Classic Combination: Soup and Sandwich

While flipping through Jamie Oliver's cookbook, my eye caught this beautiful picture of this grilled vegetable, mozzarella, and pesto sandwich. I may have drooled on the page it looked so good. Needless to say, we made this sandwich. To accompany the sandwich, we made a really simple, yet really delicious tomato soup. The soup was creamy with a nice little twang. This soup and sandwich meal was perfect for the cold, rainy days we've been having lately.


Ciabatta Sandwich of Grilled Vegetables with Pesto and Mozzarella (Jamie's Dinners, Jamie Oliver)

[We, unfortunately, didn't have the pesto with the sandwich. We were about to make it, but as I pulled out the basil from the fridge, I realized that it was dry and bitter. So, we improvised and put some sweet jalapeno jelly on the sandwich instead.]

This sandwich is good for using up grilled veg like asparagus, zucchini, fennel and eggplant-wonderful just griddled on a griddle pan and dressed with some good olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh herbs. I keep any leftovers, stuff them into a chunk of ciabatta smeared with 1 Tbs. of pesto and add a little torn-up mozzarella. You could also add some grated Parmesan. Slices of prosciutto or grilled chicken pieces go really well too.

Wrap your sandwich up tightly in wax paper and aluminum foil before putting it i your lunchbox. Usually some juices come out of the mozzarella, so give the sandwich a good press down when you've finished making it to let the bread soak up the moisture and actually become more tasty because of it. When I eat this sandwich, I peel off the paper and foil from one side and then keep peeling back as I eat. This way I don't get juice all over myself.


Cream of Tomato Soup (Cooking Light, January-February 2007)

Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup chopped onion and 3 minced garlic cloves, saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes, 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Place in a blender; process until smooth. Return tomato mixture to pan. Stir in 3/4 cup half-and-half; cook until thoroughly heated.

Cheese or Chickpeas?

When we were cooking up the bean burgers, the other recipe on the page caught my attention and I decided that I had to make it this week. Pasta is topped with this delicious chickpea and garlic sauce that has very similar flavors and textures to a cheese sauce. It's a fantastic alternative to caloric mac n' cheese. We took their suggestion and paired the pasta with sauteed broccoli rabe and garlic. I think I told everyone I work with about this wonderful meal. The best part is that there aren't that many ingredients and it takes only about a half an hour from start to finish.


Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce (Cooking Light, January-February 2005)


2 tsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 (15.5-oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14-oz.) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth [or veggie broth]
1 1/2 cups uncooked medium seashell pasta (about 6 oz.)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add crushed garlic; saute 1 minute. Add salt, pepper, chickpeas, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
2. While garlic mixture simmers, cook pasta in boiling water 9 minutes, omitting salt and fat; drain well.
3. Place chickpea mixture in a food processor, and process until smooth. Combine chickpea mixture, pasta, tomatoes, minced garlic, parsley, and lemon juice; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Spicy Hot Bean Burgers

We made these bean burgers that were full of flavor and easy to make. The chipotle mayonnaise certainly didn't hurt them; Adam couldn't seem to get enough of it. We paired the burgers with a salad of lettuce, red onions, cheddar cheese, salsa, and crumbled tortilla chips. Yum-o!


Southwest Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise (Cooking Light, January-February 2005)

Burgers:
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs. minced seeded jalapeno pepper
2 Tbs. reduced-fat sour cream
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (15-oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-oz.) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained

Chipotle Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 tsp. canned minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce

Remaining Ingredients:
1 Tbs. canola oil
4 (1 1/2-oz.) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted
4 romaine lettuce leaves

1. To prepare burgers, combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pinto beans and corn; partially mash with a fork. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 3 1/2-inch patty, and refrigerate 10 minutes.
2. To prepare chipotle mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise and chipotle in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated. Place patties on bottom halves of buns; top each patty with 1 Tbs. mayonnaise, 1 lettuce leaf, and top half of bun.

Another Jamie Dinner

We decided to do it up Jamie style for our Tuesday night dinner. We thought the potatoes were good, but they were just a precursor to the fantastic-ness of this meal. We made rigatoni with sweet tomatoes, eggplant, and mozzarella that let us play with our new pasta maker (it will definitely still be delicious without homemade pasta too though). We finished the meal with a chocolate-orange souffle that Adam made. I still think about this meal and we made it over a week ago.


Rigatoni with Sweet Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Mozzarella (Jamie's Dinners, Jamie Oliver)

This sauce is creamy and succulent enough to make even those who don't love eggplant to lick their plates clean.

