Food52's Roasted Carrot Soup

The hubby's lunch, Roasted Carrot Soup and Sprouted English Muffin "grilled cheese"  

 

I am ecstatic to report that as of Monday, (this Monday, the day after tomorrow Monday!?!), I will be starting my new job as Director of Ad Sales at Food52. Apparently, dreams do come true.

If you haven't checked out the site, please do! It is a wonderful social cooking hub with mouth-watering photography, witty editorial, tens of thousands of user tested recipes and a food hotline.  It rocks my culinary world.  Outside of family, friends and yoga, I've always had two passions: my sales career and my love of food. The opportunity to marry these two worlds is beyond thrilling.  I literally can not wait to get to work!

In the middle of a particularly icky winter, and to unveil this amazing change in my life we enjoyed a Food52 Best Carrot recipe winner, Roasted Carrot Soup. Rich not heavy, robust not grassy, we all sopped it up.  By all, that means baby too!

Now pardon me while I get back to my happy dance.

Roasted Carrot Soup
Best Carrot Winner, Food52.com
Ingredients

• 8 large carrots 
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock (low sodium)
• 1 inch piece ginger, peeled
• 1 sprig thyme, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

• Peel and cut the carrots into 1/2-inch rounds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Set an oven rack 8 inches from the top, turn broiler on high and broil  carrots until they brown, turning them over with a spatula every 5 minutes or so; this should take 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil, add the ginger and the sprig of thyme to the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Place the diced onion in a stock pot with remaining olive oil. Brown over medium heat, stirring frequently. Then add the garlic, and carrots.
• Remove the ginger and thyme from the stock, then pour the stock into the onion pot. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Use an immersion or a standard blender to puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

My Amazing New Bamboo Personalized Cutting Board, from here

 Leftovers make GREAT Baby Lunches

Pot Au Feu

This super easy Pot Au Feu hails from one of my first and most-used cookbooks, Martha Stewart's Healthy Quick Cook--Four Seasons of Great Menu's.  A good friend gave it to me as a housewarming present almost 15 years ago, and its worn edges and faded cover make me smile.

The hearty broth intoxicates the kitchen while simmering on the stove, and the mashed potato topping adds a royal dose of richness. I've enjoyed it for Sunday supper, with a group of skiers after a day on the slopes, at winter dinner parties and sometimes, when the root veg overflows my kitchen, as my lunch for the week. The best part about this dish is you can use any root vegetables you have on hand. 

I've made it twice this fall forgetting to photograph the final product. I suppose I can't wait to dive in!

Pot-au-Feu with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients  
Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat
• 6 cups / enough chicken stock to cover the veggies
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal and quartered
• 1 rutabaga or turnip (1 pound) peeled, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal and quartered
• 2 parsnips, pared, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal and quartered
• 2 celery stalks, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal and quartered
• 1 leek, white part only, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 sprig each fresh thyme, rosemary and parsley 
• Salt and pepper

Potatoes

• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup of milk
• 2-4 tablespoons of horseradish
• Salt, pepper and butter
  

Directions 

• Heat oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown it on all sides. Add vegetables, cover with chicken stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring the potatoes to boil in salted water over high, then reduce to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to pot. Mash until potatoes are to your desired consistency. 
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium-low until butter melts. Slowly pour mixture into potatoes, stirring until combined. Whisk in horseradish to taste, and season with salt and pepper.
  
• Remove meat onto a cutting board. Season the broth with salt and pepper. Divide the vegetables among 4 large shallow bowls and ladle broth into them. Slice the meat into 8 pieces and place two slices in each bowl. Serve topped with horseradish mashed potatoes.

Baked Apples

Our crisper is still gloriously filled with apples varietals from late fall CSA deliveries.  I love that these little guys last so long. Months, in fact, if stored in the crisper with a moist towel on top.

While I love a good tart and never turn down a crisp, in the spirit of simple and slow eating, I wanted to share a recipe that all but keeps the apple in tact. Truthfully, a recipe is barely needed to bake apples. Core, stuff, butter and bake... So perhaps use this as a launching pad for your own masterpiece. When company is over, as it was above, I add a dollop of ice cream.

Baked Apples
Ingredients
For every apple you will bake:

• 1/2 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon of chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
• 1 dash of nutmeg
• 1 dash of cinnamon
• 1 dash of cloves
• Water

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Carefully core the apples 3/4th of the way, leaving the bottom in tact. I use a paring knife in a circular motion, then scoop with a narrow spoon
• Mix the nuts, honey and spices in a bowl and then scoop into each cored apple and top with a butter pad
• Arrange the apples in a baking dish and full with 1 inch of water
• Bake for 40 - 50 minutes, until tender

Jamie Oliver's Sauteed Jerusalem Artichokes

Coq Au Vin

Growing up, we had a new Au Pair every year.  All hailed from Western European countries like Spain, France and German, and many from the UK.  While it meant we had a new stranger across the hall each September, it worked well for our family and was wonderful exposure to different cultures.

A lot of my food memories thus revolve around the Au Pair of the year.  There was the year of the quiche, or as we fondly retell it at the Christmas table (said in your WORST French-English accent), "Tonight, I make a quiche." It was that same Au Pair who made a wonderful mussel dish, my first introduction to the briny, special occasion steamed feast, and a Buche du Noel at Christmas.  From the Brits we had many a Shepherd's Pie, and I still maintain that first Sue's was the best. Two British Au Pairs named Sue with rivaling Shepard's Pie recipes...

