Author: deborahbarnett

Buttermilk Onion Rings

/ deborahbarnett / 4 Comments

I. Love. Onion. Rings.  As a kid, I would order them, crack them open, pull out the onion and and just eat the batter. Though I loved the flavor, I hadn’t quite warmed up to eating the actual onion yet. Now, I love them in EVERYTHING! Especially sweet onions. Vidalia’s, Peruvian, Maui, Walla Walla, Sweet Imperial, Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter… it doesn’t matter. If it’s a sweet onion… I’m a fan.

Most recipes for onion rings are pretty basic. But I’ve added a couple of little extras to make these special. Like buttermilk and Panko and an Asian hot sauce. I hope you love these as much as I do.

Ingredients

ONION RINGS

  • 1 large sweet Vidalia onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 – 1 1/5 cup buttermilk, or as needed
  • 1 cup dry unflavored bread crumbs
  • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup corn meal
  • salt to taste
  • 1 quart peanut oil for frying, or as needed (you can sub vegetable oil but peanut tastes better and takes the  high heat better)

DIPPING SAUCE

Preparing Dipping Sauce

Mix two ingredients thoroughly until completely blended. Use more or less of the chili sauce depending on your “heat” preference.

Preparation

  1. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or dutch oven to 365 degrees F.
  2. Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. This will help the batter adhere.
  4. Gently beat the egg and milk into the flour mixture using hand mixer.
  5. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up.
  6. Mix together the corn meal, bread and Panko crumbs and scatter out on a plate or shallow dish. Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scooping over the ring to coat it. Give it a gentle tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.I suggest completing this entire step before starting to fry rings. Its very easy to burn them if you’re distracted. I may or may not be speaking from experience. :o)

Ready To Cook?

  1. Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. They should float to the top immediately – if they don’t your oil is not hot enough. Turn rings over once during the frying time.
  2. Remove from oil and transfer to a paper towel to drain. Season with seasoning salt, and serve warm.

The Perfect Bite

Give them about 30 seconds or so to cool.. swirl slightly in the Sriracha Sauce and enjoy! Although they’re best served within minutes of cooking…  be sure to let them cool enough so as not to burn the roof of your mouth. Again, I may or may not be speaking from experience.

The Perfect Pairing

I enjoyed these with a bottle of my favorite beer, Negra Medelo. But any amber or pale ale would be a great pairing. Also, try putting a few of the smaller rings on top of a large summer salad or add one of the large rings to the top of your favorite grilled burger.

The Perfect Health

Okay, let’s face it – these are deep fried onion rings. I’m not going to try and fake a health benefit here. But, onions have a variety of medicinal effects. Early American settlers used wild onions to treat colds, coughs, and asthma, and to repel insects. In Chinese medicine, onions have been used to treat angina, coughs, bacterial infections, and breathing problems. Read here for more details.

Rosemary, Sage & Shiraz Beef Tips w/Herbed Goat Cheese Dumplings

/ deborahbarnett / 1 Comment

The secret to cooking with wine, especially red wine, is to use one that you think tastes good when drinking it by the glass. Many people make the mistake of cooking with a wine that’s been open too long and has become a little bitter. I appreciate not wanting to waste it.. but if it tastes bad in the glass… it’s going to taste bad in your food. So, please – toss that sour stuff out.  You don’t have to buy anything super expensive… the little Shiraz I used for this stew was only $7.99 a bottle!

INGREDIENTS

For the Stew
(serves 4-6)

2 pounds beef, cubed (I use locally-grown grass-fed beef from Whole Foods – Stew cut)
1-2 cups flour
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup butter or olive oil
2 cups wine – I used a Shiraz (wait, make it 3 cups – 1 for drinking while cooking)
5 cups beef stock
5 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium fennel bulb – cored & sliced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 medium red potatoes, cubed
2 bay leaves – whole
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary – whole
4-5 fresh sage leaves – whole
pepper – a pinch to taste

For the Dumplings:
2.5 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup soft goat cheese
2 teaspoons each of fresh parsley, sage and thyme – finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 cups chicken stock (you can use beef stock if you have leftover, but chicken is lighter and doesn’t discolor the dumplings).

