Author: andreah94

Pulled Duck, Lamb and White Bean Stew

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Recently (technically November 16th), we went to a lovely local bistro called Blue Dahlia for my dear friend Sarah’s birthday celebration. Their special for the evening was a play on Cassoulet (a classic french dish that can cure just about any ailment). It was a thick pulled duck, lamb sausage, white bean stew with a wonderfully spicy tomato-based stew pungent with fresh herbs (though had markedly less broth than my version). Even though I am dieting and trying to reduce the amount of food I eat, I at EVERY bite and then proceeded to lick the bowl. Clearly, I would have to replicate this dish (if possible). Luckily, they were gracious enough to tell me the main ingredients. Eventually, I will confit the duck and make an actual cassoulet, but right now I am changing jobs, preparing for the holidays, and trying to bang out my last papers of grad school so cassoulet will have to wait. Not that I mind much; the stew turned out quite amazing and I could smell it cooking down the hall from my apartment. It was so good in fact, I ate my first bowl with a few hard beans in it because I could not take the smell of it anymore.

Pulled Duck, Lamb and White Bean Stew

Serves at least Four

Two Duck Leg quarters
Half pound of Lamb shoulder, cut into one inch pieces (or one link Hot Italian lamb sausage)
Two Cups Great Northern or Navy Beans, soaked overnight
Three large tomatoes, quartered and roughly seeded
Three tablespoons crushed red pepper
Two Tablespoons Black Pepper
Salt to taste
Two tablespoons demi-glace du canard
One Large white onion, roughly diced
Bouquet garni of fresh Thyme Sprigs, Oregano, Sage, and Rosemary
One head garlic, roughly chopped
One cup dry white wine
Four cups Chicken Stock
One tablespoon tomato paste (more if desired)
Parmesan Rind (if you have one on hand)
Additionally garlic or garlic powder if desired

In a large dutch oven, sear the duck and lamb after seasoning it with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and heat onions and garlic until glassy. Pour in wine and just boil off. Return the meat to the pan and add crushed red pepper, bouquet garni, stock, tomato paste, demi glace, black pepper, a couple good pinches of salt, beans, and tomatoes. Let it hang out in the pan on a low heat for about 6 hours; it will start smelling all kinds of amazeballs. Taste test occasionally and add seasoning as desired. Serve with fresh herbs of choice and some crusty bread for soaking.

Spicy Veggie and Chicken Minestrone

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Recently, I made minestrone from a special diet cookbook. This was a first for me and, after making it, I cannot understand why. I sent that soup home with its intended eaters and immediately decided to make a large batch for myself for the week. This made a ton of food (I froze half) and was healthful and satisfying. Feel free to adjust depending on what you have to use up, after all the soup is designed to use up everything in season in an Italian’s kitchen. I wanted to use whole wheat Gemelli, but had regular Penne on hand so that was what went in. Feel free to use your favorite pasta, rice, grain or even gnocchi.

Spicy Veggie and Chicken Minestrone

serves 8-10

One Frozen Parmesan Cheese Rind
One-half pound pasta of choice
Three cups shredded chicken
One bunch Swiss Chard or Kale, washed, stemmed and cut into strips
Two Cups Zucchini, diced
Two cups Yellow Squash, diced
Three Cups Onion, diced
Two Cups Celery, roughly diced
Two Cups Carrot, peeled and roughly diced
One head garlic, minced
Four tablespoons crush red pepper
Two tablespoons each: oregano, fennel seed, black pepper, thyme (use more or less according to taste preference)
One Ham Hock
One can kidney or cannellini beans
Two quarts good quality chicken stock
Two boxes of crushed tomatoes with juice
Two cups frozen peas

Heat about two tablespoons olive oil in a large dutch oven. Once hot, add onions and garlic and saute until glassy (with a good pinch of salt). Add celery, zucchini, carrots, squash, crushed red pepper, and all spices cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add ham hock, Parmesan rind, tomatoes and broth (adding additional broth as necessary). Simmer for about an hour, then add chard , peas, shredded chicken, cooked pasta, and beans. Adjust seasoning as necessary. Simmer another 10 minutes or so and serve with crusty bread and a sprinkling of Pecorino or Parmesan cheese.

Veggie Pasta

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This pasta was a product of emptying the fridge and the pantry before a short holiday to Chicago. The result was healthful, delicious, and satisfying! You can use any type of pasta you have on hand, I just wanted a smaller type that night. I also had chicken and four large prawns that needed cooking so they went in as well; you can easily omit these or use up some left rotisserie.