1 firm ripe pink, black, or white eggplant
extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 14oz cans of good-quality plum tomatoes
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
optional: 1-2 fresh or dried chillies, chopped or crumbled
a bunch of fresh basil, leaves ripped and stalks sliced
4 Tbs. heavy cream
1 lb rigatoni or penne
7 oz cow's milk mozzarella
1 piece of Parmesan cheese, for grating

1. both ends of the eggplant and slice it into 1/2 inch slices, then slice these across and finely dice into 1/2 inch cubes. Some people prefer to season their eggplant with salt and let it sit for a while in a colander to draw out the bitterness, but I don't really do this unless I'm dealing with a seedy, bitter eggplant. This dish is really best made using a firm silky one.
2. Now put a large saucepan on the heat and drizzle in 4 to 5 Tbs. of extra virgin olive oil. When it's hot, add the cubes of eggplant, and as soon as they hit the pan stir them around with a spoon so they are delicately coated with the oil and not soaked on one side only. Cook for about 7 or 8 minutes on a medium heat. Then add the garlic and onion. When they have a little color, add the canned tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Stir around and season carefully with salt and pepper. At this point, if you wanted to give the dish a little heat you could add some chopped fresh or crumbled dried chilli, but that's up to you. Add the basil stalks, and simmer the sauce nice and gently for around 15 minutes, then add the cream.
3. While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook according to the package instructions until it is soft but still holding its shape, then drain it, saving a little of the cooking water. I like to put the pasta back into the pot it was cooked in with a tiny bit of the cooking water and a drizzle of olive oil and move it around so it becomes almost dressed with the water and oil.
4. At this point add the lovely tomato sauce to the pasta. By now the eggplant will have cooked into a creamy tomatoey pulp, which is just yum yum yum! Season carefully to taste with salt and pepper. When all my guests are sitting round the table, I take the pan to the table, tear up the mozzarella and the fresh basil, and fold these in nicely for 30 seconds. Then very quickly serve into bowls. By the time your guests start to eat, the mozzarella will have started to melt and will be stringy and gorgeous and really milky-tasting. Just lovely with the tomatoes and eggplant. Serve at the table with a block of Parmesan cheese and a grater so that everyone can help themselves.


Chocolate Clafoutis with Caramelized Oranges (Jamie's Dinners, Jamie Oliver)

5 oranges
3 3/4 oz best-quality bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
5 1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup sugar
a pinch of salt
2 large eggs
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 oz best-quality white chocolate, broken up
1 pint of creme fraiche

1. Preheat your oven to 400. Firstly zest 3 of your oranges, then carefully remove the outer peel and slice them across into wheel-shaped pieces just under 1/2 inch thick. Break the bittersweet chocolate up, place in a small bowl and slowly melt it over some simmering water, giving it a stir once in a while with a spatula.
2. You will need a deep 8 inch metal tin or earthenware dish to cook the clafoutis in. Rub the inside of it with a little of the butter. To make the clafoutis, sift the flour into a separate bowl, add the almonds, half the sugar, the salt, eggs, yolks, orange zest and milk. Whisk up until sooth and then add the rest of the butter to the melting chocolate. Scrape all the melted chocolate and butter into the batter mix and pour into your pan. Poke little pieces of white chocolate into the batter, then place the pan in the oven and bake for around 16 to 20 minutes. It will rise and should be firm around the edges but sticky and gooey in the middle. This doesn't mean it's undercooked...it means it's perfect! So be careful not to overcook it or it will just be like a boring sponge.
3. While it's cooking, bring the other half of your sugar to the boil with about 6 Tbs. of water on a medium heat until you have a golden caramel. Remove from the heat, add the juice from your remaining oranges and stir it in to loosen the caramel syrup slightly. Arrange your oranges nicely on a plate, pour over the caramel and serve with your chocolate clafoutis and a bowl of creme fraiche.

I Heart Jamie

I bought Adam a Jamie Oliver cookbook for Christmas because he is our kitchen idol, and we are always aiming to cook like him. Now, we can! We started off with a fairly simple recipe that ended up being delicious. We made potatoes with marinated peppers from the cookbook then paired it with sauteed spinach and salmon and tempeh. This was my first attempt at eating tempeh and I have to say that I did not care for it much. Maybe I'll have to try another recipe for the tempeh, but the potatoes can definitely stay!


Spanish Style Peppered Potatoes (Jamie's Dinners, Jamie Oliver)

Jamie writes the cookbook in paragraph form, so I am going to write it exactly as he does. It's a bit conversational, but I think the informality totally fits with his style and concept of eating good, easy, comforting, and wholesome food.

