soups on: pumpkin soup

Hands down, creamy* pumpkin soup is among my favorite soups.  I prefer my gourd soups to be savory, and haven't gotten as much satisfaction out of a sweeter, apple & squash soup that I do from this recipe (or ones like it.)  Added bonus? this soup is really easy to play around with and use whatever herbs & spices you have on hand.

I have made this with canned pure pumpkin and by roasting pumpkin halves... Gotta say, I default to the canned method.  One of the things I love about this soup is that it's a pantry-staple recipe that can come together in less than 30 minutes.  Introducing a whole pumpkin into the mix ups the cooking time to more like an HOUR and 30 minutes, and doubles the amount of dirty dishes!  But, if you want to roast, see the note at the end of the post & knock yourself out.  Me?  I'll stay lazy and impatient.

...I think I need to make another batch.  SOON.


Smokey Pumpkin Soup
serves a lot (maybe 6-8 servings?)


1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic
2-3Tbsp butter/margarine
28oz pure pumpkin**
14.5oz diced tomatoes (fire-roasted, preferable)
1c cream (1/2 pint) (can use milk or 1/2 and 1/2)
4c chicken stock
2tsp rosemary
2tsp thyme
2 chipotles + ~1tsp adobo sauce
2tsp smoked paprika (+more for garnish)
nutmeg, cinnamon & cayenne (~1/4tsp or less, to taste)
green onions (for garnish)

1. Melt butter/margarine over medium heat.  Add onions, garlic, chipotles, thyme & rosemary.  Cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 10 min.
2. Add tomatoes and let cook until fragrant, about 2 min.
3. Add pumpkin puree and cook for 5-10min.
4. Add chicken stock and let simmer.  Taste & season.  And throw in smoked paprika, cinnamon, cayenne & nutmeg.  Simmer for as long as you are distracted.  And immersion blender it up!*
5. Add cream.  Taste & season.
6. Serve.  Garnish with cut scallions and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Maybe some Crusty bread?  A sprinkle of cheese?


Alterations:
a) Take out the smoked paprika,*** cayenne, and chipotles and add: more rosemary & thyme, and a healthy portion of sage to make a true harvest/fall pumpkin soup.  If feeling crazy, replace maybe half the chicken stock with apple juice.
b) Replace chipotles with more cayenne/red pepper flakes for a stronger, earlier heat.
c) Add. Bacon.
d) Add shredded chicken/pork/beef.
e) Add black beans & cumin.



*I kinda prefer a more "rustic" (read: lazy) soup, and don't care that it's not perfectly smooth, so an immersion blender works fine for me.  This step could also be done as part of #3.  If you don't have an immersion blender... get one!  In the meantime, you can blend this in batches in a stand blender.  Also, I would recommend a stand blender & strainer if you want a smoother soup.
**To use a whole pumpkin: cut pumpkin in half and scrap out all seeds and strings.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of any spices/herbs you are planning on using in the soup.  On a foil-lined baking sheet, roast at 375-400F until fork-tender (I'd wager this is around 35-60minutes, flipping the halves halfway through.)  Remove from oven & let cool until you can handle.  Scoop out the flesh & puree in blender or food processor.  Continue recipe as above.  
***BALDERDASH!  Smoked paprika on EVERYTHING!

soups on: roasted eggplant & tomato soup

In catching up on my Smitten Kitchen, I came across a recipe for Roasted Eggplant Soup.  At first, I wasn't that interested, but read through just for the hell of it... and then started drooling at the picture of the soup before being pureed.  And that's when I knew I had to make it.  Curiosity & drooling got the best of me.

You see, the original recipe is fairly simple: calls for roasting eggplant, tomatoes, onion & garlic.  Simmer in broth and then blend all together to get a smooth, pureed soup.  That has a weird, kinda unpleasant, light brown color to it.  BUT!  I thought all the roasted veggies HAD to be delicious, especially after spicing it up, so I gave it a go.  But I kept the soup in chunky-vegetable form!  Innovative!  Genius!  All of those things, yes... I know.

Before you go any further, can I just apologize for the pictures?  The camera was being funky & I had to resort to the cellular phone.  Sad world.

So, the general idea was to cube the eggplant, chop the onion, and roast.  I skinned 1/2 of the eggplant (thinking I would give a quick immersion-blender to a portion of the soup to thicken it up), but left the rest with the skin to give more structure.  The tomatoes were roasted whole, to preserve the juices, but then cubed once out of the oven.... making sure to get as much of the juices into the soup pot as possible!

