Creamy White Bean Soup

I've been thinking about this soup for a while, but every time I got around to making it, I either didn't have the right ingredients, or wasn't in the mood for soup.  That's the rub of planning your week's meals on Sunday:  sometimes, on Thursday, you just have to call an audible and boil some pasta.

Can you see me in the spoon?  I can!

Anyway, jokes on me because this soup is incredible. It's creamy without actually adding cream, its unbelievably flavorful, and so very satisfying.  Don't be like me; don't put this soup on the back burner (puns!).

It starts with chopped onions in a large pot.  Let them sweat it out.

Meanwhile, chop the rest of your vegetables: garlic, carrot, celery.  The things soups are made of.

All the vegetables are added to the pot and allowed to cook for a couple of minutes.

When they are softened but not browned, add the garlic and a whole bunch of chopped sage.  Sage is one of my favorite herbs--it simultaneously reminds me of thanksgiving, mushroom risotto, and the woods.  And it feels like velvet.   I love the stuff.

After all the aromatics and vegetables have cooked for a while, season with salt and pepper then add two cans of drained and rinsed white beans, along with 6 cups of chicken stock.

Bring this to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer and let it cook on low for at least an hour.

Here's a wide angle shot for you--notice the iPad for recipe reading.  On the stove.  Because I don't have a counter.  Are you worried about me and my electronics?  I am.

When the soup has been simmering for an hour, grab your newest kitchen toy, the amazing and ever-handy immersion blender, and blend the soup.

Isn't that cool?  It's like a power tool, but for soups.  In reality just saves me from having to clean my blender, which is, by far, my least favorite thing to clean.  I love it!  But if you don't have one, you can use a regular blender and blend the soup in batches until it's creamy and smooth.

Once the desired consistency has been reached, finish the soup off with some freshly squeezed lemon juice.  This may sound strange, but this is key, people.  It adds zing and balance and really takes this soup from good to wow.  

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with some crispy bacon (or prosciutto, like the original recipe called for.  I had bacon already cooked from brunch the day before, thus, the bacon).  Or, if your of the vegetarian persuasion, leave the meat out and enjoy as is!

Like I said before, I was shocked by how tasty this was.  I mean, it looks tasty, and sounds tasty, but I couldn't believe how packed with flavor it was.  I tend to think creamy soups are too heavy, and lean more towards broth-based soups, but this recipe, because of its lack of actual cream, creates a creamy soup that is really light.

The texture is fantastic, and the salty, crispy bacon on top adds a depth of flavor and texture that is divine.  Bacon will do that, almost every time.

In these last few crisp Spring days, enjoy a bowl of soup.  This bowl of soup.  I promise you'll enjoy it!

Here's the recipe:

Creamy White Bean Soup (Adapted from Shutterbean.com)


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 4-5 large sage leaves, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 15-ounce cans white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 8 Slices bacon, cooked and drained, then crumbled

Method

1. In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for 3 minutes.  Add celery and carrots and cook for 3 minutes more, until beginning to soften.  Add garlic and chopped sage and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add drained beans and stock and season with salt and pepper.  Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and let simmer, uncovered, for at least an hour.  
3. Finish the soup by pureeing it with either an immersion blender or a regular blender, in batches.  The soup should be completely creamy.  Stir in lemon juice, adding more if needed.  Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.  
4. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with crumbled bacon.

Enjoy!

Lasagna for a Crowd

I do this really annoying thing when I get mad.  I stew and fume and the minute I actually open my mouth to say all the clever, witty, and perfectly formed arguments I have been stewing about, I burst into tears.

This is me.  If I'm mad, I'm crying.

This wouldn't annoy me so much if when I was crying, people were still listening to my voice. But as humans, when someone is crying and talking, we tend to focus on the blubbering mess rather than the words they are saying.  I think as a whole this is a good thing--something about sympathy, or empathy, or the basic good in people...or something.  But what this means for me is that if I'm mad, I end up either being comforted by the person I'm trying to express my anger to, or I make them completely uncomfortable to the point where they aren't listening, but rather counting the seconds until they can run far away.  


