Season To Taste

A little more than ten years ago, my husband and I travelled to Greece for our honeymoon.  The history, the architecture, the landscape, the beaches…all were amazing.  But I expected all that.  What surprised me was the food!  Until that point in time, the only Greek food I’d had was the diner variety…gyros, Greek salad, maybe an occasional stuffed grape leaf.  While these are all dishes I enjoy—they could never have prepared me for the delicious cuisine found on both mainland Greece and the Greek Islands.

Although it was summer, a traditional Greek soup was on the menu at most restaurants:  Avgolemono soup.  It was described as a lemon soup, which I found most curious.  At our wedding just days before, we’d served a chilled strawberry soup, but I’d never had lemonsoup before.   I learned that Avgolemono is often served chilled during the warmer months, and hot during the colder months, as can be done with a Vichyssoise (although Vichyssoise is traditionally served cold, but makes an equally good hot soup).  Despite the incredibly hot, humid weather in Greece that August, I was served both the hot and cold versions during our trip. 

The preparation of this soup is simple.  Uncooked rice is simmered in chicken broth until tender, then a frothy mixture of eggs and lemon juice are slowly whisked into the hot soup.  The eggs are cooked within the broth, as I described on my other blog, The Secret Ingredient Online, in a recent post about egg drop soup.   Then the shredded chicken and fresh parsley is added to complete the dish.  Although it has some of the components of egg drop soup, the chicken and rice make it heartier, and the lemon gives it a fantastic and refreshing tang.

Upon our return home, I quickly put together a Greek-themed dinner party for friends.  Naturally, we started with Avgolemono soup and it was the surprise hit of the evening.  I’ve made this soup many times since, both at home and in my cooking classes.  Each and every time I prepare Avgolemono soup, I’m reminded of our wonderful trip, the beautiful country of Greece, and all the fantastic food I discovered that August.

 Avgolemono Soup

Serves 4

4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup brown rice

1 cup shredded cooked chicken

2 eggs

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

Place broth and rice in a medium sauce pan, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked.

Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to beat eggs until frothy.  Add lemon juice and beat to incorporate. 

Add a couple tablespoons of the broth to egg mixture (to temper it), then add the egg mixture, a little at a time, to the hot broth, stirring continuously.  Add shredded chicken, salt and pepper, and heat gently for a few minutes. 

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley. 

Note:  Soup may be served immediately, or can also be served chilled.

Chilly weather makes me crazy for chili! I love all sorts— black bean, red bean, vegetarian, turkey, beef…you name it.  Years ago I discovered a recipe for white chili with chicken that I’ve made over and over again.  The other night, I realized I hadn’t planned very well for the week’s meals, and I was left with nothing to make for dinner.  To the pantry I went, and found I had a few cans of cannellini beans and some onions.  In the refrigerator I found a red bell pepper and a few sprigs of parsley hiding in the back of my vegetable drawer, and in the freezer I had a package of chicken breasts.  Perfect—I’d make a variation on the great white chili recipe I’ve loved for years! 

 If you haven’t noticed—my recipes often have a theme of utilizing whatever I have on hand to create something delicious.  This is not to say that I don’t plan plenty of meals.  However, I think this is the type of situation many people find themselves in many evenings: “What the heck am I going to make for dinner?” This is usually followed by “I REALLY don’t want to go to the grocery store!”  This is a perfect example of how a well-stocked pantry can come to the rescue on one of those nights.  It is also a good illustration of how you can make variations of different recipes based on what you have available.  The original version of this recipe did not use any red bell peppers, and instead used a jalapeno pepper.  It also called for cilantro, but I didn’t have any…so parsley would have to do!  Feel free to experiment with different ingredients, either as substitutions or to jazz up a recipe.  If it doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t worry.  The more you get comfortable in the kitchen the more likely you will be to start creating your own versions of recipes. 

To read more about a well-stocked pantry on my other blog, The Secret Ingredient Online, click here.

White Chicken Chili with Beer

Serves 4

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 -15 oz cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1 bottle of beer

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

olive oil

salt & pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and saute onion and garlic until softened.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook for an additional minute or two.

Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 7 minutes.

Add about 3/4 of the bottle of beer and all the beans, lower heat slightly, and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and beans are heated through.

Add parsley and serve topped with cheddar cheese.

