Dinner with Lindsay

Comfort Zone

2010-02-16T05:55:00.000-08:00

This soup is hearty and rich, but healthy, low-fat, and low-calorie. In a small bowl, it's a great starter for a wintry dinner of roast chicken and potatoes; in a larger bowl and with a side salad, it's a great main course.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

2 tbsp. olive oil
½ of a large onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb. plum tomatoes (5 or 6 large), peeled* and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
2 cans (14 oz. each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
4 c. chicken broth, low-sodium or homemade
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

In a stock pot over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring frequently so they don't burn, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and saute until the onions are translucent, another 5-10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, and saute until the tomatoes begin to release their juices and break down, another 5-10 minutes.

Add the black beans, pumpkin, broth, and vinegar, and raise the heat to medium-high. Let the mixture come to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Using a stick blender and taking the pot off the heat, puree the soup to a coarse consistency.

Serve alone or with a garnish of fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, or chopped red onion.

*Peeling the tomatoes is one extra step but it's really not that difficult, and vital for the proper consistency of the soup. Simply bring a pot of water to boil, and have a bowl of very cold water nearby. Core the tomatoes, and drop them into the boiling water for 15 to 30 seconds (depending on how ripe they are). Remove them with a slotted spoon and put them in the cold water to stop them from cooking, then peel away the skins.

Caliente!

2010-01-30T15:06:00.000-08:00

Born on a cold winter day when I was trying to warm from the inside, and also use up some of the cans in my pantry, this soup is spicy and comforting at the same time. With the possible exception of the jalapeno pepper, you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already.

Spicy Tomato Soup

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 tsp. ground ginger (or 2 tsp. fresh, if you have it)
½ tsp. ground cumin
4 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes, with their juices
1 14-oz. can chicken broth (or 2 c. homemade broth)
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt

In a 5-qt Dutch oven or stock pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper and saute for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the ginger. Continue to stir frequently for another 4 minutes, then add the cumin, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, the broth, the sugar and the salt and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender, pureeing in batches), finely puree the soup. Serve at once.

Brunchtastic, Part 2

2010-01-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

Another brunch favorite were these moist muffins, which showcase an unusual combination of tastes. Using the ice cream scoop to measure the batter is an easy way to create uniformly sized muffins. For added texture, you could add a handful of chopped walnuts.

Pear Cranberry Muffins

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 large ripe Bartlett pear, cored and cut into ¼ inch cubes
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

Position an oven rack in the center and preheat oven to 400°. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper liners.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs to break up the yolks. Add the sugar in a steady stream while whisking. Whisk for a couple of minutes until the yolks pale in color. Whisk in the oil and the vanilla.

Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet with a wooden spoon. Stir until there is only a little flour visible. Carefully stir in the pear and cranberries, taking care not to crush the pears, until there is no flour visible.

Using a 2 inch ice cream scoop, fill each of the muffin tins to the top, dividing the batter evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffin tin from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once they are cool enough to handle, remove the muffins from the tins and place on the rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Brunchtastic!

2010-01-10T17:54:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I hosted some friends for brunch. The crowd was smaller than expected due to a weekend long snowstorm, in keeping with tradition for my winter parties. I'm better than the farmer's almanac - if I'm throwing a party and it's the wintertime, it will snow.

Guests who braved the snow were treated to a bonanza of eggy and bacony delights. One of the highlights was homemade granola, which went amazingly well with the Stonyfield Vanilla Yogurt.

Granola

1 c. hazelnuts
1 c. almonds
1 c. walnuts
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool. With a rolling pin, crush the nuts until coarse.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange zest, and vanilla. Add the oats and stir to coat. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and toast for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the nuts.

To serve, stir into yogurt.

Keeps for a couple of weeks when stored in an airtight container.

Cookie Swappin'

2009-12-09T14:18:00.001-08:00

This past weekend I channelled my inner 1950's housewife and hosted my annual holiday cookie swap party. There were many delicious treats, including Susan's jam-filled thumbprint cookies. She graciously agreed to share the recipe (and also some thoughts on mid-century cookbooks). Her musings, and recipe, follow.

The recipe is super-easy. Embarrassingly-so. You should give the 1950 Betty Crocker cookbook the real credit. You've got to see this thing. My mother-in-law found it when she was cleaning out my husband's grandmother's house. Ugh! There is a section at the front, explaining basics of cooking.

One part is titled: "If You Are a Good Mathematician You May Safely .. ."
And then underneath, there are two columns explaining how you can REDUCE RECIPES or INCREASE RECIPES. The first line:
"To double a recipe, use exactly twice the amount of each ingredient." Yes, the italics are in the original.

Well, the men behind Betty Crocker circa 1950 may think women are idiots, but they make a mean cookie. Here you go:

Thumbprint Cookies

Cream together 2 sticks of butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites in a small bowl), 1 tsp of vanilla, and I like to add 1/2 tsp of almond extract.

