Fresh Tart

Where do you buy fish?  A tricky thing, in Minnesota, at least to find consistently fresh choices - I've bought nice fillets and some real stinkers from every major outlet in the Twin Cities.

If you're willing to shop online, I can say that I've been extremely pleased with the sustainably caught king salmon and halibut I've bought from VitalChoice Wild Seafood.  This was our first batch of halibut and I could have eaten all the pieces in one week!

But I didn't.  Two 6-oz. fillets went into the Quick Coconut Curry with Halibut & Broccoli that I posted last week at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.  Heavenly, that dish, I'm on a big coconut milk kick as a result.

A few days later, two more fillets found their way into this fish soup, thick and rich with tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs.  You might notice that this is the first recipe I've posted in awhile calling for canned tomatoes instead of fresh.  I felt a little sad about it, until I tasted the tomatoes and remembered that good-quality canned tomatoes are fabulous too.  Go for a good Italian brand - the ripe, meaty Romas are what gives the soup its beautiful color and texture.

Fish Soup with Tomatoes
4 servings

2 Tbsp. olive oil, more for drizzling
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 8-oz. bottle clam juice
1 24-oz. can whole Italian tomatoes
2 6-oz. fillets halibut or other firm, white fish, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 c. chopped Italian parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

toasted baguette slices

Heat a large saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add olive oil, then onion, and slowly saute onion until softened but not browned, about 15 minutes.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 5 minutes.  Turn heat to medium.  Add white wine and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add clam juice.  Crush tomatoes by hand into the soup, adding the remaining juices.  Turn heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  Stir in fish and parsley and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes, until fish is just cooked through.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.  Serve immediately, ladled over toasted bread, and drizzled with a little olive oil.

I can't get enough of it (as you well know if you read this blog - I do a soup consolidation post every winter).  Warm, nutritious, satisfying, easy to make, and delicious - what's not to like?  I mix things up with garnishes....a grating of cheese, a sprinkle of toasted nuts, a drizzle of excellent olive oil or nut oil (hazelnut, walnut, sesame), a dab of creme fraiche, or a spoonful of pesto....you get the idea.  It's fun to add a crispy version of whatever veggies are in the soup base to perk things up - picture crispy cauliflower as a garnish to a creamy cauliflower soup.  Or a shower of chopped fresh herbs.  Or a few pieces of crisp, salty meat to elevate something simple to sublime - a few cubes of crunchy, chewy pancetta or bacon finish off a basic mushroom or tomato soup beautifully.

Or, my personal favorite, ladling soup over freshly made croutons - some sort of crusty bread, cubed and sauteed in a bit of olive oil with garlic, finish with a generous sprinkle of salt.  So good, they can turn a basic broth into something incredible (add a sprinkle of Parm, and freshly ground black pepper...peasant food at its finest).

I often make a great big pot, we have it for lunch or dinner, then I freeze the rest.  Happiness is coming home at 7 pm, thinking there's nothing for dinner, then remembering the lovely soup you tucked into the freezer a month ago.  Label containers carefully (date, contents) for maximum enjoyment, minimal confusion.

Some ideas if you're hankering for a bowl (I enjoyed two yesterday - split pea for lunch, beef with barley for din, NICE) -

split pea with bacon & herbs

beef with barley

new england clam chowder

manhattan clam chowder

watercress with anchovy crouton

french onion

vegetable with pesto (middle pic)

fish with grilled bread and rouille

quick black bean

portuguese caldo verde

pappa al pomodoro (tomato bread)

quick chicken with bacon, asparagus & truffle oil

matzo ball

tortilla

quick chicken gumbo

avgolemono (Greek egg lemon)

chickpea with rosemary & sage (bottom pic)

tomato with crouton (top pic)

cabbage with gruyere

For more ideas, check out this consolidation of my soup posts.

I had the yummiest soup today at Beaujo's Wine Bar in Edina, for lunch with my aunt Mary.  Mulligatawny soup, thick with lentils and tender chicken and bright with turmeric and a hint of curry.  It got me thinking, once again, about how much I love (lurve) soups and stews.  Is there anything better on a cold day?  I say no.  Mmmm...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured here, clockwise from top left: whatever's in the fridge soup, french onion soup, New England clam chowder, and quick black bean soup.

I'm back with another soup and more kale!  Portuguese Caldo Verde (green soup), thick with smoky sausage, kale, and potatoes, oh so good.  I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe (a Cook's Illustrated gem) before - it's one of my faves, a true meal-in-a-pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two suggestions.  First, to quickly trim away the thick center rib from the kale leaves, fold the leaf in half lengthwise, then slice along the rib (cutting through both halves of the leaves) until the rib is released (discard).  Second, do not skip the drizzle of best-quality olive oil just before serving.  The fruity-pepperiness adds a wonderful flavor and texture.  A grind of fresh black pepper finishes it all off perfectly.

Recipe here.