Veggie Pasta

One bunch Swiss Chard, washed, stemmed and cut into strips about one inch thick
One Zucchini and one yellow squash, quartered
Four shallots, roughly chopped
Seven cloves garlic, minced
Two tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
Two cups Spinach and Arugula Mix
One Bunch fresh basil, minced
Four heaping tablespoons basil pesto
Half-cup dry white wine (I actually had to use Riesling because it was all that was in the fridge – turned out fine)
Dash of Chicken Broth
One cup fresh Mozzarella, shredded
Half pound favorite whole wheat pasta, cooked in salted water
One cup reserved pasta water
Fresh Black Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper, to taste
One ounce pancetta, small dice

Heat a small amount of oil or butter in a large saute pan. Add pancetta and crisp well; remove and reserve. Add shallots and garlic and a touch of salt; saute until glassy, then add white wine and a dash or two of chicken broth and crushed red pepper. Simmer until liquid is reduced. Add the tomatoes and cook about four minutes before adding the zucchini and squash. After about three minutes add the Swiss Chard, arugula, and spinach. Once these ingredients are softened, mix in the pasta, basil pesto, fresh basil, and cheese. Pour a little bit of the reserved pasta liquid to create a sauce. Adjust seasoning (black pepper, salt, etc). and top with reserved pancetta. Serve with chicken or shrimp.

Wintery Steak Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

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My friend Susanna, who has perpetual leftovers, has been regaling me with stories of the wonderful dinners she has been enjoying with all the leftover steak from this weekend. It really gave me a hankering for a good steak salad. A lot of steak salads will be more southwestern (read charred bacon and corn, avocado, red onion) and, to be honest, at first I wanted to go that route – I even bought an avocado. Then I started feeling the need for a more comforting salad and picked up some butternut squash, just in case. Two days after the intended date, I created this manly out of stuff I already had minus the steak which I had purchased Monday; if you do not have any steak (fresh, leftover, or frozen) feel free to use chicken or crispy pancetta. You can throw whatever you have in here (I would have used spinach and arugula but ran out). This salad is hearty, healthy, tasty, comforting, and just darn good for winter. I added about a fourth-cup of garlicky bulgar, quinoa, and wild rice for some extra substance and because it was in the pantry – feel free to leave out (it is perfectly wonderful either way).

Note: This is a great weeknight dinner for the busy mom. It is high in nutrition, has great flavor, is very easy to make, and is healthy.  All in under thirty minutes.

Wintery Steak Salad

Serves Three

Half pound skirt steak (marinated as desired – I use Montreal, S & P, and Worcestershire)
One or more recipes Roasted Butternut Squash
One-half Gala Apple, sliced thinly
Small amount of Goat Cheese or other good soft cheese
Five cups Arugula, squeezed with a bit of lemon
One-Third cup basil pesto, mixed with one to two tablespoons red-wine or raspberry vinegar (to taste) and a dash of lemon
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Near East Whole Grain Blend Garlic (optional)

Prepare butternut squash and Whole Grain blend (if using) according to instructions. Marinate steak and allow to come to room temperature before cooking. Prepare the dressing whilst everything is cooking. Over a medium-high heat a bit of olive oil. Once hot, cook the steak for about four minutes on each side. Adjust cooking time to desired doneness and thickness of the meat; you will want to sear the meat to brown and caramelize the outside and keep the inside juicy – I like my steak mooing so I cook it accordingly (and give D the end pieces since he likes it more done). When the meat is cooked, remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for five minutes. In this time, divide arugula, butternut squash (inclusive of garlic and shallots), apples, cheese, and rice among three plates (or two plates and a Tupperware). Cut steak against the grain into thin slices or cubes and add to the salad. Dress as desired and crack black pepper to taste. Mix well and enjoy.

Shepherd’s Pie

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I am half English and grew up eating (and loving) Shepard’s Pie. Every family has their own version of this comfort food! Since I have started cooking, I have created my own version of Shepard’s Pie and I am not sure my Dad is on board with it quite yet (as a good Brit, he does not boast the chili-belly that I inherited from my mother who was raised in Venezuela). I use both lamb and beef, my mother only used beef, generally called Cottage Pie, because she does not care for lamb. You can use whichever you prefer. One day soon I will make it the old-fashioned (and delicious) way by making a stew with the meat, but for now I typically stick with this quicker version for the weekdays. There are a million variations to this and you can try whatever you like (I can’t wait to). You ca:  use mashed sweet potatoes for higher nutrition; use garlic mashed potatoes; make cheesy potatoes, you can use mashed potatoes, parsnips, and turnips; add whatever veggies you would like (or have on hand).  Shepherd’s Pie can literally be whatever your heart desires.

