Potatoes and leeks are a good soup combo!
If, like many, you don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen, then consider the ultra simple but delicious potato and leek soup. Although short on ingredients, it’s got a long list of options for making it appeal to your tastes and time. Dress it up (chilled it becomes vichyssoise) make it decadent (a little cream never hurt anyone!) or serve as is (chunky or pureed).
My personal favorite is pureed with a small touch of cream mixed in and truffle oil on top. If you’ve got a favorite version of potato and leek soup, add a comment or drop us an email.
Potato and leek soup
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 3 medium potatoes, any type, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and sliced into thin rings
- Salt and freshly ground pepper (we used white pepper)
- 4 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock
Put the butter or oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. When the butter melts (or the oil is hot) add the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring to soften. 2 or 3 minutes. Add the stock, adjust the heat so it gently bubbles, and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. At this point you may refrigerate the soup covered, for up to 2 days.
Pureed soup: carefully puree in a blender or with an immersion blender. Stir in ½ to 1 cup cream, sour cream, or yogurt. Do not let it boil if you use yogurt. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with minced chives.
Vichyssoise. Make the pureed soup, but do not reheat. Instead, chill thoroughly and serve garnished with minced chives.
Recipe courtesy of Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything.
This list is a little late since most of this information has been out for some time. And, while many trends are not surprising, lists vary depending on your source which is why I’ve compiled them into a larger “Yummly-ized” version for easy reading.
If you stop by Yummly in the near future you will see some of these trends appear as blog topics. As always we’d love to hear about any you’ve seen in your local area or neighborhood.
Finally, sorry to say I left off one trend (fried chicken) because although I love it, I feel like it’s been covered in the past. Happy to add it in if anyone disagrees!
Yummly’s interpretation of 2010 trends (dining and eating):
- Back to basics – think canning, pickling and basic techniques
- Beer – craft beers everywhere, also taps into the “new Austrian” trend
- Smaller portions (restaurant meals, desserts) – mini whoopie pies
- Burgers – chains will strive for better, premium burgers
- Children’s healthy food options – more for the home
- Cocktails – local liquor and culinary creations
- Casual dining – potlucks
- Eggs – the new bacon
- Asian + Latin – a dynamic duo (LA Kogi taco trucks)
- Farm branded meats – “Denver Steak”
- Lamb – the new pork
- Local, seasonal – check out the Cook Here and Now concept (Bay Area)
- Meatless meals and party foods – even for non-vegetarians
- Sustainable seafood, different varieties – Branzino, Arctic Char
- Superfruits – mangosteen, rambutan, goji berries, acai
- Sweeteners – stevia, turbinado, agave (and real sugar in sodas!)
Dungeness crab: seasonal and fresh.
To celebrate the new year AND tie into the list of trends, try the Celery Cup recipe below. It’s a refreshing, culinary delight.
Celery Cup #1
- 1 ½ oz. Square One Cucumber
- 1 – inch fresh English cucumber
- 2 – inch celery stalk
- Palm-full of cilantro
- 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz. organic agave nectar or simple syrup
- 1 celery stalk (garnish)
In a mixing glass, muddle the cucumber, celery, cilantro and lemon juice into a pulp. Add remaining ingredients, cover in ice and shake hard for 10 seconds. Strain into a tall glass over fresh ice and garnish with a piece of celery.
Recipe courtesy of Elixir and Square One.
Happy new year (again)!
The face of healthy eating in 2010.
I can almost hear the groans – and no, not from the bad puns you are about to be subjected to. Rather, from the post holiday weigh-in after a month of festive eating. So, to start the new year off right and turn over a new leaf…at least momentarily…lettuce eat healthy starting in 2010!
Posted below are two of my favorite salad dressings which hopefully will bowl you over, if not make your friends green with envy. Speaking of greens, use whatever you fancy and top with favorites such as mushrooms (doesn’t everyone like a fun guy?!?) tomatoes, onions or whatever you have on hand (or in the fridge.)
Have a favorite salad or dressing recipe? Send it in and we’re happy to post it. As for the puns, those listed above are really just the tip of the iceberg but we’ll spare you for now because we do want you to romaine with us!
Chopped Salad
Salad
- 8 cups greens (romaine is good)
- 2 ½ cup diced, cooked chicken
- 1 ¼ cups chopped, seeded tomatoes
- 8 oz. dry salami, chopped
- 1 cup grated mozzarella
- ¾ cup grated provolone
- 2/3 cup drained garbanzo beans
- ½ cup chopped basil
- 3 chopped green onions
Dressing
- 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons oregano (dried)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup olive oil
Dressing: Whisk first 7 ingredients and then add oil slowly until incorporated.
Cook’s notes:
- The dressing works well for most salads including the chopped salad recipe listed above.
- The chopped salad is a party pleasing dish.