My loved ones know this about me. This poses more of a problem when I'm mad about something or at someone that doesn't know me.  As a non-confrontational person in nature, trying to express my ire is awkward enough, but add unexplained, sudden sobbing?  Oh please.

So that's what I do.  But don't worry, I can do other things too that aren't as annoying.  Or annoying at all, really, like make lasagna.  I think that's a fair trade off.

This lasagna has multiple parts, as most lasagnas do.  It starts with ragu sauce, which is just a meaty tomato sauce.  You could make this labor intensive Ragu Bolognese, which is delicious, or you could do as I did, and make a slightly simpler version.

It starts as most things do in my kitchen, with olive oil in a large pot.

Onions and garlic are added, then stirred around with some red pepper flakes for about 5 minutes.

Ground turkey is added and cooked until no longer pink.  I used ground turkey instead of beef to make it a bit lighter.

When the turkey is cooked through and no longer pink, add tomato paste and stir.  Cook until it is slightly darker in color.

Then add some red wine and some chicken stock and reduce the heck out of it.

When that liquid is reduced by half, add a can of tomato puree and stir.

Season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano, then simmer on stove top for at least an hour.

That's part one!  Part two is making a bechemel sauce.  I don't like lasagna with ricotta cheese--it tastes grainy and weird.  I recently have found a couple of websites that had gone a more traditional route, traditional meaning from Italy and not here, in which they made a creamy bechemel sauce flavored slightly with freshly grated nutmeg.  If you ask me, this is the only way to go.

It starts with olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Traditional bechemel obviously would use butter, but I can't cook with butter, or any highly saturated fats at the moment, so I used olive oil.  When the olive oil is shimmering and hot, add flour and whisk until smooth.  You made a roux!

Let the roux cook for a couple of minutes until slightly darker but not burned, and whisk in 4 cups of milk.  Whisk constantly until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg.

Set aside.  Part two is done!

Now you just have to assemble the lasagna.  This is the fun part--its like you're building something.  In a large baking dish, coat the bottom with a layer of the bechemel sauce.  Then add a layer of fresh lasagna noodles (I found mine in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, by the deli and produce.  Buitoni ravioli also lives there).  Then on top of the noodles I added a layer of ragu, then a layer of bechemel, then Parmesan cheese, and finally mozzarella cheese.

Repeat until you run out of either ragu or about to run out of bechemel (you need to save some for the top)  Mine took about 5 layers total.  The final layer should be topped with pasta, then the bechemel, and then cheese.  No meat sauce on top--we want it to be brown and crispy!

Into the oven it goes, uncovered, for about 35-40 minutes, until the cheese and bechemel on top is nicely browned.

How beautiful is that?  Let's get a close up.

Yum.  Melted cheesy toasted goodness.

Let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes, until it's firmed up a bit.  This is the perfect time to make some garlic bread!

Cut the lasagna into servings--I cut mine into ten servings which were plenty big--then serve along side the warm garlic bread and possibly a green salad if you're into that sort of thing!

That's just one serving.  Look at what's left!

I meant it when I said this was for a crowd.  Or in my case, lunch for the week.  Did I mention that I think it tastes better the next day?  Well, it does!

Weirdly enough, considering how much I love pasta, this is the first time I'd made lasagna.  Every other time I'd had the dish it tasted like a big mushy mess of soggy noodles, grainy cheese, and jarred tomato sauce.  This was not that.

The bechemel lent an overall creaminess to the dish while the ragu gave it substance and heft.  The noodles retained much of their texture, and the top, oh that top layer.  Slightly crunchy with caramelized sauce and cheese on top--a mushy mess this was not.

This dish made me realize that I actually like lasagna.  I like when a dish can change a mind.

I'd love to stay calm while angry.  Heck, I'd love to be angry while angry.  But, whatever.  I'm me and I make lasagna and I can't be anyone else.  And I'm ok with that!

Here's the recipe!

