Holiday Leftovers: Beef Broth Edition

This year for Thanksgiving I did not make a turkey.

Sacrilege I know, but a "roast" sounded so much easier to shove into my crockpot.  Double sacrilege for the non-oven usage maybe, but as a huge fan of hands-off cooking I knew searing a slab of meat, browning some veggies, and letting them meddle on their own for a whole day was the way to go.

As if that doesn't make turning my back on turkey like a good enough idea already, the use of the slow cooker actually came with a second perk: broth for days.

After taking the three pound dinner out of the pot I found myself with about 5 cups of beef broth that had been deeply seasoned with mushrooms, red wine, onions, garlic, and rosemary.

Looking at this abundance of soup base I found myself at a loss for what exactly to make until I got the "borscht, duh" tip from a guest.

Scanning the list of ingredients you might think that aside from the beets, this borscht is slightly atypical.

I wanted to have a lighter follow up to the heavy holiday din, so I took a pass on a second round of beef and kept the broth as the heaviest thing in the soup then went about vegging it up with lots of carrots, fennel, cabbage, and dill.

The results were an absolute hit and surprisingly, the addition of pinto beans, which I agonized over for an unreasonable amount of time, stole the show.  The soup is known for its classic sweet and sour flavor, and I thought the pintos absorbed just enough of this to blend into the soup but held onto their own earthiness too, lending a nice depth to each bowl.

Enjoy!

Root Soup

Ingredients

• 4 beets, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
• 1 small bulb of fennel, sliced
• 1/2 of a purple or green cabbage, sliced
• 3+ c beef stock
• 1+ c mushroom stock
• 1 c dill
• 1 c kale, chopped
• 1 can of pinto beans, rinsed well
• salt, pepper, and olive oil as needed

Garnish: Greek Yogurt, more dill


Combine:

1. Bring 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a shimmer in a big pot over medium heat.  Add the beats and saute for 5 minutes until well coated with oil and starting to steam.  Add in the onions and saute for another 5 minutes.  Add in the carrots, fennel, and cabbage; give the pot a big stir, then cover the pot with a lid and let steam for 5 minutes.
2. Pour the stock in the pot (adding more to cover the vegetables with at least one inch of liquid) and turn the heat up to high to bring until the liquid boils.  Keep the pot boiling for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to a simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Add the dill, kale, and pinto beans to the pot and continue to simmer for 30 more minutes until the beets are cooked through.
4. Spoon soup into a bowl, top with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh dill and enjoy!

Holiday Leftovers: Pumpkin Edition

After four days of eating my body weight's worth of mashed potatoes and dessert and washing it all down with my body weight's worth of beer, I realized I still have a leftover can of pumpkin sitting in my cabinet.

Being a firm supporter of pumpkin everything all the time, I was completely okay with this discovery and ready to embrace some puree.

Despite the enthusiasm I was not completely ready for another Thanksgiving-esque meal so I wanted to avoid the typical creamy, sweet, cinnamon soup that is usually associated with pumpkin - a bowl full of spice was the perfect way.

Here, the pumpkin is really used as a way to build up the soup base by creating a thick broth that has a natural creaminess without actually using cream.  Including the chorizo brings a lot of much needed spice and flavor into the picture - if you're vegetarian try opting for a vegetarian sausage alternative or substituting chickpeas and adding some red pepper and smoked sea salt to make up for the flavor.  On the other hand, if you are not down to hang with some spice, try substituting a sweet fennel sausage that will still give you a good flavor base without the heat.  And don't forget to add some heaping handfuls of greens to balance out the bowl before enjoying!

