cooking for my daughters

This is a hearty but healthy soup that you can make in just about an hour (and a lot of that time is just letting the soup simmer).  A really good dish for cold fall and winter nights.

This makes four hearty servings.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. olive oil

1 small red onion (you can substitute yellow onion), diced

1 bunch swiss chard, preferably red (but that’s just for the color)

1 medium carrot, cut into ¼” dice

2 large or 3 small cloves of garlic, minced

2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 t. dried thyme

⅔ cup french green lentils (can substitute black lentils or even regular lentils, but the soup will be muddier)

5 cups of low-sodium chicken stock or water

½ t. red pepper flakes (also called crushed red pepper, can substitute hot sauce if needed)

salt and pepper, to taste

4 T. grated parmagian reggiano (or other hard cheese that you like)

PREPARATION:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-low heat.  Add the diced onion and cook for a minute or two, then add the carrot.  Cook the two together until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes more).
2. While the onion is cooking, cut the stems from the bottom of the chard leaves.  Trim off the end and cut about half of them (depending on thickness) into 1/4″ thick half moon slices (like you would slice celery).  There should be a little more of the chard stems than of the carrot. Rinse the cut pieces to remove and grit and add the sliced chard stems and the minced garlic to the pot and sauté for a minute or two.  Season with red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste (it will definitely need salt).
3. While the chard is sautéing, rinse the lentils and remove any stones.
4. Add the lentils and the 5 cups of stock or water to the pot and increase heat to medium high to bring the soup to a gentle boil.  Reduce heat and simmer covered until the lentils are cooked (15 to 30 minutes depending on the type of lentils).
5. While the soup is simmering, remove the chard leaves from the stem rib that runs up the middle, roll 3 or 4 leaves together cigar fashion and slice across to create a big chiffonade.  When all the chard has been sliced, wash in a salad spinner or in a bowl with several changes of cold water and drain.
6. Increase the heat to bring the soup back to a boil
7. Add the chard and cook for 5 minutes or so until it has wilted and been incorporated into the soup.
8. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and top each bowl with 1 T. of grated parmagian.

This is a super quick and easy recipe (great for a weeknight and, Sarah, you can leave out the mushrooms if you like or replace them with sautéed red pepper strips) and you can play with the proportions in the glaze until you are happy with the texture and flavor.

This recipe serves 2 generously or 3 as a smaller side dish. It can be doubled easily.

INGREDIENTS:

2 small or one large head of bok choy (you can use baby bok choy but will need to increase the number of heads to at least 3)

4-6 shiitake mushroom caps, cut into 4 to 6 slices each

4 t. canola oil

2 heaping T. of white miso (you can substitute red if you want a funkier flavor)

1 1/2 to 2 T. mirin

1/4 cup very low sodium chicken or vegetable stock or dry white wine or water

PREPARATION:

1. Bring a small pan or tea kettle of water to a boil.
2. Cut the bottom from the bok choy to release the individual leaves.  If using one large head, trim the bottom inch or so from the thick stem of any very big leaves.  Wash the bok choy to remove any sand or grit.
3. Place the bok choy in a heatproof bowl or pan and pour the boiling water over it to wilt it.  In a minute or so drain the bok choy, rinse under cold water to stop any cooking, dry and set aside.
4. Cut the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and discard (or you can save them in the freezer to add to  a vegetable stock).  Wipe the caps clean and slice them.
5. Place 2 t. canola oil in a fry pan and place over medium heat.  When hot add the mushroom slices and sauté until they have given up any liquid and are just beginning to brown on the edges.
6. Remove the mushrooms from the fry pan and the fry pan from the heat (but reserve for final reheating of the dish). Wipe the fry pan with a paper towel to remove any remaining mushroom bits (being careful not to burn yourself.)
7. In a small sauce pan, add the miso, mirin, and stock/wine or water.   Stir to combine, add black pepper to taste (the miso will have plenty of salt)
8. Place the sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.  Simmer until it reaches the thickness of a glaze-so that it will stick to the vegetables.   (You can add more liquid if it gets too thick, or simmer a little longer if it seems too thin).  When done, remove from heat.
9. Add the last 2 t. of canola oil to the fry pan and place over medium heat.  Quickly add the bok choy and mushrooms and stir fry just to heat through.  Turn off the heat and add enough of the miso mirin glaze to coat the bok choy and mushrooms.  Reserve any extra glaze to serve on the side with the dish.

This is a simple rice bowl that is easy to make for a weeknight supper.  You can substitute many other veggies for the broccoli and mushrooms according to your taste and whim.  It is also a great way to use up leftover veggies or eats that are already cooked.

This version used a sauce that included a small amount of leftover cooked hamburg, but the meat is not necessary and could be skipped altogether ir swapped out for a very small amount of any protein you like.