Preparation
There is a lot of chopping and mixing required to prepare this dish. So it’s a perfect example of when Mise en Place would be a necessary discipline. 

Ready To Cook?

Dumplings
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and mix well. In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk to the eggs. Add the egg/milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the goat cheese and the herbs. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Have the stock boiling in a small saucepan. Make sure the sauce pan is small enough that the dumplings will have room to float. Using 2 tablespoons, drop the dumpling batter into the boiling stock. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the dumplings float to the surface. Remove the dumplings from the stock and place on a plate. To finish: Place the dumplings into the stew.

*Note: This is a fairly messy process. Do not be discouraged if your chicken stock is full of goo and looks disgusting. It will. The key is to leave the dumplings alone for 5 minutes so they can cook. The more you mess with them the more they’ll fall apart. I suggest reserving some of the stock to add after each batch. It’s probably best not to cook more than 3 at a time. Give them room in the pot.

Stew
In a large frying pan, heat 1/2 the butter or olive oil and sauté the celery, onion, potatoes and garlic until slightly browned. Set aside.

Combine flour, paprika, parsley and some pepper in a shallow bowl –  roll the beef in it until well coated on all sides. (TIP: Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and the flour mixture will stick better and your meat will brown. Meat will not brown if it is too wet. Julia Child was right!). Melt remaining butter or pour oil into in a large stew pot, and then add meat.

Sauté the meat until well browned. Make sure to have your pan well-heated – the key to a good sear is high heat. You only want the outside browned… not cooked all the way through. Add the previously prepared vegetables and sauté for about two minutes with the beef in the stew pot.

Add the wine, and sauté another three or four minutes.*

*This is when you would transfer the contents of your pot to a slow cooker if that is the method you’re using to make this stew. Otherwise, leave everything in your soup pot.

While the pot is hot, pour in the beef stock and the Bay Leaves, rosemary and sage and allow to simmer covered for about 2-3 hours in a preheated 300 degree oven. After this time the vegetables and beef should be very tender. You should be able to easily cut the meat using only a fork when it’s ready. TIP: I always thought I was cooking the meat too long which is why it was coming out tough – but actually I wasn’t cooking it long enough! It needs time for all those connective tissues to break down… so be patient!

At this point remove the lid, sift in any additional flour required to thicken to a desired consistency (use fresh flour – not from bowl), and allow the liquid to simmer roughly 30 minutes.

You may add pepper and salt to taste. But you shouldn’t have to if seasoned well. ;o) Serve with one dumpling per bowl of stew.

The Perfect Bite
The perfect bite for this stew consists of stacking your fork (yes, your fork… it’s thick enough to for-go the spoon if you’d like) with a piece of juicy meat, rich red potato, a bit of tangy celery and of course, be sure to include a chunk of the dumpling… so you can swirl it all around in the gravied-juices. I’m just sayin’… this may change your life a little.

The Perfect Pairing
There’s a fun little wine I recently came across called Luna Di Luna… it’s fun because none of their dual varietals are too overpowering or too weak. It’s kind of a wine you don’t have to worry about. Be sure to click on the link to their site and enjoy some groovy tunes.  Each varietal blend comes in solid colored bottles that take people by surprise and look great on the table. I paired this stew with the Merlot/Cab blend… which went perfectly with the hearty roasted beef and tangy goat cheese dumplings. Here in East Nashville I can find it for about $8.99 a bottle.

The Perfect Health
Did you know that a 6-ounce steak from a grass-fed steer can have 100 fewer calories than a 6-ounce steak from a grain-fed steer?  If you eat a typical amount of beef (66.5 pounds a year), switching to lean grass-fed beef will save you 17,733 calories a year! Read more here about the health benefits of eating grass-fed livestock. Also, I highly recommend seeing the movie Food, Inc. I can no longer just buy a hamburger at the drive-thru or pick up the cheapest chicken at WalMart or Kroger. It may be more expensive to get the grass-fed beef but it’s worth it and you can actually taste the difference!   Keep in mind that when buying free range chicken this is not what you think it means in the U.S. The only way to know how the chicken was raised is to buy from local farmers that you can get to know and trust.  That may not be an option for you… but just don’t be fooled into paying more by misleading labels and claims.

