Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup

For the next couple of months, my recipe inspirations are going to come from what I receive in my winter CSA boxes. Among many other greens, I received a beautiful bunch of kale. I've only cooked kale myself a couple of times, but kale and white bean soup had been on my list of things to try for a while. I also got carrots, garlic, and onions in my plentiful share and this soup allowed me to put a lot of my produce to good use. This soup isn't a show-stopper, but it's a satisfying and healthy dinner that can be easily put together quickly on a weeknight or weekend. Although the beans are plenty filling, carnivores may want to add some feta and spinach chicken sausage or Italian sausage for an evening heartier meal; those who like things spicy might also want to add some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.

Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup
adapted from Whole Foods
serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced yellow onion
4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 (32-ounce) box low-sodium vegetable broth
4 cups packed chopped kale
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 t. kosher salt or to taste*
Grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, optional

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Add broth, kale, tomatoes, and carrots, cover, and bring to a slow boil. Cook 5 to 10 minutes or until kale and carrots are tender**. Add beans and heat through. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and top with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve hot with a piece of crusty bread for dipping.

 

*This will vary depending on how much your canned tomatoes or beans were salted  (if at all) and how salty the vegetable broth is. I use no-salt-added vegetables when I can and low-sodium broth because I prefer to adjust the salt level myself.

**This time will vary quite a bit depending on how if you are using young or mature kale, and how large your carrots slices are.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy

I signed up for my first CSA this last month from Primrose Community Farm. I'd been debating doing it for quite some time, but I love going to the farmer's market so much I opted to skip it this summer. This week I received my first delivery, which was quite an impressive box of vegetables. Among the abundant greens was a beautiful head of bok choy. I like bok choy, but haven't cooked with it too much before, mostly in stir-fries. This is quick and simple preparation that showcases the bok choy with classic Asian flavors. The key to cooking bok choy is to cook it to the point where the light parts are crisp-tender, but the dark green parts aren't overcooked and slimy. If you like a bit of heat, top the bok choy with Sriracha or red pepper flakes, but the bok choy is still wonderful without them. I served the bok choy with salmon for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy
adapted from Gourmet, via Epicurious
serves 2

1 head bok choy
1 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sriracha or red pepper flakes, optional

1. Trim bok choy and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. In a bowl stir together water and soy and oyster sauces. In a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and stir-fry bok choy with salt 2 minutes. Add soy mixture and stir-fry until bok choy is crisp-tender and sauce thickens a bit, 1 to 2 minutes. Top with Sriracha or red pepper flakes and serve hot.

Three Cheese Butternut Squash and Prosciutto Pizza

This pizza recipe came to me in a bolt of inspiration. I spend a lot of time looking for recipes and trying to create my own, but this idea popped into my head completely out of the blue. Pizza is one of easiest ways for me to explore unique flavor combinations and create new recipes. This is the prime time of year for squash and I've been eating plenty, much of it simply roasted and pureed. I also have a large cache of Wisconsin cheeses, including Hook's Parmesan and Forgotten Valley Gruyere and Swiss and it was only a matter of time until I put these two wonderful ingredients together. The sweetness of butternut squash pairs well with the salty and rich cheese and prosciutto, creating a very hearty and satisfying pizza (or panini).

Three Cheese Butternut Squash and Prosciutto Pizza
serves 3 to 4

1 to 2 T. olive oil (depending on the size of the onion)
1 medium to large onion, peeled
12-inch prepared whole-grain pizza crust (I really like Rustic Crust)
1 c. butternut squash puree, canned or fresh (canned will have a more even texture and intense flavor
1 to 2 oz. prosciutto or ham (or even bacon or pancetta), cut into small pieces
1/2 c. shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
2 T. shredded Parmesan cheese

1. To caramelize the onions, tut the onion in half through the stem and slice into 1/8-inch-thick half-rings. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat and add onion, tossing to coat with oil. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until caramelized, about 30 minutes. If the onions begin to burn, lower the heat. Set aside. Meanwhile, combine the three cheeses and mix well.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (or as directed on pizza crust packaging). Spread squash puree evenly over the crust and evenly distribute the prosciutto and onions on the crust. Cover the top with cheese and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or as directed on crust packaging, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Slice into 8 pieces and serve hot.