Makes generous serving for 2 (with some leftover)

INGREDIENTS:

2 extra large eggs

1 cup long-grain white rice with 2 cups of water for looking

1 small carrot, peeled and then, using the peeler, cut into thin strips

2 small or 1 large scallion, white and light green part, cut into 1/2″ pieces on the diagonal

2 cups broccoli florets , washed and trimmed

6-10 shiitake mushrooms (or cremini if you don;t have shiitake)

1 1/2 t. canola oil

1 t. mirin

1 T. plus 1/2 t. soy sauce (preferably Kikkoman) plus additional for serving

1/2 t. finely minced ginger

1 1/2 t. finely minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1/3 cup cooked and chopped hamburger or other protein (optional)

2 t. cornstarch

1 1/2 T. cool water

1 t. rice wine vinegar

pinch of sugar or small drizzle of honey

1 piece of sushi nori (optional)

PREPARATION:

1. Make the rice either by combining rice and water in a rice cooker or by cooking on the stovetop.  Keep covered to stay warm, while making the rest of the meal.
2. Bring a pan of water to a low boil over medium heat.  Prepare a bowl with cold water and ice to cool the eggs.
3. Add the eggs to the boiling water and adjust heat to maintain a simmer for exactly 6 1/2 minutes. (A good way to do this is to set a timer for 7 minutes and add the eggs to the water when the first 30 seconds has elapsed.)
4. Immediately remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place in the ice water bath to fully cool.
5. Peel the carrot into thin strips and slice the scallions.  Set aside.
6. In a fry pan over medium heat, put 1/2 t. of the  canola oil, the mirin and 1/2 t. of the soy sauce.
7. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are cooked through and their juices have reduced to a thickish (but still moist) coating on the bottom of the pan.  Transfer to a bowl, cover and set aside.
8. To the fry pan, add 1 t. canola oil, the minced ginger, and garlic and sauté briefly.
9. Add the chicken stock and 1 T. of soy sauce and cook until just reaching a boil.
10. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the cornstarch and water.
11. Pour this slurry into the chicken stock mixture and whisk until smooth and thickened.
12. Add the rice wine vinegar and the pinch of sugar/honey.  Add the cooked meat, if using.  Set aside.
13. Place water in the bottom of a steamer and the broccoli florets on top (alternatively, you can microwave the florets in a bowl with a small amount of water and a lid) and cook until just crisp-tender.
14. Reheat the sauce briefly if needed.
15. Drain and VERY gently peel the eggs and set in a bowl.
16. Add a serving of rice to the bottom of a bowl.  Top with mushrooms, carrots, scallions, and broccoli.
17. Gently hold an egg in the palm of your hand and use a knife to split it almost all the way in two keeping the halved pressed together (and not slicing your hand).  Open the egg over the rice bowl and nestle it on top.
18. Drizzle several tablespoons of the sauce over the top of the egg and broccoli and garnish with the nori sheet, if using.
19. Serve with additional soy sauce on the side.

This is a quick and lighter version of Chicken Piccata.  It can be served with pasta, rice, potatoes or just with an assortment of roasted or steamed vegetables.  This recipe is meant for two but it can easily be doubled (although if you want it all done at once you will need more than one frying pan).  It has been a favorite in our house for a very long time.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 T. white rice flour (optional, but it makes the cutlets crispier)

1 t. kosher salt

liberal grinding of fresh black pepper

2/3 to 3/4 lb. thin-sliced chicken breast (you can buy it this way or slice across a breast and place in a plastic bag with a few drops of water and pound until thin)

3/4 cup milk (preferably whole milk, but any kind will work)

1 lemon

3 T. olive oil

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1 -2 t. capers. drained

PREPARATION:

1. If you are working with whole chicken breast, slice it across into 2 pieces per breast.  Place in a  gallon sized plastic bag and sprinkle in a little water.  Close the bag and pound the chicken until it is about 1/4″ thick.
2. In a container large enough to hold one piece of the chicken lying flat, pour the milk.  Add the chicken stacking one piece on top of each other and place in the refrigerator to soak for at least 10 minutes but up to a few hours.
3. Mix the flour, rice flour (if using), kosher salt and black pepper together in a shallow bowl or pan large enough to hold most of one piece of the chicken.
4. Wash the lemon and cut a few thin slices from one end (for garnish so you will need at least one slice per piece of chicken). Set the slices aside until the dish is done.
5. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon (you should have 1 1/2 to 2 T.) and set aside.
6. Put the olive oil into a large fry pan and bring to medium heat.
7. Take the chicken piece out of the milk and dredge in the flour, gently shaking off any excess.  Place each chicken piece carefully into the hot oil.  Cook for a few minutes on the first side until the flour has browned and is nicely golden.  Carefully turn the chicken and cook of a minute or two on the second side.
8. Remove the chicken pieces to a warm plate.
9. Increase the heat under the fry pan to medium high and add the chicken stock to the oil left in the pan, stirring to incorporate any bits of the coating left on the bottom of the pan.  Add the lemon juice and boil until the sauce is slightly thickened. Turn off the heat and add the capers to warm through. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Place one or two chicken cutlets on each plate and top with the sauce as well as a slice of lemon.

