Now that the weather in Phoenix, AZ has finally cooled off (the high today—December 9, 2012—will be 72 degrees F and the low will be 45 degrees F) I have been inspired to cook comfort food. It’s not near as cold as I would like it to be but I had to put on a sweatshirt last night and that’s good enough for me to cook something cozy and rich in flavor.
I decided on broccoli soup. Broccoli soup is filling enough to savor on its own and is the perfect complement to an ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich. Today I enjoyed my broccoli soup on its own, but tomorrow I am planning on lovin’ spoonfuls of leftover soup with a sandwich for lunch.
What I love about homemade broccoli soup is that it is so unbelievably easy to make. The first time I made it and tasted the flavors of the fresh ingredients I knew right then and there that I would never again eat broccoli soup from a can. If you ever decide to make homemade soup, you’ll probably take on my theory that canned soup is for emergency situations… or for the birds.
I followed this Food Network Broccoli Soup recipe from The Neelys. <~ How cute are they!?
Melt 4 tablespoons butter (room temperature) in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 ½ pounds fresh broccoli (chopped), 1 large onion (chopped), and 1 carrot (chopped). Saute ingredients for about 6 minutes or until onion is translucent.
Add 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Cook and stir ingredients for about 1 minute or until flour reaches a blonde color.
Add 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth; bring to a boil and then reduce temperature. Simmer ingredients, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
Mix in ½ cup heavy cream and then puree. Salt and pepper soup, to taste. I toasted slices from a petite jalapeno-cheddar loaf to serve with my soup. Talk about “Mmm, mmm good!”
My favorite song of choice for cooking today is this awesome tune by Loretta Lynn and Jack White – “Portland, Oregon” What a great duo!
I’m a meat and potatoes kind of girl, and I love cooking hearty meals that satisfy. In the kitchen, while preparing and cooking, say, a Thanksgiving feast, I move like a graceful ballerina. But when it comes to baking sweets I’m more like Lucy: misreading recipes, using incorrect measurements, and making an explosive mess in the kitchen.
Baking sweets intimidates me and, quite frankly, don’t interest me all that much. Several reasons come to mind: 1) My grandmother was the queen of sweets in our hometown. Big shoes to fill! 2) I ate so many classic sweets when I was a child that—today—I’m just not that into them. 3) Some recipes are so long and have numerous small measurements; just looking at some ingredient lists and necessary kitchen tools exhausts me. But I do have a slight interest in baking sweets for loved ones, and after all, ’tis the season! So here I am. Practicing.
It’s finally cooling off in Phoenix. And every year when the weather cools down I’m drawn to the rich colors and seasonal spices of fall. I’m madly in love with the bright orange color of pumpkin, and I adore allspice, ginger, nutmeg and more. Last week I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts on the King Arthur Flour website and decided I was going to face my [sweet] baking fears and indifference head on.
After trying the King Arthur recipe I decided the cinnamon-sugar coating was not for me and I found the doughnuts less flavorful than I anticipated. To each his own, right? I revised the recipe by reducing the amount of salt and by increasing the amount of pumpkin pie spice. I have to mention here that when I made my first batch of doughnuts I accidentally doubled the salt measurement. “Lucy!!!!” I scooped out as much of the extra salt as I could! And for my second batch of doughnuts I made a cream cheese frosting and a glaze for topping options. I loved my second batch, and the doughnuts were a hit with my human guinea pigs. I survived, and I am now ready to move onto something more dense and chocolate-y. A future post…
Here is my recipe (the revised King Arthur recipe) for Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two doughnut pans. (Note: I found mine at Target.)
Beat together ½ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree, 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder.
Add 1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour. Stir ingredients until smooth.
Fill doughnut pans about ¾ full. (Note: Use a scant ¼ cup of batter in each well.)
Bake doughnuts for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Remove doughnuts from oven; let cool for about 5 minutes. Once cool, loosen edges of doughnuts and transfer to a cooling rack.
While still warm, either glaze or frost doughnuts or gently shake in a bag with cinnamon-sugar. Cool completely, and wrap airtight. Store at room temperature for several days. YIELDS 12 DOUGHNUTS
While making a major mess in the kitchen, I was in the holiday spirit and decided Christmas tunes were in order. You just can’t go wrong with a sentimental classic Christmas song like O Holy Night.