Lasagna for a Crowd 


For the Ragu (Adapted slightly from Dinner: A Love Story)
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste (I probably ended up using a tablespoon and a half)
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 28 ounce can of tomato puree
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes.  Add turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes.  Add tomato paste and stir, cooking for about 2 minutes more, until it starts to slightly darken.  Add wine and chicken stock and reduce by half, about 5 minutes.
2. Add tomato puree and stir.  Season with salt and pepper and dried oregano.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for at least an hour.  Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.  When done, set aside.

For the Bechemel

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups of milk (I used skim because I'm watching my fat intake, but you can use whatever you want!  I'm not the boss of you)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Method

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering.  Add flour and whisk until smooth.  Let cook for about 2 minutes, then add milk, whisking constantly.  Whisk until it starts to thicken and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Cook until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat and set aside.

To Assemble the Lasagna

Ingredients

• Ragu sauce
• Bechemel Sauce
• 2 packages of fresh lasagna noodles
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper for finishing

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large baking dish, add a layer of bechemel to the bottom, just until coated.  Add two lasagna noodles over the sauce, then top with ragu sauce, and then bechemel sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese then Mozzarella cheese on top.  
2. Cover with another layer of lasagna noodles, then ragu, bechemel, Parmesan and Mozzarella, repeating until you run out of sauce (save enough bechemel for the top layer!)  Mine ended up being about 5 layers.  The top layer should end with a layer of noodles, then a layer of bechemel, then the two cheeses.  I added some fresh cracked black pepper to the top, too.
3. Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are slightly crispy.  Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.  Cut into servings (I got about 10 good sized servings out of this) and serve with a green salad or your favorite garlic bread. 

Enjoy!

Braised and Shredded Beef Sandwiches

Here are some things I'm into currently:

• Mad Men (like, just started Season One again because I can't get enough.  I love love love Betty this season!)
• The soup I had for dinner (coming soon!)
• Bacon
• Pasta with spicy tomato sauce
• Cold cocktails in short glasses with lots of lime
• Rainy, cool, Spring days
• Warm, sunny, Spring days
• Graph paper post-its
• Lemon anything
• Hot tea on lazy Sunday mornings
• Anything braised, shredded and sandwiched between homemade bread, like these sandwiches right here!

It's no secret that these types of things are huge favorites of mine-- Pulled Pork, clearly.  There's something so magical about meat cooked low and slow until it is quite literally falling apart.

It starts with a chuck shoulder roast cut into pieces, seasoned liberally, and placed in a large dutch oven.

Add an entire head of garlic.  Yeah, you read that right.  So smash all the cloves and throw them on top of the meat, then cover with beef broth.

Add thyme and sage and cover with a heavy, tight fitting lid. 

Put it in a very low-heat oven and braise for at least 5 hours (I did mine closer to 6 though).

Meanwhile, make these homemade hamburger buns!

When the meat is finished, transfer to a large serving dish and shred with two forks.  Heat remaining liquid over medium heat and simmer until reduced.  Strain and remove the thyme sprigs and mash the garlic with a fork and return to the pot.  Add reduced sauce to the meat.  

When the hamburger buns are finished, slice and spread both sides with some horseradish mayonnaise that you made with mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  

Top with a pile of shredded beef with a little extra sauce if desired.  Maybe an onion slice, too!

Top it off and serve with plain ol' potato chips.

This sandwich was incredible, and while the homemade hamburger buns were good, the shredded beef was divine.  The meat was cooked to a tender perfection and the sauce it cooked in was packed full of flavor from all the herbs.  

The punchy horseradish mayonnaise was the perfect contrast to the rich beef.  It was basically the best parts of pulled pork and a french dip together.  Oh, and messy.  But that makes it all the more fun!

These are a few of my favorite things, and they are perfect for a Sunday dinner, or weeknight meal (crock pot for all you lucky-duck meal planners out there!)

Here's the recipe!