Yikes, look at that, it's 2009.  Oops, there goes half of my life, wait, come back...

No?  Well then, Happy New Year (sigh).  We rang in the New Year in relatively quiet fashion - just what the doctor ordered after Christmas festivities followed by feverish flu.  Despite feeling a bit wobbly, John and I enjoyed a sparkly, pretty dinner at Bar Lurcat.  Live jazz, beautiful decorations, very romantic (pics are from our lovely evening).  We sampled several of our Lurcat faves - roasted cauliflower, apple salad, frites.  I had a glorious piece of miso-glazed sea bass.  John ate my yummy profiteroles filled with salty caramel ice cream and topped with warm chocolate sauce (so good).  We managed to stay awake until midnight, mumble Happy New Year, and fall gratefully asleep.

In the kitchen, I've continued the low-key vibe (as you can tell, since I've been more than a bit sparse in my postings here!).  A combination, I think, of not having my appetite back, plus just feeling tired of heavy, celebratory foods.  In the new year, fresh, healthy, light foods are tasting mighty fine.  I've made a lot of brothy soups, simple things along the lines of the soup below - chicken or vegetable broth, perhaps a bit of tomato, sprinkle of herbs, a few handfuls of greens (spinach or kale), perhaps leftover pasta or rice or a few frozen tortellinis, a grating of Parmesan cheese.  My family is growing a bit weary of soups, but hey, you cook, you choose.  At least that's my rule.

I've also been inspired by a neat article in Prevention Magazine (good pub, recommend it highly), which discusses the benefits of eating monounsaturated fats or MUFAs (namely healthy body, heart, skin, and weight).  I do find that if I include MUFAs in each meal my appetite is satisfied for a longer period of time.  Food sources include olive and flax seed oils, avocados, nuts, dark chocolate, olives, fish.  Tasty stuff.  Combined with fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, really tasty stuff.  And as easy as tossing a handful of chopped almonds into oatmeal, layering sliced avocado on a turkey sandwich, drizzling a little flaxseed oil in a smoothie, enjoying a small piece of dark chocolate after dinner.  Check out the comprehensive web page (it's a whole site, actually, that they call the Flat Belly Diet) and experiment. Iif you notice a difference in your appetite, waistline, and/or energy level, let us know.

This weekend, no entertaining, no heading out, just a long walk in the not-too-cold and quiet time here at the hacienda.  Nice!  (I've been hitting - literally - a couple of kickboxing classes each week, as well as a couple of pilates lessons which I sadly need to heal from the kickboxing.  As fun as those classes are, I still have to get outside for walks - as I've said before, if I don't get fresh air, my mood and energy level plummet.)  I'm thinking a veggie burger (I like the Morningstar Farms version; not organic, but very tasty) with avocado and roasted red pepper for lunch, topped with the rouille I'm still working from the fish soup I made a couple of weeks ago - it keeps beautifully and is a perfect condiment for otherwise plain sandwiches and soups.

Enjoy your weekend!

I'm too fickle to cook very far ahead - I mean, I can eat most things for two days max, then I have to move on.  Not to mention many dishes taste pretty tired the next day (pastas, pizzas, lettuce salads, fish).  But beef works, and is often improved with a day or two of rest.  Particularly the braising cuts, like the three pounds of boneless beef short ribs I slow-simmered over the weekend.  Last night they saw their third iteration (first two below) as meat pies, and oh boy were they good.  This was leftover cookery at its most fun - a bit of this, a little of that.  Puff pastry sheets from the freezer.  One russet potato and one yellow onion from the pantry.  A green pepper from the cooler.  And a generous sprinkle of curry powder for some interest.  I diced everything quite small, sauteed the potato, onion, and green pepper together with the curry powder until tender.  Stirred in the diced beef, seasoned with salt and pepper, let it all cool a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I rolled out the pastry, cut it into generous circles with a cereal bowl, filled and folded the pastry over, and sealed it up with an egg wash.  I finished with an allover brush of the egg wash (or an allover wash of the egg?), then baked the fat little crescents until crispy and golden brown, about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Result?  Rich, savory deliciousness, especially with braised kale alongside.  The lesson here is that pretty much anything, diced and sauteed into a savory hash, would taste fantastic inside puff pastry.  Doesn't everything taste fantastic inside puff pastry?  Next time you have a spot of roast - lamb, chicken beef, pork, or no roast at all, just vegetables - give it a go, see what you think.

And before that, for my lunch, I restored myself with the most hodgepodge of soups.  I conjured it up on my minus-four-degree walk, in fact, while my stomach rumbled and my face and hands stung from the cold.  Soup!

I started with chicken broth, stirred in a bit of leftover garlicky tomato sauce, then leftover orzo, a swirl of pesto, a handful of spinach, and a couple of tender turkey meatballs (which I make in batches and keep in the freezer).  Basically a healthy, flavorful Italian meatball soup to warm me through and hold me through the afternoon.  Until the meat pies.