Olive oil rocks! Seriously… it’s a culinary superstar. Olive oil is used as a condiment, as an ingredient, and for cooking. And it holds its own in the kitchen.
When I found out the Valley of the Sun has its very own olive mill I had to go see what it’s all about. What I discovered is the Queen Creek Olive Mill is a little agri-gem in the desert.
The newly renovated and expanded Queen Creek Olive Mill is the perfect destination for a day trip if you live in Arizona. And if you’re planning a trip to Phoenix from another state, you really should put this delightful and delicious destination on your itinerary.
Not only did I learn the Queen Creek Olive Mill is the only company in Arizona that produces extra virgin olive oil and has over 2,000 olive trees and 16 varieties, but I also learned the process of how olive oil is made, via the Olive Oil 101 tour. When I use olive oil now I think about more than just the tasty liquid gold in the bottle and how I will use it—I think about olive trees and pomace and acid levels and… oh, things you’ll learn when you visit the Queen Creek Olive Mill.
Before my Olive Oil 101 tour began I enjoyed freshly brewed coffee from Superstition Coffee—one of the new additions to the Queen Creek Olive Mill. And I was fortunate to have the opportunity to talk with Bill Mohrweis, Founder and Owner of Superstition Coffee. Superstition Coffee is a family affair, with Bill, Terri (Bill’s wife) and the kids providing consumers with incredibly fresh and delicious specialty coffees. Bill shared some great coffee industry stories with me and showed me the coffee roasting process. It was a wonderful added bonus to my day at the Queen Creek Olive Mill.
Superstition Coffee
Before leaving the Queen Creek Olive Mill I had to try something from their Tuscan-inspired eatery: del Piero. I ordered the Kalamata sandwich—del Piero Kalamata Salami, genoa salami, capicola, herb roasted tomatoes, seasonal greens, provolone, and red onion with White Balsamic & Herb Crema on a grilled baguette ($9.99). It’s a meat lover’s dream come true.
Kalamata
One thing that stood out in my mind while I was at the Queen Creek Olive Mill was how busy it was. I was there on a weekday from morning until almost late afternoon and it was packed with people coming and going, nonstop. But it never felt overcrowded.
The Queen Creek Olive Mill has so much to offer. In addition to what I’ve already mentioned, the marketplace is chock-full of flavored olive oils, locally made foods and unique gifts, and the Queen Creek Olive Mill hosts great events, such as their upcoming Labor Day Grill at the Mill.
While at the Queen Creek Olive Mill I heard Andean music being played over the PA system. The happy beats set the mood for a happy day! “Kusi-Kusi” – Performed by RUMINAHUI
I don’t remember how old I was as a young girl when my pasta eureka moment hit me. That moment when I understood why certain pastas are ideal for certain sauces and dishes, like macaroni for pasta e fagioli or fettuccine for Alfredo sauce. I do remember, though, when that moment hit I was eye-balling—rather closely—pasta shells and tomato sauce sitting in my spoon. I was amused in seeing seashell pasta filled with tomato sauce, as if the shells were miniature culinary ships carrying precious cargo straight to my mouth.
The shapes and textures of pastas complement different ingredients and sauces—culminating in dishes that offer perfect mouthfeels and perfect marriages of flavors. Creamy Alfredo sauce thoroughly coats the length and width of fettuccine; cheesy sauces nestle in the hollows of macaroni; and a ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and beef mixture is the perfect stay-put stuffing for tubular manicotti. Can you imagine manicotti with just a simple pasta sauce? Talk about a limp noodle!
I adore pasta and eat it every week. Recently I discovered Giada De Laurentiis’ Penne with Vodka Sauce recipe… I’d never made vodka sauce before and the ingredient list piqued my curiosity. I queued up an Italian playlist, including Mambo Italiano, and then fired up the stove. I doubled the recipe so I could share the pasta love with family.
Here are the recipes for Giada’s Simple Tomato Sauce and Penne with Vodka Sauce:
SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE
Ingredients
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
Directions
Colorful & Flavorful Ingredients for Simple Tomato Sauce
In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes.
Olive Oil, Onions, Garlic
Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
Olive Oil, Onions, Garlic, Celery, Carrots, Salt & Pepper
Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low.
Simple Tomato Sauce
Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to round out the flavor.
