White Bean Soup with Roasted Cauliflower

I made this a few weeks ago and some people asked for the recipe. Sorry it took so long.  It is adapted from a Mark Bittman recipe so I have to give props for the inspiration. More winter comfort food!

Ingredients:
1 quart vegetable stock
3 garlic gloves minced
1 onion chopped
1 can diced tomatoes chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
1 can white beans rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 tsp or 1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 head of Cauliflower
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for shaving

Directions:
Heat 2 TBSPs of olive oil in a stock pot over medium high heat.  Add onions and sauté 8-10 minutes until they become translucent.  Season with salt and pepper and add garlic, celery and carrots. Add tomatoes, beans and 1 cup of the vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil.  At this point you can use an immersion blender and pulse a couple times to break up some of the beans. You don't have to do this but I like how it thickens up the soup. 
You can now add the rest of the vegetable stock, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil then cover and turn down to a simmer.
Preheat the oven to 400F.  Cut cauliflower into florets and toss with 2 TBSPs of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Roast cauliflower in the oven for 20-30 minutes until they have nice crispy edges.
At this point you can remove the bay leaves and the thyme sprigs. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
To serve, place some of the roasted cauliflower florets on top and shave some Parmigiano over the soup.

Vegetable Soup

I posted a non vegetarian version of this hybrid tortilla soup and chili recipe before, but I wanted to do another meatless version.  This does have fish sauce because I love it but you can take it out if you want to make it totally vegetarian.  It's one of those ultimate comfort foods that warms you up and is full of flavor.  Perfect for winter nights, riding out snow storms.  The recipe is for 4 but easily doubles for more guests!

Ingredients:
1 quart vegetable stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro + a little more to garnish
5 garlic gloves minced
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
1 can diced tomatoes chopped
2 carrot chopped
1 cup of zucchini cut up into chunks
1 cup squash cut up into chunks
1 can white beans rinsed
1 can black beans rinsed
1 small can of corn rinsed
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
2 jalapenos seeded and diced
1/2 TBSP fish sauce
1 TBSP brown sugar
2 limes  (one juiced and one for serving)
1/2 Avocado 
Olive Oil

Directions:
Heat 2 TBSP of olive oil in a stock pot over medium high heat.  Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes then toss in the garlic and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.  Add carrots, cumin, salt and pepper and tomatoes.  After another minute or so add the Vegetable stock, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Stir then add 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, bell pepper, zucchini, squash, beans, corn and jalapenos.
Cover and let simmer for another 20 minutes.  Stir in lime juice and the other half (1 cup) of cilantro.
Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.
To serve, top with a bit of fresh cilantro, a few slices of avocado and a squeeze of lime.  You can also top with a little crema if you want.

Polenta Cakes with Balsamic Onions and Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:
1 Pint of Brussel Sprouts
1/2 Large Spanish Onion
1 Tube of Pre-cooked Polenta
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for shaving
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Preheat the Oven to 400F.
Cut the stems off the Brussel Sprouts and cut them in half.  Toss the Brussel Sprouts with 2 TBSP of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Spread the Brussel Sprouts out on a sheet pan.
Cut the Onion into 1/4 inch slices and toss with 1 TBSP of Olive Oil and Salt and Pepper.  Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat, then add the onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions start to become translucent (don't forget to stir the onions or they'll burn).  Add 1/4 cup of Balsamic Vinegar, stir and turn the heat down to medium low heat.  Stir occasionally for about 30 minutes until the onions are fully softened and all the vinegar is absorbed. 
Place the Brussel Sprouts in the oven.  They should take about 30 minutes to finish. 
When the onions and brussel sprouts are almost finished (8-10 minutes left), heat up a cast iron pan over medium high heat with 1 TBSP of olive oil.  Cut the Pre-cooked Polenta into 1/2 inch slices.  When the pan is nice and hot add the slices to the pan.  Cook each side 3-4 minutes until the slices are slightly browned.
Assemble and enjoy with a bit of Parmigiano-reggiano shaved on top!

Toby's Estate Coffee

Today I finally got a chance to stop by Toby's Estate Coffee, the new coffee roaster in Williamsburg.  Americanos are my drink of choice and what I judge all new coffee shops on, so naturally that's what I went for.  At $2.75 the price is the same or lower than some of the other places I frequent.  The competition in the neighborhood is pretty stiff but I have to say they made a very good americano and I was really pleased with it. 
One of the things that I was impressed with besides the coffee itself was this amazing to go cup.  Form meeting function perfectly with the heat sleeve built right into the cup.  Awesome.