My Italian American grandmother was the true cook in our family, but once a year on December 31^st,  her sister, my great Aunt Nellie, made her specialty New Year’s Eve Pizza.  We all converged on the Brooklyn brownstone she shared with my maternal grandparents to celebrate well into the early morning hours.  It didn’t matter that we were children who should haven been in bed.  The neighborhood came alive at midnight, complete with noisemakers, fireworks, and the aromas of late night meals being prepared in all the adjoining homes.   We all gathered on the front steps of the house, and zealously rang in the New Year with the rest of the neighbors.  

However, the real treat was when we went back inside to eat Aunt Nellie’s pizza.  It was a family favorite, but it was saved only for this special night.  Aunt Nellie made two types of pizza, “red” and “white”.  The red (recipe to follow) featured mounds of sautéed onions and grated Sardo cheese (a sheep’s milk cheese from  Sardinia, an island off Italy‘s western coast) atop a tomato sauced crust.  The white was served without tomato sauce and was flavored with anchovies and garlic.  Unfortunately, after many attempts to recreate it, I haven’t been able to do it justice.  Aunt Nellie loved secrets, and her few recipes were among her favorite things to keep to herself.  

Now that my grandparents and Aunt Nellie are gone and their house has been sold, I still make her red pizza.  To me, it is too good to make only once a year, so with some short-cuts (such as prepared dough and good-quality prepared tomato sauce) and substitutions (such as Pecorino-Romano for Sardo, which is difficult to find), it becomes an easy weeknight meal which my whole family loves.  I think Aunt Nellie would approve!

 Aunt Nellie’s New Year’s Eve Pizza

Serves 4-6

1-16 oz. bag prepared pizza dough (available in the refrigerator section at most grocery stores or your local pizzeria)

4 medium yellow onions, sliced

1 cup prepared basic tomato sauce (your favorite brand)

½ cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

 Saute the onions and oregano  in 2 T olive oil over medium-high heat, until lightly browned (about 15 minutes).  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly oil a 12×18 inch jelly roll pan.  Stretch out the pizza dough  onto the pan so it reaches to each corner.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the dough.

Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a ½ inch border on all sides.

Spread the sautéed onions  over top of the sauce, and sprinkle all over with grated cheese. 

Drizzle with olive oil again, and sprinkle more oregano if desired.

Bake on lower rack of oven for about 25 minutes, or until crust is golden and baked through. 

Cut into squares and serve.

Lately I’ve been having a hankering for my mom’s cooking.  In the past month, I’ve made her meatloaf with mushroom gravy, her homemade mac and cheese, and her famous “Chicken Waikiki Beach”.  Tonight, I was in the mood for her Chicken Pizzaiola (”peets-aye-ola”).  I think it is actually my grandmother’s recipe, to which she likely made some updates along the way.  They both always made this dish in a huge, electric skillet.  Since I do not have an electric skillet (and no, mom, I don’t have room for one either!), I decided to do some updating of my own and do this entire dish in the oven.  Sure, it would have more closely approximated the cooking method to do it in a big pan on my stove top, but that would require more attention than I was willing to give it at that point in the day.  I’ve always been a big fan of low-maintenance dishes, and this is probably one of my favorites.

The ingredients are simple—chicken, potatoes, onions, garlic, oregano and tomato sauce.  My mother and grandmother always used bone-in chicken pieces…a combination of breasts, legs, and thighs.  To cut the calories a bit, which come in large part from the skin and dark meat, and more importantly, to cut the cooking time, I opted for skinless, boneless breasts.  I’m the first to admit that chicken, or any meat, on the bone is very flavorful.  However, I think the full-on meatiness of the breasts is enough to make up for a little loss in flavor.  Besides,  I never have been a fan of having to pick through all those bones just to get a nice bite of chicken on my fork!

Be sure to cut the potatoes relatively small so they will cook quickly.   The breasts will not take long, and you don’t want to dig into a perfectly cooked piece of chicken only to have the potatoes underdone. 

Mom’s Chicken Pizzaiola

Serves 4-6

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half crosswise

1 lb potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 - 8 oz cans tomato sauce (or  3 cans if you like it more saucy)

1 tablespoon oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly spray a large baking dish or pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Place the chicken breasts into the pan so they are not touching. 

Add the potatoes, sliced onions, and garlic to pan, and spread around the breasts.

