Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I hope your holiday was merry. Here's the spread we feasted on today:
We had turkey......mashed potatoes......cornbread and sausage stuffing......brussel sprouts with pancetta......cranberry sauce......gravy......cornbread pudding......and champagne!I can't wait to eat leftovers!

Lentil Sausage Soup

As the temperature plummets and snow flurries fill the skies, it's time to break out the soup recipes. I made this Ina Garten recipe for dinner the other night. It's a variation of basic ham and lentil soup. Decidedly delicious!

LENTIL SAUSAGE SOUP

1 lb French green lentils (recommended: du Puy)
1/4 c olive oil, plus extra for serving
4 c diced yellow onions (3 large)
4 c chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)
1 tbs minced garlic (2 large cloves)
1 tbs kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
3 c medium diced celery (8 stalks)
3 c medium diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
3 qts chicken stock (I used 2 1/2 qts)
1/4 c tomato paste
1 lb kielbasa, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced 1/3" thick
2 tbs dry red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. Check the seasonings. Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot.Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

Fish en Papillote with Julienned Vegetables and Truffle Oil

I have several recipes for fish en papillote (that's "butterfly" en Francais due to the shape of the parchment paper), but yesterday I tried a version from Sara Moulton. It was originally published in her book, "Sara Moulton Cooks at Home." At another time, I'd like to test Alton Brown's take on it, with salmon, dry vermouth, and orange wedges.

I cooked dinner for three people, so I adjusted the amounts of the following ingredients.

FISH EN PAPILLOTE WITH JULIENNED VEGETABLES AND TRUFFLE OIL

makes 2 servings

1 1/2 tbs plus 2 tsp unsalted butter
2 carrots, julienned (I julienned baby carrots)
1 large leek, julienned
1 celery rib, julienned
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil, for brushing
2 thin fish fillets, no thicker than 1/3 inch, such as pompano or flounder, about 6 ounces each, skin removed (I used flounder)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp white truffle oil (I substituted olive oil)

Melt 1 1/2 tbs of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the carrot, leek, and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook gently, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut out a 13 x 15" parchment paper rectangle. Fold in half crosswise. Unfold and brush the whole rectangle lightly with some oil. Lay the fillets on one half of the parchment, skinned side down, and season with salt and pepper. Drain the vegetables of as much liquid as possible and divide among the fillets. Drizzle with the lemon juice. Top each vegetable mound with 1 tsp butter and drizzle each with 1 tsp of the truffle oil.

Fold the other half of the paper over the fillets and, starting with the top, make 1/4" folds all around the perimeters and press to crimp and seal. Close the final crimp with a paper clip. Place the packet on a baking sheet and bake until puffed and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving plate and serve at once, preferably while the packet is still puffed.

Warm Quinoa-and-Zucchini-Stuffed Tomatoes

I made stuffed tomatoes for a vegetarian dinner the other night...although we ate them before I had a chance to snap some photos! I like to cook with quinoa because it is a complete grain full of amino acids. I often use it as a substitute for couscous in one-dish entrees with veggies and, say, shrimp or chicken. Additionally, when I was in college, I made quinoa and raisin health muffins for a protein-packed breakfast-on-the-go.The following recipe was published in "The Healthy Kitchen: Recipes for a Better Body, Life, and Spirit" by Andrew Weil, MD and Rosie Daley.

WARM QUINOA-AND-ZUCCHINI-STUFFED TOMATOES

serves 6

1/2 c quinoa
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 c purified water or vegetable stock (I used vegetable stock)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning (I substituted a mix of oregano, tarragon, and thyme)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 c grated zucchini
2 tbs currants or raisins (I omitted this)
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley or basil (I used basil)
1/2 tsp ground curry or cumin (I used cumin)
1/4 tsp paprika
2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 medium tomatoes
2 tsp bread crumbs
2 tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan, toss the quinoa in 1 tbs olive oil, stir, pour in the water or vegetable stock, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Pour 1 tbs olive oil into a nonstick pan and saute the chopped onions, zucchini, currants, parsley or basil, curry or cumin, paprika, and lemon juice over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Scoop the quinoa into the saute pan and mix thoroughly with a spoon until it is blended with the vegetables to make an aromatic stuffing. Remove from heat.

