Tuscan Sausage Soup

 I bought a really nice bunch of kale from the organic farmer's market this week and this soup was the first thing that came to mind.  I love soup as a meal and this one definitely fills you up. It's really simple to make and you only need one pot to do it. I like kale in soups because it keeps it's shape and doesn't get super wilty like spinach or chard. When buying kale, look for dark green leaves without spots or little holes. The bunches that have massive leaves tend to be more fibrous and tough so choose shorter ones. I'm convinced green leafy veggies are going to protect me from cancer so I try to eat them as much as possible.   Kale is loaded with vitamins and anti-oxidants so eat up! Always choose organic when available!!! What's the point in eating greens to be healthy if they're full of chemicals and pesticides anyway?

Organic Kale

Ingredients:


4 Links of Hot Turkey Sausage Removed from Casings
4 Slices of Bacon Cut Into small pieces
1 Bunch of Kale Chopped (stems discarded)
1 Medium Yellow Onion Diced
3 Cloves Minced Garlic
2 Large Red Potatoes cut into 1/2 inch squares
3 Cups Chicken Broth
3 Cups Hot Water
1/3 Cup White Wine
1 Cup Fat Free Half & Half
Salt and pepper To Taste




Add bacon pieces to a large pot over medium-high heat and saute until the bacon begins to sizzle and crisp. Add Onion and saute until it begins to become transparent. Add sausage and brown. Keep jabbing it with a wooden spoon so the sausage crumbles into small pieces. When browned, add the minced garlic and saute for another minute. Add white wine, chicken broth water and potato chunks. Bring to a boil for a few minutes then reduce the heat to med-low and simmer about 15min partially covered. Add the kale. Simmer another 15-20 minutes. Turn the heat to low and add the half & half. Simmer on low another 10 min. Season with salt and pepper. If you couldn't find 'Hot' Sausage you can add some cayenne pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Cream Puffs

I'm definitely not a baker. Baking has rules and I've never been one for those. However, these cream puffs are easy and really impressive when you have friends over. They are made using choux pastry (pâte à choux in french if you want to be fancy). When they cook, they puff up leaving a hollow inside and a crispy outside making them perfect for filling. The dough is very neutral and doesn't have a lot of flavor so you can fill it with either sweet fillings or savory. Try chicken salad! Yum! The puffs should be filled right before serving or they'll become soggy. My version has a vanilla bean & almond custard, strawberries, and fresh sweetened whipped cream. Click Here to see a little video about vanilla beans if you've never used them before.

Vanilla Almond Custard

2cups Whole Milk
½  Cup Sugar
4 Large Egg Yolks
¼  Cup Corn Starch
2Tbs Butter
½  Vanilla Bean (seeds and pod)
1tsp Almond Extract

In a medium saucepan bring the milk, ¼ of sugar, the vanilla beans and the pod to a simmer. 
In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks cornstarch and the rest of the sugar. Whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture little by little (too fast and you'll cook the eggs). Pick out the pod and discard. Pour the mixture back into the pan and whisk at medium heat until it thickens. Remove from heat. Whisk in the butter (cut in little pieces) until it melts. Whisk in the almond extract. Put a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard (so the top doesn't get crusty) and put it in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours. You can make this custard the day before if you want. After chilling, whisk it until it becomes smooth and soft before using.

Choux Pastry

1 Cup Water

½ Cup of butter (cut up)
¼ tsp Salt

1 tsp Sugar

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

5 Eggs beaten

Preheat the oven to 400.

In a medium saucepan boil the butter, water, salt and sugar on Medium heat. Once boiling, dump all of the flour into the pot at one time and stir it with a wooden spoon until it becomes a smooth ball. Put the ball of dough into a large mixing bowl. Add a little of the beaten eggs and stir until it is incorporated. Add a little more of the egg and stir. Repeat until there are no more eggs. The end result should be kind of like really thick frosting. Put into a piping bag or spoon onto a baking sheet.You can also use a ziplock bag with the corner cut off.

Bake at 400 for 15 min. Then, lower the oven to 350 and bake another 25 minutes or until they are dark golden brown. DON'T OPEN THE OVEN! Unless you want them to deflate and ruin them. Be sure to let them cool before filling or the cream will just melt and make a mess. Cut them in half using a bread knife and fill. You can also just poke a hole in them and fill them with a piping bag. If you wait too long to eat them and they get soggy you can toast them in the oven a bit before serving.

