Pumpkin Lentil Soup (can be vegetarian)

Posted on November 4, 2011 | 1 comment

It’s Fall and that means it’s time to cook up some heart-warming soups! Pumpkin Lentil Soup is a delicious, hearty soup that you and your family will love.

This recipe has been around my family for a while. A friend gave it to me a while back, and I make it every fall.  Just because it’s fall and it’s pumpkin and this soup can wind up on my Thanksgiving Table if I don’t make my Butternut Squash Soup.   It’s hard to get canned pumpkin any other time of year, so I take advantage of it now and pick up a few extra cans and try to make it throughout the winter. Warm, hearty and pretty healthy. And what’s a little butter between friends? I actually lost this recipe, but luckily my friend Marcy still had it, so thanks Marcy! It’s good to share with friends, and now all my recipes will be posted on my blog so I’ll never have to search far. You can freeze this ahead of time and take it out for Thanksgiving. For the holiday, it’s always between this and Butternut Squash Soup, and I like that they can both be vegetarian.

*this can be doubled but no need to double the butter (just add a little bit more)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (unsalted)

2 large onions (spanish) chopped

1/2 cup lentils (if you can find red lentils, buy them because they look beautiful for Thanksgiving and give the soup a lovely orangey color)

5 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling)

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon marjoram

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Melt butter in large stockpot (Le Creuset). Saute the onions until translucent and golden, then stir in the lentils and the stock. Add pumpkin and herbs and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower it and let it simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.

I take the immersion blender to it. It becomes rich and creamy. You may prefer it not pureed, it’s up to you. A third option is to not puree it all the way. If you don’t puree, you may need to add more broth. If soup is too thick, use the broth as needed, a little bit at a time, to reach a good consistency.

*soup freezes just fine but you’ll need to add broth/water after you defrost and heat up

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Two Soups for Thanksgiving

Posted on November 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

One of these two soups will be on my Thanksgiving table this year. They are both deserving of a spot, and they are both perfect for the season. Pumpkin Lentil and my Butternut Squash (no cream). Butternut usually wins because it is lighter, and if I serve a salad (which I usually do,) it’s the better choice. The Pumpkin Lentil is delicious and worthwhile though. It’s a tough choice but may the better soup win. I will make my decision after I finalize the rest of my menu. Look for the Pumpkin Lentil Soup Post, which is new. The Butternut Squash is already on the blog under Soups. The Pumpkin Lentil is so inviting–try it this weekend. Stock up on some canned pumpkin so you can make it all through the winter.  You will be able to find both recipes under the Soups category.

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Baked Salami (Oldie but Goodie)

Posted on November 2, 2011 | 13 comments

This is an oldie but goodie recipe, and everyone loves it always. Rarely is there a piece left over. Good Old Fashioned Kosher Salami. (the kind in the package from Hebrew National is what I’m talking about) I couldn’t believe it when I saw Rachel Zoe cooking this salami on her show!!!!! A-Mazing!

*you will want to double recipe for the larger salami shown. Recipe below is for the smaller one.

Ingredients:

1 Kosher Salami (this is a larger one for a larger crowd)

1/2 cup Marmalade ( I like orange) but can be Lemon or Ginger

2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard- I used Maille Dijon Mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Score into Salami, cut into Salami in narrow slices but not completely through to bottom. Just make slices almost to the bottom. Mix all ingredients together and spread on Salami, place on a lightly sprayed baking sheet and cook for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours. Serve on a plate with sliced pumpernickle or rye bread or crackers. I buy that party pumpernickle bread which is already cut into small pieces and available almost everywhere.

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Thanksgiving Menu

Posted on November 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

I am going to share my Thanksgiving Menu with you.  It is always my holiday to do, I love doing Thanksgiving and a few years back decided that it will always be my holiday to do. I will be writing all recipes for Thanksgiving as well. I would love to hear from all of you and hopefully get some new inspiration. I am big on traditions, and it’s nice to have your own and continue to do it year after year, it’s something everyone looks forward to as much as they bitch and moan. We go around the table and everyone has to say something they’re thankful for, not everyone wants to do it, but everyone does to keep me happy. It’s good to have traditions but good to be flexible and up for something new as well.  Please feel free to write me and offer up some great recipes or great traditions that you may have. Of course there are certain items on my menu that I absolutely have to serve because my family insists upon it. I always make my own cranberry sauce, and I have a couple of soups , a couple of salads to choose from, but I will share all my recipes. My sister makes the most awesome Chipotle Sweet Potatoes, and of course we always have some with mini marshmallow.  Hope to hear from you on this one. I am going to do a little bit each week, try and get your food shopping in , do your soup, bread, and anything else you can ahead of time and freeze. Hope to hear from you all.

