Pork & Coconut Curry

When we order takeout Thai Trevor always chooses pork as his meat.  I don't love takeout mystery meat, so I often opt for tofu or plain veggies.  This week I decided to try my hand at making pork curry at home to see how it stands up to his favorite takeout.  I read several recipes and forged my own, which resulted in a 2 1/2 lb pork butt simmering for several hours in a mixture of fresh lemongrass, ginger, garlic, spices and a can of creamy coconut milk.  When the meat was fork-tender I shredded it gently and let it simmer for another hour or so.  Before serving I skimmed off the (copious) fat and tossed in some red bell pepper and a can of bamboo shoots.  

Wow.  

This curry was rich, flavorful, and just seriously delicious.  If you are coconut averse, I don't think the final product tastes all that much like coconut.  The coconut imbues a richness to the pork, elevating it high above any takeout pork curry I have ever tried.  

We like strong flavors in our house, so feel free to scale back on spice, ginger or garlic if you like milder flavors.  The good news is that my heartburn only lasted one week, so I'm back to a regular, spicy/acidic/delicious diet.  

Pork & Coconut Curry

Serves 6

One 2 1/2 lb. pork butt

1-2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 medium sized onion, chopped

One 3 in' piece of ginger, finely chopped (about 2 heaping tablespoons)

6-8 garlic cloves finely chopped (about 2 heaping tablespoons)

Several pieces of minced lemongrass (about 1 heaping tablespoon)

3 tb Curry Powder (I make my own using 1 part turmeric, 2 parts cumin, 2 parts coriander, and lots of freshly ground black pepper)

2 serrano peppers, finely chopped with seeds (feel free to omit seeds if you like less spice)

1/4 cup fish sauce

1 can unsweetened coconut milk

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 small can bamboo shoots, drained & rinsed

To serve: Jasmine rice, chopped cilantro

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Heat a large dutch oven (one that has a tight fitting lid) on the stove top.  Add peanut oil.  When oil is smoking, place your pork butt in the pan and brown on all sides.  
• Remove pork from dutch oven and set aside.  Discard all but about 1 1/2 tbsp of the fat.  Reduce heat to medium and add onion, saute until translucent.  Add ginger, garlic, lemongrass, curry powder and serrano pepper, stir to blend with onion.  Let cook for another 2-3 minutes to allow spices to toast.  Add fish sauce, coconut milk and brown sugar, stirring to blend well.  
• Place pork back in the dutch oven with the mixture.  Put the lid on the dutch oven and place in the 325 oven.  Cook for 2-3 hours, or until pork is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork.  
• Shred pork and return to mixture to cook for another 30 or so minutes.  Skim fat off the top.  Ten minutes before serving add bell pepper and bamboo shoots.  Finish cooking for another ten minutes and serve with rice and freshly chopped cilantro. 

Tortilla Soup

This soup is a version of one of the best soups I've ever made - Columbian Chicken Soup. A basic broth is combined with a blend of flavors and textures for a delicious and comforting meal.

TORTILLA SOUP

• 2 Corn Tortillas, sliced and fried in vegetable oil
• Chorizo, thinly sliced
• Asparagus, lightly boiled & cut into 1" pieces
• Small White Potatoes, cubed and boiled
• Chicken Stock
• Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
• Avocado, cubed for serving)

Spicy Paste:

• 2 Garlic Cloves, made into a paste
• Parsley
• Scallions
• 1 1/2" Ginger, minced
• Lime Juice
• Chili Oil
• Sesame Oil
• Kosher Salt

I started by boiling the potatoes and the asparagus until they were al dente, and set aside. I emptied the water from the pot and warmed up with a bit of olive oil. I sauteed the thinly sliced chorizo until browned and removed. Next I de-glazed the pan with the chicken stock and brought to a simmer. I combined all of the ingredients of the paste and mashed until combined. You want this to be really flavorful as it needs to flavor the whole soup. When you are ready to eat, add potatoes, asparagus and onions and simmer until fully cooked but still crisp. Then add the chorizo and spicy paste. Top each bowl with tortilla strips and avocado and serve.