Fresh Whipped Cream

¼ Cup of Confectioners Sugar

½ Tsp Vanilla Extract

2 cups of Heavy Cream

Using a wire whisk beat the hell out of it until it is almost stiff. your arm will get tired but don't get discouraged and give up because the end result is totally worth it. Use a piping bag with a star tip so it looks all fancy.

Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese || For Grown-ups

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a favorite comfort food of mine. However, we're adults now and we need to keep it classy. Although I admit it to be quite tasty, there shall be no more Campbell's condensed soup and Wonderbread with Kraft Singles! Check out my twist on this American classic.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Heirloom, Plum, Campari, Vine Ripened

Ingredients:

5 lbs of assorted tomatoes (just go to the tomato section and       pile a bunch of different ones on the scale)

6 Cups of chicken STOCK (chicken broth isn't the same)

1 head of garlic, peeled (apx 10 cloves)

1 large yellow onion, diced (apx 2cups)

1 Cup heavy cream (more or less if you want)

4 Bay leaves

3 Tablespoons of butter

1 handfull of chopped fresh basil

Olive Oil

Salt & Fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters and scoop out the seeds with a metal teaspoon. Spread the seeded tomato pieces and peeled garlic cloves out on a foiled baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for apx 30-40 minutes or until they start turning brown and caramelized. 

In a large soup pot, melt butter on medium high heat. Add onions and saute until they're soft. Add the roasted tomatoes and garlic to the pot. Pour in 6 cups of chicken stock and add the bay leaves. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until half of the liquid is gone. Apx 30-40 min. Pick out the bay leaves and add the fresh basil. 

If you don't have an immersion blender (the handheld stick kind) then you can puree it in a regular blender in batches. Return the blended soup  to the pot and slowly mix in the cream. Let simmer for 10 more minutes then add more salt and pepper if you want.

 Baller Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Fresh Sourdough bread, gruyere cheese, (shredded so it melts better) sliced tomato, arugula, prosciutto and course ground or Dijon mustard. Then, cook it a pan with a little bit of butter and truffle oil.

Seared & Roasted Lamb Chops W/ Red Wine Pan Sauce

Lamb chops are totally my favorite. I like double cut rib chops because they come out juicer but if you can only find singles that's fine, just remember they cook faster. Pan sauces are brainless, but your friends will think you're super fancy. I make mine with whatever red wine I happen to be drinking while cooking. When I marinate meat, I honestly just throw a bunch of stuff in a bowl and mix it together all willy-nilly but here is my best attempt at quantifying my ingredients.

Marinade:


For 2 Double Cut Chops so adjust as necessary


1 ½ Tbs Fresh Rosemary Minced
1 ½ Tbs Fresh Thyme Minced
2 Cloves Garlic Minced
1 Tbs Coarse Ground Mustard
3 Tbs Olive Oil
Fresh Ground Pepper
Sea Salt
Splash of Worcestershire Sauce
Splash of Maggi Seasoning or Soy Sauce

Mix and let the meat marinate for at least 30 min.

Make It Hot:


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a sheet with foil and put it in the oven to heat up.  
Put a heavy bottomed pan on a large burner and turn to med-high. Scrape the marinade off of the chops and leave in the bowl for later. Sear the chops on each side for about 2-3 minutes so that each side is browned. Transfer the chops to the foiled pan in the oven using tongs and roast for about 8-10 minutes. (8min will be about medium rare) Be sure to let them rest before cutting and eating!

Let's Get Saucy:

The pan used to sear the meat should have little browned bits stuck to the bottom of it. Turn the burner to medium and add some of the marinade bits that you scraped off of the meat earlier. Saute until the garlic begins to turn golden. Immediately add ½ cup of red wine and ½ a cup of low sodium beef stock. Using a wooden spatula, scrape the little bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the liquids reduce by half. Mix in a tablespoon of butter for added yummyness and let it thicken on Low. Strain out the solids if you want to.

Arugula, Watermelon & Feta Salad

This salad is the perfect balance between salty and sweet. It's crunchy and fresh and pairs well with red meat or can stand alone as a tasty lunch salad. Check out my super easy recipe and enjoy!


Ingredients:

½ Orange Juiced

1 Lemon Juiced

¼ Cup Olive Oil

½ Tablespoon of Honey (sometimes I use more if I'm feelin' sweet)

Fresh Ground Pepper

½ Cup of Thinly Sliced Red Onion (or however much you like)

1 Cup of Julienned Fresh Mint leaves

About 3oz of Arugula

2 Cups Cubed Seedless Watermelon (the redder the better)

Feta Cheese ( I buy it in block form and then shred it because I think the crumbles are too overpowering)

Mix together the orange juice, lemon juice, honey and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until all is combined. Add the thinly slice red onion and allow to marinate for 15 minutes. 