Pour half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and then pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Yield: 6 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
PENNE WITH VODKA SAUCE
Ingredients
1 quart Simple Tomato Sauce (from the above recipe)
1 cup vodka
½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
½ cup grated Parmesan
1 pound penne
Directions
Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat until the mixture reduces by ¼, stirring often, about 20 minutes.
Tomato Sauce and Vodka
Stir the cream into the tomato and vodka sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through.
Tomato and Vodka Sauce and Cream
Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.
Tomato and Vodka Sauce, Heavy Cream and Parmesan
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the sauce, and toss to coat.
Penne with Vodka Sauce Topped with Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Many of us have heard, at some point in our lives, “Don’t play with your food!” Depending on the situation, I say, “Strike that, reverse it!” Playing with food can be a great way to inspire creativity, generate ideas, and get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables. And creating art with food is an affordable, fun activity for a child’s birthday party; just make sure the kids have clean hands and an adult is chopping the food! If you’re planning an adult party, be it a themed party or casual barbecue, you can impress your family and friends with food that will win you rave reviews, on looks alone. And bento boxes… they’re all about creativity!
A few weeks ago, after reading a Facebook post by my friend Laura B. Marcell, I was inspired to create the above edible tropical island using an orange, a banana, and three kiwi fruit. For just a couple dollars I put together a delicious and nutritious snack for myself and co-workers. It was a tasty treat that generated smiles all the way around!
If you’re creating delicious delights with kids, you can set the mood with fun food songs. There are so many! Here’s one from Beauty and the Beast… Be Our Guest.
Breakfast is the one meal of the day that I have a hard time fitting in, mostly because I’m not all that hungry when I wake up. But every now and then I’ll crave a classic Sunday morning breakfast of over easy eggs, slightly crisped bacon, garlic-packed breakfast potatoes, and buttered toast. And a few weeks ago, after perusing the Saveur website from my horizontal office at 11:00PM, I decided to go all out (for me) for the next day’s breakfast. I made croque madame.
Prior to making croque madame, and several months ago, I’d treated my taste buds to a croque monsieur from Petite Maison in Scottsdale, AZ. Croque monsieur, which originated in France, is a grilled or toasted hot ham and cheese sandwich with béchamel sauce. Add a fried egg on top and you’ve got a croque madame. The egg is said to resemble a woman’s hat, thus croque madame. “Croque” comes from the word “croquer,” which means “to crunch.” And there are several versions of the croque sandwich, including croque Bolognese, croque Provençal, croque señor, and more. Each one offering up wonderful crunch and delightful flavor combinations.
In my humble opinion, the croque madame is an ultimate breakfast sandwich due to its layers of flavors and fork and knife elegance. And the Gruyère béchamel sauce for this recipe… C’mon… I could eat spoonful after spoonful of this French white sauce. There’s a reason why béchamel is one of the four “mother sauces,” and the béchamel sauce is the reason why your taste buds melt with love when you bite into a croque madame.
Making this breakfast sandwich is incredibly easy, and if you’ve never made béchamel sauce, you have nothing to worry about—it’s easy, too.
While making my croque madame I enhanced the experience by listening to one of my favorite French songs: Paris Paris. It’s a sexy little number by Malcolm McLaren, and the video features Catherine Deneuve. Malcolm, who passed away on April 8, 2010, was manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls, and he had an amazing career full of projects.
And here are the no-fail instructions for making mouth-watering croque madame. Recipe courtesy of Saveur. Note: I use Italian or sourdough bread for toasted sandwiches, because I love the extra crunchiness these breads provide once toasted.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
12 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
12 (3/4-inch-thick) slices pain de mie or Pullman bread, toasted (these breads are the equivalent of sandwich bread)
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
12 thin slices baked ham
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 eggs
Preparation
Heat butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium high heat.
Add flour; cook and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute.
Whisk in milk; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add 1/3 cup grated Gruyère and the Parmesan.
Whisk until smooth. Season with salt, black pepper and nutmeg.
Heat broiler to high. Place 6 slices toasted bread on parchment paper-lined or foil-lined baking sheet, and spread 1 tablespoon mustard over each.
Top with 2 slices ham and remaining Gruyère.
Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese begins to melt.
Top with remaining bread slices. Pour a generous amount of béchamel on top of each sandwich. Broil for about 3-4 minutes, until cheese sauce is bubbling and evenly browned. Note: The photo below is before broiling.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs, season with salt and black pepper, and cook until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny (sunny-side up), about 3 minutes. Place egg on top of each sandwich, and serve hot. Note: Generally croque madame is topped with a sunny-side up egg, but I like my eggs cooked over easy.
