Lentil & Sausage Soup

Soup is pretty much perfection for dinner on cold, snowy nights. Like many other households, it is in heavy rotation in our weekly menu planning this time of year.

We don't really cook with lentils very often and when I came across this recipe I thought it would be an easy way to start incorporating them.  We first made this lentil soup while vacationing in Beynac-et-Cazenac France; it was ideal for vacation as there aren't too many ingredients required; all easy things easy to get at the local market or that are often on hand in a vacation rental property.  

This recipe is pretty forgiving. I use approximations every time I make it based on what I have on hand and it always turns out very yummy.  I have scaled it down as there are only two of us and this still gives us leftovers... this soup makes for very tasty leftovers!  I also kicked out the cumin which was overpowering- the flavor is wonderful without it.

Lentil Sausage Soup

Adapted from Ina Garten

1/2 pound French green lentils 
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 diced yellow onion
1 chopped leek, white and light green parts only 
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves  
2 celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 quarts chicken stock
1 can tomato paste
1/2 pound kielbasa, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced 1/3-inch thick
2 tablespoons dry red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions, leeks, salt, pepper, and thyme until the onion is translucent and tender. Add the garlic, celery and carrots and sauté for another 10 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste and then add the chicken stock and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

 Enjoy!

~ Tara

Tomato Bisque

Having cold weather move in makes me want to make soups, or chilis, or pork roasts.  Something about having the whole house smell really good from what you are cooking makes the thought of winter more bearable.  

I have loved tomato soup every since elementary when I discovered Campbell's tomato rice soup.  Nothing is better on a cold day than tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich- yummy. 

Lately I have been on a tomato bisque kick and decided that I needed to add this to my recipe rotation for when it is my turn to make dinner.  After a little research I found a few nice recipes that I thought would work, however each seemed to be missing something, so why not combine the best from each? 

If you like creamy soup with a nice depth of flavor this won't disappoint.  Even Tara loved it and she is not a fan of tomato soup.

Tomato Bisque

• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 2 Tbsp minced bacon (smoked is good)
• 1 white onion (rinsed)
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock
• 3 cups chicken broth (or 5 cups chicken broth total if no stock)
• 1 28oz can whole, peeled tomatoes, chopped
• 5 Parsley sprigs
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
• 1 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
• 1 tsp ground pepper (to taste)

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  When the butter starts to brown add the bacon and stir until the bacon is crisp.  Remove the bacon but leave the juice, a slotted spoon works well. 

Add the onion and carrots and cook covered for about 5 min.  Add the celery and garlic and cook for another 5-10 min,  depending on the size of your vegetables and making sure they are softened. 

Stir in the flour with the vegetables and cook for another 5 min.  In the meantime heat the broth in the microwave then add the hot broth into the pot, stirring constantly but gently.  Then add the can of tomatoes. 

Tie the parsley, bay leaf, and thyme together with kitchen twine and lower into the pot.  Lower the heat until you have a nice low simmer, let it simmer for 30 min or so.  Remove the tied parsley bunch, add the Cream (or Half and Half), and turn off the heat.

There are a few options to choose from depending on your mood and kitchen supplies.  If you have an immersion blender you can just blend the ingredients until you get a nice texture.  Or you'll have to wait until the soup mixture cools then in batches transfer into a blender, and blend.  Either way you go you'll have a slightly coarse texture.  If you want your soup smooth, strain the mixture and return to the pot.  Personally I like it coarse so I skipped straining. 

Serve top with the bacon and a dash of freshly ground pepper.

Enjoy!

-Dan

Peas & Potatoes with a Dash of Milk

Simplicitic and straightforward can ultimately be so pleasing.  While highly complex entrees have a place, more often than not I find myself craving dishes where the ingredients themselves shine.  Peas and baby potatoes is that kind of meal.

This meal takes me back to being a kid.  Growing up on a farm our dinners were comprised of what was in season and ready to be picked.  Early June brought peas and baby potatoes to the mix.  I will completely admit that when I was a kid, I made this dish because it was so easy thus I could quickly get back to more important things like reading a book under a tree. 

This recipe is one that it is filled with approximates.  The quantity can easily be adjusted for how many you are serving- just add more potatoes, peas, and liquids!  Fresh peas in season make a huge difference- peas in season from the garden show up frozen peas in a major way.  That said, a nice quality of frozen peas can make do.  I have been using white wine as it lends a nice addition to the flavor of the soup but it is easily left out or substituted with a broth.

Peas & Potato Soup

Makes approximately 4 servings

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound baby yukon gold potatoes (approximately 7-8), peeled and sliced
1-2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup white wine (or chicken or vegetable broth)
1 cup water
1 cup fresh peas (frozen will be an ok substitute)
1/2 to 1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 soft boiled eggs (optional)

In a large pot on medium heat, heat a drizzle of olive oil and add the garlic. Cook for about a minute until just fragrant but not brown. Add the sliced potatoes and the chopped parsley and stir. 

Next add the white wine and simmer to let the alcohol evaporate (you can just use chicken or vegetable broth). Cover with water, add the peas (if they are fresh, if frozen don't add them until the very end), and salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and let it simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender (If using frozen peas, add them now and cook just a minute or so until they are warm and bright colored). Drain about half of the water.  Add milk to cover and leave on the burn just until warm. Salt to taste and add black pepper.

