Snow, Beautiful Snow

We had a beautiful snow fall in New York last night and most of today.  John and I took a walk to Washington Square Park earlier today to see all the snow covered trees. 

Turkey Minestrone Soup

 

We ate this soup a few weeks ago during a big snow storm.  It was a crock pot recipe, but could just as easily be made stove top.  The original recipe is actually "Minestrone alla Milanese", but I made some changes, so changed the name as well.

Turkey Minestrone Soup

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1 cup red potato, peeled and diced

1 cup carrot, peeled and chopped

1 cup zucchini, chopped

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup celery, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

1 bay leaf

2 (14 oz) cans beef broth

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup Ditalini pasta (tiny tubes)

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in medium skillet.  Add turkey and cook until no pink remains, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Transfer turkey to crock pot.  Add remaining ingredients through tomatoes and stir well to combine.  Cover and cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours.

Add cannellini beans and cook on LOW 1 hour.

Add pasta and continue to cook until pasta is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Quesadillas

The real recipe for these quesadillas is the chicken filling.  It's a crock pot recipe that is extremely easy, but also really delicious.

Shredded Chicken Filling
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (16 oz) jar salsa

Place chicken in 4 quart crock pot.  Pour salsa over the chicken.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.  Shred the chicken with two forks.

Chicken Quesadillas
olive oil
2 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded chicken, divided
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
low fat sour cream

Heat a splash of olive oil in skillet and wipe with a paper towel to evenly coat.  Heat flour tortillas for a few seconds on the hot surface, one at a time.  Spread half the chicken and half the cheese onto each tortilla.  Fold each tortilla over to create two half circles.  Place both folded tortillas back on the skillet and grill for a few minutes on each side until heated through and lightly browned.  Remove from heat, slice into triangles and serve with sour cream for dipping.

Valentine's Day Dessert - Strawberry Cream Squares

I came across this recipe in the summer 2008 issue of Domino magazine (which unfortunately is no longer in circulation).  The original recipe is a strawberry cream pie, but I used a square pan instead of a round pie pan, so I changed the name.  The recipe also calls for a whipped cream topping, but I omitted it this time.

Strawberry Cream Squares
2 lbs fresh strawberries (about 4 pints), tops removed, plus a few for garnish
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
5 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
10 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Place strawberries in a blender and blend on high until pureed.  Combine milk, sugar, and cornstarch in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and whisk until dissolved.  Add the strawberry puree and lemon juice.  Cook on high heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture is thick and bubbling (about 10 minutes).  Remove from heat. 

Place graham cracker crumbs in a 9 inch square baking dish (or a round pie dish), drizzle with melted butter and mix until all the crumbs are moistened.  Press evenly into the bottom of the dish (or all sides of the pie dish) to form a crust.  Pour strawberry filling into crust and let cool completely (about 30 minutes).  Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

Cut into squares and garnish with sliced strawberries and/or whipped cream before serving. 

Whipped cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp confectioners' sugar

Place cream in a mixing bowl and, with an electric mixer, blend on high until stiff peaks form.  Add confectioners' sugar and blend another 10 seconds.  Spread whipped cream over the entire dessert just before serving or dollop onto individual servings.

Pesto with Spinach and Chives

When I buy basil, it usually comes in a bundle too large to use at one time.  Most dishes only call for a few leaves at a time and then the bundle goes bad before it can all be used.  My favorite way to use up all the leftovers is to make a big batch of pesto.  We eat it with pasta and use it as a spread for sandwiches and wraps.  It will last at least a week in the fridge and can be frozen.  One cook book I read suggests freezing it in ice cube trays so that it can be used in small portions whenever needed.  I love that idea, but I've never actually tried it. 

I've come across several different variations of pesto recipes, but this is probably my favorite.  I love the idea of using raw spinach along with the basil for added vitamins.  I also love adding walnuts along with the pine nuts since we almost always have them on hand.  The chives are also a non-traditional addition which give the pesto some extra punch. 

Pesto with Spinach and Chives

1/2 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup chives or scallions, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (and/or toasted walnuts)
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in food processor until finely processed.  Add more olive oil if needed to reach the desired consistancy.  Stir a few tablespoons into hot cooked pasta and serve with extra Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese grated on top.  Refrigerate leftovers.  Blend with mayo for a delicious sandwich spread, stir into sauteed vegetables or rice or serve alongside grilled meat.

Rice Pudding with Dried Fruit and Nuts

Rice pudding is not the kind of dessert I would normally make.  It's not that I don't like it, I just don't crave it the same way I do cupcakes or chocolate.  However, John recently mentioned that he loved tapioca and rice pudding, and since I'm always looking for good stovetop desserts to make, I decided to try it.  I referred to two different rice pudding recipes and came up with my own version below.  It was delicious!

