Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Kudo's to Bon Appetit on this one... I make the recipe pretty much verbatim. My modifications are as follows:

1) I add a ½ teaspoon of dried thyme (fresh if I have it on hand).

2) I exchange the Greek yogurt for whole fat organic plain yogurt. I always have that on hand for breakfast and for sauces (and please just buy whole fat yogurt... it's so much better). 
3) I use what potatoes I have on hand, which is usually yukon golds or red-skinned. For the substitution, 4-5 potatoes work. 

3) I use half white cheddar and half sharp yellow cheddar. 
4) I love a nice hearty grain bread for the croutons.

I have to say, this recipe is a home run. 

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

cutting board

chef's knife

potato peeler

stock pot

blender or immersion blender

And, the recipe is here:https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/broccoli-cheddar-soup

Vegetarian and Hearty Spanish Onion Soup

Developed sometime around 2010

This is my take on a vegetarian version of French onion soup, and at least as hearty. Creating a vegetarian version of this classic beef-broth based soup takes finesse and time, but is well-worth the effort. Especially if you make your own broth. As a cooks hint: I save stems from herbs like parsley and cilantro in the freezer for making broths. 

MAKE YOUR BROTH
(or if using store bought, purchase the vegetarian choice that has onion as the first ingredient)

2T extra virgin olive oil

Mirepoix (one chopped onion plus half the amount each of celery and carrots) 

2 bay leaves

1t salt

2 cloves garlic

1T whole peppercorns

Stems of one bunch of parsley, about ½ cup

1 8-oz package button mushrooms

10 cups water

1-2 T black bean paste or miso 

½ cup whiskey (optional)

Heat a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium high heat.  Rough chop the mirepoix and garlic. (For the mirepoix, the volume of carrots and celery together should equal that of the onions for good balance.) Add the olive oil, bay leaf and mirepoix to the pot. Stir occasionally but leave the heat up as the onions begin to brown, but not burn. 

Once the onions are starting to brown, reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, mushrooms and salt. Allow the mixture to cook for 3-4 minutes, until the mushrooms soften. It’s okay if material sticks to the bottom of the pot, as long as things aren’t burning. Add the remainder of the ingredients, being sure to release any stuck vegetables from the bottom of the pot. While the whiskey and black bean paste are not necessary, they add quite a bit of nuance to the broth that is really fantastic.

Increase the heat to high, bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Allow the soup to cool and then strain through a mesh strainer or colander into a bowl or large measuring cup. (We do not need a clear broth in this case, so straining with a cheesecloth is not necessary). Set aside.

SOUP INGREDIENTS

1-oz package of dried shitake (or other) mushrooms

3 cups boiling water

2T unsalted butter

1T extra virgin olive oil

5 Vidalia or sweet onions, peeled, halved, and very thinly sliced

1 t sea salt

½ T turbinado sugar

4 oz thinly sliced button mushrooms (about half a package) (optional) 

2 cups of fresh spinach, rinsed, destemmed and cut into thin strips or chiffonade  

2 quarts of homemade broth or 1 quart of store-bought plus 1 quart of water

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

zest of 1 lemon

(optional) ½ cup dry red wine (I use Malbec)

1 t freshly ground black pepper

½ t dried oregano

½ t thyme, stems removed

Oven-toasted cubes of toasted bread 

Gruyere cheese

RECIPE
Place the dried mushrooms in a heat proof bowl. Pour 3 cups of boiling water over the mushrooms, ensuring all are covered. Set aside.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed stock pot over a low flame. When the pot is hot, add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the salt and sugar. Cook the onions over very low heat, stirring occasionally until they are caramelized (medium dark brown). This will take an hour or longer, depending on your pot. 

Once Once the onions are nicely caramelized, add the diced apples, sliced mushrooms and spinach to the pot and cook gently for 5 minutes. 

Strain the liquid from the dried mushrooms into the pot. Chop the remaining mushroom

into bite-sized pieces (about ¾”) and add to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients,

including the broth you made. If you are using store-bought broth add the broth and water.

Raise the heat to medium high to bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to a nice simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. 

