Lentil (or Any Luscious Legume) Soup

In the Midwest there is no such thing as an endless summer. Each year in mid-September the night time temperatures start to drop into the low 50's and as the month progresses the days begin to get chilly as well. It's sad to see summer go, but it's also strangely refreshing to witness the change of seasons. The sunshine seems to look golden, the air is crisp, and the changing leaves give the eye a break from the dried out colors of August.  In the hot weather, we eat a lot of salads at our house.  When it starts to get cool, everyone wants soup. This soup is so easy; no sauteing necessary - just throw everything into a soup pot and simmer until it's done. This recipe works with any legume but our favorites are brown lentils and dried split peas. Serve with some crusty bread and a small salad.

Ingredients:
16 oz. legumes: lentils, peas, or dried beans
8 cups chicken broth
1 (8 oz.) package cubed ham
1/2 cup water
2 medium carrots
2 medium celery stalks
1 medium onion
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme

Directions:

Peel and slice the carrots, dice the celery, and peel and dice the onion.

Put the carrots, celery, onions, bay leaf, thyme, broth, and water into a soup pan.

Rinse, drain, and pick out anything that isn't whatever legume you have decided on.and add them to the pot. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to medium low.  Cook until the legume of choice is tender. It will be about 40 minutes if you are using brown lentils. If you are using split peas or dried mixed beans (the beans have to be soaked over night), it will take one hour and 15 minutes. For lentils like the red ones or Belugas, the time will be much shorter, about 20 minutes.  Stir every so often, making sure it is not burning on the bottom.  Add  a bit more water if it gets too thick before legumes have a chance to get tender.  Ladle into bowls.

Special Summer Salad

As it gets closer to Labor Day, I find myself trying hard to hang onto summer. The salad in this post is a copy of one I had in Michigan on a perfect July day.  Our family cottage is in Northwest Michigan which besides being the "Cherry Capital of the World", happens to be a good climate to grow grapes. We discovered a great place to rent bikes and a wonderful bike trail that had several wineries along it.  Caroline and Adam were visiting for a few days, and our day of biking and viewing wineries was one of the best activities we did during their stay. Before we left the bike shop, the clerk pointed out a few must see wineries on the map and we stopped at one for lunch. We were starved and everything was so delicious - especially the salad. The dressing was made with verjus which is the juice of tart green grapes. I loved it so much, I bought a bottle of it at the winery and it could be bought on line, but champagne vinegar would probably be a good substitute for it. The dressing also included finely diced preserved lemons. I  bought those at a middle eastern grocery but lemon zest could be used instead.  The baked ricotta and hazelnuts really add a lot to the salad and the dressing wraps it all up in a bunch of lemony yumminess - Enjoy!

Ingredients for Four Salads

1 (5 oz. bags of spring mix salad)

1 1/3 cups sliced strawberries

1/4 cup dried blueberries

1/4 cup plus hazelnuts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 tablespoon good extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon or 1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup verjus or champagne vinegar

1 small clove garlic, put through a press

scant 1/4 teaspoon salt

scant 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper plus a little more for sprinkling

Directions for the Salad

Mix the ricotta cheese with the lemon zest. Brush the inside of a small baking dish with a bit of the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the ricotta mixture in the dish evenly. Drizzle the rest of the 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. If the top isn't browned, place it under the broiler for two minutes, watching carefully so it browns by doesn't burn. 

Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium low heat. Add the hazelnuts and stir for a minute or two until they begin to brown.  Watch carefully so they don't burn. When they have browned, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. 

Whisk together the verjus (or vinegar), olive oil, pressed garlic, preserved lemon (or zest), salt, and pepper. Set aside. 

To assemble the salad divide the spring mix between four plates. Put 1/3 cup of the sliced strawberries on each plate.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried blueberries and 1 tablespoon hazelnuts on each serving. Cut the baked ricotta cheese into cubes and place 1/4 cup of the cubes on each plate. Give the verjus dressing a good whisk and drizzle 2 tablespoons of it over each salad.

Sprinkle a bit of fresh ground pepper over each plate to finish the salad off.