Pumpkin Soup with Chorizo and Spinach

Ingredients

• 3 T olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 chorizo sausages*
• 2 t herbs of choice, like sage or basil
• 3 t spices of choice, like turmeric, smoked paprika, and cinnamon
• Salt, black pepper, red pepper
• 1 can squash or pumpkin
• 2 cans of water
• 2 large handfuls of spinach

Combine:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers.  Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring in between to keep the onion from burning.  Push the onions to the edges of the pot then add in the chorizo.  Let the chorizo brown then give the pot a good stir.  Cook for 5 more minutes until the chorizo is evenly browned and onions are translucent yellow.
2. Add the spices and herbs to the pot and cook for one minute, stirring often until the onions and chorizo are well coated.  Stir in the can of pumpkin and two cans of water, turn the heat up to high until the pot boils.
3. Continue to boil for 5 minutes then simmer for 30, stirring periodically so the ingredients don't stick to the bottom of the pan.  Stir in a few large handfuls of spinach and cook until wilted.
4. Enjoy!

*If you use freshly made sausages, break open the casing and use just the meat for the recipe.  If you use pre-cooked sausages, slice them up before browning.

Shroom bowls

In the last few days multiple people have asked me about what good things I've been cooking lately, but instead of wowing the crowd with a description of something delicious I've only been able to respond with a feeling of deep sadness because lately, life has been quite a trip.

I'll save you all the sob story but after wading through a swamp of school work and crawling out from under the ever growing pile of work work only to be sucked into the media swirl of the election all while turning a whole year older, there hasn't been much time (read: energy) to spend in the kitchen.

But instead of spending time longingly dreaming about all of the recipes I wished I had made time to make lately, I dug deep and thought about all the meals I had been making lately - because it's never the complete truth when I say I haven't been up to anything.

So here I share with you the non-cooking list.

If you're also up to your eyes in to-do lists or just have some Post-Trump Depression, take notes and cook what you can:

1.  The best way to non-cook is to make one item that you can use multiple ways.  I'll roast sweet potatoes, fennel, or beets at the beginning of the week then use them to fancify meals throughout the week.  Of course tossing some into a salad is a given, but try roasted fennel on toast with persimmon or lox, or place roasted potatoes on a plate, top with an egg, and microwave for 1-3 minutes to enjoy in the morning.

2.  Easy soups.  You might think all soup is easy to make but that's a lie.  Some soup recipes are a lot of work because they have tons of ingredients with different cook times or require multiple prep methods (puree, roast, etc.) that really just turn out to be a nuisance... the list of traits goes on but I think you know what I mean: grab ingredients for simple lentil soups, chili, or anything made in a slow-cooker so you can enjoy your day and your dinner too!

3.  Lastly, we have the lazy salad in disguise as seen here.

For those of you who don't already know, I like to think of sautes as lazy salads in disguise.

If I took all these ingredients and ate them cold, I would be sad.  By taking all these ingredients and giving them a little saute I not only save myself the effort it takes to make a dijon vinaigrette, but also get to trick my brain into thinking it's eating some sort of masterpiece.

The taste buds ain't mad, so catch the recipe below to get non-cooking!

Mushroom Bowls

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c brown rice
• 1 T mustard seeds
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 T red wine vinegar
• 2 c mushrooms, chopped (I used cremini)
• 1 t red pepper
• 1-2 t thyme or rosemary
• 4 c kale, chopped
• Salt, pepper, and olive oil as needed
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Garnish: Gruyere, grated

Combine:

1. Cook the brown rice according to directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until the oil shimmers.  Then add in the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for another 2.
4. Add in 1 tablespoon of the vinegar to deglaze the pan, then push the onions to the edges and add the mushrooms.  Continue to cook these until the juices come out and they are starting to brown.  Add in the rest of the vinegar and give the pan a good stir.  Toss in the chickpeas, kale, and rice until well mixed.
5. Top with gruyere and enjoy!

Sick Soup

The day's assignment: a simple loop run at training pace; longer but not exceptionally fast.

Along with the regular group I set out for the run.

After each step, I found myself sliding my tongue over my teeth.  After each mile, I noticed.   After each half way mark, I questioned myself: your breathing is good, your muscle's are fine, are you hungry?

As each stride became a fight, I struggle to form the logic behind the excuse: my face hurts.

It was my first sinus infection and to me it made no sense, but hundreds of tooth-achey steps later I've developed a punch packed all natural team:  ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, ACV, and (of course) netti pot.

