Monthly Archives: April 2012

Apr30

Lentil, spinach, and lamb soup

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This was super easy and a really delicious combination. I seasoned ground lamb with coriander and red pepper flakes to give it a spicy lamb sausage flavor.  It paired really well with the lentils!

Lentil, Spinach, and Lamb Soup

1/3 lb ground lamb
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
kosher salt
3 small potatoes (or 1 regular sized one), diced
2 carrots, chopped
1 c lentils
1 bay leaf
4 c chicken broth
3 cups raw spinach
1 T olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the lamb, and break apart with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, coriander, and red pepper flakes, and cook until browned.

Add the onion and garlic to the pot, and saute until soft. Add the carrots, onions, potatoes, lentils, and bay leaf, and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth the pot and increase the heat to medium high. When the pot boils, cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes.

When the lentils are tender, stir in the raw spinach until wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Apr25

Baked zucchini fries and dill dipping sauce

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I love zucchini. I usually eat it grilled or sautéed, but I wanted a vegetable/french fry substitute to go with our lamb burgers, so I made baked zucchini fries and a dill dipping sauce.

The burgers were delicious, too!  I used this recipe from Steamy Kitchen.

Baked Zucchini Fries with Dill Dipping Sauce

For the zucchini:
3 small zucchini or 2 large ones, sliced into thin french fry-like shapes
1 egg, beaten
1 c panko bread crumbs
kosher salt
black pepper

For the dipping sauce:
1/3 c light sour cream
2 T mayo
1/3 c fresh dill, finely chopped
kosher salt
lemon pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Dry the zucchini slices with paper towels. Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. On a separate plate, combine the panko, salt, and pepper.

Dip the zucchini first in the egg, shaking off any excess moisture. Then lightly roll the zucchini in the panko mixture, and place on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake or 20-25 minutes or until browned.

To make the dipping sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

Apr24

Spaghetti and turkey meatballs

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Paco requested spaghetti and meatballs for his first post-baseball game meal of the season. I had planned to make something lighter, so I decided to compromise with turkey meatballs. I baked them in the oven and started the sauce on the stove. Then I put both the meatballs and the sauce into the slow-cooker on high, so that they could simmer together for a few hours while I went to watch part of the game.  It was amazing to come home to the smell of meatballs that have been simmering for hours!  You could also simmer them on the stove together for 30 minutes – 2 hours.

Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

For the meatballs:
1 1/4 lb ground turkey
1/2 c grated parmesan or pecorino romano
1/2 c Italian-style bread crumbs
1 T tomato paste
2 eggs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 onion, finely chopped
kosher salt
black pepper
olive oil

For the sauce:
2 T olive oil
kosher salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 c tomato sauce
1 T tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
15 leaves of basil, roughly chopped

To serve:
spaghetti, prepared according to package directions
grated parmesan or parmesan or pecorino romano

To make the meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Drizzle olive oil over a baking sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, tomato paste, parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey meat, and combine with your hands. Do not overmix.

Roll the meatballs into 1-1/2 inch balls, then place on the baking sheet 1 inch apart. After you have formed all of the meatballs, roll them around a bit in the olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.

To make the sauce:

Turn on the slow-cooker, using the High setting. In a medium-sized pot (or a large one if you are not going to use the slow-cooker), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes, then season with salt. When the onions are soft, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and oregano. Bring to a simmer.

Pour the sauce into the heated slow-cooker. When the meatballs have finished baking, add the meatballs to the sauce. Cover and simmer in the slow-cooker for 3 hours. During the last 30 minutes, add the basil.

Serve over spaghetti with parmesan cheese.

Apr23

Cooking for One – Chicken and spinach enchiladas

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I had never made enchilada sauce myself; it turns out that it is super simple!  This was an easy way to turn leftover chicken into something new.

I made this just for myself, so double it if you’re cooking for two. Enchiladas are not very photogenic, but they tasted much better than they looked!

Enchilada Sauce

1 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
1 T flour
1/2 c tomato sauce
1 T New Mexico chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 c water
kosher salt

Enchiladas

1/2 c cooked, shredded chicken
2 c raw spinach, wilted (add 1 T water and microwave for 30 seconds)
3 corn tortillas
enchilada sauce (see above)
cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and garlic until the garlic begins to sizzle. Add the flour and stir in with a whisk to make a roux. After the flour has cooked for about 30 seconds, add the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, water, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 10 minutes, taste, and add additional salt if necessary.

Spray a 9×9 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each tortilla with spinach and chicken, then roll loosely, with the seam on the bottom. Cover in enchilada sauce and top with shredded cheese.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Apr19

Dinner for one — Mushroom bourguignon

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One of the main excuses that I hear from people who don’t cook for themselves is that it doesn’t make sense to cook for one. If you don’t like to cook, that’s fine, but if you want a home-cooked meal and are eating solo, I don’t see why you shouldn’t be able to make something delicious in a single portion!

Paco was out late at a baseball game last night, so I decided to make myself a mushroom bourguignon. I love beef bourguignon (this recipe from Baked Bree is amazing), but it takes hours and genuinely doesn’t really make sense for one (unless you want to make a full batch and save the leftovers for later). However, it’s easy to make as many or as few mushrooms as you’d like, and the mushroom version is a lot quicker because there is no beef to braise.

I used the mushroom bourguignon recipe from Smitten Kitchen, but I added some bacon and a few touches from the beef recipe above.  The bacon adds a nice savory quality, but you can follow the original recipe to keep it vegetarian.

Mushroom Bourguignon for One
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 T butter
1 T olive oil
2/3 lb mushrooms, I used a mixture of portobello and crimini
1/3 onion, diced
1/2 carrot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3-4 springs of thyme, leaves removed
1/2 c red wine
1 T brandy
1/2 c – 1 c water, beef broth, or vegetable broth
1 T tomato paste
1/2 T flour
kosher salt
black pepper

2 strips bacon, diced
1/2 c frozen pearl onions, defrosted
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 c parsley, chopped

egg noodles, prepared according to package directions

Begin by making the bacon and onion garnish. Brown the bacon over medium heat in a small skillet, remove to drain on paper towels once crispy. Drain off some of the excess bacon grease from the pan, but leave a little bit to fry the onions in. Add the onions, tossing in the bacon fat. When they begin to brown, add the brown sugar and continue to cook for another minute, so that a nice crust forms over the onions. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 T of olive oil and 1/2 T of butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and brown for a few minutes, until they are dark brown but before they begin to release a lot of liquid. Remove them from the pot and set aside.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pot and add the onions, carrots, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the garlic, and saute for an additional minute. Add the wine to the pot, stirring to deglaze the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the brandy, tomato paste, and water or broth. Add the mushrooms to the pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Mix 1/2 T of room temperature butter with 1/2 T of flour to make a paste, then add this to the sauce and stir. This should thicken the sauce. Simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reached the desired consistency. Taste and reseason if necessary.

Serve over egg noodles and garnish with the pearl onions and bacon.