Very Easy (and Yummy) Shrimp Tacos

It doesn't get much easier ( or tastier) than this!  I have found that "cheating" by using frozen precooked shrimp allows me to whip up a meal in about 15 minutes.  The shrimp tacos here are so quick to make but they are so yummy.  They came about one dinner time when the only protein I had in the house was a bag of frozen shrimp. I was lucky enough to have an avocado and a lime as well as a tomato.  I had just gotten back from California after visiting Jenn and I was dreaming of the shrimp ceviche we had eaten out of a paper cup in one of the many fish taco joints near her apartment. The shrimp mixture in these tacos tastes a lot like that; the lime makes the precooked shrimp tastes fresh. With the addition of a corn tortilla, avocado, and tomato - it's a winner!

Ingredients for Eight Shrimp Tacos

1 pound precooked large frozen shrimp

2 to 3 tomatoes

3 green onions

2 limes (enough  for 3 tablespoons juice and garnish)

1 avocado

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
16 (six inch) corn tortillas

Directions

Put the shrimp in a bowl of cold water to thaw while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients. Peel the avocado, discard the seed, and dice it into chunks. Chop the tomatoes. Slice only the stems of the green onions.  Then drain the shrimp and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp, avocado, tomatoes, and green onions into a mixing bowl.

Peel the garlic clove and put it through a garlic press. Juice one of the limes so there is three tablespoons of juice.  In a small bowl, whisk together the pressed garlic, olive oil, lime juice, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Pour the mixture over the ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Gently toss. Warm the corn tortillas up by wrapping them in paper towels and microwaving them for 30 seconds. Or, wrap them in foil and heat them in a 350 oven for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Assemble by using two corn tortillas per serving. Put 1/4 cup of the shredded lettuce on each double tortilla and divide the shrimp mixture up evenly among them. Serve with lime slices.

Farmers Market Feast

I love farmer's markets. They are a fairly new experience for me because for years, I was too exhausted from work and running the girls around all week to go anywhere on a  Saturday morning. I do have memories of going to them as a kid; my mom would buy lots of fruit and vegetables that were in wooden woven pint containers and little bushel baskets. When we got home, she would let us husk the corn outside. Then we would pretend we were Rumpelstiltskin making gold by turning out bikes upside down and running the corn silk through the spinning wheels. Although I never showed my girls that fun little activity, they discovered farmer's markets on their own.  When Jenn was living close by, she took me to one by her house and I remembered how wonderful they are.  This summer I have been inspired by the beautiful vegetable salads I've been seeing in the foodie magazines. And, when I get the chance to go out to lunch, I've been so impressed by how eating one's vegetables seems to be back in style; it's so trendy now to like corn and beets!   The last salad is just fresh tomatoes and basil with a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette.  It's so easy to eat healthy in the summertime. Grab a fork; enjoy the feast! 

Corn, Bean, and Tomato Salad

Ingredients for Four Servings:

3 ears of corn on the cob
1 pound fresh green beans
2 large tomatoes
3 green onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Either use left over corn on the cob or cook the corn by husking it, brushing off the corn silk, and dropping it in boiling water for seven minutes.  When it is cooled, stand the cob upright and use a sharp knife to cut off the kernels. It's alright to have some kernels that stay together in big "patches".
Snap the ends off the beans, rinse them, and place in a sauce pan.  Cover them with water, bring it up to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for just barely five minutes. They should be tender but not mushy. Drain them and set aside.
Wash, core, and chop the tomatoes.
Wash, cut the little end roots off, and slice the green onions.
Place the corn, beans, tomatoes, and green onions in a bowl.
Whisk the vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper together.  Pour over the vegetables in the bowl and gently toss.

Lemon Dill Beet Salad

Ingredients for Four Servings

6 medium sized fresh beets

1 yellow bell pepper

Salt and Pepper to shake

1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped

1/2  tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon* or 1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

6 tablespoons olive oil

Some really good olive oil for drizzling

Scant teaspoon of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup Greek yogurt or labneh*