And the result?  Amazing.  Totally delicious and soon to be in regular rotation.  I get really excited for vegetarian soups- I feel they are a great way to lighten up but still have a comforting & filling meal.

Roasted Tomato & Eggplant Soup
serves 4

1.5lbs eggplant(s)
1 yellow onion
3 tomatoes
6-8 garlic cloves
4c chicken stock
1/2c heavy cream
1Tbsp fresh thyme
1tsp cumin
1tsp ground coriander
1tsp red pepper flakes (I had to use a "Hot Shot" blend, which was less than ideal)
smoked paprika
chili powder
cheese (feta, goat, a sharp-hard cheese... whatevs!*)

Preheat oven to 400F

1. Peel 1/2 of the total eggplant.  Cube all of the eggplant into 1/2" pieces.  Halve the tomatoes.  Dice (medium) the onion and peel garlic.  Throw all onto baking sheets (keeping vegetables separate), and drizzle with olive oil and salt.  Roast for 40min, but check every 15 or so to make sure they aren't burning (particularly the garlic!)

2. Allow vegetables to cool.  Add chicken broth to a pot, along with thyme and 1/2 the vegetables (make sure to add the skinless 1/2 of eggplant.)  Bring to simmer and give a few rounds with immersion blender.

3. Roughly cube the remaining tomatoes and add, with juices, to the pot.  Add remaining eggplant, garlic and onion, as well.

4. Add heavy cream, cumin, coriander, and red pepper flakes.  Allow to simmer for at least 10 minutes.  Taste, and season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle smoked paprika & chili powder, to taste.

5. Serve with cheese sprinkled on top and crusty bread (garlic bread, if you are like me!)



*The recipe called for goat cheese, but recommended feta... I thought I had feta.  I was excited about feta.  I was sadly mistaken.  So we ended up using a sharp Swedish cheese called Prast/Prastost,** which worked fine.  Next time definitely trying goat or feta, though!  
**I am like a kid in a candy store at the Ikea Swedish grocery store, (and no, I do NOT mean the cafeteria)!!!  I love trying the cheeses and jams... and highly recommend all.  In terms of cheeses, Prast/Prastost and Herrgard/Herrgardost are very good, widely appealing cheeses.  If you like sharp cheddar, you'd like these two.  Vasterbotten is also an excellent cheese (the Swedish "Emperor of Cheeses"), and is more like a Parmesean Reggiano with it's sharp, nuttiness. 

twist and shout: black pepper & parm twists

It's alive... ALIVE!!!*

So, I am still plagued by my broken keyboard at home, (no "c" or apostophe keys,) which makes my enthusiasm to use the computer increadibly minuscule.  And if I suffer, than so must you!**

I made these Black Pepper & Parmesan Twists (with Dip) for a celebratory party at work.  I loved the crackers (/twists... whatever.)  But, they did have a HUGE pepper kick to them.  It's easy to forget that good ol' table shaker black pepper actually can give a kick, but it does!  Especially, when you use a lot of it or use it as a highlighted flavor.  Anyways, I would say this recipe verged on too much black pepper.  I have cut the required amount in half for the recipe posted below, (though, I admit I have not tried it like this!  Whoops!)  But, I feel this will allow you to be liberal with sprinkling it on top if you taste and find it lacking a punch.  Don't get me wrong!  I loved these.  I liked the spice that, after a moment, left a lingering desire for more!  And was cooled off well with the dip.  Just think this would satisfy a largely crowd if not as intense.

Sadly, I don't have a recipe for the dip.  Because I made it up and didn't think to write it down!  It was sun-dried tomatoes, feta, sour cream and any leftover parmesan.... yup, that's all you get!  AND it was a HUGE HIT!  So, that makes it even worse.  Here's a picture and rave reviews for a dip that I will not tell you how to make.  You're welcome.


*It = the blog.  Not the pictured dip.... that would be weird.
**Yes, in this situation, you "suffer" by not being graced with my blog posts.  I know, I know... make it stop!


Black Pepper and Parmesan Twists
Adapted from Naturally Ella

1c whole wheat flour

1c white flour

1tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

1/2c parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping

1Tbsp black pepper, plus extra for topping*

4Tbsp olive oil

3/4c water

Pre-heat oven to 400degrees.

Combine whole wheat flour, white flour, baking powder, cheese, and black pepper in a food processor.  Pulse to combine.  Add 3Tbsps of olive oil and pulse until it looks like coarse meal.

Then add 1/2c water and let the processor run.  If the dough does not start coming together, start adding more water tablespoon by tablespoon.  Pulse after each addition until the dough comes together.

