Potato Artichoke Soup

I should have thought to take some process photos

of this soup. Often, I'm just happily cooking

away, then we sit down to eat and I do a Homer Simpson.

"Doh, (slapping myself on the forehead), this would be a great blog post."

This is really tasty.

So, hopefully you will forgive me.

And make do this time

with a photo and a recipe.

Potato Artichoke Soup

recipe by me

serves 4-6

2 T olive oil

1 small onion, diced

4 stalks celery (with leaves if possible), sliced

4 cups potatos, diced (peeled if you desire...I like the peels)

2 cloves garlic, minced

12  oz. jar of artichoke hearts with juice

16 oz vegetable broth

1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

parsley garnish (optional)

-in large stockpot, heat olive oil

-add onions and celery

-cook and stir on medium heat for 8-10 minutes

-add potatos and garlic

-cook another 8-10 minutes, stirring often to avoid sticking

-add artichokes with juice, and vegetable broth

-bring to boil

-reduce heat to medium high and cook for 20-25 minutes

-reduce heat to low

-using immersion blender, puree all,

adding water as needed to thin

-once pureed, season to taste with salt and pepper

-simmer until warm and serve garnished with parsley

copyright (c) Pies and Aprons March 2012



Hey! That's soup-er!

It has been a mild winter here thus far, but the chill is starting to set in,
and that puts me in the mood for big pots of soup bubbling away on the stovetop.
I fondly recall the taste of creamy bean and salty ham in the soup that my dad would cook in big batches. His would always have waaaaaaay more ham than bean, and was so packed with stuff that it was really more of a stew than a soup. We would eat it for days, then freeze the rest for a snowy Sunday night.
For this go 'round, I tweaked my dad's version to include some carrots and celery (a girl has to have her vegetables)  and a little more broth.

Hearty Ham and Bean Soup

2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup cubed carrots (about 2-3 carrots, depending on size)
15oz can of white beans (I use navy beans)
2 cups cooked, cubed ham
32oz. vegetable broth (you could use chicken broth instead)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

-in a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium low
-add the diced onion and saute for 2 minutes
-add butter and saute for 2 more minutes
-add celery and carrots, and saute additional 5 minutes, stirring often
-transfer veggie mix to a small stockpot
-add vegetable broth, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
-bring to a boil
-reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes
-add beans and ham
-simmer for an additional 30 minutes, up to 2 hours
-serve with crusty bread and plenty of butter (and maybe a glass of red wine:) (or two)

Warm Bacon Salad

Bacon has seemed to reach the state of  idolatry with a large part of the population.

It is good stuff, and I really love it in this main dish salad.

I do, however, draw the line at the all you can eat bacon night at our local bar.

Moderation, people. Moderation.

A new find at Trader Joe's.

16 oz of frozen, cleaned, and sliced leeks. $1.49.

Brilliant.

My steps and badly lit photos follow.

(Yes, I was really cooking this for our dinner, AND it was evening, AND the light was bad. So authentic.)

Recipe is at the end of the post!

These frozen leeks do cook a bit differently,

and the texture is not as great as fresh,

 but I'll use them in a pinch for sure.

Have some bowls of fresh spinach

(yeah-no substituting frozen in this case)

ready to top with all of the delicious morsels.

Voila! Super, super easy and oh so yummy.

Bacon. I bow down to you.

Warm Bacon Salad

for 2 main dish servings 

6 slices bacon

2 large red potatoes, washed and cubed

1 T butter

1 T bacon grease

6 oz leeks, sliced

6 oz fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

2 cups fresh spinach

-cook bacon until crispy, drain, and set aside, reserving 1 T bacon grease

-boil diced potatoes until just tender, drain, and set aside

-heat butter and bacon grease in large saucepan

-add leeks and saute for 5 minutes

-add mushrooms, saute another 10 minutes

-chop cooked bacon into small pieces

-add cooked potatoes and bacon pieces to mixture

-saute until everything is tender and warm

-spoon over bowls of fresh spinach

-toss with freshly ground pepper and serve!

Dagwood had it right.

Sandwiches are glorious.
Slice it, stack it, pile it on a bun, and I'm happy.

This sandwich has been top on my list for a couple of months.

Now I've gone and made this one,
and it might just take over the crown for a bit.

