Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

I felt like giving Le Creuset a second spin of the weekend to make another soup.  This way we'll have good eats to tie us through the week and possibly leave some vittles for Wayne for while I'm away for Christmas (I'm not-so-secretly still holding out hope he'll be able to join me in Denver...).  Not that there is anything wrong with his love for toast, but toast for breakfast and dinner for six days straight would be nutritiously monotonous in my opinion, so I would love to leave him alternatives.

I decided to make another dish I'd made before that needed some tweaks.  This one is a pumpkin and black bean soup.  The original recipe has ham in it, and I decided to leave that out.  I also recalled from last time that it was relatively too much bean and too little pumpkin, so I had wanted to add more pumpkin this time.  The finished product tonight was quite delicious, and you could make out the pumpkin, black bean and tomato flavors.  It had a nice complexity, even when served right after making it.  And it was also nice and thick without having to set overnight.  Wayne had three bowls.  Need I say more.

The recipe can be found at:
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/11/black-bean-pumkin-soup/
Good to know before buying ingredients is that I used only 2 cans of black beans, and I used a larger 29 oz can of Libby's pumpkin instead of a 16 oz.  Also, no sherry vinegar.  In addition to the spices listed, I used coriander powder, curry powder and paprika.

So the first trick for this recipe is to use a food processor to do the chopping.  Since you have to use it to puree the black beans and tomatoes and are going to have to clean it, you might as well put it to work for you twice.  You can throw in and chop together the onion, shallots and garlic.  I used a whole medium-sized yellow onion and three good-sized shallots along with the 4 cloves of garlic.

Once all of that plus 1Tbsp of cumin was sauteing in 2 Tbsp of olive oil (I have a raging butter aversion), I wiped out the food processor and pureed two cans (not three) of black beans (from which I had reserved a generous half cup of whole beans), and a cup of chopped tomatoes plus two more tomatoes until it was coarsely pureed.  After the onions et al were browned, I added the 4 cups of beef broth, pumpkin, bean/tomato puree and a little less than a half cup sherry.  I also added 1 tsp each of coriander powder and curry powder and 1/4 tsp of paprika.  I could tell right away when stirring in the pumpkin that it was going to be nice and thick and sufficiently pumpkin-y.  

I simmered for about the recommended 25 minutes, then added the reserved black beans and heated them through.  A little more salt and pepper, and it was ready to serve.  Quite fast and really good.

Highly recommend this one.  It is tasty and really healthy.  Will definitely make it again with these modifications - so glad that I'm writing them down!  :)

Chicken, Quinoa and Green Olive Stew

Today was one of those cold, wet winter days when we were glad we could just spend the day indoors.    I was really looking forward to cooking something - it is such joyous relaxing time for me.  I decided to make a stew that I had made last winter and really liked the combination of flavors.  It is a chicken stew with some smoky/spicy flavor from fire roasted tomatoes and ancho chili powder, and it also had olives and orange zest for additional dimensions and contrast.  I thought it was pretty inspired and worked really well.  The first time I made it I had noted a couple tweaks I would try the next time to make it even better, so I was looking forward to giving it a go.

The recipe can be found at:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-quinoa-green-olive-stew-50400000116296/
The first change I made was to brown the chicken instead of boiling it in the broth because I thought the browning first would help to seal in moistness.  I cut each thigh into thirds and browned them on both sides in a tablespoon of olive oil in two batches.  I removed the chicken and set it aside while I sauteed the onion in the olive oil that was left in the pot, plus a splash more.  With the onions softening it was possible to scrape up the browned bits from the chicken.

After adding the cumin, coriander, etc and cooking for a couple minutes, I then added the full 4 cups of chicken broth and reserved chicken along with the remaining spices, tomatoes and orange zest (but not the quinoa). I let this come to a boil, then added the quinoa.  Then I covered and simmered for 15 mins.

One of the other things I had remembered was how much I had liked the olive flavor in the stew, and thought it would be better if the olives had been cut into smaller pieces rather than leaving them whole so that they would be more distributed throughout the stew.  Rather than using olives with pimento as per the recipe, I bought some pitted green olives at the Whole Foods olive bar that had been marinated with chopped garlic.  I quartered these to add to the stew.

After the stew simmered for 15 mins to cook the quinoa, I added the quartered olives and chickpeas.  I also used my spoon to break apart the chicken into some slightly smaller pieces.  After the olives and chickpeas were warmed through, right before serving, I added an extra bunch of orange zest (at least 1 teaspoon) to add that contrasting brightness.

We had the stew with tortilla chips and a nice Spanish red wine from Jumilla.  From our experience last year we know it goes very well with an amber ale as well.  You definitely need the right beverage that can stand up with the heat of the dish.  It does have a kick, but without being so hot you can't taste the flavors.  So beer is a really good choice, or it has to be the right wine that doesn't have too much alcohol.  We thought the stew was really good, and it paired well with the wine we had.

