Sausage and Greens Soup

 

Its not often we get cool rainy days here in S.E Texas, but when we do I'm loaded with an arsenal of rib sticking soups.   This is a new(ish) one loaded up with baby greens that you need a fork to practically get through it.  Man is is hearty.

Thank goodness for supermarkets wising up and prepackaging greens along with the usual suspects of a "salad bar".  In this case I used Kroger's baby green mix...spinach and kale in their tender young form.  Just add to a soup and you'e done.  In terms of the kale, thats a labor savor using baby version as you don't neet to destem and chop them before adding.  Makes for stupid easy cookery.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs mild smoked sausage such as kielbasa
• 1 large sweet onion
• 48 oz chicken broth
• 1 lb  mixed baby greens (kale and spinach)
• 2 T finely chopped basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T flour

Method

Thinly slice saudage (approx 1/4'').  Heat large stock pot over medium heat, add olive oil then sausage.

Stir occassionally.  Coarse chop the onion and add to browning sausage.   Cook 5-8 minutes until sausage is browned and the onions ar translucent.  Add flour and cook 1 minute.

Stir in stock.  Simmer 10 minutes until lightly thickened.  Slowly add greens by handfuls in batchs slowly stirring in and allowing to wilt before adding next batch. Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed to taste.  Add basil.

Simmer 10 minutes to fully wilt kale.  Serve hot with additional basil and maybe a sprinkle of parmesan.

Stupid Easy Shrimp Scampi

 

Whew its been a few crazy weeks.  First mty oldest daughter's wedding then a shoulder surgery and we are nearly on the eve of Thanksgiving.  Both kept me out of the kitchen for a while.  

This is the simplest dinner ever and is it ever tasty.  Shrimp Scampi, lemony tart made in minutes with simple on hand staple ingredients.  I use Buitoni 

Ingredients

• 1 pkg Buitoni linguini or 9 oz dry linguine
• 1 stick salted butter
• 1/4 c chopped Italian parsley
• 2 t chopped garlic
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
• salt to taste
• zest of one lemon
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp

Method

Bring salted pasta water to a boil. 

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  When the butter just starts top sizzle add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute.

Add fresh pasta* to boiling water.  Cook 2-3 minutes.

At same time you added fresh pasta to the water,  add shrimp to the butter mixture.  Cook and stir often until bright pink and opaque (about 2-3 minuites depending on shrimp size).  Add cooked pasta and toss to coat with butter mixture.  Add zest, lemon juice and parsley, toss to distribute.  Add 1/4 to 1/2 c pasta water as needed to thin if needed.  

Serve hot with crusty ciabatta rolls and a nice Tuscan white like Villa Antinori.

*If using dry pasta start cooking it about 6 minutes before you start to melt the butter.  Dry pasta takes about 11 minutes to cook and timing like this will ensure the pasta is cooked and ready to add to shrimp mixture when shrimp are cooked.

Pots de Creme

 Decadence to remember

This is one of those show stopper desserts that people will be talking about for sometime to come.  The highest compliment I was paid for this silky decadent dessert was "I don't normally like dessert but this is too good to not finish."  These delightful pots de creme have a texture between pillowy mousse and a more traditional custard thickened with corn starch.

Its not a difficult recipe, just a little time consuming.  Attention to detail is everything.  

Select good quality, high cacao content semisweet to bittersweet chocolate bars for maximum flavor and the right texture.  The chips we love in cookies have a lot of emulsifiers and preservatives that can mess with the melting properties needed for the final silky result.  I usually use Valrhona chocolate but its difficult to fine here in SE Texas.  A good substitute was the Ghirardelli 70% Cacao baking bars found at the local H*E*B.

Ingredients and Formulation:

• 1 1/3 c whole milk
• 1 c heavy cream
• 4 t Triple sec
• 1 T Vanilla extract
• 2 t orange zest
• pinch of salt
• 8 oz 65-70% cacao baking chocolate, chopped
• 8 egg yolks
• 6 T Sugar
• whipped cream
• raspberries

Preheat oven to 350F

gather 6, 10oz ramikens

In a heavy bottom non-reactive sauce pan combine milk, heavy cream, triple sec, zest, vanilla extract and salt.  Bring to boil and remove from heat.  Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted into the milk mixture and you have a smooth homogenous mixture.