 Prosciutto, Pear and Brie Sandwich

for each sandwich you will need:
5-6" section of baguette, sliced in half
smear of butter
3 slices of prosciutto
1/4 ripe pear (I left the skin on because I used organic pears, and I like the skin on...and I like thicker slices,but however you roll with your own pear technique is all right by me)
2-3 thick slices of triple cream brie
a pile of fresh spinach leaves

-smear the outsides of the bread slices with butter

-heat slices in a skillet over medium heat, until butter is melted and bread is lightly toasted

-flip slices over briefly to warm the other side of the bread

-pile on proscuitto, pear slices, brie and spinach,

then give it a quick grind of fresh pepper on top

Lunch is served!

Or dinner.

Or a midnight snack, a la Dagwood!

Friday is PIE DAY! Part 2

Finally! The promised savory pie post from my budget mix baking day on Friday.

Onion and Artichoke Pie

For the crust:

2 cups MaryJanes organic budget mix
6 T cold butter, cut into chunks
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 T water

-in medium bowl, cut butter into budget mix until crumbly
(you still want pea sized chunks of the butter in there)
-mix in egg and milk
-add water slowly, until dough holds together
-knead dough with hands until it forms a ball
-wrap and chill for 20 minutes

For the filling:

2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 large onion, sliced thinly
8 oz frozen  (or canned) artichoke hearts, thawed and sliced
6 oz feta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 t kosher salt
1 t freshly ground pepper

-remove dough from refrigerator
-on lightly floured surface, roll 1/2 of dough to fit an 8" pie pan
-place in pan

-in large saute pan, heat the oil until just warm
-add sliced onions, stir to coat, then adjust heat to medium low
-cook onions for 10 minutes, then add butter
* when carmelizing onions, I like to start with oil, then add butter as the onions cook to help get them nice and golden and carmelized
-cook for an additional 20 minutes, stirring often, until golden
-add artichokes and salt and pepper
-cook additional 5 minutes
-stir in feta cheese
-spoon into prepared bottom crust
-top with another sprinkling of ground pepper
-cover with top crust and trim the edges
-crimp, seal and vent crust

I almost added some fresh spinach to the filling, but am glad that I held back. Keeping it simple really showcases the three strong flavors of artichoke, onion and feta, and the tender crust is the perfect vessel.

Spinach showed up in the form of a fresh and easy side salad served with our savory pie.

Happy Baking! This would be lovely for a Sunday dinner or weekend brunch!

Christine

Midwinter picnic

We're in the midst of a super chill here in Minnesota,
so anything to make me feel like summertime is welcome.
These yummy sandwiches made our lunch today feel a bit like a midwinter picnic.

Figs and prosciutto are always a lovely combination. The addition of sharp asiago and slightly bitter arugula makes for delightful layers of flavor with the salty and sweet. Yum, yum, yum and yum.

Fig jam and Prosciutto on Baguette

for each sandwich you will need......

a big hunk of baguette, sliced in half
2-3 T fig jam
3 slices prosciutto
4-5 thin slices of asiago cheese
a handful of arugula

-spread one half of the sliced baguette with the fig jam

-pile on the prosciutto and asiago

-top with arugula and other baguette half

-close your eyes, take a big bite, and dream of summer

Warm Barley Salad

My first version of this salad, 2 weekends ago, was good but not great. All the components were there, but it was kind of bland. It definitely had promise though, so I gave it a second go this past weekend. Mmmmmmm......this one turned out just right.

I do apologize for the one lame photo...took this of the first version in a rush to get it on the table for dining companions, then completely spaced taking any photos of the second version. (Also in a rush to get it on the table for dinner guests. I hate to make people wait for me to take photos, but I also hate not having good photos for you. It's a blogger's dilemma:)

Warm Barley Salad

3 sweet potatos, peeled and cut into wedges
3 pears, cored and cut into wedges (peels on!)
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pearled barley
1 cup fresh spinach
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
4 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
6-8 cloves roasted garlic, smashed
2 t salt
fresh ground pepper

-toss cut sweet potatoes in 1 T olive oil, then sprinkle with 1/2 t salt and pepper
-spread in single layer on baking sheet, and pop into preheated 350 degree oven
-toss pears in the same bowl, then add chopped rosemary, 1/2 t salt and pepper
-spread in single layer on baking sheet and pop that in the oven too
-bake these both for 20-25 minutes, until browning and tender
-in the meantime, bring water to boil in medium saucepan
-add barley, reduce heat to medium low
-simmer, stirring often, until liquid is absorbed and barley is tender
-in a small bowl, combine 3 T olive oil, vinegar, garlic and 1 t salt
-add pepper to taste
-pour over warm barley and stir to coat
-add spinach and toss all together
-spoon onto serving platter, then top with roasted sweet potatoes and pears
-serve warm or at room temperature

I served this with big bowls of soup and crusty bread for a hearty vegetarian meal. It could also be served as a substantial side dish for a meaty main. Substitute winter squash for the sweet potatoes, apples for the pears, or any kind of greens for the spinach.....the mix is up to you!