Mise en place

/ deborahbarnett / 7 Comments

Mise en place [MEEZ ahn plahs] Is a French term referring to having all the ingredients necessary for a dish prepared and ready to combine up to the point of cooking. Organizing and completing in advance all the preliminary steps required in a specific preparation.

When you’re watching your favorite cooking show (and if you’re reading this blog, you watch cooking shows – what’s yours?)… you will see them use all these lovely little “prep bowls“. Whether it’s The Barefoot Contessa (who I learn the most from), Rachel Ray (who I constantly get compared to), Giada de Laurentiis (who I would rather be compared to), Bobby Flay (I dare you to come ‘throw down’ on my curry hummus),  Jamie Oliver (who’s saving our schools from childhood obesity) or my personal favorite – the beautiful Curtis Stone (hey, he’s not just a pretty face…I’ve learned plenty from him!)… they all have some form of organizational prep before launching into the cooking part of the segment. Chopping onions, garlic and fresh herbs.. placing them into their own little bowls. Having a pinch bowl of sea salt handy… just the right amount of dry seasoning all pre-measured into their own tiny bowls. I’m sure dishwashers across America are cringing.

I always thought they did all that prep for the ease and time constraints of a 30 minute television show. But then my friend Tracey gave me a set of little prep bowls… and I had to try it for myself. WOW!  I love this!  1) –  it keeps me organized on complicated dishes. How many times have I forgotten a key ingredient because I didn’t remember if I put it in there or not? And B) – it keeps me from burning or overcooking the onions or garlic because I got busy chopping the veggies and didn’t watch the pot.

Yea, it happens.

So my fellow culinary adventure-ers… remember this lovely phrase, “Mise en place”. For someone like me whose mantra is “There’s a place for everything and everything is in its place”… this is music to my ears. “Mise en Place”. Ahhh… sing it with me…

Also, for additional food prep ease, check out this handy-dandy little item below. I picked it up in a quaint kitchen store in Myrtle Beach recently. It. Changed. My. Life.  Okay that’s a slight exaggeration… I’m not really a full-on gadget-geek but this is a wondrous invention! It’s a little scrap-catcher… no more dragging the big kitchen trash can over or making a mess of your counter tops… just swipe the scraps off the cutting board! (Info-mercial royalties would be nice here).

Happy prepping friends!

Mise en place,

Deb


Chicken Curry with Coconut Rice

/ deborahbarnett / 5 Comments

Ladies and gentlemen… for the very first time… I’m about to post a semi-homemade dish on here (*gasp*).  No offense to that Sandra Lee lady…  but it kind of goes against my principles to call something a “recipe” when it all comes from boxes and/or bottles.  Yeah, call me a food snob, I’m okay with it. I’ve learned to own it.

But I love this dish and could easily eat it every week… and I get the same response from everyone I’ve made it for (or maybe I should just say, “prepared” it for?) .   And for that reason alone, it I feels highly unfair to keep it from you all. So, at the risk of compromising my “from scratch” integrity – here goes:

Ingredients
(serves 4)
1 pound uncooked chicken tenderloins (either purchase them already cut, or defy Sandra Lee and cut your own)
1 cup cut okra (fresh is best but you can use frozen if you must – but pay attention to prep notes when using fresh)
1 cup whole green beans – fresh
1 cup sliced orange or red bell pepper – fresh
2 tablespoons Patak’s Hot Curry Paste (pictured – use mild if you are not a fan of spicy food).curry paste
2 cups coconut milk (Trader Joe’s has a light milk that’s excellent!)
2 cups water
2 cups white rice – uncooked
3 bottles Thai Yellow Curry Sauce from Trader Joe’s (Patak makes good one as well, if there’s no TJ’s nearby)

Preparation
I start with the rice… it can take awhile if not using instant:
For every 1 cup of rice use 1 cup of water and 1 cup of Light Coconut Milk
Bring water and milk to a low boil, then add rice and stir once to mix. Bring rice to a full boil for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 15-20 minutes until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork. It should be loose and not clumpy like sticky rice.