These are one of the most versatile things I keep in the freezer.  They can be chopped up for a quick tomato sauce over pasta (see earlier recipe for ravioli), put onto a homemade pizza, or added to a salad.  A few chopped and added to sautéed vegetables truly “elevates” the dish (as the fancy cooks say) and they can even be tucked into a sandwich.  They take a few hours to make, but it is mostly hands off so–as long as you plan to be at home–you can do something else while a pan of tomatoes transforms into something truly heavenly.

Make sure you keep the oil in the pan with the tomatoes–Sarah and Kate used to fight over who got to wipe up the excess with a piece of crusty bread.

This recipe can be increased exponentially depending on your oven size and patience.  It is my adaptation of one that appeared years ago in Saveur.

INGREDIENTS:

5 lbs. of the freshest, tastiest tomatoes you can find (they don’t have to be pretty and this will transform even somewhat lackluster tomatoes, but the better they start out, the better the result)

3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced into 4-5 slices each

dried herbs of your choosing (basil and thyme are among my favorites, but this ingredient is up to you and optional)

2 t. salt

1 t. fresh ground pepper

1 – 2 T. sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup of good quality olive oil

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Line a large rimmed baking sheet (a half sheet pan works well, if you have one, but anything with a rim will do) with aluminum foil.
3. Wash the tomatoes, remove the stem if needed, and cut in half across the middle (stem end on one end, bottom on the other).
4. Pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil onto the baking sheet.  Place the tomato halves into the oil and roll the bottom around to coat.
5. Distribute the slices of garlic on top of the tomato halves.
6. Sprinkle the tops of the tomatoes with herbs (if using), salt, pepper, and sugar.
7. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes.
8. Pour the remainder of the olive oil over the tomatoes.
9. Place in the oven to roast for 2 to 4 hours depending on the size of the individual tomatoes (you can speed this up a bit by raising the temperature of the oven to 375, but then you really have to keep an eye on the tomatoes to make certain that they don’t burn).  At the one hour mark check the tomatoes.  if they are not releasing their juices, press down gently on them with a spatula being careful not to get squirted in the process.  Return to the oven and roast until they look like the picture above.
10. When they are cool, package in plastic bags or other containers and freeze, keeping the oil with them.  Then sop up the remaining juices with a piece of good bread!

It is only recently that I found out how ridiculously easy and delicious homemade ricotta cheese is!  Had I known it all these years, many of my dishes–especially pasta ones–would have been made much, much better!

This recipe makes two cups of ricotta and it will last a week or so in the fridge in a tightly closed container.

Three simple pieces of kitchen equipment are helpful: cheese cloth (found in almost any grocery store and required), an instant read thermometer (a real help but you could guess the temp based on bubbles and steam) and a regular mesh strainer.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 gallon (2 quarts) of whole milk (you can substitute light or even heavy cream for up to 1/2 of the milk to make it much richer, you can also substitute 2% for up to half of the milk to make it lighter, but it will also make it grainer because of the reduced fat)

1/3 of a cup of fresh lemon juice (you can substitute a good white wine vinegar or even a flavored vinegar, as long as it is white in color)

3/4 t. kosher salt

PREPARATION:

1.  Place the milk in a heavy bottomed pan and heat slowly to 200 degrees F.  This is just below a boil but the milk may have some bubbles.  Store the milk periodically as it heats to prevent a skin from forming (if one does just stir it vigorously back into the milk).
2. When it reaches 200 degrees, remove from heat and add the lemon juice (or vinegar) and the salt.  Give a quick stir and wait 6-10 minutes until curds have formed and separated from the (now yellow) liquid-this is whey, as in curds and whey.
3. Line a strainer set over a bowl with cheesecloth (at least two single layers thick).
4. Pour the curds and whey through the cheesecloth and strainer, draining the whey into the bowl.  Allow to drain for 10 to 45 minutes depending on how dry/dense you want the cheese (you can taste along the way).   Discard the whey.
5. When it has reached the desired consistency, transfer to a container and, when cooled to room temperature, refrigerate.  That’s it!

This recipe has been adapted from one by David Tanis in the New York Times (and was a hit three weeks ago with Kate, Sarah and Jeff!).  It is better made with homemade ricotta (recipe to be posted next) but works fine as long as you buy a good quality supermarket or specialty store ricotta.  it makes four generous servings.

