gods who dole out the winter bugs around here.

When I feel stuffy, bleary, queasy or otherwise under the weather, my go to meal is, not surprisingly, a hot bowl of soup.  Said soup is hopefully easily prepared, nutrient-packed and, above all else, comforting.  And around here, nothing is more universally comforting than some good old Italian peasant food.  Pasta e Fagioli (translation: pasta and beans), is about as traditionally Italian and comforting as it gets.  Versions of this soup vary widely from region to region in Italy, so it is a perfect soup to take your own license with depending on what ingredients you may have on hand or according to your mood.

Normally, I'd include more vegetables in the base of a soup, but I wasn't in a chopping mood, so I kept this one to onions and garlic.  Traditionally, pasta e fagioli is a vegetarian dish, but I was craving the salty punch of pancetta, so I threw it in the pot.  I kept this soup incredibly simple: just those two aromatics, the pancetta, some herbs, tomatoes, beans, pasta, and stock.  After chopping the onion and garlic, the rest of this soup mostly involved opening cans and stirring; perfect for my energy level (low) and my need of near-instant comfort food (high).

I encourage you to use this recipe as a jumping off point for your own pasta e fagioli creation: add carrots and celery if you're feeling it, leave out the pancetta if you are a vegetarian or otherwise not down with pork, use a different shape of pasta, or leave out the red pepper flakes for a milder dish... make it your own!

However your soup turns out, I can guarantee you'll create the perfect bowl of winter comfort food to nourish your soul and cure what ails you.

Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 lb. pancetta, minced
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
4 cups chicken or veggie stock
1 15oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup dried pasta (I love using orecchiette, but elbow macaroni or ditalini would be more traditional choices)
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Directions
1) In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the pancetta, onion and garlic and saute, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
2) Add the tomatoes, rosemary, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper, as well as the beans and stock and simmer for another 30 minutes.
3) Add the pasta to the soup and simmer until the pasta is cooked, about 10-12 minutes more. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla soup is a perfect holiday dish; filling yet light, hearty and satisfying, and full of a robust heat to kill any germs weary travelers may have picked up along their way.  Most tortilla soups consist of a thin tomato broth with an underlying punch of jalapeño, punctuated by goodies floating within (usually chicken, some veggies, and crispy tortilla strips that are added at the last minute).  I wanted to create a version of tortilla soup that would be smoother, lighter, and healthier than the traditional version, and I am so happy with how this recipe turned out!  I daresay it gets 5 husband stars, as it was one of those dishes that gained me compliment after compliment as he took down one bowl and then a second.  Love that.

Here's how my tortilla soup is a bit different than your traditional bowl:
1) Rather than leaving the soup broth-y, I added more veggies, and then pureed the whole pot with my immersion blender.  I love how this gives a dairy-free soup a smooth creaminess, and I think it was part of why this soup was so satisfying.
2) I really upped the garlic and jalapeño in this recipe.  Why?  I am tired of being sick all winter.  I believe in the immunity boosting properties of these ingredients, and intend to burn us all within an inch of our lives with the both of them this winter.  In my defense, the soup wasn't particularly garlicky in the end, just incredibly flavorful, so I say go for it and down a big bowl of this before your next flight.
3) I wanted to forgo the crisy tortilla strips because a) who needs the added fat, and b) bubbling, splattering fryer oil and toddlers don't mix.  I added strips of corn tortilla without frying them, and we still got an amazing corn flavor, just with a chew instead of a crunch.  Had I served the soup within 20 minutes of adding the tortillas, the strips would have added a slurp-y, noodle quality to the soup, but as our evening played out, the soup simmered for an additional hour before we sat down to eat.  As a result, the tortillas totally disintegrated into the soup, but I have to say, I loved the effect this had on the dish.  We ended up with an almost bisque-like concoction, even though it contained no dairy, and the delicate chew of the corn in the puree was delicious.  Try it this way and let me know what you think!

The best thing about soups like this is serving them with plenty of fixings.  I set out shredded sharp cheddar, cilantro, green onions, salsa verde, sour cream and diced avocado.  You could also offer a variety of hot sauces, guacamole, or anything else your imagination offers.  A big pot of this soup would be the perfect thing to greet your guests with upon their arrival at your door.

And nothing says holiday like margaritas, I always say...
 