Weekend Roast Chicken

This winter I have made a lot of roasted chicken. It is the perfect meal to make on Sunday and have leftovers for the rest of the week. I cooked this chicken similarly to previous ones (10-15m at 500, 20m/lb at 350) but I learned a new technique for serving it from Ina. By slicing the entire breast off, then cutting into segments, each bite has a piece of skin with it. I love learning simple tips like this that make a world of difference in the meal!

I topped with a simple sauce of butter + pan drippings + chicken stock + balsamic vinegar. I served alongside thyme roasted potatoes and a romaine wedge with homemade garlic asiago dressing (asiago cheese, garlic paste, S&P, vinegar, mayo).

Pizza Party

Happy Friday Y'all! 

I thought I'd cap off the week with a recipe for pizza dough, since nothing screams 'the weekend' like a raging pizza party.  I hadn't made pizza at home in a long time because our pizza needs are mostly sated by our neighborhood pizzerias... we live a stones-throw away from both House Pizzeria and East Side Pies.  Also, our oven desperately needs to be cleaned and every time I bump the temperature above 450 degrees all of our smoke detectors go off and the house smells like burnt crud.  

I like this recipe for pizza dough because 1) it is easy, and 2) it seems to be foolproof.  Also, Trevor and I agreed that taste and texture wise, this recipe makes the best homemade pizza crust we've tried so far.  

I topped this version with hand-crushed bits of San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, a bit of garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and thinly sliced cremini mushrooms and red onion.  I added slivers of fresh basil when the pizza was done cooking.  The crust was crispy, chewy and light.  And delicious.  I highly recommend this recipe if you are a first-time home pizza maker, and please follow the directions exactly (i.e. only punch the dough down once and don't man-handle it too much, otherwise you will end up with  a hard, dense, brick of pizza dough vs. a light, airy, elastic ball of dough which is easily stretched into shape.)  The recipe is Jamie Oliver's, but I found it over on The Wednesday Chef and she kindly translates the recipe from metric to English units (i.e. millileters to cups).

Jamie Oliver's Pizza Dough

Recipe Courtesy of The Wednesday Chef
Makes enough for one half-sheet pan (if you like a thicker-crusted pizza) or two half sheet pans if you like your pizza thin as can be)

3 1/2 cups (1 lb) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (you might find you need more)
1 packet (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast (2 1/4 tablespoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons raw or regular sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water

1. Put the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. In a large measuring cup, mix the yeast, sugar and olive oil into the water and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well. Using a fork, bring the flour in gradually from the sides and swirl it into the liquid. Sprinkle in the salt. Keep mixing, drawing larger amounts of flour in, and when it all starts to come together, work the rest of the flour in with your clean, flour-dusted hands. Knead until you have a smooth, springy dough.

2. Wash out your bowl, dry it and oil it lightly. Place the ball of dough in the bowl and turn to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place in a warm room or an oven (not turned on) for about an hour. The dough will have doubled in size.

3. Now put the dough on a flour-dusted surface and gently deflate it with your hands - this is called punching down the dough. You can either use it immediately, or keep it, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the fridge (or freezer) until required. If using right away, simply pat out to the size of your half-sheet pan or divide in half and roll out to cover two pans. You can also divide the dough into little balls for individual  pizzas - this amount of dough is enough to make about three to four medium pizzas.

4. Timing-wise, it's a good idea to roll the pizzas out about 15 to 20 minutes before you want to cook them. Then simply top them with your heart's desire and bake them in a very hot, preheated oven (turn your oven as high as it will go) for about 10 minutes for the thicker pizza and less for the thinner ones, until crisp and bubbling.

Latkes, Lox and Poached Eggs with Herb Mayo

I love mixing things up and having what 's traditionally considered breakfast...for dinner! If you have a Cuisinart this is just about the easiest dinner you can make.

