Parsnip-Cauliflower Soup & Sopressata Flatbread Twists

Episode Three! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Parsnip Cauliflower Soup and Sopressata Flatbread Twists from Ross Cauvel on Vimeo.

INGREDIENTS

For the soup:

2 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
6-8 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 head cauliflower, cut into chunks
salt and pepper
1 box low-sodium chicken broth
juice of half a lemon
2 cups lowfat milk
fresh chopped parsley

For the Twists:

1 ball pizza dough (mine was homemade, from Emeril's by-hand recipe), rolled out and sliced into 1-inch wide strips
1 egg beaten with 1 T. milk
5-6 slices sopressata (or other salami-like deli meat), in 1-inch wide slices
shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

STEP 1:

Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven or large pot on medium-high heat. Add carrots and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions begin to brown at the edges a little. Add parsnips and cook for a few more minutes.

STEP 2:

Add cauliflower, lemon juice and chicken broth. Cover and cook on high heat for about 30 minutes, until parsnips and cauliflower are very tender.

STEP 3:

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay pizza dough strips out flat on a pizza stone or baking sheet. Brush each strip with a little egg wash. Cover each strip with strips of sopressata. Twist into twisty shapes. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top along with a little salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown, broiling for a few minutes at the end if needed for extra crispness.

STEP 4:

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup (or puree it in a regular blender or food processor). Reduce heat and stir in milk. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm till ready to serve. Ladle into bowls, top with parsley, and serve with twists. Enjoy!

Red Pepper & Walnut Pesto AND Corniest Corn Chowder

OMG where have I been?!


Well, let's see: after my AMAZING birthday trip to Punta de Mita, Mexico [surfing La Lancha, deep-sea fishing for swordfish, relaxing by the pool, snorkeling, sun soaking, pina colada sipping, guacamole overdosing], Ross and I embarked on the Great New Apartment Adventure! We are now in a MUCH more spacious and completely adorable one bedroom right in the heart of Lakeview.


Not a week went by after my return from Mexico that I was whisked away to LA for work (not the most terrible place to work, I must admit). Amidst the travel, the moving, then being swallowed up in a downright challenging barrage of work and social activities, I didn't cook a thing for the entire month of August (unless you count late-night scrambled eggs on toast, which, frankly, you shouldn't).


All excuses aside, to my loyal blog fans: many apologies for my absence, but here's to looking forward to an autumn filled with squash, cider, and cozy nights at home (in front of our WORKING FIREPLACE!!!). And check out our "Urban Surf Shack" bedroom:

Sascha Fierce is enjoying the extra room to run wild, Ross is loving his very own Surfboard Storage Space, and I'm loving my big, open, granite-countertop-boasting kitchen (WITH A DISHWASHER!!!)...in which, I promise you with this post, I will be creating more of the delicious meals you've come to expect. So, as atonement for my laziness, please enjoy not one but TWO Fearless recipes that will take you from late summer to early fall.

RED PEPPER,WALNUT, & TOMATO PESTO

INGREDIENTS

1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 jar roasted red peppers
~1 cup walnut halves/pieces
big handful basil leaves
1/2 bunch parsley
6-8 kalamata olives
salt to taste
juice of one lemon
~1/4 cup water
~1/3 c. olive oil
1 box whole wheat penne pasta (or any other pasta you like)
grated Parmesan cheese for topping


STEP 1:

Place all ingredients except pasta and Parmesan into food processor and blend until smooth. With the blade running, drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.

STEP 2:

Meanwhile, boil the noodles in salted water until al dente. Drain and return to cooking pot. Toss with the sauce and heat on low to warm sauce through. Serve topped with Parmesan. Enjoy!

CORNIEST CORN CHOWDER

INGREDIENTS

3 T. butter
1 small onion (or 1/2 a large onion), diced small
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
10 cobs fresh corn, husked
3 cloves garlic, sliced
~1/2 carton chicken broth (probably about 2 cups)
1/2 pint half and half
4-5 large fresh basil leaves, in ribbons
sour cream, grape tomatoes, and fresh basil for garnish


STEP 1:
With a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the corn cobs into a large bowl. Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pot. Add the onion, corn kernels, and salt/pepper/red pepper flakes. Stir and let cook until onions begin to get translucent.

STEP 2:
Add enough chicken broth just to cover the kernels. Add the garlic and basil, stir, then cover and cook over medium high heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding a little chicken broth if the mixture seems to be getting a little dry.

STEP 3:
Use an immersion blender to break down most of the corn kernels - you want a soup that's not pureed, but that's creamier than cream corn. You could also do this step in a blender or food processor. If you want it chunkier, leave more kernels. If you want it creamier, puree the heck out of it.