- Recipe courtesy of Cucina Cucina, Issaquah WA.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons dijon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ – ¾ teaspoon honey (to taste)
- Splash of tarragon or champagne vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Garlic, crushed clove
Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, dijon, lemon juice, honey and tarragon or champagne vinegars. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and whisk together with the vinegar mixture. Continue whisking until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture is thick (it will slowly emulsify).
Add salt and pepper to taste, drop in a clove of garlic. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Note: dressing has a tendency to solidify when refrigerated. Warm to room temperature for best results.
For a few last laughs…
The focus at last week’s market was brassica, or cruciferous vegetables. These are vegetables in the mustard family like brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli or kohlrabi (basically all the things I didn’t love as a kid!) In addition, there were colorful persimmons, satsumas, and pomegranates on display. On this day, however, I had my eye on the brussels sprouts.
While I love the idea of bacon and brussels sprouts, for a change in taste and texture try roasting with just olive oil, garlic and salt. Roasting brings out the “meatiness” and depth of flavor (sometimes referred to as umami) in the sprouts. Also consider a salad of chopped roasted sprouts, cooked pancetta and hard boiled egg drizzled with a red wine vinegar dressing.
Garlicky Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, sliced into ¼ inch disks
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- Olive oil – enough to coat, about 1 T.
- Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the brussels sprouts into thin disks (see picture). Mince the garlic. Toss together with enough olive oil to coat (1-2 T) and add salt/pepper to taste. Roast sprouts and garlic for 15 minutes, and then toss. Roast for another 15 minutes and turn off the oven. Let rest in oven another 10 minutes or until tender. Enjoy!
Roasted brussels sprouts.
Warm up with hearty lentil soup.
To me, lentils are the ideal ‘convenience’ food: healthy, economical and tasty. Note: usually the first two items cancel out the last.
Not only are lentils packed with B vitamins (especially B3) they are also high in iron, zinc and calcium. According to the USDA website “one-half cup of cooked peas or lentils provides more than 10 grams of dietary fiber.” Add some rice or beans and you’ve got a great source of protein or replacement for red meat (whoa – I know that might be pushing the envelope here.)
Since lentils are so good for you it only seems fair to add bacon to the recipe below as a counterbalance. The soup recipe below is simple and makes an ample amount for friends, family or your future lunch (it freezes without a hitch!)
Lentil Soup
- 1 lb. bacon - sliced
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 cup celery – chopped, with leaves
- 1 cup carrots – chopped
- 2 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 lb. lentils
- 3 quarts water
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional ingredients: bay leaf, basil, hot sauce or Tabasco and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Step 1
Cook bacon, onions and garlic. Drain the fat thoroughly. Return the mixture to your stock pot.
Step 2
Add remaining ingredients.
Step 3
Cook ingredients until lentils are soft but firm*. If you want a creamy texture, puree half the soup in a blender and return to the pot.
*This step won’t take more than 45-60 minutes.
Tuna Burger with Wasabi Mayo and Asian Slaw
We served these tuna burgers atop brioche buns and adorned with a simple Asian-style slaw. The fuyu, fennel and arugula salad is a nice side along with colorful taro chips. This is NOT your everyday burger meal (but probably just as good!)
Tuna Burgers on Brioche Buns (makes around 2 to 3 patties)
- 8 oz. fresh sushi grade tuna, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp green onoins, finely chopped
- 1 tsp red sweet bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tsp cilantro, finely chopped
- Dash or two of garlic powder and ginger powder
- Black sesame seeds
- Brioche or regular hamburger buns
- Cooking oil
Optional: Tabasco or chili oil (for spice)
Heat oil in a pan and add burgers. Pan fry each side about 2-3 minutes then place on paper towel. Keep warm. Toast buns. Add wasabi mayo, burger and slaw. Enjoy!
Asian-Style Slaw
- 1 cup napa cabbage or slaw mix
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon lime juice or rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- toasted sesame seeds
Adapted from a recipe found on the Cook Mobile.
- Fuyu, Fennel and Arugula Salad
If you are like me, you’ve seen persimmons at your local grocery store or farmer’s market and wondered about their uses. Many people will tell you they know someone who loves them but “you have to get them at the right stage of ripeness”.
To set the record straight, there are two basic versions seen most often in our area (Bay Area, CA). They are the hachiya and fuyu. The hachiyas are often used in baking (breads, cookies) and yes, this variety must be fully ripe for enjoyment. When fully ripe they will feel almost like jelly in their casing. We’ve used these for flavoring ice cream and they impart a delicious, mellow flavor along with a beautiful orange color.
The Fuyu are sturdier with a thick skin. The nice man at the farmer’s market said many people covet these for use in salads and I can now see why. Peeled, thinly sliced then adorned atop salad greens the fuyu add substance to salad (a little like avocado in texture) and color to your dinner palette. The flavor pairs well with stronger flavors like arugula or rocket and citrus.
If you’ve got an idea for using persimmons, please share it by posting a comment. The more the merrier!