Rice Pudding with Dried Fruit and Nuts

3/4 cup uncooked Jasmine rice

2 cups milk, divided

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup dried fruit, chopped (I used a combination of dried apricots, raisins, cranberries, and blueberries)

1/2 cup toasted nuts, chopped (I used slivered almonds and walnuts)

1 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

dash of almond extract

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil.  Add rice and stir.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

In another saucepan, combine cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar, and salt.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and creamy, about 20 minutes.  Stir in remaining milk, beaten egg, fruit, and nuts.  Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, and stir in butter, vanilla, and almond extract.  Serve warm.

Mixed Green Salad with Strawberries and Walnuts

This salad was light and delicious!

Mixed Green Salad with Strawberries and Walnuts

1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cups baby mixed greens
1/2 strawberries, cut bite-size
1/4 walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 tbsp crumbled feta or goat cheese

Whisk vinegar and oil in medium bowl.  Add baby greens and toss to coat the leaves.  Top with strawberries, walnuts, and cheese and serve.

Snow

Today we had a beautiful snowfall in New York. 

Fritto Misto

I recently had half a zucchini and sqaush leftover and rather than the usual steaming, I decided to try something different and a little more decadent...fritto misto, which is Italian for "fried mix".  It's made of bite size pieces of vegetables or meat that are battered and then fried.  I ate something similar to this when I was studying abroad in Italy in 1997. 

I made this on the fly and decided to lightly flour the vegetables rather than make a batter, but that definately would have been good too.

Fritto Misto Squash and Zucchini

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup sliced squash (I chose to remove seeds and halve the squash slices)
4 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet.

Combine all ingredients in a large ziploc bag and shake until vegetables are well coated.  Add vegetable slices to pan in a single layer.  Cook until lightly browned, flipping as needed.  Remove from oil and place on a paper towel for a few minutes before serving.

Sunday Brunch

Today John and I had brunch with our good friend Richard at Asiate, a restaurant on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.  I loved the brunch menu at this restaurant.  To start, we were each served a sampler plate of four one-bite appetizers - an edamame dumpling, a shot of butternut squash soup with toasted sesame seeds, beef carpaccio, and a miniature salmon tartine (which I gave to John).  For the entree we were able to choose two items that were served in half portions which made choosing so much easier.  I had the frittata and the lemon poppyseed waffle with blueberry compote.  Dessert was served the same way in that both dessert selections from the menu were presented in mini portions on small platters- spiced orange flan and a tiny carrot cake.

This picture of John doesn't show John's sweet face as much as I would have liked, but you can see the amazing view!

Vegetarian Chili

Last year John gave me a book called The Quilters Kitchen by Jennifer Chiaverini.  It's a short novel with recipes at the end of each chapter.  This was the first recipe I tried and it was delicious!  I did make some changes, though.  I added the chicken broth, which I guess makes the chili not so vegetarian.  I also added the Sazon Goya seasoning packet.  My mom has been using this seasoning in her cooking lately and had just mailed a few packets to me to try.  I also did not use the eggplant, but only because I couldn't find it at the mini grocery where I had shopped that day.  I would probably use it next time.

Vegetarian Chili
2 tbsp olive oil
2 Spanish onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small eggplant, peeled and cubed
2 small zucchini, cubed
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 packet Sazon Goya seasoning
1/2 quart chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup dried brown lentils
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
Garnish ideas: tortilla chips, shredded cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat.  Add onions, garlic, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and spices and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. 

Add the broth, beans, lentils and tomatoes and cook, covered, for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  If the chili begins to boil, lower the heat. 

Garnish, serve, and enjoy!

Sweet and Savory Crepes

I love crepes because they are so diverse.  They can be served as a main dish or dessert and can be filled with just about anything, which is why they are also a great way to use random leftover ingredients from the fridge.  I decided to make them the other night for a fun dessert with John.  I lightly flavored the crepes with lime zest and a little butter and sugar.  Simple and delicious!  There was also enough batter left over for savory crepes the next day. 

Crepes

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup flour

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp salt

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and beat well until combined. 

Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium heat.  Pour batter into skillet in a thin layer.  Cook for a few minutes until top is nearly cooked through.  Add small amount of filling (enough to sufficiently fill the crepe once it is rolled).  Holding the skillet over a plate and using a spatula, lift an edge of the crepe and roll it into itself so that it falls on the plate in a perfect roll.

Turkey, Tomato and Cheese filling:

3 slices smoked turkey, chopped

1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp Havarti dill cheese, grated

1 scallion, thinly sliced

salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients and spoon into crepes a few minutes before rolling so the cheese has time to melt.

Lime with Butter and Sugar filling:

Zest of 1 lime

small pat of butter (or more if you like it buttery!)

1 tbsp sugar

Zest the lime over the crepe while it is cooking.  Spread on some butter and sprinkle the sugar just before rolling.

State of the Union

John showed his beautiful painting "State of the Union" in a group show recently.  I was excited because this has always been one of my favorite paintings.  It was definately the best in the show!  By coincidence, Obama gave his first State of the Union address a few nights later.