INGREDIENTS:

5 T. good olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

large handful of basil leaves (about 1 cup packed)

1/2 large yellow onion or 1 small onion, diced finely

2 medium zucchini (or more if they are small, try to avoid the ones the size of baseball bats because of their seeds)

1 pound of dried pasta such as penne, ziti or trofie

1 cup of ricotta cheese (or a little but more if, like Sarah, you like everything extra cheesy!)

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 lemon, zested (only zest is needed in this recipe)

1/2 to 3/4 cup of grated parmigian cheese

salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

1.  Heat a large pot of water to a boil adding a good amount (1 -2 t.) of salt to the water.

2.  Meanwhile, wash and cut the zucchini across into thin (1/4″ or so) circular slices and set aside.

3.  In a small food processor or chopper, place the garlic, basil leaves and a large pinch of salt.  Process until a rough paste forms.  Add 3 T. of olive oil and continue processing until combined. Set aside.

3.  In a large fry pan, heat 2 T. of olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion until translucent.  Add the zucchini and salt and pepper to taste and cook until done to your liking (3 to 6 minutes, depending on its texture). Turn off the heat.

4.  Add the pasta to the cooking water and cook until just al dente (check package).  Before draining, remove 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.  Drain the pasta and add to the skillet with the onion and zucchini.  Toss to combine.

5. Add a little of the pasta water to moisten the mixture, then add the ricotta, red pepper, lemon zest.  Turn on the heat to medium again and toss to combine as it cooks just a bit more.  If the mixture isn’t creamy enough add more pasta cooking water until the consistency is just about right.  Turn off the heat.

6.  Add the basil paste and half the parmigian. Mix one last time and check for salt and pepper, adding more if needed.

7.  Serve, passing the remaining parmigiana for topping the dish.

It is definitely worth making a batch of slow roasted tomatoes on a summer weekend because dinner during the week becomes a breeze (and a delicious one at that)!  I have always struggled with frozen ravioli–placed into a big pot of boiling water a number of them fall apart and gum up everything.  It doesn’t even seem to matter what type it is, they all become a soggy mess.  I decided to try cooking it in small batches in a low pan hoping that would control the chaos.  It worked! and made clean up much easier than a huge pasta pot.  It also gave me a richer pasta water to use for the sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

8-12 ripe tomatoes (depending on size), from a farm stand or farmer’s market if possible

2/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar

3-4 cloves of garlic (again depending on size)

dried basil or dried thyme (fresh thyme sprigs can be substitute if you have it, but fresh basil just burns)

1 t. sugar

salt and pepper to taste

one package of frozen ravioli in the flavor of your choice

ricotta or parmigiana cheese (depending on the flavor of the ravioli)

PREPARATION:

FOR THE TOMATOES:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Line a large pan with low sides (a sheet pan if you have one) with foil.

3. Place 1/3 cup of olive oil in the pan.

4. Wash the tomatoes and slice in half across their equators.

5. Place the tomato halves cut side up in the pan, rolling around to coat the bottom with olive oil.

6. Slice the garlic cloves into medium thin slices and place on top of the tomatoes.

7. Sprinkle the thyme or basil on the tomatoes.

8.  Pour the balsamic or red wine vinegar over the tomatoes

9.  Sprinkle the sugar, salt and pepper over the tomatoes, and finish by pouring the remainder of the olive oil over the top.

10. Roast in the oven for 2 to 4 hours, turning the pan after one hour so they cook evenly and pressing down lightly (they will squirt) on the tomatoes if they haven’t started to release their juices.

11. When the tomatoes have flattened and are beginning to brown/blacken on the edges they are done.

12. These can be made as far ahead as you want and frozen in plastic bags along with their oil (which has great flavor) in individual portions to use when needed. They can also be used right away.  If there is any oil left in the pan, sop it up along with the remaining brown bits on a piece of bread (that’s usually Kate’s job).

FOR THE RAVIOLI:

1. Fill a mid-size low casserole or large fry pan with at least 2″ sides about 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a boil.

2. Place a spoonful of the roasted tomato with its oil in the bottom of a serving bowl and set aside.

3. Add the ravioli 6 to 8 pieces at a time (3 batches are typical for one package) and boil until tender (check by removing one ravioli and snipping just a little off a corner.  That’s the thickest part and if its tender the ravioli is cooked.  If you snip too much, though, don’t return the ravioli to the pot or you will have a mess).

4. When the first batch is done, using a slotted spoon remove the ravioli and place in the serving bowl gently turning to coat with oil. DO NOT DRAIN THE PASTA WATER!

5. Add the second and third batches in succession, treating the same way and adding a little more roasted tomatoes and oil to the serving bowl before adding each new batch.

6.  When all the ravioli is done still do not discard the cooking water.  Add a few tablespoons at a time to the pasta serving bowl mixing to create a light sauce with the roasted tomatoes and oil.

7. Serve, topping the ravioli with your cheese of choice.