UPDATE: I made this recipe before I owned an Instant Pot. If you own a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot, I suggest using it instead. With the IP use half a cup of water and half a cup of coconut milk to one cup of rice and cook on high for three minutes with a natural release which should take seven or eight minutes.

Onto the curry chicken:

  • Cut okra into 3/4 inch dials. If using fresh okra you should toast them in a dry pan for a few minutes before adding to the sauce. They tend to get gummy and mushy otherwise. Toasting them firms the skin and helps them hold up better.
  • Slice bell pepper julienne -style into 2-3 inch long strips.
  • Trim your whole green beans (unless you paid the extra cash and bought them trimmed)
  • If you bought whole boneless chicken breasts, cut them into tenderloin strips.

Empty two of the bottles of curry sauce into a soup pot. Add the veggies and put on a low heat.

In a large saute pan, empty half the remaining bottle and turn to a medium heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the red curry paste. Add half of your chicken and saute, turning each piece until thoroughly cooked. Go ahead and cut your largest tenderloin open to check if it’s done. Be careful not to overcook or your meat will dry out. Once each piece is done (6-8 minutes depending on size of tenderloin), use tongs and place chicken in soup pot with veggies.  The sauce in your saute pan will have reduced, so add remaining sauce in bottle as well as the remaining tablespoon of curry paste and continue cooking the rest of your chicken. Once all chicken is done and in your soup pot, pour the leftover sauce and bits from your saute pan into the mixture. That adds some amazing yumminess.

Leave your soup pot on a low heat until a slow bubble starts and your veggies are tender (but not mushy).

Your rice should be done by now. For a more refined presentation (as pictured above), take a ramekin or an old butter cup (or something of similar size & shape) and firmly pack it with rice. Flip it upside down on your plate. It should leave a clean solid dome of rice. Drizzle curry sauce over the rice and neatly place a couple of chicken tenderloins and some veggies on top.

For a more rustic presentation, use shallow bowls and scoop a cup of rice with a cup of curry, chicken and veggies on top. It tastes just as good this way!

The Perfect Bite
Of course you want a perfect bite of rice, veggie and chicken together all on your fork. But also make sure you have enough sauce so that you can mix it with whatever leftover rice you have. The curry and rice alone is delicious!

The Perfect Pairing
If you’d like an appetizer for the entree trying pairing it with my Curry Hummus and Naan Bread.Or you can just make the Naan and use it to scoop up the curry goodness. For a beverage, try pairing this with Gnarly Head Zinfandel Old Vine 2007. Lots of plum and berry flavors with a hearty finish. The subtle sweetness will balance well with the savory chicken & veggies, but the strong peppery finish will hold its own against the power of the curry. In my opinion, this wine is best with served with food… its flavors don’t come alive well on their own.

Did You Know?
Okra is native to the Old World tropics (West Africa) and has become established in the wild in some New World tropical areas. It is believed that okra first reached the New World during the days of slave trafficking. The species apparently originated in the Ethiopian Highlands, though the manner of distribution from there is undocumented. Read more here.

Red Potato Leek Soup

/ deborahbarnett / 5 Comments

This was my first attempt at Potato Leek Soup and I must say I’m rather pleased. It is comfort food at its best and on a cold December day… this did not disappoint.

Many Potato Leek soup recipes tend to be bland and I wanted to find a way to make this soup rich and flavorful (no, I did not put curry in it this time) without radically changing the delicious and earthy flavor profile. All it took were a couple of ingredients and voila! It was exactly what I was looking for… once again, I used my garlic broth and the final touch was adding just a pinch of smoked paprika… and perfection!