Season everything with salt and pepper.  Pour the cans of tomato sauce over the top of the entire dish and sprinkle with oregano.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and potatoes are fork-tender.

On Christmas Eve, Italians and many Italian-Americans eat a seafood feast.  There is no meat whatsoever.  Traditionally, up to eleven different kids of fish were served (for the Apostles, minus Judas), but over the years, my family has scaled that back to three (for the Holy Trinity).  It has to be an odd number for good luck.  We always start the meal with one of my favorite dishes, Pasta con Sardo, which is spaghetti in red sauce, embellished with sardines, raisins, fennel, and often pine nuts.  The creation of this dish can get complicated.  The following dish is a lot simpler to make, but adheres to the same Christmas Eve standards I’ve come to follow.  It uses canned anchovies instead….wait!  Don’t stop reading!!  I promise you it is delicious!

Anchovies do not sit at the “popular table” in the cafeteria.  They are not pretty or sweet, and many foods don’t want to hang out with them.  Anchovies definitely have a following, but their friends are a little more alternative…they wear black and are sometimes seen as antisocial.  But what most people don’t know about the anchovies are that they are actually MUCH cooler than most of the foods at the popular table, they are just more of an acquired taste. 

Popular or not, I happen to love anchovies.  I grew up eating anchovies on white pizza, which was my great Aunt Nellie’s New Year’s Eve specialty.  I love bagna cauda, an olive oil dip made with anchovies, and I especially love anchovies in pasta dishes.  Over the summer, while visiting Italy’s Liguria region, I was in anchovy heaven.  Bordering the Mediterranean in the Italian Rivera, the local cuisine relies heavily on seafood.  Anchovies are the regional specialty, and “pasta con accuighe” is found in most every restaurant.   

This pasta dish is features a simple red sauce studded with chunks of fresh anchovies.  Fresh anchovies have a decidedly different taste than the tinned or jarred varieties with which we are most familiar here in the states.  Not only is the texture different (they are meatier), but they are more mellow and a little less salty.  However, since fresh anchovies are not widely available in most U.S. grocery stores, I’ve re-created the recipe using the tinned version. 

For this dish I pair the anchovy-enhanced red sauce with a lemon-pepper papparadelle I found at Trader Joe’s (although you could easily substitute regular pasta).  Lemon and pepper flavors go well with most seafood, and the zip in the pasta is a great compliment to the salty sauce.  On a recent night, I was short on time and decided to use my favorite jarred tomato sauce instead of making one from scratch (cue Grandma rolling over in her grave).  While the pasta cooked, I added some sauce to a small pan, added the anchovies, and stirred until they dissolved into the sauce.  I topped the dish with fresh parsley and a few chopped walnuts for texture.  It wasn’t exactly what I ate in Monterosso back in August, but it was a great 15 minute alternative with great flavor. 

Lemon-Pepper Pasta with Anchovies

Serves 2

1 - 12 oz package Lemon-Pepper Papparadelle (or other lemon-infused pasta)

1 cup basic tomato sauce (I opt for Victoria brand)

6 anchovy fillets packed in oil (drained)

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup walnuts, chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.

While pasta cooks, add tomato sauce to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat.  Once simmering, add anchovy fillets and stir until dissolved.

Drain pasta and toss with sauce.  Top with parsley and walnuts and serve immediately.

2 ½ cups flour
½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

On Sunday I was in the mood for something homey…some sort of comfort food.  I’d had pasta the night before, so homemade macaroni and cheese was out, and I’d just made a roasted chicken earlier that week.  After scanning my pantry and fridge, I decided I was in the mood for pot pie.  But as much as I love traditional pot pie, with its flaky crust and creamy sauce, I thought we’d all be better off with a healthier, updated version. 

 I started with some skinless, boneless chicken breasts and a variety of vegetables.  Since I have small kids, who can sometimes be picky, I thought it best to choose veggies I know they’d eat:  carrots, peas, and corn.  Next, instead of a white, cream-based sauce, I opted for a lower-calorie, healthier tomato-based sauce for my pot pie.  Any prepared sauce will do…everyone has their personal favorites.  Just to add a touch of creaminess to the mixture, I tossed in a little half-and-half, which really transformed the entire dish. 

