Boxing Day Soups

Cold. Tired of Christmas Cheer. Need something warm and soothing. Invite 25 people over and serve them Mexican soups. They’ll smile. You’ll smile.

Pork Posole
Don’t kid yourself, this soup takes time – like the best soups or stews, it should be started the day before to mature flavors and allow you to cool the soup and completely remove all the fat – this is a post-Christmas recipe; it’s supposed to be healthful – so get to work! Posole is corn soaked and softened with alkali (hominy) or, also known as a stew made with pork and, well posole.

1 4-lb pork shoulder roast
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb tomatillos, peeled and quartered
1 15-oz can hominy
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
1 can chopped mild green chilies

Preheat oven to 400F on Christmas afternoon. In a large Dutch oven sear the pork roast in a bit of canola oil, browning all sides. Toss in the onions, cumin and fennel halfway through browning the meat, stirring often. Sprinkle with oregano. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour, skin-side up. Add a bit of water if onions dry out too much.

Now transfer Dutch oven to the stovetop and add the garlic. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add 2 quarts water and the tomatillos and bring to a boil. You may need to cut the roast up a bit to make sure all the meat is submerged in liquid. Cover and cook for another hour or so – stirring often.

Remove the meat and allow to cool enough handle. Pull the pork apart along the grain. Strain the stock and refrigerate for several hours, until the fat solidifies on the surface – don’t worry, you’re gonna get rid of it all! Now scrape all the fat away (use a large sharp metal cooking spoon) from the surface and discard. Return the meat to the stock and add the hominy, chipotle and chilies. Reheat to a simmer and cook at least another half hour – the longer the better. Serve with tortillas.

Mexican Gulf Shrimp Soup
The secret to this soup is roasting the shrimp shells. This is inspired by a wonderful shrimp soup of friends Caren and Eric – but ‘souped’ up with Southwestern flavors. Serves 8.

2 lbs shrimp, peeled (shells well-drained and reserved)
2 quarts water (or chicken stock)
1 red pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup rice
1/2 can diced green chilies
2 stalks green onion, finely diced
fresh nutmeg

In a soup pot, sauté shrimp shells in 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat, stirring often, until very fragrant – at least 10-15 minutes. Add water (or stock) and bring to a boil. Return to a simmer, and cook for an hour. Strain and reserve stock.

Meanwhile sauté the peppers in a bit of olive oil, until softened and browned. Add the garlic for the last 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Return the stock to a large soup pot and add the rice and the peeled shrimp. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook another 20 minutes. Add the peppers, chilies, green onions and nutmeg, and cook another minute or two.

Beans, Greens and Grains

These ingredients are great together in a soup, stew or ragout – whatever you want to name it. The beans and grains complement each other to produce complete protein, and the greens pack mega vitamins, minerals and great taste. What more could you ask – especially in winter?

A recurring theme in these dishes is a mix of green lentils with red lentils for body and a grain like wheat berry or barley for texture – this makes for a rich vegetarian ragout.

Cajun Chickpea Stew with Sweet Potato and Okra
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Cajun spice mix (such as Emeril’s Essence)
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
2-3 cups water
¼ cup green lentils
¼ cup red lentils
2 Tbsp pearl barley
1 15-0z can Chickpeas
1 medium sweet potato
½ lb frozen okra

Sauté the onion, pepper, carrot and celery in a bit of olive oil in a soup pot. For about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add the spice mix, stock, water, lentils and barley and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the sweet potato to ¼ to ½ inch pieces. When 20 minutes are up, add the potatoes, along with the chickpeas to the stew. Return to a boil, stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Add more water if necessary. Cook another 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender. Add the okra and cook just enough to heat it through. Salt and pepper to taste.


