Apologies and a dinner recipe

It seems that in the past few weeks we've been abandoning the blog.  I promise that it isn't so.  After a week of being incredibly busy, my son contracted what I have been referring to as "The Plague", but is rather less extreme.  It starts with a fever, (pink eye in my son's case), and moves on to become a stomach flu.  

Want to know what makes you want to write about food less than having your toddler come down with the stomach flu?  Well, getting it yourself.  That's right, after spending a week in quarantine with my son, I spent another week in solitary confinement bed myself.  Thankfully, my husband and fabulous friends made my life substantially easier.  Finally, we are healthy again, and ready to start eating.  But, since my ability to eat out has been severely cut back this past week, I am going to share a recipe I have been meaning to post in any case!

Recently I found myself searching for a good white bean soup recipe, due to a large amount of leftover dried white beans from an earlier project.  I opted to go a modified version of this recipe from Williams Sonoma.  The first, and biggest, difference between mine and the Williams Sonoma recipe is the use of dried, rather than canned cannellini beans, but I also added white wine and replaced the chicken with veggie broth, but I would have used fresh chicken stock in a heartbeat, if I had had some at the time, and I played with the veggies and pancetta a bit.  Instead of serving it with the tapanade and croustini that they suggest, I went for kale, after two friends mentioned that their children had wolfed down these kale chips.  But I did have some bread to use, so, clearly, that was destined for garlic bread.

WHITE BEAN SOUP

INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil, as necessary
• One package pancetta, chopped (I take off the big fatty bits because we're trying to reduce fat in our house)
• One yellow onion
• Three carrots
• Three stalks of celery
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 1/4  pounds of dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight and rinsed
• one box vegetable broth
• ½ c white wine
• thyme
• salt
• pepper
• ½ c Parmigiano-Reggiano 

·      INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the rinsed cannellini beans in unsalted broth until tender.  Set aside.
2. Chop onion, carrots, and celery.    Mince garlic cloves.
3. Saute pancetta until crisp, then add onion, carrots, and celery and continue to sauté until the vegetables are starting to soften.  Add garlic, and sauté one more minute.  Add to the beans.  Add wine and thyme.  Bring to simmer and  cook for 10-15 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Blend about ½ - ¾ of the soup until smooth, depending on how chunky you want it.  Add blended soup back in, mix it, and keep warm until serving.

KALE CHIPS

INGREDIENTS

• Kale
• Olive Oil
• Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set oven to 300 degrees. 
2. Wash kale.  Remove center stem and cut into 2-3 inch pieces.  
3. Toss until lightly coated with olive oil and add a bit of salt (it doesn’t take too much).  
4. Spread evenly in one layer on cookie sheet (you may want to line the sheet with parchment paper) bake until crisp, usually between 15-20 minutes.  
5. Remove chips and try not to eat them all before dinner!

GARLIC BREAD

INGREDIENTS

• Crusty bread, sliced
• ¼-½  c Olive oil
• 6 cloves Garlic, minced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, heat olive oil and garlic.  Remove from heat as soon as it starts to sizzle, before garlic browns.   
2. Set oven on a low broil.  
3. Lay bread on cookie sheet and toast one side of the bread, watching to make sure it doesn't burn.
4. Remove bread, turn over the slices on the cookie sheet, and brush with the garlic and olive oil.  
5. Place back in oven and, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn, broil until golden on the edges.

Friday Favorites: Quick dinners

Some days you want something homemade, but you just don't want to cook very much at all.  On those days, what do you cook?  The girls behind CFT bring you their favorite quick 'n easy recipes.  Post if you have a favorite quick and easy recipe you would like to share!

Recipe: Ropa Vieja (aka Old Clothes)

Wow - blogging is hard work! After a brief hiatus, its time to get back on topic - MORE CUBAN FOOD!! As previously noted, Cuban dishes are deep rooted in traditional recipes that leave little room for innovation. This may be a likely reason why Cubans have taken so much creative liberty in the naming of their dishes. In keeping with the theme around Cuban dishes with names intended to confuse and deter, today I present you with Old Clothes. Yup - that is what it is called - Ropa Vieja. Hands down, without a doubt, the holy grail of all Cuban dishes. If I was stuck on a desert island - two things I tell you - two things - Ropa Vieja and Croquetas. This is my dear suegra's recipe. She is one of the best Cuban cooks (Cubans cook - they don't "chef") I know, and just by nature of attempting to transcribe her recipe I have likely angered some Santeria high priests and San Lazaro Himself - Cuban women don't cook from recipes, they cook from the heart. Well worth the wrath of the gods to share this magic with you! Enjoy!

Recipe: The Perfect Quiche

I had this quiche last summer with broccoli at my sister-in law’s house and I thought about making it ever since the first bite. I was very pleased when I received the recipe as it was so easy to replicate!

Don’t be afraid to add or substitute ingredients that sound good to you. On my list to try are salami, ham and a scoop of sour cream (although not all together)! My daughter loves this quiche so I load hers with extra veggies.

I hope you find this recipe as fun as I do to play with!

Recipe: Greek Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

Greek chicken soup (Avgolemono)

This chicken soup has been keeping me company and making me feel better since I was very small. I first had it in my grandmother’s kitchen and many, many times after when my stepmother and I learned to make it. I feel comfortable that the integrity of this recipe has remained intact over several of my family’s Greek generations. I hope you find it as authentic and tasty as I do!

