Hearty Tuscan White Bean Soup from Kale Junkie

K made this soup and we've loved and made it a bunch ever since.  I want to share it because it's a great soup that HAPPENS to be vegan/vegetarian as written.  (And actually, it's also listed as dairy-free and grain-free as well, but I'd check your broth/bouillon to be sure.) Sure, we often add parmesan and/or ham/sausage but those are easy to put on the side if you're bringing for a potluck. I'll put the original link but also put it here with notes and so I can easily find the ingredients!

https://kalejunkie.com/hearty-tuscan-white-bean-soup/

• ¼ Cup Olive Oil, extra virgin
• ▢1 Small Onion, diced
• ▢2 Medium Shallots, chopped
• ▢4 Cloves Garlic, mashed
• ▢2 Carrots, chopped into coins (or smaller if you'd prefer - I usually do)
• ▢2 Celery Stalks, diced
• ▢3 15 Ounce Cans Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
• ▢2 Bay Leaves
• ▢1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• ▢½ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• ▢5-6 Cups Vegetable Broth [I use Better Than Bouillon's vegetable.]
• ▢½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
• ▢¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• ▢3 Cups Fresh Spinach [We have also used kale but cut/tear quite small. It's sturdier and gives more texture but make it little so it's not overwhelming/difficult to eat.]
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Instructions 

• To make this soup, start by heating the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven, on the stove, over medium-low heat.

• Next, dice the onion, garlic, and shallots and add them to the hot oil. Stir and sauté them for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

• Then, wash and chop the carrots and celery and add them to the pot. Sauté for another 7-10 minutes – this is really important to ensure that the flavors build.

• Prepare the beans. Rinse and drain the cannellini beans, and add them to the pot along with the bay leaves, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper.

• Bring the soup mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for another 15 minutes.

• Next, remove the cover to pull out and discard the bay leaves.

• Then, blend the soup. Transfer two cups of the soup to a high-speed blender and blend until it's thick and creamy. [I just use our stick immersion blender until I'm happy with the consistency.]

• Once the soup is blended, return it to the pot and stir generously.

• Finally, add in the spinach and stir until it's wilted. [If you're using kale, it'll need a little longer/more heat to soften.]

• Once the soup is done, transfer it into bowls. Garnish it with fresh chopped parsley, if desired, serve with crusty bread, and enjoy!

We will often cook some sausage in with the onion or add little ham pieces in at the end. Parmesan is also delicious on it! I'm bringing this to Lent soup supper at church on Wednesday and I'll bring diced ham and Parmesan to have on the side for people to add as desired, but I will label it that the soup itself is vegan and grain-free.

Butter Chicken

From "Indian Instant Pot Cookbook" by Urvashi Pitre

To make this vegetarian or vegan, add 1/4 cup of water or stock instead of chicken on the first cook. After dividing the sauce, add your tofu, other protein, or steamed vegetable of choice. (I've made it with chickpeas and with cauliflower and liked both.)

1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes — do not drain

5 or 6 garlic cloves, minced

1 T minced ginger

1 t ground turmeric

1 t ground cayenne pepper

1 t ground paprika

2 t Garam Masala, divided

1 t ground cumin

1 t salt

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)

4 oz. butter, cubed, or 1/2 cup coconut oil (I used butter at GAW)

1/2 cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk (I used cream at GAW)

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine the first nine ingredients, reserving 1 teaspoon of Garam Masala, in the InstaPot. Mix thoroughly, then place chicken on top.

Lock lid into place, select Manual, set pressure to High, and cook for 10 minutes. Allow natural release. Remove chicken and set it aside.

Blend ingredients in the pot with an immersion blender or transfer to blender or food processor and blend to smooth sauce.

Add butter, cream, remaining teaspoon of Garam Masala, and cilantro. Stir to incorporate — sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (ed: If you do a lot of Indian cooking and happen to have Amchur [mango] powder, this would be where you'd add a little pinch to brighten things up. I forgot to for GAW, but I have in the past and I like it.)

Remove half the sauce and freeze it or refrigerate for up to three days. (ed: I thought this part of the recipe was bullshit, but it really does make a TON of sauce. For GAW, I doubled the chicken but kept the sauce amount the same, and it was plenty saucy — though the extra juices from the chicken did make it a little runnier.)

