I made two variants of this dish over the past couple weeks, both were great, and both were impromptu. The first time I made this I had very little to work with, but when you gotta eat, you gotta eat. So I threw together what I had. A can of chickpeas, some pine nuts, some Parmesan cheese, and a few spices was all I used. Toast the chickpeas, toss with the ingredients and some lemon juice, salt, pepper, a dash of paprika, and olive oil. That’s it. Easy as pie. Actually, much easier than pie; Perhaps as easy as eating pie.

Simple Roast Chickpea Salad

About a week or so later I was in a similar situation except I had a shallot and couple tomatoes on hand. I diced those up, and did almost the same thing as before. This time I made a vinaigrette with the shallot and omitted the paprika.

Both versions are simple, quick, and easy to make, but I prefer the second version. The tomatoes add a bit of moisture and the shallot and vinaigrette add a bit more bite. It’s also quite healthy and, if you omit the Parm, vegetarian and vegan friendly! You can always make doughnuts if you want to clog your arteries.

A bit more complex than above, but it shouldn't take more time.

Toasted Chickpea Salad
Roasting the chickpeas is indeed optional, but it contributes a great nutty flavor. If you are short on time or don’t want to use your oven, you can skip that step.
Ingredients
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsps olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan
2 tbsps pine nuts
Variant 1
1 tsp paprika
Variant 2
1 small shallot, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar, (I like to use 2 tsps, but I like a vinegary mix)
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F. If using variant 2, whisk the minced shallot, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and mustard in a bowl.
2. Toss the chickpeas with about 2 tsp olive oil then place them on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes. Shake the pan every 10-15 minutes to prevent scorching. They will be done when browned and toasted.
3. Regardless of the variant, or your own changes, just toss everything else in a bowl with the chickpeas.

Tomato Soup

My deep dish pizza recipe already cribbed from Cook’s Illustrated, so why stop on Tuesday. This is their version of a creamy–creamless–tomato soup, and boy did they nail it. It’s a smooth, thick soup that puts the tomato flavor front and center. The thickness comes not from cream, but from torn pieces of bread that disintegrate into the soup and are then further blended into it. Not entirely unheard of, but still clever. All this makes for a delicious, but still low-fat and low-calorie soup.

A quick note though, this may be a tomato soup, but this is not vegetarian. Cook’s Illustrated uses chicken stock create a richness and depth to the soup. Vegetable stock would work to make this vegetarian and vegan friendly. The only thing that would be missing is the gelatin normally found in small amounts in real chicken stock. Go nuts though, there probably isn’t much gelatin in the store bought stuff anyway—just another good reason to make your own.

Tomato Soup

Creamy –creamless– Tomato Soup
From Cook’s Illustrated. [http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=16872]
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
3 med garlic cloves, minced
Pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
2 (28-oz) cans crushed tomatoes (muir glen organic with basil is my favorite)
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 large slices sandwich bread (get something good, tear off the crusts)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I don’t need to say it again, but homemade is best)
2 tbsps brandy (I don’t know why Cook’s Illustrated says it’s optional, it’s excellent)

Instructions
1. In a large pot over high heat, put in 2 tbsps olive oil. Add the onion and red pepper flakes, cook for 3 to 5 mins, stirring often, until the onion starts to get translucent. Add the garlic and bay leaf, cook for a minute more.
2. Add the tomatoes and their juice and mix well. Bring to a simmer. Tear the bread into chunks and stir it, and the sugar into the soup. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until bread starts to disintegrate, about 5 mins. Remove bay leaf.
3. Blend in batches with 1 tbsp oil and process until soup is smooth. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the chicken broth and the brandy. Taste, add salt if needed.
4. Serve with cracked black pepper.

This version is light, zesty, and flavorful–but just heavy and soupy enough to still make it a good contender for cold weather comfort food. (Though it could easily be a feature in a Spring picnic.) The key to making this chili is lots of peppers, at least three different kinds, in fact. A few cans of beans, and some shredded turkey breast later and you have what you can satisfactory call a turkey chili.

Turkey chili.

I particularly like this recipe because it provides a healthy and lighter alternative to to the heavy and often fatty stews often served during the cold weather. Those have their place, but sometimes it’s nice to know you managed to have a great meal and eat something healthful too.

This recipe is largely inspired by the Cooks Illustrated version of a white turkey chili. They keep things light colored instead of the ruddy browns in beef chilis. Their addition of lime juice brightens the dish and gives the impression of a much lighter meal that goes down really well scooped up on tortilla chips.

