Resolutions and White Bean Stew

It is a new year and like so many others around me — though I say I am not going to — I once again start to think in terms of resolutions. There are the time-old favorites like "I am going to start working out every day and lose 20 pounds" or "I am going to do a better job at keeping up with the laundry"... you get the gist. But this year I asked myself one simple question: What will make me a happier person? The Other Half often says, "Happy wife, happy life" and being the smart man that he is, he does many things to facilitate that. As for me - I tend to put myself last and make sure everyone else is taken care of. I come by it honestly - from a long line of women with the same trait. But when I asked myself what would make me happy these things came to mind: create, read, cook, eat and write. Could it really be that simple? Maybe so. To that end I am going to try and be better about writing on here because doing so will address pretty much all the other needs. One fly in the ointment is that it doesn't really address that pesky 20 pounds, so I will try to post recipes that are healthier and maybe I can make peace that way. The laundry will just have to wait...

So, first recipe of the new year is a White Bean Stew. I usually sit down on Sundays and write up a menu for the week. Makes grocery shopping on Mondays with my wee-pod go quicker and tends to keeps the impulse purchases to a minimum. I try and do a different protein every night — Chicken/Turkey, Fish, Pork or Red Meat, Pasta and of late a Vegetarian dish one night a week. I haven't gone all crazy with the tofu yet but I have found a couple of great bean recipes. I particularly like this one because I can easily add roast chicken or sausage to The Other Half's bowl if he is feeling the need for protein. I have recently reintroduced myself to my bread machine and have found that some good herb bread and a small salad are really all you need to make this a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meal.

Couple of notes:
Wash bean then put in a bowl, cover with water plus 2 inches. Throw away any beans that float to the surface. Let the remaining beans soak for up to 12 hours. Beans that soak longer than that might sprout. Soak for as long as you can though. The second time I made this recipe I only soaked the beans for four hours and the recipe was not as nice and creamy.

Grocery store onions these day are huge. One "regular" size onion is usually about 2 cups. If you are lucky to have a good food co-op by you and your onions are not on steroids, you might need a couple to make up two cups. 

Peeling garlic cloves is a pain in the butt I know, but take the time to try and keep the cloves as intact as possible.

Use fresh herbs - in this recipe it really will make a big difference. Don't be frightened by the garlic and resist any urge to mince it. By the time you get done cooking it the cloves will have disintegrated. I promise you will not melt anyone's eyebrows off after eating it.

Is you want to add protein add some diced rotisserie chicken or grilled kilbasa.

Enjoy.

White Bean Stew

1-1/2 cups dried cannelini or great northern beans, washed and picked over
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/4" rounds
14.5 oz can whole diced tomatoes ( I use Muir Glen Fire Roasted, No Salt Added)
1-1/2 cup stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 cup water
8-10 fresh basil leaves, washed and julienned and divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon

Wash and soak beans. Drain and set aside.

Break the head of garlic into cloves and peel.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pot over low heat. Cool the garlic, onions and carrots in the oil until the onions are soft and golden, stirring frequently. Keep the pot covered between stirrings.

Add the beans to the pot. Then add the tomatoes. Add stock and water, half the basil and oregano. Cover the pot and bring up to a simmer. Let simmer for about one and a half hours until the beans are very soft. Gently press the garlic cloves to the side of the pot with a spoon.

Add salt and pepper and remaining basil and let simmer another 5 minutes. Just before serving add parsley and lemon juice and stir.

Chicken Sauté Provençale Style

As I was looking back through the recipes I had posted in the last year I was amazed to find that I had not put this one up. It is absolutely one of my go-to recipes - just as appropriate for an important dinner with the boss as a quick weeknight meal - the epicurian equivalent of the perfect day to night outfit, as it were. This recipes embodies pretty much everything I love about cooking and reaffirms that good food does not have to be fussy or take hours, though those recipes have their place in my world as well.