The croque madame is a super tasty breakfast sandwich that will impress anyone, whether you’re eating alone or you’re feeding a crowd. After just one bite… You’ll say, “Oui!”
Like a lingering, loving hug that’s long overdue, an out of the blue homemade meal can touch a person in a deep way. That may seem overly emotional to someone who has homemade meals cooked for them every day, but for people who are ALWAYS doing the cooking for others…au contraire!
Case in point: Several weeks ago I was pet sitting for my Aunt Patty. While perusing Patty’s cookbooks I decided to surprise her the day she arrived back home with an early dinner, by preparing one of the recipes from her “Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood” cookbook.
I called Patty several hours before her arrival time to make sure she did not have others plans scheduled for the day. She didn’t. When I told her I wanted to fix dinner for her I could hear in her voice that she was thrilled with the idea. And I could hear in her voice that side of her that is incredibly proud—that proud side that comes from being the ever-gracious matriarch who is always doing everything for everyone else.
“Oh, Jett, you really don’t have to fix me dinner.”
“I know, but I want to.”
“Are you sure? You have so many things to do.”
“Of course I’m sure. I found a recipe from your Trisha Yearwood cookbook that looks reeeaaallly gooooood. It reminds me of the Grilled Chicken Salad we get when we go to Houston’s, which we haven’t had in a long time.”
“Ooooooh. That is a great salad. And you’re sure it’s not too much trouble?”
“Yup.”
“GUUURRRLLL! I’D LOVE TO HAVE YOU COOK FOR ME!” *insert a happy squeal here*
Proud Patty needs to be delicately approached when it comes to being pampered. Once she’s certain someone is not having to go out of their way to do something nice for her she’s all game and all excited.
By the time Patty made it home I was chopping vegetables. Patty rolled her suitcase in the kitchen, stopped, and said, pointing and waving her index finger, “I am going to put some comfy clothes on and then pour us some wine!!!”
While I finished putting the salad together, Patty sat at the kitchen island and watched and asked questions about the recipe and filled me in on family happenings. I could tell she was completely content, happy to have the company, and glad she didn’t have to think about dinner for herself that night. It was the perfect surprise for her after her long week of traveling, and I am so glad it worked out that I was able to fix dinner for her and we were able to share a meal. And it reminded me that I need to cook for others more often.
Since the recipe came from Trisha Yearwood’s cookbook I cued up a couple of her songs. One of them, “How Do I Live,” follows the recipe. Patty did not know that Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood have a home in Oklahoma, not too far from where Patty and I were born and raised in Kansas. Patty said she loved her cookbook that much more from learning that little tidbit about Trisha and Garth. I love how associations affect how we feel about certain things.
Here’s the recipe—Ty’s Thai Salad—from the cookbook “Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood: Stories and Recipes to Share with Family and Friends.” Click on photos to enlarge.
From now on whenever I make this salad I’ll refer to it as Proud Patty’s Thai Chicken Salad. That woman’s a gem, and I love her so much.
Ty’s Thai Salad
1 head Napa cabbage, shredded
1 head red cabbage, shredded
1 large cucumber, julienned
4 green onions, finely diced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked, chilled, and thinly sliced | Note: I bought 1 rotisserie chicken and then shredded the meat
1 (10-ounce) bag shelled edamame, cooked
2 carrots, peeled and grated
Sweet Lime Cilantro dressing | Note: I purchased an Asian Sesame Ginger dressing
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
Sweet Lime-Cilantro Dressing
2 cups olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
How to prepare:
Ingredients
In a large serving bowl or on a large platter, combine the napa cabbage, red cabbage, cucumber, green onions…
Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
…chicken…
Edamame
…edamame…
Shredded Carrot
…and carrots. Top salad with some of the Sweet Lime Cilantro Dressing and then avocado slices. Just before eating, top with…
Crispy Wontons
…crispy wontons. To make crispy wontons: cut some wonton wrappers into strips, and fry strips, in batches, in hot vegetable oil (375 degrees) until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.
Thai Salad
This Thai Chicken Salad brings together complementary flavors and offers great textures. The crispy wontons are a must!
Note: To make Sweet Lime-Cilantro Dressing: Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
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