When it came to the crust, I chose to omit the bottom crust entirely, partly to cut back on fat and calories, but also to save time.  A flaky pastry crust may taste good, but can be tricky to prepare.  By using a multigrain baking mix, I prepared a biscuit-like crust to top my pot pie, and sprinkled it with a little parmesan cheese to give it a little extra flavor.

 This dish is really easy to prepare, and is absolutely delicious.  My whole family loves it….and I was almost disappointed when there were no leftovers! 

Healthy Family-Style Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 4

 1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 medium carrots, diced

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 ears of corn, cooked and removed from cob (or about ¾  cup kernels, thawed if frozen)

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into a ¾” dice

1 cup prepared tomato sauce

¼ cup half and half

For crust:

2 cups whole wheat or multigrain pancake mix

2/3 cup of milk

1-2 t sugar

2 T parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large skillet or saucepan, sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic in a about 2T of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove veggies to a bowl.

In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of oil and add diced chicken.  Cook about 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink.

When chicken is cooked, add the cooked vegetables back into the pan and add tomato sauce and half and half.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.   Pour into a 9″ deep dish pie plate.  Set aside.

Preheat  oven to 425 degrees.

In another bowl, mix the multigrain pancake mix with 2/3 cup of milk and sugar.   Dollop biscuit mixture on top of chicken and vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until biscuit is golden and cooked all the way through.

One of my mom’s specialties was her homemade macaroni and cheese.  Ironically, it wasn’t something she grew up eating.  In the Italian-American neighborhood where she spent her childhood, I’m pretty sure no one made, ate, or probably even gave any thought to classic American macaroni and cheese.  It just wasn’t part of the food culture.  However, when she left that area and headed to a less ethnic, more “middle-American” part of the state, she joined the ranks and began experimenting with mac and cheese.

Over time, my mom definitely changed her recipe a few times.  For many years she used a mixture of Velveeta  and cheddar, which melted beautifully and made for a very creamy finished product.  Then she began omitting the Velveeta and substituting all different combinations of other cheeses.  Early on, she used whole milk, which at some point became 2%, then 1%, then finally skim.  The macaroni itself never changed (always elbow shaped pasta), nor did the topping, which was always made from a combination of breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and paprika.  Through its many incarnations, it was always delicious.

These days, I try not to overindulge in massive amounts of pasta and cheese, but every so often when I’m feeling in the mood for comfort food, homemade macaroni and cheese is one of those recipes to which I always return.  Like my mom, I’ve made changes along the way, from using different shaped pastas (my kids like spirals), to different combinations of cheeses, and even some “add-ins” here and there.  I particularly like the idea of adding some sort of vegetable and/or protein to the mix, to amp up the nutritional value a bit.  This recipe is one of my favorite combinations.  Riffing on a classic Italian combination of peas and prosciutto, I use peas and diced, boiled ham.  The additions add texture and a great pop of color to the finished dish. 

It’s not exactly my mom’s mac and cheese, but I think she likes it just as much!

Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 4-6

12 oz macaroni (elbows, spirals, penne, etc)

1/2 cup onions, diced

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

1 dried bay leaf

2 cups skim milk

1 tablespoon corn starch

dash of Worcestershire sauce

dash white vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder (plus more for sprinkling)

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (plus more for sprinkling)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup diced ham

1/2 cup Panko (Japanese style) bread crumbs

paprkia

salt and pepper

Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain, and set aside.

In the same pot used for the macaroni, heat canola oil and saute onions until transluscent.  Add bay leaf and cook for another couple minutes.

In a mixing cup, whisk together milk and cornstarch and add to pot.  Simmer for a few minutes, then add Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, salt & pepper.  Remove bay leaf and continue to simmer for about 2-3 minutes. 

Remove milk from heat and add cheeses.  Stir until a smooth sauce is acheived.

Add cooked macaroni, peas, and ham to the pot and stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a __ quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour in macaroni mixture.

Top with bread crumbs, an additional sprinkling of garlic powder and parmesan cheese, and a bit of paprika.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until top is browned and crispy, and the macaroni is bubbly.

For me, December is cookie month! 

I recently made more batches of meringue cookies than I ever thought possible.  No, I am not a meringue fanatic, nor do I have an unhealthy obsession with egg whites.  I do, however, have a freelance job as a recipe developer, and my corporate client wanted meringues.  No problem, I thought.  Meringues are easy!  A few ingredients, a slow oven, and I could collect my paycheck.  Many, many batches of cookies later, I am now eating those words, and far too many meringues.