Add chicken back to the sauce. If you're doing a vegetarian version, this is where you'd add your precooked protein or veg. Preheat by selecting Sauté and adjust to Less for low heat. Let the chicken heat through — break into smaller pieces if you want, but it shouldn't be shredded. Serve over basmati rice. (ed: If you can get Martin to prepare homemade naan to go with it, you should totally do that.)

Honey-Preserved Lemons

4 lemons (preferably Meyer), cut into 1/4" slices

4 cups water

1 T salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup honey

8 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

Place lemon slices in 2 cups water, sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Combine remaining 2 cups water, honey, sugar and spices in a pot and simmer until syrupy (roughly 10 minutes). Strain the lemons, rinse them thoroughly with cold water, and add to the syrup. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes. Cool, transfer lemons to a jar with syrup to cover. 

The remaining syrup can be used for cocktails. OR you can put it back to a simmer and reduce by about half. It will cool to a thick jelly-like consistency that you can use to make the world's best hot toddies, smear on pancakes, or whatever strikes your fancy.

Quick Chicken & Broccolini with Spicy Peanut Sauce

 Friends, I picked up this cookbook called "Sheet Pan Suppers" from Molly Gilbert and it has a recipe I just HAVE to share! It's fast, it's easy, it's tasty... did I mention it's the perfect combo of fast and yum?!  Seriously, it's easily under 30 min and tastes great.  We leave out the sriracha sauce 'cuz we're wimps, but you could add ginger instead of or in addition to... and I added some very thinly sliced carrots for additional veg variety/color.

If you whisk up the sauce ahead of time, it'd be a SUPERFAST meal!

Cooking oil spray

1 Tbl. packed dark brown sugar

1/4 c. plus 2 Tbl. (so, that's 6 Tbl. in total). creamy peanut butter

1 Tbl. toasted sesame oil

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 Tbl. sriracha sauce (we sub in grated fresh ginger instead)

1 Tbl. rice vinegar

1/4 c. warm water

1 Tbl. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 bunches broccolini (1 lb total - can sub regular broccoli but you'd have to slice it quite thinly)

4-6 thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts or cutlets (1-1/2 lb. total)

(Could add very thinly cut carrots and/or some green onions, etc.)

1. Preheat the oven to broil, with a rack 4 inches from the heat.  Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil or mist it with cooking spray (or both).

2. Whisk together the brown sugar, peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha (or ginger), vinegar, water, and lime juice in a medium size bowl until smooth.  Set aside 1/4 c. of the peanut sauce for serving.

3.  (ok I'm changing the directions here...)  Spread out the broccolini on the sheet pan and put the thin chicken pieces on top, then bloop the peanut sauce on it all and spread it out to cover as much as possible.  Broil, keeping a close eye on to prevent burning.  They suggest flipping the chicken halfway through but I get the very thinly sliced chicken so I don't bother.  Cook until broccolini is well charred and chicken is done and sauce is bubbly and nicely browned.

4. Serve hot from the oven with reserved sauce on the side... I serve with on rice and it's yummy!

That yummy kale salad from GAW

Ok I need this here because yum and then I don’t have to worry about losing the photo Cheese Pusher sent me again...

To try to type it out... with a couple of notes...

4 c kale [washed, ribbed, and torn into bite-size pieces]

4 Tbl olive oil [thats a quarter cup, people]

1/2 Tbl sesame oil

1 Tbl liquid aminos [I subbed in soy sauce after K couldn’t find this at the store]

1 Tbl rice wine vinegar 

1 Tbl lemon juice

4 tsp fresh ginger

Sprinkle salt and pepper 

To paraphrase: Prep kale. Mix rest. Rub liquid into kale. Delicious. 

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

This is a dish from the way-back, when Kim and I used to take any excuse to throw a (often-themed) party...and these mushrooms usually made an appearance...with the oft-repeated warning that they're heck-a hot right out of the oven and to WAIT so you don't burn your poor mouth.  Posted now by request from All-Knowing Jen!

