Soup season's here!

Hi All!  I apologize for the gap between posts.  I'm a workin' lady again, so haven't been cooking quite as much. I didn't forgot about my blogging duties, though!

I've been working as a substitute teacher for a couple weeks now, so since I'm on-call most days, I like to have things prepared that I can toss into my lunch bag on the way out the door.  Much of what I enjoyed about lunchtime at my previous jobs was what I refer to as "The Great Reveal"- the moment when I unloaded the tasty goodness from my lunch bag, and my friends stopped to check out (maybe even drool over) my chicken, pear, and goat cheese salads with homemade dressing, mushroom risotto, or grilled veggie sandwich.  I'm not one to let go of traditions, so of course settling for PB&J and an apple wouldn't make sense.  Now that it's getting colder and Fall is officially upon us, it's the perfect time for the magical one-pot wonder I like to call (drum roll, please)... soup!  Soup is a wonderful grab-and-go meal because you make a big pot of it on the weekend when you have time, fill containers with single-serving portions, and freeze or refrigerate it until you're ready to eat!  It's also an easy stand-by because you can add, almost literally, anything you have in your fridge!  You can certainly follow recipes if you feel more comfortable, but, again, it's okay to wander down your own path a little.  As long as you have a good stock (choose the one that corresponds with your meat choice), some sort of meat if you're into that kind of thing (I like to use bacon or sausage for many of my soups), and the basic soup vegetables (celery, onions, and carrots), you're good to go! 


For optimal flavor, I follow these steps:
1) Heat the pot in which I plan to cook my soup (I like to use my Le Creuset-look-alike dutch oven from Cost Plus World Market) over medium-high heat.  If I'm using a lean meat, I heat a small amount of olive oil in the pan.

2) Once the pan is hot, I add the meat (again, typically diced bacon or sausage), and cook until the meat is nicely browned on all sided.
KEY #1: Brown is not the same as grey.  You get that grey-ish color when your pan isn't hot enough and you get stir crazy.You want the meat to have that nice, golden crust that is achieved when the fat and juices caramelize.  This can only happen in an appropriately heated pan (it should sizzle when the meat is added), and only if you give it time (meaning, PUT THAT WOODEN SPOON DOWN!).
KEY #2: Your goal here is to get the flavor of the meat, not to cook it all the way through.  It'll finish cooking when you add it back into the soup.


3) I then remove the browned meat from the pan, but leave its juices.

4) Next, I add in my veggies, using the fat left behind by the meat to saute them.  If you use a lean meat that doesn't leave much behind, add a little more olive oil to the pan to saute the veggies.  I know my veggies are good to go when the onions are translucent.

5) I use about a cup of broth to deglaze the pan (loosen up the "brown bits" on the bottom of the pan), scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan, add the meat back in, then add the remaining broth (usually about 2 quarts total).

6) Let it simmer.  Soup is one of those things that gets more flavorful the longer you let it cook.  Give it at least  30 minutes if you're short on time, but 2-3 hours is usually preferred.

Pretty simple, right?  To learn more about how I'm keeping warm this Autumn, stay tuned for my slightly healthier take on Zuppa Toscana, a sausage, kale, and potato soup made famous by Olive Garden.

How did you come up with that?!

I have been cooking, basically, since I was tall enough to reach the kitchen table and old enough to handle a wooden spoon.  In high school, I began throwing dinner parties for my friends and regularly brought baked goods for the staff of The Eagle's Eye, our school's newspaper.  Typically, when I walked in with food containers, no one asked what was inside; the response was simply someone shouting, "Erin food," then a swarm of staff members grabbing handfuls of cookies or brownies.  Throughout my cooking years, meaning high school on, a frequent question I have been asked upon the reveal of lunchtime leftovers or sampling of baked goods is, "How did you come up with that?"  Many are baffled when I tell them I did not use a recipe, but was simply inspired by ingredients I found in my refrigerator, or in recent cases, my garden.  "But how do you know what goes together," some ask.  My response is just that I try it.  Sometimes my creations don't turn out the way they're envisioned, and in rare cases don't turn out at all.  The point is that in the kitchen, as in many situations, you don't know unless you try.  As you experiment with flavors and recipes, you determine which flavors you like and how they work together.  Once you know that, it's easy to look in your fridge and/ or pantry and whip something up, knowing that it will taste good.  Still a bit hesitant to step into the laboratory?  Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.