Ingredients
Small turkey breasts are sometimes difficult to find. Many are upwards of 6 to 8 pounds. Get the smallest you can find at your store. The recipe can be scaled if necessary.
1 small turkey breast (~3-4lbs), patted dry
1 tbsp veg oil
4 jalapeño chiles
4 poblano chiles, seeds removed, cut into chunks
3 anaheim chiles, seeds removed, cut into chunks
1 large onion, cut into chunks
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 cans (~15 oz ea.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (I like Progresso)
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (homemade is best)
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
4 scallions, sliced into thin rounds (from the white to the light green)

Directions
Step one can be omitted for time, but it creates a richer turkey flavor if you do it.
1. Over med-high, heat 1 tbsp veg oil in large, heavy bottomed pot. Once the oil is hot, add the turkey skin-side down and sear for 6-8 minutes. Rotate the turkey, and sear on another side for 6-8 minutes. Repeat until the turkey is well browned. Remove the pot from the heat, remove the turkey to a plate and discard the skin.
2. Working in batches in a food processor, process three of the jalapeños, the poblanos, anaheims, and the onion in 10-20 pulses (stop when it reaches the consistency of salsa).
3. Add the vegetables from step 2 to the now empty pot (leave the oil that was still in it from searing the turkey) along with the garlic, cumin, and coriander. Cook over medium to medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes.
4. After the vegetables soften, process about 1 cup of the vegetables with 1 cup of beans and 1 cup of broth (again, work in batches if you have a small processor) until well blended. Return the now smooth mixture to the pot with the remaining broth. Add the turkey breast (bone-side down) and cover the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 20-30 minutes (internal temp of turkey should be around 160 when cooked).
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and transfer the turkey to a plate. Add the remaining beans to the pot and cook until heated through, 5-10 minutes.
6. Mince remaining jalapeños–to make the chili hotter, keep the seeds.
7. Shred or chop the turkey (I did a bit of both) and add the turkey, jalapeños, lime juice, cilantro, and scallions to the pot. Stir to combine and taste for salt and pepper adjustments. Serve with tortilla chips.

Every year as the weather started getting colder, my mother would start boiling away vegetables in a large pot to make this soup. As I started to develop an interest in cooking, I tried to pay attention to what she was putting into the pot but I could never figure it out. Just when I thought I understood, I realized that the recipe was different than the previous ones! She seemed to say something about potatoes, leeks, and “n’importe quel légume frais”. This always baffled me. Not because I didn’t understand French (I did, she was saying “any fresh vegetables”), but because it seemed impossible to consistently make the same soup over again.

A potage soup.

Of course, her reply was that you wouldn’t want to make the same soup! I insisted that you could make a good recipe and remake it for yourself or guests if needed. “Oh, mais c’est toujours bon,” she would say, proclaiming it is always good.

If it was so seemingly straightforward, what was there to worry about? Honestly, I was afraid that I would end up with baby food. Isn’t that what you think of when you think of blended, boiled carrots? It seems that the French don’t automatically think that. Instead, they think that it would probably taste good in a soup. You know what? They are right. Again.

When I got over my fear of accidentally making baby food, I finally gave it a try. I forced my mother to give me some guide lines. There was a lot of “I don’t knows” and “Just try its” but after a lot of cursing and yelling in French, I was able to find some consistencies. My biggest tip is using leeks and potatoes. Root vegetables usually work spectacularly, but broccoli, cauliflower, and even spinach work well too. Myself, I am fond of adding lots of carrots.

Don’t let this limit you though, make any additions you want or increase any of the quantities. Change it up, try other combinations. Look at what is on sale in the store and try those. This can be a deliciously cheap soup.

Ingredients
Makes enough for six good servings. For extra richness, cream or creme fraiche can be added either at the table or in the last 30 seconds of heating (don’t boil it after the cream is added).
3 large carrots
3-4 leeks
3 big potatoes
1 onion
2 turnips
water
salt, pepper to taste

Directions
1. Wash and peel all the vegetables and cut into approx. 1 inch chunks.
2. Put them in a large pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. I season very lightly. Fill the pot with just enough water to come to the top of the vegetables. Heat on medium high and bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cover. Cook for 30-45 minutes, until the vegetables are all soft and tender.
4. Blend in batches using a stand blender to directly in the pot with a stick blender.

Because I thought it was ridiculous to only cook turkey once a year, I made a turkey a couple weeks ago.  I followed my previous method, and with an overnight brine the turkey was amazing.  And instead of taking the turkey carcass and throwing it in the trash, I dumped it in my stock pot.  Three hours later and I had delicious tasting turkey stock!  The next day I added a couple ingredients and voilà, a soup that was not only delicious, but it helped me turn some of my leftovers into a delicious hot dish.  So hopefully you will see this in time and save your leftover turkey.  With a little bit of effort you can get some extra mileage out of your bird.