SMJ's Tortilla Soup
serves 6-8 
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
7 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large or 2 small jalapeños, finely chopped
1 8 oz. can diced green chiles
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, cayenne, paprika and oregano
Kosher salt and pepper
5 corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips
Optional: 4 chicken thighs or two chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper

Directions
1) Let's start with the optional... I think this would be a phenomenal vegetarian soup, but I made mine with chicken, and it was stellar.  I started by pre-heating the oven to 350F, and rubbing 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with olive oil, and sprinkling them with salt and pepper.  I roasted them for 20 minutes until they were cooked through, allowed them to cool, shredded them by hand and set them aside.  Alternatively, you could shred half of a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, or roast off and then shred chicken breasts instead of thighs... the cooking time would just be slightly longer.  But seriously, I think this soup would be just as good without any meat at all. Okay, moving on...
2)  Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and red peppers and saute, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent and start to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
3) Lower the heat slightly and add the garlic and jalapeño and continue to saute for another 5 minutes until the jalapeño softens. 
4)  Add the canned chiles and tomatoes and the broth. Puree to your desired consistency with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor.  I left mine just slightly chunky.  Adjust the seasonings to taste.
5) Add the shredded chicken and the tortilla strips, and allow to simmer for about 15-20 more minutes until the tortillas soften. Serve with a variety of fixings... the more the better!

Kale Chips

This is a sugar-laden time of year.  Beyond all of the phenomenal cookies and rich hot chocolate that starts to cross our path as the holidays approach, there is the incidental chocolate that sneaks its way into St. Nicholas stockings, advent calendars, your officemate's desk and your life in general.  I've found that moderation is key and that indulgence is fine if you can make up for it elsewhere in the day.  That's where these kale chips come in. 

Kale chips have been all the rage in the world of food blogs and high end gourmet shops for some time, but you are like me and late to the party in trying them, I can't think of a better time than now, when your lunch or dinner deserves a nutritional powerhouse to make up for all that chocolate inhaling you did earlier in the day.  I also must insist that you make them at home, since the cost differential is astounding.  A bunch of kale costs a whopping $1.50 tops, whereas our local specialty shop sells a bag of kale chips for $8.  Come on now.  Kale chips are easy to make, and taste like awesome little healthy potato chip doppelgangers.  I even think kids might go for these, mine just only happens to eat five things, and kale is not yet one of them.  Yet. 

I had a plate of kale chips for lunch yesterday and they were filling, satisfyingly salty and crunchy, and totally made up for the fact that I had red wine and pizza for dinner while maniacally stamping holiday cards.  They would also be perfect as a between-meals snack at your family holiday gathering when awkwardly timed festive meals call for a light snack at some point in the early afternoon or evening.  It just depends on how receptive your family is to kale.   Perhaps wearing one of these fetching t-shirts might help make the sell?

Eatmorekale.com

Kale Chips
makes a generous plate full
Ingredients
1 bunch kale
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons olive oil
Kosher salt to taste

Directions
1) Preheat oven to about 375
2) Clean and dry your kale.  A salad spinner is the best way to ensure that the kale is really, thoroughly dry.  It is important to make sure it is dry, or you'll just have steamed kale! Tear the leaves off the stems into bite size pieces.
3) Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Spread out torn kale pieces on cookie sheets.
4) Drizzle with about olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Other fun add-ons could include a handful of parmesan cheese (as pictured above), nutritional yeast, or garlic powder (or truffle salt if you're feeling fancy!)
5) Bake for about 15 minutes, until edges are brown and kale is crispy.

  Eat more kale!

Enjoy!

Faux-lognese Sauce

Apologies, veggie friends.  The "faux" in this recipe refers not to the use of seitan or textured vegetable protein to create a meat-like effect in a meat sauce, but to the fact that when I told the husband I was planning on making Gwyneth's Turkey Bolognese for dinner this week, he responded, "That sounds delicious, but it's not Bolognese".

Classic Bolognese sauce includes "the trinity" (carrots, onions, and celery) and this recipe includes only two of the three.  Classic Bolognese uses three different kinds of meat (usually pork, veal and beef), and Gwyn's uses just two (turkey and sausage).  Finally, classic Bolognese gets finished off with with a generous splash of heavy cream, and since my dinner audience this night included two of the lactose intolerant persuasion, I went ahead and left that out.  And while Gwyneth's recipe uses ground turkey and chicken sausages cut in pieces, I used ground chicken (way cheaper and just as flavorful) and I removed the casings from two mild Italian chicken sausages and sauteed the meat with the ground chicken.

