Monthly Archives: December 2012

16 Bean and Kale Soup

16 Bean and Kale Soup


There are some who believe that eating beans on New Year’s Day can bring you good fortune for the year ahead.  Beans are said to represent coins. I can’t promise you will win the lottery this year, but I do know that this soup is really good for you and it tastes really good!

I had a leftover ham bone from Christmas Eve dinner and used that, but you don’t need a ham bone to make this. You don’t even have to add any ham, but if you want that flavor, you can use a few slices of bacon or cube up some thickly sliced pieces of ham from the deli counter.

I used dried beans in this recipe, but skip that step if you’d like and use a combination of your favorite canned beans. Just rinse and drain them really well before adding them to the soup.

16 Bean and Kale Soup

Preparing the dried beans:
1 16 oz. package dried 16 Bean mix, rinsed and sorted
8 C. water
The Soup:
1 large onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
2 fresh bay leaves
1 sprig sage leaves
4 sprigs thyme leaves
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ham bone
8 C. water
salt and pepper to taste
several large stalks of fresh kale, deveined and chopped
a few sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
Parmesan
In a large pot, combine the beans and the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, then shut the heat off and allow to sit for one hour.
Meanwhile, in another large pot, sauté the onion, celery, carrot and the herbs (tie the herbs in a bundle with some twine). After a few minutes, when the onions are softened, add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Add the ham bone and cook a few minutes longer.
Add the water and some salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for one hour or more.
Once the beans have sat and have softened, drain and rinse them very well in a sieve under cold water and allow them to sit.
Remove the ham bone from the pot and the herb bundle and discard. Add the beans into the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and add more salt and pepper, if it needs it. Then add the kale, parsley and top with some freshly grated Parmesan for serving.

Notes:

  • When preparing the beans to soften, do not use any salt at all. Salt will make the skins of the beans very tough and unpalatable.
  • If you are not a fan of kale, you can use spinach in its place.

 

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Shrimp and Feta Risotto

Shrimp and Feta Risotto

Making risotto, to me, is like meditation. It involves all of your attention and focus on doing something so simple, repetitive and peaceful. It’s all about stirring the pot and adding the broth in intervals. Try this…you’ll end up in a trance that your family will probably knock you out of as they coming running into the kitchen cheering as soon as they get a whiff of this baby cooking!

This dish was inspired by a recipe I had found in Food & Wine magazine over ten years ago! I have improvised it many times, but I think this version is my favorite. The tangy saltiness of the feta really is delicious against the richness of the risotto. I throw in some spinach because I love it, it adds some pretty color and lastly, spinach makes me feel just a little less guilty over eating this!

You can use any feta you like. I like to use French or Bulgarian feta because they are extremely creamy and they have a remarkable flavor that you’ll love. They honestly do not taste like any other feta. They work so well with risotto, where that creaminess is the goal.

Shrimp and Feta Risotto

6 C. chicken or vegetable broth, homemade or low-sodium
2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 T. unsalted butter
2 T. olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 C. arborio rice
3/4 C. dry white wine
6 – 8 large fresh basil leaves, torn
3 C. baby spinach
1/4 C. crumbled feta cheese
zest of one lemon
Parmesan, grated for serving
In a large pot over high heat, bring the broth to a boil. Add the shrimp and simmer for about 3 minutes covered until just cooked.  Be careful not to overcook them. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon or small sieve and keep them in a bowl until ready to use. Keep the stock on a medium low heat to continue simmering.
In another large and heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes, then add the rice. Stir to coat the rice with the oils and cook for about 2 minutes. Do not get any color on the rice. Add the wine and simmer until mostly evaporated.
Now…clear your mind…this is where you start to meditate…
Using a large ladle, add about one cup of broth to the risotto and stir. Keep stirring as the rice absorbs the broth. As soon as you see the rice becoming more dry, add another ladleful. And stir. And add. And stir. You get it.  Keep this up until the rice becomes tender and creamy, but still has some body. This will take about 25 minutes.
Remove the rice from the heat and add the shrimp, basil, spinach, feta and lemon zest. Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan on top.

Notes:

  • Food & Wine magazine had suggested a crisp Sauvignon Blanc with their version of risotto. I think it would work well with this one too.
  • If you feel the rice is done and you have a tiny bit of broth left, don’t feel that you have to keep cooking. If it’s done, it’s done. You don’t want mush. Save the broth though, you may find that once you remove the risotto from the heat and add the final ingredients, you may want to add that broth to “loosen” things up.
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Maple Apple Crunchy Superfood Granola

Maple Apple Crunch Superfood Granola

Let’s address what’s on your mind before we even begin. Yes, I do need to hire someone to name my recipes for me. I know. But, I feel a need to include details…too many. Brevity has never been part of my character.

So, you probably remember these yummy apple chips! They were so popular! Well, we are going to take them a few steps further…into granola land! I love granola, but sometimes it’s hard to find one that isn’t loaded with added fats, tons of sugar or things I may not want, but really, it’s just fun to make yourself! This is my take on granola, but use this method to make it your own. Add your favorites to this recipe and you’ll love topping your yogurt off with it, sprinkling it on ice cream, in a bowl with some milk or by the bucketful handful as a snack!

I’ve added golden flax meal and chia seeds. Maybe it’s superfood overkill, but I just like to sneak as much nutrition into yummy things as I can. If I had told my kids, “You should eat some golden flaxmeal or chia seeds for snack!”…you get the picture.