Serve topped with croutons and shredded gruyere cheese. If you have oven-proof bowls, you can throw the soup under the broiler to melt the cheese and make it nice and bubbly. Broil on low for about 3 minutes and enjoy!

Red Pepper Sauce (fresher than roasted)

Developed Summer 2019

About 30 years ago, I first learned about spaghetti squash, and though it was fun, thought it was a horrible substitution for pasta with a traditional marinara. Everyone raved about it as a “healthier” substitute, and I thought I was crazy. Then, about 10 years ago, I had zucchini squash thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler and topped with roasted red pepper sauce and thought, “Ah, that is good and would be good with all kinds of mild squash.” 

Last summer I was inundated with squashes from my community farm share and decided to do some research on good red pepper sauces, borrowed from many, and finally settled on this. It is very forgiving and quite delicious. I’ve used it as a sauce for squash and regular pastas, drizzled on homemade hummus, as a base for red pepper soup, and with curries.  My favorite pasta with red pepper sauce combination follows the recipe. 

This recipe is very forgiving and can be modified without loss of deliciousness.

EQUIPMENT

Cutting board

Chef’s knife

Measuring cup

Zester, such as a microplane

Food Processor (or blender)

Rubber spatula or spoon

INGREDIENTS

3-4 roasted red peppers (about 2 cups) 

2-3 non-roasted jarred red peppers (about 1.5 cups)

1 fresh red pepper, seeded and cored

2T shallot or mild white onion

2 cloves garlic

1T capers

1 lemon, zest and juice

2T fresh basil or ½ T dried basil

½ t sea salt; ¼ t black pepper

____

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

 RECIPE

1.    Shake off the brine from the roasted and regular red peppers, rough chop them and toss them in the blender or food processor. (Rough chopping the ingredients helps ensure they are evenly distributed in your sauce.) 

2.    Peel and rough chop the onion and garlic then add to the peppers. 

3.    If you are using dried herbs, pulverize them by rubbing them between your palms as you add them to the peppers. This helps release their essential oils. 

4.    Add the remaining ingredients aside from the olive oil to the food processor. Blend until smooth. You may need to open the blender and scrape ingredients off the side of the container with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Once the ingredients are fairly smooth, turn on the processor again and slowly blend in the olive oil.
The sauce is ready for use. It keeps well refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for 5 days or longer. 

My favorite pasta for this sauce:

Rigatoni with red pepper sauce and garlic, parsley, zucchini, mushrooms, capers, green olives, feta cheese. Any or all of these ingredients are optional; any hearty pasta will work. 

(serves 4-6 people)

·      Prepare the rigatoni as the package indicates while you make the sauce.

·      Quarter 8 oz (the standard package) of button mushrooms, cut the zucchini into ½ inch rounds and then in half-moons, mince ¼ cup of parsley leaves, and thinly slice 2-3 cloves of peeled garlic. 

·      Bring a sauté pan to temperature over medium heat. Once, it is hot, add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Then pop in 2-3 thinly sliced cloves of garlic. 

·      When the garlic begins to slightly brown, add the mushrooms and zucchini, a pinch of salt, and bring the temperature to low, stirring frequently until mushrooms and zucchini are cooked, about 5 minutes. 

·      Pour about 3 cups of the roasted red pepper sauce into the pot with the veggies and increase the heat to medium. Use more sauce if you feel like you need it. Add about a tablespoon of capers and ½ cup of olives sliced in half. If they have pimento, you can leave it – that is actually red pepper. The feta cheese can be crumbled and added now which will make the sauce creamy or as a garnish later.  Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, then take it off the heat. 

Crustless Asparagus-Mushroom Quiche

During the “stay at home” orders, I have decided to work on a couple of new recipes that both my brother and I would enjoy. Knowing that he likes asparagus, one recipe I settled on was an asparagus quiche. I modified this recipe after reading through many online recipes. We both enjoyed it very much. 