I tend to use lamb because it is leaner (and also the authentic Shepherd’s Pie meat); also, I like to top it with garlic mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. In my mashed potatoes, I sub a good amount of chicken broth for the milk to lower the calories and alleviate dairy-related complications. I also like my meat layer to be pretty saucey so that you can mix the juice with the potatoes.  So this is the version you are getting.

Shepherd’s Pie

For Meat Layer 

One tablespoon Olive oil
One large onion, diced
Four ounces pancetta, small dice (optional)
One large carrot, peeled and chopped
Six cloves garlic, minced
One pound ground lamb (or substitute half with another ground meat)
One cup beef broth (can sub chicken)
Worcestershire
Small handful of sun-dried tomatoes, minced (optional)
Small dash of red wine (optional and to taste)
One to two tablespoons tomato paste ( I like to use about 1.5 and I also like to use sun-dried tomato paste)
Season to taste with the following: Italian seasoning; garlic; salt; white pepper; crushed red pepper flakes, fresh thyme and rosemary (optional)
Two cups frozen peas

For Potatoes

Two pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Three tablespoons unsalted butter
One-Third cup milk (any fat content)
One-half Cup Chicken Broth (adjust more to reach desired consistency)
Kosher salt to taste
Four to Six Cloves Roasted Garlic (can sub garlic paste or just garlic powder)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
One-half Cup Aged Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
One cup Green onions
Sprinkle of Paprika

Note: If you have a large, oven-proof stove-top dish, feel free to use it to make the meat layer and then be the baking vestibule (then you wont lose any flavor).

Preheat oven to 375°F.  In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, then add the pancetta and brown. Then add the onion, garlic, carrot and saute for a few minutes. Add meat and cook until brown for a few minutes. Add the Worcestershire, Wine, Broth, Sun-Dried tomato paste, herbs and seasoning and simmer about 10 minutes. Add the peas, stir well and reserve.

Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes; drain. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk, broth, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread them over the meat mixture, then crosshatch the top with a fork. Sprinkle mashed potatoes with paprika (and cayenne or Sriracha if desired). Bake for about 15 minutes, then remove and top with cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes more (when crust is golden, cheese is melted, and meat stew is boiling). Once you remove the pie, top with green onions (or Chives) and let cool for a few minutes. Serve and Enjoy!

*You can add crispy shallots as garnish as well for a bit of texture.

Chicken, Spinach and Zucchini Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

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A departure from my usual enchiladas, but still just as tasty! They are actually really easy if you have a few hours to let the stew slow-cook or make it in advance. I consider these healthy enchiladas, take that for whatever it means to you.

Chicken, Mushroom and Zucchini Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

For Stew

Two pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
Four bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), seasoned to preference
Two bone-in, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), seasoned to preference
Seven jalapeños, stemmed and halved lengthwise
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
One cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
Ten green onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
One head garlic, roughly minced
One and one-half White onion, roughly diced
Four cups (or more if needed) Chicken or Veggie Stock
Two Tablespoons Cumin Seeds
Two or Three Cups Spinach
One Tablespoon each: Red Pepper Flakes, Adobo, Oregano (taste and adjust according to preference)
One large avocado

For Enchiladas

Two cups shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
Two cups Spinach
Two Cups Shredded Chicken
Pinch Salt
One cup shredded zucchini (or diced)
Tortillas of choice (I used corn and Roasted Jalapeno)

For Garnish (Optional)

Lime for Garnish (if necessary)
Avocado Slices
Chopped Green Onions
Fresh Cilantro
Half cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted with seasoning of choice  (I like Cayenne, Salt, and Adobo)
Three tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Heat oil in a large dutch oven. Add cumin and toast for about a minute. Add chicken and brown for a few minutes on each side. Add garlic, onions, tomatillos, jalapeños, and salt and stir. After about five minutes, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about an hour. Add additional seasoning and simmer another half-hour. Adjust seasoning as needed. Remove chicken and reserve. In a small skillet, heat a small bit of oil and add the cilantro, spinach and green onions. Cook until softened, then combine both the tomatillo sauce and the cilantro/green onion mixture and the avocado in a blender or in the dutch oven to emulsify.  Bring sauce to a boil and then medium low, simmer here for about ten minutes.