First, you want to determine what stock you’re going to use as a base. I prefer my homemade garlic broth (see Did You Know? at the bottom to learn the difference between stock and broth) over chicken stock or plain vegetable stock. Chicken stock will definitely add more flavor but then your soup is no longer vegetarian-friendly. Below is my recipe for the garlic broth. Start there and have this handy before beginning the soup.

Start Here: *Vegetable Garlic Broth
you can make as much or as little as you like… I prefer to make the largest batch I can manage so I can freeze small containers worth and have this ready to add to any soup, any time. This recipe is based off of 2.5 quarts.(More recipes to come using this tasty broth!)

2.5 qts vegetable stock preferably from scratch but try to use organic if purchasing cans or boxes of broth (it’s roughly six 14oz cans).
4-5 tablespoons (heaping) coarsely diced garlic (roughly 2 bulbs)
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
3 pinches dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 pinch salt

Ingredients
2-3 medium leeks (about 1.5 lb)
2-2.5 lbs red potatoes (leave skins on)
1/2 of a medium sweet onion, diced.
2 bay leaves
20 peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons Vegan margarine
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups *garlic broth
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of white pepper
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika divided
1/2 – 3/4 cup of almond or soy milk

Soup Preparation
Cut two 6×6 inch squares of cheesecloth and layer together. In the center, place the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Trim 2 of the green portions of the leek leaves, cut in half and place in center of cheesecloth, as well. Tie into a package-shaped bundle with kitchen twine and set aside.

Using a knife, halve the white part of the leeks lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand and dirt. TIP: I fill a large bowl with water and soak them for a few minutes, to really get the grit out of the thin layers. Then pat dry. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside. Wash and dice potatoes into 1/4 inch cubes and set aside.

Ready To Cook?
In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the margarine and add the sweet onion. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft. Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the reserved cheesecloth bundle, garlic broth, potatoes, salt and white pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful. It will be a brownish/auburn color at this point, due to the skins of the red potatoes.

Remove the cheesecloth bundle of spices and, working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender. If using a blender, be sure to remove the center locking cap from the lid to allow steam to escape from the hole or you will blow the lid off your blender and you may get scalded with soup. Not that I’ve ever done that. 🙂  If you own an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot. Pour in the milk and 3/4 tsp of smoked paprika and stir until blended. Add salt or pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately, with a pinch of smoked paprika and tiny sprig of fresh thyme to garnish the top of each bowl of soup.

The Perfect Bite
Be sure to swirl the paprika garnish into your bowl for added flavor. A crusty toasted slice of baguette is perfect for scooping up the thick potatoey goodness.

The Perfect Pairing
Try Yalumba’s Viognier. Slightly sweet, citrus-y and nicely balanced. This fruity full-flavored varietal shows more complexity with food.

Did You Know?
Many people are confused by the soup terms of broth, stock and bouillon. They are all very similar but with slight differences. Stock has no salt added, Broth has salt added for preserving and for serving as soup on its own, or clarifying for a consommé.

For instance… my Garlic Broth starts as a vegetable stock, which does not taste good on its own. But when infused with garlic and the additional spices… it becomes a broth… and can be consumed as a soup or used as a base for a more complex soup. Confused? Read more here.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

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I love these blueberry oatmeal bars. They’re delicious as an afternoon snack, or even a midnight snack, or even for breakfast! They’re easy to make and are always a hit!

Ingredients
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup cold butter
1 cup blueberry preserves (I try to find low-sugar natural preserves)
Non-stick cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat an 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients plus the vanilla and mix well.

Add the cold butter and cut it into the dry mixture using two dinner knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and is no longer powdery. Do not over-mix… bits of butter will still be visible.

Ready to Bake?
Set aside about half of the oat mixture; press firmly into the pan. Bake until lightly browned at the edges (but not completely baked)… roughly 13-15 minutes.

