cloistered away

With it finally getting cooler, nothing hits the spot like a couple of yummy winter soups: black bean soup and baked potato soup. If you’re in a hurry, the first soup will take less time and effort (but beware of gas).

black bean soup 

servings: 4         prep time: 5 min.       cook time: 10-15 min.

This goes really well with jalapeno quesadillas (chop up a pepper and mix with the cheese) or a nice salad and bread. We always double the recipe; it reheats well for leftovers.

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cups fresh salsa (let your spicy threshold determine the strength)
• 2 (15oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups chicken or veggie broth
• 1 (16oz) can re-fried black beans (really, any bean will work)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)

Heat the oil in a saucepan or large pot over medium heat. Add the salsa and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the re-fried beans, black beans, and broth. Bring to a simmer. Cook until warmed through (about 5 min.). After serving into bowls, top with some remaining salsa, sour cream, and/or cilantro. (taken from Real Simple)

baked potato soup

I tripled the recipe on this soup. It reheats really well in a pot — it may even work well in a crock pot. I did hesitate to reheat it in the microwave due to all the cream, but it reheated well on the stove. Eat it with a sturdy bread for dipping (and any other side). It’s really filling. For a vegetarian-friendly soup, omit the bacon, and use olive oil instead of drippings. HINT: The smaller you cut the potatoes, the faster they will cook in the soup.

servings: 12        prep time: 20 min.    cook time: 20-30 min.

• 9 bacon strips, diced
• 3 small onions, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup and a Tbsp. of all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. dried basil
• 1 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 9 cups chicken or veggie broth
• 6 large baking potatoes, peeled  and cubed
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
• shredded cheddar
• minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, and reserve 2-3 Tbsp. of the drippings. Set the bacon aside. In a large pot, saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil, and pepper. Mix really well. Gradually add the broth. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for a few minutes. Add the potatoes, cream, and hot pepper sauce. Heat through, but do not boil.  Continue heating until the potatoes are the consistency that you desire. Serve and garnish with bacon, cheese, and parsley.

I LOVE fish tacos! I didn’t have any red snapper, so I used Orange Roughy: it worked perfectly, and the entire family loved them.  To save time, make the sauce while the fish marinates. Enjoy!

serves 4     prep time:  20 min.    cook time: 20 min.

chipotle cream sauce ingredients/directions:

 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 chipotle chilies in adobo, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
dash of sugar
salt to taste

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl and add salt to taste. Let stand at least 10 minutes to let flavors blend. (May be made up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until ready to serve.)
 

taco ingredients/directions: 

1 lime, juiced
1 pound fresh red snapper fillets, cut into 3″ x 1″ strips
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon dried cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
canola oil for frying
8 – 7″ corn or flour tortillas, wrapped in foil and kept warm in a 250 degree oven
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
quartered limes
purchased or homemade salsa
sliced avocado

Toss the snapper pieces in the fresh lime juice, and marinate for ten minutes. Meanwhile, combine the flour, cornmeal, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt in a large, shallow bowl. Heat the canola oil to a depth of 1/2-inch in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until a small amount of flour sizzles when flicked into the pan. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture and fry in batches until golden and cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.To serve, place two tortillas on each plate and divide the fish evenly down the middle of each. Top with cabbage and drizzle with the chipotle cream sauce. Pass limes, salsa, and avocado at the table.

This is a Rachael Ray meal, altered a tad. She called for broccoli rabe. I couldn’t find it, so I used a mixture of kale and spinach. Kristen and I made this together, so we doubled the recipe and made a veggie loaf and two veggie/turkey sausage loaves: they were scrumptious. My recommendations for the veggie loaf: don’t use the big parts of the kale stem, and mix in the shredded cheese with the veggies.

servings: 4-6 people      prep time: 15 min.  cook time: 20 ish

• 1 large loaf of semolina bread (about a foot long)
• 1 bundle of kale, washed and cut into 3-4″ pieces (don’t use the big parts of the stem)
• 1 bunch of spinach, washed and cut (unless you’re not using baby spinach)
• 1 pound of sweet or hot sausage (we used turkey), de-skinned
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded
• 2 cups Provolone cheese, shredded
• 8 thin slices of fresh Mozzarella cheese
• 3 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
• your favorite red sauce for dipping
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cutting lengthwise, remove the top of the loaf of bread and scoop out the insides. Keep the “lid.”