Toby's Estate Coffee

125 N. 6th (btw Bedford and Berry)

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Chicken Biscuits

  

I wish I lived just a little bit closer to Pies 'n' Thighs so that I could eat these more often.  I had been hitting it up about once a week over the summer but I haven't been much since it got colder out.  They are the perfect combination of sweet and spice wrapped in a flakey biscuit.  Awesome.

Pies 'n' Thighs

corner of S.4th and Driggs

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Working on new recipes

So I am finally getting back to it and I'm working on some new things for the new year. Here's a teaser...

 

Migas breakfast TACOS because breakfast burritos are kind of lame.

Watermelon Cooler

My wife's subway ride brainstorm come to life; this is a great way to finish out the summer.  I have always loved watermelon juice and the addition of ginger, mint and lime take it over the top.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 10 lbs watermelon
2 TBSP Ginger syrup (I use Morris Kitchen Ginger Syrup)
1/2 Cup Simple syrup
4 Large Mint leaves
4 TBSP Fresh lime juice

Directions:
Cut up the watermelon into chunks and discard the rind.  Working in batches put a little of each ingredient into your blender and blend until smooth.  Transfer the liquid to a mixing bowl and repeat with the next batch.  Once everything is blended and together in the mixing bowl, stir to make sure everything is well mixed and transfer to your serving pitchers.  Chill for at least one hour and serve.

Crab Cakes that I made!

Growing up in Baltimore, Chesapeake Bay blue crabs are kind of a religion.  I still remember the feeling of waking up at the crack of dawn on every beach vacation to go crabbing under the bridge with my dad, uncle, grandfather and brother.  We would bring the spoils back to the beach house and steam them up in a huge pot for the entire family to enjoy.  Any leftovers would go to making either crab cakes or crab soup for the following day.  This recipe is from my mom who knows her crab cakes (thanks mom!) and the crab meat is from a crab feast this past weekend (thanks dad!).
A note about crab meat.  Don't even bother to try this recipe unless you can find fresh lump crab meat.  The recipe relies on the flavor of the crab itself which is sweet and fantastic, and pasteurized crab meat doesn't have that same flavor at all.  It probably shouldn't even be called crab. 

Crab cakes with asparagus and Vino Verde from Portugal.

What they should look like after mixing and forming but before cooking.

The finished product.

Ingredients:
1 lbs of FRESH Crab meat (not pasteurized! trust me)
6 Saltine crackers crushed
1 Egg
2 TBSP Pancake mix
1/4 Cup Mayo
1 tsp Ground dry mustard
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Fresh Lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dry parsley
Butter

Directions:
Start by gently picking out all the shells from the crab meat.  Take care not to handle it too much and to let the large lumps of crab stay together.  This is very important.
Next place the oven rack towards the top of the oven and preheat the broiler to 500 degrees.
Combine the egg, mayonnaise, Old Bay, mustard, pancake mix, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and lemon juice in a bowl.  Very gently mix in the crab meat and crackers with you hands and form into cakes.  I prefer a lump shape to mine about 3 inches in diameter but you can do yours however you like.  Pan fry in about a TBSP of butter for 1-2 minutes then finish in the oven until golden brown.

Crab Cakes

I didn't make these but this is how crab cakes should be done.  They were our welcome home dinner with my family when we moved back from Portugal.  A perfect way to be welcomed back to the states.  If you happen to be in Baltimore you can pick these up at By the Docks on Eastern Ave by Bengies Drive-In.  You won't be disappointed.

Where have I been?

I have not abandoned my blog.  I swear.  It may seem like that but rest assured, I am coming back. We just moved back to New York from Portugal and it is taking a bit of time to get settled and get our kitchen sorted.  I am working on a couple of new posts and I have a couple of older posts that never went up so stay tuned!

Vegetable Lasagna

Lasagna is something that was always a bit of a mystery to me.  There are all these layers.  Well that part seems simple enough, but what order do you put them in?  Could it really be as simple as sauce, noodles, cheese, repeat?  The answer is basically yes.  What about the noodles?  They come in sheets.  Do you boil them first and then put everything together or do you just stack them in dry?  Guess what?  Both are right depending on what kind of noodles you get.  Lucky for me I found some fresh pasta sheets at the supermarket so no need to boil before baking.  This recipe is for a small pan (6x9 inches) so expand the recipe accordingly. 