Create a lid for each tomato by cutting a star shape around the stem about 1/4" deep. Remove the top and set it aside. Scoop out the seeds of each tomato and some of the loose pulp, being careful to leave a strong wall of tomato all around. Spoon equal amounts of the stuffing into the cavities of each tomato, filling them up generously. Put the tomatoes in a small ceramic or glass baking dish and garnish with a sprinkle of bread crumbs and 1 tsp Parmesan cheese per tomato. Cover the baking dish with a glass lid or foil and bake for 25 minutes. Tomatoes should be firm and easy to transfer from the baking dish to the serving plates. Garnish by putting the star-shaped tomato lids back on top of each tomato.

Ribollita

Ribollita, an "Everyday Italian" recipe, is a spin on hearty vegetable soup. Although it's full of veggies, the olive oil and pancetta lend it a savory heartiness. You probably already have the ingredients for it in your pantry and freezer! I made many ingredient substitutions (as noted in parentheses), but this recipe is very flexible and you can fine tune it according to your palate. My father makes a similar tomato-based vegetable soup; his mother handed the recipe down to him.

I refrigerated the leftover soup and reheated it for lunch the next day. This would also keep well frozen for up to a month.RIBOLLITA

makes 6 to 8 servings

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling on bread
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped (I cut up baby carrots)
4 oz pancetta, chopped (I used a little less)
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs tomato paste
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 lb frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used frozen petite peas)
1 (15 oz) can cannelloni beans, drained (I used frozen corn that had been sliced off the cob)
1 tbs herbs de Provence (I added thyme, marjoram, and basil to taste)
3 c chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 (3") piece Parmesan rind (I added a few tsp of grated Parmesan to taste)
4 to 6 ciabatta rolls, halved lengthwise or 1 loaf, sliced
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, pancetta, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drizzle the ciabatta halves with olive oil. Toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the toasts with the whole garlic clove. Place the toasts in the serving bowls and ladle the soup over the toasts. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

Boston Organics

I'll soon be moving out of the area, but there are many things I'll miss about Boston. Case in point: the amazing Boston Organics independent organic produce delivery service that I used. For two years, I had 100% USDA certifed organic local and fair trade fruits and veggies dropped off at my doorstep every week.

The friendly Boston Organic staff assemble the weekly boxes for you and select the freshest produce available. Although you can't control everything that goes into your box, you can log in online and check off which items you prefer to receive. Each week, you can opt to add on seasonal items, like soy nut butters, pickles, eggs, chocolate, onions, jams, and breads. I usually added a preservative-free Nashoba Brook Whole Wheat Half Deli loaf to my order:Boston Organics provides both a weekly e-mail newsletter and a paper copy to its customers. It is full of reader-submitted recipes and information about the origins of the produce. The writers also provide helpful tips on how to best store and prepare your goods:I had a $29 box--half vegetable, half fruit--delivered every other week. In the summer, I increased delivery to a weekly basis. The boxes are $29, $39, and $57, respectively. You can decide whether you'd prefer to receive all fruit, all veggies, or a fixed ratio of both. Recently, they created a $45 "office box" and a $57 "family box" for individuals with specific needs. This is a delivery I received a few weeks ago:To give you an idea, this is the approximate content of this week's $29 1/2 fruit 1/2 vegetable box:

1.5 lbs Bananas
1 Grapefruit
0.5 lbs Kiwis
2 Nectarines
3 Paula Red Apples (locally grown)
2 Valencia Oranges
2 Yellow Peaches
1 Avocado
1 Cucumbers (locally grown)
1 Green Bell Pepper (from PA)
1 bunch Red Kale (locally grown)
1 head Romaine/Leaf Lettuce (locally grown)
0.75 lbs yellow/green Summer Squash (locally grown)
2 ears of Supersweet Corn (locally grown)

Having a constant supply of fresh produce helped me to stay healthy and nutritionally-balanced during college. Boston Organics does not charge a delivery, start-up, or cancellation fee, so it truly is a risk-free venture. It has prompt and excellent customer service, and I would highly recommend it to anyone living in the greater Boston area!

Farmers' Market Salad

As I discussed in a previous entry, I think it's important to support local farmers and sustainable agricultural practices. Every week, I frequent the local farmers' market to purchase organic produce and freshly-baked goods.