Serve with sliced eggs if desired, a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsely, and a nice crusty slice of bread.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Comfort Food: Potato Soup

The creamy, subtle goodness that is potato soup can be a wonderfully comforting dinner for a brisk spring evening.

Potato soup is something that I grew up making and I still crave it every now and then.  While there are a few tricks (such as not getting distracted and letting the potatoes overcook or adding too much milk), it is a good dish when you are learning to cook and the many variation options help keep it from getting old.  You can add in different cheeses, sprinkle with bacon or brown ground beef, add sliced green onions, etc.  Just make sure you use a flavorful potato, I like yukon gold or baby red potatoes. 

Potato Soup

2 cups peeled, diced potatoes
1 small onion diced Or 2 leeks
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup half and half
1- 1/2 cups milk, approximate

1 egg
1/4 to 1/2 cup flour

In a medium sized stock pan lightly sautee the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon butter until it is nearly translucent and fragrant, stir in the thyme, salt, and pepper.  Add in the potatoes, stir.  Add enough water to cover the potatoes and bring to boil. 

In a small bowl stir the egg with a fork, gradually adding flour until the mixture is crumbly.  Cook the potatoes for approximately 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, adding the egg/flour mixture in scant teaspoon sized drops to the boiling water (these only take a minute to cook).

Drain out approximately half of the water.  Stir in enough half and half and milk to bring to the desired consistency, stir in the remaining butter.  If desired, you can use an immersion blender to make a smoother soup.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Comfort Food: Guinness Beef Stew

What do you do with Guinness after you've had two and don't want anymore?  Have friends over?  Make Beef Stew?!? Beer and Meat! How can a guy pass the marrying of these true "guy" flavors into a hearty dish?  

A stew is a great winter dinner; it will warm you up and with a few simple ingredients really fill you up as well. I found this recipe through some random web searching and that gave me a good starting point.  I decided to add a can of Stewed Tomatoes, this adds a little bit more substance to the meal without turning the stew into a gumbo of sorts.

Guinness Beef Stew

Adapted from: Food Network

• 2 pounds lean stewing beef
• 3 Tablespoons oil
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large onions, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons tomato puree, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
• 1-1/4 cups Guinness stout beer (a little more than one bottle, have two and keep the remaining for a beverage)
• 2 cups carrots, cut into chunks
• 14oz can of stewed tomatoes, drained
• Sprig of thyme

Preparation:

Trim the beef of any fat or gristle, cut into cubes of 1-2 inches and toss them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Season the flour with salt, ground pepper.  Toss the meat into the mixture, trying to fully coat, it helps to do two batches in two bags ziplock bags. 

Heat some oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the onions, crushed garlic, and tomato puree to the pan, cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes.  Being carful not to burn the garlic.

Transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole, and pour some of the Guinness beer into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the caramelized meat juices on the pan.

Pour onto the meat with the remaining Guinness; add the carrots and the thyme.  Stir, taste, and add a little more salt if necessary.

Cover with the lid of the casserole and simmer very gently until the meat is tender -- 2 to 3 hours. The stew may be cooked on top of the stove or in a low oven at 300 degrees F. Taste and correct the seasoning. Scatter with lots of chopped parsley.

I found that using a cast iron dutch oven worked really well as you can do everything in one pan, which guys like.  You could add some celery or red pepper if you wanted, just to give the dish some more nutrients.  Enjoy.

-Dan

Comfort Food: Winter Squash Soup

Happy new year!  2009 was a great food year for us and we are busy setting our foodie/kitchen goals for 2010.  Simply put, we hope to discover an abundance of delicious recipes to share.

We have been patiently waiting for January to get here to begin our very first series on this blog.  We are going to kick off a comfort food series to keep us all nourished through the winter season.  I have a weakness for comfort foods and am excited to share some of our favorites and try new ones as well.  We will aim for a new comfort food recipe once a week for the next two months.

The recipe for Winter Squash Soup has been bookmarked for ages and finally was able to secure it a spot on our weekly menu.  I am thrilled that Dan realized this past fall that squash is really quite appetizing.  It is wonderful to be able to include it within our meal planning.  And this recipe was just what we needed as the temperatures have plummetted, the evenings are dark, and the bustle of the holidays has left us ready for meals as simple yet complex as as creamy soup.

This soup was a fantastic recipe find.  It is cozy, mouthwatering, inexpensive to make, and simply very good.  There is a small list of ingredients and yet it makes a fairly large batch; this would be a great starting course for a winter dinner party for friends.  We froze half of it to save for a quick midweek meal later in the month.

Winter Squash Soup

Adapted from Epicurious
Serves 8

Soup

• 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
• 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 teaspoons sage

• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1 teaspoons sugar

Croutons

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 24 1/4-inch-thick baguette bread slices
• 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon sage

For soup:
Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes, sprinkle with a pinch of fresh cracked black pepper and kosher salt. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in half and half (original recipe is to use cream) and sugar; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

For croutons:
Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

Enjoy!

~ Tara