Scrape dough out onto a floured surface and roll out until 1/4" thick.  Try to shape into a rectangle as you roll.  Brush dough with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with extra cheese and black pepper.  Cut strips 1/2" wide and ~3” long (or to your desired thickness and length) and twist.  Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 14-15 minutes, until the twist are golden and crunchy.  You may need to adjust the baking time depending on thickness or size of twists.

*The original recipe called for 2Tbsp.  If you love black pepper, or want a cracker with a kick, up the dosage!  Just make sure not to go over 2Tbsps... or else!

to-may-to, to-mah-to

Wanna know a fun story?  ...you DO?!!  Well, here you are:

I knocked over my water, which in and of itself is nothing to write home about.  In fact, I would say I spill water almost everyday- either knocking it over or, more commonly, a bit of a dribble here and there when I try to drink from the klean kanteen (AWESOME gift, thanks Kray-dawg!)  Embarrassing, I know.  BUT, this time I got some on my lap-top.  And apparently, my reactions aren't what they used to be, because now the "c" and apostrophe keys don't work.  This makes typing VERY difficult, and shocker: to blog you need to type.  Oy.  But fear not!  I will work something out!

Meanwhile, the fella & I made pasta w/ tomato sauce.  Ooooh, Aaaah: the complexity! the excitement! the inventiveness & novelty of it all!  But, before you go, let me clarify!  This isn't just ANY tomato sauce.  Oh no, no no.  It's a tomato sauce with just 3 ingredients.  THREE!  The "recipe," if you can call it that, was all over the food blogs, and caught our interest.  So we made it.  

And the verdict?  It was delicious.  Simple, quick and elegant and all you need.  It is the perfect recipe to have in your back pocket just in case you got a jonesin for tomato sauce.  I think it is fin as it is, though wouldn't hold off on using it as a base for other, more elaborate meals, either.

Tomato Sauce with Butter & Onion

adapted from SmittenKitchen

28oz can whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano)

5Tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion

  

Peel & trim the onion and cut it in half.

Put tomatoes, onion & butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer, then turn to low- you want a slow but constant simmer for 45 minutes.  Stir now & again, and crush tomatoes against the side of the pan.  When done, remove from heat & throw away the onion.  Salt to taste.  Ta Da!!! Done!


And yes, that is a humongous piece of garlic bread.  And yes, I did have a second helping of bread.  I'm a girl who likes her garlic bread, so what?  Ya wanna fight about it?

feed me, semour!

I'm going to apologize to my readers for being MIA:

Sorry, Kristen, please forgive me for my lapse.  I am over here, sitting on recipes for grilled artichokes, phenomenal lime shrimp, green mango salad, strawberry-rhubarb galette, and blue cheese & beer tomato soup.  All while showing the hill who's boss and patching up annoying leaks.  But have I done anything about this?  Nope.

Until now!!

I got it into my head to stuff chicken breasts with a sun-dried tomato pesto.  And, thankfully, my beau is smart enough not to stand in the way when I get these kinda things in my head.  It's for the best.  For him.  And for his taste-buds.*

*Wow.  Boastful much?

I had been eying a recipe for Chili-Roasted Cauliflower with Cilantro Dressing, and really? the chicken was just an afterthought to my one true love: cauliflower.  We had leftover blended cilantro from a tube from Gourmet Garden, (bought for an earlier recipe first outta curiosity, and secondly because the store was out of fresh cilantro.)  I was quite impressed with this tube-o-herb, especially considering cilantro ALWAYS goes bad on me.  Always!*  However, bear in mind the uses are limited, (i.e. dressings, spreads, drizzling, etc.)  I've adapted the recipe below for this product, but follow the link if you have an abundance of the fresh stuff!

*In fact, I do believe I have a bunch in my fridge right now.... I should do something about that....  

For the chicken, I first butterflied the breasts, then stuffed with the pesto before a quick pan sear & finished in the oven.  Quick tutorial on butterflying: 1) place chicken breast on cutting board, 2) place hand on top of the chicken, holding it firmly against the board with your palm, 3) using a very sharp knife, cut a pocket into the chicken breast running parallel/between your palm and the cutting board, 4) either run all the way through if you desire thinner chicken breasts or, like with this recipe, leave with ~3/4inch edge in tact.

sun-dried tomato pesto stuffed chicken

serves 4

2oz sun-dried tomatoes

1/2oz pine nuts

2 garlic cloves

2oz pecorino romano

1Tbsp basil

3/4tsp salt

1/2tsp pepper

1/2tsp red pepper flakes (or, to taste)

4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350.