*There is a little Middle Eastern grocery store near my house where I can buy jarred preserved lemon and labneh. The labneh is just really thick yogurt - I've been buying it for years - it's great for dips and sauces for Mediterranean food.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the beets and cut off the tops to get rid of the stems. Place the beets in a foil "packet" and drizzle them with olive oil. Shake a little salt and pepper on them and seal them up. Wash and core the yellow pepper, cutting it into four quarters. Place the yellow pepper in another foil packet and drizzle it with olive oil.  Shake some salt and pepper on it and seal it up.  Place both packets in the preheated oven and let them cook for an hour.  Let them cool. Peel or cut the skin off of the beets and cut them into slices. Cut the pepper into strips.
Arrange the beets and pepper slices on a serving platter.
Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and preserved lemon or zest.
Pour over the beets and peppers.
Sprinkle the cut up dill over the vegetables.
Drizzle with just a bit more olive oil.
Sprinkle the kosher salt and fresh ground pepper on top.
Place two tablespoons of the yogurt on each serving.

Tomato Basil Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients for Four Servings

Four good sized fresh, ripe tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, washed

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons  balsamic vinegar

1 small glove garlic, put througha  press

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 pinch pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Wash, core, and slice the tomatoes.  Gently toss with the fresh basil and put in a serving bowl or platter.  Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pinch of pepper. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and basil and sprinkle with the kosher salt and pepper.

Meatballs for the Summertime

     The other day, even though it was hot and muggy, I found myself craving meatballs.  I usually think of meatballs as a cold weather comfort type food, so I changed one of my favorite recipes up a bit to make it leaner, lighter, and more of a warm weather dish.  I used the Spanish style meatballs from an earlier blog post, grilled them, and served sauce and all on top of spaghetti squash instead of pasta. No wheat involved since the meatball mix doesn't contain bread crumbs but is held together with an egg and some Parmesan cheese.  I packed up the meatballs, sauce, and spaghetti squash and took it down to Allison's.  She is still teaching exercise classes for the university over the summer, and after being a participant in two of her classes - she and I were ready for those meatballs! They really hit the spot, her roommates loved them as well.

Ingredients for 16 Walnut Sized Meatballs and Fresh Tomato Sauce

Meatballs:

1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 green onions, little roots cut off and thinly sliced
1 egg
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
16 green pimento stuffed olives

Sauce:

3 to 4 large tomatoes

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 good sized spaghetti squash

A little extra fresh rosemary to garnish

Directions:

Since the squash takes 45 minutes to bake, start to prepare it first. Cut one large spaghetti squash lengthwise in half. Scoop out the sides and the darker stringy stuff.  Put a couple of inches of water into a baking dish and place the squash halves skin side up into the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven.  With a fork, remove the strands of squash from the skin by running the fork from top to bottom of the squash.

While the squash is baking, dice the tomatoes. Heat the olive oil up in a pan over medium heat. Place the tomatoes, rosemary, wine, salt and pepper in the pan.  Turn the heat up and bring it up to a boil.  Turn the heat down to low and allow the mixture to simmer while you assemble and cook the meatballs - at least 15 minutes.

Now whisk the egg up in a large bowl. Add the meat, cheese, green onion, garlic powder, and thyme.  As you are forming the meat mixture into walnut sized balls, tuck an olive into the center of each one.  

Either bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or grill on medium low heat about 5 minutes per side. I use a nice little grill sheet that is meant for small foods so that the meatballs don't fall between the slats of the grill.  

Assemble by dividing up the spaghetti squash among four plates. Put four meatballs on each plate. Evenly portion out the sauce and spoon it over the meatballs on each serving. Garnish with a bit of rosemary.

Grilled Asian Chicken Salad and Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Nancy on the left, Kim on the right

One of the things I really enjoy is volunteering for an organization called Assistance League®.  It supports several different philanthropic programs; the largest one provides under-served children with new clothing and school & hygiene supplies. It is totally funded by grants and donations and $0.82 out of every dollar raised goes to the people it serves.  Besides working directly in the programs, I also help with public relations.  Although there are several people on the photography committee, three of us which seem to take the lion's share of the photos. Kim, Nancy, and I strive to do the best we can, but honestly, they are the "A Team" and I'm second string. They let me tag along with them and we have had some pretty hilarious times together. Once we had to choose fabric backdrop for some formal shots. The resulting shenanigans of me holding it up, Kim trying to capture the color on camera, and Nancy photo bombing the scene, had me laughing so hard, tears were actually streaming down my face. Kim is a fabulous cook and she specializes in Vietnamese dishes.  Last spring the three of us were photographing a huge event, and she brought us delicious banh mi and goi cuon since we were not going to be able to take time out for dinner.  If that wasn't enough, she also gave us small French presses and chicory coffee to make Vietnamese iced coffee which is absolutely scrumptious.  The French press and chicory coffee can be purchased on Amazon, and I included the directions for making it in this post - but strong coffee or a shot of espresso could be substituted for them.  Until I can get Kim to do a guest post, I have been getting my Asian food fix with the recipe included here for grilled chicken.  I served it to Allison and her friends last week on top of a salad with peanut sauce and Asian dressing and they just loved it.   