Meanwhile, shred (or pull) the chicken from the bones and reserve in a large bowl. Add shredded cheese, spinach, and shredded zucchini to the bowl and mix well. Using tortillas of choice (slightly whetted and zapped in the microwave to increase pliability), add the chicken mixture to the bowl and then roll tortillas sealing with a toothpick.

Spoon about a cup of the sauce over the bottom of an enchilada pan, then place the assembled enchiladas into the pan. Smother with sauce and top with a decent sprinkling of shredded cheese. Bake until sauce is bubbling on 385 degrees. After removal, top with the toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds and serve with sour cream -black beans and Brilliantly Garlikcy Guac.

Tomatillo-Pulled Chicken

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It has been a while since my last post. Thank you grad school and work and job-hunting!! In addition to my lack of posting, home-cooked meals have become increasingly scarce. When I do provide a home-cooked meal, I have increasingly noticed that my beloved dutch oven is generally the cooking medium (though I am not sure how much of this trend is the cooler weather, my need for a new pan, and paucity of time). I have cooked this twice in the past month for a three reasons; the first being I am out of enchilada sauce and have to make my own.

The first time I made this was a lake weekend that D and I were enjoying just the two of us. My dad was out-of-town, so we invited my mother who flaked while saying “you should come here…” Normally, we would have been happy to oblige; however, I had two different slow-cookers going at the time. D really wanted to go because, well, he loves my parents house. We all know how the story ends right…reason and sanity overrule desire and we do not try to move about 3 gallons of hot liquid dishes in the trunk of a car for an hour. Maybe that is how your story ends…in Andiland reason seldom prevails and we scrounged up the three largest Tupperware we could find, threw Foster Brown in the backseat and 1.5 hours later arrived at my mom’s house (after stopping at the grocery to get the remaining dinner supplies). After arrival, I re-started the cooking process and taste-tested and added stuff. The original plan for dinner had been to make tomatillo-pulled chicken, let it hang out and get all delicious, then pull the chicken out to make chicken and spinach enchiladas and use the tomatillo liquid as the sauce. Great in theory; in reality, it was about 10:00 before the chicken was done and I was tired and hungry. Ergo, We had tacos with all the ingredients involved.

This story brings me to the third reason I have made this twice in one month (besides being delicious, healthy, easy, affordable and amazingly delicious). I REALLY wanted to follow through on my original idea of enchiladas. Last Friday, we had a lovely double date with friends – one of whom is gluten-free. I threw out dinner suggestions risotto and tomatillo pulled chicken enchiladas (with corn tortillas). After I started salivating over tomatillo chicken and how awesome it was before, I had our decision. It turned out really good, albeit different from my usual enchiladas. If you are looking for healthy enchiladas, look no further. Feel free to leave out the zucchini if you wish, I just like sneaking nutrition into everything I can.

Here is the only problem: I really do not remember what or the amounts of anything that I put in either of these so the following recipe is an educated guess. No matter how you serve this, the toasted Pepita seeds are an excellent way to add some texture and a nice dash of flavor to either tacos, enchiladas, or just as a stew. This entire recipe is [very] loosely based on a Whole Foods recipe for Guatemalan Stew.You can use leftover liquid as salsa, tostada topping or as a nice sauce later in the week.

Tomatillo-Pulled Chicken Stew

Stew

Two pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
Four bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), seasoned to preference
Two bone-in, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), seasoned to preference
Seven jalapeños, stemmed and halved lengthwise
Salt and pepper to taste
One tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
One cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
Ten green onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
One head garlic, roughly minced
One and one-half White onion, roughly diced
Four cups (or more if needed) Chicken or Veggie Stock
Two Tablespoons Cumin Seeds
One Tablespoon each: Red Pepper Flakes, Adobo, Oregano (taste and adjust according to preference)

Garnish

Lime for Garnish (if necessary)
Avocado Slices
Chopped Green Onions
Fresh Cilantro
Half cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted with seasoning of choice  (I like Cayenne, Salt, and Adobo)
Three tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Corn tortillas

Heat oil in a large dutch oven. Add cumin and toast for about a minute. Add chicken and brown for a few minutes on each side. Add garlic, onions, tomatillos, jalapeños, and salt and stir. After about five minutes, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about an hour. Add additional seasoning and simmer another half-hour. Adjust seasoning as needed. Remove chicken and reserve. In a small skillet, heat a small bit of oil and add the cilantro, spinach and green onions. Cook until softened, then combine both the tomatillo sauce and the cilantro/green onion mixture in a blender or in the dutch oven to emuslify. If you would like to thicken the sauce with avocado (or make tomatillo-avocado sauce), add desired amount of avocado to the blending medium. Bring sauce to a boil and then medium low, simmer here for about ten minutes.