Super grilled cheese

Sandwiches are one of my favorite things to eat for lunch (or breakfast, or dinner, or a snack....).
Grilled cheese is classic and comforting. Sometimes, the straight up, loaded with cheddar grilled cheese is what hits the spot. More often, it's fun to experiment with add-ins, and this is my latest favorite. Treat yourself to one of these for an energy packed lunch during the last hectic week leading up to Christmas. I'm figuring that the presence of a fruit and a vegetable cancels out the bacon and cheese, right?

Grilled Apple Cheddar Bacon Sammich

for each sandwich:
2 slices whole grain bread
3 slices cooked bacon
1/4 apple, thinly sliced
sliced cheddar cheese
some fresh spinach leaves
1 T brown mustard
butter for bread

-butter one side of each slice of bread
-place one piece in pan, buttered side down, and spread the mustard on the other side
-layer with apple, bacon, spinach and cheddar
-top with other slice of bread
-grill on medium low heat until bread is nicely toasted and cheese is melty

Now you'll have plenty of spunk for finishing your shopping and baking cookies!

Spice Shortbread

Shortbread is so wonderful and versatile and easy. This simple spice shortbread is one of my favorites. It's an unassuming cookie that kind of knocks your socks off. A few of these, a mug of hot cocoa, and a good magazine, and I can endure any winter day.

Spice Shortbread

1 1/4 c flour
3 T brown sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
1/2 c butter, room temp

-combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
-cut in butter until mixture is in pea sized crumbs and holds together a bit
-using hands, form mixture into a ball and knead until smooth
*if you are not used to making shortbread, you may think that the dough is not right.
this recipe takes a bit of work and kneading to get everything to hold together.........
perservere for the cookie's sake!
-roll and pat (again-a bit of work!) into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick
-using a knife, cut into 1x3 inch strips
-mark top with fork
-transfer to a cookie sheet
-bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, until light brown
-cool on wire rack

Root, root, root for root vegetables.

I have previously proclaimed my undying love for beets, so I will spare you any more beet rhapsodies.
This salad, though, oh my goodness, made me swoon. At dinner, S finally gave me the look that said, "Ok, enough with the happy eating noises. I get it. You like this salad. I do too, but let's just enjoy it silently."

Beet and Carrot Salad
(or Carrot and Beet Salad)

1/2 lb cooked beets, peeled
1/2 lb raw carrots

2 T olive oil
1 t maple syrup
1 t brown mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

-cut carrots and beets into julienne strips
-place beets in medium bowl
-blanch carrots in boiling water for 5 minutes
-rinse carrots in cool water
-add to beets
-mix all dressing ingredients together
-pour over beets and carrots, mix to coat well
-chill and serve

Leftovers

There seem to be two camps when it comes to leftovers. Either you love 'em or you hate 'em.
Leftovers make me giddy. What could be more brilliant than having something ready to go in your fridge?
Or better yet.....something that inspires a whole new meal.

Leftovers from my roasted goodies last week (parsnips, potatoes and apples) turned into a
fantastic stew for our dinner last night. I started with some sauteed onion, added a cubed butternut squash, then dumped in the leftovers. A few spices, some veggie broth, and a low simmer completed the dish. Fabulous.

Root Vegetable Stew

2 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed

1 cup leftover roasted parsnips, potatoes and apples, diced

(or any combination of leftover or freshly roasted veggies!)

3 cups veggie (or chicken) broth

1 t coarse salt

1 t rubbed sage

1/2 t celery seed

freshly ground pepper

-saute onion in oil for 5 minutes

-add squash pieces and saute another 5 minutes

-add roasted veggies

-add broth and spices, bring to a quick boil

-simmer on low heat for 1 hour

-serve with crusty bread

(acutally, as I was eating it, I was wishing for some big homemade parmesan crusted croutons...next time!)

