black bean soup

slightly smokey, creamy, yummy

I'm so excited to make this soup today.  'Turtle Beans' are my favorite and another staple in our pantry.  Remember my DF Claire? She makes an amazing Black Beans and Rice recipe that I serve like a chili.  And I always swap out the refried beans for black when we eat out.  Black beans are antioxidant-rich and a powerful addition to your diet.

This soup was part of last week's menu for the tree lighting with friends.  Typically, I make it to accompany grilled cheese sandwiches or salads.  Like many other 'repeat offenders' (recipes I go to time and again), I have a formula and sometimes vary the aromatics depending on what's in the veggie bin.  (See variations after the ingredient list.)  Because I'm remaking it today, I'm using canned beans.  With a little more prep, you could easily begin with dried beans, too.


Black Bean Soup

makes a big batch - could easily be reduced by half


Ingredients:
2-4 T evoo
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, chopped  
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1/4 c dry sherry, optional
2 T cumin
1 T dry mustard
1 chipotle pepper, for smokey heat

4 15.5-oz cans black beans, I didn't rinse them

1 28 oz can tomatoes, I used whole

28 oz water, I used the tomato can to measure

salt and pepper to taste

Variations: red or white onion instead of yellow; any color bell pepper, chili powder or smoked paprika instead of the chipotle pepper

 Directions:

1. Heat a large soup pot.  Drizzle enough evoo to cover the bottom.  Saute the onion over medium heat to soften, while you chop the rest of the veggies.

2.  Once you have the carrots, red pepper and garlic ready, add them all to the onions with a pinch of salt to help them sweat.  Saute for about 6 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally to help the veggies cook evenly.

3.  Add the sherry and scrape the bottom for any bits.  Add the seasoning - cumin, mustard and pepper (either dried chili or chipotle).  Stir and let the seasoning soak in to the veggie base.  Approximately 2-3 minutes.

4.  Add the beans, tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.  I let everything come together for about 20-30 minutes.  Then blitz in batches in the blender to finish.  This is a big recipe - so I did about 3 batches, filling the blender half-full each time. I use a big batter bowl to hold the soup that has been pureed.

5.  Then I return it to the pan to rewarm and season to taste.  Add salt, pepper and even some hot sauce if you like your soup with more heat!  While it is rewarming in the pan I prepare any toppings.  Today it is only some crumbled feta.  Simple and so yummy!

herb paste + turkey tenderloin

Juicy, tender and oh, so flavorful!

For the first time in many days, we are all gathered here for supper and I want a cozy, comforting meal.  We're going to have an herbed turkey tenderloin, adapting a recipe from Ina Garten's book, How Easy Is That? I have many Barefoot Contessa cookbooks in our home library but I've made more recipes from this title than any other.  If you don't own it - peruse it the next time you are at your local bookstore.

In the original recipe, she calls for a turkey breast and we've made it that way before.  It is a wonderful weeknight meal and yields leftovers for classic turkey curtain calls - sandwiches, noodle soup, etc.  But tonight we'll roast two tenderloins and serve them with a pear salad, corn saute and biscuits.  To see Barefoot Contessa's original recipe, click on the link at the recipe title below.  Ina's mixture (essentially, I double it) makes this so special - my kids devour it!


Ina's Herb Paste + Turkey Tenderloins
adapted from Ina Garten's Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast


Ingredients:
6 cloves of garlic
3 (6" or so in length) stems of rosemary
3 (4" or so in length) stems of sage
4 (4" or so in length) stems of thyme
1 1/2 T dry mustard
2 t kosher salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c evoo

2 turkey-tenderloins, approximately 1 lb each

2 tenderloins,
rubbed with paste &
left to absorb flavor

Tips:
- Tailor the garlic to your crowd - feel free to use fewer cloves if your group doesn't love it like we do!
-You can do the chopping by hand rather than the food processor. Just do a rough mince and combine in a bowl to make the paste.
- I think this paste would be wonderful on fish, chicken or pork as well.

Directions:

1.  Put the garlic into the bowl of your small food processor.

2.  Pick the leaves from the stems of all three herbs and add to the processor with the dry mustard, salt and pepper. Blitz and drizzle in the juice and evoo.  You may have to scrape down the sides to get a uniform paste

3. I made this in the morning and rubbed it on the tenderloins an hour or so in advance.

4. This would be great on the grill but tonight we're using our oven.  We roasted 2 tenderloins, approximately 1 lb each, at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Recommended internal temperature for turkey is 160 degrees; we pull it out at 155 and let it finish cooking while it rests.  10 minutes later we slice and serve!

red lentil soup

red lentil soup over basmati

Last year I made a delicious discovery at our local library, Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen. It is a love letter to vegetable soups and a terrific resource.  This particular soup, a mix of vegetables and red lentils, brings a wonderful aroma to my winter kitchen. I love to serve it over basmati rice (prepared in advance in my rice cooker) with some additional toppings. As with most recipes, I've tailored it a bit to things I stock in my kitchen.