Recipe: Camarones Enchilados – or as I say Enchilated Scrimps

Cuban cooking is extremely traditional – you either make it the way its SUPPOSED to be, or you have made it wrong! There is no fusion, innovation, no unexpected twists or surprising tastes – at least there shouldn’t be. Cuban food is NOT spicy – but IS full of flavor and delicious. Ironically, it is also one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted cooking cultures out there – this dish may serve as a perfect example as to why.

This classic Cuban dish, translates into "Shrimp in Enchilada Sauce". Funny thing is, enchilada sauce does not even exist in our cooking culture, and the sauce used in this recipe for decades has never been, and will never be anything even remotely enchilada – like. I’ve seen some Cuban restaurants translate the name of this dish into “Shrimp Creole” – certainly not Creole sauce either!! The sauce is a very tasty tomato based sauce that to me really embodies the taste you should expect from a number of Cuban staple dishes.

Recipe: Longing for some Latin food?

My husband loves Latin food and I am the first to admit I am guilty of rarely preparing him this style of food. I have thought in the past (when living just outside of Miami), “Why make the food when I can buy it so easily?” That changed after moving to Charlotte. In my quest for Latin food that pleases my picky palette and my husband’s desire to eat tasty Latin food that he so misses, I decided to prepare a meal a friend of mine once so lovingly made for us. Much to my surprise, I learned this recipe was very easy to prepare. However, you must have a blender or food processor to save you a lot of work!

Recipe: Chicken Triathlon

I have been told that it is impossible for a chicken to be used for three days, but I beg to differ.  I think you can, as a family of three (ok, two and a half), use a chicken for three days (and possibly four) pretty easily, with some actual veggies, of course.  I must add here that when my son is older and begins eating me out of house and home, or when children arrive in the future, chicken may only last for two dinners, but night three can always be substituted for night two.  Also, to do this, I refuse to let my family eat chicken for lunch.  Allow me to share with you my most recent chicken extravaganza.

Review: Greek Isles Restaurant

When I saw that Greek Isles was voted the 2010 Best European Restaurant by the readers of Creative Loafing Magazine, I knew I had to give it a try. Descendants from Greece, couple Pana and Toula Photopoulos have created a Mediterranean experience in Charlotte worth mentioning.

At first glance, I was surprised by the vast size of the establishment. It was quite a large restaurant (when compared with most Greek eateries which are usually more the size of a large Starbucks).

Inside, I found an inviting bar with plenty of seating and tables close by. Next to the bar a wall separates the restaurant and opens up into the main dining room facing an open style kitchen. The ambiance is warm, without being overly decorated. There are just enough Greek statues and Island photographs to make you remember that it is the Greeks that are responsible for the wonderful food you are about to eat.
We came in on a Saturday at about 5:30pm and were one of the first tables. When we left at 7:30 there was hardly a vacant seat in the house. In fact, there was a line at the front door.

Recipe: Mama Anna's Enchilada Casserole

As a mother of an 18 month old, one of my biggest parenting struggles is feeding my little monster while still satisfying my need for a nice dinner. Long gone are the days where I could prepare a leisurely 3 course meal on a weekday. Now on Sundays I cook for ME – but during the week the only thing I crave for dinner is something that is EASY, QUICK, and at the very least EDIBLE (I sometimes fail on this account) by everyone in the house.

Recipe: Let's Have a Party-Mushroom Croustades

French Croustades are crunchy shells generally made out of pastry dough or toasted bread. They are then topped with a savory mix of herbs and vegetables, most commonly mushrooms.

I was at a party a few years ago when I tried this delicious appetizer. I couldn’t get enough of them and when I went for seconds they were gone! I immediately tracked down the host and begged for the recipe. It was first on my snack list at the next party I hosted and it was a hit! My suggestion: make extra and hide them in a special place.

Recipe: Pancetta Pasta

I have to say, my style of cooking does not usually take the art of editing into account. I can’t remember the last time I cooked something with less than 10 ingredients, and my M.O. is usually to keep tossing stuff in until it tastes good. I’ve never been one to appreciate the “less is more” philosophy, and I am sharing this recipe because it was the first recipe I’ve come across that really is all about the magic that can happen when you use simple, QUALITY ingredients.

Recipe: The Mysterious Meringue

My love affair with meringue started when my family was visiting one of my dad’s colleagues in France. They brought out an amazing dessert called “Mount Blanc,” a pile of chestnut puree, chocolate, whipped cream and wonderful meringue.

Then, in Australia, I was introduced to the pavlova. This dessert comes from either Australia or New Zealand, and I leave those Aussies and Kiwis who read this blog to fight out who claims ownership. It was indeed named after the famous ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova. When I was little I loved Anna Pavlova, mostly because I had a cutout doll of her and all her outfits. I also had one of Nijinsky, but that is not important to this story. Anyway, the first pavlova I ever had was perfect, crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside, piled high with fruits and whipped cream.

Recipe: Delicious Chop Suey

If you are from the northeast like me, you probably are unable to find any chinese chop suey in the south. My stepmother has been making this dish since I was little to make up for the lack of options available here in the south. It has always been a crowd-pleaser in my family and I hope you enjoy this healthy, flavorful dish as much as we have!

Recipe: The Mighty Brussels Sprout

I know, I say the words “Brussels sprouts,” and you shudder, remembering those pungent soggy cabbage-like mounds that you were forced to eat as a child (I have no doubt my parents served . So, last year, when my husband, who has gradually expanded his range of vegetables, suggested we try roasting these vegetables after getting the idea from the Thanksgiving Adam Carolla podcast, I laughed hysterically. I had never liked those little guys. But this winter, I’ve become obsessed with Brussels sprouts.