Bring about 2″ of salted water to a boil in a deep skillet over high heat. Add the kale in stages until it wilts down. Simmer 5 minutes. Then add the spinach, since it takes less time to wilt.

USING MEAT: Drain the greens, then shock in cold water, and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add sausage, and break it up into small pieces as it browns. Add the garlic, and cook 2 minutes. Add the greens and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fill the hollowed loaf with the meat/green mixture. Top with the shredded cheeses, then top off with the mozzarella. Replace the “lid.” Wrap the loaf in foil, and bake it for about 12-15 minutes. Cut into thick pieces and serve with red dipping sauce.

NO MEAT: Drain the greens. In a separate bowl, mix together greens, garlic, and both shredded cheeses. Fill the empty loaf with the mixture, and top with the mozzarella. Put on the “lid.” Wrap in foil and bake for about 12-15 minutes. Cut into thick pieces and serve with red dipping sauce.

I have been snacking on this stuff for the last couple of days…and it is de-li-cious! I wish I would have discovered it when I was pregnant. So, I thought surely at least one of my many pregnant friends would enjoy trying this new treasure. (I’ve especially loved it with celery.)Make sure to get the raw, not roasted…more vitamins, and it’s better for you than peanut butter. But, at $10 a jar (!), it might as well be made of gold. Needless to say, I am not sharing it with the kids. They still get the pb.

This was my new recipe this week, and it was delicious. The entire family loved it. But, Liam did say he doesn’t really like “spa-sparagus” that much — Burke and Blythe had seconds. 

Serves 4-6 adults      Prep Time: 15 min.    Cook Time: 15 min.

• 2 pounds of asparagus
• 1 pound thin spaghetti
• 2 Tbsp. of butter
• 4 Tbsp. of all-purpose flour
• 2 (14 oz.) cans of chicken or vegetable broth
• 8 oz. goat cheese
• 2 tsp. grated lemon peel
• 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Peel the asparagus stalks, if they’re stringy. I used young, crisp asparagus, and it worked fine not peeling them. Trim the ends of the asparagus regardless, and cut the stalks into 2 inch pieces. Heat a large pan of lightly salted water to boiling over high heat. Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water for 3 minutes, or until they’re bright green and crisp-tender when tested with a small knife. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon, and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water, and cook according to the label until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Blend in the flour with a whisk, and add the broth. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Blend in the goat cheese and the lemon peel.

For the last…well, a long time, I’ve wanted to create some way of organizing the random meals that I make, love, and then can’t seem to remember when I need them. And several of you have inquired about the meals I make here at the Douglass house. So, I thought by posting these “recipes,” I can organize myself and share them with you. And I’ll only post the ones that we like.

I had a delicious grilled portabella sandwich  in a restaraunt last month. It inspired me. I’m not sure it tasted the same, but I still enjoyed these. They are very substantive; serve half for the kids.

GRILLED PORTABELLA SANDWICHES

Serves 4 adults    Prep time: 10 min.   Cook Time: 15 min

• 4 Portabella Mushrooms, wash & remove stems 
• 1 onion, sliced 
• 4 whole grain buns 
• 4 slices of Swiss cheese
• 1-2 garlic cloves, chopped, use to taste
• butter
• olive oil
• salt & pepper 

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Salt and pepper both sides of the mushroom and place on the grill. Grill both sides. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until they’re soft. Open the buns and lay them out on a baking tray. (I used the Ezekiel bread buns which are pretty grainy tasting, so I buttered them before putting them in the oven.) Broil the buns until they’re toasted. Put a slice of cheese on the buns long enough to melt it. Add whatever condiments you like (Bethany: mayo, Mark: A1 sauce).