VEGETARIAN RIBOLLITA

Vegetarian Ribollita

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium onion, diced (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 rib celery, sliced (3/4 cups)
• 1 medium zucchini, diced (1 1/4 cups or 5 1/4 ounces)
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced (1/3 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head Savoy cabbage, cleaned and coarsely chopped or shredded (7 1/2 cups)
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, in juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans
• 10 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups cubed sourdough bread (about 1/2 loaf) or any hard bread you have on hand
• 3 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup shaved Pecorino-Romano

Directions

In a soup pot or Dutch oven heat the 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, zucchini, carrots, garlic, and rosemary; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft and juicy, about 10 minutes. Add the cabbage, tomatoes, basil, and marjoram and season again with salt and pepper. Cook until cabbage is just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans and vegetable broth, and adjust the heat to simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Remove the rosemary sprig. Stir in the bread and spinach, increase the heat to medium and cook until the soup thickens, about 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into warm bowls. Top with cheese and a little drizzle extra-virgin olive oil.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Today happens to be my parents' 50^Th anniversary. Yes, folks, they managed to get through fifty years together without killing each other.  This is indeed a milestone; according to my aunts only two other couples in our entire family have reached this momentous occasion.  I don't know why they keep track of facts like these, but they do, and they never fail to share the information with everyone in a fifty mile radius. 

HAPPY 50^TH

ANNIVERSARY

MADELINE & MIKE.

Where has time gone? Twenty-seven years with Irwin accounted for a big part of my life; in fact, more than half of my life was spent with him, either as his wife or his girlfriend.  Life without him has been a learning process for me; things which you used to do for two people you now only have to do for one.  It was actually funny after he died - I am going to explain.  Irwin had two jobs in the house: taking out the garbage was the first one, and he also had to make the bed in the morning because he was the last one out of bed every day. Everything else was left to me (nothing new about that, women always do more, it’s just how life works). 

As I slowly came back to reality and started to function again, I did chores that I was used to doing, not thinking about anything he used to do, thus his chores (namely the garbage) started to pile up. The bed didn’t matter because I never go into the bedroom, not even to sleep. Finally someone who was a regular visitor said to me, "Are you ever going to empty your garbage again," and then it hit me.  I had to readjust everything I did in the house and his chores became mine.

This is especially true with cooking, I was so used to cooking for a man who not only loved to eat, but meat and mashed potatoes could have sustained him for his entire life.  Add a side of spaghetti and meatballs and he was a happy camper. This was a creature of habit; he ate the same breakfast the entire time I lived with him and knew him, and he had coffee and doughnuts the same time every day (eleven), ate lunch at one every single day, came home and ate dinner, then two hours later had his milk and cookies. You could set your watch by what Irwin Green was eating.

One of the most important things I have learned since he has died is that unless you have someone to share things in life with, it does not mean anything at all.  Without having to cook for him it took me a long time to get back into the kitchen, but when I finally did I decided I wanted to change the way I cook and eat.  I wanted to include more grains, less meat, and eat mostly vegetables. I also wanted to start buying organic produce and wild caught fish while really cutting out the meat in order to develop a healthier lifestyle.

Cleaning out my kitchen cabinets was an experience in itself.  I never realized how many places there are in a kitchen to hide cookies and chocolate in his emergency stash.  He could have lived a year off of what I found for a year.  I also found notes he left me; there were notes all over the apartment, not just in the kitchen.  Most of his notes made me laugh - the man should have been a comedian - and definitely made moving on a little easier. His handwritten notes really expressed his true feelings and I will always treasure them.

I am going to start sharing some of the new recipes I have started to include into my repertoire over the last year. A lot of the e-mails I receive are asking for vegetarian dishes or otherwise healthy versions of what you are already cooking. Let’s not forget about breaking the bank.  Keeping this in mind, I am going to start to post recipes to get everyone off to a healthy new year.