STEP 4:
Reduce the heat a bit and stir in the half and half. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve in bowls topped with quartered grape tomatoes, slivered basil leaves, and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Sick Day Soup(s) & The Rollover Elvis

Wow, it's been much too long, my friends!


I spent the August-to-September transition moving from my smallish apartment to my tinyish apartment (because, you see, it was just going to be little ol' me), and then my better half unexpectedly moved back from his stint in our nation's capital.

So it's me, Ross, and Sascha - and as they say, three's a crowd. And in our Boystown studio, three's verging on an unruly mob.

The good news? Well, yes, that we're happily reunited, but also - I now have a dining room! Behold:


OK, it's technically a "breakfast nook" (or as the previous tenant and my good friend Emily had it, a bedroom), but it is a room with a table that between one to four individuals can dine in - thus, a dining room. That was one thing my old place lacked that I always had a jones for. But now I can eat breakfast - or any meal I darn well please - in my sunny, yellow, Seventies-throwback dining room - er...nook.



The bad news is...well, there's no real bad news, although I'd love to return to the blog with some triumphant culinary masterpiece, and instead I have...a grilled cheese sandwich.

I call it: The Rollover Elvis.

It's a known fact that The King enjoyed fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches (a man of impeccable taste if ever there were one). And in a pinch the other night, I found myself with Swiss cheese, some gala apples, whole wheat Challah bread (found at Treasure Island - a treasure indeed) and some natural peanut butter. I was inspired by an amazing sandwich I had once at the excellent gastropub Hopleaf in Andersonville - it was cashew butter, sharp Irish cheddar, and some sort of fruit chutney (fig?) nestled between buttery, crisp-fried Challah bread.

I figured if Elvis were alive to shimmy anywhere near my kitchen, he'd gyrate in sheer horror at the bastardization of his deliciously gooey southern treat - so he's probably rolling over in his grave. Well, Elvis be damned - the sandwich was downright tasty! (Fit for a King?)

It took about 10 minutes to make, start to finish, and was surprisingly hearty. It's protein-packed, buttery, and it's a so-simple-it's-stupid meal solution for a quick dinner when you're just too tired to make anything.

THE ROLLOVER ELVIS

2 slices whole wheat (or regular) Challah bread
2 thin slices Swiss cheese
several thin slices apple
natural peanut butter
pat of butter for the pan


Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread. Lay the cheese on the other. Arrange the apple slices on top of the peanut butter and lay that piece of bread in the pan. Top with the cheese and other slice of bread. Fry until browned and crisp, then flip. Fry on other side until desired doneness. Slice in half and enjoy!

Because Nature must always laugh in the face of human bliss, Ross and I have spent this last week under the weather. I got a beast of a cold, then promptly passed it on to him, despite his best efforts to ward it off. Luckily, I'm one mean soup-making machine.

I made a veggies version for me, first, then a chicken version for him, later.

CHICKENLESS NOODLE SOUP

1 and 1/2 qts. vegetable stock
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
juice of one large lemon
2 T. olive oil
big handful baby spinach leaves
big handful egg noodles
2 eggs, whisked
salt and pepper
Sriracha sauce (optional)



Heat olive oil in large pot. Add onion and carrots and cook until beginning to soften. Add garlic (press through a garlic press or mince), and cook for about a minute. Add lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Cook for another minute. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the noodles. Cook for about 5 more minutes, then add the spinach. Cook for about 3 more minutes, then add the whisked eggs and stir quickly so they cook and scramble, like egg drop soup. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve and enjoy!


SICK DAY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

6 chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
3 T. olive oil
2 celery ribs, diced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
2 T. white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
2 qt. chicken stock
fusilli pasta
dash Worchestershire sauce
poultry seasoning
all-purpose seasoning



In a large pot, heat olive oil. Saute carrot, celery and onion, seasoning with salt and pepper, until softened. Stir in vinegar and cook for a couple minutes. Add stock and chicken. Bring to a low boil. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through. Add the pasta about 8 minutes before you want to serve the soup. Reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve, tasting to adjust seasoning. Enjoy!



Here's hoping this long-overdue post finds you all healthy and happy. More soon...

The Vegan Bean Soup Project, with...ahem, Goat Cheese

This afternoon at work, I was absolutely dreading the inevitable question, "So what are you doing tonight?"

Frankly, I lied. "Oh, you know, getting some wine with friends, staying out late, maybe some tabletop dancing at the hottest new club."