Braised and Shredded Beef Sandwiches (Adapted slightly from Joy the Baker)

Ingredients

For the Beef

• 3 pounds beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 1 pound pieces
• Course salt and black pepper
• 1 head garlic, cloves peeled and smashed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme, plus a couple of sprigs as well
• 4 cups low sodium beef broth

For the Horseradish Mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh horseradish (I used a heavy handed two tablespoons... I like things spicy!)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• chopped parsley if you have it

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Season beef well with salt and pepper on both sides and place in a dutch oven with a heavy lid.  Add garlic, thyme, and cover with beef broth.  Place the lid on the pot and roast for 5-6 hours.  
2. When ready, remove meat to a serving dish and shred with two forks.  Place pot on a burner over medium heat and bring remaining liquid to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer until thickened slightly.  Strain and remove thyme sprigs and garlic.  Take remaining garlic and mash with a fork, then return to the reduced liquid.  Spoon liquid over meat and serve with hamburger buns and horseradish mayonnaise
3. To make mayonnaise, combine all ingredients, taste for seasonings, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour so the flavors meld.
4. Serve with potato chips and a thick onion slice if desired!

Enjoy!

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Quinoa

I'm on vacation this week and with some of my free time I've done a little Spring cleaning.  While I was going through my drawers and finding things I forgot I had, I found some articles of clothing that I haven't been able to wear in a while.  Call it style, shape, whatever.  And while I did donate many of these clothes, two trash bags full actually, I kept some as incentives.  Many of these incentives are jeans.  You may know them as skinny jeans.  


Nine pairs of skinny jeans, to be precise.  I know, I know.  I may be a hoarder.  But let's leave my personal psychological attachment to things out of this; I tried on one of these pairs of jeans--a pair that I hadn't been able to wear in a while--and, they fit!  They fit better than they did before!  Do you know how thrilling that feels?  So, yes, I own nine pairs of jeans, four of which I can actually wear.  But I'm going down a good path, and it feels great to have something tangible to measure it by, even if it is denim!

This quinoa is going to get me into my Tier One skinny jeans (my skinniest of skinny jeans, clearly.  There are three tiers, if you must know).  Its got wholesome whole grains that are packed with protein, asparagus, and my favorite thing of all, goat cheese.  

It starts with asparagus.  Trim the tough ends of the asparagus off and discard them, then cut the asparagus into pieces.

Boil some salted water and add the asparagus for about three minutes, until bright green, then drain and add the blanched asparagus to a bowl.

Season the asparagus with salt and pepper, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Set aside and prepare 1 cup of quinoa according to package directions.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare a light vinaigrette.  Whisk together Dijon mustard, one garlic clove, grated, honey, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and olive oil until thoroughly combined.  Set aside.

When the quinoa is finished, fluff it up with a fork and add it to the asparagus, then add pieces of goat cheese and mix to combine.

Drizzle the vinaigrette over the quinoa with an extra squeeze of lemon juice and mix to combine.  Serve warm or chilled as a salad--either is wonderful.

This quinoa is tangy and bright and very refreshing.  Because the asparagus was blanched, it retained much of its crunch, which was a nice texture contrast to the creamy quinoa.

I had this for dinner (on the road) one night and for lunch the next day.  It was great both days and kept very well in the refrigerator.

Tier One skinny jeans, here I come!

Here's the recipe:

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Quinoa


Ingredients:


For the Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa, prepared to package instructions and fluffed with a fork
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 lemons (the zest of one lemon and the juice of roughly two, depending on taste)
• 5 ounces chevre goat cheese

For the Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, grated over a microplane grater (or minced very, very fine)
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil

Method

1. Bring some salted water to a boil and add asparagus.  Cook for three minutes, until bright green but still crisp.  Drain and add to a medium sized bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and the zest of one lemon.  Add the juice of one lemon and toss to combine.  
2. Prepare quinoa according to package instructions.  When cooked, fluff with a fork and add to the asparagus.  Add the goat cheese in pieces and combine.  The warm quinoa should melt the goat cheese and make it creamy.  
3. While the quinoa is cooking, make the vinaigrette.  Whisk mustard, garlic, Balsamic, and honey together.  Whisking constantly, add olive oil until creamy and fully emulsified.  
4. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.  I found I wanted it to be a little more lemony, so I added the juice of another lemon just to brighten it all up.  Serve as a light dinner or yummy lunch.  

Enjoy!