Curry Bean and Collard Green Stew
2 stalks celery
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
¼ cup green lentils
¼ cup red lentils
¼ cup soft winter wheat berries
2 tsp hot curry powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 quart chicken stock
1-2 cups water
1 large can beans (mixed)
1 potato, diced
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and chopped

In a soup pot, sauté the celery, carrot and onions in a bit of olive oil until vegetables begin to brown and soften, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and fennel and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add the lentils, wheat berries, curry and chili powder. Pour in the stock and water, and cook for 30 minutes. Add the beans, potato and the collard greens and cook for another 20 minutes.


Kidney Bean and Mustard Green Ragout
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
¼ cup frozen corn kernels
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried sage
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 14½-oz can diced tomatoes, strained and juices reserved
1 quart good low-salt chicken stock
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 bunch mustard greens, trimmed of thick stalks, and coarsely chopped
1 15-oz can light red kidney beans
1/3 cup rice

In a soup pot, sauté the onions, garlic and corn in a bit of olive oil until corn begins to brown and onions soften, about 8 minutes. Add the oregano, sage and red pepper flakes and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add the strained diced tomatoes and another 1-2 tablespoons of good olive oil to be sure the tomatoes bronze rather than boil! Cook another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have dried out and have left a nice tasty bronzed glaze in corners of the pot – this is flavor! Add the chicken stock, reserved tomato juice and vinegar, and bring to a boil. Add the mustard greens and beans. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until greens wilt, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the rice, stir well and cook another 20 minutes until the rice is tender.

The Allure of Rotisserie Chicken

I am sure at one point or another you have walked into your local grocery store and have gotten hit by the inticing smell of grilling rotisserie chickens. Enough is enough. I got my own home rotisserie unit (a small George Foreman unit) and have developed several nice dry rubs to prepare rotisserie chickens. And it works beautifully.

If you can, cover the chicken with the dry rub the day before, although an hour is very effective. No matter what, a small (3.5-4 lb.) chicken is ready in an hour or so, and your kitchen will smell out-of-this world!

Rotisserie Chicken
1 3-4 lb whole chicken

Dry rub mix:
1 rounded Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp Cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp coarse salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp Allspice

Mix the dry rub together in a very large bowl. Rinse and dry the chicken, and truss with string tightly so the bird does not flop while turning in the rotisserie. Toss the chicken generously with the rub, making sure that rub mix gets into all the nooks and crannies of the whole bird. Let it stand at least one hour – or overnight – as much as you can. Skewer chicken onto rack of your rotisserie device and rotisserie for about 1-1½ hrs. depending on the size. Let sit for 15 minutes before carving to let juices redistribute.

This roasted acorn squash goes very well with broiled or rotisserie chicken. The skin is so tender you can eat it as well.

Roasted Acorn Squash
1 whole acorn squash
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp coarse salt
1 Tbsp dried crushed rosemary
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 450F. Slice acorn squash in half and scoop out and discard the seeds. Slice into serving-sized chunks. Turn into a large bowl and mix with oil, rosemary, salt and sugar. Tip into jelly-roll pan. Roast for about 20 minutes, until brown and bubbling.

A Monster Tofu Quiche

Quiche Loraine - move over!
Munster Quiche Tofu
1 9-inch pie crust*
1 14-oz brick tofu, drained, and cut to ½-¾ inch dice
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
6 eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup milk
½ tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp dried tarragon
¼ lb Munster cheese, grated, about 1 cup
4 green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 425F. Lay the crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Meanwhile sauté the tofu in a large non-stick skillet in a bit of olive oil, over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with the onion and garlic powder as you stir fry, for about 10 minutes, until the tofu gets really browned and a bit crispy. Salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk in the eggs, mustard, milk, dill and tarragon together. Tip the tofu into the pie crust. Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top. Pour the eggs evenly on top of the tofu-cheese mixture. Top with the green onion.

Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 and cook another 30 minutes.






* for pie crust use half of this recipe: http://cuisineici.blogspot.com/2008/11/apple-pie.html.

Thanksgiving recipe 2

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

What's Thanksgiving without side dishes?!