In stand mixer add egg yolks and sugar.  On medium high heat beat until light lemon color with the mixture doubled in size. This should take about 5 minutes. It should fall in ribbons from the beater.

Add chocolate mixture 1T at a time with mixer on medium low speed until half of it is incorporated into the egg mixture and it is tempured.  With mixer still running pour in the remaining chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely incoroparted into the egg and no streakes remain.

Divide chocolate mixture between the 6 ramikens.  In a large pan with a rack add the ramikens.  Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan.  Water should come up about 1/2 way up the sides of the ramekins.  Do not get water in the ramekins.  Cover with foil and put in the preheated oven.

Bake 45-55 minutes until just set.  To test stick a toothpick into the center of a ramiken.  If liquid give it another 5 minutes until just set with a little wobble in the center.

Remove from oven and place ramekins on a kitchen towel. Cool to room temp.  Once cooled cover each with cling film and chill 4-6 hours.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a few raspberries.

Tips and Tricks...

Don't be timid with the egg yolks.  They really need to be beaten until double in size and the yolk sugar mixtures fall from the blade in a ribbon.  This incorporates air that is important to the texture of the final product.

A large roasting pan with a rack is perfect for the waterbath to cook these pots de creme.  The water bath aka Bain Marie is used to ensure gentle even baking.

The easiest way to remove the hot ramekins from the water bath is with a canning jar tool.  Easily lifts them from the water without risk of dipping your oven mit into the scalding water.

Cooling the pots de creme to room temp before putting in the refrigerator with the cling film ensures no moisture collects and mars the final product.  Don't skip this step.

Wrapping each ramiken in cling film ensures they don't get a crusty top while chilling.  Also helps them not absorb flavors odors form other foods like from say your kim chi in the corner.

Sausage and Spinach Pappardelle

 

A family favorite that makes a bunch.  Even spinach haters love it cause its so darned good.

Ingredients:

• 4 mild or hot Italian sausages (about 12 ounces)
• 1/4 c minced shallot or sweet onion
• 8-10 oz baby spinach
• nutmeg
• 1/4 c parmesan grated
• 1 stick butter
• 12 oz pappardelle pasta
• parmesan for serving.

Put on a large pot of water and bring to boil  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Do not drain pasta as you will need pasta water

Remove sausage from casing and crumble in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  When cooked add shallot (or sweet onion if you can't find shallots).  Sautee' 1 minute until translucent.  

Reduce heat and start adding spinach in batches, adding more as it wilted. Add a couple of scrapes of nutmeg (a large pinch worth).  When the butter is about half melted add a ladle (scant 1/2 cup) pasta water and stir into the melting butter to emulsify.  DO NOT skip this step or your sauce will break.  Finish adding spinach, when all wilted down add parmesan cheese and stir into butter emulsion.  If it starts to break add another 1/4-1/2 c pasta water to re-emulsify. 

At this step your pasta should be ready to be pulled from water and added to the mixture.  Simmer in sauce a minute or two tossing with tongs to coat all the pasta with the glorious butter cheese sauce.  Serve in bowls with additional grated parmesan.

I'm back bearing gifts - Lemon Bomb Dump Cake

 

 Its been a long while since I dusted off this password and shared something from my kitchen to yours.  A lots happened since I last blogged here the biggy of course was a move to League City TX and a whole 'nother style of cooking.  Southern Comfort is what I've been exploring the last couple of years.

The Lemon Bomb Dump Cake is just one of those comfort foods that Texas and the South are known for.  (BBQ is a whole nother story for another time).