This is good all year round. In the fall/winter I will pair it with green beans, rice and crusty bread for soaking up all the good sauce; in the spring/summer I will serve it with roasted asparagus and couscous for a lighter fare.

I originally found this recipe in one of my well-loved cookbooks, Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library "Healthy Cooking". The chicken dish is low in calorie (222 calories per serving) and high in flavor.

Couple of notes:
I would recommend using regular olive oil here. You want that olive flavor present and extra virgin just will not have enough presence. If it's all you have in the pantry, no sweat, but if you have a choice, use high test this time.

As always fresh herbs make a difference. I know this is my battle cry but with so many basic ones readily available now in the grocery store there really isn't a reason not to use them - it makes such a difference in the taste.

For the wine, cook with what you would drink with. If you don't want to have to open a bottle just to decant a 1/2 cup of wine or if you are an infrequent white wine drinker here is a tip. When you do drink white, save the last little bit of the bottle and pour it into an ice tray. Freeze the wine cubes and then pop them into a plastic freezer bag. Then when you need a touch of wine, you can put a couple of cubes in the recipe and you are good to go.

I always make extra sauce. It is delicious the next day poured over leftover rice or couscous and warmed quickly in the microwave.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Chicken Sauté Provençale

2 tablespoons good olive oil 
4 4-5 oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about half an onion)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can chopped tomatoes (I use Muir Glen Fire Roasted, No-Salt Added Diced Tomatoes)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano ( substitute 1 tsp dried oregano)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Parsley for garnish

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add oil and warm.

When hot, add chicken, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook, turning the chicken once, 2-3 minutes each side. Chicken should be lightly browned on the outside.

Add the wine and bring to a boil.

Add tomatoes and oregano and return to boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover partially and cook 5-7 minutes. Sauce should have thickened and chicken have become opaque throughout when cut with a knife.

For party presentations, transfer chicken to a warmed platter. Spoon sauce on top, sprinkle with parsley and garnish with parsley sprigs. For a more casual meal, spoon starch (rice, couscous etc) on to plate and layer chicken on top. Spoon sauce over all and top with fresh chopped parsley. Serve at once.

Comfort Food Classics: Chicken Noodle Soup

As the weather finally gets colder and the days shorter I find myself making more comfort food. Chicken Noodle Soup is one of those recipes that I think people dismiss sometimes as too basic, but when made well can really taste simply delicious. I have played around with a recipe for years and even when my friend Paul asked me to resend a version I had sent him some time ago I wasn't sure if I could do that  - exactly - so this is where I am now. I can't really take any credit for the origins of this recipe. The base is a hybrid formed from the marriages of Williams-Sonoma and Barefoot Contessa recipes (not a bad coupling if I do say so myself). Over the years I have doctored and added elements that gave me the flavor I was looking for. Served with some crusty bread and a salad, this is the perfect quick weeknight meal.

Couple of notes: Fresh veggies and herbs are key here. It really does make a difference in the taste. If you can make your own stock that much the better but on a day to day basis I use Kitchen Basics, no salt added stock. I like to use half veggie stock, half chicken stocker for a richer flavor. When I am feeling horrible, especially if my nose if clogged I tend to like a lot of garlic, but if you are not a garlic lover, then just cut the amount to taste. If you are pressed for time a rotisserie chicken can easily be used. You may have to skim some fat off the soup before serving though.

This freezes pretty well, Just add some new stock to the frozen batch and reheat on the stove top. Enjoy!

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Chicken Noodle Soup

1 whole chicken breast, bone-in, skin on
Olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
4 small cloves garlic, smashed then finely minced
1 bay leaf
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
2 oz egg noodles
6 cups stock
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, plus some for garnish
Salt and pepper


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Baste the chicken breast with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast, skin side up for 25-30 minutes until just pink on the inside. You want the chicken to be slightly undercooked. Remove from oven. Allow to cool then skin and remove the meat from bone, cutting up the meat into 1-inch cubes. (You should have about a 1/2 pound of meat.) Set aside.