Appetizers:

Baked Salami * look for recipe on here (Oldie but Goodie) will post soon

Crudite and Dip fresh cut up veggies and usually a spinach dip( Corinnes is delicious)

Sweet and Spicy Nuts* recipe is already posted on my blog

Baked Brie which I buy at Whole Foods ( it is delicious and super easy , and doesn’t make sense to futz with) and crackers

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Penzey’s Spices – a trip to the spice market

Posted on October 31, 2011 | Leave a comment

I cannot believe that this store has been on Long Island for the past 5 years and I missed it, but I did. At Karen Lee’s cooking class the other day they were talking about spices, and they told me all about it. There was a store in the city but it closed. It seems that they do no advertising ( I know this is shocking) and exist right on Route 110 in Huntington in a little strip mall in front of Toys R Us. I had such a wonderful time in there. If you like to cook and you have the time it is such a wonderful place to spend some time in, get inspired and actually find every spice you’ll ever need . If you have a recipe that calls for corn starch you should use arrowroot powder instead, and they have it. Mace, cinnamon from Vietnam which smells like heaven on earth. Fresh delicious spices, some wonderful ideas for salad dressings, Spices from all over the world. I love to use really good vanilla, almond extract, pumpkin spice, whole nutmeg, you get the idea. I suggest a trip to Penzey’s Spices. If you like to cook, I’m sure you’ll love this place. Plus the prices are reasonable, they have all sorts of jars for storage, etc. People who work there were very nice and very helpful as well. It is a company out of Wisconsin, and they have locations all over the country. They have an online site, which I will def. use when I go back to Colorado. I am throwing away all my old spices and starting anew. BTW spices lose their pizazz after about  2 years, they don’t have a strong flavor, so look through your drawer and toss anything there for too long. Bay Leaves, crushed red pepper, black pepper, mustard powder, white pepper, sea salt,  cardoman, curry, etc. I highly recommend this place as you can tell.

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Magical Raspberry Bars ( variation on Heaven in a Bar )

Posted on October 29, 2011 | 1 comment

This is a slight variation on the original Heaven in a Bar Recipe. Equally easy to prepare, ingredients are available, etc. So if your idea of Heaven has raspberry in it, here you go. Enjoy!!! They are magical!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter or margarine (1/2 cup)

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 – 1 1/2  jars seedless raspberry preserves , small jars they are probably 12 oz. each.  I have found, if I use too much jam it’s super gooey, and doesn’t really hold together as well

1  cup coconut flaked ,sweetened (if it looks light on coconut, you can always sprinkle a little more) 1 – 1 1/2 cups, especially if you like a lot of coconut.

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (whichever you prefer)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a small bowl combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter or margarine. Toss till well combined. Press onto bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan. (I spray lightly first) I use my clean hands to flatten out and even it out.

Evenly drizzle condensed milk over graham cracker crust.  Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. Take out of fridge and spoon preserves over crumbs and milk mixture.  I loosen up the preserves a bit in microwave in a little bowl. (about 2 minutes) I try to spread as evenly as possible without disturbing milk too much, it’s no big deal if you do. Sprinkle with coconut and nuts. Bake at 325 degrees for app. 25 minutes (maybe 30) until light brown on top. I set timer for 25 minutes, and look at it, if it’s lightly browned I cook it another 5 minutes or so till whole thing looks browned. 30 – 35 minutes should do it. This time out I cooked it for 35 minutes.

Cool completely. I like to cool overnight in the fridge before I cut into bars. Store, loosely covered at room temp. when you’re ready to eat them. I always freeze them because they defrost so quickly and are a great treat to have in the house.

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Learning something new at any age

Posted on October 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

I love learning new things, and especially in reference to the things I most enjoy in life. Cooking being one of them. Believe me, it’s not that I think I know so much , but you figure by a certain age you sort of have it down. The other day my grandson Riley turned to me and asked me why I take cooking classes when I already cook so good?????? I had to laugh but it was a perfect opportunity to tell him how wonderful it is to learn new things and meet new people even when you already know how to do something . He also informed me that his Mom and I were the best cooks he knew, so at 4 years old already a fan. I took a cooking class last week with Karen Lee on the Upper West Side of Manhattan (Karenleecooking.com) from 9 – 2. It was a nasty rainy day in NY and couldn’t think of anything I would rather have been doing at that moment. Learned some new tips, techniques, tools, and of course new recipes. I will post them as I can. So take some time subscribe for free to my website, you may just learn something new along the way. Looking forward to sharing my cooking with you.