Toss arugula, mint, watermelon and dressing w/onions together and top with as much shredded feta as you like!

Tropical Pico De Gallo

Check out my recipe for tropical pico de gallo. This stuff is really good on anything. Put it on chicken tacos, fish, shrimp, burgers or even just eat it with tortilla chips. You can put more or less of whatever ingredient and make it to your own personal taste. You really can't screw it up. I'll be putting it on top of some pan fried snapper tonight!


Ingredients:

3-4 Plum Tomatoes (about 1- 1¼ cup when seeded and chopped)
1 Hass Avocado
Fresh Pineapple or Mango (both if you want) I use about equal parts avocado to fruit
¼ Cup Finely Chopped Red Onion
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
1 Tablespoon Minced Jalapeño pepper (more if you want it spicier)
1 Lime
1 Handful of finely chopped cilantro
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to Taste

Cut each plum tomato in half and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon before dicing. Cut the tomato, pineapple and avocado into equal sized pieces and add them all to a large bowl. When cutting the avocado, immediately squeeze the juice of half a lime on it to prevent the avocado from oxidizing and turning brown. Click Here for a little video on how to cut an avocado if you are unsure how.  Make sure you really mince the garlic and jalapeño because no one wants to crunch into a big chuck of either. Add the finely chopped red onion and cilantro. Mix it all together with a rubber spatula. Add salt and pepper and the rest of the lime to taste. I also add a bit of the pineapple juice left in the bottom of the container because I buy it pre cleaned and cored.  Be sure to let it sit for at least 15 minutes so the different flavors have time to marry.

Try it on my zesty ranch chicken tacos! Make the tacos as directed on the box, but instead of using the entire seasoning packet use about a quarter of it mixed with a 3/4 of a packet of Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch Seasoning Mix. It looks like this and can be found in the dressing aisle of any supermarket. Then, just add a little sour cream, shredded queso fresco and top with the pico. Yum!

I Don't Care If My Pee Smells!!!

Asparagus seems to be on sale everywhere early this year. Let's all thank global warming!  Asparagus is wicked good for you because it's loaded with vitamins, folacin, and fiber. So, here are some of my asparagus tips! (pun totally intended) 

• Stalks should be straight and firm
• Pick bunches with spears all the same size so they cook evenly
• Choose stalks with dark green or purple compacted and closed tips.
• Generally, narrower stalks are more tender
• Be sure to hack off the woody bottom of the bunch
• Wrap in a damp paper towel if you plan on storing them in the fridge

When it comes to cooking asparagus you really don't have to do much to it.
I like to cut up the spears and add a bunch of halved grape tomatoes, minced garlic, then season with salt and pepper. Spread it out on a pan in a single layer and drizzle olive oil on top. Throw it in the oven at about 300 degrees for about 30min. Stir it around half way through. Done, easy and yummy.


However, nothing trumps simply steamed asparagus drenched in Holladaise sauce. It's soooo bad for you but soooo good! I've tried a few 'diet' sauce recipes but nothing beats the original. That being said, here is Julia Child's recipe because she is totally the bees knees. Note: It's pretty tricky to make if you're a noob. Seriously, don't rush it and don't get distracted and start texting. Since the recipe is almost entirely butter, use the good stuff. You know, the ones up top with the fancy foil. I like Kerrygold Irish Butter and President. If you're trying this for the first time, buy a package of the Knorr powdered mix in case you screw up!

Ingredients:


3 Egg Yolks
1 Tablespoon of water
1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice (I use more at the end)
6-8 Ounces of softened unsalted butter
dash of cayenne pepper
salt to taste (I use sea salt)
freshly ground white pepper
A whisk (don't even attempt to use anything else)


And Here We Go:


Whisk the yolks, water, and lemon juice in the saucepan until thick and pale.

Set the pan over moderately low heat and continue to whisk, reaching all over the bottom and insides of the pan, where the eggs tend to overcook. To moderate the heat, frequently move the pan off the burner for a few seconds, and then back on. You have to be careful that you don't start scrambling the eggs. 


As they cook, the eggs will become frothy and increase in volume, and then thicken. When you can see the pan bottom through the streaks of the whisk and the eggs are thick and smooth, remove from the heat.


