Escarole Soup

Posted on September 10, 2009 by kitchenbelle

Sept

Wow–it has been a while!  It has been a whirlwind of a summer and the reason for my recent absence is that my husband and I just returned from a fabulous vacation in Spain.  We had a really fantastic time and I have returned so inspired and excited to get cooking with some newly acquired Mediterranean perspective!   We ate so much delicious food and I cannot wait to recreate some of the dishes.

With so many family birthdays and exciting celebrations of all sorts during the summer, I spent quite a bit of my time baking, as you can tell:

Yikes!  Though it seems counterintuitive to spend so many hours indoors baking in a hot kitchen during the peaks of summer heat, in an odd way, it makes some sense.  Summer tends to be a time of indulgence.  Ice cream becomes a priority and my husband plays on 2-3 softball teams each summer, which prevent regular balanced sit-down dinners each night.  Also, when the weather is nice and there are more hours of sunlight we are less likely to sprint home immediately after work to settle in and eat dinner.  Now that fall is here (man do I love fall) it is time to get back into a routine and return to the table for long warm meals.   

In addition to the overabundance of sweet treats, you may have also noticed some changes on Kitchenbelle.com!  Yes–we got a facelift!  I’d be happy to hear your thoughts about the new design.  Please email me with any suggestions or feedback: kitchenbelle at ymail dot com.

And now, onto the soup!  I did some major food shopping immediately upon returning from vacation. In Whole Foods, I picked up a leaflet advertising meals for under $15.  This escarole soup caught my eye.  In need of something easy, filling and nutritionally sound to make for dinner–something that could sit on the stove while I continued to unpack and restore order to the apartment–I settled on this soup.

The moment it began simmering our place smelled like my grandmother’s!  She used to make escarole soup all of the time when I was a child, yet I didn’t realize it until the smell evoked the memory.  The sense of scent is a wonderful thing.

I adapted the recipe by cooking the garlic and olive oil with just the smallest pieces of bacon fat.  I was incredibly and pleasantly surprised by how unbelievably flavorful this soup turned out.  What I found especially strange is that I did not even use any salt AND I used low sodium broth–something I very rarely do. 

Escarole Soup:

  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
  • 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (less or more depending on your preference)
  • 1 very thin strip of bacon or bacon fat
  • One large bunch of escarole, rinsed, dried and chopped
  • One 48-ounce can of chicken broth
  • Two 14-ounce cans of Pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Heat oil on medium-low and add garlic, bacon, and red pepper flakes.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the chicken broth and escarole and  bring to a boil for about 15 minutes or until the escarole wilts.  Add the pinto beans and simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Remove bacon.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Adapted from Whole Foods leaflet.

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Filed under: Appetizer, beans, escarole, Side, soup | 4 Comments »

White Bean Salad

Posted on July 13, 2009 by kitchenbelle

j

This salad is perfect for those nights when it is just too hot to cook.  It is not only simple to make, but also it is delicious.  The yogurt gives the dressing a bit of a creamy texture while balancing the punch of the vinegar and mustard. 

I served this salad beneath yogurt marinated grilled turkey tip kebabs, however, it could certainly stand on its own as a delicious vegetarian dish.  It is protein packed and quite filling.

One note: Serve this salad at room temp (not cold) for maximum flavor.

White Bean Salad:

dressing

  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2-3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

salad

  • 2  15.5 ounce cans white beans (Kidney, Great Northern or Navy), drained and rinsed in a colander under cold running water
  • 2 red peppers, diced
  • 4-6 tablespoons of finely chopped chives (reserve a few pinches for garnish)

Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a glass bowl.  Set aside.

Combine all salad ingredients in a serving bowl.  Pour dressing over salad and use a wooden spoon to toss and coat beans with dressing.  Garnish with a few pinches of remaining chives.

Adapted from GlobalGourmet.com.

Filed under: beans, chives, Main Dish, peppers, salad, Side, VEGETARIAN | 1 Comment »

Broccoli Salad

Posted on July 7, 2009 by kitchenbelle

j

I hope you had a fantastic holiday weekend!  The sun finally introduced itself to Bostonians after weeks of shyness—and it could not have been better timing.  It was a beautiful weekend to spend outdoors grilling, playing backyard games, and basking in the rays.

My mother made this salad as one of many sides to accompany our grilled proteins.  I could not stop snacking on it!  The broccoli stays crunchy even as it absorbs the dressing which is light and sweet yet subtle.  It is not goopy or “mayonnaisey” at all, even though it contains mayonnaise.  This is my new favorite side salad!  I hope you will give it a try. 