Today, my purchases included romaine lettuce, Brandywine and Rome heirloom tomatoes, and a log of goat cheese. The cheese was produced on a pristine farm with 70 Alpine and Saanen goats. Happily, it's free of antibiotic residue and synthetic hormones, and it's super rich and creamy.

I like to do variations on a Caprese salad, so I whipped up a Farmers' Market salad with the lettuce, tomatoes, goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper.

Veggie Planet

Last night, my friend Emily and I ventured to Veggie Planet in Harvard Square for the first time. It's located in alley and underground...but you can just look for the giant carrot sign!Veggie Planet is a renowned vegan/vegetarian restaurant, and it's located in Club Passim, a music venue that has been around for 50 years. Joan Baez played her first gig here, and, over the years, many prominent folk singers and musicians have graced its stage. While we ate in the cramped, colorful, dive-like dining space, a band set up their sound system next door.

Emily ordered the vegan Hot Tomato Artichoke soup, which, true to its name, arrived piping hot. Note the billowing steam:For her entree, she ordered the Roasted Vegetables and Rice: butternut squash, spinach, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and portabello mushrooms atop brown rice.I had the vegan Spicy Tomato Gazpacho. Surpisingly, this enormous portion was deemed a "small." I found it to be tasty but a bit too chunky for my palate. This would be best served as salsa alongside a sizable bowl of tortilla chips: I also ordered a small Safe 'n' Sound pizza: fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, asiago cheese, basil, spinach, and fried garlic. Veggie Planet's organic pizza dough is made by Haley House, a non-profit bakery in the South End. (Whenever possible, Veggie Planet purchases local organic ingredients.) Emily and I both cleaned our plates, and, given the generous portions, that says a lot about the food at Veggie Planet!As you've probably surmised by now, Veggie Planet is quirky, bold, crunchy, and eco-conscious. You could totally envision it in California. The restaurant uses an ecological oven to cook all of its food. The establishment also supports a noble social cause: proudly, the restaurant donates 2% of its food profits and 100% of its t-shirt profits to Food For Free, a non-profit organization that helps feed the hungry in Cambridge.

Wagamama

This summer, I've formed a weekly dinner club of sorts with my friends Brendan and Kyle. Really, it's more of an "eating club:" we go out to restaurants in the greater Boston area instead of actually preparing our meals!

Tonight, we ventured to Wagamama in Harvard Square. The cuisine is a fusion of Japanese, Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes. It's kind of an upscale ramen noodle bar. As noted above, the Wagamama chain has spread across the globe. The interior of the restaurant is that of a sleek noodle bar/canteen-style restaurant--somewhere between a pho noodle dive and David Chang's Momofuku in New York. All of the dishes are made-to-order, so entrees often arrive to the table at different times. Servers write on your paper placement to keep track of your order.Brendan had Yaki udon, or teppan-fried udon noodles with curry oil, shiitake mushrooms, egg, leeks , shrimp, chicken, yaki chikuwa, bean sprouts, green and red peppers, black and white sesame seeds, fried shallots, pickled red ginger, and a spicy cilantro vinaigrette.Kyle had the Yasai Katsu curry, which consisted of deep-fried slices of sweet potato, eggplant and butternut squash coated in panko breadcrumbs. The dish was served with a light curry sauce, rice, mixed leaves, and red pickles.For a starter, I had duck gyoza, which I have ordered in the past. They were filled with duck and leeks, deep-fried, and served with cherry hoisin sauce. Basically, some of my all-time favorite ingredients...deep-fried!I also had teriyaki salmon. It was grilled and served with rice and steamed baby bok choy. The dish was garnished with mixed sesame seeds, nori, and teriyaki sauce.

Collard Greens with Bacon

Healthy: leafy, virtuous collard greens.
Unhealthy: fatty applewood-cured bacon.
Delicious: collard greens with aforesaid bacon.

I make several variations of collard greens, but I usually have leftover bacon in the freezer, so it's a cinch to throw together a Southern comfort side dish. Cut out the long, bitter stems of the collard greens, roll up the leaves, and chop them into bundles to create strips.In a heavy-bottomed skillet, fry the bacon strips.Add the collard greens, a few tbs of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to thoroughly cook the greens so they will not retain their naturally bitter taste.Here, the collard greens complement a pork chop that has been sauteed in a cast iron skillet.Sweet tea, hush puppies and pecan pie are optional.