Fuyu Persimmon, Fennel and Arugula salad
Dressing
- 3-4 tablespoons rice wine or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice (or orange juice concentrate – thawed, if you want a stronger flavor)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon
- ½ cup olive oil*
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- Salt
- Pepper
Mix the orange juice, vinegar and Dijon. Gradually pour in the olive oil while whisking briskly. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the greens.
Cook’s notes:
*walnut oil can be substituted for a milder flavor
Salad
- Fennel – sliced thin
- Persimmon – sliced thin
- Arugula
- Slice red onion (optional)
- Toasted hazelnuts (optional)
Fuyu Persimmons
Chile de Arbol and Tomatillo Salsa
Summer at the farmer’s market is a rush for foodies like me: everything I like is in season and looks great on the stand. With the onset of colder weather the produce at the farmer’s market still looks good, there is just less to choose from and I feel like I need to get a bit more creative.
Last week, nestled between the cilantro and garlic a few tomatillos caught my eye. Returning home I dug out a recipe inspired by a family friend – Eloisa – from Mexico. The heat of the chiles de arbol – which are pretty commonplace in any supermarket – and the tang of the tomatillos are a powerful duo which together create a wallop of flavor.
If you are seeking tomatillos at your local farmer’s market or store, they look like small green tomatoes encased in a papery shell. Tomatillos are part of the nightshade family whose members are usually poisonous to humans with the exception of some species (tomatoes, potatoes and the rarely seen gooseberry).
Eloisa’s Chile de Arbol and Tomatillo Salsa
- 1 ¾ cup tomatillos
- 5-8 chiles de arbol
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 – 2 cloves garlic (to taste!)
- ½ cup cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt (to taste!)
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- Lime juice (from ½ a lime)
Boil the tomatillos until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain. Remove the stems from the chiles. Toast the chiles until they are lightly blackened. Note: be careful as they will burn quickly. Puree with the tomatillos in a food processor or blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend. Season with additional salt and lime.
Cook’s note: chile de arbol in dried form can usually be found in the International section of your grocery store.
If you have a favorite salsa recipe and would like to share it, please post a comment.
Luscious lemon bars!
A few years ago when I decided to update my yard I started by planting trees. Citrus, to be exact. It seemed like a good idea at the time; rather than flowery ornamentals I would add functional plants or things I could eventually eat (the fruit, not the trees themselves!)
I started off by planting a meyer lemon tree next to a small lime tree. Since there was space on the other side of the lime it seemed natural to add a Eureka (the more common type found in grocery stores). Turns out the lime tree was actually a dwarf lemon (they weren’t ripe yet) and the larger tree hidden by the fence…another lemon.
It’s probably a good thing lemons are not only useful around the house but are healthy as well. And as if it’s not obvious my favorite use for lemons is in desserts; whether in the shape of a pie covered with a thick cloud of fluffy meringue or in the guise of lemon bars. If you don’t have time for pie, try the shortbread lemon bar recipe (below). This is a super fast, easy recipe your friends and family will love.
Shortbread base
- 1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut butter in ½-inch pieces. In a food processor process all ingredients until mixture begins to form small lumps. Sprinkle mixture into a 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking pan and with a metal spatula press evenly onto bottom. Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes. While shortbread is baking, prepare the topping.
Lemon Bars
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- Hot shortbread base
- 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
In a bowl whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until combined well and stir in lemon juice and flour. Pour lemon mixture over hot shortbread. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake confection in middle of oven until set, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan and cut into 24 bars.
Bar cookies keep, covered and chilled, 3 days. Sift confectioners’ sugar over bars before serving.
Recipes courtesy of Epicurious.
Sugar Pie Pumpkins
About mid-October I start to think about my costume for Halloween (it’s usually something food-related, what a surprise) and the amount of candy I need for the trick-or-treaters (and myself of course). This year I pondered the idea of a pumpkin to sit on my front porch and scare away the goblins. Instead I wound up with two
sugar pie pumpkins and an open list of options for using them.
Most people are familiar with Jack O’Lantern pumpkins or the stuff out of the can for pies. The Jack O’Lantern variation is great for carving but not so good for eating because they are fibrous, bland (I’m told) and have a “low flesh to cavity” ratio. Although I might add here that the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo has found their inhabitants (in particular the hippos) don’t seem to mind.
While my pumpkins are ultimately destined for ravioli in a sage browned butter sauce there is the matter of my favorite part…the seeds. We opted to use a light coating of oil, a dusting of 9-spice curry and a sprinkle of salt. Toasted in a 350 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes (test for doneness) the result was a deliciously crunchy snack or quite possibly an addition to a salad or bowl of soup.
Toasted, Curry Pumpkin Seeds
- 1 cup seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon 9 – spice curry (or curry powder)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes to coat.
Hope you have a happy – and safe – Halloween!
Toasted Curry Pumpkin Seeds