Ingredients

• 2 Potatoes (yukon)
• 1 Egg + 1 Egg White
• Lox
• Tomato, sliced
• Yellow Onion, sliced

Herb Mayo

• Mayo
• Dijon
• Dill Pickle, chopped
• Shallots, chopped
• Parsley, chopped
• Scallions, chopped
• Lemon Zest
• 1/4 Lemon Juice
• Olive Oil

I started by mixing the herb mayo in my Cuisinart. You can make this with any herbs you have on hand, dill would be delic! Blend the pickle, shallots, parsley, scallions & lemon zest together with a bit of S&P until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides and add 1 tbs mustard to 1 1/2 tbs mayo then the lemon juice. Blend and stream in the olive oil until you receive your desired consistency.

Next up were the potato latkes. Clean out your Cuisinart and put in the shredding disk. Shredded the two potatoes, press any excess liquid out, then mix with the egg, egg white and S&P. You can also incorporate flour but it really isn't necessary as they hold together pretty well as is. Heat vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop a heaping tablespoon of potato mix into the oil and press flat with a spatula. Cook 3-4 minutes per side or until browned. Remove from heat, sprinkle with salt and drain on a paper towel.

To assemble, layer your latke dressed with the herb mayo, followed by the tomato, yellow onion, lox and finally, the poached egg. Drizzle a bit more mayo on top if you wish!

This was ridiculously good and a really great change up from our typical dinner!

Foie Gras Pasta Carbonara

Following our Valentine's Day feast I had some leftover broth from the Foie Gras-Steamed Clams. I thought it would make a beautiful addition to a traditional Pasta Carbonara.

FOIE GRAS PASTA CARBONARA

• Foie Gras Broth*
• Chorizo (or bacon/pancetta) minced
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• Rosemary, minced
• 2 Eggs, Whites & Yolks separated - keep yolks in tact!
• Spaghetti

*If you are making the foie gras broth from scratch, simmer together a few tablespoons of foie gras mousse with a tablespoon of butter, 1/2c water, tbs of wine and sauteed red onion then blend.

I started out by blending the foie gras broth, then pressing through a strainer until it was smooth and light. Next, I sauteed the chorizo, garlic and rosemary over lowish heat until everything was crisp and toasted and set aside. To the chorizo pan I added the foie gras broth and warmed through. When the spaghetti was a few minutes short of being cooked I added it to the broth along with a few ladles of pasta water. Cook for a few minutes until al dente. Next, I added in a heavy dose of fresh ground pepper, a bit of salt, the egg whites and chorizo mixture. Toss until fully combined. If it seems dry, add a bit of olive oil and pasta water. I served the spaghetti topped with the egg yolk and a bit of rosemary.

This was so unbelievably yummy! I know your saying..of course it was! Foie gras, chorizo, egg yolk, rosemary...what could be better! See I knew it would be good, but the parts I liked were surprising. The heat from the rosemary and the sort of tart toasted garlic really made the dish.

Happy Valentine's Day!

R and I aren't big on celebrating Valentine's Day, but we definitely use it as an excuse to do something nice together. Being that it was a Monday, we decided to do dinner at home. But unlike every other night, we sat at our rarely used dining room table instead of in front of the TV! We had a great night and I cooked a GREAT dinner, inspired by FoodandWine.com recipes and Caitlin's Sunday post!

Valentine's Day Dinner Menu

Foie Gras-Steamed Clams with Garlic Toast

Tortilla Espanola

Seared Rib Eye with Arugula

Molten Chocolate Cake

FOIE GRAS STEAMED CLAMS WITH GARLIC TOAST, courtesy of Jonathan Sawyer

This recipe was very easy, and required little-to-no prep. I roasted the onions in advance and had everything ready to steam leading up to dinner. All I needed to do was add the clams to the simmering broth and steam for 10 minutes while my steak rested.