I also did a half-dozen other things differently than someone's grandma in Bologna and that didn't resemble Gwyneth's recipe either, so in the end, I had my very own Faux-lognese creation, and it was a delicious one at that.  The lack of cream and beef turned this into something far lighter than your usual meat sauce, and the spice blend as well as the fennel in the sausage gave it a really delicate, herbaceous zing that we loved.  I tossed it with rigatoni, as that is the husband's favorite pasta, but any tubular shape would work well to capture the rich sauce.  With garlic bread on the side and a robust glass of red, this was Friday dinner perfection.  Sometimes the classics need to be turned upside down!

SMJ's "Faux-lognese" Sauce 
inspired by Gwyneth's Turkey Bolognese from "My Father's Daughter"

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
7 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1 lb. ground chicken (preferably dark meat)
2 mild Italian chicken sausages, casings removed
2 28 oz. cans tomatoes (1 whole peeled with juices, 1 crushed)
1/2 teaspoon each paprika, dried oregano and basil + more to taste
2 bay leaves
1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste
1 solid glug of red wine (I used a Shiraz Cab blend we had on hand, probably about 1/4 cup)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions
1) Heat oil in the bottom of a large soup pot or Dutch oven on medium heat.  Add onions and saute gently until translucent, about 10 minutes.
2) Add the carrots, garlic and thyme, and continue to saute, stirring often, for another 10 minutes.
3) Add the chicken and crumble the sausages into the pot.  Cook until both brown through evenly, continuing to stir often, about another 5 minutes or so.
4) Add the other spices, the tomatoes, tomato paste and wine.  Reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer, covered, for about 4 hours, stirring intermittently.
5) To serve, remove the bay leaves and toss with one pound of cooked pasta.  I like an extremely saucy pasta, so this recipe could probably be stretched much farther, or used on one pound of pasta after reserving some to freeze... it all depends on personal preference.  Garnish with parmesan cheese.

Pho Sho!

I'm happy to report that our Thanksgiving dinner was a smashing success!  The surprise scene stealer was not the bourbon turkey or the fougasse stuffing, but the phenomenal balsamic braised brussels sprouts with pancetta from Smitten Kitchen.

The recipe is labor-intensive, requiring about thirty minutes of your undivided attention adding ingredient after delicious ingredient to an aggressively simmering pan, but the end result is well worth the effort: each bite contains something a bit sweet, a bit savory, a little crunchy, a tad tender, and endlessly complex.  I would call this a go-to holiday dish for the rest of the season, as well as a perfect special side to accompany any mid-winter dinner party.

And even though I'm sure that your turkey leftovers are dwindling at this point, I had to share the other culinary highlight of our weekend, something that is sure to be a new tradition on every Black Friday to come: turkey pho.

I found this recipe on food52, and immediately knew that I had to try it.  I love a leftover turkey sandwich as much as anyone, but I never like the continued sluggish feeling you get from reliving the Thanksgiving over again in leftover form.  I also suffered from a bad cold/flu thing for much of the holiday weekend (such a bummer), and was on the hunt for healing herbs and spices to rid my system of the bug.  This soup seemed like the perfect hybrid of healing remedy and innovative leftover usage.

On Friday morning I simmered the turkey bones with a carrot, apple and onion from about 8am until 1pm, creating a rich, savory broth.  I strained it and allowed it to cool so we could skim the fat from the top.  While the little man napped, I shredded a big pile of leftover turkey breast meat by hand while chatting with my mom, who cleaned two heads of lacinato kale and tore it into bite sized pieces.   In the evening, as we sipped on prosecco, I toasted a blend of aromatic spices (star anise, coriander, cloves, cinnamon sticks) in a cast iron skillet to bring out their flavor, then let them simmer with my stock, a huge pile of sliced fresh ginger, and the greens of bunch of scallions for the duration of happy hour, then strained the broth again.  Finally, I threw in a package of cellophane noodles, the shredded turkey and torn kale.  Ten minutes later, dinner was ready, set up with a fixings bar of lime wedges, chopped scallions, chopped cilantro and Sriricha. 