By spoonfuls, add the soft butter, whisking constantly to incorporate each addition. As the emulsion forms, you may add the butter in slightly larger amounts, always whisking until fully absorbed. Continue incorporating butter until the sauce has thickened to the consistency you want. (I like it thick)  


Season lightly with salt, white pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper, whisking in well. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding lemon juice little by little if you want more.

My Cure For Homesickness

       While in most cases I believe anyone caught mixing anything into Pappy Van Winkle's bourbon of perfection should be shot dead twice, I may have discovered a rare exception. Being a New Englander, the taste of real maple syrup straight from a tree, leaves me with quite a nostalgic feeling. Speaking of homesickness, I will always remember begging for the maraschino cherry at the bottom of my mom's occasional whiskey sour. So lets just mix it all together and send me back in time.

Maple-Bourbon Sour

Combine 3 ounces of bourbon, 2 tablespoons of REAL maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Shake it harder than a noisy baby. Garnish with a fat maraschino cherry and don't share.

Gỏi Gà Bắp Cải (Vietnamese Cabbage Salad)

This is one of my favorite salads when I'm on a diet kick.. or anytime for that matter. Instead of poached chicken you can substitute precooked shrimp or you can even use both! It is often served as an accompaniment to Cháo gà, a Vietnamese chicken and rice soup, but it is definitely tasty enough to be eaten alone. Vietnamese food is known for it's fresh tasting dishes and this is definitely one of them! The dressing is the standard Vietnamese nước mắm aka the God of all condiments. Try out my recipe below and Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Salad

1 Bag of Angel Hair Shredded Green Cabbage (10oz)
3 Carrots
1 Handful of Roughly Chopped Cilantro or Rau Răm if you find it
  Dry Roasted Peanuts
  BeanSprouts (optional)
  hành phi (Vietnamese Fried Onions)


Poached Chicken
2 Large Chicken Breasts (I always use organic)
½ Box of Chicken Broth
  Small handful hành phi
  Chopped lemongrass or squeeze of 'Gourmet Garden Lemongrass'
1 Knob Of Ginger chopped or squeeze of 'Gourmet Garden Ginger'
  Sesame Seed oil


Pickled Onions
1 Yellow Onion
½ Cup of White Vinegar
2 Tablespoons of White Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt


Nước mắm (Dressing)  
1 Cup of cold water  
5 Tablespoons of Fish Sauce (I like 3Crabs brand)
4 Tablespoons of White Vinegar
4 Tablespoons of Granulated White Sugar
½ Lime
1 Chili pepper finely chopped
1 Clove garlic finely chopped
  Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce

Step 1 - Pickle The Onions:

In a small Tupperware container, Mix together the vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved.

Add the thinly sliced yellow onion and mix to make sure the onions are completely covered. Close the container and let marinate for at least 30min. Whatever you don't use can be easily saved.

Step 2 - Poach The Chicken:

In a pot or a pan that has a cover add broth, lemongrass, ginger, fried onions, and sesame oil to taste. Add the Chicken Breasts in a single layer. Bring to a boil, then quickly reduce the heat to low so that it is barely at a simmer.Partly cover and simmer for 10 min. Turn off the heat completely and let allow the chicken to remain in the hot water for 15-20 min. Shred the chicken when cool enough to touch and set aside.

Step 3 - Mix The Dressing:

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and add the chili garlic sauce to taste (depending on how spicy you like it) This dressing keeps very well so whatever you don't use be sure to save for future use.

Step 4 - Mix the Salad:

In a large bowl, shred the carrots with a peeler. Add the angel hair cabbage, beansprouts and cilantro and mix. Top with the pickled onions, shredded chicken, crushed peanuts, and hanh phi. Add dressing to taste and serve!

Specialty Ingredient Links:

(Can Be Found In Asian Markets & Some Major Grocery Stores)

Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce - http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/garlic.htm

3 Crabs Brand Fish Sauce - http://www.amazon.com/Three-Crabs-Brand-Fish-Sauce/dp/B0000CNU54

Rau Ram - http://vietherbs.com/herb-directory/vietnamese-coriander/

Hanh Phi - http://www.buyasianfoods.com/products/fried-red-onion-(hanh-phi)-hypen-9oz.html

Gourmet Garden Spices ( find it in the herb section of the produce department in any major supermarket) - http://www.gourmetgarden.com/us/product/view/Lemon-Grass

Angel Hair Cabbage - http://www.dole.com/EatRightLanding/EatRtProductIndex/Salad/PackagedSalads/PackagedSaladDetails/tabid/606/Default.aspx?contentid=1435