Weekly Winner: Shiitake and Spinach Shine in Sensational Supper

My ongoing love of noodles continues, and lately my taste buds have been craving the Asian variety.  My surprise, however, came when I discovered I don’t need meat to be totally satisfied and in love with a dish.  That dish is: Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach from Milk Street Magazine.  Another surprise, these were not the big, fat, chewy udon noodles that I’ve been obsessing over lately but the thinner, dried variety.  These made for a totally luscious bowl of noodles and I wouldn’t change a thing!

Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach

Serves 4

Ingredients:

10 oz dried udon noodles

3 Tbsp grapeseed oil (divided)

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tsp white sugar

1 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms (stemmed, caps thinly sliced)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

5 oz baby spinach

1/2 tsp white pepper

Toasted sesame seed oil (for garnish)

Sesame seeds (for garnish)

Procedure:

• Bring 4 quarts water to a boil, add udon noodles and cook, stirring, until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain.  Rinse with cold water and then drain again.  Toss with 1 tablespoons oil
• In a small bowl, stir together sherry, soy sauce, sugar and set aside.
• In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat remaining oil until shimmering.  Add mushrooms and salt, then stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and well-browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add spinach and the sherry-soy sauce mixture, then stir, scraping up any browned bits.  Cook over medium, tossing with tongs, until the spinach is wilted, about 30 seconds.
• Add the udon, pepper and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water.  Cook, tossing, until the noodles are heated through, about 1 minute, adding more water if the noodles appear dry.  Serve drizzled with toasted sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

 

 

Weekly Winner: Glorious Green Goodness with just a tad of decadence.

There is nothing more comforting than a creamy, luxurious bowl of pasta– especially since winter is still going strong here in Chicago.  While I may be dreaming of  glorious spring vegetables that will eventually take over the markets, right now I need more sustenance and comfort than a light, springy pasta.  Enter: Pea and Spinach Carbonara.

The recipe comes from Eating Well magazine and is super easy and gives you a hint of springtime flavor.  It is also really quick to make,  which leaves you plenty of time to put on an extra layer, find the throw blanket and curl up on the couch!

Pea & Spinach Carbonara

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 small clove garlic, minced

8 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided

3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

3 large egg yolks

1 large egg

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1 9-oz package fresh tagliatelle or linguine

8 cups baby spinach

1 cup peas

Procedure:

1. Put 10 cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add breadcrumbs and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until toasted, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a small bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan and parsley.  Set aside
3. Whisk the remaining 6 tablespoons Parmesan, egg yolks, egg, pepper and salt in medium bowl.
4. Cook pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.  Add spinach and peas and cook until the pasta is tender, about 1 minute more. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water.  Drain and place in a large bowl.
5. Slowly whisk the reserved cooking water into the egg mixture. Gradually add the mixture to the pasta, tossing with tongs to combine.  Serve topped with the reserved breadcrumb mixture

Weekly Winner: Sumptuous Saag (say what?)

I seem to be entering a “green” period with my cooking, and I’m not talking about eco-friendly, organic or anything like that. I’m talking color.  Everything I’ve been making is green!  This started a few entries back with my Broccoli Bolognese. Maybe it’s my yearning for a sign of green (aka spring) outside, but whatever the reason, I’m just warning you – you’ll be seeing a lot more green here in the coming weeks.

This week’s “greenery” comes in the form of a Saag.  Chicken Saag to be exact.  Prior to making this, the only saag I was familiar with was Saag Paneer which is a spinach-cheese curry dish from India.  So apparently “saag” is the spinach-curry part of the dish.  Call it what you want, but I’ll just call it dang tasty.  This recipe for Chicken Saag comes from Fine Cooking Magazine and is about as warm and cozy a dish as you could possibly ask for.  The green helps remind us that spring has to get here eventually.  But in the meantime, a nice warm bowl of this will help me survive.  My apologies to Kermit, but apparently it really is easy being green.

