Recipes by the Soup Goddess: Minestrone

If you want to learn more about delicious, nourishing, real food without the guilt trip for everything you're not doing right, hit that "like" button on the right, and subscribe to my posts by e-mail or reader feed so you don't miss anything. Thanks for stopping by!

This is the second soup in this series, Recipes by the Soup Goddess. The Soup Goddess is my mom, and she's not really a goddess, but she is a pretty gifted woman. And one of her gifts is making soup.

When I think about this soup, I remember a time during the first year I was off of meal plan at college and cooking for myself. My mom came for a visit and brought with her a gallon sized freezer bag full of this soup, complete with a little baggie of grated Parmesan. I don't remember much of what I ate that year, but I had virtually no cooking experience and that soup was a bright spot in a dark culinary period.

This is a great soup to make in late summer or early fall, when vegetables like green beans and zucchini can still be found in your garden or at your farmer's market. 

French Onion Quesadillas

If you want to learn more about delicious, nourishing, real food without the guilt trip for everything you're not doing right, hit that "like" button on the right, and subscribe to my posts by e-mail or reader feed so you don't miss anything. Thanks for stopping by!

French Onion Quesadilla on a Sourdough Tortilla

 

I'm sometimes skeptical when I come across a dish that is posing as something else. You know what I'm talking about: "Taco Pizza." "BLT Salad." "Baked Potato Soup." "Pot Pie Chicken Salad." I usually say that I'd rather just eat the food that it's trying to be. But these quesadillas are a blessed exception to that rule. Clearly, they are not authentic in any way. But man are they good. And they make a stinkin' easy lunch.

Sourdough Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Sourdough bread can be one of the most complicated things you do in your kitchen, or it can be one of the simplest. I vote for option B. Want to know how?

You've probably heard of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I laughed when I first heard about this book. I thought it was a joke. But they don't really mean five minutes total. They mean five minutes of hands on time. The basic premise it this:

1) You mix up a big batch of high-moisture, no-knead dough.
2) You keep it in the fridge, waiting for whenever you need it over the course of several days.
3) When you want to bake a loaf, you pull off a hunk of dough, shape it into a loaf, let it rise for a bit, and bake it.

You can do this the same exact way with sourdough, provided you have a happy starter going. The only difference is that you are using sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast when you mix your dough. Here's how you do it:

Sourdough Bread in Five Minutes A Day

Yield: 3-4 small to medium loaves. This recipe is easily doubled.

Ingredients:
3 c. filtered water
1.5 c. active sourdough starter (fed within the last 8 hours, ideally)
1-1.5 T. sea salt (depending on how salty you like your bread)
up to 6.5 cups flour (I start with one cup of unbleached flour, and use whole wheat for the rest)

Method:
1. In a large container or bowl that will fit in your refrigerator, stir together water, sourdough starter, and sea salt.

2. Add flour, one cup at a time, stirring as you go with a wooden spoon or your hands (messy, but efficient!). Don't add too much flour; you want the dough to be fairly wet. Don't knead it, just stir until the flour is incorporated.

3. Put it in the fridge, covered but not tightly sealed, for a day or so.

4. When you want to bake, sprinkle some unbleached white flour over the surface of the dough and pull off a hunk of dough about the size of a small melon. Shape it into a rough round and place it on a piece of parchment paper. (I put the parchment on my pizza peel for easy loading onto my pizza stone. A rimless cookie sheet would work too.) Rub the top of the loaf with a little unbleached flour.

5. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes to two hours. (I've left it much longer and it's been fine.) It might spread out a lot, but it will still taste good.

5. Preheat the oven to 400 or 450 degrees F, with a pizza stone on the top rack (if you have one) and a rimmed cookie sheet or broiler pan on the bottom rack. Let it preheat for a good 30 minutes before baking.

6. Bring a cup or two of water to a boil. Slash the loaf with a sharp knife in an X shape or diagonally.

7. Load the bread (and parchment) on the pizza stone, or bake on a cookie sheet. Pour the boiling water into the pan you placed on the bottom rack and shut the oven door. (The steam will make the crust nice and crusty.)

8. Bake until the crust is brown but not burnt, and the loaf feels firm when you push on it. (This usually takes 45 minutes to an hour for me, depending on the size of the loaf.)

9. Let cool at least partially, slice, and eat! To keep the crust crisp, store the bread on a cutting board, cut side down, covered with a clean kitchen towel. Or for convenience (but a softer crust), slice the whole thing and place it in a bread bag.

10. Repeat steps 4-9 anytime you want to bake a loaf, over the course of 5 days. When you run out, mix up another batch right away for an endless supply of delicious sourdough bread! (That way you don't have to wash the container.)

Have you ever tried this method? What do you think?

This is part of Fight Back Friday.

delicious quiche and a special leftover pie crust treat!