Put all ingredients into a food processor & pulse until combined and pesto-y.

Butterfly chicken breasts (if memory serves, this should be enough pesto for 4 breasts), and stuff with pesto.   Use toothpicks to close edges.

Heat a skillet with a couple tablespoons of olive oil (or butter).  Sear on each side for 3-5minutes, then transfer to an oven-safe baking dish.  Bake until cooked through, about another 10-15minutes.  Meanwhile, deglaze the pan with ~1/2cup chicken stock and let simmer until reduced & thickened.  To serve, remove toothpicks and drizzle pan sauce over chicken.

chili-roasted cauliflower with cilantro dressing

serves 4, adapted from serious eats

1 head cauliflower

2Tbsp olive oil

2tsp chili powder

1/2tsp salt, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2tsp lime juice

1/2tsp white vinegar

1Tbsp + 1tsp Gourmet Garden cilantro

2 cloves minced garlic

2tsp water

Preheat oven to 425. 

Break up the cauliflower into large florets.

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Place the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and toss well with the chili-oil mixture. Roast for 25 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Meanwhile, combine lime juice, vinegar, cilantro, garlic, and remaining salt.  

To serve, drizzle the roasted cauliflower with the dressing.

Oh, and by the way?  This cauliflower was DIVINE!  Will be repeated.

ragin' cajun

I have a problem.  

I cook far too much food when hosting a group of people.

Cooking for a couple?  No sweat.  

A family of four?  Not to worry.  

But 6-9 people?  I'll make enough food to feed a soccer team.  Varsity and JV.  

Thats. A lot. Of freakin' chicken.  And guess what?  I also threw in shrimp and sausage!  You know, just in case the poultry wasn't enough.

And quite the healthy portion of peppers and onions... not to mention enough garlic to wipe out all the sparkling vampires* you can think of.

The back story: had a game night with an expected 6-8 people to show.  Apparently, this meant I had to make an insane amount of pasta.**  I added shrimp & Andouille sausage to the pasta, for fun.  And, for fun, I made this for guests where 2 did not eat  pork and 1 does not eat shrimp.  So, instead of tossing all together? I had something of an assemble-your-own-pasta bar.  You know, to make things easy for me!

So, while I did enjoy this meal, I wasn't in love with it.  I like the idea, and will probably go back and tweak it some more... especially with less cooking & removing & cooking & removing & adding & removing... Sheesh!!!  However, I will say this: you MUST*** add the andouille!  It adds great flavor and takes the pasta to a new level.  

Seriously.  Do the sausage.  It's for your own good.

*Really, Stephanie Meyer?  Sparkles???  Like a pixie??!?!?!  Bravo.**** 

**Just insane/ Got no brain!

***must Must MUST!!!

****I know, this rant has been expressed everywhere already.  But you haven't heard ME complain about it until now!

Cajun Pasta with Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille Sausage
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman, serves 6*


3 chicken breasts, cubed
2 handfuls of shrimp, de-shelled**
4 andoullie sausages, sliced
4tsps Cajun spices
1lb fettuccine, or other long noodle
2Tbsp olive oil
2Tbsp buter
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
4 roma tomatoes, diced
2c chicken broth
1/2c white wine
1c heavy cream
cayenne pepper
chopped parsely
s&p

Cook pasta like... well, you normally cook pasta being careful not to over-do it.***

Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken and shrimp with Cajun spices & toss.  Cook chicken and sausages in 1Tbsp oil and 1Tbsp butter in a large, heavy skillet over high heat.  Don't over crowd & allow to brown on both sides (about 1-2 minutes per side).  You may have to cook the meat in batches, depending on space.  Then cook shrimp, (about 45sec-1min per side).  Set all meat aside.

 To the skillet, heat the remaining butter and olive oil and add the peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle liberally with remaining Cajun spices and salt, if needed (some Cajun blends are super salty, so be careful.)
Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring, to get veggies dark.  Add tomatoes.  Cook all for 30 more seconds and remove veggies from pan.

Still over high heat, add wine & chicken broth to deglaze the pan (i.e. scrape up any brown-bits stuck to the bottom.)  Cook this liquid for 3-5 min, and then reduce to medium-low & add the cream while whisking.  Cook for a few minutes until starts to thicken.  Season with black pepper and cayenne according to preference, (and salt if needed.)

Add meat, veggies, and their juices back into sauce.  Cook for 1-2 more minutes until hot and toss in pasta.  Top with parsely.