Ingredients

• 1 Onion, cut into wedges
• 12 Clams
• 2 tbs Foie Gras Mousse
• 1 tbs White Wine
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 tbs Unsalted Butter
• Parsley, chopped
• Lemon wedges

Roast the onion, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove and chop, setting aside for later use. Combine the foie gras, white wine, water & clams in a deep pot and steam for 10 minutes or until all the clams open. Discard any that to do not open. Remove the clams to the serving bowls and tent with foil. Strain (or don't) the liquid then return to the pot. Add in the onion and butter and stir until incorporated. Spoon over the clams and top with a sprinkling of parsley and a wedge of lemon. Serve with a side of garlic rubbed toast points.

The foie gras created a really luscious sauce that was great with garlic rubbed toast points. I decided not to strain the sauce to avoid dirtying more dishes and it turned out totally fine, perhaps a little less smooth, but delicious nonetheless. I also substituted white wine that I had on hand for the white wine vinegar. This was a great opener to the meal and gave dinner a restaurant-quality feeling!

TORTILLA ESPANOLA, courtesy of Sara Keller

When I saw Caitlin's recipe for Tortilla Espanola I knew this would be something I incorporated into my repertoire. It's one of those recipes that can be eaten at any temperature, for a few days in a row, and still be delicious. I cooked this in advance of dinner and sliced and served at the table.

SEARED RIB EYE WITH ARUGULA, courtesy of Michael Romano

This recipe is so simple, I'm surprised it even exists as a recipe! Basically it's seared steak, which I cooked using the America's Test Kitchen method of drying it out with cornstarch, salt and an hour in the freezer. I then seared it in a pan for 3 minutes before roasting in the oven for 8.

I served alongside arugula dressed with rosemary infused olive oil and balsamic. This very simple step of infusing olive oil with rosemary provided an extra level of flavor to the dish that elevated it beyond your standard dressing.

Ingredients

• 1, 1lb Rib Eye
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Cornstarch
• Arugula
• Rosemary
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar

Pat the steak dry and cover with a mix of cornstarch and salt. Place in the freezer for up to one hour until dry to the touch. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Sear the steak in an oven safe saute pan for 3 minutes, or until nicely browned. Flip and place the pan in the preheated oven, roasting for 8 minutes or until the internal temperature is just below 135. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE, courtesy of Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Nothing, and I mean, nothing, could be easier then this dessert. Now that I have a bag of flour and sugar at my house, I have a feeling I'm regularly going to be picking up chocolate bars on my way home to make this decadent dessert!

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 1/2 Stick Butter
• 3 oz Bittersweet Chocolate
• 1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk
• 1/8 c Sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbs Flour

This recipe requires a double boiler but if you don't have one, just place a bowl over a simmering pot of water. Melt together the butter and chocolate, whisking until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, sugar and salt until thickened and pale. Fold the chocolate mix and flour into the eggs using a spatula. At this stage you can either refrigerate the mix for a few hours until ready to bake, or pour right into buttered & floured ramekins and bake for 12 minutes at 450 degrees. You want to remove them when they are firm to the touch, but the center still looks a little soft. Invert onto a plate and serve as is, or even with a jam reduction, whipped cream, ice cream, powdered sugar....options are endless!

Tortilla Espanola

Cinderella mid-yawn.

My Aunt Sara contributed the recipe for Tortilla Espanola to my wedding cookbook.  I have been meaning to try this recipe for about a year now (/ever since I got my wedding cookbook), but somehow I never have the right kind of potato on hand or I get lazy and make scrambled eggs.  Now that I know how easy (and delicious) it is to make Tortilla Espanola, it will surely become a regular part of our meal rotation.  

Trevor and I enjoyed the tortilla for lunch with a glass of crisp white wine and an arugula salad simply dressed with olive oil and a fancy vinegar that Whitney brought me from California.  For dinner, Sara suggests serving the tortilla with a green salad, crusty bread and a bottle of Rioja, and "you will feel as though you are in Madrid or Barcelona!"  