Directions for Vietnamese Iced Coffee

1.  Gather together the French press, 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, 1 heaping tablespoon chicory coffee, 1 empty iced tea type glass, 1 iced tea glass filled with ice, and an iced tea spoon. 

2.  Put 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed mild in empty glass. 

3. Take the top off the french press and unscrew and lift off the press attachment. Put the heaping tablespoon of coffee in the bottom of the press.

 

4. Replace the press attachment and screw it back down, but not too tightly.

5.  Place the metal saucer on top of the glass with the sweetened condensed milk in it. Place the french press on top of that. Pour boiling water up to the rim and put the top on.

6. Let all the water drip through the press.

7.  Use the iced tea spoon to mix the coffee and sweetened condensed milk together.

8. When it is all combined, pour it over the ice in the other glass.

Asian Grilled Chicken

Ingredients and Directions:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Mix together soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, and sesame oil and marinate the chicken breasts in the mixture for about 20 minutes at room room temperature. (If longer, put in the refrigerator.)  Grill over medium low heat, about 10 minutes per side.  Let sit at least 5 minutes before slicing on the bias to place on salad.

Salad Ingredients and Dressing for Four:

1 head napa cabbage

1 cup match stick sliced carrots

1 medium sized cucumber sliced thin

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup match stick sliced jicama

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

Ingredients for Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon honey

Toss the salad ingredients together in a bowl.  Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour just enough of it over the salad to lightly coat.

Peanut-Sesame Sauce - from The Working Mother Cookbook

1 clove garlic, put through a press

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons reduced sodium sou sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1/2 cup very hot water

Blend or food process all the ingredients together.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Asado Argentino

A couple of weeks ago we were thrilled when our friends from Argentina, Lucas and Sergio, were able to visit and give us the gift of an Argentine cookout.  They were here in the United States to present a paper at a symposium in Chicago, so when the conference was over they journeyed just a bit more to visit us.  Lucas and Sergio grill out just about every weekend when the weather is good; it's an Argentine tradition.  Roy, Allison, and I took them to a huge carniceria or meat market.  The grill guys were excited to find cuts of meat similar to what they were used to back in Buenos Aires and we bought 20 pounds. When we got back home, Sergio started to prepare the fire with Lucas as his assistant.  No gas grills for these two! Sergio used straw and crumpled up newspaper to get logs going, which in turn got the charcoal to just the right temperature.  The rule here is low and slow with the thinner cuts of meat getting done first. I can't show you one photo of a beautiful plate with all the dishes we sampled because the food eaten at an asado is served in stages as it gets done. The first course is usually grilled provoleta or provolone cheese served with bread and olives. Next comes the first meat to be done, chorizo sausages, which are served with chimichurri sauce. I love chimichurri with steak, but Argentines usually serve this cilantro/parsley mixture with the sausage. The rest of the meat is served as it gets done along with ensalada Rusa, a potato salad with peas and carrots, and grilled vegetables. We also had grilled (I used the gas grill for these - gasp!) peppers with an egg cooked inside them. Often a simple salad of lettuce, carrots, onion, and maybe tomatoes is sometimes also served.  Lucas and Sergio like just a squeeze of lemon for salad dressing. We loved this relaxed style of eating and entertaining; it's conducive to great conversations and strengthening of friendships.  Thank you Sergio and Lucas for sharing this with us!

