Thank You, Rick Bayless

Recently, I've found a nice little food community on Twitter. Local DC bloggers, fellow foodies and even a few celebrity chefs to share recipes (140 characters or less!), restaurant recommendations, food tips, ideas and twitpics of our latest creations. A few days ago, Rick Bayless (of Frontera Grill fame in Chicago and recent winner of the third episode of Top Chef Masters) posted a picture of his ever growing mint garden. I, having an abundance of mint growing from my indoor Aerogarden, tweeted Rick asking if he had any interesting or innovative ways to use the herb. To my complete surprise (and humble elation), he replied:

@jenwexler Mint faves right now: agua fresca (mint, cucumber, lime, pineapple), fresh fava or pea soup with mint and grilled green onion.

After I caught my breath, I resolved to make Rick's suggestions this weekend (and hopefully tweet some pictures back to him!). Both recipes were new to me, so I set out to do a little internet research - getting general proportions of fruit to water for agua fresca (a light fruit drink available in stands throughout Mexico) and the best way to combine peas, mint and onion in soup form. The improvised results were outstanding and have been officially added to my repertoire. Thank you, Rick Bayless.

Agua Fresca with Mint, Cucumber, Lime and Pineapple

(makes 2 1/2 quarts)

1/2 medium size cucumber (peeled and seeded)

1/4 pineapple (8-10 medium cubes)

1/4 lime (juiced)

handful of mint leaves

Combine cucumber, pineapple, lime juice, and mint leaves in blender. Strain liquid through fine mesh sieve into a pitcher. Fill remainder of pitcher with water. Serve over ice.

Chilled Pea Soup with Mint

(serves 3-4)

2 cups of English peas, shelled

1 leek, white and green parts, sliced thin

1 large clove garlic, sliced thin

1 garlic scape, sliced thin

2 cups chicken stock, divided

1/4 cup olive oil

sea salt, to taste

ground black pepper, to taste

truffle oil, for garnish

Heat olive oil in heavy stock pot. When warmed, add leeks and garlic scapes, sauteing until soft (10-15 minutes), avoid browning. When leeks are softened, add peas and garlic, being careful not to burn garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken broth and cook peas for 5-8 minutes until just tender. Transfer soup to food processor, add mint, and puree to desired consistency, adding remaining chicken broth as needed. Transfer pureed soup to a clean bowl and set over an ice bath, to preserve the soup's bright green color. Serve chilled sprinkled with sea salt, black pepper, and a swirl of truffle oil. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

Linked to from:

Leek and Chickpea Soup

This recipe comes to me somewhat third-hand. For my birthday, Eric gave me The Foster Harris House cookbook, from the B&B where we stayed to celebrate our first anniversary. (Buy it here.) This recipe comes from that book, but it came to that chef - John MacPherson - via renowned chef Jamie Oliver's friend Bender who found the recipe in an old cookbook somewhere. Did you follow that? So, nods all around. Thank you Bender, thank you Jamie for having a friend Bender, and thank you John.

This soup makes a great one course meal. Hearty enough to stand on its own and complex enough in taste and texture to stay exciting.

Leek and Chickpea Soup

5 large leeks

2 TBS butter

2 TBS olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 small peeled potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

12 oz of canned chickpeas

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to garnish

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare leeks by cutting off and discarding tough green tops of leeks. Slick white parts of leeks lengthwise and rinse well. Roughly chop.

Melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat in a heavy pot and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, then add the leeks. Cook the leeks for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add the potato and chickpeas and cook for 1-2 minutes longer. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add more broth to thin the soup if desired or use a regular or emulsion blender to puree soup to desired consistency. Add half of the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and top with the remaining Parmesan.

Serves 6.

Enjoy!

Bedlam Manor Chili

This is primarily my mom's chili recipe, with one added ingredient that a friend suggested for a richer tasting dish: Worcestershire sauce. The recipe doubles, triples, or quadruples easily for a crowd.

