Pureed Spinach Soup

The New Moosewood Cookbook

I took a cooking class when I was in high school, through school, and in it we made a delicious pureed spinach soup I've remembered ever since. I loved it! This was at a time when I didn't think I liked spinach. It had a surprising richness to it and it was just gorgeous to look at. So I was delighted when I tried this recipe I found online, which is adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook, and found that it tastes a lot like that first spinach soup I tried. It is the same beautiful vibrant green color, it's the smooth texture of our carrot soup we love, and it is healthful as can be.

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 C water

2 t salt

1 lb. spinach, cleaned and stemmed (as little as 10 oz. works, and just makes for a thinner soup)

5 medium cloves garlic, peeled

ground pepper to taste

(the recipe also calls for 1 1/2 C milk to be stirred in at the end, but I don't add the milk-- only a dollop of cream when I serve it)

Place onion, potatoes, water, and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add spinach and garlic and continue to simmer until spinach leaves soften enough to stir into the liquid, about 10 more minutes.

Puree vegetables in their cooking water and return to pot. (Stir in milk here if desired.) Season with ground pepper. Serve hot.

Anadama Bread

The Eating Well New Favorites Cookbook

I hadn't made this bread in a long time, but it's one of our favorite homemade breads. The molasses makes the bread moist and just a little bit sweet. It's good with chicken salad or all by itself.

1/4 C cornmeal

1/4 C unsulfured molasses

3 C flour

1 package (2 1/4 t) yeast

1 1/2 t salt

1 egg white beaten with 2 t water for glaze

In a saucepan, bring 1 1/3 C water to a boil. Pour into a large glass measuring cup and stir in cornmeal and molasses. Let stand for 5 minutes or longer to soften cornmeal and to cool the liquid to between 105 and 115 degrees.

In a food processor, combine flour, yeast, and salt. Pulse to mix. With the motor running, gradually pour the cornmeal mixture through the feed tube until a ball forms. Process for about 45 seconds to "knead" the dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cover loosely with oiled or sprayed plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Lightly oil a baking sheet, then dust with cornmeal, shaking off excess. Punch down the dough and form into a round loaf. Place on prepared baking sheet. Cover lightly with plastic wrap again and let rise until doubled in bulk, 40 - 45 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 425. Just before baking, place a shallow pan of hot water on the lowest rack in the oven.

Brush the risen loaf lightly with egg-white glaze, making sure not to let it drip onto the pan. Use a sharp knife to make 2 slashes, 1/2-inch deep, in a criss-cross pattern on top.

Bake for 10 minutes. Brush again with egg-white glaze and rotate pan 180 degrees. Lower oven temperature to 400 and bake for 10 - 15 minutes more or until loaf is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer loaf to a rack to cool.

Winter BSTs

Martha Stewart Living, March 2007

The jam-like, roasted-tomato layer is what makes these sandwiches. These ingredients make enough for 4 sandwiches.

2 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T olive oil

1 t coarse salt

1 lb. sliced bacon

8 slices sandwich bread

Ranch dressing or mayo

freshly ground pepper

4 C fresh spinach

Preheat oven to 450. Stir together tomatoes, garlic, oil, and salt in a bowl. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tomato mixture looks dry, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Finely chop; set aside.

Fry bacon until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Spread toasted bread slices with dressing. Layer with tomato mixture. Season with pepper. Layer with spinach, then bacon, dividing evenly.

Pea and Bacon Risotto

Gourmet, January 2009

We have developed a love for risotto, ordering it whenever we get the chance. So I was delighted to find that this one was as creamy and delicious as it sounded-- we liked it just as much as the one other risotto I've made, a butternut squash one. It made dinner for two, with one serving left over for lunch the next day (and since I have far poorer lunch options at my place of work, the leftovers were mine!).

3 1/2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 C water

2 bacon slices, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2/3 C Arborio rice

2/3 C frozen peas

1/4 C grated parmesan

2 T unsalted butter

1/2 t lemon zest

1/2 t lemon juice

Bring broth and water to a simmer in a small saucepan.

Cook bacon in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towl to drain.

Add garlic to bacon fat in pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat.

Add about 1/4 cup hot broth mixture and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding hot broth mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy-looking but still al dente. (Reserve leftover broth mixture.)

Add peas and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.

Stir in cheese, butter, zest, and juice. Thin risotto with some of reserved broth mixture if desired and season with salt and pepper. Top with bacon.

Crepes

Martha Stewart Living, February 2009


In the past when I have made crepes, I have only made sweet ones, usually with berries inside. And I have always used the Joy of Cooking recipe. Recently, Martha Stewart Living had an article on crepes, though, so I tried their version. We liked it better than the Joy one, because the crepes were smoother, prettier when cooked, and more delicate overall-- plus it used fewer ingredients. We had them for dinner folded in half then in half again with with butter, salt and pepper, and smoked ham inside, with a salad with a simple vinaigrette on the side. For breakfast the next morning, we cooked up the remaining batter and had them rolled, with a smear of cream cheese and some of last summer's strawberries (simmered until they were soft and juicy) inside, and a dusting of confectioner's sugar on top. They were thin and delicious with both meals, even though I skipped all the recommended sifting (noted below). We halved this recipe for the two of us.

1 3/4 C flour
1/2 t coarse salt
2 C whole milk (we used skim)
3 large eggs
5 T unsalted butter, melted

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl (I didn't). Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into a medium bowl (I didn't), and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to one day (we did about an hour). Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.

Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle batter into pan, just enough to cover the bottom, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden-brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about one minute. Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe and gently flip. Cook until bottom is firm and golden-brown, about 45 seconds. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter every couple of crepes. Serve immediately.

Roasted Green Beans and Cashews

Gourmet, February 2009

We had these last night along with steak and roasted potatoes, and they were the most memorable part of the menu. We cut the recipe in half for just the two of us. The beans still had a nice crunch to them even though they were roasted.

2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved
3/4 C salted roasted cashews, chopped
1/2 C chopped shallots (about 4 medium)
2 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 with rack in lower third (I roasted them at 400 because I had potatoes going at the same time).

Toss green beans with cashews, shallots, oil, and 1/2 t each of salt and pepper, then spread evenly in a large rimmed sheet pan.

Roast, stirring occasionally, until green beans are tender and nuts are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.