After you remove the pan from the oven, spread the blueberry preserves over the partially baked oat layer, then sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the preserves. It won’t be a solid layer, some blueberry will show. Bake until the topping is slightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on a rack before cutting into bars. Should make 9 servings. *Hint – these are best served warm, however, they need to completely cool before cutting – so once you’ve cut your bars, briefly warm in the microwave or toaster oven and then serve.

The Perfect Bite
As mentioned above, these are best served warm. If eating as a dessert try scooping a bite of vanilla bean ice cream with a warm bite of blueberry bar. Delish!

The Perfect Pairing
Enjoy with a large glass of of cold milk with breakfast or a steamy cup of coffee with vanilla creamer. As dessert, pair with a vanilla bean ice cream and some coffee with Bailey’s Irish Cream. Mmmmm….

The Perfect Health
Did you know oats contain a large number of the antioxidants that may help protect cells from the process of oxidization? Scientists have recently begun to discover how oat antioxidants may benefit one’s health. Read more here.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

/ deborahbarnett / 7 Comments

Fall just calls for soup… I’ve never really liked Butternut Squash soup – until a couple of years ago when I was in Calgary, Alberta.. Canada. And believe it or not it was in catering at the arena we were working in! But it was incredible, thick, flavorful… seasoned just perfectly! I ate it by the bowl, used it as a dip for bread and veggies. I couldn’t get enough of it! Normally, my complaint about butternut squash soup is that it’s too bland. Not enough flavor to keep me interested beyond a couple of spoonfuls.

So I’ve been on a mission the last couple of years – trying to perfect this soup. And I wanted to keep it purely vegetarian – not adding cream or chicken stock like many recipes call for… and I think I’ve finally done it. It’s a little labor intensive – but once you taste it you will certainly agree it’s worth all the effort. So make a huge batch, freeze some for later and enjoy it throughout the Fall season!

*A tip for using veggies in any soup – try roasting them before adding to the soup. It brings out their natural sweetness, the caramelized edges add an earthy nuttiness and will give your soup that wow factor.  Plus, your kids will be asking for seconds… on vegetables!

Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
2 medium sweet onions, chopped
1 large fennel bulb (cut off “fern”)
3 large butternut squash
1 large red bell pepper
2 tablespoons roasted garlic
2 cups white wine
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
32oz *garlic veggie broth

Salt and pepper to taste

*Vegetable Garlic Broth
this broth will make ALL the difference in your soups… and you can make as much or as little as you like!  I prefer to make the largest batch I can manage so I can freeze small containers worth and have this ready to add to any soup, any time. This recipe is based off of 2.5 quarts. (More recipes to come using this tasty broth!)

2.5 qts vegetable stock preferably from scratch but try to use organic if purchasing cans or boxes of broth (it’s roughly six 14oz cans).
4-5 tablespoons (heaping) coursely diced garlic (roughly 2 bulbs)
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
3 pinches dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 pinch salt

Add all ingredients to the stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat… cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth or mesh strainer. Use immediately for soup or freeze in individual portions. TIP: freezing broth in ice cube trays allows you to use small portions at a time.


Place olive oil coated squash flesh side down on tray for roasting

Be sure to let the squash cool before scooping it out


This fresh garlic came from a friend’s garden – so yummy!


Adding roasted red bell pepper gives the soup extra flavor – these came straight from my garden!


Ready To Cook?

Pour generous amount of olive oil to cover bottom of a stock pot. Heat over low-medium heat. Add chopped onion. Cook until translucent. Clean fennel bulb and the fern (the fern is the top, finely-leafed portion of the fennel) under cold water and pat dry. Detach fern from stems, discarding stems (they can be pithy). Chop bulb, discarding tough outer layer. Add chopped fennel bulb to onion and continue to sauté over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Turn heat to medium, add 1 cup white wine to onion and fennel; cook until alcohol “burns off”, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Seed and quarter red bell peppers and coat in olive oil… place on cookie sheet flesh side down and roast at 425o for 20 minutes or until skins have blistered and started to brown. The trick to removing skins from peppers is remove peppers from oven and immediately place in a bowl and cover with cellophane. Let sit for at least 15 minutes and then skins should peel off easily!

*Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds, then quarter if squash is large. *Coat in olive oil and place flesh side down on cookie sheet (*see photos above). Roast on top rack of oven at 425ountil tender… roughly 45-50 minutes. Be sure to use a cookie tray with at least a 1/2 inch lip as squash will give off a lot of water. Meanwhile, add vegetable/garlic broth to pot of onions and fennel. Cover and bring to a slow boil. Mince several sage leaves. Add to pot. Reduce to simmer.

When squash is done, scoop flesh from peel and add to pot. Add roasted bell pepper and remaining cup of wine.

Add cinnamon, cayenne pepper, curry powder and ginger powder.

Remove soup from heat and puree with hand mixer or immersion blender. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to food processor for a smoother texture. Again, many recipes call for cream at this point to create that smoothness we all want in a bisque-type soup. But with a little extra work – you can eliminate the need for dairy products and get that creamy-smooth texture without the fat. For an even silkier texture… go one more step and work soup through a sieve with a spoon. I, for one, am completely okay with the texture of the soup without the extra step!

Garnish your bowl with the leftover fennel fern and enjoy!

The Perfect Bite

Soup is such a versatile dish. It can be a main course, an appetizer, a side dish, a snack… it’s’ your call. So the Perfect Bite really depends on what you’re having this with… but anytime… a big chunk of warm pumpernickel bread swirled and scooping up some of the sweet and savory goodness… is truly the perfect bite.

The Perfect Pairing

This is such a hearty soup that I hesitate to suggest any meal to compliment – other than what I suggested earlier – other than a big hunk of pumpernickel or whatever your favorite bread may be. But for something different in a beverage to enjoy try the 2008 Chateau St. Jean Gewurztraminer – this spicy flavorful grape is hard to pronounce but will be a perfect compliment to the rich earthy flavors of this butternut squash soup.

Did You Know?

Butternut squash is not just low in fat and calories, but winter squash are high in Vitamins A & C and high in Potassium and dietary fiber. It’s also a great source for anti-oxidants and works toward heart and lung health. Read here for more details.

Trois Fromages L’oignon Doux Tartlettes

/ deborahbarnett / 6 Comments

These tasty little tartlettes are the perfect size to just pop in your mouth and enjoy the melted nutty goodness. I love appetizers and little bites… it allows you to try a plethora of options at the app table or from the “starter” menu.

Trois Fromages L’oignon Doux Tartlettes have become quite a party favorite. Last week I showed up with a plate full to an after church get-together… it was a mere 20 feet from the door to the table… but the plate was almost empty by the time I set it down. Better known as “those cheesy onion thingys” among my friends… they are simply three cheeses (Gruyere, Swiss, & Parmesan) and finely diced sweet Vidalia onions baked in tiny filo cups. Voila! You are certain to get the “wow” response from your party guests.

Ingredients
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere (Austrian is the best – but Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have a great imported selection)
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 cups diced sweet Vidalia onions
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 pkgs pre-made Filo cups (15 count)
Ready To Cook?
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Add the first 5 ingredients to a deep casserole dish. Stir until cheese, onions, and mayo are thoroughly mixed. Cover with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes or until onions are tender. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes, allowing cheese to brown around edges. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
Preparation
Line cookie sheets with baking paper. (*tip: baking paper helps items cook more evenly and aids in the non-stick process). Once the onion mixture has cooled, use a teaspoon and scoop spoonfuls into the filo cups. Space filo cups up on the tray about 1/2 inch apart. Be careful not to place them too close or they will stick together. Once cups are all filled, sprinkle the tops with shredded parmesan. Return to oven on top rack and bake for 5 minutes until edges turn golden brown.
The Perfect Bite
Make sure you let these little babies cool! I’ve lost count of the times I’ve burned the roof of my mouth, unable to control my urge to pop one in my mouth right out of the oven! Once cooled, eat whole. Sure, if you’re dainty… try and take a little “bite” but you’ll end up wearing most of it.
The Perfect Pairing
This is an appetizer… so “pairing” it has no limits! They’re great for anything from a Game Day snack to an appetizer for a French-inspired meal. To complement the nuttiness of the Gruyere and Parmesan taste, pair this snack with a Yazoo Dos Perros. This toasty amber ale is a descendant of old Austrian styles known for blending German, English, and chocolate malts.
The Perfect Health
Onions are low in calories, zero fat or cholesterol, and when it comes to cutting Vidalias, you can almost get away without crying! *Tip: Using a really sharp knife will help reduce tears when cutting onions. Also, once an onion becomes even slightly over-ripe… prepare to cry. Read more here for health aspects.