Sift (they are adamant that it be sifted!) 2 cups of flour. Mix well.

Roll into balls. (My first batch were too small; they work better when they are about 1.5 inches). Dip the top in egg white, and then in some chopped nuts. (I use pecans.) The recipe says it should be an ungreased cookie sheet, but mine all had some mild sticking, requiring a bit of prodding to remove. So I defer that. . . Place nut-side-up, and bake at 375 for 5 min. Take them out at 5 min, and gently make indentations in each one. Put them back in the oven for 7-8 more min, depending on your oven.

Fill with whatever jam, jelly, or pie filling you have around. I then sprinkle with the powdered sugar for decoration, but that isn't in the original recipe.

Carbo Loading with a Side of Spinach (for strength)

2009-12-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

I'm off to work the overnight this evening. In addition to lots (and lots) of caffeine, I need a hearty dinner to start off the night. Tonight it was a pile of whole-wheat spaghetti with some sauteed spinach on the side.

Spaghetti al Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper, a traditional Roman dish) for one

1/4 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
Salt for the pasta water
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Lots of freshly ground pepper

Salt the water and bring it to the boil. Instead of putting the lid on the pot, place your pasta bowl on top to warm the bowl. Careful when removing it; it will be hot.

Cook the pasta to al dente. Put the olive oil in the pasta bowl. Drain the pasta and place it in the bowl. Put the cheese and pepper on top of the pasta. Toss with two forks. Add sea salt to taste. Enjoy!

Spinach with Pine Nuts, Garlic, and Lemon for one

1 tbsp. pine nuts
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 c. baby spinach
Juice of 1/4 lemon

Warm a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Toast the pine nuts, shaking the pan frequently. When they begin to brown and turn fragrant, remove them from the pan. Add the olive oil to the pan and let it warm for a moment. Add the garlic and cook for about twenty seconds, until it begins to brown and turn fragrant (sound familiar?). Add the spinach to the pan, tossing it frequently with tongs, until it wilts. Add the lemon juice, and remove from the heat. Toss with the pine nuts.

No really, bacon DOES make everything better.

2009-11-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

A huge hit at any cocktail party I have ever had, this appetizer would be a great addition to any holiday spread. Adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Small Plates cookbook. Easily doubled, and I would recommend doubling the amount of these bad boys!

Roasted Dates with Parmesan and Bacon

1/4 lb parmesan cheese
4 T. low fat cream cheese, room temp
36 pitted dates
12 slices bacon, each cut crosswise into 3 pieces

Preheat oven to 400F and place a baking sheet in the oven to heat. In a small bowl, combine the parmesan and cream cheese and mix until smooth.

Slice each date along one side to make a pocket and insert 1 tsp of the cheese filling. Wrap a piece of bacon around each stuffed date. The bacon should cover the opening in the date and overlap slightly. Secure the date with toothpicks. (Can be refrigerated overnight; return to room temp for about 15 minutes before roasting.)

Using tongs (or just being really careful), place the dates on the hot baking sheet. Roast until the bacon is crisp, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Bacon Makes Everything Better

2009-04-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

Bacon is in that special family of foods that make everything better. (Other members include cheese and frying.) Here they dress up Brussels sprouts. I don't have the same animosity for Brussels sprouts that many do - I pretty much never met a green vegetable I didn't like, except maybe for broccoli rabe (sorry, Mark Bittman) - but I can see why some people dislike them. If cooked incorrectly, they retain a certain bitterness. Here, though, they are tender and substantial after soaking up the chicken stock. This recipe works well as a side dish for a special dinner, but also can stand on its own as a light supper, perhaps with a bit of pasta and olive oil or some crusty bread.

Brussels Sprouts Lardons

2 T. olive oil
6 oz. thick cut bacon, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 1/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
3/4 t. coarse salt
3/4 t. freshly ground pepper
1 3/4 c. chicken stock

Heat the olive oil in a 12" skillet and add the bacon. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 5 minutes. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Add the Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper to the fat in the pan. Saute over medium heat for another 5 minutes, until the sprouts are lightly browned. Add the chicken stock. Lower to heat and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan, heat through, season to taste, and serve.

Serves 6 as a side dish, 3 as a main course.

Asparagus with Shallots

2009-02-20T20:32:00.000-08:00

Mom and I made a great dinner tonight. She cooked shrimp scampi, I made asparagus. Usually when I cook with shallots, they act as a minor player in the dish. Here they take top billing alongside the asparagus. Adding the butter at the end gives you maximum flavor with minimum fat – it’s a chef-style trick.

Asparagus with Shallots
Serves 4

1 lb. asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut on the bias into 2” pieces
4 shallots, sliced thin
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. butter

Warm the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the asparagus and shallots and sauté until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes (exact timing will depend on thickness of asparagus stalks). Add the salt, freshly ground pepper, and butter and stir until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and serve.