This is a recipe that I usually make at the beginning of the week so I can have it for lunches and another dinner.  If I am in a rush, and I am not going to be home all day, I put all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook it on low for six hours.  When I get home I have a meal ready. You can also change the beans in this chili and use any canned beans you happen to have on hand or any beans that you like.
 

 VEGETARIAN CHILI

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large bell peppers (1 green, 1 red), chopped
• 3 medium carrots, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 to 1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup brewed coffee
• 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 head cauliflower
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus torn leaves for topping (optional)
• Shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, sliced scallions and/ or plain low-fat Greek yogurt, for topping (optional)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, carrots and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, chipotle; tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste is brick red, about 4 minutes (add a splash of water if the mixture begins to stick).

Add the coffee and simmer until almost completely reduced, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, beans and 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens slightly, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim the large stems off the cauliflower and coarsely grate the florets on a box grater. About 10 minutes before the chili is done cooking, stir in the grated cauliflower. Cook 10 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the chopped cilantro and season

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VAUGHN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VAUGHN

Give me a few days notice, they next time you are visiting Queens, and I will have these two dishes ready for you in a care package.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN

Ingredients

 

 One 3 1/2 lb chicken (3lb of chicken breasts may be used if preferred)
 6 sliced scotch bonnet peppers (jalapenos may be used if scotch bonnet peppers are unavailable)
 2 Tbsp. thyme
 2 Tbsp. ground allspice
 8 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
 3 Medium onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tsp. ground black pepper
1 to 2 Tsp of the following (to taste)
-ground cinnamon
-nutmeg
-ginger
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
Juice of one lime
1 cup orange juice

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a large plastic container, large enough to mix ingredients thoroughly,

Let sit in the refrigerator for at least two days, the longer this chicken sits marinating the better it will taste.

Pre heat a grill pan or the grill to high heat, place chicken directly on the grill and grill until the internal temperature is 160, remove from grill and cover for at least thirty minutes with tinfoil. The chickens will continue to cook while resting.  The juices will return to the BBQ chicken, which will make it juicy.

Caribbean Beans and Rice

INGREDIENTS

4 slices smoked bacon or 1 small ham hock

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 cup dried red kidney beans, brought to a boil and cooled, drained

5 cups cold water

1 Scotch bonnet, halved and seeded, or 2 Serrano chilies

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

4 scallions, crushed*

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 1/2 cups long-grain rice, washed and drained

DIRECTIONS

Heat a Dutch oven or large, deep pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon to the hot pot and cook until light brown on both sides. Add the garlic and saute until light brown. Add the drained beans along with the cold water to the bacon and garlic and bring to a boil over high heat.

Cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until beans are just tender, about 1 hour. Add the chili peppers, cinnamon, coconut milk, scallions, thyme, allspice, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and, once the mixture has returned to a boil, stir, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid. Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving. Remove the thyme sprigs and Scotch bonnet pepper halves and serve. 

It is traditional to "crush" scallions by placing them on a cutting board and lightly tapping them with the handle of a knife. They can then be removed before serving but still impart their wonderful flavor to the rice and beans.



A FAST & EASY MEAL

Here’s a slow cooker recipe for those busy cooks who are constantly on the go.  Put the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and go about your day.  Come home at night to a nice, hot, home-cooked meal.

SLOW COOKER BEEF & TOMATO STEW

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced small

3 medium carrots cut into rounds

3 celery stalks, cut into ¼ inch pieces

2 pounds beef chucks, fat trimmed cut into 1-inch pieces

1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

coarse salt and ground pepper

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened - 10 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a slow cooker and add beef, tomatoes, broth, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/3 teaspoon pepper.

Cover and cook on high, 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

To serve cook up some egg noodles and serve stew on top of noodles.

AVOCADOS

The other day I posted two fantastic recipes for heartwarming soups.   Today I want to talk about shopping for vegetables that are in season; one in particular which I try to incorporate into many of my dishes is avocado.  Not only are avocados in season this time of the year but they are generally a good bargain.