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

1 1/2 lbs medium mushrooms (about 30)
1/2 lb. pork sausage
1/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs [or plain and season as desired]
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese [or mix of moz&parm or other Italian blend]
parsley for garnish [and/or in stuffing mix]

1.  Remove stems from mushrooms; chop stems.  Set both aside.
2.  In [good-sized] skilled over medium heat, cook sausage until well-browned.  With slotted spoon remove sausage to paper towels to drain. Spoon excess drippings from skillet.
3.  In hot drippings, [or added butter, if needed], over medium heat, cook chopped mushroom stems until tender, about 10 min., stirring frequently.  Remove skillet from heat; stir in cooked sausage, cheese, and bread crumbs.
4.  Preheat oven to 450F.  Fill mushroom caps with sausage mixture.  Place stuffed mushrooms in [suitably-sized] jello-roll pan [or 9x13 glass dish or cookie sheet with sides].
5.  Bake about 15 min. [LET COOL FOR A FEW MINUTES OR YOU'LL BURN YOUR MOUTH!!!]

Pan-Seared Scallops with Bacon and Spinach

This recipe is yummy and fancy and pretty darn quick and easy!  It's from Cooking Light May 2010 and I love serving it with crusty bread and wine as they suggest.

Pan-Seared Scallops with Bacon & Spinach

3 center-cut bacon slices
1 1/2 lbs. jumbo sea scallops (about 12)
salt & pepper [They measure; I don't & sometimes skip it.]
1 c. chopped onions
6 garlic cloves, sliced
12 oz. fresh baby spinach
4 lemon wedges (optional) [recommended!]

1.  Cook bacon in a large cast-iron [or heavy-bottomed, like All-Clad] skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. [I sometimes cut it up raw since it needs to be crumbled later anyway.]  Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 Tbl. [or more!] drippings in pan; coarsely chop and set bacon aside.  Increase heat to high.

2.  Pat scallops dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle scallops evenly with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.  Add scallops to drippings in pan; cook 2 1/2 min on each side or until done.  Transfer to a plate; keep warm.  Reduce heat to medium-high.  Add onion and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add half of spinach; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/8 tsp salt and remaining 1/8 tsp pepper.  Divide spinach mixture among 4 plates; top each serving evenly with crumbled bacon & 3 scallops.  Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 scallops & 3/4 c. spinach mixture.) Calories 323; Fat 6.5 g (sat 1.9g; mono 2.3g, poly 0.6g); Protein 45.3g; Carb 22.7g; Fiber 5g; Chol 106mg; Iron 6.8mg; Sodium 885mg; Calc 141mg

Ultimate Green Bean Casserole

My brother Tom made this recipe for Thanksgiving and it is soooo good I had to get the recipe from him.  I'm going to make it today for the neighbors so I wanted to convert it from the photo of the recipe he sent me into text so I could share it.  It's similar to the classic, but with fresh green beans, fresh mushrooms, and no canned cream-of soup!

Serves 10 to 12 - I'd say less, but we'll see.

Recipe can be halved and baked in a 2-qt (or 8" square) baking dish.  If so, reduce the cooking time of the sauce to about 6 minutes (reducing it to 1 3/4c.) and the baking time in step 4 to 10 minutes.

TOPPING
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 Tbl. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 c. canned fried onions (about 6 oz.)

BEANS AND SAUCE
2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise (the store was out, so I'm going to try with really good frozen)
salt and pepper
3 Tbl. unsalted butter
1 lb. white mushrooms, trimmed and broken into 1/2 inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbl. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth (I'll use Better than Bouillon!)
1 1/2 c. heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
1.  For the topping: pulse bread, butter, salt and pepper in food processor until mixture resembles course crumbs - about 10 pulses.  Transfer to large bowl and toss with canned fried onions; set aside.

2.  For the beans and sauce: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425F. Fill large bowl with ice water.  Line baking sheet with paper towels.  Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in Dutch oven.  Add beans and 2 Tbl. salt.  Cook beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.  Drain beans in colander, then plunge immediately into ice water to stop cooking.  Spread beans on prepared baking sheet to drain.