EQUIPMENT 

Cutting board 
Chef’s knife

Large bowl 

Small bowl

Sauté pan or skillet

Rubber/silicone spatula or wooden mixing spoon

Hand grater or food processor

9” round pie pan

INGREDIENTS FOR SAUTE                                             INGREDIENTS FOR CUSTARD
1 T extra virgin olive oil                                                   5 large eggs, the best you can buy

1 cup finely chopped yellow or Vidalia onion                 ½ cup half and half or heavy cream 

1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms                                1 t mustard of your choice     

1.5 cups asparagus, ¾” lengths                                        8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1 t minced garlic                                                              ½ t sea salt

¼ - ½ cup minced parsley (optional)                                ½ t freshly ground black pepper 

¼ t madras curry powder (optional)

½ t dried thyme (or 1 t fresh)

Pinch sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

RECIPE

1.    Preheat oven to 350ºF with the oven rack in the center shelf. You may wish to place a baking sheet on the rack to prevent spills during cooking. 

2.    Prepare veggies. Using a chef’s knife, peel and dice the onion on the cutting board. Place the pieces in your mixing bowl. Bend a representative piece of your asparagus enough so that it snaps in two. Line the top of the piece up with the tops of the remaining uncut asparagus on your cutting board and slice all of the asparagus to the same length. You will use the top pieces for the quiche. Cut those into equal length pieces between ½ and 1” and toss those into the bowl with the onions. The woody bottom ends can be frozen for making soup later, composed, and even fed to your pets. My dogs love them (and get asparagus pee!). Finally, clean and dry the mushrooms. Slice them into 3-5 slices each and put the slices into your bowl.

3.    Sauté vegetables. Bring a skillet up to temperature over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add your veggies all at once with a pinch of salt. Stir frequently, ensuring that the veggies are not burning. If they seem to be burning or sticking, reduce the heat on your pan. Then, mince the garlic. Remove the parsley leaves from their main stalks, mince and then add both the garlic and parsley to your pan. (If you prepare your ingredients in advance, you will want the veggies to sauté for about 5 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients). Add the curry powder and thyme, ensuring you are not getting any stalks from dried or fresh thyme in the pan. You can rub dried thyme between your palms to crush any stalk pieces and release the essential oils. You can easily pull leaves off of fresh thyme by gently grabbing the bottom of the stalk and pulling upward. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions and asparagus are soft – about 10-12 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the veggies to cool somewhat.

4.    Make the custard. Great the cheeses. 8 oz is about 1 standard block. It is best not to buy pre-grated cheese because those cheese are specially made to not stick together when packaged… they don’t melt well. Break open 5 large eggs and put the contents in your bowl. It is best to break them into a separate bowl and pour each individually into the larger bowl, just in case there is a problem with the egg. Beat gently until the yolks are mixed evenly through the eggs. Add the half and half, mustard, salt, and pepper, and thoroughly, but gently combine. Add the grated cheese in and mix to combine well. Finally, add the veggies and mix to combine well. 

5.    Bake the quiche. Lightly grease your pie pan (this is optional as I find this really does not stick to my pan) with oil or butter. Add your egg and vegetable mixture to the pie pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread it out evenly. Place in the pie pan in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, checking for doneness at 40 minutes. To check for doneness, place a knife into the thickest part of the center. If it comes out clean, your quiche is done.

Once baked, allow the quiche to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with fresh fruit, a nice salad, or even a bowl of homemade tomato soup. Enjoy!

Cook’s notes: this can be made with any vegetables of your choice, although vegetable quiches are traditionally broccoli or asparagus. Make sure whatever veggies you use are nice and cooked, but not soggy. Let your creativity be your guide. 

Vegetarian Pozole-Rojo (Hominy Stew)

(adapted from food.com/recipe/authentic-mexican-pozole-196233)

Pozole (hominy) rojo is a stew of guajillo peppers and typically made with pork shoulder. I modified the re version to be quite tasty and is even better after sitting overnight. Makes about 8 servings. Instructions for making this with pork are at the bottom of the recipe.

