The Whole Wheat

Sadly the photos I took of this warmed salad didn’t come out quite right.  So you will need to check a few of these sites for some classic photos of this winter Italian green:

• Royal Rose
• The Produce Hunter

The other crazy fact of this winter green is that I completely mistook it for a different green in my mad quantities of greens from the Mystery Box we got last week.  Once I put the greens into the saute pan, I realized they were puntarelle and quickly altered the cooking time to nearly zero.  This is a recipe of luck – it could have easily been a disaster.  But the flavor of the bacon moderates the bitter bite of the puntarelle, and the red wine vinegar enhances both just enough to be perfectly lovely.  Add a bit of hard boiled egg to the top if you desire – we liked it!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pieces of bacon
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 bunch of puntarelle
•  4 T. red wine vinegar
• 1 hard boiled egg, optional

1. Cook the bacon in a medium hot saute pan.  Once it is well on its way, about 2-3 minutes, add the onion.  Cook both until the bacon is well done and the onions are nicely browned.
2. Add the puntarelle and mix well in the saute pan.  Cook the greens until just warmed, 1 minute.  Remove all ingredients from the heat to a bowl (lined with paper towels if they are too greasy).
3. Return the pan to medium heat and add the red wine vinegar.  Deglaze the pan scrapping all of the bits into the vinegar.  Turn off the heat, return all the ingredients to the pan and toss well.
4. Place the salad in a serving bowl, top with a hard boiled egg if desired.  Serve warm.

This soup is a staple for me. I absolutely adore it! I found my inspiration from Bobby Flay’s newest cookbook: Mesa Grill. The soup itself is thick and hearty. And no meat eater feels the lack of meat as the main course (& if you used a meaty stock then there is no meat lacking anyway ). Don’t skimp on toppings for the soup either – it takes “soup” to a new level and impresses even your toughest guest!

Best of all about this soup though – is the next day! The soup thickens and becomes a most decadent black bean dip. It is perfect on chips, smeared on burritos, or just eaten out of the bowl. Brad calls it “alternative refried beans,” and that is a great description because it is very smooth and creamy, but not refried at all! Enjoy!

Serve the soup in generous bowls (but it is very filling so be careful with the quantity!). Place toppings on the table and let everyone dress their soup as desired.

Part of the reason I wanted to share this post right now though, is the recipe round-up over at The Well Seasoned Cook of legume recipes! Yes my favorites! And of course I knew I had to participate. When she posts the round-up of all the contributions I’ll be linking to it you can be sure. For now though, enjoy my participation – this soup & dip will not disappoint!

Ingredients:

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 c. red wine or beer
• 3 c. black beans, soaked, rinsed, drained
• 3 jalapeños roasted, peeled and seeded*
• 1 poblano pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded*
• 4 c. stock (chicken, ham, vegetable, or just water)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook the carrots, onion and garlic for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the wine, (or beer) then bring to a boil, and cook until reduced.
2. Add the beans and reduce heat to medium. Add the jalapeños, poblano, and stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until the beans are cooked through.
3. Remove from heat and add the lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove half (or more if you want it creamier) of the soup and puree in a blender (preferably a Vita Mix), then return it to the pot and stir well.

*To roast & seed the peppers, place them directly under the broiler and turn often. After about 10 minutes the skin will be blackened all around. Place the peppers in a ziploc bag or a sealing container. Seal the peppers in there for about 15 minutes then remove. The skin should slide off relatively easily. It does not have to be perfect! Cut open carefully and scrape out seeds. Be careful because the capsaicin in the seeds can stay on your hands for hours and sting an eye very easily. Also, please taste the chilies, some can be spicier than expected and you may only want to use one jalapeño. Every chili is a true individual.

Perfect sides for black bean soup or dip:

Cumin Crema: even the most anti-Sour Cream person – aka ME! – will love this crema. The cumin really adds a new dimension.

• 1 T. cumin
• 8 oz. sour cream or crema
• lime juice

1. Mix all ingredients (you can reduce quantities to make a smaller amount). Use lime juice as desired.
2. Crema is best set aside in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld before serving.

Grilled Red Onion “Salsa”

• 1 red onion, sliced into half-inch rounds
• 1-2 T. olive oil

1. Preheat a grill pan or the broiler. Lightly brush the onion with olive oil then place on the grill pan or under the broiler.
2. Cook for several minutes per side until nicely charred. Remove from the grill pan. Chop roughly into chunks and toss well with salt & pepper.

Avocado Relish: make this or your favorite guacamole. You can also substitute tomatillos for the tomatoes.