A good friend came over for breakfast a couple weeks ago. I decided to attempt a quiche in my brand new deep-dish pie plate that I bought at the Moynihan gallery in downtown Holland! I consider myself a pie-crust novice, but I managed to pull this one off. It had that melt-in-your mouth almost shortbready feeling that a buttery pie crust should have, and the filling was fluffy and flavorful, filled with sauteed mushrooms, swiss chard, and several kinds of cheese. :)

Recipe notes:

I managed to sneak a little sourdough starter into this recipe. It is a small amount, but with the fantastic properties that sourdough has for both flavor and digestion of grains, I figured it could only help! I will also show you the option of making the crust without sourdough starter, but if you are maintaining a starter, by all means, give it a go!

I did not let the dough "sour" at room temperature this time, but I plan to try that next time. Since the crust should be refrigerated before rolling out, I think I will leave it out for 8 hours or so, and then refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight. The original recipe (from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking) says to refrigerate overnight or up to three days.

I made the crust in my stand mixer, but it is definitely doable without one. You might need to knead it with your hands at the end to get it to hold together.

Final note: I know this looks complicated, but it's really not that bad! And the final product is TOTALLY worth all your hard work!

Swiss Chard and Mushroom Quiche with Sourdough (or not) Crust

Makes Two Quiches

Crust (start at least 1 day ahead):

1-1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T. sucanat (unrefined sugar)

heaping 1/2 t. sea salt

1 c. (2 sticks) butter

1 egg

1-2 T. sourdough starter or milk

Whisk together the flours, sucanat, and salt. Work in the butter until crumbly, with a pastry cutter, mixer, or your fingers until the dough is unevenly crumbly. Add the egg and stir to incorporate. Add 1 T. of starter or milk and mix to form a cohesive dough. Add more starter or milk if necessary for the dough to hold together. Shape into two disks, each one inch thick. Roll the edge along a clean counter to smooth it. Refrigerate overnight or up to three days.

Remove the crusts from the fridge 10-15 minutes before you plan to roll them out. Preheat oven to 375. Now you can start preparing your filling. When the dough has warmed up slightly and is able to be worked, roll each round into a 12 inch circle, and transfer to pie pans. Crimp edges and trim if there is extra (but save it!). Place in fridge while you prepare the filling.

Filling:

Coconut oil for sauteing

1/2 c. chopped onion or some chives for milder flavor

1/2 a package of mushrooms (I used mini bellas), sliced

1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed (save them to throw in your broth!) and leaves chopped

8 Eggs

2-1/2 c. whole milk

a few ounces cream cheese or chevre (optional but delicious)

1/2 t. salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1-1/2 cups (or so) other grated cheese, such as cheddar, swiss, parmesan, pecorino romano

a few pinches of nutmeg and thyme

Saute onion and mushrooms in coconut oil until cooked through ("don't crowd the pan!"). Set aside and add chard to pan. Cover and cook a few minutes until wilted, stirring occasionally.

While veggies are cooking, whisk together the rest of the filling ingredients, reserving some cheese to sprinkle on top. (I used my stand mixer with whisk attachment to make it speedier.)

Take crusts out of fridge. Layer mushrooms and chard in bottom of crusts, dividing evenly between the two. Pour half of the filling mixture into each, and sprinkle with reserved cheese.

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes, covering the edges with foil after 20 minutes to prevent burning. Let rest a few minutes before cutting and serving.

Put leftover bits of crust to good use!

I had a little bit of pie crust leftover, so I rolled it out on a cookie sheet (floured to prevent too much sticking) and spread on some coconut oil, drizzled on some honey, sprinkled on some cinnamon, and scattered chunks of apple all over. Then I rolled it up (gently!), sliced it into 2 inch pieces, and baked it at 350 for about 25 minutes. And voila! Apple pie roll-ups! The only problem with these is that I wished I had more! Seriously good.

This is part of Real Food Wednesday and Pennywise Platter Thursday, I'm Lovin' It Fridays, Friday Potluck, and Weekend Gourmet

clam [and oyster] chowder

See that basket of clams? If only we lived near an ocean and had access to fresh, local clams and oysters. Instead, I'm making due with the canned variety. It's better than nothing, certainly!

Clam and oyster chowder. I was afraid to make this. But I did it anyway because I'm trying to get more seafood in our diet. Oysters are the best source of zinc you can find, far and above anything else! (See this article for more info on nutritional benefits of oysters.)

My first attempt at cooking with oysters (oyster casserole - basically baked mac & cheese with oysters) was a flop. Steven tolerated it, I simply picked out the oysters and fed them to Caedmon who ate them quite willingly. I had opened two cans of oysters for that recipe but after looking at them in all their gray-ness...I could only bear to put one can into the casserole.

So for a few days I've had the contents of a can of oysters staring back at me from a glass jar in the fridge. (Should've chosen something opaque to store them in.)

But on Sunday night I boldly wrote "Clam Chowder" on my meal plan, with plans to "sneak" the oysters in there, too. And...it worked! I think it was actually delicious. Something about the fishy flavor permeating the whole dish made it ok. That and lots of bacon. Bacon - always nitrate-free - is sort of a special occasion food around here on our limited budget. But in this case it was definitely worth it.