Meanwhile, shred (or pull) the chicken from the bones and reserve in a large bowl. If serving as stew, return chicken to pan and garnish with the listed items. Serve with warm corn tortillas. The picture below is of the tacos we ended up making (pursuant to the story before). I chopped tomatoes and avocado, then made tacos with the stew and the garnish. They were fantastic.

French Onion Soup: Part Une

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Temperatures have finally cooled down in Austin (thank goodness) and the damp, chilly day we were lucky enough to have yesterday called for soup. I had decided to make french onion soup, after I was told that the French Onion that was being offered by our brunch spot was “just not right today.” So I did not get my soup fix and immediately started pining for french onion soup. French onion, next to tomato soup, is the epitome of comfort in my opinion. I love it so much and it can be so pesky to get right (for home cooks and restaurants alike). I made up my mind that I would make some incredible little bowls of sweet onion and rich broth with gooey cheese and toasted bread and had many glamorous thoughts about sitting by a stone fireplace in the mountains, snow falling outside, all snug in a onesie and pink uggs, slowly breathing in the luxurious aroma onions and broth before devouring it. The fantasy ends with me licking my chops and magically losing 10 pounds because of the magic powers the soup possesses (and maybe a glass of real hot chocolate). Sounds great, right? Back in reality…I had a couple mimosas during brunch yesterday and I suppose this really threw me off my game. I seemed to make a lot of errors in the soup (though it really did smell good) and also did not use ingredients that I normally would have. End result was a quite tasty soup, it was just a bit different from the version I had been fantasizing about. No worries though, I think I may just make it again tomorrow night….and maybe two days after that as well. Welcome to the fall =)

There are three things that are essential for french onion soup or, more accurately, mind-blowingly awesome french onion soup: Properly caramelized onions; homemade beef stock; a variety of onions. I did not have that latter two elements and for some reason my onions never caramelized (which was strange). It seemed that there was too much natural moisture in the onions, which does not normally affect cooking but when trying to caramelize I suppose it can? I plan to just keep trying! I also got a bit heavy-handed (read: wow did I screw up) on the thyme and so the soup was quite earthy and less heavenly. Here is the recipe for the good, but less traditional french onion soup I made last night….keep your eye out for another recipe that will likely be coming soon!

French Onion Soup

Serves Two

Five large sweet onions
One medium red onion (optional – Needed to use one)
Two large shallots (optional – I just had some)
One and one half cups dry white wine
Three cups chicken or beef stock (I only had chicken)
Bouqi Garni with Sprig of Rosemary, Three Sprigs Thyme, One Bay Leaf, and One Sage leaf (sage optional) – all freshly picked
Four tablespoons butter
Small amount of sugar
Pinch Salt
Pepper to taste
One Loaf of thick, crusty bread – sliced one inch thick
Four slices of smoked Fontina Cheese
Splash of Sherry or Cognac (optional)

Slice onions in half, then slice the half into 1/8 inch slices (approximately). Heat oil or butter in a large saute pan or dutch oven. Once a medium-low heat is achieved, put onions into the pan and stir well to coat. After a couple of minutes add salt and sugar. Stir well. Return to pan every few minutes to check and make sure that the onions are not burning (add more oil, butter, or a little water or broth in the event that they do begin to burn). The goal is to have onions brown and stick to the pan without burning. Stir every few minutes for about a half hour, then lower heat and continue cooking for about an hour continuing to stir and adjust according to brownness. Eventually, the onions will be a rich, dark brown color. Once caramelization is achieved, hit the pan with a splash of cognac or sherry and allow the alcohol to cook off. Then add the stock, wine, pepper, and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for at least 15 minutes, test for taste and then cook as long as desired to develop more flavors.

Toast bread until brown and ladle the soup into ramekins. Place one slice of bread on top of the soup in each bowl, cover with Fontina and bake at 410 degrees (on the top rack) until cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly browned. (I did not do this and simply added a small piece of cheese toast to the hot soup because a) I did not want too much bread or cheese and b) I had no desire to do more dishes that night).