Bedlam Manor Chili

1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1 lb ground beef
salt or garlic salt to taste
1 lb can tomotoes
1 lb can kidney beans
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
shredded cheddar

Brown first four ingredients. Add tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil then add oregano, chili powder, and the Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours. Taste and add more chili powder and salt if desired. Chili should be thick.

A great recipe for some of the cold nights we've been having!

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone and welcome to 2009! I hope you had a nice celebration last night. If your day is anything like mine, today is a lazy day of relaxing and eating lots of leftovers. We pulled out a few old time favorites and tried a few new dishes and as always, had way too much food. But, I did remember to take pictures of everything, so I am happy to share with you our New Year's Eve feast - complete with links to each recipe. Of course, the dishes can be made for any occasion and I know that I'll certainly be pulling these out again.

Enjoy!

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil

Grown Up Ham and Cheese Finger Sandwiches

Grilled Beef Tenderloin on Focaccia Toasts

French Onion Soup

Pear and Walnut Salad

Beef Bourguignon

Potatoes au Gratin

Banana's Foster

(recipe provided and cooked by Betsy and flambeed by Mike!)

Provencal Chicken Stew

As is my routine, I woke up this morning and checked the weather forecast. It's gonna be a cold one! Highs not even getting out of the 30s this weekend. Immediately, I thought it is time to bring out the slow cooker. Here is one of our favorites - and very easy to make (what isn't with the slow cooker?). It is a simple recipe, combining basic ingredients, and we find it is good over rice, to absorb the sauce. The taste combinations of the chicken, kalamata olives, tomatoes and basil is delicious and will make you yearn for the fresh air and rugged landscape of Provence.

Provencal Chicken Stew

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 chicken, cut into serving pieces and skinned
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade, for garnish
• 1 cup black Nyons or kalamata olives, for garnish

Combine the 3/4 cup flour and the salt in a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag, several pieces at a time, and shake to coat completely.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned on both sides. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain, then arrange in the slow cooker.

Set the sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the onion and the 2 tablespoons flour. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, until some of the tomato liquid evaporates.

Pour the onion mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 8 hours, until the chicken is tender. At 3 to 4 hours, the chicken will still be firm and hold its shape. At 6 to 8 hours, the meat will be falling off the bone.

Divide the chicken among dinner plates and garnish with the parsley, basil, and olives. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Tis the season to be jolly, and by jolly I mean full of heavy holiday dishes. I hope everyone survived Thanksgiving. I, for one, filled up on appetizers and now, while everyone else is begrudgingly finishing up their leftovers, I wish I had had more turkey.

So, now we look toward the next set of holidays, gearing up for more big meals. What is your family's traditional holiday feast? Although I grew up Jewish, I also celebrated Christmas on my father's side. His mother, a traditional Italian, made lasagna and meatballs for Christmas dinner. While basic, I look forward to it every year!

Even though it is now officially December, I'm not quite ready to give up on Fall yet, and there is probably not much time to make another one of my favorite dishes, so I will happily share it with you. Butternut squash and apple soup, recipe courtesy of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups good apple cider or juice

Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

Enjoy!

[Photo by The Smiths, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.]

Bulgarian Cucumber Soup

This comes from another childhood friend, Julie. I am truly so happy to have reconnected with the kids from Motown (thank you Facebook!). This recipe sounds delicious and makes me yearn for warmer days, although I can't say it wouldn't be refreshing now. Ice cream in December, anyone?

Bulgarian Cucumber Soup

1 1/2 cups cucumbers, peeled and seeded
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs fresh dill, chopped
1/4 to 1 cup chopped walnuts
1 to 1 1/2 cups yogurt or sour cream

Mix together oil, salt, pepper, garlic, dill, and walnuts. Marinate cucumber in this mixture for 2-6 hours in the refrigerator.

Puree mixture in blender. When ready to serve, mix in cream. Put 1-2 ice cubes in each bowl and pour in soup.

Enjoy!

[Photo by Jacob Barss-Bailey, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.]