Leftovers kind of...ROCK?

Alrighty then. (Deep sigh.) Another night for soup, my friends, it's that special-kind-of-hell cold again. I'm doing my best to plumb the depths of warm, cozy, rib-stickin' recipes, what with the recent heat of chicken gumbo and shrimp curry (both quick, weeknight, healthy dishes), and the long-baked (kitchen warming!) Gallic drama of cheese souffle and pissaladiere (savory French tart) to lift my spirits.

But tonight, I'm going back to the basics, my friends, plain ol' (steaming hot!) soup. Simple, comforting avgolemono (Greek egg-lemon soup), in fact, on the table in thirty and just so unbelievably yummy. Warming and filling, yet light. Delicious with grilled pita, perhaps a Greek salad. Basically, that perfect winter food that takes your mind away to a warmer spot while warming one's oh-so-stuck-here body. I don't know about you, but that's exactly what I need. Practical Fantasizing. Soooo Minnesotan, yah. And, as such, rather moderate to boot! You betcha, baby!

(And before you leave, pause to bask in the sunshine Maud drew in Facebook and kindly shone around a few days ago - thanks Maud! It's so cheerful it almost makes me forgive her for kicking my butt up, down, and all around in Facebook Scrabulous!)

Okay. It's over. Not just 2007, but the parties, cocktails, appetizers, rich meals, excess good cheer - over! Enter ye moderation (in fact, a little deprivation wouldn't hurt at this point) and reside in thee for a spell. Please? At least until my birthday this weekend...

Hey, there's nothing wrong with risotto, cream puffs, chocolate mousse, prime rib, mashed potatoes, lobster, champagne, or caviar - a sip and a taste of something lovely can always fit into a healthy diet - it's just the all-in-the-same-week aspect that is a bit, uh, immoderate. Heck, often all in the same day! Egads but it's been a very Merry Christmas. Whew.

And so. It's a New Year and time for a slice of...cold, hard reality. Or at least a plate of pretty salad greens alongside a nice piece of fish. Or a bowl of brothy soup. A mug of hot tea. A lovely ripe pear. A handful of raw almonds. My go-to restorative, depuffing foods. In fact, several such meals in a row, followed by several long, brisk walks, and I'll be feeling like myself again in no time.

Right?

Unctuous. Isn't that a fabulous word? Chef Judy Rodgers uses it in her gorgeous The Zuni Cafe cookbook, specifically in her recipe for Chard & Onion Panade with Fontina, which I made today. And oh, unctuous it is... smooth, creamy, and rich. Almost deadly, in fact - it is so good, and so rich and substantial, I could imagine actually hurting myself with this thing, this panade. Good thing I'm a moderate epicurean (wink).

So, a panade, what is it, other than unctuous and substantial? Imagine a cross between a silky, savory, crusty bread pudding and the best gratineed French onion soup you've ever had and you'll be starting to get the picture. Alongside a roast, it would stand in as a moist, decadent stuffing. On its own, it would replace a risotto or pasta. Oh dear, I feel an obsession coming on...

And this isn't all I made today! I also simmered a simple soup, thinking Nathan wouldn't dig panade (I was quite wrong, it turns out).Chicken broth, little bacon, onions and garlic (in a bouquet garni, Nathan's not a huge fan of lots of chopped onions in soup), herbs, and chicken, with a touch of cream to finish. And quickly sauteed bits of asparagus and a drizzle of truffle oil for John and me. With a generous grinding of black pepper, it was absolutely delicious.

Way to put this snowy day to good use, eh? I'm sitting in front of a big, roaring fire as I type this, pleasantly full of soup and (mostly) panade, while John reads next to me... Nice. I'm thinking our soft bed (with clean sheets, yay!) is going to feel more-than-good when I slide in. Ahhhhh... (Recipes posted in comments, below.)

Man, I had The Best, most kicked-back, lazy-ass, do-nothing day yesterday, and it was awesome. A no-guilt, slug-city existence, I read a whole book (The Virgin of Small Plains, marginal but entertaining), watched two movies (Higher Learning and the hilarious There's Something About Mary), wore my jammies all day, drank a huge pot of coffee, cooked nothing yet ate like a king (leftovers, baby!)... I basically checked out for an entire day. That does not get to happen very often, if ever, so I really relished it - I oohed, ahhed, giggled, talked to myself, swore, sang, danced, licked my plate, giggled some more. Thanksgiving indeed, oh yeah. Lovely!

But today, I'm over it, itching to get things done. A long, brisk walk, laundry, I already gave the kitchen a good scrub down. I'm also back on for healthier eating, I basically look and feel like a puffy puff puffball - bye bye grains and gravy, hello fruits, veggies, and filtered water. Perhaps I'll simmer up a cozy, healthy soup for dinner tonight, that sure sounds nice. (Not turkey soup, however, I actually quite dislike turkey soup.)

Welcome back, Moderation, I missed ye...