Velvety Pumpkin Soup

2009-02-19T22:58:00.000-08:00

I cooked dinner tonight with Lisa and Amanda. We made an amazing three course meal, starting with a hearty bowl of pumpkin soup. To my surprise, the girls had never cooked soup before. This recipe was a perfect introduction into the world of soup-making! I think homemade soup is truly a necessity during these cold New England winters. Making your own soup is much easier if you have an immersion blender (also called a hand blender or a stick blender). You can buy a decent one at Target for $25 or less. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup in batches in a regular blender or a food processor. Just be very sure the lid is on tight – hot splattering soup would be a disaster.

Velvety Pumpkin Soup
Serves 4

2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 c. low sodium chicken broth
¾ tsp. salt, or to taste
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
¼ c. sour cream
1 T. chopped chives
1/3 c. toasted walnut halves, optional

Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a medium to large saucepan. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, then stir in the pumpkin puree. Mix well and bring to a boil again, and cook for another 5 minutes. Use the immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.

To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with a tablespoon of sour cream, a sprinkling of chopped chives, and toasted walnut halves, if you wish.

Note: To toast the walnut halves, sprinkle them with a dash of salt and cayenne pepper and place on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes in a 350° oven. Raw walnuts are too bitter for this recipe, so if you’re not able to toast the walnuts, don’t bother with them at all.

Poached Salmon with Baby Spinach

2009-02-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

I had the girls – Sara and Alison – over for Valentine’s Day. Alison brought me flowers – yes, I am a lucky lady. We had a delicious dinner, with a first course of sautéed scallops, then crusty French bread, roasted asparagus, and poached salmon with a white wine reduction sauce. Dessert was macerated sliced strawberries. Pink and red food for Valentine’s Day – cheesy, I know, but it all turned out quite well. This recipe is much more involved than my usual cooking repertoire, but it was after all a very special occasion!

Poached Salmon with Baby Spinach
Serves 4

1 lb. salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 pieces
1 small lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 1 chopped and one left whole
2 ½ tbsp. olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1 ¼ c. dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
4 scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
½ lb. baby spinach
Salt to taste

Cut 4 very thin slices from the center of the lemon; reserve. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon over the salmon pieces, and season with pepper to taste. Place a lemon slice on each piece of fish. Sprinkle with the rosemary and set aside.

Warm 1 ½ T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the garlic and shallot begin to caramelize slightly, about 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium low. Push the garlic and shallots to the side, and add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Place the salmon fillets in the middle of the pan. Add the wine and the whole sprig of rosemary. Cover the skillet and adjust the heat so that the liquid is simmering. Poach the salmon until it is opaque, 7 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Remove salmon to a platter.

Increase the heat to medium and add the spinach and scallions to the pan. Cook, covered, until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the spinach from the poaching liquid.

Increase the heat to high. Stirring constantly, cook the poaching liquid until slightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, place each fillet on a plate. Top with poaching liquid and lemon slices. Place spinach mixture around each fillet.

Orange Balsamic Chicken

2009-02-12T14:41:00.000-08:00

Like so much of what I cook, this meal was born out of a desire to use up what I had in my fridge. Chicken thighs were on sale at the grocery store, I had some beautiful rosemary in the crisper that was crying out to be used, and I had a tiny jar of marmalade that just wasn’t going to be eaten any other way. (Honestly, who really likes marmalade?) The results were delicious. I ate it with the leftover cauliflower from the other day, but I think it would be even better with a side of steamed broccoli florets.

Orange Balsamic Chicken
Serves 4

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast thighs (about 2 lbs), quartered
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. orange marmalade
1/3 c. chopped pecans

In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt, freshly ground pepper, and the chopped rosemary. Add to the skillet and saute for 10 minutes, until crispy and brown. Transfer to serving dish.

Whisk together the vinegar and marmalade. Add to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the pan, until reduced by about one third. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is warmed and coated with the sauce. Toss with the pecans and serve.

Rosemary Portobello Mushroom Pizza

2009-02-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

Dinner tonight was pizza made with a portobello mushroom cap in place of the crust, topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and some fresh rosemary. Delicious and surprisingly filling. I served it with a side of roasted cauliflower (cut the head of cauliflower into florets, toss with olive oil, coarse salt and fresh ground pepper, and roast at 425° for 30 minutes) and a salad of mesclun greens, pomegranate seeds, and goat cheese, tossed with a dijon-red wine vinaigrette. I'll post more on making your own salad dressing another time, but in the meantime, here's the pizza recipe.

Rosemary Portobello Mushroom Pizza
Serves 2

2 portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean with a damp cloth
Olive oil
¼ c. prepared tomato sauce
¼ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Spray or lightly brush olive oil onto each side of the mushroom caps. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through. Remove from oven and preheat the broiler.

Spread the tomato sauce evenly on the concave side of each mushroom. Scatter the cheese evenly over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the rosemary over the cheese. Place under the broiler for one minute, until the cheese is browned.