Tortilla Espanola 

Serves 4-6

4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed or thinly sliced (use a less-starchy variety like a white potato or yukon gold)

1/4 to 1/2 cup of olive oil

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped

3/4 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

5 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

• In a 9 inch skillet heat a generous 1/4 cup of olive oil and cook the onions with a little salt.  Saute until soft and transparent,  7 minutes or so.  Add potatoes and cook another 7 or 8 minutes until potatoes are cooked (but not mushy).  
• Preheat oven broiler to low.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.  Add salt and pepper.  Slowly pour egg mixture onto onions and potatoes making sure the entire pan is equally full of the egg mixture.  It will look somewhat like an omelet.  
• Let the tortilla cook over medium-low heat for about ten minutes, until edges are bubbling and the tortilla seems 'cooked' except for pools of uncooked egg on the top.  Place under the broiler to finish cooking for about five minutes.  Be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!  When the tortilla seems firm and fully cooked (you can always insert a knife in the center to see if it is cooked) loosen the edges with a rubber spatula and invert it onto a large plate or cutting board (CAREFULLY!)
• Serve warm, room temperature or slightly chilled.  

Butter Makes Everything Better

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and I felt the need to make something sweet for my sweet.  Trevor's mom is a great baker and always has a big glass cookie jar full of homemade cookies in her kitchen.  I make sweets maybe every other month, but I don't know why I don't do it more often.  There are so many great cookie recipes that are really fairly simple and take very little time to make. 

I found this cookie recipe over at Food 52.  Trevor LOVES them.  They are a little heavy on the chocolate chips for my liking, and I also tend to prefer a cookie that is cakier vs. chewy/crispy.  I can't say that I don't like them though, having eaten four yesterday and several today.  The recipe calls for flattening the cookie with a spoon. I did about 1/2 flattened and 1/2 unflattened, and I think I prefer the unflattened version.  Be sure to have some milk on-hand. 

Find the recipe HERE.  

Savory Beef Tacos

Last night I was looking for a quick and easy dinner that didn't require venturing out into the cold. I had some leftover corn tortillas and empanada stuffing which I used to make an easy taco dinner.

SAVORY BEEF TACOS

• Corn Tortillas
• Empanada Stuffing or protein of choice
• Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
• Iceberg Lettuce, shredded
• Bulgur Wheat, cooked
• Cilantro, finely chopped

I started by caramelizing the onions, then added the empanada stuffing and warmed through. I removed from the pan and set aside, keeping warm. I cooked the bulgur, which takes about 15 minutes, then tossed with finely chopped cilantro. I heated up about a 1/4" of vegetable oil in a pan and fried the corn tortillas (30-60 seconds), then wrapped around a rolling pin until they had cooled into a taco shape.

I combined all of the ingredients and topped with a squeeze of lime.

For a dinner that took about 15 minutes this was really delicious! The sweet (raisin) and savory (caramelized onion) beef was delicious in the taco shell and was an out of the ordinary Wednesday dinner. I'm definitely going to start keeping corn tortillas around because with a quick fry they can be used for tacos, taquitos, tortilla chips, or tortilla soup...and they cost about $1/30 tortillas.

Recovery

Last Friday we had snow in Austin. A whole inch or so.  The city shut down.  Universities were closed, school was cancelled, and many offices shuttered their doors for the day.  Granted, the roads were quite icy under that thin slick of snow.  We had a guest in town so I didn't mind taking the day off... sleeping in a bit and then going for a snowy hike with the dog.

It was altogether a very pleasant day, which is nice because what came next was one of the worst days I have had in a long time.  I had a fifteen hour stomach flu on Saturday and a baby somersaulting, punching, kicking, and rocking me from the inside (literally all day).  I am finally able to eat somewhat normally, but my stomach is not back to it's old self.  I fear it may not go back to it's old self - at least for the next few months of my pregnancy.  I got heartburn for the first time (in my life!) Saturday night and I've gotten it every day since.  