Ingredients:
Sauce:
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
1TBSP olive oil
1/2 onion minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp Brown sugar
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
1 tsp butter

lasagna sheets
1 zucchini
1 cup of ricotta
1 + 1/2 cup mozzarella
1/8 cup fresh shredded Parmesan
bunch of fresh basil chopped
1 TBSP olive oil


Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 F.
Start with your sauce.   Heat 1 TBSP of olive oil over medium heat and add the onions.  Saute the onions for 2 minutes, moving them around the pan constantly. Add the garlic and continue to saute for another 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir.  Add everything else, stir until combined and turn the heat to low.  Let cook until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
Cut your zucchini into thin rounds, 1/16 - 1/8 inch thick.  I use a mandolin to get uniformly thick rounds so they cook evenly.
Now it's stacking time!
Start by coating your baking dish with olive oil.  The first layer should be 1/3 of your sauce.  Then a pasta sheet.  Spread 1/2 cup of ricotta on the pasta sheet.  Sprinkle on 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella.  Place a layer of zucchini rounds on top of that, then another pasta sheet.  Now the second 1/3 of your sauce. Next a layer of chopped fresh basil.  Spread 1/2 cup of ricotta over that and another 1/2 cup of mozzarella over that.  Now another layer of zucchini and another pasta sheet.  Spread out your final 1/3 of sauce.  Top with 1/2 cup of mozzarella and 1/8 cup of shredded parmesan. 
Cover you baking pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes.

Attempted Pizza

I have also been working on a pizza dough recipe.  One major problem is that my oven just doesn't get hot enough.  I have been playing around a little to make up for it but the heat of the oven is a really important factor.   I am, however, pretty close so keep a look out for my recipe!  Here are some pics from my last few attempts.  I should note that I have finally found a source for fresh mozzarella so no more shredded on future pies.

 

Sausage and Cheddar Biscuits

I have been trying to make biscuits lately.  Some batches worked out pretty good, some not as great.  I will post a recipe as soon as I get it right but in the mean time here is a pic of a nice little snack I made with one of the batches.  Italian sausage and aged cheddar cheese on mini biscuits.  Even if the biscuits weren't perfect, adding sausage and cheddar made this an awesome snack.

Eggplant with Ginger and Honey Carrots

Personally, I have never been a huge fan of eggplant.  I always found it to be kind of strange in flavor and or texture.  Well, this is no longer the case.  After doing some research I figured out how to cook it so it is flavorful and melts in your mouth.  The key is the salting process which removes excess water and doesn't allow the eggplant to take in as much oil.  Brilliant! 

Ingredients
1 small Eggplant
1 TBSP olive oil
salt
pepper
Thyme
1 garlic clove minced
lemon

2 Carrots cut on a diagonal
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP olive oil
1/4 tsp ginger grated
salt
pepper


Directions:
Eggplant:
Cut eggplant in half and make deep diagonal slices in the flesh in both directions.  Rub salt on the flesh and in the cuts.  Let rest for 1/2 hour on a paper towel then squeeze out the water from the eggplant and rinse.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Dry the eggplant and season with garlic, thyme, pepper and brush on olive oil.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until the fresh of the eggplant is nice and soft (if you use a bigger eggplant it is going to take a bit longer).  Squeeze a little lemon over it after plating.
Carrots:
Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute the carrots for 5 minutes.  Add ginger, honey and butter and reduce the heat until the carrots can be pierce with a fork.  Season with salt and pepper.

Curry Chicken and Chips

Curry chicken and chips!  One of my favorite chip shop staples.  This is a comfort food that I crave in the winter so I set out to create my own version of it.  A perfect mix of sweet and savory.  It is loosely base on my memory of the curry chicken and chips from Chip Shop in Brooklyn. 

Ingredients:
2 tsp veg oil
1/2 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 TBSP curry powder
2 tsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 apple cut up
1 TBSP brown sugar
1/4 cup tomatoes
1 chicken breast chopped up

Directions:
Heat oil over medium heat and add onion.  Saute for 2 minutes and chicken.  Brown chicken and add garlic, tomatoes and apples.  Saute for 30 seconds and stir in curry powder, salt and flour.  Add water and brown sugar and reduce heat to low.  Let simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 15 - 20 minutes. 
Serve over your favorite french fries.  I really love seasoned curly fries so that's what I usually go with.