The truth? All day, I thought about coming home to my Crockpot full of vegan bean soup - the soup I so boldly referred to as a "project" in the title of this post. I settled on Project both for the air of importance it bestowed upon what turned out to be a magnificent soup, but also because it was a meal that required two completely separate cooking sessions.

I was inspired by my new, oft-name-dropped cookbook, Super Natural Cooking. Heidi Swanson's vegetable broth was too intriguing to pass up. (Yes, I find vegetable broth recipes intriguing - do you now see why I feel compelled to lie about my weekend activities?) I shy away from veggie broth at the store, mostly because I find chicken broth so delicious and versatile, but also because I'm just dubious about the ingredients. Processed soup in general, is sort of sketchy - it's always a total sodium party, with who-knows-how-old veggies...and don't even get me started on the type of MEAT you find in those canned soup jobbies.

Heidi's vegetable broth required simple, inexpensive ingredients, only an hour of my time, and I felt really good about building a soup from the bottom up. Liquid karma! (Making chicken broth, on the other hand - I'll file that away under "Someday.") I had also recently seen a bean mix at Trader Joe's that caught my attention - 17 Bean Mix! Seventeen beans! I am 110% positive that if I were forced at gunpoint to name 17 different varities of legumes, I would end up with a fatal bullet wound.

Buying dried beans is somewhat of a new culinary horizon for me, so the plethora of beans in their mix seemed like an easy way to acquaint myself with, well...all of them.

I made the broth while I was cooking dinner, so I only dirtied the kitchen once (since the soup simmered all day in the Crockpot) - it turned out to be well worth the effort.

The goat cheese was a last-minute (obviously non-vegan) addition, but it added to the already creamy beans, and picked up on the lemon juice in the broth. Of course, if you are an actual vegan, this is an ingredient you'll skip. If you are a dairy-phile like me, you could also serve the soup with a dollop of creme fraiche, sour cream, or Greek yogurt. Grated parmesan would also be yummy.

VEGAN BEAN SOUP WITH GOAT CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

VEGETABLE BROTH

(Reprinted here from Heidi Swanson's recipe; my personal additions have asterisks.)

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, cut into eighths
2 shallots, quartered
1 garlic clove, smashed*
2 celery stalks, chopped
a few springs thyme*
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 quarts water

*I didn't have thyme. Instead, I used a little parsley, sage, dill, and rosemary.
*I added 1 large chopped carrot.
*I think I used 2 cloves.
*I added some fresh ground black pepper and a pinch of my favorite organic all-purpose salt-free seasoning.

NOTE: Because I once saw Ina Garten do this on TV, I left all the peels on my onions, garlic, and shallots. It all adds to the flavor of the broth. I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you're buying organic ingredients, because of pesticides, etc.

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, shallots, garlic, celery, and thyme. Saute 5 minutes and add the salt and water. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Strain and use in soups, risottos, and sauces. Makes 2 quarts.



SOUP

2 quarts homemade vegetable broth
1 bag 17-bean mix (or other dry bean blend)
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped into small pieces
juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste
herbed goat cheese (optional)

STEP ONE:

The night before you want to make the soup, make the broth and store in an airtight container. Also, soak the dry beans overnight in enough water to cover the beans by a few inches. The beans will soak up a lot of the water.




STEP TWO:

In the morning, drain the beans. Add the beans, broth, carrot, and celery to the Crockpot. Cook on low all day. When you get home, add the lemon juice and season to taste. Serve with a chunk of goat cheese on top. Enjoy!

I know that making your own broth may sound a little over the top, but this soup came out so yummy that I think it's worth the minimal effort. A little chopping and some patience while it simmers, and bam - an excellent, non-creepy broth for what I imagine to be an endless variety of uses. This recipe is so simple, I can imagine just making batches of it weekly so that I always have it on hand. There are some things that just need chicken broth, but I'm really excited to experiment with vegetable broth in all my favorite brothy things.


The beans were so creamy and hearty, and their beany goodness just permeated the broth as it cooked. This meal is hands-down one of the most healthful things I've made - and completely craveable.

Thanks for reading! More soon...

Recession: Party of One - Detox Soup

After a particularly indulgent weekend, it's nice to have a meal that erases the guilt - if not the sordid memories - just a bit.

Since this past weekend was all about celebration, I thought I should eat something wholesome, light, but still really satisfying. Soup, for me, almost always fits that description.


I had never really tapped into my love of soup until I moved to bone-cold Chicago, but I have to say, the world of soup it's opened up to me makes the winters almost worth it.

This is a soup that takes just a little bit of chopping to prep, and not much hands-on cooking at all, unless you count the occasional stir.