Creamed Spinach
2 10-oz bags fresh spinach, rinsed, drained and chopped

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups milk
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
½ cup French Fried Onions

Preheat oven to 400F. Make the white sauce by melting the butter in the oil, and sautéing the flour in the oil until bubbly and beginning to brown – about 5 minutes. Add the milk and whisk together until thick and creamy.

Meanwhile, wilt the spinach in just a bit of water, until soft. Drain well. Mix with the cream sauce and pour into a baking dish. Top with the onions. Bake about 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Sweet Potato and Carrot Puree
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 large carrots
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sugar
¼ cup half-and-half
fresh nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400F. Simmer the sweet potatoes in salted water, enough to cover, just until soft. Drain.

Meanwhile, steam the carrots in ¼ cup water for about 5 minutes, then uncover. Add the butter and sugar and cook for about 10-15 more minutes, until the carrots are very tender, and beginning to caramelize. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix the sweet potato and the carrots in a food processor with the half-and-half. Use a microplane to scrape in a dash of fresh nutmeg. Puree mixture, scraping down the sides from time to time. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake for about 20 minutes.

Apple Pie

If there is anything as American as Thanksgiving, it's apple pie. And this is a fantastic 'deep-dish' pie that is as American as it gets.

Deep Dish Apple Pie
Crust:
3 cups flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, diced and then frozen
6 Tbsp ICE COLD water

Filling:
8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
¾ cup sugar
½ Tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp butter

Egg wash:
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk

Prepare the crust by mixing the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. With the processor running, add the butter through the feed tube until the mixture is just evenly granular and no more. Add just enough of the water to pull the dough together in a ball, then stop the processor. The dough can be a little dry so long as you can compress it together with your hand into a disk – but don’t handle the dough too long or it will not be flakey. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the apples by sautéing them in a large non-stick skillet with all the filling ingredients. Cook for about 10 minutes, at least until the apples begin to soften. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Divide the crust in two, roll out into circles and place the bottom crust in a large pie dish. Add the apples and top with the second crust. Seal all around the perimeter of the pie, and place a few vent holes decoratively through the top crust. Whisk together the egg wash and paint the top crust all around with the egg wash. Sprinkle to pie generously with granulated sugar. Bake 30-40 minutes, until the crust is very golden brown.

Thanksgiving - Variations on a Cranberry Theme

Ever hear NPR Radio around Thanksgiving and catch the classic cranberry sauce from Susan Stanberg? Cranberry sauce is a BIG deal around the thanksgiving spread - some like the store-bought jelly, while others insist on genuine concoctions prepared from the fresh berry. Just like stuffings - one with sausage, one without - both cranberry sauce variations are often served - just to be safe.

I have always loved the canned jelly, but today I experienced the best fresh cranberry sauce I have ever had. And I was not alone in my opinion.

My brother and sister in law prepared a sweet but just-tart sauce from fresh cranberries and orange flavors. This is the big winner this year in my opinion, and has made me a convert to fresh cranberry sauce forever!

Fresh Cranberry Sauce à l'Orange
1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 Tbsp orange liquor
1 tsp orange zest

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a pot. Cook the cranberries for about 10-15 minutes until the cranberries pop and the sauce thickens. Cool a bit and stir in the liquor and the zest. Pour into serving bowl.

A Holiday Tofu Break

As we roll into the holidays (and I do mean roll for some of us!), one can get weary of all the rich dishes, and the sheer quantity of meat centered in all those holiday gatherings, no matter how many walks you take.

Try a tofu dish for a change. I know it may sound like an oxymoron, but here are two satisfying tofu dishes that serve a crowd – handy to know about during the holidays.