I use egg whites, not oil, to get that “crunch” that I love my granola to have. You know, those clusters of sweet crunchy nuttiness in those boxes of cereal. Yeah, those guys. This is like an entire box full of those! But better!

Maple Apple Crunchy Superfood Granola

1 apple, preferably organic
2 egg whites
3 C. old fashioned oats
1/4 C. golden flaxseed meal
3 T. chia seeds
1/4 C. dark brown sugar
1/2 C. pure maple syrup
1 C. chopped walnuts
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 C. dried cranberries
1/4 C. golden raisins

Special equipment:  mandolin

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Line 2 of your largest baking sheets with parchment.

Slice the apple on the mandolin set to the thin slice setting. Spread the slices out on one of the baking sheets and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

When the apples have about 15 minutes left to bake, start making the granola. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the remaining ingredients up to the cinnamon and mix to combine. Spread the mixture out evenly onto the second prepared baking sheet.

Lower the baking sheet with the apples to the lower rack and place the granola on the middle rack. Bake both the apples and the granola for 45 minutes at 250 degrees.

Remove the apples from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet. Raise the oven temperature to 300 degrees, give the granola a stir, and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.

Once cool, break the apple chips up into bite size pieces.

When the granola is done, remove from the oven and let it cool on the sheet. Once completely cooled, combine the apples, cranberries, raisins and the granola. Store in air tight containers.

Notes:

  • This would be great with banana chips too from the Baked Apple and Banana Chip recipe.
  • Don’t even try to invite Aunt Jemima to this party! You really need to use pure maple syrup!
  • This granola is sweet, but not overly so. Don’t alter the amount of sugar…you’ll find that once you add the dried fruits the amount of sweetness is perfect.
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Rosewater Fritters (Zalabia or Lokma)

Rosewater Fritters (Zalabia or Lokma)

I struggled a bit over what to call these!  We called them lokma when I was young, but maybe to add to the confusion, my Mom wrote zalabia on the recipe.  The important thing is, they all mean the same thing:  fried, sweet, sticky goodness!  They are basically a donut or fritter, but with the rosewater and lemon, they feel much more sophisticated!  ;)

So, this is where you think, “Wasn’t this a healthy food blog?”  Well, yes, most of the time it is, but it’s the holidays and this is too good not to indulge in!  And to be fair, I did say it was mostly healthy food up there in the left corner!

Rosewater Fritters (Zalabia or Lokma)

2 C. water, warmed (1 1/2 minutes in the microwave)
1 t. sugar
2 1/4 t. yeast or 1 packet of yeast
3 C. all purpose flour
1 egg
2 T. canola oil
canola oil for frying
In a 2 C. measuring cup, combine the sugar and yeast and set aside.
In a batter bowl, beat the egg with the canola oil.  Mix in the yeast mixture then stir in the flour until combined.  The batter will be lumpy and that is fine.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel.  Keep on the counter for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the syrup (recipe below).
After 30 minutes, add canola oil to a fry pan up to 3/4″ deep.  Heat to about 325 degrees then drop the batter by tablespoonfuls into the oil.  Work quickly, they brown up within seconds.  As soon as they become a deep golden brown, use a slotted spoon and a chopstick to turn the fritters.  Continue frying until they are done on both sides.  Place them on a paper towel lined plate and continue until all the batter is done.
Once done frying, dip the fritters into the syrup.  They will be doused and heavy, but as they sit a bit, the syrup will run off and they will have a light and thin coating, giving them a glossy and sweet covering.

Rosewater Syrup

2 1/2 C. sugar
1 C. + 2 T. water
2 t. fresh lemon juice
1 t. rosewater
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the water.  Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat to medium.  Continue simmering until the syrup thickens and coats the back of a spoon.  This should take about 5 minutes.  Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and the rosewater.  Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to continue cooling until ready to use.

 

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Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade with Crostini

Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade with Crostini

This is one of those “raid the pantry” kind of recipes. You may already have everything you need to whip this up quickly for the holidays. With those festive colors, it’s perfect for this time of year.

Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade

3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
12oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained
8.5oz. can artichoke hearts, drained (quartered is fine)
3 T. fresh parsley
1 T. fresh basil leaves
2 t. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes, optional

In a medium sauté pan, heat 1 T. of olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté the onions for about 3 minutes then add the garlic. Continue to sauté for another 2 minutes, or until the onions are a bit soft. Add the red peppers and the artichoke hearts. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, just to get the flavors to combine and to get some of the moisture out of the mixture.

In a food process with the blade attachment, pulse the red pepper and artichoke mixture along with the parsley and basil about 5 or 6 times or until it has all combined and is coarsely chopped.

Once done, scrape it into a medium bowl and add the remaining olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours and up to several days until ready to serve.

I like to serve this with a drizzle of more extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Serve with crostini (see below), crackers or pita chips.

Crostini

1 or 2 baguettes
olive oil
sea salt
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the baguette in slices about 1/4″ wide. Brush each slice with olive oil and a light sprinkling of sea salt. Place on a wire cooling rack.
Bake the crostini on the wire rack in the oven for about 10 minutes. Keep checking. They’ll be ready when they just begin to become a tiny bit golden around the edges.
Remove from oven. Cool on the rack for a few minutes before serving or cool completely before storing for later use.

Notes:

  • If I am making the crostini beforehand, I store them in zipper bags once they are completely cooled, but just before serving, I like to throw them in a warm oven (just pile them on a baking sheet…no need to single layer them) just for about a minute.
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