*I used Mrs. Pioneer's scale, as mine was too big for anyone.
**Though I love shrimp, and this definitely beefs up the dish, it's not required.  If anything, it kinda gets lost behind the chicken & sausage.  Pick your favorite two proteins & highlight just those.
***You don't want to over-do the pasta (cook to "al dente") because it wont hold up to the sauce.  Also, adding back into the pot with the hot sauce may cook it alittle more, and you don't want this to get soggy.  

stove-top "lighter" mac n cheese

When there is a craving for fun-shaped macaroni & cheese, there's no stopping it.  You can't ignore it.  You can't fight it.

Oh, and steak.  

Confession: the recipe called for 5oz of cheese.  I added a little more (SHHH!!!)  I also said "to HELL with the recipe calling for all low-fat cheddar cheese!"  That stuff sucks.  Instead?  Sharp cheddar & fontina mix.*  Oooo baby!


*Swapping out low-fat cheddar for other full fat cheeses would also alter the nutrition content.  Many apologies, as I tend to throw caution to the wind when it comes to cheese! 

This recipe is from Cooking Light- the goal was to get a good mac & cheese recipe that wouldn't force me up a dress size each time I eat it.  Especially when it's one of our* favorite, happy foods.  And at 252cals (as written/per serving,) this definitely fits the bill.  The calorie-saving technique is to use low-fat cream cheese.  This simultaneously makes for a creamy sauce and adds some cheesy flavor, all while eliminating the need for butter, heavy cream, and a larger amount of shredded cheese.


*I have been told that when say "our" or "we" on the blog, I sound like I am speaking in the Royal 'We.'  Let us just make believe this is so, shall we?  I will answer to "Your Highness."  Thank you.

MMMMMM!!!  Look at that creaminess!!  Also?  With the addition of fontina, this got crazy-stringy.  Which, as we all know, stringy cheese = awesome.  So essentially, addition of fontina means crazy-awesome.  And wagon wheels!  You know whats great about them?  More little crevices and surface area for the cheese to cling to!

Now, the only change I would make is to scale back on the dijon mustard.  The flavor was way too strong, and dominated the pasta.  I would try only 1tsp of dijon, maybe less.  I do hope to play around with different cheeses or finishing this in the oven with a breadcrumb or cheese crust.* 



*Should be noted that the addition of breadcrumbs or more cheese would increase the caloric content. 

As you can see, we also had green beans with mushrooms and steak with the mac n' cheese.  Life was good. 


Creamy Stove-Top Mac N' Cheese Light
serves 6, from Cooking Light


4c uncooked pasta (like shells, elbow macaroni, or favorite fun shape!)
3tbsp all-purpose flour
1tsp salt
1/4tsp black pepper
2 1/4c fat-free milk
1/4c  (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2tsp dijon mustard
2tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2tsp minced garlic
1 1/4c (5 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Cook pasta, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, over medium-high heat, add milk to a large saucepan.  Wisk in flour, salt, and pepper until well blended.  Drop in cream cheese by teaspoonfuls and bring to a boil.  Stir constantly.  Reduce heat and simmer until thick and the cream cheese has melted, about 2 minutes.  Stir in mustard, Worcestershire, and garlic and simmer for 1 more minute.  Remove from heat and add cheddar cheese, stirring until melted. Add in pasta & coat.

neither chicks, nor peas...

I would like to say these are amazingly delicious, but I can't.  Lady Crash-ington ate them all in 2 swift gulps before I could have one, single, solitary chickpea.

That's a lie.  I totally ate these.  And they were totally awesome.  Apparently, I am a year behind in the food blogosphere, as these were all the rage back in '09.  I am an embarrassment.

I made these as a snack for Game Night with friends & it was a hit!  Great, nutritious, snack or a welcome topping to soups or salads.  Looking forward to changing up the spice blend as the mood strikes me... and you know how moody I can be.  

I did a variation on this idea by throwing some seasoned chickpeas in a skillet & toasting them, as well.  I think I may prefer that method, but will have to test again.  And again. You know, just to be sure.


Roasted Chickpeas

2tsp cumin
1/4tsp cayenne
1/4tsp chipotle powder
1/2tsp smoked paprika
1/4tsp coriander
1/8tsp allspice
1/4tsp cinnamon
1/8tsp ginger
1/4tsp salt
1 28oz can chickpeas
olive oil

Drain & rinse the chickpeas.  Allow to dry (I drain & rinse before work, and leave in a colander while I'm at work.  Dried by the time I get home!)

Preheat oven to 450.