Lemon Bomb Dump Cake

• 2, 21 oz cans lemon pie filling
• 1 boxed Lemon Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
• 1 8 oz cream cheese - room temp
• 1 stick salted butter

Preheat oven to 350F

Lightly grease a 9 X 13 baking dish.  Spread evenly lemon pie filling into the bottom of baking dish.  Cut off marble sized nubs of cream cheese and dollop onto the pie filling.  Lightly spoon out cake mix over the pie filling cream cheese in one even layer.  Cut thin slices of butter and put on top of the cake mix.

Bake 50-60 minutes until golden brown.

A few notes.  If you don't want it as strong a lemon you can substitue out the cake mix for vanilla or yellow style cake mixes.  The cream cheese really needs to be soft as it is easier to cut off little nubs than the cold stuff.   The exception to the room temp is the butter, to get nice even slices you really need it refrigerator cold.

Stay tuned for future installments...fraz

 

Kumquat Meyer Lemon Marmalade

I'm a fan of the marmalade.  Citrusy, not too sweet and has a nice bite.  This marmalade recipe is stupid easy...if you can boil water you can make this recipe.

Sure its great on toast...but you can take a quarter cup, mix with a couple of Tablespoons soy sauce, ginger and garlic and you have an awesome glaze for salmon steaks...but that is another recipe for another day.

I tried this recipe with traditional lemons from the grocery store and the lemon overtook the kumquat.  Seek out Meyer Lemons for their softer more floral taste for a better balance of flavors in your final product.

Kumquat Meyer Lemon Marmalade

• 2 large Meyer Lemons
• 1 lb ripe kumquats
• 5 1/2 C water
• 2 c sugar
• pinch of salt (scant 1/8 t)
• 1 packet Certo sure-jell liquid pectin

Wash and clean all of your fruit.  

Slice lemon on the horizontal end-to-end axis. Thinly slice lemon about 1/8" with a very sharp knife.  Discard seeds as you encounter them.  Repeat with the remaining lemon.  Add lemon slices to a sauce pan and cover with water.  Bring to boil and reduce heat.  Simmer until the white pith is translucent, about 5-10 minutes.  Strain and return cooked lemon to sauce pan.

While the lemons simmer thinly slice the kumquats about 1/8" thick.  Set aside while the lemon cooks. When lemon is done, add the sliced kumquats, pinch of salt and 5 1/2 cups water to the sauce pan.  Bring to boil.  When at a full rolling boil turn off heat and cover.  Let stand 24 hours.

At end of 24 hours add sugar and insert a candy thermometer into the fruit mixture.  Turn heat to medium-high and stir gently to dissolve sugar but not break up fruit too much.  Bring to boil, cook until candy thermometer reaches 220F.  Remove from heat.  Stir in liquid pectin, Ladle hot marmalade into hot sterilized pint jars (makes about 2 pints).   

Let cool and set at room temperature.  Store in cool dark place or fridge.  Definitely refrigerate after opening.

Apple Cranberry Nut Bread

This a right tasty and textural quick bread.  Heavy on the tart from the cranberry and lightly citrus with a hint of spice.  Perfect for a mid-winter snack or breakfast.  Stupid simple to make.  The hardest task is peeling and dicing the apples.  

Apple Cranberry Nut Bread

• 1 16 oz bag fresh cranberry
• 1 1/2 c whole walnut
• 1 1/2 c diced granny smith apple
• 4 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 1 c brown sugar
• 3 t baking powder
• 2 t salt
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 1/2 c orange juice
• zest from 1/2 orange
• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 2 eggs beaten

Preheat oven 350F.

Place walnuts in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to break them up.  Add cranberry and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.  Set aside.

In stand mixer add sugars, orange juice, oil and eggs beat until well combined.  Add baking powder, baking soda, zest, and cinnamon.  Stir lightly.  Fold in flour until just combined.  Fold in cranberry and nut mixture until just combined.  Fold in diced apples.

Spray 2 9X5 loaf pans with nonstick spray (or spray 8 mini-loaf pans).  Bake 55 minutes until full size loaf tests clean with a toothpick.  40-45 minutes on the mini-loaves.  Cool 15 minutes and then remove from pan and finish cooling on a wire rack.