This post is especially for Jean - who has been so enthusiastic and supportive of my family's cookbook blog.  She and her granddaughter are trying to increase their repertoire of vegan meals.  My version of the recipe is vegetarian and can easily be made vegan by substituting safflower oil for the butter.  I hope you'll make a bowl of this sunny soup this winter - it is satisfying and just makes you feel good.  When friends or family are under the weather, this is the recipe I reach for.


Ingredients:
adapted from 'Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen'


2 T butter (can substitute safflower oil)
1 onion, diced
4 carrots
1-2 celery stalks
1 zucchini
3 T (1/3 of a bunch) cilantro stems (reserve leaves for garnish)
1 t kosher salt
2 t turmeric
3 t cumin
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 c red lentils, rinsed well
7 c water
2 bay leaves
1 pinch of red pepper flakes (if you like a little heat)
1 lime


dressing it up:
basmati rice
additional lime wedges
cilantro or chives
diced avocado

chop veggies roughly
the same size

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot.  Add the onion and saute over medium heat while you finish your chopping. Dice your carrot into small rounds.  Split the celery in half lengthwise then dice.  Quarter the zucchini lengthwise then dice. Mince the cilantro stems.  (Seems strange? Gives great flavor and they all but disappear into the soup.)

2. Add the carrots, celery, zucchini and cilantro stems to the pot.  Season with salt, turmeric and cumin - stir to coat.  Cook for 5 minutes or so, till the vegetables begin to soften.

3. Add the diced tomatoes, lentils, water.  Also, add the bay leaves and red pepper flakes if you choose.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils soften - approximately 20 minutes.  Remove the bay leaves, season with salt, pepper and the juice of one lime.  Be sure to taste - your palate will guide you!

the turmeric colors this soup a sunshine gold

claire's banana bread

golden, gorgeous, smells amazing!

We came home from NH to a bowl of over-ripe bananas; a perfect excuse to brag about my friend, Claire, and her amazing blog, cookwithclaire.org. I have been cooking since college, improving with the passage of time and brave friends but it wasn't until Claire started her blog, that I truly attempted baking.  Before that it was drop cookies, the occasional brownie and sugar cookies at Christmas.  But two years ago this January, Claire began her blog and we dove in with her Heirloom Cake.  Success! And my kids have been requesting her recipes ever since.

This is Claire's recipe for banana bread - her grandmother's - and a favorite here at Chez Stump.  Be sure to check out her blog - her food pictures are wonderfully helpful.  Baking this today made our house smell so yummy!

notice my ipad ... logged on to Claire's blog!

Claire's Banana Bread

adapted from cookwithclaire.org

Ingredients:

⅓ c unsalted butter, softened

¾ c light brown sugar (substituted because we were out of dark)

2  eggs

2 bananas, mashed 

1/2 t vanilla (flavor to make up for light brown sugar) 

½ c half & half (substituted because we were out of whole milk)
1 ½ c all-purpose flour 
1 t salt1 t baking soda

Directions:


Tip: I take the butter and eggs out early in the day so that they are at room temperature when I am ready to begin.  If I forget this step - I simply soften the butter with approximately 2 10-second spurts in the microwave. Then I put the butter in the bowl of my KitchenAid Mixer and use the wrapper to butter the loaf pan.  

my batter is a bit lighter today:
 due to the light brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you haven't already, butter a loaf pan. 


2. Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs and bananas, (and vanilla, if using) and mix until blended. 


3. In a small bowl, with a fork, wisk flour, salt and soda together. Add flour mixture and milk to the banana mixture in a couple of batches, ending with milk. Mix until blended.  Bake for about an hour until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


Great heated - try serving with vanilla ice cream & chocolate sauce!

swiss chard soup

Swiss Chard Soup & a glass of Nebbiolo

I mentioned in Friday's post that the Goose Fair lunch features a Swiss Chard Soup, made by a small swarm of dedicated volunteers.  Try to imagine a group around a large industrial-type kitchen, all chopping away and making the building blocks of a soup that will nourish so many.  It is truly a labor of love.  My recipe is inspired by this and by a traditional bean and chard soup from Italy.  There is still some chopping and plenty of yummy vegetables - but can easily be put together for a family of 4+ (with extra for leftovers - this soup reheats well).  This batch will be lunch for me this week as we prepare for the holidays and our annual pilgrimage to NH.

Swiss Chard Soup


Ingredients:
EVOO to cover the bottom of your soup pot
1/2 onion, chopped small
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 stalk of celery*, diced (yikes - I was out so used a dash of celery salt)
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t fresh rosemary (can substitute dried)
2 anchovy fillets
1 t Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 bunch of swiss chard (can substitute kale)
1 can red kidney beans
8 c of chicken broth
1 c of dried, small pasta (I use Ditalini)
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese, grated for serving


Directions:

1. Prepare your veggies - rinse the chard, chop your onions & carrots. I also took a moment to chop the chard stems in half-moons and the chard in short ribbons.  Drain your beans.