Parboil 1 1/2 lb of peeled and diced potatoes for 10 minutes in salted boiling water, then drain them and leave them to steam for a few minutes with a lid on. You will need the same amount of sliced marinated peppers (approx. 4 peppers, prepared as recipe [below]). While the potatoes are still steaming, dress them with the marinade from the peppers and pop them into a heatproof dish or baking tray. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a teaspoon of finely sliced red chilli. Place the potatoes in the oven at 400 until golden, then pour over your marinated peppers and give the potatoes a good shifty about so the peppers are well mixed in. Put back into the oven for 5-10 minutes until perfect and golden.


Marinated Peppers

Once you've peeled your red, yellow or green bell peppers, cut them in half, remove the seeds and cut them into 1 inch thick slices. Slowly fry in some olive oil with a couple of cloves of finely sliced garlic, one finely sliced red onion and a good handful of sliced basil. You don't have to brown the garlic or onions, you can just fry them for a couple of minutes to soften or you can give them a just a little bit of color, which is nice. Either way, put them in a bowl, correct the seasoning with salt and pepper, and then add a swig or two of wine or balsamic vinegar to give a marvellous twang. Serve sprinkled with a few whole basil leaves.

San Fran Worthy

I have gotten really into soyrizo--the soy version of chorizo. And, it's a soy product that Adam doesn't seem to mind at all. It's full of fantastic flavor and isn't nearly as greasy as it's meaty counterpart. We became inspired by walking around our farmers' market and decided to create a warm soyrizo, arugula, and tomato salad topped with breadcrumb encrusted goat cheese rounds and served with a side of polenta. This meal was super easy, even the goat cheese rounds! Adam and I decided that this meal was fit for a posh San Francisco brunch spot, but perhaps we're a bit biased.


Polenta with a Warm Salad and Goat Cheese Rounds

1 cup polenta
1 package soyrizo
3 cups arugula
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
4 oz. goat cheese, sliced into rounds (it works well to cut the cold cheese with a piece of dental floss)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1. Prepare polenta according to package directions.
2. Heat a bit of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add soyrizo and cook until it browns. At this point, add the arugula and grape tomatoes. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, then turn off the heat.
3. To prepare the goat cheese rounds, dip the goat cheese into the beaten egg, and then coat with the breadcrumbs. Heat some canola or olive oil in a small skillet on medium-high heat. Place the coated goat cheese rounds in the hot skillet until browned on one side. Flip the rounds and brown on the other side.
4. To plate the meal, put polenta to one side of the plate. Cover with the soyrizo and arugula mixture and then top each plate with two goat cheese rounds.

Perfect Pot Pies

In spirit of the gloominess in the Bay area and the freezing temperatures every where else, we decided to make some soul-warming pot pies. We combined two recipes from Vegetarian Planet (the All-American Pot Pie and the Dixie Pot Pie) along with our own selection of vegetables to make our own delicious pot pie. Although this was our first homemade pot pie experience, I can tell you it won't be our last. There are endless possibilities of vegetable and protein combinations and crust options. Use your creativity and explore!

Butternut Squash, Kale, and Mushroom Pot Pie (compiled from recipes from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons)

Filling:
1 Tbs. butter
1 small butternut squash, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 bunch kale, taken off the stem and cut into bite-sized pieces
8 oz. mushrooms, quartered
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 Tbs. unbleached white flour
2 cups warmed milk, or a bit more
1 pinch fresh or dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Biscuit Topping:
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup milk, plus a bit more

1. Make the filling: In a 12- or 14-inch, preferably non-stick, skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add all of the vegetables, and saute them for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, and saute for 5 minutes more, stirring. Add the garbanzo beans. Sprinkle 3 Tbs. flour over the vegetables, and stir the mixture over the heat for 2 minutes. Add the warmed milk slowly, stirring all the while to avoid lumps. Stir in the thyme. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Continue to cook the vegetables until they become tender (especially the butternut squash), adding a bit more milk if the sauce becomes too thick. Add 1/2 tsp. of the salt and plenty of fresh pepper. Transfer the mixture to a 9- or 10- casserole or deep pie dish or individual baking ramekins. (At this point you can cover the dish and chill it for up to 2 days, if you'd like to bake it later,)
2. Preheat the oven to 375. Make the biscuit topping in a food processor or by hand:
To use a food processor, combine in it the flour, baking powder, salt, and butter. Run the machine until the mixture resembles sand. Add the milk, then run the machine in spurts until the dough comes together.
To mix the dough by hand, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the pieces are no larger than pea-size. Stir in the milk, and continue to stir until the dough comes together.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to fit the dish.
3. Cover the vegetables with the biscuit top. (It shouldn't seal the pie, but just sit on top.) Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the pie with a bit of milk. Bake the pie for 15 minutes, until the top is golden. Serve the pie hot.