Combine spices thoroughly.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil & spread chickpeas.  Coat generously with olive oil.  Sprinkle over spice blend & toss.  Bake for ~40 min until crunchy, checking to make sure they don't burn.  Ta Da!  Enjoy fresh out of the oven or cold.  Either way, enjoy them!

indian invasion

Motivation-schmotivation, Crashley.  How's THIS for "lazy ass"?!? 

A long, long time ago, I hosted two college girlfriends for lunch.  The Menu?  Fennel-Scented Potato & Spinach Samosas, Mint-Cumin Raita, Chana Masala, and Orange-Curry Pots de Creme.  Served with na'an, courtesy of Whole Foods, brown basmati rice, and sparkling cranberry cider.  Why sparkling cider?  Because secretly everyone loves sparkling cider and grape juice!  Don't you try to deny it!  ...and because one of my honored guests was baking her own little bun in the oven, which was cause to celebrate!  Mimosas will have to wait.

My goal was to have as little stress & hassle on Sunday morning before my girlfriend's came.  The chana can be made ahead of time, and then re-heated on the stove.  This recipe came together so fast!  The most time-consuming aspect is chopping and prep-work.  Definitely an easy meal, and one who's ingredients are almost all "pantry staples!"  It's a win-win!!  

The samosa filling was done earlier, too.  But, due to the fragile nature of the phyllo dough, I didn't want to risk any tearing or sogginess.  

I had to wilt in the spinach in 2 batches, as the pan was simply not big enough!  Also, please join me in embracing the skin-on technique for potatoes.  Not only does it hold tons of nutrients, but it also adds great color and texture.  That and... um... who wants to waste time peeling potatoes?  Which means one more thing to clean when all is said an done and... just eat the skins!

Assembly was fairly easy: about 1-2tbsp of filling goes at the bottom, and you fold it up as a triangle.  Kinda like how you see people folding a flag?  You know... NJROTC and stuff?  Just like that.

In the past, I have used an empanada dough recipe for these (laziness: it's the theme of this post.)  Both came out wonderfully, though these are definitely better.  Though I want to try other filling recipes, I was reluctant to depart from an old favorite.... maybe next time?

I also made a raita, or yogurt-based dipping sauce.  This had cumin, mint, grated cucumber, salt & pepper with a Greek yogurt base.  And prob alil' cayenne.  Just for fun.


Fennel-Scented Spinach and Potato Samosas
Adapted from Epicurious, makes about 30


1/2 pound red potatoes (about 5, each about 2 inches in diameter)
1tbsp fennel seeds
1tbsp ground cumin
1tsp turmeric
1/2tsp garam masala
sprinkle of cayenne (to taste)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 jalapeño chilies, chopped fine*
2" piece of gingerroot, peeled and finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1lb fresh spinach
~3/4c frozen peas
ten 17- by 12-inch phyllo sheets, thawed
1 stick butter, melted
egg whites**

For filling:
In a saucepan, bring salted water to a boil and simmer potatoes, about 12 minutes, (should be barely tender.) Drain in a colander and allow to cool.  Cut potatoes into 1/2"*** dice. In a large, heavy skillet, dry-roast fennel seeds, cumin, garam masala, and turmeric over moderate heat, until fragrant and several shades darker, (~2 minutes.)  Stir frequently and be careful not to burn them.  Add oil, onion, chilies, ginger, and garlic and cook until onion is softened, (~5 minutes.)  Add potatoes, peas and spinach and saute over medium-high heat, stirring until spinach is wilted but still bright green & all is combined.  Add cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. 

Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

To assemble & bake:
Preheat oven to 400F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.


Lay out 1 phyllo sheet on surface (I used the plastic the dough was wrapped in as a placemat, of sorts) with the long side facing you.  Brush lightly with butter, top with another phyllo sheet and brush lightly with butter. Cut phyllo length-wise (or, "hot dog bun-style"****) in half.  Spoon ~1tbsp filling (maybe more, you judge!) near one corner of each strip.  Fold corner of phyllo over to enclose filling and form a triangle. Continue folding strip, maintaining triangle shape.  Put samosa, seam side down, on the baking sheet, with about a 1/2" gap between them.  Make as many more samosas as humanly possible with the remaining phyllo and filling.*****  Brush top with egg whites or butter (optional).

Bake samosas in middle of oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Typing this makes me VERY sad I don't have one of these right now. 