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Chicken Stew in One Pot

Posted on October 26, 2011 | 3 comments

This is one of  my go to meals when the weather turns a little cold and throughout the winter months.  When I need something to make that’s easy, healthy and comforting. Food for the soul I like to say. I serve this with crusty bread,  and a green salad. It’s very filling and makes a beautiful presentation for 2 or 6. Hope you enjoy, it’s really very easy , just chop up a few vegetables (carrots, onions, and celery, a basic *mirepoix) open a few cans and buy the chicken, don’t be intimidated by ingredients! This recipe inspired from Giada de Laurentis’s chicken stew. I have made a few changes to suit us.

*Basic Mirepoix is a combination of chopped carrots, celery and onions used to add flavor and aroma to stocks, sauces, soups and other foods. Usually comprised of 50% onions, 25% carrots, and 25% celery.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 stalks celery, small bite size pieces

1 carrot, peeled, cut into small bite size pieces

1 small white onion chopped

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 can chopped tomatoes ( I use San Marzano diced) large 28 oz. can with juice

16 oz. chicken broth (1/2 box) but you may need a bit more so hold on to rest of the box.

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dry thyme

I use 4 chicken breasts with ribs ( I usually go to butcher order 2 chicken breasts with bone in, split in two) if you go to supermarket, either buy 2 large breasts, or 4 smaller ones. Skin on and Bones in! app. 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. total weight. You will be removing the skin, it will add to the flavor of the stew.

1 can red kidney beans drained ( if using organic, do not need to rinse) 15 oz.

1 can black beans drained ( if using organic , do not need to rinse either) 15 oz.

nice crusty whole grain bread

Directions:

Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy 5 1/2 quart. pot. ( Le Creuset again) heat over medium heat. When oil is hot add the onions, celery , and carrot (Mirepoix mixture). Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. You will taste again towards the end, so if you want to hold off on this step you can. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, tomato paste, bay leaf and thyme. Then add the chicken breasts , press to submerge in the sauce.

Bring the liquid to a slow simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring mixture occasionally, app. 30 minutes. Using tongs if you have them, if you don’t , buy them, remove the chicken to a plate and allow to cool ( about 15 minutes) Discard the bay leaf, add the beans to the pot ( remember to drain) and bring to a simmer until the liquid is reduced to a stew-like consistency, probably another 15 minutes or so.

Discard the chicken skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew back to a slow simmer. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.

I usually cook , then turn off heat, and bring it back to simmer right before serving.

This should serve 6 well. I serve with a nice crusty whole grain bread. Everything is in the pot, veggies, and protein. Enjoy! it’s delicious. Don’t be put off, it’s really easy to prepare, can be made ahead of time.  If it’s made a few days ahead you may want to add the chicken broth to thin out.

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Lentil Soup with Sausage and Ditalini

Posted on October 21, 2011 | 1 comment

I suppose it’s that time of the year again when we crave warm cozy meals. this is perfect for sunday dinner (or any night ) will feed about 8 people nicely. freezes perfectly. and served with a beautiful salad and some bread it’s an awesome meal. i make so many soups, and will be following up throughout the winter with all of my wonderful soup recipes, but this one is really special. the lentils add a wonderful flavor and texture, the sausage adds a savory spice. i mix hot and sweet sausage but feel free to go all sweet, i also like the sausage to have some fennel in it, i use italian pork sausage. you can obviously substitute with turkey or chicken sausage. so cozy on up to this one, it’s a true keeper. I believe this recipe came from a cookbook by julia della croce, who has the most awesome italian recipes. i’ve made a few changes for myself, but maybe you will too. this is filling enough as a meal which is how we eat it.

Ingredients:

 

1/2 lb. (1 1/2 cups) lentils

10 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 lb. sausage, I used 1/2 sweet and 1/2 spicy italian pork sausage , feel free to use turkey sausage /chicken sausage. I like fennel in my sausage, so the italian ones usually have it. i have made it with turkey and it’s delicious.