Needless to say I am craving PLAIN foods.  Chicken and rice, bananas and peeled apples.  Last night I cooked for the first time in a while, and I made something simple and delicious that I was able to eat a whole bowl of.  I followed a recipe that I found over on Food 52, with a few modifications.

Spaghetti with Sausage and Broccolini

Serves 2

2 links mild Italian sausage (a little over 1/2 a pound)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

3 fat cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 package of spaghetti

1 bunch broccolini, cut into 1 in. pieces

2-3 tablespoons butter

1/4-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (Again, I use a microplane so my grated cheese is much less dense than some store bought grated cheeses. I say do it to taste.)  

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet until almost smoking.  Squeeze sausage from casings into little pieces and brown on all sides in the hot oil.  Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and reduce heat.  Drain some of the fat if necessary.  
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil.  
• Add garlic to skillet and cook gently, make sure not to brown, just toast slightly.  Add red pepper flakes, thyme and wine.  Bring to a gentle boil and scrape browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Reduce by about half to two thirds.  Stir in chicken stock and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce until dark and somewhat syrupy, about ten minutes.  Turn heat to very low or off. 
• Add a good amount of salt and the pasta to boiling water. When pasta is just about al dente toss in the broccolini.  Cook for another minute, then remove pasta and broccolini from water with tongs/a pasta server/slotted spoon and add directly to the skillet.  Heat the skillet over low-medium heat.  Stir the pasta into the sauce, adding the butter, cheese, and splashes of the pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce (I used about 1/2 cup).  Stir in sausage and taste for seasoning.  Serve immediately with extra grated cheese and red pepper flakes. 

Super Bowl XLV

This year the Super Bowl excitement was all about the food, friends and wine, because let's face it.....not a very exciting game! Also, when are the Black Eyed Peas going to disappear? Crappy halftime show.

Anyways, this is a cooking blog not Sarah's musings...

This year I pulled out all the stops, making an assortment of Super Bowl essentials from scratch. Apologies for the blurry photo quality!

SPICY PORK PO BOYS

Recipe: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spicy-pork-po-boys

Notes: Make the patties and mayo a day in advance to save time on game day. About a half hour before your guests arrive give the patties a quick pan fry (8mins) and assemble your sandwich.

PULLED CHICKEN AND CORN TAQUITOS

Recipe: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pulled-chicken-and-grilled-corn-tacos-cocktails-2009

Notes:

I started out making the tacos by the recipe but when I could only find corn tortilla's, I decided taquitos were the way to go.

A day in advance I mixed together the roasted & pulled chicken, corn, sauteed garlic & shallots, chili powder and feta. About an hour before the guests were set to arrive, I added chopped cilantro and prepped the taquitos to fry. Because corn tortillas crack easily, you have to fry them as soon as you roll them, or they fall apart. Heat about 1" of corn/vegetable oil in a deep pan. Roll apx 1 tbs of filling into the tortilla and secure with a toothpick. Place seam side down in the pan and fry until browned, then remove the tooth pick and flip to cook the other side. Don't stand too close to the oil as the random corn kernel can cause the oil to pop in your face! I rolled and fried, then drained on paper towels before serving. These were VERY popular and super easy to make.

BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS

Recipe: http://www.twosisterstwosuppers.com/2010/09/j-e-t-s-jets-jets-jets.html

Notes: I made this chicken almost exactly as I had done for a previous football game, but altered the time slightly, cooking at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. While you can't do much prep in advance, these require such little maintenance it's worth it to make them yourself! Next time I would probably start at higher temperature because they weren't as crispy as I like my wings.

BEEF EMPANADAS

Recipe: http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=23634

Notes:

The great thing about these empanadas is that you can make them a day ahead of time and cook them at the same temperature and timing as the wings...making life very easy on game day. The other great thing is that for someone who doesn't like making dough/pastries-this dough could not be easier. Other then buying tequila all you need is flour, butter and a bit of sugar and salt. The only recipe modifications I would make to this is that you should roll your dough out to about a quarter of an inch thick, vs a half inch. If they are too thick they texture gets a little doughy once cooked. These were a big favorite among the guests and I made so many that everyone got to take one home!