1) ALWAYS TASTE WHILE YOU'RE COOKING!  This has got to be, by far, the area where bad cooks fall short.  If you aren't willing to taste your own cooking, what makes you think your family or whomever you're serving will be?  Tasting allows you to know if you do, in fact need to add salt and pepper or some other seasoning.  Let your taste buds determine your next move, not the recipe.  If you watch cooks like Giada DeLaurentiis or Ina Garten, they always taste as they go even though they have made the same recipes for years.  This is because no two cooking experiences are exactly alike.  Sometimes you might need more salt.  Sometimes more salt will make your dish inedible.  Don't make your loved ones be your guinea pigs.

2) When in doubt, try a pinch of salt and pepper.  If you taste you food and feel something's missing, try those two first.  If that doesn't fix it, and you have a specific seasoning in mind, go for it.  Remember, to use small doses, though.  You can always add more, but you can't take it away.

3) Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper are the way to go when cooking.  Save table salt for baking.  Kosher salt produces a more satisfying texture, especially when used on meats. Freshly ground pepper simply produces a fresher flavor.  It can also be used for creating texture since you can adjust the tension in the grinder.

4) Garlic powder is NOT the same as garlic salt.  

5) Do you like sliced onions in your salads, but your family doesn't enjoy the strong, pungent flavor?  Try slicing them then soaking them in vinegar (any kind will work; I like to use sherry vinegar) for a few minutes before adding them to your salad.  The vinegar takes away that initial punch while leaving the enjoyable aspects of the onion flavor.  

6) Fresh is almost ALWAYS better!  Better tasting and better for you, that is.  When it's fresh, you know exactly what's going in to your dish, and how much.  The only canned items I use regularly are tomatoes for sauces and some pasta dishes and black beans.  When I buy canned tomatoes, I only buy those that are in their own juice and water with not salt added.  Same goes for beans, water and no salt.  Similarly, I avoid mixes, especially those packets of seasoning, at all costs.  In the end, it's less expensive to just buy the seasonings individually and mix them together yourself.  The packets tend to add unnecessary preservatives, texture additives, and salt. 

*When purchasing spices, it always costs more to buy in jars.  Invest in some spice jars, then buy your spices separately.  The best prices I have found for loose spices are at Cost Plus World Market.

While I was growing up, about once a week we'd have a "clean out the fridge" night.  Usually that just meant reheating leftovers- nothing exciting.  On night, however, my mom mixed together a slew of ingredients and whipped up a magical dish we later titled, "The Stuff."  One of the downsides to successfully "winging it" in the kitchen is that you don't always remember all the ingredients/ amounts of ingredients, so we have continued to recreate "The Stuff" to the best of our ability, but it'll never be exactly the same as the first time.  Feel free to use the (rough) recipe below, then look in your fridge and see what "stuff" you can create!

The Stuff 

*Since Trader Joe's was our grocery store of choice, all of these items came from and can be found there.

1 T. olive oil

1 container diced pancetta

1 cup-ish asiago cheese blend (TJ's has a 4-chees blend containing asiago, parmesan, mozzarella, and some other similar cheese) 

1 can diced tomatoes

2-4 chopped basil leaves

1-2 cloves garlic (depending on how much you like garlic), diced

Small pasta such as bowtie, penne, or macaroni 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Bring a pot of salted water to boil, in preparation for your pasta.  

In a skillet, heat the olive oil until it can be easily moved around the pan and is smoking a little.  Add the pancetta, stirring and cooking until all bits are crispy.  Let the pancetta drain on a paper towel.  Saute the garlic in the pan for a minute or so, then add the can of tomatoes with their juices.  Add in the basil, and allow the flavors to marry for a few minutes.