Parsnips

During our visit to Virginia, 

a friend asked me to remind her to ask me about parsnips.

Um, ok.

She wanted to know if one could roast parsnips.

Do zebras have stripes?

Heck ya, you can roast parsnips.

And you should.

So, we roasted parsnips at her house,

and they blew her mind.

She proclaimed that she would be eating parsnips every day from now on.

(But I won't hold her to that)

This was a good reminder to me,

when I got home,

that I should buy some,

and roast them, and eat them.

So, I did.

This is a reprise of the combo we made in Virginia.

Roasted Parsnips, Potatoes and Apples

4 large parsnips, peeled and sliced

2 cups potatoes, cut into large chunks

5 medium apples, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 t coarse salt

freshly ground pepper

-in large bowl, toss cut veggies and apples with olive oil

-spread in single layer on baking sheet

-roast at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, until nicely browned and tender

mmmmmmm......mmmmm...

Last night, I served this with grilled pork chops and fresh sauteed spinach.

Delightful!

p.s. I had some more photos, but my computer is having a wonky week, so I can't get them on here right now. You'll have to imagine a pan full of golden roasted goodies..........

Friday night dinner

Squash inspires me.
Half of a leftover squash was all my brain needed
to concoct this whole meal.
Delicious. Autumnal. Good for you.

Butternut Squash, Spicy Pumpkin Seeds and Swiss Chard
(Plus some grilled sausage, or not, if you're of the veggie persuasion:)

*This will be one of those recipes that's not really a recipe, just some hopefully helpful direction.
Always feel free to comment or e-mail with questions.

For the pumpkins seeds, just toss a cup full (fresh out of your Halloween pumpkin or from the store)
with 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 T olive oil.

Roast them in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes until crispy and popping.

I just cubed some leftover squash, tossed it on a baking sheet and warmed it in the oven.
Look here for roasting vegetable directions, which is what you could do if you're starting with an uncooked squash.....

For the greens, I heated 2 T olive oil in a cast iron pan, tossed in a large pinch of kosher salt and then layered a large bunch of swiss chard in there. I kept it over medium heat, tossing once in a awhile, until the greens were soft. Then I added a big splash of red wine vinegar, and cooked it for another 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste to finish it off and you're set!

Just lay a bed of greens on the plate, spoon some squash over it, and finish with a big handful of spicy pumpkin seeds. yum!

Sweet Corn meets the grill.

It has come to my attention that not everyone knows how to grill corn on the cob. Or, for that matter, is even aware that you can grill sweet corn. It really isn't all that surprising, but it does need to be remedied immediately. It is super duper easy and soooooo yummy.

First, remove a few of the outer layers of the husk. This makes me think that Cornhuskers is a very odd name for a sports organization. It doesn't sound very tough, does it? Anyway......after you've removed a few, carefully peel back the rest of the husk, making sure to keep it connected to the bottom of the cob. Then, remove the silk. I have had quite a few discussions lately about the best way to accomplish this, but there really doesn't seem to be a foolproof or easy method. If you have one, please share. Otherwise, just do the best you can.

Once the cob is de-silked (that is definitely a technical term), return the peeled back husks to their original position around the cob.

Some people like to soak the corn in water for an hour or so before grilling. Usually, I don't plan that far ahead, so I just chuck them on the grill as is. It has always seemed to work out just fine. Place the cobs right over some hot coals or flame, and turn about every 8-10 minutes. I have also run across cooks who like to pre-butter and salt inside the husk while the corn is grilling. I've never actually tried this, but I should.

It will take about 1/2 hour to get the cobs cooked all the way through. You can peek inside carefully to see if the kernels are looking done. Once they are off the grill, and have cooled a bit (or with oven mitts on, but that could be tricky), peel back the husk.

If you'd like, snip off a piece of husk and tie it around the others like a ribbon. This looks adorable and gives you a handy holder for eating your corn!

cool summer snack

Here's another quick and lovely summer bite from my current no kitchen kitchen.

Many of you may already know of this combination,

but if you haven't tried it, give it a go.

Simply start with pieces of fresh, ripe cantaloupe.

Nestle a leaf or two of basil on top,

and wrap it up in a slice of prosciutto.

yummy, salty, sweet, summer goodness.

I made big fat slices of this for a cold dinner over the weekend,

and was afraid that S might proclaim, "This is dinner?".