3.  Melt butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms, garlic, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper and cook until mushrooms release moisture and liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes.  Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Stir in broth and bring to simmer, stirring constantly.  Add cream, reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced to 3 1/2 c., about 12 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Add green beans to sauce and stir until evenly coated.  Arrange in even layer in 3-qt (or 13x9") baking dish.  Sprinkle with topping and bake until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Backyard Mint Ice Cream

Back at GAW, Cheese Pusher was complaining about having too much mint and not knowing what to do with it.  I promised to post the recipe Mr. Kluges uses for mint ice cream and now I'm finally getting around to it!  This comes from a recipe book called Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home, which contains a lot of unusual ice cream recipes, like Brown Butter Almond Brittle Ice Cream and Beet Ice Cream with Mascarpone, Orange Zest, and Poppy Seeds. Note: like many ice cream recipes, this is not a quick one. :)

Backyard Mint Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart

2 c. whole milk
1 Tbl. + 1 tsp [or 4 tsp, if you only want to dirty one spoon] cornstarch
1 1/2 oz. (3 Tbl.) cream cheese, softened
1/8 tsp. fine sea salt
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
2/3 c. sugar
2 Tbl. light corn syrup
A large handful of fresh mint from your backyard or farmers' marker, leaves roughly torn into small pieces

PREP: Mix about 2 Tbl. of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.  Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.  Fill a large bowl with ice and wtaer.

COOK: Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat, and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.  Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat.

CHILL: Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the mint.  Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath.  Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.  Refrigerate to steep for 4 to 12 hours.

FREEZE:  Strain out the mint.  Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy.  Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid.  Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms & Cream

I found this recipe on Pinterest & made it tonight.  It. Is. Awesome!  So very yummy!  In the interest of sharing it with y'all, and in having it handy, I'm going to copy-paste the recipe from where Pinterest sent me, which is http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2009/08/chicken-breasts-with-mushrooms-cream.html.  She got the recipe from the incomparable Julia Child, so don't be shocked that there's butter, wine AND cream involved! :)

***WARNING: If you make this dish, you may be tempted to lick the remaining sauce from the pan! The mushroom and cream sauce that smothers the chicken breasts in this recipe is so divine. I found this in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I. She never fails to impress me (as you can probably tell from the numerous Julia recipes I've been blogging about lately!)

Just think...cream, mushrooms and butter...Mmm....sauces don't get much better than that, folks! It's creamy, luxurious and satisfying...all at the same time.

Furthermore, the way that the chicken breasts are prepared produces incredibly tender and moist chicken. Because I used my Le Creuset dutch oven, I did not follow Julia's suggestion of covering the chicken with a piece of buttered wax paper (gasp!). I simply covered the dutch oven with the heavy lid and popped it into the oven. The results were fantastic!

I served this chicken with asparagus...perfection! Brad and I both are looking forward to having this dish again!***

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Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons

(Chicken Breasts with Mushroom and Cream)

Source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck (Knopf, 1961)

Ingredients:

4 supremes (boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Big pinch white pepper

5 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon minced shallot or green onion

1/4 pound diced or sliced fresh mushrooms

1/8 teaspoon salt

For the sauce:

1/4 cup white or brown stock or canned beef bouillon

1/4 cup port, Madeira or dry white vermouth

1 cup whipping cream

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley

Directions:Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rub the chicken breasts with drops of lemon juice and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a heavy, oven-proof casserole, about 10 inches in diameter until it is foaming. Stir in the minced shallots or green onion and saute a moment without browning. Then stir in the mushrooms and saute lightly for a minute or two without browning. Sprinkle with salt.

Quickly roll the chicken in the butter mixture and lay a piece of buttered wax paper over them, cover casserole and place in hot oven. After 6 minutes, press top of chicken with your finger. If still soft, return to oven for a moment or two. When the meat is springy to the touch it is done. (Please Note: Although Julia suggests to check the chicken after only 6 minutes, I (as well as several of my readers!) feel that this amount of time is inadequate to thoroughly cook the chicken. I cooked it for closer to 30-40 minutes. Please use a meat thermometer to ensure the correct temperature before serving!)

Remove the chicken to a warm platter (leave mushrooms in the pot) and cover while making the sauce (2 to 3 minutes).

To make sauce, pour the stock and wine in the casserole with the cooking butter and mushrooms. Boil down quickly over high heat until liquid is syrupy. Stir in the cream and boil down again over high heat until cream has thickened slightly. Off heat, taste for seasoning, and add drops of lemon juice to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Source: “Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I” by Julia Child (Knopf, 1961)