All in all I thought it turned out better this second time than the first.  I don't know that browning the chicken made a big difference, but I think the broth may have been richer and more flavorful because of  it.  I recall it thickened quite a bit last time between when I first made it and when I reheated it.  We're definitely looking forward to having it again in a day or two to see how it has developed.

Turkey and White Bean Chili

I have been remiss in posting about my last adventure with Le Creuset.  It has been a busy week.

Last Sunday I hosted a holiday party for the people in my group.  For a similar gathering in past years I had served several warm appetizers and ended up spending far more time in the kitchen than hanging out with everyone.  So this year I wanted something less labor-intensive the day of.  I decided to go with some appetizers I could prepare in advance, and I thought it would be a great occasion to make a chili that Wayne and I had at Lynmar Estate during the Wine & Food Affair in Russian River Valley in early November.

The Wine & Food Affair is an awesome event for foodies who love wine - like me :)  All of the participating wineries prepare a food to pair with one of their wines during tasting, and the participants receive a cookbook containing all of the wineries' recipes.  In addition to being a great new cookbook, it serves as a directory the day of the event so you can find the foods you really want to try and head to those wineries.  It was an absolutely beautiful, warm day for early November.  Wayne and I should have been joined by my Mom, who had planned to visit that weekend to go the event with us.  She canceled her trip, but we decided to go anyway.  Lynmar Estate is an especially beautiful winery with gardens where they grow their own vegetables interspersed with ornamental plants.  It was exceedingly picturesque at their vineyard that day.

They served a Turkey and White Bean Chili meant to be paired with their pinot noirs.  It was one of the tastiest chilis I'd ever had.  When I took a close look at the recipe I understood why - "Turkey and White Bean Chili" was a euphemism for chili with turkey AND bacon AND beef.  Paired with some cornbread it seemed like a good winter meal to make for the peeps.  And I could use Le Creuset!

So again I cooked some bacon.  This time I was in luck because Whole Foods had available their own meat counter applewood-smoked  thick cut bacon.  It looked pretty darn delicious.

After browning the bacon, I added all the chopped veggies to saute them with the bacon.  All the chopping was the most labor-intensive part of this recipe, but it really wasn't that bad.

I made the chili the day before so that I'd have the opportunity for it to set, and for the flavors to meld and develop overnight.  Here is the finished product the next day just before serving.

It tasted just like I remembered.  I served it with thinly sliced green onions, crumbled cotija cheese, lime wedges and some warm cornbread.  Some happy chili eaters:

Definitely a chili I would make again.  And very different than the other chili I like, the Jalapeno Chile from The New Basics Cookbook, which has mild and hot Italian sausage, so is pretty different in flavor with more of an Italian bent.  Recipe for Turkey and White Bean Chili, by chef David Frakes, follows.  Enjoy!

6 slices thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into 1/4-inch dice
1 large yellow pepper, seeded and chopped into 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin, toasted and ground
2 teaspoons oregano
1 tablespoon paprika (smoked or regular)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lb lean (85%) ground beef
1 lb ground turkey (I used thigh)
1 cup dark Mexican beer (I used Negra Medelo)
1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed (I used Great Northern, but would use cannelini next time)
1 24 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 24 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice

In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until the pieces are lightly crisp, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic, onions, bell peppers, chili powders, cumin, oregano and paprika, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook the mixture until the vegetables are tender and the seasonings are aromatic.

Add the beef and break it up with a wooden spoon.  Once the beef is broken up and beginning to brown, add the ground turkey.  Break it up with the spoon and brown it until it's no longer pink, roughly 4 minutes.  Stir in the beer and beans.  Add the crushed and diced tomatoes.  Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1.5-2 hours.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Transfer the chili to serving bowls and garnish with lime wedges, sour cream, shredded cheese and sliced scallions.

Bacon-Corn Chowder with Shrimp

Last night's soup represented two firsts for me.  The first first was making a chowder.  Despite liking seafood and having spent several years living on the East Coast, I've entirely stayed away from eating them, let alone cooking them, given the perceived high cream/butter content.  Those who have eaten with me tend to know that I don't eat butter - or cream - or cheese - basically any foods rich and creamy with high animal fat content (and yes, that does include many desserts - such as ice cream).  I've been this way all my life, and those who love cheese are generally most appalled.  But back to the soup.

The second first is that I had never cooked bacon in my life.  That first is likely more surprising.  I'm not really into breakfast foods, and sausage is by far my breakfast pork product of choice, so here we were.