*WEAR GLOVES!  Or else you will burn your eyes when you touch them 3hrs later!!
**I had a ton of egg whites leftover from the dessert, so decided to brush the tops of the samosas with them.  Works!
***1/2"... 3/4" whatever.  I don't judge your potato-cubing preference/laziness.
****Holla for the kindergarten directions!!
*****Samosas may be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead and chilled, covered with plastic wrap.


Chana Masala
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Serves 6

1tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
1 jalapeno or other hot green chili pepper, minced
1tbsp ground coriander*
4tsp ground cumin**
1/2tsp ground cayenne pepper
1tsp ground turmeric


2tsp paprika
1tsp garam masala
1 15oz can whole tomatoes w/ juices, chopped small*** 
2/3c water
2 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon (juiced)****

Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan.  Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, (~5 minutes.)  Turn heat down to med-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, paprika, and garam masala.  Cook for 1-2minutes, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices.  Add water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.


*TOTALLY forgot I had some of this & didn't want to get home to find myself without it soooooo..... I now have 2 things of ground coriander.  Fan-freakin-tastic. 
**Recipe calls for 2tsp cumin powder and 2tsp cumin seeds toasted & ground.  I didn't have cumin seeds so I just went crazy with the powder.
***Or, 2c fresh tomatoes
****Used a whole lemon to swap for the amchoor powder since I didn't have that.  If you do, add 1tbsp with the rest of the spices.  

WAY TO NOT GET A FINISHED-PRODUCT PICTURE!  Failure.  Only because it was SOOO GOOD!

The Pots de Creme were the same ones that I made for Valentine's Day.  Only THIS time, I actually baked at the correct temperature and allowed to cool.  And holy hell, did that make a difference!  It's like eating straight fudge/ganache!  Wa -hoooo rich!  Still awesome.  For the recipe & reference, see original post. 

the ol' risotto ball n' chain

With a ton of leftover risotto, one could certainly microwave and have it as a side for days to come...

.... OR ONE COULD MAKE RISOTTO BALLS!

The leftover risotto was brie & mushroom from Valentine's Day.*  To the risotto, I added a healthy dosing of red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper before forming them into balls.  You want the seasonings to be on the bolder/heavier side, to really give them a kick.  Most recipes I've seen say to put a cube of soft, melting cheese, (like mozzarella or muenster,) in the middle.  Since I had already added about 35lbs of brie, I was reluctant to add more... not because I have anything against more cheese.  Quite the opposite; you can never have enough cheese!  But, rather, I didn't want to have a heart attack mid-chew.

...I have every intention of making a less-cheesy risotto JUST so I can make risotto balls with an ooey-gooey-cheesy center.**  And soon.


*No, I did NOT just make risotto balls a full month after making the risotto.  I may push the boundaries of fiid freshness, but a month would be a touch ridiculous!  These were made the weekend after Valentine's Day.  And I am just now posting them.  Feel free to judge me.
**Apparently, I just told the beau TWICE, in less than 24hrs of this intention.***  Apparently, that's repetitive?
***Sometimes, I forget if I merely think about saying something, or if I actually verbalize it.   

 
All balls were dipped into wisked-eggs and then into bread crumbs.

I decided that I wanted to baked the balls instead of frying; again, for health reasons.  However, apparently I am the only one with this concern?  There was, maybe, one recipe online for baked risotto balls!*  ...NOT ANYMORE!!!  Anyways, it's not that I didn't want to follow a recipe.  Honest!  There, just, were no recipes to follow!


*No, I did not look past the first page of search results.  Who would DO such a thing??!?

Not too shabby, if I don't say so m'self.  And?  OH MY GOD SO GOOD!  Nice and brown on the outside, and delicious on the inside.  My only change would be to play around with better quality breadcrumbs.

 

To go with, we had leftover steak and a salad, (I put my steak IN the salad!  That badass.)  I may start making risotto, weekly, just so I can have these balls.  And as for the baked vs. fried methods: definitely sticking with baked-balls at home.  The crust gets nice and browned, but stays light.  I'll leave the frying for when I order them at a restaurants.


Baked Risotto Balls
adapted from my head, which means measurements are to be taken lightly
yields 24 balls, serves 4 as a meal (or two, twice!)*

~2c leftover risotto
~1tsp red pepper flakes
~1/2tsp thyme
~1/2tsp rosemary
~1/4tsp garlic powder
2-3 eggs, beaten
~1 1/2c breadcrumbs
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.


Add red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, salt & pepper to leftover risotto and mix.  Taste, and adjust accordingly.  Form risotto into golfball-sized balls and set aside.  In two shallow bowls, beat eggs in one and pour bread crumbs into another.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.**

Dunk balls in egg, then roll in breadcrumbs, then place on parchment.  Balls can be placed close together, maybe an inch apart?  They don't spread, and shouldn't roll, so you cool. 