2. Heat your pot and cover with EVOO.

3. Add onions, carrots, garlic cloves and *celery to the pot. I use 1/2 t kosher salt here to help them 'sweat'.  Saute for several minutes until the onions are translucent.

4. While waiting, mince the anchovy fillets and rosemary together to almost a paste.  Add to the saute with the bay leaves.  Leave on med-low heat to soften further, 5 minutes or so.

5. Add your chard and beans - I covered to help the greens wilt a bit.  Once the leaves had reduced by almost half, I remove the garlic and bay leaves.  (If you minced your garlic, I think it is perfectly fine to leave it in the soup.)  Add the broth. Bring to a boil.  If your soup needs more liquid (some ingredients are not exact - it should be to your liking) then I recommend adding water or more broth.

5 Add the dried pasta, return to a simmer and let cook for 6 minutes more.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with grated parmesan.


Great reheated the next day!

sloppy joes from scratch

I'm definitely on a 'comfort food' kick.  Today I'm going to make sloppy joes from scratch.  As much as my kids love the original Manwich, I'm trying to eliminate most processed foods from the pantry.  Fingers crossed that we find a yummy compromise!


Ingredients:

1 T EVOO
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1/2 red pepper, chopped fine
1 carrot, grated
5 cloves of garlic, minced
kosher salt
2.5 lbs ground meat (I used a combo of chicken and beef)
3 c tomato sauce (I used Hunt's)
1/4 c brown sugar
2 T tomato paste
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T Worcestshire sauce
1 t dry mustard
1 t chili powder


Directions:

1. Saute the aromatics till they soften (5-7 minutes) in the EVOO: onion, red pepper, carrot & garlic.  Sprinkle with a little kosher salt to help release the moisture.

2. Add the ground meats and brown.  (I didn't really have any grease to remove since I was using grass fed beef (very lean) and chicken.)

3. Combine all the other ingredients to make the sauce.  Pour over the meat and veggie combo, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or longer.

Viola!

PS - This was a huge hit! Our boys and friend devoured the sandwiches.  Great for busy nights when it is every man for themselves!

Ga-Ga for Grilled Cheese

Fall means COZY foods and some of my favorites involve the comfort of melted cheese. While recently watching an episode of The Great Food Truck Race, I was inspired to think 'outside-the-box' on grilled cheese. (Thank you On Demand) My kids still love a classic but I've been trying some new cheese and bread combos. My current fave is pictured above, Taleggio cheese on Iggy's Brioche roll, after a few minutes in the panini press. Between two cast iron pans would work, too!

I like to slice cheese in advance and we grill them up to order on busy nights when we can't all eat at the same time.

Our favorite combos:

(Depending upon the bread, I'll use a griddle or a panini press.)

Pepperidge Farm + American

A classic for my kids - they can devour them by the stack on a day filled with soccer.

Sourdough + Gruyere

Great combo - the sourdough can stand up to any of your favorite Alpine cheeses.

Italian + Fontina

Fontina melts like a dream; mozzerella would be great here, too.

Brioche + Taleggio

Talleggio is a beautiful (slightly stinky) cheese from Italy - you can find it at Whole Foods. A few minutes in the panini press makes this sandwich restaurant-worthy.

What's your favorite Grilled Cheese?

Totally Classic - Tomato Soup

This is a classic pantry soup that I go to over and over. Growing up it was Campbell's all the way but I remember one afternoon in Sheila Kalmus' kitchen, hunched over a steaming bowl of her mother's amazing homemade version. I love food memories and the way aromas can awaken long forgotten meals and celebrations. I'm sure you have your own that continue to inspire.

Our take on the classic tomato soup is inspired by two pantry recipes - a Tuscan Tomato soup published years ago in Cooking Light and another version on a recent episode of Mad Hungry. (Love that Lucinda Scala Quinn!)

Ingredients:

2 T EVOO

1 shallot, minced (onion can be substituted here)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 t kosher salt

1 t Italian Seasoning

2 - 28 oz whole tomatoes

28 oz broth/ stock (I fill 1 of the tomato cans with my own stock or broth from a box)

1 piece Parmesan rind

1-2 T balsamic vinegar

cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat 2 T EVOO in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute the aromatics: shallot, garlic and carrot with the salt for 5 minutes or so, until soft.

2. Add the tomatoes (I like to break them up a bit), the italian seasoning and the broth. Bring to a simmer and add the rind. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes. Season to taste.

3. Puree in blender. (I did 3 batches)

4. I rewarm with the balsamic and serve with extra grated Parm. Keeps in the fridge, can be frozen for future use.

Great with Grilled Cheese!