Chicken and Broccoli in White Wine over Penne

I have had variations of this dish over the years but I had never tried to make it myself until last summer.  It was after a trip to Paris to hang out with a friend of mine.  I didn't actually have this anywhere but we happened to wander past a restaurant with the smell of wine and butter wafting out and I was immediately transported to this dish.  I tried to search for a recipe that could replicate what I was craving but couldn't find one.  Maybe I was searching for the wrong terms but it led me to work it out on my own.

 

Ingredients:
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
2-3 cups Broccoli spears
1 Chicken breast cup up
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP butter (maybe a little more)
lemon
Parmigiano-Reggiano grated
Penne Pasta (a little more than 1 cup dry)
salt
pepper

Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat Olive oil over medium heat and add onions.  Saute for 2 minutes and add chicken.  Brown the chicken and add the garlic and broccoli.  Add chicken stock and wine and cover.  After 2 minutes reduce the heat to low.
Cook pasta until al dente and drain water.
When the broccoli can be pierced with a fork add butter and pasta and toss.
Serve with grated parmigiano and a squeeze of lemon.

Salmon, Smashed Sweet Potatoes and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

Ingredients:

Salmon fillets

2 TBSP Vegetable oil

Salt

Pepper

Lemon

2 cups Brussels Spouts

1/2 apple chopped

1/4 cup Pancetta diced

1 TBSP Brown Sugar

1 TBSP Olive oil 

Salt 

Pepper

2 cups Sweet Potatoes chopped

2 TBSP butter

1 TBSP honey

Salt

1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Salmon:

Coat salmon fillets with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.  Sear over high heat for a few minutes on both sides.

Brussels Spouts:

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Cut stems off brussels sprouts and cut them in half.  Remove and discard the loose leaves.  Coat with olive oil, mix in pancetta, apples and brown sugar, and season with salt and pepper.  Place in roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes or until the edges of the brussels spouts are nice and crispy. 

Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

Cube the sweet potatoes and boil in salted water until soft.  Drain the water and place back in the pot.  Add the butter, honey and cayenne pepper and puree with an immersion blender or a fork if you like it chunkier.  Salt to taste. 

 

Oatmeal

I have been eating a lot of oatmeal lately for breakfast.  It is one of the best things you can eat for breakfast, it's really good and easy to make.  It's also easy to alter the recipe below.  Add whatever you like.  Use different things to sweeten it.  Substitute some milk for some of the water, or all of the water if you want.  I change it up all the time so it doesn't get boring but here is the basic recipe I use.

 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Oats
1 cup water - OR 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of milk
pinch of salt
1 TBSP brown sugar - OR 1 TBSP of Honey (my preference)
2 TBSP of golden raisins

Directions:
Heat 1 cup of water over medium heat.  Add a pinch of salt and the oats.  Stir and add the sugar and raisins.  Turn down the heat to low and keep stirring until the oatmeal thickens up a bit.  That's it.

Burn

Today I burned myself for the first time since starting the blog.  OUCH!  I even had a mitt on, but it was a little damp and as soon as I grabbed the handle of the pan that was in the oven...sizzle.  Remember, always use DRY cloths and mitts to pick up hot pans.

Mexi Soup

This is a hybrid of a tortilla soup and a chili.  It's one of those ultimate comfort foods that warms you up and is full of flavor.  Right now it's one of the favorite things I make.  Perfect for the cold rainy days we are having here in Porto.  The recipe is for 2 - 4, like all my recipes, but easily doubles or triples for more guests!

 

Sophie wants a taste.

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro + a little more to garnish
3 garlic gloves minced
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
1 cup tomatoes chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 cup of zucchini cut up into chunks
1 can white beans rinsed
1 can black beans rinsed
1 small can of corn rinsed
1 tsp Sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1 jalapeno
1/2 TBSP fish sauce
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 limes  (one juiced and one for serving)
Chicken:
Salt
Pepper
1/2 chicken breast (or more if you want more chicken)
1 TBSP olive oil
Crema (optional)

Directions:
Start with the chicken stock, water, garlic, 1/2 the cilantro (1 cup), onion and fish sauce over medium heat.  When that starts to get hot add the salt, pepper, jalapeno, sugar and cumin, and let simmer for a few minutes.
Add the carrots, tomatoes, and corn, and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Add beans, zucchini, and bell pepper.  Cover and let simmer for another 20 minutes.  Stir in lime juice and the other half (1 cup) of cilantro.
Cut up chicken into strips and mix with 1 TBSP of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Saute the chicken strips and use to top the soup.
Top with a bit of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.  You can also top with a little crema if you want.