Bake 10-15minutes until brown and crunchy on outside.  You shouldn't have any trouble getting the insides hot, but might as well taste one.  You know, just to be sure. 

Serve alone or with marinara sauce.



*For dinner, we each had 6, and then gobbled the rest up for lunch the next day.  So, I would say 24 serves 4 as a side for dinner, or 8ish as an appetizer.
**Parchment paper is from the gods.  Thank you, gods.

when I dip, you dip, we dip

So many of life's greatest things start with infusing oil with red pepper flakes.

A few weeks ago, we hosted a game night.  While the beau made an amazing stir-fry, I threw together this Spicy Baked Feta & Roasted Red Pepper Dip to start.

I feel like I have been dicing garlic and shallots forever.  And a day.  Anyone else get frustrated when dicing shallots?  At least onions are one solid bulb.  NOT SO WITH SHALLOTS!  They have two or more parts, and their tiny, and... gah!

So, after the olive oil and red peppers are allowed to get funky, (you want the oil to get nice and orange,) throw in the shallots and garlic.  Cook those until they have softened.  In goes the flour, and let it thicken a bit.

While all this was going on, I was roasting a red pepper.  In the past, I have done this over a flame stove-top.  However, because I don't HAVE a gas stove,* I broiled.  Put the pepper on a baking pan on the top rack in the oven and broil.  To stop the oven from cycling,** I left the door ajar.  This way the heat is constant, which is perfect for roasting!  As you can see above, the objective is to get the pepper good and charred.    Then, pop the pepper into a ziplock bag and seal.  Let the steam work it's magic, (in this case, magic= loosening the skin.)  After 5 minutes, it should be cool enough to handle.  Remove from bag, and peel off skin.  Ta da!


*Yes, I am lamenting about this AGAIN.  And yes, technically, I have a gas stove... it's just not hooked up!
**To my knowledge, ovens "cycle" like your heat or AC cycles.  This means that it will kick on for a while to get up to temperature, and then rest.  Kicks on again, as needed, to heat itself back up to temperature.  By leaving the door ajar, the oven is constantly working to hit the desired degree.

Doesn't this look appetizing?  Oooooo yeah.  This is when everything but the shredded cheese is combined.

Top with shredded Parmesean (or other hard & sharp cheese), because why bake a dip if it's not going to have a cheesy crust?  WHY?!??!  Anyways, into the oven!

While I definitely enjoyed the dip, I think it fell flat on the "spicy" classification.  And this was after adding a bit more.  To make again, I would try with an extra clove of garlic and a full teaspoon, probably more, of red pepper flakes.... maybe some parm IN the dip instead of just on top?  I dunno. 

None of this mattered, as the guests gobbled it up!

 
 Spicy Baked Feta & Roasted Red Pepper Dip
adapted from Cookthink

1/4c extra virgin olive oil
3/4tsp red pepper flakes
1 minced shallot
3 minced garlic cloves
1Tbsp flour
1c Greek yogurt
1/2c feta, crumbled (or, you know, more.  whatevs)
2Tbsp milk*
1 roasted red bell pepper, peeled, seeded and diced
Shredded Parmesean, for topping


Turn oven on (High) Broil.

Roast the red pepper under the broiler or over a flame.**  For broiler, leave door ajar and put pepper on a tin-foiled baking pan on the top rack.  Rotate the pepper every 1-2minutes, allowing each side to blacken.   If using a flame, hold near fire and rotate regularly until desired color is reached.  Put the pepper into a ziplock bag, seal, and let rest for ~5minutes.  Remove from bag, peel off skin, seed & dice.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and red pepper flakes over medium heat for about 5 minutes until infused and orange.  Add shallot and garlic and cook another 5 minutes or so, until soft.  Add flour, stir to remove clumps & combine, and remove from heat.


Reduce oven temp to 350F.

Combine the yogurt and feta together with the back of a fork.  Add milk.  Then mix in the olive oil mixture, followed by the diced red bell pepper.  Put in oven-safe dish and sprinkle with Parmesean, (Asiago & Romano would also work.)  Bake for 45 minutes, until browned on top and bubbly around the edges.  Serve with crackers or pita chips.


*The recipe calls for whole milk, which I never keep in my house and don't buy unless absolutely needed.  I either replace with skim, or do mostly skim milk with a splash of heavy cream. 
**Store-bought roasted red peppers would work just as well.