Broccoli Salad:

  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 4-6 pounds fresh broccoli florets (do not use frozen, they will get mushy!)
  • 1 pound bacon, fried and chopped into small pieces

Combine first five ingredients (dressing) and pour over broccoli florets.  Let sit over night (or at least a few hours) for maximum dressing absorption.  (Mix with a wooden spoon occasionally so all broccoli absorbs dressing equally.)  Top with bacon just prior to serving.

j

Filed under: broccoli, salad, Side | 4 Comments »

Grilled Swordfish with Grilled Caponata

Posted on June 16, 2009 by kitchenbelle

j

When the weather is hot and you don’t have central air conditioning, using the oven and the stove are not very appealing.  Even baking something for just a few minutes can turn the kitchen into a sauna.  That is when an outdoor grill can be really handy.  Some people reserve the grill for hot dogs and hamburgers on the weekends only, but there is no reason not to fire up the grill for a quick and healthy weeknight supper.

Unfortunately, the problem of warm weather has not been an issue in Boston.  The last couple of days have been downright cold.  For this dish I stayed in my comfortably warm kitchen and used our grill pan in place of the outdoor grill.  (The grill pan works really well for grilling pretty much everything.)   

Whether prepared indoors or outdoors, this dish is wonderful.  The flavorful chunky vegetables paired so nicely with the firm swordfish steaks.  For not using very many spices, the flavor factor of the caponata was off the charts.   Each bite contained different vegetables—you may get a piece of eggplant and a caper in one bite and then a tomato and olive in the next.  This meal was really satisfying and balanced.  And it is so simple to make!  The caponata is so versatile it could be served on its own as a side or with crackers as an appetizer. 

Grilled Swordfish with Grilled Caponata:

Caponata

  • 1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise
  • 1 large red onion, peeled and sliced into rings
  • 4-6 plum or roma tomatoes, halved
  • Olive oil, for brushing vegetables, plus 1/2 cup
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup green olives, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (optional)
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey

Heat grill on high.  Brush all vegetables with olive oil (or spray with cooking spray) and season with salt and pepper. Grill both sides of the eggplant slices until cooked through, about 8 minutes per side.  Grill both sides of the onion slices until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.  Grill the tomatoes (seed side down) until charred and soft, about 3 minutes.  Remove all vegetables from heat and cut into 1/2 inch chunks.  Put all vegetables into a bowl.  Add the olives, capers, and pine nuts to the bowl of vegetables and use a wooden spoon to toss to combine. 

In a small bowl combine the vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, and honey.  Season with salt and pepper.  Slowly whisk in about 1/2 cup of olive oil.*  Pour this dressing over vegetables and toss so that all are well-coated with dressing.  Let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving.

Swordfish

  • 2-4 swordfish steaks
  • olive oil or cooking spray
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Caponata (see recipe above)

Heat grill to high.  Brush both sides of swordfish steaks with olive oil or coat with cooking spray.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Cook swordfish steaks until done, about 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness.  Remove from grill and top with grilled caponata. 

j

*I actually didn’t use the 1/2 cup olive oil in the dressing and it was just fine without it.

Adapted from recipe by Bobby Flay on Foodnetwork.com.

Filed under: Appetizer, eggplant, fish, gluten free, Main Dish, olives, pine nuts, Side, tomato | 4 Comments »

Quinoa Salad with Corn and Red Pepper

Posted on May 19, 2009 by kitchenbelle

 

m

Quinoa is all the rage these days!  Everywhere I turn there are either quinoa recipes or articles praising quinoa as the best food source ever.  I had to get on the bandwagon!  I’ve been holding on to a box of quinoa for a few weeks now and I finally settled on making  this Martha Stewart recipe.  I was quite pleased! The taste and texture of the quinoa reminded me of a combination of rice and couscous–I think that if it were possible to “mate” the two, this is the taste and texture you would get! 

 Because I served this as a main dish, not a side, and I didn’t know what to expect, I decided to add some pulled chicken breast.  (I actually bought one of those grocery store roasting chickens and pulled off the deliciously moist meat—I am surprised over and over and over at how fabulous these birds are!)  That said, this is a filling meal and by no means did it need the chicken.  Without the chicken I think this would be a perfectly satisfying gluten free vegetarian main course or side. Also, I think it would pair perfectly with turkey tips or steak tips (or any other grilled or broiled protein–think Memorial Day cookout!).    

This recipe was a light yet filling, delicious, and nutritious gluten free meal—and a perfect introduction to this super-grain.

Quinoa Salad with Corn and Red Pepper:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced
  • 1.5 teaspoons mustard powder
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1.5 cups quinoa, cooked according to package directions, using chicken or vegetable broth in place of water
  • 1 cup of frozen corn kernels, thawed
  • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • chicken breast pieces, cooked
  • baby spinach

Whisk olive oil, vinegar, basil, mustard powder, and garlic in a large bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the (cooked) quinoa, corn, chicken, diced red pepper, and half of the sliced scallions to the bowl.  Toss lightly to combine.

Arrange baby spinach on individual serving plates or a platter.  Mound salad on the center.  Garnish with remaining scallions.

m

Recipe adapted from MarthaStewart.com.

Filed under: Appetizer, basil, chicken, corn, gluten free, Main Dish, peppers, quinoa, salad, Side, spinach | 2 Comments »

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