Oh, and soup, lots and lots of soup.

Like this one that helped me survive my first cold of the season.  A turmeric and ginger boosted base that will help raise your immune system while fighting inflammation, the warming cayenne in the broth will help melt your nose off your face, and the silken tofu will help keep you full while giving you an energy boost - so you can lace up your shoes a little tighter and keep striding!

Silk Soup with Ginger and Turmeric

Ingredients

• 3 c veggie broth
• 2 T grated ginger
• 2 t turmeric
• 3 cl garlic, minced
• 1/2 t cayenne powder
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1/4 T rice vinegar
• 1 block silken tofu
• 2 servings rice noodles
• 2 c mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1/4 c parsley or cilantro
• 1/4 c scallions
• 1-2 limes, juiced and zested

Combine

1. Bring the broth, ginger, turmeric, garlic, cayenne, and soy sauce to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
2. Crumble the tofu into the pot and continue to boil for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 15 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms, carrot, and rice noodles and boil for another 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the parsley, scallions, and lime.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Peaceful

Between working fifty hour weeks, sneaking in the gym when I can, and taking classes at night I have to admit I've been referring to snacks as "dinner" a lot more often lately.

I call it survival mode but we all know it.

That period when so many things eat up the hours of your week that you're left debating whether your lukewarm green smoothie is truly a better decision than a granola bar would have been while dreaming of a super amazing, knock your socks off, don't have to do anything for the rest of the day because it was such an accomplishment good meal.

The weekend arrives and you can make whatever you want.

Technically.

The truth is you've just survived the week.

You've probably slept until noon and you're still a little tired.

And while lazily writing your grocery list over a cup of 2PM coffee you're really just wishing you could swing breakfast for dinner one. more. time.

 

Luckily you can toss this together instead and enjoy it while patting yourself on the back for a dinner well done.

It's simple.

Okay, I know I say that about every meal I make, but honestly the hardest part about this dish is waiting for the rice to cook.  Which is the exact reason we do things like super carefully wash and chop our kale, and juice our lemon, and rinse our chickpeas, and do all of the dishes, and drink a beer while we wait for it to be done.

But once that rice is done you will have one mean set of ingredients to toss together and enjoy in a rare moment of peace.

When you're done you'll only have spent the time it took rice to cook making a real dinner, saving time to be spent on another enjoyment - the weekend!

Peace Bowls

Ingredients

• 3 T olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cl garlic, minced
• 1 c brown rice
• 1 t turmeric
• 1 pinch saffron, crushed
• 1/4 t coriander
• 1/2 - 1 t salt
• 2 c water
• Kale, washed, chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Olive oil
• Chickpeas, rinsed
• Tahini

Combine

1. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then toss in the onions.  Cook for 3 minutes, stirring here and there to break up the clumps and keep them from burning.  Add in the garlic and cook for another two minutes.
2. Add the rice, water, and spices and bring to a boil over high heat until the water is reduced and level with the rice.  Then turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and steam for another 30 minutes until the rice is cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, wash and chop your kale and toss it with the lemon juice and a splash of olive oil.  Set this aside so the kale can soften while the rice cooks.
4. Add a spoonful of the rice and a spoonful of the kale to a plate with some chickpeas and drizzle with tahini.
5. Toss and enjoy!

Carrot Apple Ginger Muffins

There seems to be something sub par about a weekday breakfast: something lazily poured into a bowl, quickly grabbed between coats of mascara and searching for keys, something cold.

A weekend breakfast easily out plays its weekday counterpart.

It slips into your morning and wakes you for the day with warm pancakes topped with fruit and drizzles of syrup or fluffy omelettes stuffed with veggies and spices, accompanied by endless cups of coffee enjoyed over conversation with friends, or better yet, in pajamas and bed.

Although I've always been quite a granola gal, lately I've been trying to give my weekday breakfasts a lesson from the weekend.

I'm a firm believe that breakfast should be delicious, easy, and healthy, but above all I believe it should exist, which is probably the worst part about weekday breakfast: it's SO easy to skip.