3 tablespoons olive oil , You may need a little more after you cook the sausage. (see directions)

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 onion chopped (yellow)

1 large celery stalk chopped ( leaves included)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 16 oz. can plum tomatoes, i use the chopped, peeled and seeded ones, along with the juice.

1/2 cup ditalini or any little pasta

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

some flat leaf parsley chopped up (optional)

grated fresh parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

 

pick over the lentils, remove any stones, imperfect ones, etc. wash the lentils in cold water ( I use a colander to pick through) Transfer to a large pot ( my trusty Le Creuset) large dutch oven. Cover the lentils with broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer immediately. Simmer for about 15 minutes. while the soup is cooking , remove sausage from it’s casing ( butcher can do this for you as well) In a large ample frying pan, put the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and when the olive oil is heated up , put in sausage, and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 10 minutes. Remove sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon. Leave whatever oil is still in the pan, should be about 1 tablespoon.  I usually add a little more olive oil here about 1 more tablespoon should do it. then  add the garlic, onion, celery, and thyme and saute till vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. When veggies are softened, return sausage to the pan. in a bowl or measuring cup i take a few ladles of broth out of pot and mix the 3 tablespoons of tomato paste into it. then add to sausage mixture .  add all ingredients into lentil/broth plus can of chopped tomatoes in their juice.  let all ingredients blend together and bring back to a low boil, then simmer for about an hour. before i serve it i return to a boil and add pasta, it only takes about 8 minutes for pasta to cook through. discard the bay leaf, ladle into soup bowls, add freshly grated parmesan cheese and you’re good to go with a super authentic italian soup. we eat it as a meal alongside salad and some very good bread

*should serve 8 as a meal, with a little left over to freeze

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Creamy Butternut Squash Soup (no cream)

Posted on October 18, 2011 | 8 comments

I decided to re-post this amazing soup as it is one of my most favorite recipes and one of my most popular recipes. So very easy to make with pre-cut butternut squash readily available almost everywhere now. If you’d like a little different flavor you can roast the squash first.

It’s definitely fall and my first soup of the season  is almost always butternut squash soup. I’ve simplified the recipe along the way so that now it is just the way Joel and I like it. it’s pretty easy as long as you buy the squash pre – cut (available in every supermarket, and corner produce store). I just made my first batch of the season, and the squash is sweet and delicious. I always add a little butter to it, but you can totally leave it out. It tastes so creamy you’ll swear there’s cream in it, but really, there is none.  I love a little freshly grated nutmeg in it too, but you can certainly just sprinkle in a very little bit of already grated nutmeg. I hope your family and friends enjoy this as much as my family does! It’s always on my table for Thanksgiving. A delightful way to start a dinner, or a delicious main dish served alongside  a beautiful salad and bread. This can easily be made vegetarian by substituting chicken broth for vegetable broth, which is how I make it on Thanksgiving for Kerri, who is vegetarian.

Ingredients:

4 pkgs. (approx. 4 lbs.) butternut squash (it’s doesn’t have to be exact)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large spanish onion, chopped

8 – 10 cups chicken or vegetable broth

*1 -2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for this serving size, I use 2 but it’s totally optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

*use whole nutmeg – you just grate a little in for flavor. I always tend to use whole, but grated will do. It’s just a touch of it–if I had to guess, I’d say 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon depending on your taste

Directions:

In a heavy Le Creuset (or any other ample size large pot), I heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is heated, put in onion and about 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt. Sweat out the onions until they are translucent (approx. 5 – 8 minutes). If you’re using the butter, add it now too. I then add all of the butternut squash and mix the onions, oil and butter as best I can all over the squash. Next, add enough broth to cover the squash (I used approx. 10 cups of chicken broth to cover). I keep the remaining half a box of broth in case I need it later. Return to a low boil, then bring to a simmer. I let it cook a very long time–at least an hour until soft–and then I turn off the heat and let it sit for a while. I like to make it early and let it sit for as long as possible, because the squash gets very soft. Then right before I am about to serve, I use an immersion blender and blend it into a beautiful smooth soup. If you need more broth, add it as you blend. This is also your salt, pepper and nutmeg moment. Season to taste and blend just until smooth. I leave it in the pot until I need it and then gently warm it up. This soup will keep in the fridge for a few days. It can be frozen as well. Upon defrosting you may need to add more broth. Sometimes I serve this soup with beautiful croutons if I can find them in specialty stores, but it is delicious and beautiful on its own, and very good for you! My family loves it , and I hope yours does too.

*should serve 10 – 12 as appetizer

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