He loved it. I love him. Happy ending.

p.s. These were from a leftover piece that I sliced up for a lunch first course for myself today.

Bean, corn and veggie salad

Ease and creativity are key right now for meal planning in our home. After a couple of weeks of frustration, I can once again picture the end result of our kitchen renovation. This doesn't necessarily mean it's close, but we've reached the milestone of taping and sanding. Walls again. Within those walls, however, is a big empty space. The fridge is still in the dining room, and the stove is now parked on the back deck.

I would just as soon order take out every night, but my pocketbook and my waistline would probably disagree at some point......so, I'm getting very creative with cold ingredients (raw food eaters, I don't know how you do it all the time!) and the grill.

Salads full of farmers market veggies have become a staple. This one made use of some lingering odds and ends in the fridge, and some canned beans. Super easy, but full of great protein, fiber and lots of other stuff that is makes your body groove.

Bean, corn and veggie salad
makes about 4 servings

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 ear of corn, kernels cut and blanched (I cooked them in the microwave for 2 minutes)
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
(I used my hand mandoline, which I love, love, love!)
2 T fresh parsley
3 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

-throw all of the prepped ingredients into a big bowl and toss well!
-see, easy. and yummy. and good for you.

We ate it with fresh guacomole, corn chips and sliced cheddar. Pulled pork or grilled chicken would make an excellent main if you wanted to use this as a side salad.

no kitchen lentil salad

I'm going to post this at the risk of venturing into "almost homemade" territory. With no kitchen, high temps and dewpoints, and a super busy schedule, I need all the help I can get. My grocery shopping and meal prep right now is based on what needs the fewest dishes and no stove. (Farmers market twice a week and lots of raw veggies!) Breezing through SuperTarget the other day, I noticed these ready made bean, grain and lentil pouches. This same company makes some relatively tasty Indian fare, and uses no yucky stuff in it's products. After silently dealing with the fact that I was buying something called "Lentil Magic", I tossed one in the cart.

This is actually surprisingly good for a packaged product, but  (if you still have a kitchen) you could also make your own lentils for this salad. Just cook some up (about 2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked), then saute with half an onion, a couple of minced garlic cloves,  2 T cumin and  1 T coriander (adjusting for desired spiciness). Let cool.

No Kitchen Lentil Salad

1 package "Lentil Magic" (egad)
or your own prepared lentils......
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 T olive oil
2 T fresh lime juice
1 1/2 cups chopped romaine hearts

-pour prepared lentils into a bowl
-add chopped veggies, olive oil and lime juice
-toss to combine

We ate this as a main dish cold salad last night, with a hunk of whole grain bread and butter.
This would also make a super side dish for your grilled goodies.

these pancakes might actually be good for you.

For the past 3 months or so, I have been suffering from a bad case of pancake mania. It just seems that I can't get enough pancakes. I mean, I'm not eating them three meals a day or anything, but every weekend I've got to have some pancakes (ok, maybe a weekday thrown in there too). I do have a friend who ate pancakes every night for dinner for 2 years or so. Now she's switched to popcorn. Weird, I know. I could never live like that. I need more variety......but, I digress. Back to pancakes.

Some people have their favorites when it comes to pancakes, but I do not discriminate. I like them all-puffy, flat, sweet, savory, blue, yellow, fruit filled, nut studded. Yup, all of them. Every kind has it's own merits.

These pancakes, however, have been my pancakes of choice for the past few weekends. They seem to be a great combination of whole grain heft (read: good for you!), a bit of puff and a bit of sweet.

Whole Grain Pancakes

1 cup flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 T cornmeal
1 T wheat bran
1 t baking powder
dash of salt
1egg
1 2/3 cup milk
3 T honey
1 t vanilla

-combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix lightly

-add remaining (wet) ingredients to bowl
-mix lightly with a fork until it is combined, but still a bit lumpy
-pour 1/4 cup circles onto heated griddle or pan
-cook until set and light brown on one side, then flip and repeat!
-slather with lots of butter (ok-so much for the good for you part) and syrup

Up until this weekend, I've just cooked these straight up. Yesterday, I tossed in some raspberries fresh from the farmers market-oh yeah. These pancakes are forgiving, so you can experiment a bit and hit on your perfect combo. Sometimes I add more whole wheat flour, or a touch of cinnamon, or some plain yogurt instead of all the milk. Oh-pecans would be good too. Next weekend.