Heat a large pot on the stove. When hot add a small amount of olive oil and coat the bottom of the pan. Add in onions, celery and carrots and cook until softened, about 10-12 minutes. (Turn down the heat if veggies start to brown.) Once cooked, add garlic and cooked for another minute. Add the broth and bay leaf heat until slowly boiling. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface of the stock. Add noodles, remaining spices and cook about 8 minutes until noodles are almost done, then add reserve chicken, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 4 more minutes and then serve.

Broiled Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce

They had beautiful wild-caught salmon at the store today that I just couldn't resist so tonight for dinner we are having Broiled Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce. I love this recipe - it is deceptively easy to make but can be a real show stopper if you are looking for a nice "dinner for the boss" meal. I am serving it with a basic risotto and green peas. Simple clean flavors that taste good any time of year. To be honest I am not sure where this recipe originated from. It is one of those that I have been carrying around for years, written on a page torn out of my Daytimer - so that means I have had it for a really long time! It also means I probably saw it in a magazine at the doctor's office or at a friend's house, so my apologies to the original author. You are a genius whoever you are!

Couple of notes: Try and get as even a thickness as possible of fillet. I asked my fish guy to trim down a slightly larger piece for me to just get at the center of the fillet. If you don't you will almost definitely overcook the thinner pieces to get the thickest part the right temperature. For me If your fish counter at the market won't trim it for you it is worth it to buy a little extra, trim it up and have salmon that you can grind up for salmon cakes or some other application where it doesn't matter what the fish looks like.

The sauce makes way more than you will need/want unless you want to slather your salmon in sauce. That being said, it is very tasty and goes well with other fish and chicken. The recipe calls for heavy cream - I have used low-fat milk when it was all I had with less creamy and luxurious results but if it is just family dinner it will be fine. (If you are making it for the boss, pull out all the stops and use the heavy cream - it is worth it!) You can substitute dried dill for the fresh but the sauce will not have as nice a flavor. Worth it, I promise.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Broiled Salmon

21/2-3 pound salmon fillet, preferably wild caught
Low-sodium soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Preheat broiler.

Rinse salmon and pat dry. Arrange salmon, skin side down, in a foil-lined pan and rub thoroughly with soy sauce. Season salmon with salt and pepper and broil about 4 inches from heat 12 to 15 minutes, or until just cooked through. Transfer salmon to a platter and garnish with herbs.

Serve salmon warm or at room temperature with mustard dill sauce.

Mustard Dill Sauce

1/2 cup coarse-grained mustard
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, or to taste

In a bowl combine well all ingredients and season with pepper. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled, covered. Let sauce come to room temperature and whisk before serving.

This dinner meal brought to you by the letter H: Healthy Halibut with Horseradish

Quite a few of you asked for healthy, quick dinners that don't skimp on flavor, so I did a little research and here is the first of hopefully many tasty options. This was a hands-down winner at the table, even tempting The Pods. In total, with prep time, the recipe took about 20 minutes to make, but you would never know from looking at it once it's plated.

The original recipe comes from one of the first cookbooks I bought as an adult, "The Golden Door Cookbook" by Michel Stroot. I am not sure if it is in print anymore. I tried to buy it for a friend a few years ago, without success, but if you come across it in a used bookstore or online somewhere grab it. Michel is the original chef at the Golden Door Spa in Southern California - the zen oasis of healthy living and good food where you could go to work out and realign your life while still eating well. I will be honest and say that I bought the book for all the wrong reasons. I remember browsing in a little independent bookstore in Del Mar with a roommate and coming across this cook book on the sale table. I flipped it open to the center of the book and came across a photo of "Lobster-Filled Papaya". It is this saliva-inducing photo of a full lobster claw practically toppling off this mountain of large chuck lobster meat, balanced in a papaya half that compelled me to buy the book. I wasn't even really all that in to cooking yet, but that picture called to me - aspirational I guess. Anyway, I bought the book and have since then found a ton of really yummy things in it to make.