So why, given the above, was I embarking on this bacon-y chowder?  It had been prepared for me by my friends Ron and Katie in Boston over the summer, and I devoured it.  It was that good.  When they told me they had made a chowder for dinner, I was obviously quite dubious.  But over the years I've shared many great meals with wonderful conversation, wine and food with Ron and Katie in their home, so I was going to embrace this chowder.  When I heard that it was a Cooking Light recipe, and that they were going to be opening a Hartford Court pinot noir to drink with it, I thought ok, if ever I was going to have chowder and enjoy it, this would be the occasion.

So fast forward about 4 months.  Ron had sent me home with a photocopy of the recipe, and I had been thinking during the week that this would be the weekend to give this soup a try for Wayne and me.  In addition, it was going to be tree trimming night, so a bit of a special occasion.  The recipe says it is "super fast" 20 minute cooking.  It wasn't too much work, but it definitely took longer than 20 minutes.

Here is a link to the recipe:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/bacon-corn-chowder-shrimp-50400000114422/
I made some modifications I'll mention below.

The Le Creuset is ready to saute some bacon (a first for both of us):

Roasted corn from Trader Joe's.  A tip from Ron.  Imparts some good smoky flavor used instead of plain corn kernels:

The "special" extra ingredient Ron jazzed it up with.  Some large scallops.  I reduced the shrimp to about a half pound, took off the tails and cut the shrimp into smaller chunks, and added 3/4 lb of these big beauties leaving them whole:

The finished product:

The only other change I made was to puree 3 cups of the corn mixture rather than 2, and I used a food processor to do it instead of a blender.  I was a little unsure of the consistency. but after adding the half-and-half and seafood, it all came together nicely.  One modification I would make next time would be to add a little bit of chopped jalapeno or some crushed red pepper flakes to add a little contrasting heat.

Definitely glad I made it.  Only enough for one meal with a lunch-sized portion left for Wayne :)

Ribollita reboiled

After 24 hours of much anticipation, we reheated the Ribollita.  Before heating it was as thick as stew, and only slightly thinned upon heating.  Per the recipe, I served each bowl with a splash of olive oil and the chopped oil cured black olives and grated parmiggiano reggiano.

The addition of those three toppings makes this soup.  The saltiness of the olives, the tang of the cheese and the richness when you have a little pool of olive oil in your spoonful is absolutely divine.  Just as I cautioned about the necessity of the grated cheese for the Wild Rice, Butternut Squash and Cannellini Bean Stew, the olive oil, black oil cured olives and parmiggiano reggiano are necessary to elevate this dish.  It has been quite a lesson for me on how important these "extra" items added to the top at the end, rather than cooked in, can be to adding complexity of flavor and taking a dish to wow.

Now, as Wayne says, I must follow my muse as I decide what to make next.  In the meantime we'll get a couple more yummy meals out of this pot of Ribollita.

Ribollita

Back from Costa Rica and ready to start soup and stew season in earnest!  Tonight I created my first meal in the new Le Creuset dutch oven Wayne got for me (thanks again, Wayne!).  I am in love.  It heats so evenly.  Simmering was like no simmer I've experienced before.  I am excited for all the soups and stews (and occasional pot roast, braised chicken, etc) I will make in it.

Tonight I made a Ribollita - Italian "reboiled" vegetable soup.  I first had this in Rome in 1998, and after the first time I had it on the trip, I was trying to eat it at every restaurant we went to.  It is a really thick, hearty soup, and the magic happens by adding chunks of bread to the soup, simmering until they dissolve, and then letting it set overnight.  When you reheat the next day, the flavors have come together and the soup is rich and satisfying.

Before adding the bread:

Here it comes:

Bread is dissolved and broth is much thicker:

The recipe I used is from 101 Cookbooks.  This is the link:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/ribollita-recipe.html

So far the only modification I have made is to add only about half of a lemon's worth of lemon zest.  When I reheat tomorrow I will check seasonings and adjust as needed.  Will post how it turns out.

In the meantime, since I officially started soup and stew season two weeks ago when I made Wild Rice, Butternut Squash and Cannellini Stew, I wanted to post the link for that recipe from Sunset.  It is one of our favorites, and is really, really good with LOTS of parmigiano reggiano sprinkled on top.  It transforms the dish which is not nearly as good without it, so don't make it without buying the grated parmigiano reggiano!  Yes, that is a disclaimer for anyone who makes it without!
As for the link:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/wild-rice-butternut-squash-cannellini-stew-10000001947685/

Finally, a big thank you to Helen for the suggestion of the White Bean Soup from Williams Sonoma to try.  Sounds delicious!  Will definitely be giving it a try.  [And I did!  See:]
http://redcucina.blogspot.com/2013/01/white-bean-soup.html

Enjoy and be healthy!