With These Hands

Another yummy dinner courtesy of the very awesome Cooks Illustrated.
Mike first introduced me to CI way back when we first met.
It’s been one of my favorite cooking resources ever since.
Plus their companion television program America’s Test Kitchen is amazing too. Long live PBS!

So, this here soup, or stew really, is delicious and hearty.
Soon after the first time I made it, it became a part of our regular rotating dinner menu.
It makes a HUGE pot, so I always freeze half. (It re-cooks beautifully with about a cup of added broth.)

I modified the recipe only slightly.
Changes such as instead of chicken stock, I used veggie.
And substituting pecorino romano for parmesan.
Since I was making a vegetarian version for us, this also meant omitting the bacon and anchovy paste completely. (They were ingredients in the original)
And honestly, having never eaten it with it, I have no clue what I’m missing!

My modified recipe:

2 T olive oil
1 medium celery rib, diced
1 medium carrot, diced (my addition)
1 small sweet or yellow onion, diced
1 small shallot, minced (my addition)
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 (14 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes, with juice
1 (15 oz) can cannellini (or northern) beans, drained and rinsed
rind/block of romano cheese (approx. 5 in x 1 in)
28 ounces veggie stock/broth
2.5 cups of water
8 ounces small pasta
1/2 cup finely grated romano cheese for topping/garnish
salt
pepper

Everything is done in one pot, bonus!

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium/high.
Add carrots.
Add celery.
Add onion and shallot.
Cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes.
Let cook for minute longer.
Add diced tomatoes.
Add rind/block of romano.
Add beans.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Add water and broth.
Bring to boil.
Add 1 tsp salt and pasta.
Let cook for another 10 minutes.
Take off heat, remove cheese rind, top with grated cheese and serve.
DELICIOUS.

I served this with our favorite garlic bread.
Not homemade though. (I somehow always get iffy results on garlic bread.)
The brand is Alexia and they make a lot of great organic/natural prepared foods.

And now I have a whole batch of it already made in the freezer!
Yay for instance meals!
I can’t wait to have it again.

October 21st, 2008 ★ No Comments »

And yesterday, as a matter of fact.

Panzanella, mmmmmmm.
I didn’t just discover this lovely culinary gem, but somehow never got around to making it myself.
Until a few months ago that is.
And once I did, well I just about kicked myself for not doing it sooner.

There are plenty of variations out there, for sure.
I think that’s the fun of it.

Initially I used a recipe from an old Cook’s Country magazine and was extremely pleased with the results.
Yesterday, I found myself without some of the ingredients but decided to make a go of it anyway.
And today, with an addition, a substitution, and an omission and I’m still happy with the results.

The original recipe:

Loaf of crusty French bread, cut into cubes, drizzled with olive oil and a bit of kosher salt (pepper optional), tossed onto a cookie sheet and baked at 350 for 10-13 minutes.

1/2 cup classic basil pesto (I used store bought.)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
1 medium cucumber, seeded and cubed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used on the vine, they tend to be sweeter.)
1 can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
1 T chopped fresh basil
salt/pepper to taste

Whisk pesto and vinegar together in glass bowl.
Add veggies and beans.
Toss everything together, so veggies and beans are nicely coated.
Wrap with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for 2 hours or longer.

When you’re ready to eat, just mix toasted bread in with veggie mix, then scoop to serve.
Delicious.

My recent variations:

I didn’t have beans.
I didn’t have fresh basil. (Which, the basil is almost redundant anyways, with the pesto and all.)
I substituted the shallot for finely chopped Vidalia onion, which is all I had on hand.
I only left the veggie mixture to marinate in the fridge for like 1/2 hour. (I was hungry for lunch!)
I added some small-diced mozzarella, which made it even lovelier and hardier. (Especially because it was sans beans.)

Salad with bread! Amazing!
:p

June 27th, 2008 ★ 1 Comment »

Delicious (and good for you) cranberry-oatmeal loaf.
I have no clue where I found this recipe.
It was simply in my files and I thought, “Hey, I could go for something with cranberries!”
The original recipe was for muffins, but is kinda awesome in a loaf too.

1 1/2 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries (you can chop these too, though I left mine as is)
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
3 T butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg, beaten

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease muffin tin or loaf pan.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add oats to flour mixture. Set aside.
In small bowl, mix walnuts and cranberries together along with 1 tsp flour. Set aside.
In medium bowl, beat egg, sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla until well blended.
Slowly add wet mixture to flour mixture, stirring until ingredients are well-moistened. (But don’t over-mix!)
Fold in walnuts and cranberries.
Turn into muffin cups or loaf pan.
Bake muffins for around 20 minutes.
Bake loaf for approximately 50 minutes.
Test with wooden pick. (Should come out clean.)
Cool on wire rack for 5-10 minutes.

My notes:

I pre-heat my oven for a while sometimes, so I’m always sure to end my baking time at least 5-10 minutes sooner than suggested. With this loaf, I first put it in for 40 minutes, checked it, then baked it for another 5. It was baked through and there were no burnt edges at all.

Also the recipe calls for milk. Could be whole, could be reduced fat.
I had neither, so I wound up using rice milk.
Which seemed to work out just fine.
And makes it even healthier!

The loaf is very dense and hearty.
The cranberries and walnuts are lovely.
And I would highly recommend this bread/muffin as a light breakfast or snack.

When I first tried a piece, Mike inquired, “Is it good?”
My reply, “It tastes very healthy!”
Which is really very true.
And it is, so yay!
I like it though.
I’m a sucker for nuts and cranberries.
Later on, when Mike tried his own piece, “You’re right, it DOES taste healthy.”

I wonder, is “healthy” a new word for “not that great”?
No!!

May 27th, 2008 ★ No Comments »