Chicken Saag

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

Kosher salt

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 2-inch piece ginger, minced

1/2 jalapeno, minced (about 1 Tbsp)

20 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and lightly squeezed of excess liquid

2 Tbsp finely chopped scallions

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Procedure:

• In a medium bowl, combine the garam masala, cumin, paprika, turmeric, and 2 tsp salt.  Add the thighs and rub all over with the spice mixture.  Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
• Put the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the thighs and cook, flipping once or twice, until just cooked through, 6-8 minutes (its okay if they stick a bit and tear because you’ll be cutting them into pieces). Transfer to a plate; they will cook more later.
• If the pan looks dry, add a little more oil.  Then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any bits, until the onion becomes translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute.  Add the spinach, scallions, and cream, and cook until the spinach is tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut the thighs into 2-inch pieces.  Add them and any accumulated juice to the pot and stir.  Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary, until the chicken is fully cooked, about 3 minutes.  After that, the dish can sit on a low simmer for up to a half-hour and will only taste better for it.  Season to taste with salt. Add the cilantro, toss well.  Serve.

 

 

Weekly Winner: Great Green Goodness!

Maybe it’s the arctic freeze that has Chicago in its unrelenting grip. Maybe it’s the vast, white blanket of snow and ice covering everything I see outside. Maybe it’s simply the fact that it’s February, but lately I’ve been craving the site of something green. And preferably warm … like a soup! Well, my wishes came true because I have never seen a greener bowl of soup…. ever!! Seriously green. Emerald green. Kermit green. (Don’t worry, no celebrity frogs were harmed in the making of this soup).

I’ve also been on sort of a chickpea kick lately. I honestly never thought much about them, but find that I’ve been cooking them a ton lately — for us and for clients. In salads, in side dishes, of course as hummus. So when I saw this recipe for Creamy Spinach Chickpea Soup, well, it’s like the stars aligned and I knew what had to be done. I had to make this soup. And man, am I glad I did! It is fabulous. Actually, I find it better than it has any real right to be considering the short list of ingredients and super-easy preparation.

The recipe comes from Sunset Magazine. And trust me on this, you may think that making the curry-lime oil to drizzle on is fussy and unnecessary — It’s not!!  It is critical to making this delicious soup complex and special. Don’t cheat yourself out of this and it really only takes a second.

Without further ado — the greenest soup to ever come out of this kitchen. And one of the tastiest too!

Creamy Spinach and Chickpea Soup

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 1/2 Tbsp canola oil, divided

3/4 cup diced shallots (2 medium)

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

2 cans (15 oz. each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 tsp kosher salt

6 cups packed spinach leaves (from about 10 oz. bunch spinach, rinsed well and stems trimmed)

1 1/4 tsp curry powder

1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

Preparation:

1. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a medium pot over medium heat and add shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute more.

2. Add chickpeas, broth, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until flavors are well blended and chickpeas are very soft, about 25 minutes. Add spinach and cook just until softened and bright green, about 2 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Stir in curry powder and cook until aromatic, 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

4. Whirl half of soup at a time in a blender, starting on low-speed, until very smooth. Ladle into bowls. Just before serving, stir lime juice into curry oil and drizzle over soup. Garnish with mint.

 

Weekly Winner: The Marriage of Two Recent Obsessions

Lately, I’ve been somewhat obsessed with Indian food.  I crave it.  It is a fairly new discovery with me as far as home cooking is concerned.  I’ve always enjoyed going to Indian restaurants and I do make a fairly awesome Chicken Tikka Masala (if I do say so myself), but that has pretty much been it.  Until now.  I’m now collecting recipes like mad and experimenting with Indian spices in everyday cooking.

At the same time, hubby has become obsessed with making his own cheese.  I know, I’m a lucky woman.  Mozzarella, ricotta, you name it, he’s been tinkering with it with great success.  Which brings us to a recent, cold, Sunday evening and this week’s Weekly Winner — Saag Paneer.  Indian food and homemade cheese… ding, ding!!  We have a winner!

The recipe comes from Food Network Magazine and while a bit time-consuming is actually quite easy … and most delicious.