• 1 avocado, coarsely chopped
• 1 lemon or lime, juiced
• 1-2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 T. red onions, minced
• salt & pepper

1. Combine all ingredients, adding lemon juice, salt & pepper as desired.

This week I shared a Mystery Box from Mariquita Farm with some of our good friends. I also added on a few extra veggies which turned out to be a true bounty! Brad went to pick up the vegetables and came home with three of our large grocery bags over-flowing! My favorite extra veggies were the carrots – four amazing bunches with shocking colors: purple, pink, orange, and white.

You may not have any white carrots, and that is just fine. This recipe will work beautifully with any color of carrot! But the white carrots had a gentle sweetness and understated carrot flavor. This recipe will require a little experimenting – just trust yourself and taste the carrots when you think they are about ready. Depending on freshness, size, and heat – the cooking time will vary.

Ingredients:

• 4 large carrots, sliced into rounds
• 1 t. butter
• 3 sticks of thyme (or about 1/4 t. dried)
• 1-2 t. honey

1. In a saute pan, heat the butter over medium high. Add the carrots and begin to coat well with the butter.
2. After a few minutes, add the honey, place the thyme in the pan, and add water to just reach the tops of the sliced carrots. Cover the pan and boil for about 10 minutes.
3. Uncover and check the tenderness of the carrots. If they are about ready simmer off some water for a minute or two, then strain and serve. Depending on your carrots they may absorb all the water or barely any. Either way is fine! (If they weren’t quite ready recover and cook for a few more minutes)

Rice pilaf is a broad definition for any rice dish where the grains are sautéed in butter or olive oil – usually before adding other ingredients. The result is a beautifully cooked rice dish that is full of flavor but low on hastle and fuss. I made this dish with long-grain brown rice by first parboiling the rice as described here. If you decide to use white rice, skip the parboil. Adding the greens helps to up the nutritional content and adds to the flavor without startling the vegetable fearful among us.

Ingredients:

• 2-4 T. butter
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 2 – 3 c. washed and chopped greens such as spinach, chard, or kale
• 1 1/2 c. rice (if using brown rice please parboil for 12 minutes- it will cook beautifully as you can see in the photo)
• 1 t. minced garlic
• 2 c. vegetable or chicken stock

1. Warm butter in a large deep skillet over medium to medium-high. Start sautéing the onion then add the greens after about 1 minute. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the rice and lower the heat to medium. Stir until rice is glossy and well coated, and just beginning to color, about 5 more minutes. Season with salt & pepper then add the stock.
3. Stir several times then cover the pan. Lower the heat to LO then cook for about 15 minutes leaving the pot covered the entire time. Remove the pan off the heat and allow to sit another 15-30 minutes before serving.

Rice pilaf also holds up extremely well, and reheats beautifully for another dinner or lunch!

I have tried many times to substitute brown rice for white in a recipe with less than stellar results.  I know the trick now though!  PARBOIL.  Yes, its that easy, just parboil (aka precook) the brown rice then it can be used in any recipe just as you would have used the raw white rice!  I tried it over the weekend with absolutely perfect results.  And I learned you can parboil the brown rice then use it in nearly any white rice dish: risotto, pilaf, paella, anything!  I feel that whole new rice world has been opened up to me!

How to??

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the brown rice you intend to use in your next recipe.
2. Cook for about 12 minutes and drain.
3. Use the rice within the hour.
4. Be ecstatic with your new rice abilities!

This post won’t constitute recipes, but I know that often when a chicken has been roasted, produced from stock, or even purchased from a store already cooked – leftovers ensue.  So what to do with that chicken before you grow tired of just, umm, chicken?

1. Cut into bites or shred the chicken.  Use for salad over spinach or other greens.  Mix with your favorite veggies, dried fruit, nuts, and maybe a touch of cheese.  Sprinkle with vinegar & olive oil for a delicious lunch.
2. Shred the chicken then mix with salsa.  Serve in tortillas or over tostada shells with black beans, lettuce, cheddar cheese, guacamole, and of course, more salsa!  A little rice is a great touch too.
3. Alternatively use the chicken with salsa to make a quessadilla.
4. Cut the chicken into small cubes or chunks.  Make a fresh chicken salad with a little bit of mayo, celery, green onions – and to spice it up, add some curry powder & dried cranberries!  This is a favorite way of eating chicken for me.
5. Shred or cut the chicken and use on pizza.  It is much healthier than many sausages and with a bit of goat cheese and fresh tomatoes, it really cannot be beat.

There are few ideas to get you started!  If you have any, please share!