And with a roasted butternut squash topping, the lasagna can be a great vegetarian Thanksgiving option, nice to have in your back pocket to reduce the stress of serving a large mix of family and guests with alternative diets.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Pesto Lasagna
½ butternut squash, peeled and cut to ½-inch cubes
1 Tbsp dried rosemary needles, crushed
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 14-oz. brick extra-firm tofu, sliced into ¼-inch slices
8 oz. jalapeno Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

Ricotta layer:
1 15-oz. tub Ricotta
1 egg
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Sauce:
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
2 rounded Tbsp pesto

Toss butternut squash with a bit of olive oil and the rosemary. Roast butternut squash at 400F for about 20 minutes on a flat pan, until just softened when pierced with a sharp knife. Meanwhile make the sauce. Fry the flour in the butter and the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the milk and bring to a boil to thicken, whisking constantly. Salt and pepper to taste. As soon as sauce thickens, reduce heat and whisk in the pesto.

Spray a 13x9 inch casserole with oil and spoon 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of the casserole. Lay three of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Mix ricotta-layer ingredients together and carefully spread evenly over noodles. Lay the remaining 3 lasagna noodles on top of ricotta layer. Top with the tofu slices and distributed evenly. Sprinkle on the Monterrey Jack cheese over the tofu and pour sauce over cheese. Distribute the butternut squash over the sauce. Bake for 30 minutes at 400F covered, and then for 30 minutes at 350F, uncovered.


Broccoli and Cauliflower Tofu Casserole
½ lb broccoli
½ lb cauliflower
1 package extra-firm tofu, drained
1 carrot
½ lb macaroni or ziti
2 eggs
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ lb Swiss or Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into small flowerets. Peel the carrot, and slice on the diagonal. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch pieces.

Make a Béchamel sauce: fry the flour in the olive oil and butter for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbly. Add the garlic and sauté another 30 seconds or so. Whisk in the milk and then the evaporated milk. Whisk until thickened. Add the mustard and half the cheese and whisk until well incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the pasta and the whole eggs in plenty of salted water until pasta is just underdone. Add the cauliflower, broccoli and carrot for another minute. Strain well.

Remove the eggs from the pasta and toss the pasta-vegetable mixture in a large bowl with all but about 1/2 cup of the sauce. Fold in the tofu. Pour into a large oiled casserole. Peel and quarter the eggs and place around top of dish. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour, covered for the first half-hour, then uncovered until hot and bubbly.

Nothin' but a Bunch of Turkeys

In New England where we live, turkeys start showing up in droves as we approach Thanksgiving. The other day we counted as many as 34! They get me thinking about getting ready for Thanksgiving. Surprisingly, they are fairly approachable - no wonder they ended up on the Thanksgiving table!

The way I look at it, Thanksgiving is the ultimate immigrant’s holiday. We give thanks for the bounty and tolerance afforded by a rich, free homeland. As Lady Liberty says:

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Thanksgiving originated as the harvest celebration of pilgrims fleeing persecution and nearing starvation. It took on a broader meaning of reunion, tolerance and sharing, after being formally established as a national holiday in 1863 by President Lincoln presiding over a country divided by civil war.

And now, following a derisive and highly polarizing presidential campaign and election, the United States is sorely in need of reunion, tolerance and a sense of shared responsibility if we are to prevail over the enormous challenges we face ahead. There is no better time for a Thanksgiving holiday.

So in the spirit of tolerance I offer an alternative approach to Thanksgiving turkey, incorporating different ethnic influences. And as was the practice of the native Americans of the first Thanksgiving, it uses every last inch of the turkey except the gobble.

For these three dishes I carved one whole raw turkey into parts – legs, thighs, wings, and then the breast. All the remains (carcass, legs, etc.) were roasted in the oven for a soup base. I prepared the dark meat (thighs and wings) as a Moroccan tagine – rich with red pepper, cinnamon, ginger and apricots. Then I prepared the breasts VERY QUICKLY as a simple braise in wine and a mire-poix. Spicy tagine for adults, subtle braised breast for kids. Soup for anyone needing warmth.

Enough for everybody, and everybody’s happy. Give thanks.