Holiday Cookies!

You can't go through a holiday season without baking some sort of treat. This year I made Adam's favorite, Kiss cookies, which I had to call his mom for recipe. I also made these hazlenut chocolate cookies which were a big hit as well. I think it was a draw as to which was the better, more delicious cookie. I'll let you be the judge.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Thumbprints (Cooking Light, December 2009)

4.5 oz. all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. instant espresso (optional)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup finely chopped hazlenuts, toasted
1/3 cup hazlenut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt; stir with a whisk. Place butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Stir egg yolks with a whisk, adding espresso, if desired. Add the yolk mixture and vanilla to butter; beat well. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat at low speed just until combined.
3. Turn dough out onto a sheet of wax paper; knead 6 times or until smooth and shiny. Shape dough into 28 (1-inch) balls. Roll sides of balls in nuts, pressing gently. Arrange balls 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press thumb into center of each cookie, leaving an indentation. Bake, 1 batch at a time, at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks. Spoon a scant 1/2 tsp. hazlenut-chocolate spread into center of each cookie.

Kiss Cookies (June Magruder, from Adam's Grandmother)

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 package Hershey's kisses (I used dark chocolate kisses)

1. Beat sugar, vanilla, and butter until fluffy. Add flour and nuts, beating until combined.
2. Chill dough about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 375.
4. Shape dough around kisses. Bake for 12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheets, or until slightly golden.
5. Cool briefly and then roll in confectioner's sugar. For maximum sugar, re-roll in the confectioner's sugar after a little cooler.

Wedding Preparations

We have dinner with Scott and Jen just about every week. The week of their wedding, we were hosting them at our house, so it had to be special. We broke out the champagne and had to have a meal that matched the classiness of our drink. Seeing recipe for Cornish game hens, we knew we had to try them for this special occasion. We paired the game hens with butternut squash and potatoes that were roasted in the oven with olive oil and bleu cheese, as well as green beans almandine. The green beans were steamed briefly in the microwave until just tender. Then, they were tossed in a pan with butter and sliced almonds. The meal was perfectly rich, but light enough to make you not feel guilty at all.


Roasted Cornish Hens with Cherry-Port Glaze (Cooking Light, December 2009)

1/2 cup cherry preserves
1/2 cup port
1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 (1 1/2-lbs.) Cornish hens

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray. Combine preserves, port, ginger, vinegar, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 9 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard giblets and necks from hens. Rinse hens with cold water; pat dry. Remove skin; trim excess fat. Working with 1 hen at a time, tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under hen. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Set on wire rack on baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Brush hens with cherry mixture; bake 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of thigh registers 165, brushing with cherry mixture every 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove twine; split hens in half lengthwise.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

My brother-in-law makes a bunch of soups out of cauliflower and squash. We received this odd cauliflower-like vegetable from the farmers' market when my parents were here and didn't know what to do with it. So, we decided to roast it and make a soup with it. We added regular cauliflower to the roasting mix, then boil all of the vegetables together with vegetable broth, salt, and a bit of curry powder and pepper. Next, we blended it all together with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, blend the soup in a regular blender, making sure the top has a vent to allow the steam to escape. Then, we sauteed portobella mushrooms to top the soup along with plain yogurt and scallions. I know this soup sounds too simple and delicious to be true, but you should give it a try.

Umami

If you want a true umami experience, this pasta is it! With this vegetarian bolognese, you won' t miss the meat at all. Once again Cooking Light has done it right. Pair with a simple salad and you have a complete meal.


Vegetarian Bolognese with Whole-Wheat Penne (Cooking Light, December 2009)

Some of the ingredients seem kinda crazy, but I promise that you will enjoy this hearty pasta.

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/4 oz.)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 (8-oz.) package cremini mushrooms finely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (28-oz.) can organic crushed tomatoes with basil, undrained
1 (2-inch) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind
12 oz. uncooked whole-wheat penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Place dried mushrooms in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms; saute 10 minutes. Add wine; simmer 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add 1/4 cup warm water and next 4 ingredients (through cheese rind) to onion mixture. Stir in ground porcini. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes. Keep warm. Remove rind; discard.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Place 1 cup of pasta in each of 6 bowls. Top each portion with 1/4 cup sauce and about 1 Tbs. cheese.