Everyone raved over this dinner.  It was warming, filling, soothing, and a completely different incarnation for our Thanksgiving turkey.  I'm sharing it now because even though our turkey is long gone, I plan to make this soup many times over the course of the winter; I think it is my new favorite version of a cold-mending chicken noodle soup.  You also don't need a turkey to make this happen!  You could apply the same method to a leftover roasted chicken, or make a delicious vegetarian version by simmering the spices with a veggie stock, then adding all kinds of veggies (matchstick carrots or sweet potato, spinach, bok choy or almost any leafy green come to mind).  You could also make a simple seafood version with shrimp.  I can tell you that you'll see all kinds of variations of this recipe in my kitchen throughout the coming winter; I'm a little obsessed.  So obsessed, that I've decided I may need this shirt:

The perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite foodie.

I'm not saying it is because of the soup, but my cold is gone!  And with that I say, bring on the holiday season.  And more pho!

Turkey Pho 
via food52
This recipe makes 2 big bowls, I quadrupled it to feed our family with planned leftovers.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
4 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick 
1 quart homemade turkey stock (or homemade or store-bought chicken stock)
1 bunch green onions (green top parts only) chopped
1 3-inch chunk of ginger, sliced and smashed with side of knife
1 teaspoon brown sugar, or more to taste
1 tablespoon fish sauce, or more to taste
1-2 cup kale, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 pound leftover turkey breast, shredded
1 bunch (approx. 2 oz.) cellophane/bean thread noodles (or enough flat dried rice noodles to serve 2)
1-2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped- for garnish (optional)
1-2 tablespoon chopped green onions (white parts only), minced- for garnish (optional)
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
Sriracha chili sauce to taste

Directions
1) Toast the spices: heat a cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices into a bowl to avoid burning them and set aside.
2) In a large pot, add the toasted spices and all ingredients from stock through fish sauce and bring to a boil.
3) Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface frequently.
Taste the broth and add more sugar or fish sauce, if needed. Strain the broth and discard the solids.
4) Add the kale and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
5)Add the shredded turkey and the cellophane noodles. Allow to sit for a few minutes while the noodles soften.
6) Ladle the broth into bowls. Divide the kale, shredded turkey and the noodles evenly into each bowl. Sprinkle on the garnishes and add sriracha to taste. Squeeze lime juice to taste over the top of your bowl before eating.

Veggie Dinner of the Year: Miso-Curry Delicata Squash with Tofu and Kale

Last night I cooked the best vegetarian dinner I've cooked all year: Heidi Swanson's Miso-Curry Delicata Squash with Tofu and Kale from her new cookbook, Super Natural Every Day. 

This dish was so simple to prepare, so healthy, and so flavorful and warming; you must put it in your rotation for the holiday season immediately.  On those upcoming nights where you're feeling bloated from your cookie swap or that glass of egg nog you should have just turned down, and you're feeling like you just don't have time to cook with the holiday madness swirling around you, give this recipe a try.  It is seriously just the thing.  It is also terrifically vitamin-packed to keep the cold weather germs at bay.

As I set out to cook dinner last night, pulling tofu, kale, and squash out onto the counter, the husband and I exchanged knowing glances that read: "Man, wouldn't ordering pizza just be soooo much better than this hippie feast we're about to put together?"  But we were determined to stick to the meal plan, so tofu and kale it was, Saturday night party food cravings be damned.  I am so glad we did.  This light, energizing dinner sings with flavor from the miso and Thai curry.  The tofu, squash and potatoes get crispy, crusty and caramelized in the oven, and each bite has an incredible burst of texture and flavor, especially since the delicata squash skin is edible and adds a special chewiness to the dish. 

We served the dish over rice, but it would also be wonderful with quinoa or just on its own; the squash and the potatoes provide plenty of carbiness.  This is a very filling dish, despite its lightness, which is why I think it is perfect for the holiday season.  On those nights when you are really starting to feel gross, this dish will hit your nutritional reset button without leaving you feeling diet-y and deprived.  You could also pre-whisk the sauce and pre-prep the veggies to really move this into easy weeknight dinner territory.   Try it this week!