The Meat

The only seasoning Lucas and Sergio used was a bit of coarse salt. They explained the cuts of meat to me as costilla de vaca y puerco (beef and pork ribs), lomo de cerdo (pork loin), chorizo de puerco (pork sausage), and diezmillo (thin chuck steak). Sergio used our two portable fire pits and a shovel to keep moving the charcoal around so he could get the fire at just the right temperature. Sergio said he had taken an active part in asados since he was 16 - even before he could drive!  For the men in Argentina, tending to the cooking of the meat in an asado is truly an art! The chorizo and the thin chuck steak were done first.  Next came the pork and beef ribs. Finally the pork loin was done.

Chimichurri

1 cup fresh cilantro

1 cup fresh parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup diced red onion

4 garlic cloves, put through press

2 to 4 small Serrano peppers (depends on how much kick desired)

2 tablespoon diced red bell pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Seed and finely dice the peppers and set aside.  Put the cilantro and the parsley in a food processor.  Add the vinegar and olive oil and blend just until the herbs are roughly chopped. Avoid turning them into mush.  Transfer the herb mixture to a bowl and stir in the pressed garlic, diced Serrano, diced red bell pepper, and the oregano.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Marinated Olives

1 (15 oz.) can of whole pitted black olives

1 (10 oz.) jar of whole green olives stuffed with pimiento

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar is a substitute)

2 garlic cloves put through a press

2 teaspoons dried rosemary (or a couple sprigs of fresh)

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Gently combine all the ingredients together.  Serve at room temperature but store in refrigerator.

Grilled Provolone Cheese

1 large, thick sliced piece of aged provolone cheese

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano or a spring of fresh herbs

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

loaf or baguette of good bread

Wrap the bread in foil. Brush both sides of the cheese with the olive oil.  Rub in the herbs and red pepper flakes (I did not use the red pepper flakes) or lay the fresh herbs on top. Place in a oven safe dish and heat on the covered grill five minutes or until melted and spreadable. Heat the foil wrapped bread on the grill at the same time. (I used some aged provolone cheese that was sliced over an inch thick. Initially, I threw it right on the grill because I was hoping for grill marks.  I did get some indentations, but had to pull the cheese off and put it in a foil pie pan because I could see it was just going to melt through the slats.) Everyone loved this and I ended up grilling three hunks of cheese.

ensalada Rusa

4 medium russet potatoes

1 (10 oz.) package of frozen peas

4 medium sized carrots

3 to 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Open the package of frozen peas and pour them out in a bowl.  Set them aside, they will thaw during the rest of the preparation time.  Peel the potatoes and cut each into 4 to 6 chunks for cooking. Place in a pot and cover with water.  Cook over high heat until boiling, then reduce the heat and cook for about 5 minutes more or until a fork can pierce them easily. They need to be soft but not mushy.  When they are done, drain them and run very cold water over them to stop the cooking process and cool them down. Cut them into smaller, bite sized squares and place them in the bowl with the peas. Peel the carrots and slice them.  Put them in a pan and cover with water.  Cook over high heat until boiling, then reduce the heat and cook for about 5 more minutes or until a fork can pierce each carrot piece easily. Drain them and run cold water over them as well, then transfer them to the potato/pea bowl. Sprinkle the vinegar, salt, and pepper over the vegetables.  Gently mix in just enough of the mayonnaise to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Grilled Vegetables

1 medium eggplant

1 medium zucchini

1 medium yellow summer squash

1 large red onion

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper for sprinkling

good balsamic vinegar for drizzling

Cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and red onion into 1/2 inch slices.  Core and seed the peppers and cut them in half.  Brush both sides of all the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill over medium heat, 5 minutes per side. Cut the peppers into smaller pieces. Place on a serving platter and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Eggs in Grilled Peppers

1 bell pepper for every two people

1 egg for every bell pepper half

olive oil

garlic, put through a press, about 1 clove for 4 pepper halves

1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese for each pepper half

Core, seed, and cut each pepper in half.  Brush both sides with olive oil.  Place cut side down on medium heated covered grill and cook for 5 minutes or until the pepper is softening.  Flip the peppers over and brush each inside with the pressed garlic.  Sprinkle each one with 1 tablespoon of mozzarella cheese.  Crack an egg into each one.  Cover the grill and cook about 5 more minutes or until the egg is set.  Later, Sergio told me the cheese is usually sprinkled on top as well.

Happy Grilling!