Beef, Mushroom, and Broccoli Stir-Fry

I decided I needed to make a stir-fry because one, I got some grass-fed stir-fry meat from Black Earth Meats on sale at the Willy Street Co-op a few weeks ago that has been sitting in my freezer, begging to be used and two, I bought a new rice maker and have wanted to try it out ever it since it was delivered to see if it lived up to the great review it got from America's Test Kitchen. When I think beef and stir-fry, I immediately think of broccoli too, with some other veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc.) thrown in the mix. For the record, the rice maker cooked my brown rice perfectly, with none of it sticking to the bowl insert. But on to the stir-fry! This is a great basic stir-fry with sauce recipe; feel free to substitute other vegetables and add more red pepper for heat. Chicken or shrimp could be substituted for the beef; this would also be a great vegetarian dish with tofu, marinated in the same manner as the beef (and breaded in cornmeal if you like your tofu crispy). The best thing about stir-fry is that you can pretty much throw in any proteins or vegetables you have in the fridge and it usually turns out pretty well. Grab some veggies, meats, and get cooking!

Beef, Mushroom, and Broccoli Stir-Fry
adapted from Bon Appetit, via Epicurious
serves 4 to 6

1 pound flank steak or stir-fry  meat
3 tablespoons water
7 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce
8 teaspoons cornstarch

6 tablespoons plus 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1/4 c. white wine
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 large heads of broccoli, cut into florets (stems discarded)
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Brown rice, for serving

1. Cut steak with grain into 2-inch-wide pieces, then slice thinly across grain. Combine 3 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in large bowl. Add steak and stir to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

2. Combine 6 tablespoons broth, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, wine, and next 3 ingredients in small bowl, stirring to dissolve cornstarch completely.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in wok or heavy large skillet over high heat. Add steak with marinade and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer to platter. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to wok. Add ginger and garlic stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli and stir-fry 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 2 1/2 minutes or until just crisp tender. Transfer broccoli to bowl and return work to high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to wok. Add mushrooms; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Return steak and broccoli to wok. Stir sauce, add to wok and stir until sauce thickens, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer mixture to platter and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones

I'm still not sick of pumpkin. Any food with pumpkin or pumpkin spice in the name immediately catches my attention and I'm constantly on the hunt for new recipes, especially baked goods, using pumpkin. I made and really enjoyed some Pumpkin Muffins a few weeks ago so I've been hunting for a whole wheat pumpkin scone recipe, of which there are surprisingly few. I generally get my recipes from well-known sources like Food and Wine, Epicurious (which aggregates Bon Appetit and Gourmet recipes), or Martha Stewart, but none of my go-to sources had a pumpkin scone recipe that I could find, so I resorted to Google. I found the basis for my recipe through Saveur, a great food magazine and tweaked it just a bit to my preferences. As usual, I have many more scones than I can eat on my own before they get stale, so I froze extras for satisfying breakfasts over the next couple of weeks. The spice and pumpkin flavors are clearly present and complemented by the nutty whole wheat flour, but not too aggressive and the delicate texture imparted by the whole wheat pastry flour makes these light and seasonal scones a healthy breakfast treat.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones
adapted from A Dash of Sass, via Saveur
makes 8 scones

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I recommend canned instead of fresh; it has a more concentrated flavor)
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream*
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed or grated and kept cold until needed
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 t. turbinado sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips or dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc.) (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a SilPat.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the pumpkin, cream, vanilla and one egg until combined. Place bowl in the refrigerator while preparing the dry ingredients.

3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.

4. Using a pastry blender, two forks or your fingers, quickly work the cold butter cubes into the dry ingredients. Work until the mixture resembles a crumbly, sandy mixture.

5. Add the cold wet ingredients to the crumbly mixture using a rubber spatula. Only stir until combined. Carefully add 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans and any additional add-ins (chocolate chips, dried fruit). Reserve the remaining 1/4 cup chopped pecans to sprinkle on the top of the scones. Knead the dough briefly, if needed.

6. Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape dough into a 7-inch square. Using a large knife, carefully cut the square into quarters on the diagonal and cut each quarter into two pieces (8 pieces total). Place on lined baking sheet.

7. In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with a fork. Using a pastry brush, brush each scone lightly with the egg. Sprinkle each scone with 1/4 t. turbinado sugar and the remaining pecans.

8. Bake for 12 to 17 minutes or until scones are golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through baking time**, being careful not to overbake the scones (they will dry out).  Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.  Serve warm or store in an airtight container for up to a week (extras can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen).

 *The hydration level of flour varies quite a bit depending on the ambient humidity, so how much liquid is required to bring the dough together will also vary.

**I suspect my oven runs a bit hot, so your baking time will probably be towards the middle or end of the range given, possibly even greater if your oven runs a bit cool. I would start checking at 12 minutes and keep an eye on them, as scones can go from golden to burnt (especially the pecan topping) in a short amount of time.

Cranberry-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

I've been really excited about cooking with cranberries, both fresh and dried, lately and was on the search for a dessert or scone recipe using cranberries when I came across this gem from King Arthur Flour, which I adapted just a bit to use whole wheat pastry flour. I often prefer whole wheat pastry flour because it retains the wonderful nutty flour of whole wheat flour, but has a light and delicate texture that is perfect in baked goods, pancakes, and waffles. These cookies are full of fruits, nuts, and whole grains (admittedly along with a healthy portion of butter and sugar) and are, most importantly, delicious!

Cranberry-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

adapted, slightly, from King Arthur Flour

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (1 7/8 ounces) trans-fat-free vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups (13 1/8 ounces) brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably Grade B)

1 cup (4 ounces) dried cranberries, packed
1 cup (4 ounces) golden raisins
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped pecans or almonds
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 cups (11 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, shortening, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and vanilla, beating until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; then add the maple syrup. Stir in the fruit and nuts, then the flour, beating gently until well combined. Add the oats last, making sure they’re thoroughly distributed throughout the bowl.

3. Now, you can make these cookies three different sizes. A tablespoon cookie scoop will make traditional 2 ½" cookies. A heaped scoop of dough, using a tablespoon cookie scoop (3 tablespoons, about 2 ounces), will make 3 ¼" cookies. A muffin scoop (1/4 cup) will make big 4" cookies, suitable to wrap individually and sell at a bake sale. Drop balls of dough onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 2" between them. Bake the cookies until they’re just barely set on top–about 12 minutes for the small cookies, 13 to 14 minutes for the medium cookies, and 16 minutes for the large cookies. Remove them from the oven, and cool them on the baking sheets, or transfer them to a rack to cool. 

Yield: about 4 dozen small, 30 medium, or 2 dozen large cookies.

 

Harvest Chicken Salad

After the success of Cranberry-Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad last week, I thought I'd try to put together another creative main dish salad, using some of the wonderful flavors of fall. I made this salad with grilled chicken, but I'd really be just as happy without it. The savory cheese and nuts contrasted with the sweet-tart cranberries and crunchy apples provide many layers of complementing flavors so any vegetarians who want to make this salad won't be disappointed.

Harvest Chicken Salad
serves 2

1 T. dijon, spicy brown, or other grainy mustard
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (approximately 1/2 pound)
4 oz. salad greens
1/4 c. sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 c. chopped toasted pecans
1/4 c. shredded smoked cheddar cheese
1 small to medium tart apple, cored and cut into 16 pieces
Salad dressing (suggestion: balsamic vinaigrette)

1. Preheat a cast iron grill pan over medium heat. Brush both sides of the chicken breast with mustard. Grill chicken breast until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F. Let rest at least 5 minutes and slice into bite-size pieces.

2. Divide salad greens between two large plates. Top each pile of greens with half of the grilled chicken, cranberries, pecans, cheese, and apple slices. Drizzle with your favorite salad dressing and enjoy!