Mixed Bean & Pesto Soup

Dried beans are one of the least expensive and most filling ingredients you can work with. They require being soaked over night but then only need about an hour on the stove and a few extra ingredients to spice them up. I used them to make a simple soup with swiss chard, onions, tomatoes, spiced up with a swirl of pesto.

MIXED BEAN & PESTO SOUP

• Dried Beans, soaked over night (or while at work)
• Chicken Stock (or water)
• Cider Vinegar
• 2-3 Pieces Bacon
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves
• Swiss Chard, chopped
• Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Tomato, seeded & chopped
• S&P
• Pesto

Add the beans (drained) to a pot along with the bacon, garlic cloves, 2-3 tbs cider vinegar, S&P and enough chicken stock or water to cover the beans by about an inch. I didn't want chunks of bacon in my soup, but if you did, chop and saute the bacon first before adding the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 60-90 mins or until the beans are tender. Pull out the bacon and garlic. Add the swiss chard to the pot along with salt and simmer until tender (about 4 mins). Add in the onions and tomato and warm through (about 2 mins). If the soup's texture is too thick, add in more water or vinegar. Vinegar will help cut the thickness without diluting the flavor, but play around with it depending on how it tastes!

Lastly, swirl in a bit of pesto and serve. I used regular pesto and mixed in some lemon zest, parsley and roasted red peppers.

This meal is a perfect example of how you can have 1 recipe and remake it with any ingredients you have on hand. All you need is beans and the rest can be up to you! You could easily just do beans and chorizo for a heartier meal or add more liquid and veggies to make a soup! The most important thing to remember is what texture you want your ingredients to be. Because the beans are so tender you don't want your other veggies to be too soft or it will turn into a bowl of mush. Cooking the swiss chard until wilted but still crisp and adding the yellow onions in last so they are still slightly raw helps create variations in texture that really contribute to the overall dish.

Andouille and Arugula Orecchiette

The idea for this dinner from things that caught my eye at the grocery store. I often feel like I cook with the same vegetables over and over again and wanted to mix it up! Lima beans were something we ate pretty regularly growing up but I've never used them myself. Amazingly, the grocery store didn't have anything but canned lima beans, which served the purpose, but next time I'd definitely get frozen!

ANDOUILLE AND ARUGULA ORECCHIETTE

• Andouille Sausage, thinly sliced
• 1-2 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 Yellow Onion, minced
• 6 Shrimp (optional)
• Arugula
• 1 Roasted Red Pepper, Julienned
• Lima Beans (I used canned...but frozen is better!)
• Orecchiette

The great part about this dish is that you can basically cook the whole thing in about 15 minutes. You'll want to start by getting your pasta cooking as it takes about 8-10 minutes.

Next, get going on your mix-ins. First I heated up 1 tbs butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. I dropped in the andouille sausage and cooked until browned on both sides. I removed with a slotted spoon to a bowl, keeping warm. Next I cooked the garlic until browned and crisp, then removed to the same bowl. To the same pan I added the yellow onion along with this leftover Mediterranean hot sauce I had, which added an earthy spice to the dish. You could also use red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Once the onions had softened I added the shrimp to the pan and cooked for 1-2 minutes per side, then removed and kept warm. Next, add your arugula, a ladle of pasta water, and a sprinkling of salt and cover, cooking 4-5 minutes or until wilted. Lastly, add in the lima beans, roasted red pepper, the contents of the bowl (minus the shrimp) and toss with the pasta. Serve the pasta, topped with the shrimp and parmesan shavings.

This was a really great dinner both texturally and taste wise. The roasted red pepper added a citrusy element that cut the grease of the andouille and the bitterness of the arugula. The crisp garlic chips added great texture and a depth of flavor to the dish. All in all- super tasty!