I quickly found that the egg whites are quicker to whip into voluminous, stiff peaks when they are at room temperature.  Straight-from-the-fridge egg whites just won’t whip.  I also found that regular, granulated sugar doesn’t incorporate easily into the meringue mixture, and the cookies will feel gritty.  Superfine or “castor” sugar is much better for creating  a smooth meringue.

Stiff peaks should stand tall!

The fun came when I had to figure out how to incorporate my client’s flavored, brewed tea into the cookies.  After a few batches that fell flat (literally), it became apparent that the tea was destabilizing the egg whites.   While they whipped up into perfect peaks, soon after coming out of the oven, they would collapse.  After trying varying amounts of tea, I finally was able to add just a teaspoon of super-concentrated brew to flavor the cookies without ruining them. 

It was a long road to achieve the final result, and my Pumpkin Spice Meringues with Pecans were a hit with my client.  The recipe below is a variation on my many meringue trials, and perfect for your holiday dessert table. 

Merry Mint Meringues

Makes 2 dozen cookies

2 oz egg whites (from  2 large eggs), at room temperature

½ cup superfine sugar

½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar

½ teaspoon mint extract

¼ cup crushed peppermint candies (or candy canes)

Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 275 degrees and place rack on middle setting.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat egg whites on medium-high speed with an electric mixer, until soft peaks form (about 2 minutes).  Add the cream of tartar, then the sugar, a little at a time, and raise the speed of the mixer to high. 

Add the mint extract and continue to beat on high until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes).  To determine if you have achieved “stiff peaks”, dip a wire whisk into the mixture, pull it straight out and upward, and then turn the whisk right side up.  If the egg whites hold their peak (and they don’t bend over sideways), then you have stiff peaks.  The mixture should be very voluminous and look like fluffy whipped cream.  Don’t overbeat….the mixture should look glossy, not dry.

Using a 2 oz ice cream scoop (or 2 spoons), place rounded mounds of meringue (about 2 tablespoons per cookie) onto prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies.  Bake for 45 minutes, until firm to the touch, turn oven off and allow the cookies to slowly cool as the oven cools (at least another hour).  They will be crisp on the outside, with a slightly soft center.  When they are finished, they will release from the parchment very easily.

Cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container on the countertop.

Note:  Superfine sugar is sometimes sold as “castor” or “caster” sugar and is available in the baking section of most supermarkets.  You can make your own superfine sugar by processing regular granulated sugar in a food processor for approximately 30 seconds.

Note:  High humidity can sometimes affect the results of this recipe.  Dry days are best to make meringues. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I realize this seems like an odd choice, considering the other holidays have much more hoopla surrounding them.  So what makes turkey day tops with me? The entire day is all about food!  No cards, no gifts, no costumes, and no elaborate decorations.  Just one big, glorious meal with family and friends.  Definitely my kind of holiday.

 My grandmother, who happened to be an excellent cook, made a HUGE deal over Thanksgiving every year.  Any of you who are Italian-American know that Thanksgiving isn’t just about turkey.  It is about soup, and lasagna, and meatballs, and sausage, THEN the turkey, potatoes, stuffed artichokes, brussels sprouts, green beans carrots, corn, and about ten other side dishes.  My grandmother would get up at about 3am to start cooking…and that is no exaggeration.  As you can imagine, our Thanksgiving meals lasted for hours.  No matter how many people were around the table, there always seemed to be enough food for triple the number present.  This also meant lots of leftovers. 

 So make a little extra this Thanksgiving and enjoy the leftovers! 

 Cranberry-Turkey Salad Wrap

2 cups diced cooked turkey (preferably white meat)

1/4 cup diced celery

2 tablespoons diced red onion (optional)

1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1/3 cup light mayo
salt and pepper to taste

4 romaine lettuce leaves (or substitute 3 oz baby spinach)

4 whole wheat wraps

Combine turkey, celery, onion, cranberries, gorgonzola and mayo in a medium bowl. Stir until incorporated.

Lay out 4 whole wheat wraps on your work surface. Line each with one leaf of romaine lettuce (or divide baby spinach equally among wraps).

Place 1/2 -3/4 cup of salad in center of each wrap, and fold/roll as desired.

Serve chilled or at room temperature