I started with this recipe from Cheeseslave, and tweaked it a bit. Here's what I ended up with!

Clam and Oyster Chowder

ingredients:

1/2 lb nitrate-free bacon

One large yellow onion

2 large stalks celery

1/4 c. flour (sprouted would be preferred; I used all-purpose)

5 small carrots

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups chicken stock

1 can oysters

1 can clams

2 cups cream or whole milk (preferably raw, grass-fed)

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

dried tarragon

nutmeg

fresh parsley

for serving: whole grain sourdough bread with grass-fed butter

method:

Fry the bacon until crisp in a dutch oven. Place on paper towels. Keep the grease in the pot. Meanwhile, chop the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Cook the onions and celery in bacon grease until soft. Add the flour and stir to incorporate. Add the carrots, potatoes, and stock. Season with salt, pepper, tarragon, and nutmeg to taste. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, drain and roughly chop the oysters. Drain the clams, pouring the liquid into the pot, and roughly chop the clams. When veggies are tender, add the clams, oysters, cream/milk, bacon, and chopped parsley to the pot. Simmer a few minutes to let the flavors meld. If it is not thick enough, stir a tablespoon or so of flour with a splash of water in a cup, and add to the pot. Simmer until it is the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with warm/toasted sourdough and plenty of butter. :)

P.S. If you are not into baking sourdough bread and you live near a Trader Joe's, they sell 100% whole wheat sourdough for a very reasonable price!

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

a simple candle-lit date and a hummus recipe

friday night was “parents night out” at the seminary. That means that some generous people spend their night watching your kids for free while you go on a date! So we dropped Caedmon off and had a simple and frugal date-at-home: a candle-lit Mediterranean feast.

while we were eating I couldn’t stop thinking about how we should recreate this meal again in the future - over and over and over. it was that good. It was so delicious and EASY. And with everything prepared ahead of time, all we had to do was put it on the table, light the candles, and enjoy each other’s company. Here was our menu:

simple date-at-home for two :
sourdough pocket bread from Wardeh’s e-course
homemade hummus (method follows)
feta cheese and olives from a local deli
sangria (this was a gift - and we were grateful!) with organic apples and oranges
salty-sweet chocolate with walnuts

(sorry there are no pictures of this feast! i'm not in "you've-started-a-blog-take-a-picture-of-anything-that-could-become-a-post"mode yet.)

the sourdough pocket bread was a HUGE success. It did take quite a bit of preparation (it gets THREE rises!), but the flavor and texture are incredible. And most of the prep time is inactive - you just have to be around all day to check on your dough. Steven couldn’t believe that it was 100% whole wheat. If you are interested in capturing wild yeasts in your OWN kitchen to leaven your own bread and help with digestibility of grains, I highly recommend this e-course!

the hummus is simple to prepare and is SO much cheaper than buying it in those little containers from the store. if you prepare it using dry beans instead of canned, this is a seriously frugal food (especially if you buy chickpeas in bulk like we do!)

I have to credit my mother-in-law for teaching me how to make hummus without a recipe (thanks!). what follows is a basic method - I just eyeball it and taste it until I’ve got it right. It’s a little different every time - and I like it that way. Here’s how you do it:

Easy [chick]peas-y Homemade Hummus

yield : about 4 cups

equipment needed : food processor

ingredients :
dried chickpeas (a couple cups or so)
apple cider vinegar
olive oil
tahini (ground sesame seed paste)
a lemon (or two)
minced/pressed garlic
salt and freshly ground pepper
optional seasonings - get creative! this time I used cumin, sumac, paprika, fresh parsley, and fresh dill

instructions :
1. Soak a couple cups of dried (rinsed) chickpeas in water with a splash of apple cider vinegar 8-24 hours. (This helps you digest them better!)
2. Drain the water off, add fresh filtered water, and bring to a boil. Once they are really boiling, skim off the foam (those are indigestible compounds), add some salt, lower the heat, and cook until tender. This will take a few hours - be patient!
3. When they are done, let them cool slightly, and use a slotted spoon to fish them out of the liquid and put them in your food processor. (It is important to save the cooking liquid. If you think it’s easier, you can strain them with a bowl underneath to catch the liquid, but that dirties a colander AND a bowl, instead of just a slotted spoon.)
4. To the food processor add a couple drizzles of olive oil, a few spoonfuls of tahini (don’t overdo it or your hummus will taste bitter), the juice of one lemon, a couple cloves of garlic put through a press or minced, and your seasonings of choice. Process until smooth. Add some cooking liquid if it is too thick. Taste and add more of whatever you think it needs, and process again to incorporate.
5. To serve, pour into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac.

Now light some candles, dip your pita in the hummus (don't forget the feta and olives!), and enjoy the fruits of your labor and the company of those you share your meal with.

update: I'm linking this to Simple Lives Thursday.