EQUIPMENT

Colander

Cutting board

Filet knife

9” cast iron skillet

Cooking tongs

Small saucepan and lid

Glass 4c measuring up

Mesh strainer (colander will do)

Large stockpot

Food processor

 STEW INGREDIENTS

4 oz dried guajillo, ancho, or combination peppers (about 20 dried guajillo peppers) 

30 – 50 oz (drained and rinsed) or frozen pozole (white organic corn is a good alternative)

14-oz can of white beans and black-eyed peas, drained, rinsed, and dried

14-oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

5 Q (20 c) water boiling in stock pot

1 medium sweet onion (about 2 cups, diced)

8 cloves of peeled garlic – 4 whole; 4 minced

2 T butter + 2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T all-purpose flour

3 bay leaves

2 T dried oregano (Mexican oregano is great if you have it)

1 t Liquid Smoke

1 t salt

FRESH GARNISHES (Approximate amounts for full) 

½ cabbage, julienned

2 avocados, sliced or diced

4 limes, cut in wedges

½ white onion, diced

1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped

12 radishes, sliced

1 cucumber, sliced

4 jalapenos, sliced

toasted tostada shells

** I grilled chicken breasts with coriander, cumin, salt and pepper then finished with a squeeze of lime and cut into slices for a garnish for meat eaters. 

1.    Prepare the soup pot: Bring 20 cups of water to a boil, covered, in your largest stock pot.

2.    Prepare the beans. Drain and rinse the white beans and black-eyed peas. Lay out a clean tea towel on the counter. Shake off the excess water from the beans, put them in a single layer on the tea towel and gently roll up the towel to absorb moisture. Leave the beans in the towel until you are ready for them.  

3.    De-vein and de-seed the dried chilis. I use my filet knife for this task. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly when done so chili oil does not get into your eyes. (This step can be done a day in advance if you like.)

     4.    Prepare the chilis for the stew: Heat your cast iron skillet to temperature over medium heat. Place the chilis gently into the skillet using your tongs. At the same time, bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Heat the chilis gently to soften them and bring out the oils. Once they are all heated through, use the tongs to transfer the chilis to the boiling water. Turn off heat, make sure all of the chilis are immersed in the water, pushing them down with the tongs if necessary. 

     Cover, and let the chilis sit for 15-20 minutes. 

5.    Cook the beans: Use the same cast iron pan with any residual chili oils. Turn heat to medium and allow it to get hot. Add the butter and olive oil. Add the diced onion and bay leaf. Cook until the onion begins to brown. Lower the heat to med-low, then add the garlic, cumin and flour. Stir gently and regularly until the flour begins to brown a bit. Add the beans that have been drying in the towels. Cook, stirring occasionally while you go back to working with the peppers. 

6.    Create the red pepper sauce: Strain the liquid from the hot peppers into a glass 4-cup measure. Gently press the peppers down to extract more water. If you don’t have 3 full cups of liquid in the measuring cup, add enough tap or filtered water to ensure to total 3 cups. Place the strained peppers in a food processer outfitted with a cutting blade. Add 2 ½ cups of the strained chili water, the four whole garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt to the processor. Cover, and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into the stock pot with the boiling water. 

      7.    Assemble the soup: Once the beans have begun to brown a bit in the pan, turn off the heat. After you add the red sauce to the soup, carefully pour the hot beans into the stock pot. Return the skillet to the heat briefly, pour the remaining liquid from the hot peppers into the skillet and use the hot water to scrape off any bits from the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the bits and liquid to the soup. 

Rinse and drain the black beans. Add them to the pot. Add the pozole (be sure to rinse and drain the hominy if you are using canned), 1 t of Liquid Smoke, and 1 t of salt to the soup. 

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for three hours, stirring occasionally.  

8.    Prepare your garnishes: Cilantro, radish, and lime really makes the dish. The full list of traditional garnishes is above. Other garnishes are fantastic too, such as cheese, sour cream, yogurt with lime and coriander, etc.

9.    Assemble the dish and enjoy!

  

NOTE: If you want traditional pork-based pozole, do not add the Liquid Smoke and instead of any of the beans cut 3 lbs of pork shoulder into bite-sized cubes and brown each side in a cast iron skillet (along with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper). Pop the meat into the stock pot after you’ve added the pepper sauce. Use some of the pepper liquid to deglaze the pot, making sure all of the brown bits get into the soup.