As soon as the water boils, add in your pasta and cooked according to box directions for "al dente."  *If you cook beyond al dente, your pasta will end up being mushy once you mix it with the sauce.  

Drain the pasta and toss in with the tomato mixture. Mix in the pancetta, then pour the mixture into a greased baking dish. Stir in the cheese until evenly combined, then sprinkle some extra cheese on the top.

Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, then serve!

We typically served this with a tossed salad with a balsamic vinaigrette.  Sometimes we added grilled chicken and sauteed zucchini.  

Mexican food that is not covered in cheddar cheese... Yes, Portland, it does exist!

For those of you who have ever made your way to the Southwest, specifically Arizona, you know that Mexican food is delicious and abundant.  We're not talking Taco Bell (aka the place where once delicious food goes to die) or On The Border (generic chain with mediocre chips and salsa).  We're talking legit food made from scratch and salsa that isn't afraid to burn your tongue a little.  Sure, it may often come from a shady looking building that can fit, at most, 10 people inside, but taste buds don't lie.  Being an Arizona native, I consume hot sauce like it's water, and poblano peppers are a dietary staple.  Growing up, my father's night to "cook" always meant take-out from El Bravo, and while living on my own, I ate crispy shelled, shredded beef tacos like many American families eat fast food cheeseburgers- at least once a week, but often more.  Upon moving to Portland, although I had braced myself for the lack of Mexican food, I didn't realize how much I'd miss it.  Apparently, tacos with crispy shells are offensive in Portland because almost nobody makes them.  Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a tasty baja-style fish or shrimp taco, maybe even the occasional carnitas taco on a freshly made corn tortilla, but I firmly believe that beef tacos require a satisfying crunch that can't be found in a soft shell.  So far, the only place we've found that comes close to doing them justice is Muchas Gracias, a fast food-ish chain, of all places.  Anyway, my point is that good Mexican food is difficult to find up here in the Pacific Northwest, so if we want the good stuff, we're going to have to make it ourselves.  
I don't attempt to make the hard shell tacos I crave because I do, believe it or not, try to maintain a fairly healthy, grease free kitchen.  These days, our trips to Muchas Gacias are reserved for the occasional splurge.  Over the summer, Eddie, my fiance, and I have managed to grow a bountiful garden of various herbs, poblano and tomatillo peppers, and tomatoes on our little apartment balcony.  We also joined some friends in a bit of a weight loss challenge in preparation for our wedding, so we have made a conscious effort to create delicious meals utilizing our fresh veggies (we have eaten a LOT of pico de gallo!) while minimizing calories.  To do this, we have to focus on the flavors (peppers, onions, slowly marinated meat, etc.), but change up the techniques a bit.  One of our recent favorites is my non-battered, non-fried, but extra delicious chile rellenos.  I took the idea from the Food Network and put my own spin on it. Please know that when I cook, I rarely measure my ingredients, so things like the amount of olive oil and water/ stock are all estimates.  Use your best judgement.  This is one of those recipes, like a salad, where you really can add whatever you think sounds good.  Use my recipe as a guideline, but don't be afraid to get a little adventurous!  Also, be sure to check out my recipe for Portobello Black Bean Enchilada Stacks in my first post.  Yum!

Quinoa Stuffed Chili Rellenos (serves 2)
2 large poblano peppers
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 tsp cumin
olive oil
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 portobello mushroom
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup queso fresco (you can also do a mix of queso fresco and cheddar)
Golden raisins or dried apricots, diced (optional)

Verde Sauce
1/2 yellow onion, diced
5-6 roasted tomatillos (Quantity depends on the size of the tomatillos.  If they're small, you may want to double the amount.)
1-2 green peppers such as anaheim or poblano (anaheim tends to be a little spicier than poblano)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water or chicken stock + extra for thinning

Directions:

Set your oven's broiler to high.
Roast the peppers by  placing them directly on the top oven rack (leave the husks on the tomatillos) and leaving for just a few minutes.  When the skin on the peppers starts to darken and blister, turn them over.  Check the peppers frequently.  When all sides of the peppers are dark and blistered (but not burnt), remove them from the oven and place them in either a pot with a lid or an airtight container.  Set aside for about 5 minutes, then the skin should peel off easily.