Turkey Tagine with Cranberries and Apricots
4 turkey breasts, boned and quartered
2 turkey wings
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch fresh ginger, minced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
2 sticks cinnamon
½ cup dried apricots
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup water

Sear the turkey in batches in a non-stick skillet over very high heat, skin-side down, until really golden brown on the skin side, 3-5 minutes. Turn over and brown on other side another minute or two. Remove to a platter.

In a tagine (or the same skillet if you don’t have a tagine), sauté the onion until softened and beginning to caramelize, over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, red pepper, cumin and fennel, and cook another 2-3 minutes, until aromatic. Distribute the turkey about the onion mixture, skin-side up, and add the water. Salt and pepper to taste. Submerse the cinnamon sticks well under the liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook for half an hour.

Uncover the tagine (or skillet) and shake to redistribute flavors. Do not stir – keep the turkey breast meat with the skin-side up to stay as crisp as possible. Distribute the cranberries and apricots about the dish, immersing into the broth. Cover and simmer another half an hour.


Turkey Breast Braised with Cranberries and Wine
The trick here is to braise the breasts JUST until they are done - if not overcooked, these are some of the most tender turkey breasts I have ever had.

1 onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
2 large stalks celery, finely diced
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup dry white wine
2 large boneless turkey breast halves

Sauté the onion, carrot, celery in a large non-stick skillet in a bit of olive oil until the vegetables soften and begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Set vegetables aside in a bowl. In the same skillet, sear the turkey breast halves, skin side down for about 5-8 minutes, until very well browned. Turn and brown second side another 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Return vegetables to pan and add the wine and cranberries. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover skillet and braise for 20 minutes, or until the breasts are just cooked through. Remove breasts, slice across grain and top with vegetables and sauce on serving platter.

Turkey Soup with Roasted Vegetables
This is not for the feint of heart – it takes some time but oh, the results are so worth it. This will most definitely raise the spirits of anyone who is sick. This soup depends on all the bones – the gelatin is so healthful and extends a richness you can’t get any other way. For the richest stock, include all the turkey drippings, skin, bones and organs except the liver. The onion skins help produce a flavorful, colored stock. This soup usually takes two days since you have to let the stock cool to efficiently skim away all the fat. By the way, this works very nicely with chicken as well – this is a master recipe which can be varied in untold different ways.

Carcass, legs and trimmings of 1 carved turkey
2 onions, quartered, including skins
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 15-oz. can Navy beans
¼ cup pearl barley
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 turnips, diced
2 tsp. dried rosemary
½ cup frozen peas

If the carcass has not been roasted, place it and all the bones and trimmings in a roasting pan and roast at 400F for 45 minutes, until well browned. Transfer the roasted pieces and all the drippings to a large stock pot and just cover with water. Add the bay leaf, bring to a boil, and lower to a simmer. Cover and cook for an hour.

Place a colander in a very large bowl and carefully strain the stock. Remove the colander and its contents from the bowl and allow the bones to cool enough to pull all off all the meat. Be careful not to include any small bone fragments. Set the meat aside in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Return the stock to the pot and cool down until the fat surfaces and solidifies. This can be finished in the refrigerator, or in cold New England winters, I use the garage or the back porch overnight. Either way, it takes some time, and I usually continue the next day.

Using a large spoon skim off all the fat on top of the stock and discard. Warm the pot on the stove and return the meat to the stock and set to a simmer. In another pan, sauté the carrots and celery for about 8-10 minutes, until softened and slightly caramelized. Add the fennel seeds for the last 1-2 minutes. Add to the stock along with the beans and the barley.

Meanwhile, set the oven to 400F. Toss together the squash and turnips with the rosemary and about a tablespoon of olive oil and a bit of coarse salt and pepper in a bowl. Lay out in a large jelly roll pan and roast for about 20 minutes, or until well browned.

Tip the roasted vegetables and the peas into the soup. Simmer another 15 minutes or so, to meld flavors. Serve to your poor, your tired, or huddled masses.