BUTTERNUST SQUASH & RED CABBAGE DETOX SOUP

NOTE: I use the word "detox" loosely - this is not part of an actual detox diet.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 of a small red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/3 of a small butternut squash, cut into small chunks
3 c. chicken broth
1 can stewed tomatoes
1/2 c. chickpeas
several sprigs thyme, leaves only
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1/4 c. wild and brown rice blend (or any rice)
1/4 c. protein-enriched angel hair pasta, broken into pieces
salt and pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
a few dashes white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 thin slice French bread
grated Parmagiano Reggiano

STEP ONE:

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the cabbage and thyme leaves, and cook for 5-6 minutes, seasoning with a little salt and pepper, until it begins to soften.

STEP TWO:

Add the rest of the ingredients with the exception of the pasta. Cover, turn heat to medium-high, and cook for about 20-30 minutes, until rice grains are tender. Add the pasta about 8 minutes before you're ready to serve the soup. Give it an occasional stir.

STEP THREE:

Toast the bread in the toaster. Grate the Parmesan over the bread as son as it comes out, and melt it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds if needed. Serve with the soup. Enjoy!

Easy, right?

This soup came out really tasty - whether or not health is the goal, it would be delicious either way. The only thing I'd change is the rice & pasta - I'd replace them with orzo (whole wheat orzo, if that even exists, would be ideal). The rice didn't get quite as tender as it should have (although when I eat the leftovers, it will most likely be perfect), and the pasta was just a little annoying, as it kept sliding off my spoon.

This made about 3-4 servings of soup - definitely enough to have for a few days of lunches. Which brings us to the PARTY OF ONE PRICE INDEX:

CABBAGE: 44 cents
BUTTERNUT SQUASH: 36 cents
CHICKPEAS: 20 cents
TOMATOES: 55 cents
CHICKEN BROTH: 80 cents

Everything else I already had or is a pantry staple, which brings our per-serving GRAND TOTAL to:

78 cents!!!

Wow, that might be the most economical R: P of 1 meal yet! No wonder soup has been a peasant staple for centuries.

A few more nights like this, plus a bikram yoga class or two, and I should be back to my fighting weight in no time.

From Justin to Belly

Or...

Thai Me Up

Or...

Enough to Thai'd You Over

OK, I'll stop.

The inspiration for this week's blog was meeting new people. A few friends from my work and few friends from my roommate's work got together for some wine and some autumnal riffs on Thai cuisine. These are my awesome friends Justin and Kelly:



This was a particularly challenging episode because of the number of guests - I had to find a way to feed a lot of (6) people on not a lot of moolah. It dawned on me that soup would be the perfect way to fill everyone up, and as the leaves are turning here in Chicago, soup just seemed perfect. I had been thinking about a Thai-inspired soup for some time, so I got some coconut milk and went with it.

I have to preface this with a confession:

For this dinner, I got really stressed out! I may be fearless, but I'm still human. I worked later than I intended, and in my haste once I began cooking, I kept forgetting to take pictures (duh!). There are still plenty of pics to guide you through, and the preparation for these dishes is simple anyway. Thanks for hanging in there with me.


Ingredients for Soup:

2 fresh large chicken breasts
4 48-ounce cartons chicken stock
3 cans light coconut milk
2 red bell peppers
1 head broccoli
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
Juice of 3 limes
1 T. minced ginger (from a jar)
A few pinches turmeric
A few pinches hot curry powder
Some salt and pepper
A handful chopped fresh cilantro

Ingredients for Salad:

A mix of chopped romaine lettuce, baby spinach, and spring mix
Shredded carrots
Tomato wedges
Cucumber slices
1 1/2 lbs. Shrimp
A few pinches hot curry powder
2 T. olive oil
Roasted, unsalted peanuts

Ingredients for Salad Dressing:

Juice of 5 limes
3/4 c. olive oil
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 T. honey
pinch hot curry powder

NOTE: I was cooking for 6 people, so I made a lot of food. We only ate about half the soup, but most of the salad got eaten. But I definitely made too much soup. Not a problem since soup universally freezes well, but something to keep in mind.


STEP 1:

Halve and thinly slice leeks. In a large soup pot, melt 1 T. butter. Sautee the leeks until they soften a bit, about 2-3 minutes. Add a couple pinches turmeric and a couple pinches hot curry powder. Add the ginger and sautee for another minute.