Miso-Curry Delicata Squash with Tofu and Kale
from Super Natural Every Day, by Heidi Swanson
Serves 4
Ingredients
12 ounces delicata squash
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white miso
1 tbsp red Thai curry paste
8 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes
4 medium new potatoes, unpeeled, cut into chunks
2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups chopped kale, tough stems removed
1/3 cup pepitas, toasted, or tamari pumpkin seeds
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the middle of the oven.
2) Cut the delicata squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to clear out all the seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch thick half-moons.
3) In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, miso, and curry paste. Combine the tofu, potatoes, and squash in a large bowl with 1/3 cup of the miso-curry paste. Use your hands to toss well, then turn the vegetables onto a rimmed baking sheet, and arrange in a single layer.
4) Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until everything is tender and browned. Toss once or twice along the way, after things start to brown a bit. Keep a close watch, though; the vegetables can go from browned to burned in a flash. (Note: It took me almost a full half-hour longer than this to get the doneness I wanted on my tofu, squash and potatoes.  It makes me wonder about our oven!  I googled the recipe to see if any other bloggers or cooks noted this cooking time discrepancy, and it seemed to be just me.  In any case, cook until the veggies and tofu are brown, no matter how long it takes!)
5) In the meantime, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-curry paste, then stir in the kale until coated.
6) Toss the roasted vegetables gently with the kale, pepitas, and cilantro. Serve family style in a large bowl or on a platter.

*due to a camera fail, photos are via Food is Forever, Chez Pim, and my darling lemon thyme

Mexican Comfort Mush

So... this is one of those recipes that I debated sharing.  

It was Wednesday.  I wanted enchiladas, but didn't feel like doing any rolling of tortillas, making of sauce, or scrubbing of baked-on cheese from Pyrex dishes.  I also had an afternoon run planned, so I wanted to be finished preparing dinner during the early-afternoon span of nap time, which meant employing the slow cooker.  I had a pile of delicious ingredients...

I also had a vague idea of how I wanted to prepare this dish.  What did I have in mind?  A lasagna-like interpretation of enchiladas, with layers of corn tortillas, black beans, cilantro, shredded chicken, sweet corn and cheese melded goo-ily together through several hours in the slow cooker with a tasty (yet store-bought) enchilada sauce.  I poached and shredded a pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, then went to work, assembling layer after layer of the above ingredients in my slow cooker.

I then set it to low for five hours, cleaned the kitchen, and went about tackling the rest of my list of things to do.  When I had returned from my run, showered, and we had gotten the little man down to sleep for the night, I set about plating our dinner.

I had expected to dish up something that looked like this...

Photo via myrecipes.com

Instead, I served this...

...which is really best described, as the post title suggests, as Mexican Comfort Mush.  The tortillas had basically disintegrated, becoming some sort of unintentional polenta.  The chicken had all but disappeared as well, as it was so tenderized by the slow cooking process.  But the dish smelled fantastic, and it was 7:45 and time to eat something, so I went ahead and served it, already kind of branding it as a failure in my mind before we had even taken a bite.

Here's the thing: it was really delicious.  Comforting, warm, nourishing, and full of protein, this dish totally hit the spot, and we both went back for seconds.  We kept remarking about how good it was, especially with a little dollop of sour cream on top.  It was almost like some sort of really thick, dense, tortilla soup/stew hybrid.  I was happy to eat a dish of this for lunch today, and I'll make it again, although I think that I'll continue to tweak the recipe until I get something that resembles more of a casserole than a mush.  The concept is a keeper, the execution just needs some work.

Despite its imperfections, I thought I'd share the basics of the recipe with you today in the hopes that maybe you can play along as I work on perfecting it. Veggie friends, you can play too, as I think the chicken was somewhat superfluous, and could have been easily subbed out for shredded sweet potato, or perhaps even tofu.  Please let me know if you try preparing this recipe with or without any tweaks, and together we can create slow cooker enchilada casserole nirvana!   Or follow the recipe as it is, and get ready for some mushy goodness that you can perhaps serve to someone who has recently had their braces tightened or their wisdom teeth out, or a toddler slightly less picky than my own!

Here's what I started with:

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Take One

Ingredients

10 small corn tortillas, cut in half

32 oz. red enchilada sauce

1 8 oz. package shredded Mexican-blend cheese

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1.5 cups corn kernels

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Salt

Directions 

1) Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.  Add chicken thighs and simmer until they are cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.  Allow them to cool, then shred by hand, or chop coarsely.

2) Cover the bottom of the slow cooker with enchilada sauce.  Begin creating layers of tortillas, veggies, chicken, cilantro, sauce and cheese, until you've used all of your ingredients.  Make sure that the last layer is covered in cheese.

3) Cook on low for 5 hours.  Serve.