Ingredients:
1 Turkey Carcass with some meat still on it (from a 12-14 pound turkey)
2 Cups Leftover Turkey Meat
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Medium Onions, Sliced
2 Large Carrots, Sliced (About 1 Cup)
2 Celery Ribs, Sliced (About 1 1/2 Cups)
1/2 Cup Dried Noodles (Or more if you like)
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley

Directions:
1. Break up the carcass, taking the wings off, and then ripping the ribs off of the backbone.  Put the wings, skin, and body into a stock pot.  Add cold water to cover everything by 3 inches.
2. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer uncovered for 3-4 hours, skimming off any froth as you go.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely uncovered (Do not cover until cooled because it can make the stock taste sour).  And then refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours).
4. Take the pot from the fridge and pull off any fat from the top (it will be hard).  Then heat the pot for about 15 minutes until hot, and then dump through a colander sitting in a pot.  Save the stock and discard the used up solids.  Season the stock with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Heat the olive oil in a 3-4 quart stock pot over medium high heat and add the carrots, onions, and celery.  Cook for about 15 minutes and then add the stock and simmer for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
6. Add the noodles and simmer until the noodles are soft, about 15 minutes.  Add the turkey and heat through.
7. Divvy the soup into bowls and add the parsley for garnish.  Enjoy!

Roast Butternut Squash.

Ingredients
1 winter squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti, etc.)
salt, pepper
olive oil
any herbs and spices or garlic (some suggestions below)

Directions
1. Cut the squash vertically in half so you have two hemispheres. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds in the center. I make 2 or 3 cuts along the flesh of the squash and slide in some thinly sliced garlic (optional).
2. Season with some salt, pepper, and any other herbs you like (thyme, sage, and rosemary are good). Drizzle on some olive oil, then place face down on a baking sheet.
3. Bake in a 375F oven for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of the squash). Check after 30 minutes. If a fork easily slides though the thickest part of the flesh, then it is done.

That’s it. You now have roast squash.

You can turn the squashes right-side up and roast 5-10 more minutes to brown the flesh a bit. This will make for a richer flavor, but I don’t always do it.

Scoop the flesh out and use in any recipe that calls for the squash. Or, if you are lazy (and I sometimes am), simply get a fork and eat the squash directly out of the cut half. (I even toss in a few nuts sometimes…)

Tabbouleh

I have seen almost as many variations on the spelling as I have with the quantity and types of ingredients used. You say tabouli, I say tabboulé. I’ll defer to Wikipedia and call it tabbouleh (even though it has three different spellings listed–tabbouleh, tabouleh, and tabouli). I tend to spell it tabboulé or taboulé, but that’s because I learned this recipe in France and spell it the French way.

This Mid-Eastern/Lebanese dish can be greatly varied and is a wonderful and easy dish to prepare for vegetarians (or vegans). Most tabbouleh recipes start with a central core group of ingredients: parsley, mint, tomato, onion, lemon juice, olive oil and various seasonings all mixed with a grain, usually bulgur or couscous. Recipes vary wildly as to the quantities of ingredients, showcasing some flavors and minimizing others. Some recipes seem to be mostly parsley while others have much more grain. This recipe, as you can tell by the photos, is the latter variety.

Tabbouleh

I have always favored this as a couscous based dish that can be served along side other mid-eastern style foods. The couscous helps give a base for the other flavors to mingle. Many parsley heavy recipes overwhelm the palate camouflaging other flavors. (I have had some delicious versions of both, so feel free to increase the amount of parsley and decrease the quantity of couscous to suit your liking.)

Ingredients
10 oz dry couscous
4 to 5 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 English cucumber, diced (these are the longer ones that are normally wrapped in plastic to prevent moisture loss)
1 red onion, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 lemons, juiced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch of parsley (flat-leaf), minced
1 small bunch of mint, minced
salt and pepper

Directions
1. Cook the couscous according to the directions on the packet and allow to cool to room temperature while dicing/mincing/preparing the rest of the ingredients.
2. Combine everything in a large bowl and mix well. Serve chilled or at room temperature. (The tomatoes can be added before serving.)

Tabbouleh

Lentil Salad.

But it didn’t quite feel right to transition directly to stews and roasts. I felt as if I needed some kind of segue. This lentil salad seemed particularly appropriate as an early-Fall dish because the shallot and Dijon mustard vinaigrette and little rounds of tomato keep this dish light and flavorful.

I prepared this as a vegetarian dish (vegan, actually), but you can cook some diced bacon to render the fat in the the pot first or add some cubed chicken or pork to the dish after mixing it together.

As a side note. I soaked these lentils before making the dish, but lentils cook well without soaking. Expect the cooking time to increase by 10-20 minutes.