This batch of breakfast worthy muffins however is something you won't forget.  It's loaded with grated apple, carrot, whole wheat flour and a little spice to give your mornings a warm, filling feeling, but it's reduced in sugar content so you won't crash 2 hours later.

If you're a religious breakfast eater toss one in the microwave for a few seconds to enjoy as you run from room to room getting ready; if you're more the person who always forgets, toss the batch into ziploc bags at the beginning of the week so you can toss one or two into your bag for a mid-morning snack!

Carrot Apple Ginger Muffins

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t cinnamon, clove, tumeric
• 2 T chia seeds (optional)

Wet Ingredients

• 1 large sweet apple, grated
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 2 inches of ginger, grated
• 1/2 c packed brown sugar
• 1 c greek yogurt
• 1/3 c oil
• 1/3 c water
• 1 large egg

Combine

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin or line it with paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.
3. In separate mixing bowl, beat the egg then whisk in the brown sugar, greek yogurt, oil, and water.
4. Mix in the apple, carrot, and ginger then fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just mixed.
5. Scoop into the muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes.
6. Carefully transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes before enjoying!
7. Note: these are best stored in the fridge due to their moisture content but will last on the counter for up to 5 days.

Sunshine Soup

This weekend finally marked the official change of seasons for me: I dragged boxes of sweaters out from under my bed, I brought of my heaviest down blanket, and I almost had my first-of-many near death experiences by way of going to bed in my freezing apartment with shower hair.

In addition to waking up with a serious case of bed head and an even more serious neck cramp, I found myself seriously grateful for dusting off my soup pot while taking a break from being buried beneath fluffy knitwear.

I decided to kick the soup season off with one of my simplest but favorite recipes.

Reading through the ingredient list you may notice it sounds a little different compared to most soup recipes, and I'm more than certain you're questioning the use of OJ, but a recipe followed from an aged index card never lies!

Although the orange stands out on the ingredient list, it acts as more of a background player in the actual soup itself.  It creates a beautiful aroma to help draw your hand towards the spoon, then creates this platform of brightness on which a hint of smoky paprika and herby parsley play.  Although there is a definite sweetness from the tomato, potato, and juice, their varying levels of acidity complement each other laterally rather than building up and are balanced out by a subtle hint of peppery spice.

So trust me when I say this bowl is different in a good way!

Sunshine Soup

Author unknown

Ingredients

• 2-3 T olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno or 1/2 t red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, with the juice
• 4 c water
• 3 t salt
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 1 orange, juiced and zested
• 1 can black beans
• 1 c packed parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Combine

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers.  Add the onion and jalapeno and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and sweet potatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
3. Add in the tomatoes with the juice, water, salt, and spices.  Bring to a boil for 10 minutes then simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in the black beans, orange juice, and orange zest and simmer for another 10 minutes.
5. Mix in the parsley and enjoy!

Salt Chicken

While walking home from the train station, hangry bitch face in full effect as I tried to dream up something wonderful to make for dinner, the savior voice of my conscious reminded me of salt chicken.

 

In my post-veg years this is one that has quickly become my go-to dinner, and although some might argue it's not truly a "recipe" since it's never been made the exact same way twice, it has a pretty scientific set of steps to follow:

Start with a foundation of chicken surrounded by garlic, whether it be powdered, minced, a roasted spread, or a little of all three.  Build up the plate with lots of complex greens like kale, full grown spinach, fresh arugula, or rainbow chard to give it some substance.  Then top it off with some flavorful additions that are salty, spicy, or sweet: like olives, artichokes, capers, red pepper flakes, carmelized onions, and red bell peppers.

 

The combination is versatile so it can be tossed with pasta or used to decorate a plate of polenta similar to this dish, but it brings enough flavor to the table to make it a delicious stand alone dish too.

 

Now that you know how to make this super crave worthy dish, the only thing left to question is the super blog worthy name!