Saag Paneer

Ingredients

For the cheese:

• 6 cups whole milk
• 1 cup plain 2 percent Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the spinach:

• Kosher salt
• 2 pounds baby spinach
• 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper (seeded for less heat)
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 3/4 cup plain 2 percent Greek yogurt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

Directions

Make the cheese: Line a colander with a double layer of damp cheesecloth; put in the sink. Bring the milk to a simmer in a wide nonreactive pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt, lemon juice and 2 teaspoons salt. Continue to stir gently until large curds form and separate from the whey, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain through the cheesecloth-lined colander, discarding the whey. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth and twist to squeeze out any excess whey (run the sides of the bundle under cool water if it’s too hot to handle). Tie the ends of the cheesecloth around a wooden spoon handle and lay the spoon over the colander, letting the bundle dangle; let drain, 10 minutes.

Untie the bundle and twist the cheesecloth again, squeezing out any more whey. Lay the bundle on its side on a plate. Top with another plate and weigh it down with a large can. Refrigerate until a firm cake forms, about 1 hour; unwrap and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use, or up to 2 days.

Fry the cheese: Cut the cheese into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss in the flour until well coated, shaking off any excess. Heat about 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully add the cheese and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season lightly with salt and set aside.

Make the spinach: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Working in batches, cook the spinach until just tender, about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of salted ice water. Drain and squeeze dry, then chop and set aside.

Pulse the ginger, garlic, jalapeno, coriander, cumin, turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Whisk the yogurt, 1/4 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and the vegetable oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger mixture and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 5 minutes (add a splash of water if the mixture is sticking). Reduce the heat to medium low; add 1/2 cup water and scrape up any browned bits, then add the cooked spinach and stir until heated through, about 4 minutes. Stir in the yogurt mixture and simmer gently until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the fried cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt.

Weekly Winner: Great, Green Goodness

I adore soups.  I particularly adore creamy soups.  Nothing makes me happier than when the weather gets a bit chilly and I know its time to start rifling through all my wonderful soup recipes.  I also love spinach.  And while I have plenty of soups that include some spinach, and I have loads of “cream of (something)” soups, I noticed I didn’t have a spinach soup recipe where spinach was the main attraction.  Until now.  And a creamy spinach soup?  Now you’re talking!  This was a luscious, flavorful, soul satisfying soup that could definitely be considered healthy and was relatively low in calories.  Bonus!  I believe I got this recipe from a recent issue of Cuisine at Home Magazine but I’m not entirely sure.  I am sure that it is a definite Weekly Winner.  Here it is: Creamy Spinach Soup.

Creamy Spinach Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 cup diced onion

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups half-and-half

2 cups chicken broth

12 cups baby spinach, divided (7.5 oz)

1 Tbsp minced lemon zest

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Store-bought croutons

Procedure:

Sauté onion in oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until softened, 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.  Stir in flour and cook 2-3 minutes.

Whisk half-and-half and broth into flour mixture.  Bring soup to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Add 8 cups (5 oz) spinach and cook until tender, 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low.

Puree soup with a handheld blender until smooth.

Stir in remaining 4 cups (2.5 oz) spinach (chopped) zest, lemon juice, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper.  Serve soup with croutons.

The Salad Stands Alone

I made this salad for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it made me very happy.  My husband and I each took our first bite and sat back and said “Wow!  This is better than it should be!”  This was definitely a case of the final product being surprisingly better than the sum of its parts.  Now, understand… my husband is totally not a “salad” guy…. and the fact that we had a lovely grilled steak with this and he even noticed the salad speaks volumes.

The original recipe comes from Eating Well magazine and is designed to have the sliced steak served on top.  As I said, we did do that the first time, but this salad is definitely tasty enough to stand on its own.  As a matter of fact, I made the salad, sans steak, last weekend for Easter dinner with friends.

Spinach Blueberry Salad  – serves 4

1 cup fresh blueberries, divided

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

3 Tbsp fruity vinegar (I used a raspberry vinegar)

1 Tbsp minced shallot

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tbsp walnut oil or canola oil (I used walnut)

8 cups baby spinach

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Pulse 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup walnuts, vinegar, shallot, sugar and salt in a food processor to form a chunky paste.  With motor running, add oil until incorporated.  Transfer the dressing to a large bowl.

Add spinach to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Divide the spinach among the 4 plates.  Top the spinach with feta and remaining walnuts and blueberries.  Enjoy!