Ingredients
1 lb lentils (French green lentils are preferred)
1 pint small tomatoes (cherry or grape tomatoes), cut into disks
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 onion, minced
vegetable or chicken stock/broth, or water
1 large bay leaf
several springs of thyme (6-8 sprigs)
salt and pepper

Instructions
- Soak lentils overnight (or about 5 hours) in water. Make sure the water covers the dry lentils by about two inches as the lentils will expand, absorbing liquid.
1. Heat a large pot over medium heat, then add the oil or butter. To this, add the minced onion and cook until translucent (5-8 minutes). Do not let the onion brown.
2. Drain the lentils and add them to the pot with the bay leaf and the thyme. Add enough liquid (vegetable or chicken stock, or water) to cover the beans by about an inch.
3. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add liquid as necessary to keep the beans covered. Taste the lentils after about 10 minutes. Depending on the age and quality of the lentils, they may finish cooking anywhere between 10-20 minutes. The lentils should hold their shape, but yield when eaten. There should not be a significant chew to them. Add salt and pepper to taste at the end of the cooking cycle.
4. Drain and allow to cool to room temperature.
5. Add the vinaigrette (see below for recipe) and tomatoes. Mix well. (I used about 3/4 of the pint of tomatoes.) Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Lentil Salad.

Vinaigrette Ingredients
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 large shallot, minced
fresh chives, about 2 tablespoons, minced

Vinaigrette Directions
Whisk everything together until combined.

When mixing things into a patty, the additions are generally obvious and fairly normal things you would see in one iteration of a burger or another. Things that make sense: Mixing two meats in a burger patty. Mixing toppings into the meat. Using non-beef meats (like chicken or turkey) for your patty.

Things that do not make sense: Mixing blueberries and beef together.

But it works.

Blueberry Burger

Adding other ingredients directly to the ground beef is not a new idea. I’ve seen things like onions, cheese, even bacon, added directly to the burger patty. But fruits? Blueberries? How on earth do I justify that? Fairly easily, it turns out.

I saw this idea flutter around the internet near the end of last year and thought I’d finally try it. Mixing blueberries and ground beef is an interesting concept, and not one which easily lends itself to reason. The two flavors are not necessarily complimentary or related, but the result is impressive. The logic behind this combination is not for flavor boosting, but for moisture control.

Boosting the moisture content of the meat allows you to use the leanest ground beef available without turning the burger into a dense hockey puck. Typically, burgers are made with 80/20 beef and it is the fat that keeps the burger juicy when cooked. I’ve made low fat burgers in the past and been disappointed by how dry they become. By using extra-lean beef and blueberries, you end up with a burger that is quite healthful.

The bottom right one has caramelized onions on it!

Blueberry Burgers
Makes 6 1/3-lb burgers.

Ingredients
2 lbs lean ground beef (or even extra-lean)
1 to 2 cups of blueberries (fresh, or thawed frozen)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Roughly chop the blueberries and add them to the ground beef in a large mixing bowl. Loosely mix the mixture together with salt and pepper.
2. Form six loosely packed patties. Give each one a little indentation with your thumb in the center. This will help keep the burgers from cooking into balls (many burgers tend to contract and get thicker as they cook).
3. Cook over a hot grill for about 3-4 minutes a side. For a medium-rare burger, flip as soon as the juices start pearling out of the top. For medium, cook 30-45 seconds beyond that, then flip.
4. If desired, add cheese during the last 30 seconds of cooking. Toast the buns for 30 seconds.

Don't forget the Parmesan!

This combination is not much different than many that are out there. I’m not sure that lemon juice is in many of the versions, but I find that a little bit of the acidic citrus really brightens up the dish. It also balances out the mild bitterness of the broccoli rabe. If you can’t get broccoli rabe, you can use any other bitter green leaf lettuce (kale, mustard greens, or spinach are good options, prepare them the same way), or even broccoli florets.

Ingredients
1/2 pound broccoli rabe, thick stems trimmed, cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 pound orecchiette
Parmesan cheese, for serving
about half a lemon

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cut broccoli rabe and boil for about a minute. Scoop out the broccoli rabe and put into a large bowl of ice water (to stop the cooking process). Keep the water, you are going to re-use this pot.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil, then the sausage. Break the sausage into small pieces and cook until it browns, about 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. About 5 minutes into the cooking time of the sausage, return the large pot of water to high heat to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Cooking time varies from brand to brand, 8 minutes is about average, check after 6.
4. Strain the pasta. Strain the broccoli rabe. Return the pasta to the empty pot, add the broccoli rabe and the sausage. Squeeze about a quarter to a half of a lemon into the pot. Toss to combine. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Health tip: Using turkey sausage will make this dish even healthier. Add a pinch more red pepper flakes and a pinch of Italian herbs to boost the flavor.

]]> http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/08/18/orecchiette-sausage-and-broccoli-rabe/feed/ 1