Avocados are filled with healthful monounsaturated fat which has been linked to healthier hearts and trimmer waistlines.  When Irwin’s cardiologist told me I should get him to start eating avocados, I started to put them into everything I made. They became our number one snack for a Sunday afternoon football game.

Everyone snacks while watching their favorite sporting event, so why not make it a snack that is good for you and also tastes fantastic?   I use to make two different dips using avocados (which I am going to share with you), so while we watched football snacking was not a problem.  Throw in some baked chips, any kind that you like, and it’s a win-win situation. 

If you want to use an avocado immediately, buy one that is already ripe; it should give when very gently pressed.  If you are not going to use it for a few days, pick one that is firm, and don’t worry as it will continue to soften and ripen on your counter top.  I would not refrigerate the avocados before you use them; they just do better in a milder temperature, but once it ripens you should put it in the refrigerator where it will keep for two or three days.

Now that you have bought the avocado and it has ripened, let’s talk about cutting it and pitting it.  It's not a hard process, but there are a few tips that will make it a lot easier.  First you are going to need a very sharp knife; if your knife is dull don’t even bother.  Slice the avocado in half lengthwise and twist apart.  With the blade of your sharp knife, carefully but firmly hit the pit to the wedge of the blade in the center, and then gently wiggle to release the pit from the flesh.  Attaching your knife to the pit should be done in one motion.  Give it a good whack.  To remove the pit from the knife I generally hold the pit with a kitchen towel because it can be slippery, and remember you are working with a very sharp knife.

If I want to make perfect slices I lay the avocado on the cutting board and slice right through the skin and flesh all at once creating a perfect slice. I then remove the skin and I have a perfect slice of avocado.  Make sure to keep the slices in a bowl of iced cold water with a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning.  If I want to use the avocado in a dip or spread, I take the tip of a knife and I score the avocado, making a checked pattern, creating a large dice.  I then take a tablespoon and run it around the flesh of the avocado and the skin removing as much of the flesh as possible.  I generally sprinkle lemon juice on the flesh once I remove it from the skin; it keeps the avocado from turning brown.

In the winter time I always make sure I have a couple of avocados on hand; they are great to put into salad, slice into sandwiches, and when thrown together with a banana and some yogurt it makes a really good breakfast smoothie. I always make sure to have a few on hand, they are my go-to staple in my kitchen this time of the year.   Here are a few different ways that you can use an avocado

AVOCADO-BANANA SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS

1 ripe avocado

1 ripe banana

½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 ½ cup fresh orange juice (or to taste)

¼ cup honey

3 cups ice

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together in a blender and mix together until smooth.  Make sure to serve this immediately, because it does not keep for a long period of time.  

GUACAMOLE

INGREDIENTS 

4 TO 5 SMALL HASS AVOCADOS

JUICE ½ LIMES

1 CUP CHOPPED CILANTRO

1 PLUM TOMATO, CORED SEEDED AND CHOPPED

1 SMALL SPANISH ONION CHOPPED

1 JALAPEÑO CORED, SEEDED AND CHOPPED

2 CLOVES GARLIC FINELY CHOPPED

FINE SEA SALT OR KOSHER SALT TO TASTE

FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE

DIRECTIONS

PIT AND PEEL THE AVOCADOES

CUT THE AVOCADOS INTO ROUGH CHUNKS AND TOSS THEM IN A BOWL WITH THE LIME JUICE. 

ADD THE CILANTRO, TOMATO, ONION, JALAPENO, AND GARLIC, AND MASH WITH A FORK UNTIL EVERYTHING IS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AND THE GUACAMOLE HAS A NICE, CHUNKY TEXTURE.

SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER.

 SERVE IMMEDIATELY, PREFERABLY, BUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO REFRIGERATE, UP TO 4 HOURS, COVER THE GUACAMOLE WITH A PIECE OF PLASTIC WRAP DIRECTLY ON TOP OF THE DIP BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE REFEGERATOR.