Trois Fromages L’oignon Doux Tartlettes on FoodistaTrois Fromages L’oignon Doux Tartlettes

Caribbean Stuffed Bell Peppers

/ deborahbarnett / 8 Comments

I love bell peppers. Which is why I am so excited to be growing them in my garden this year. I have red, orange and green ones. The green bell pepper plant has at least a dozen bells hanging, while the red and orange ones only have 2-3 bells hanging. This may explain the price difference in the grocery stores.

My mom never really cooked much while I was growing up, but one thing she made that my dad loved was stuffed bell peppers. She used to use the green ones as they were more economical and her filling was more like meat loaf. So here’s my take on Mom’s recipe. And of course, I’ve thrown an ethnic twist into it.

Also, if the contents to this meat filling sound familiar… it’s because I used the same filling here as I did for Big Daddy’s (& Little Debbie’s) Spicy Beef Patties. If you’re making patties one night – make extra filling and freeze it for a quick Stuffed Bell Pepper dinner another night!

Ingredients
2-4 med red bell peppers
1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon fine sea salt (add more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon of African Hot Pepper (you can use dry Chipotle pepper if you can’t find the African Hot Pepper-which I found at the International Market in downtown Nashville)
2 teaspoons curry powder – divided
1 jalapeño, finely diced (include seeds for extra heat)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tbsp crumbled goat cheese

Preparation & Ready to Cook
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Sauté meat over medium heat, adding garlic, onions, paprika, thyme, 1 tsp curry powder, black pepper, African Hot Pepper and salt. Stir together, and then add the diced jalapeño. Be sure to mix thoroughly so you don’t get “hot spots” from all the spicy peppers. Remove from the heat, adding the bread crumbs and the beef broth, stirring well to combine.

Cut the tops of the bell peppers off and carefully remove seeds and spine inside peppers. Fill each pepper, packing the meat firmly until it rises above the top a 1/2 inch or so. Be sure to pack it firmly so later when you are cutting open your pepper, the meat will not all crumble apart. Place peppers standing up on a baking sheet. I use parchment paper to line baking sheets. This keeps your peppers from burning or sliding for the natural oils during baking.

Bake on middle rack for 20 minutes or until peppers are tender and you can see the skin start to wrinkle. Remove tray and let cool 5 minutes. Crumble goat cheese on top of meat and serve!

The Perfect Bite
I personally like to take a knife and slice the pepper into sections so that I can get a bite of pepper, meat filling and goat cheese together. But you may like to eat the filling out of the pepper like a bowl. You create your own perfect bite and enjoy!

The Perfect Pairing
If you use large peppers one can be a meal in itself. But if you use smaller peppers you may want to add a little white rice on the side. Cooking your rice in coconut milk and butter to keep the Caribbean flavors going! And you can always add some spiced mango when in season. As for beverages – you may have already guessed it. A perfect pairing with this Jamaican favorite is an ice cold bottle of Red Stripe beer – also a Jamaican favorite.

Did You Know?
Bell peppers with 2-3 lobes are sweeter to eat raw and 4 lobed bells are better cooked. Brightly colored bell peppers, whether green, red, orange or yellow, are rich sources of some of the best nutrients available. To start, peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C and vitamin A (through its concentration of carotenoids such as beta-carotene), two very powerful antioxidants. Read more here.