 

Garlic Chicken and Kale Saute

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 3 chicken breasts, halved
• 1 T oil
• 1 t salt
• 2 t garlic
• 2 t onion
• 2 t mustard
• 1/2 t red pepper

For the saute:

• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 3 lg cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 T olives, chopped
• Olive oil, salt, and pepper as needed
• Optional:
• 1/4 c crushed artichokes

Combine

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  When its shimmering, drop the onions into the pan and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, coat the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle liberally with salt, then with the spices.  Scatter on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping the pieces once half way through.
4. When the onions start to get carmely but not browned, add 2 tablespoons of water and cook for 10 more minutes.  Add the garlic and red pepper and saute for another 10 minutes.
5. Toss in the olives and artichokes until well mixed and warmed.
6. Plate a heaping spoonful of the saute, top with chicken, enjoy!

Zucchini Muffins

When creating muffins that are more muffiny and less cupcake-ish throwing in some vegetables is a helpful bet, as as summer comes to more of an end with each chilly morning, choosing some seasonal leftovers to add a pinch of warming spice to is a winning one.

In the Goldilocks-esque path that led me to these deliciously spiced, sweet but savory, zucchini raspberry muffins I learned a number of things about "throwing in" some vegetables that might help guide you one your own muffin ventures.

For starters, getting a little creative with what you're throwing in is a good thing.  Double veggies like half zucchini and half carrot, or serving the veggies with a side of fruit will result in some morning-altering deliciousness.

Be sure to restrain any heavy handedness with the mix ins though, as there is some truth in too much of a good thing being a bad thing, read: three cups of zucchini is WAY too much zucchini.

Secondly, use a wholesome flour like wheat or spelt as they will not only pack in lots of extra flavor and nutrition but they will also soak up the moisture from the mix-ins which will help you avoid a soggy mess.

Use a spatula to smooth the top of each muffin then sprinkle things on top of each prior to popping the tray in the oven.

Reach for some oats to add a rustic bakery feel, scatter some roasted pepitas or sunflower seeds for an extra savory crunch, or keep things simple and sprinkle with a little extra brown sugar or spice.

Whatever you choose, this easy trick will lead to some picture perfect treats that give your mornings an feel extra special.

Speaking of spice, feel free to branch out from the cinnamon.

I typically find that using multiple spices in the same recipe, like cinnamon with a little nutmeg or clove, create a multifaceted flavor that helps spice stand out.  There's no need to stop there however, because a hearty recipe like this can handle as large of a punch as you're comfortable with!  Reaching out for bolder spices, like cardamom and black pepper, or eye-catchingly colorful but flavorfully subtle ones like turmeric will help bring your batch to the next level.

Spiced Zucchini Raspberry Muffins

Ingredients

Dry

• 1 1/2 c wheat flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 t cardamom
• 1 t black pepper
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1/4 t coriander
• 1 c oats, old fashioned, raw
• 4 1/2 T butter

Wet

• 2 eggs
• 1/2  - 1 c brown sugar*
• 3/4 c milk
• 2 t vanilla extract

Add ins

• 1 c zucchini, grated
• 1 c frozen raspberries

Combine

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and grease a muffin tin.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
3. Add the oats to the bowl of a food processor with a metal blade and blend on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until the oats are tiny pieces.
4. Add the butter and blend on medium speed for 1 minute.
5. Add the flour to the food processor and blend again for 1 minute until the mixture is very fine crumbs.
6. Add the eggs and sugar to the large mixing bowl and whisk for 30 seconds.  Add the milk and vanilla and whisk again until combined.
7. Pour the dry ingredients from the food processor into the wet ingredients in the bowl.  Using a metal spoon, mix the ingredients until they start to combine, then add the zucchini and raspberries and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
8. Scoop the mixture evenly into the muffin tin, use a spatula to smooth the tops of each muffin, sprinkle with extra oats if desired, and bake for 25-30 minutes.
9. Enjoy!

*For a more savory muffin use just 1/2 a cup of brown sugar, but if you prefer a more stereotypical bakery style muffin use the full cup.  If you're a monkey in the middle like me, use 3/4.