While it was various Au Pairs who introduced me to many comforts of French cuisine, like croque monsieur, quiche and toast dipped in Chocolat Chaud for breakfast, it was my father who introduced me to the French stews. Coq au Vin being his specialty.

When I asked him for his recipe, I learned it has evolved over the years.  At first, I was slightly disappointed to find out there was no tried-and-true, passed through the generations recipe.  Then I realized I hadn't noticed the difference in recent batches so why be disappointed.  His most recent recipe edits are that he no longer scorches the meat in cognac, "it didn't seem to do much", and he added leeks from a Quebecois recipe.

The final version, after I added in a wee bit of chicken stock, is a rich, fall apart with your fork stew. The recipe seems just right, and I won't be tinkering it any further. The veg all meld together into silky goodness and plopped on top of cous cous or brown rice, we lap it up in mere minutes.  Bon Appetit!

Coq au Vin
Ingredients

• 4 lbs of chicken thighs or a whole stewing chicken pre-cut into serving pieces
• 10-12 pearl onions, peeled
• 2 leeks, washed and diced
• 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1/2 - 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 cloves of thinly sliced garlic
• Bouquet Garni: 2 stalks of celery, Bay leaves, two to three sprigs of fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme and/or parsley) and butchers twine
• 1 bottle of Pinot Noir
• Butter
• Flour, salt and pepper for dredging

Directions

• Dredge the chicken pieces in flour, pepper and salt
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 3 qt + dutch oven over medium low heat
• Brown the chicken pieces on all sides, remove to a plate
• Add the onions, carrots and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, mixing frequently, turn off when finished
• In a small pan, saute the leeks and mushrooms in butter for 3-5 minutes, deglaze with the chicken stock and cook another 2 minutes
• Make the Bouquet Garni by cutting the celery in half, putting the bay leaves and herb sprigs in between, covering up with another piece of celery, and tying together into a bundle with the butcher's twine
• Add the chicken back to the dutch oven, place the Bouquet Garni in the pot, toss in the leek/stock/mushroom mixture, and cover with the bottle of wine
•  Cook, covered, in the oven at 350 degrees, 2.5 - 3.5 hours

Leeks Vinaigrette

If I am home alone for lunch or dinner, I often turn to this addictive recipe for leeks vinaigrette.  It has everything I love in a recipe: Ease, bold flavors and a focus on the main vegetable.  I'll often prepare it and lap up the entire pan myself in one sitting.  But don't be fooled by my gluttony, it serves as a great side-dish to grilled white fish, roasted chicken or even a quiche at brunch.  Since it can be enjoyed warm or at room temp, it's perfectly versatile. 

It is a messy dish, bright and bold in your mouth but all slopped together on your plate, and that's a large part of the charm.

If you are anything like me, when you read Molly of Orangette's blog-post, you'll wish that it had been you living in Paris, and that it was your host mother preparing the original dish.

Note about cleaning: If you cook with leeks ever, the recipe below includes leek cleaning instructions that were kitchen-changing for me.

Leeks Vinaigrette
Courtesy of Orangette 
Ingredients 

• 2 to 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp. salt, or more to taste
• 6 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small to medium shallot, minced
• 2 lb. small leeks (about 7 or 8) 
• Optional garnish: Finely chopped bacon or finely chopped hard-boiled egg

Directions

• In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar with the mustard and salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Taste and add the remaining vinegar if  it needs it. Mix in the shallots and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it REALLY well. The key, as Molly puts it, is that it should taste like sea water.
• While the water comes to a boil, trim off almost the entire root of the leek keeping the stalk in tact. Remove the dark green leafy parts, leaving just white and pale green parts. 
• Next, for the best leek cleaning trick ever, I've copy and pasted exactly from Molly : "Starting about 1 inch from the root end, so as to keep the white part intact, cut lengthwise down the middle of the leek. Wash the leeks well under running water, flushing any dirt from between the layers." 
• Add the leeks to the boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes until they are nearly falling apart. 
• Drain the leeks well, transfer them to a clean kitchen towel or paper towels on the counter and blot dry. 
• While still hot toss them with a generous amount of the dressing.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, with more dressing spooned on top and a pinch or two of salt. For a fuller meal, garnish with bacon and/or chopped egg.

Soba Noodles with Kale & Walnuts

Every home cook should have a few "deceptively simple" recipes in their arsenal and this one should become one of yours.  It may not photograph terribly well, but sure is delicious and it is super, and I mean SUPER, simple to make.

Hearty and rich kale. Walnuts for depth and protein. Soba noodles as a lovely nutty alternative to regular pasta. Cayenne and cheese together? Yes please. 

Soba Noodles with Kale & Walnuts
Ingredients
Serves two

• 2 cups chopped kale
• 6 oz of soba noodles
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Cayenne Pepper
• Parmesan Cheese
• Olive Oil or Peanut Oil

Directions

• Bring two pots of salted water to boil, a large and a small
• Add kale to the small pot, cook for 5 minutes, and drain
• Meanwhile, cook the soba noodles according to package, and drain keeping 1 cup of the cooking water
• Toss noodles with 1 tablespoon oil
• In a frying pan, saute chopped walnut in oil until golden (2-3 minutes)
• Add kale, walnuts, salt, pepper, pinch of cayenne, noodles and 1/4 cup of cooking water to the pan. Turn off heat, stir and add more cooking water if needed. Top with a very generous amount of Parmesan cheese

About Soba Noodles
This Japanese noodles are made of buckwheat flour and can be served warm or cold. Soba noodles, which can be purchased in dried form, are a healthier alternative to white-flour pasta as they contain almost half the calories and a good for you vitamins and minerals such as the essential amino acid lysine, copper and rutin.