STEP 2:

Pour all chicken broth and coconut milk into the pot. Crank up the heat to begin to bring it to a boil while you chop the rest of the ingredients. Slice the red peppers and then cut the slices into 1-inch pieces and add to pot. Rinse broccoli, and chop the fluffy green tops off, discarding the tough stems. Chop it into pretty small pieces, tearing it into smaller pieces if neccessary while adding it to pot. Throw it in the soup.






STEP 3:

Cut the chicken breasts into small (bite-sized) pieces. Heat 1 T. olive oil in a skillet, and add chicken. Add salt and pepper. Sautee until chicken turns white, but do not overcook. When done, add it to the soup. Halve 3 limes, and squeeze the juice into the soup. At this point, taste the soup. If it needs more seasoning (i.e., more curry powder, salt, or pepper), add more until you think it tastes good. It's hard to overseason this much soup, so don't be scared. Curry powder is a mild seasoning, it won't ruin it.







STEP 4:

Chop the romaine lettuce, and otherwise prepare the rest of the salad (which in my case means opening various bags). I just piled all the lettuce on a large serving platter (that my roommate got at Jewel for $1 - best dollar we ever spent), sort of tossing it around as I went. Sprinkle some carrots on top. Slice the cucumbers and tomatoes and put those on top too.




STEP 5:

For the dressing, pour the olive oil into a medium mixing bowl. Halve the limes and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Chop the cilantro and add it in, then put in the honey, and add a pinch of curry powder. Whisk it all together.




STEP 6:

In a skillet, heat about 1 T. olive oil in a skillet. Place the raw shrimp in the pan, and sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and a few pinches curry powder. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip them and cook them about 2 minutes on the other side (you don't really need to season this side, since they'll just soak up what fell off in the olive oil). I had to do two batches of shrimp since I had so many, so cook more if you need to. Place the shrimp on top of the salad. Drizzle the salad dressing over the top of everything.






STEP 7:

Since I had a small crowd, I just set the salad out and let everyone serve themselves, while I put the soup in bowls. It seemed to work.






My judges for this dinner were my lovely guests Justin, Kelly, Sarah, Taylor, and Ross. Here's what they all had to say:

TAYLOR: I really liked the soup. It reminded me of Panang Chicken Curry, which I like. But it also wasn't too heavy, like Panang tends to be.

SARAH: Yeah, it was light. It seemed really healthy. I love Thai food, so I really liked it.

JUSTIN: I really liked the soup, but the chicken in the soup seemed like it could've used a little more seasoning. The shrimp in the salad were seasoned perfectly, though. But I think the salad could've used more dressing. Overall, I really liked it.

KELLY: Me too, BUT...I think it was too hot out for soup! This would be great if it were a little more like Fall outside.

ROSS [the next morning]: I think that soup gave me a stomachache.






Thanks so much to my guests for coming by on a Monday night! I had a great time, and I hope you really did enjoy yourselves. Great feedback!

TOTAL TIME TO MAKE: About an hour.

Level of difficulty: 1 out of 5. If you can open cans and chop vegetables, you can make this. But give yourself more time than I did. Stress adds nothing to the dish.

MY VOTE ON MY DISH:

I'd give it a 6 out of 10. I really liked the salad, but I agree with Justin that for the amount of salad, the dressing may have been sparse. Or rather, it just sunk to the bottom - next time I might toss the salad leaves in the dressing first. The soup didn't turn out exactly as I had envisioned. In order to achieve the consistency I was looking for, I would've had to drastically reduce the amount of chicken stock and increase the amount of coconut milk, although my guests seemed to appreciate that it wasn't too creamy or heavy. I think the best part was the shrimp - they were fresh, well-seasoned, and for once I didn't overcook them. Although next time I might remove the tails - I really like how shrimp look with the tails on, but in salad, it would just be easier to spear a bite without having to deal with getting the tail out of the way first. Overall, the dinner was certainly far from a disaster, but stressful enough to keep my culinary ego in check!

WINE NOTES:

We drank some Yellow Tail Shiraz, and Justin even brought some Carmenere, found only in Chile! A special wine for sure. Although after 3 glasses, who can tell, right? Thanks for the wine, guys!



Kelly also brought over some awesome brownies - she replaced the oil with applesauce to make them lower fat, and they were great. We ate the entire pan.


THE AFTERMATH:




A FEARLESS COOK LESSON LEARNED:

It's a lot easier to be "fearless" when your group is small - cooking for one or two people is no sweat. Six is another story. That's when planning comes in handy. You can still go recipe-free, but it definitely helps to at least have an idea what you're going to feed your friendly little army. I actually can't believe I pulled it off! Whew, another meal conquered.



I'll be back next week with another fearless kitchen expedition. Thanks for reading, everyone!