Couple of notes: If you can get fresh halibut great, but I used frozen steaks from the commissary and it was wonderful. I served the halibut with 5-minute couscous but I think it would also be really tasty with steamed red potatoes with parsley.

The recipe calls for savoy cabbage leaves to be steamed in a bamboo steamer but to expedite things I just julliened the leaves and steamed them in a little bit of veggie broth over medium low heat while the fish cooked in the oven. Keep an eye on the cabbage when you are cooking this way - you want them to wilt but not get soggy. If you can't find savoy cabbage, use what you can find fresh in the veggie section - it isn't as important to have the pretty frilly savoy leaves if you are going to cut it up.

The sauce will make way more than you need but I saved it and used it with a beef recipe a couple of nights later and it was delicious.

You will need a pan and cover that you can take from stove top to oven. I use All-Clad pans and they work beautifully. If you don't have a pan that you can do this with the alternative is to cook the fish, covered on the stove top for about 15 minutes, until the fish is opaque and cooked through. You will need to keep an eye on it on the stove to make sure that there is enough liquid in the pan and add more if needed. I used vegetable stock to refresh the pan once, on the stovetop.

Let me know what you think. I am still working on vegetarian recipes as well as adding more photos to the blog. Enjoy!

Baked Halibut on Savoy Cabbage

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup thinly sliced red onion (about half a small onion)
4 (4-oz.) halibut steaks
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 sprigs fresh lemon thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme with 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
Vegetable stock
3 savoy cabbage leaves per person, julliened
1⁄2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 lemon, quartered


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In small bowl, combine yogurt and horseradish; mix well. Set aside.

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until translucent and softened. Arrange halibut steaks in single layer over onion; add wine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; place thyme sprigs or dried thyme and zest on fish. Cover and bake about 10 minutes until fish is opaque and cooked through.

While fish is cooking place sliced cabbage leaves in a pan with a 1/4 cup of vegetable stock. Cover and steam 8 to 10 minutes or until leaves soften.

To serve, arrange cabbage on each plate. Place fish and onion over leaves; ladle some of the cooking liquid evenly over fish. Spoon dollop of yogurt mixture onto each fillet. Garnish with lemon wedges.


Per Serving: 190 calories, 4.5 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 26 g protein, 6.5 g carbohydrate, 40 mg cholesterol, 175 mg sodium, 1.5 g fiber.

Low-fat Pittsburgh Fare Fast - Kilbasa, Cabbage and Pierogis

The Other Half is from the Pittsburgh region and was raised on pierogis, cabbage and brat. This is also the man who thinks that Kraft Mac and Cheese and a can a tuna fish is the ultimate meal - one which is only made when I am not present in the house - but that being said he has come to appreciate my attempts to make his favorite eats a little healthier. I have to admit the first time I tried brats and cabbage I was not overwhelmed, but since it is a personal favorite of his I was on a mission to come up with a version that (a) the kids would eat; (b) was not going to kill anyone and (c) tastes good. To make it a quick to the table recipe I do use packaged pierogis - Mrs. T's low-fat Cheddar and Potato - but if that is not your speed this recipe is also really good with baked sweet potatoes, mashed or not or if you have the fortitude to make homemade pierogis. You can also buy jarred red cabbage if you are really pressed for time but I like the taste of the fresh cabbage as well as a little crunch. Even on an insane, then things happening at once kind of night I can usually get this on the table in 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Kilbasa, Cabbage and Pierogis

1 package frozen pierogis ( I used cheddar and potato but there are other options)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 small onion)
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup diced apple (preferrably golden but I have used others and it is fine)
8 oz shredded red cabbage (box grater or food processor works great for this, just keep it course); you can also purchase a package of precut red cabbage - usually with the coleslaw fixings in the veggie department
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 package turkey kilbasa, cut into 1/2" pieces
chopped parsley

Cook pierogis according to package instructions. (The Other Half likes them boiled; I prefer them baked - both work.)