Set your oven to 350 degrees.

Husk the tomatillos and remove the skins of the poblanos, being careful to leave the peppers in tact.  Set the tomatillos aside.  Remove the seeds of the poblanos by make one long slice the length of the pepper, then gently cut out the center pod containing the seeds.  Set the peppers aside while you make the filling.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.  *For an extra punch of flavor, you can substitute half a tablespoon of reserved bacon grease and half olive oil. The smell of bacon and onions cooking together is magnificent! Add in the onions. Cook, stirring regularly, until onions are slightly translucent.  sprinkle in cumin and combine with the onions.  Stir in the quinoa and raisins or apricots.  Allow the quinoa to toast for 3-5 minutes, then season with salt and black pepper.  Pour in enough water to cover 2 inches over the quinoa mixture.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer until all the water is absorbed into the quinoa.  Allow the mixture to cool be spreading it on a baking sheet and setting it aside.

In a clean pan, sautee the mushrooms in approx. 2 tsp. of olive oil, and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine the cooled quinoa mixture, mushrooms, cheese, and egg yolks.  Fill the peppers with the mixture until they are very full.  Place the peppers in a square baking dish, then cook them in the oven for about 20 minutes while you prepare the sauce.

For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  This should basically be the consistency of enchilada sauce- not super runny, but thin enough to pour over the dish.  If you find the sauce is too thick, you can add water or chicken stock in small amounts until you achieve the desired consistency.  Also, if you prefer a creamy sauce, you can add in a 1/4 cup of light sour cream.

When the rellenos are ready, remove from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes.  Ladle a shallow pool of the green sauce onto each plate, place your rellenos on the plate, then cover with the remaining sauce.  In the picture above, I served this with black beans and sliced tomatoes (because Eddie loves them).

Enjoy and please let me know if you have any suggestions!



 

Take 2!

A little less than a year ago, in an attempt to gain some creative relief from the stresses of teaching, I created this blog and presented myself with the mission to create one new recipe a week then blog about and post that recipe.  That lasted all of one week.  I kept up with the new recipes, but failed on the blogging end because, as you could imagine, the pile of work from the stressful job I was trying to escape grew into a mountain.  It's really tough to find internet service when you're buried in a mountain.


In the process of digging out of said mountain, I managed to fall in love with an amazing man (a doctor, even) who, at the end of the school year, gave me a diamond ring and whisked me away to Portland, Oregon, where he is completing his residency.  I debated for a few months whether I should get my Oregon teaching credentials or flee from education and start a new life in the culinary field.  My conclusion? Nobody wants to hire inexperienced employees in the culinary field, and the minimum wage and crappy hours might end up being worse (or at least as bad) as the toughest days (or in my case, months) as a teacher.  The big difference: at least as a teacher, the bad years tend to be followed by better years, and while it's often a thankless job, one or two "Thanks for all you've done for me" notes at the end of the school year have a magical way of making all the crap one has endured worthwhile.  I often find myself thinking about the annoying, self-righteous teenagers who, at times, made me boil with rage, and I actually miss them and wonder who's skin they're getting under now.  That's why I'm going back.


"What does all this have to do with cooking," you ask?  It's going to be a bit before I'm actually certified, and I have found myself with lots of free time.  Through the ups and downs of this summer of self-discovery, the one thing I have been consistently excited about is the plethora of tasty creations which I have been able to share with The Doctor, friends, and family.  In preparation for our upcoming nuptials, I've begun experimenting with making healthy modifications to my favorite recipes.  As I post, I'll make note of the modifications, and you can decide which way to go.  Stay tuned!