AVOCADO AND WHITE BEAN DIP

INGREDIENTS

2 cans (15.5 ounces each) cannellini beans (make sure to rinse and drain them)

4 avocados, peeled and cut up

4 crushed garlic cloves

1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves

¼ cup white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

6 tablespoons water

salt & pepper to taste

fresh chopped cilantro 

DIRECTIONS

I use a food processor when I make this because it gives it a nice smooth consistency.  Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processer and pulse until smooth and all the ingredients are combined well.

I sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro on the top, to give it some extra flavor.

SOUP IS WHAT'S FOR DINNER

I know I have talked about this before, because it is something I feel very strongly about: soups.  Yes, fresh, homemade soups rather than soups from the can.  This one’s for you, Tess.  It's just as easy to put a pot of soup on the stove as it is to open up a can, and a whole lot cheaper. There is nothing that beats a fresh, homemade pot of soup. With a few simple ingredients taken from your pantry you can produce a fantastic pot of soup and get rid of the can opener.

Making soup is easy - you can pretty much use anything you have on hand. Remember, cooking is all about experimenting with different tastes and flavors, and there is no law that I know of that says you have to follow every recipe to the letter.

If you live in a household where you have to make meat on the table every night, try substituting mushrooms.  They will give you the same meaty flavor and be as satisfying as that big old hunk of beef.  Mushrooms are packed with flavor and they're generally pretty inexpensive this time of year.

Here are two totally different soups that will please even the pickiest of eaters - something for everyone.  It's a heartwarming meal for a cold winter’s night which will cost you less than ten dollars to make; if you add a salad you have a full complete meal. Throw in a warm, crusty loaf of bread and you will have a huge hit on your hands.  Soup is what’s for dinner!!!!!

SWISS CHARD SOUP

Ingredients

• 2 bunches Swiss chard (about 2 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 2 carrots cut up
• 2 ribs of celery cut up
• 1 parsnip cut up
• 1 turnip cut up
• 1 cup mushrooms cut (you can use any kind you like).
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth (homemade)
• Juice of one lemon

Directions

Cut the chard stems into 1/2-inch pieces and the leaves into 1-inch pieces; keep separate. Toast the caraway and cumin seeds in a skillet over medium heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool, then grind in a spice grinder and grind.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chard stems and onion, and the rest of the vegetables and cook until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Clear a space in the pan, then add the tomato paste, hot sauce, garlic and ground spices. Cook 2 minutes, then stir into the vegetables.

Add the chard leaves, chicken broth and 1 cup water, bring to a rapid simmer and cook until the chard is tender, about simmer about 10- 15 minutes. Squeeze in the juice from 1/2 lemon and season with salt.

Serve in large bowls with toasted croutons.

Curried Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved
• 2 medium carrots, sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces
• 2 ribs of celery sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces
• 1 red pepper seeded and medium dice
• 1 orange pepper seeded and medium dice
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt
• 6 cups chicken broth (homemade)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, very thinly sliced or diced which ever you like
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (you can use anyone you like, or you can use the curry powder to taste)
• 1/3 cup jasmine rice (if you do not have jasmine rice, you can use white rice or whatever you have on hand)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint (if using dried herbs use 2 tablespoons)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (if using dried herbs use 2 tablespoons)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

Combine the chicken, carrots, celery, peppers, bay leaf and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Add 3 cups broth and bring to a boil; immediately reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is just firm, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in another saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the onion is soft, 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and the remaining 3 cups broth. Increase the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the rice falls apart, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from its broth; discard the skin and shred the meat into pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the same broth.

Puree the rice mixture with an immersion blender until smooth (or use a regular blender, then return to the pan). Pour in the shredded chicken and broth, stirring gently to combine; bring to a simmer. Toss in the chopped herbs and serve the soup with lemon wedges.