In large pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute about 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute. Add apple, cabbage, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and cook, stirrig,  until cabbage is wilted - about 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.

Add remaining olive oil to warm pan with kilbasa and cook 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until heated through and browned on both sides. Return cabbage to pan and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with pierogis.

Pork Chops to Make a Bad Day Better

Okay. I have had a crummy week - no two ways about it. Lots of whining (or is that wining...?) that could be done but instead when things are glum I tend to cook. Everything looks better with a good meal in you, I think. So this week when I was at a rotten place I made a nice dinner for myself and The Other Half. I'm not sure if others would consider this comfort food but for me this recipe is warm and comforting and made a bad day just a little better.

This recipe comes from "The Naked Chef" by Jamie Oliver - one of my foodie crushes. I served it with creamed spinach (Green Giant, not homemade this time) and long grain rice. Because of the bold flavors in the herbs there are a variety of wines that would pair nicely with this. We chose a lovely Riesling that was a crisp, clean companion to the meal. Enjoy!

Couple of notes:

Buy nice thick single chops, or in the absence of that see if you can get double-rib chops - the butcher at your local grocery store should be able to cut them for you. If you get chops that are super large (more than an inch thick) you will want to pan sear them per the recipe and then finish them off in the oven at 375 degrees until the juices run clear and the core temperature is at least 145 degrees for 15 seconds with a meat thermometer (about 15-30 minutes depending on thickness, check frequently so they don't dry out). So important to check the temperature to make sure they are cooked all the way through!

Use fresh herbs - I know this is often my battle cry but in this instance it will make the difference between a chop that you eat and say "What was Nancy thinking?" and a chop that you eat and say "Is it okay if I pick the bone up and eat every last little morsel like I am at a Renaissance fair?"

If you don't own a mortal and pestle you can McGyver one using a wooden or heavy plastic bowl and a round fist sized rock wrapped in plastic wrap - you can find a good rock at almost any garden supply store. The other option would be to use a food processor - just don't work it too much - you won't get as nice a paste.

Pork Chops with Thyme, Lemon and Pesto

1 handful of thyme picked from stem
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 clove of garlic
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
(4) thick loin chops or two-rib regular chops
pesto (recipe below)

Using a mortar and pestle pound the thyme with 1 teaspoon of salt until it becomes a paste, then add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of black pepper and pound again. Stir in the lemon juice and zest and the olive oil. The paste should be the consistency of toothpaste.

Smear the mixture over the chops and leave out to rest for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a caste iron pan or stove top griddle on medium high heat. Place the chops in pan (they make a bit of smoke so get your fan on!). Cook on each side 4-5 minutes, letting each side get nicely charred and golden. Don`t let them burn - if it looks as if they are getting too much colour turn the heat down. They should take about 8 minutes to cook at a medium high heat. After 8 minutes total take the pan off the heat and check the chops temperature, inserting the meat thermometer from the side. When the temperature registers 145 degrees the chops are done.

Rest the chops for a few minutes while making the pesto, then spoon a dollop of pesto over them.

Pesto 

1/4 cup garlic, chopped (3-4 good size pieces)
3 healthy handfuls of fresh basil leaves
1 handful of pine nuts
1/4  cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
lemon juice

Put your garlic into a food processor. Combine into a pulp with shredded basil leaves. Add the pine nuts into the mixture and pulse again. Turn out into a bowl and add half of the cheese. While gently stirring, add in olive oil until sauce starts to bind and becomes semi-wet in consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add remaining cheese. Add more oil as needed and then finish with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep the color bright and help bring out the flavor of the basil over the garlic.