Carrot Tomato Bisque

A week or so ago when the Northeast (and basically everywhere else) was dealing with some serious deep freeze temps, the man and I decided we wanted nothing more then tomato coup and grilled cheese while sitting in front of the fireplace. Well, apparently everyone else in Philadelphia had the same idea because tomato soup was nowhere to be found in the grocery story. I begrudgingly settled for a Carrot Tomato Bisque from Campbell's but was less then excited for dinner as it wasn't my traditional idea of tomato soup. Turns out I was totally wrong and this soup was better than any other "tomato" soup I'd had before.

Now, as a rule I'm not one to purchase canned soups for a long list of reasons, but most prominently because of all the unnecessary sodium, sugar and general chemical junk that gets added. I find making my own soup cathartic and rewarding. When Nick requested this soup again not even a week later I knew I had to figure it out. Unfortunately Pinterest and Google turned up little in the way of "carrot tomato bisque" so I decided to wing it and see what happened one lazy Sunday night. Luckily, I hit the jackpot on my first try (that never happens with figure-it-out recipes for me) and this bisque could not have been easier. Perfect for a cold, winter night with a grilled cheese or garlic bread which is how we had it last week. I garnished mine with some parsley for freshness. The leftovers were just as good the next few days. This will definitely stay in our rotation!

PS: I learned a little something about soup vocabulary while writing out this recipe. Apparently soup is the overarching term for anything broth-based with or without additional "stuff" such as noodles, protein, veggies, etc.  Bisque is thick (and usually creamy) but generally smooth without chunky additions while chowders are also thick (and also usually creamy but again don't have to be, think Manhattan Clam Chowder) but with lots of "stuff" and texture. There's the something new you learned today, now you can relax. You're welcome 😉

 

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cups peeled carrots, chopped into appx. 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 28 oz can of pureed tomato
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp sweetener of your choice (I used honey but you could use sugar, agave, or brown sugar)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 heavy cream
• Salt to taste*

*Please note I generally do not use black pepper in my recipes because I do not like the flavor however if you are a fan you can certainly add it if you prefer. You could also add a touch of cayenne or red pepper flakes to add a bit of heat if you prefer.

 

Directions:

1. Peel and chop carrots into appx. 1-inch pieces. Dice your onion.
2. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat (I used enameled cast iron) and add your butter. Once butter is melted, add carrots and onions and saute until fragrant and onions are becoming translucent - about 10 to 12 minutes. 
3. Add remaining ingredients (except cream) to the pot and lower heat to medium-low (mine was a 2-3 out of 9) so that your soup is lightly bubbling but not at a rolling boil. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the largest carrot pieces are able to be easily pierced with a fork. 
4. Remove your pot from the heat and allow it to cool so that the bubbling stops, about 2-3 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree until everything is smooth. This process took me about 5 minutes. To speed it up you could mash the carrots with a potato masher in the pot before you begin with the immersion blender. 
5. Add the cream (you can add more or less depending on how creamy you want it - truth be told it would be left out altogether if you want a super healthy soup but I'm not about that deprivation). 
6. Serve immediately and top with fresh herbs (parsley, basil or dill would be best). Pairs best with grilled cheese or crusty bread for dunking. 

Gnocchi in White Wine Sauce

This is a recipe I get asked for a lot so I figured it was time to write it out! What I love best about it is that the base is the same but you can switch out for whatever you have on hand (protein and veggies included). As long as you have gnocchi, butter, white wine, vinegar and some kind of broth/stock, you can mix and match how you like! I also live that this dinner is (almost) one-pot. While I do boil the gnocchi in an additional pot the sauce and protein all cook in the same pan. I prefer cast iron but a large nonstick skillet would be fine as well. Finally, I like to use fresh homemade gnocchi when I can but when you don't have any on hand the frozen stuff from the store works perfectly well and it easy to work with! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound hot Italian sausage links (I used turkey but you can choose whatever you prefer)
• 1 pound gnocchi 
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced in rounds
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 ears corn, kernels shaved from the cob (or 1 cup frozen sweet corn)
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups kale leaves, washed, stems removed and rough chopped
• 1/4 cup rough chopped parsley for garnish
• Shaved hard cheese (Pecorino Romano or Parmesan) for garnish

For the sauce:

• 1 cup white wine
• 2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth 
• 2 tbsp light-colored vinegar (I prefer sherry but red wine or white wine vinegar will work as well)
• 2 tbsp honey
• red pepper flakes to taste for spice level
• 2 tbsp butter (for finishing)

Directions:

•  Heat your skillet over medium heat with a touch of oil. Add sausage in whole links and cook on all sides until browned, about 10 minutes (does not need to be cooked through at this point). 
• Remove sausage from pan and set aside in a bowl or plate to retain juices. 
• Add 1 tbsp olive oil and add corn and tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes until corn is slightly browned in spots and tomatoes begin to wilt. 
• Add shallots and garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Do not allow garlic or shallots to burn. 
• Add white wine to the pan and allow to cook out for 2-3 minutes until reduced by about half. Add in broth, vinegar, honey and pepper flakes. Slice sausage into 1/2 in rounds and add back into sauce (with any juices left on your plate) to finish cooking. Continue to allow sauce to cook until fully reduced by about half. 
• While sauce is cooking boil salted water to cook your gnocchi. Once water is boiling, reduce down to low boil and add gnocchi in batches to avoid lowering the temperature too much. Cook gnocchi until it floats (meaning it's done). Fresh gnocchi will only take 45 seconds-1 minute. Frozen may take 2-3 depending on your water temperature. Add gnocchi floats transfer to sauce pan using a slotted spoon. Continue this until all gnocchi is cooked and transferred to sauce pan.
• Add kale and butter to your pan and stir to combine. Allow to sit in the pan but off the heat for 5-7 minutes until kale is soft. 
• Serve in shallow bowls garnished with parsley and shaved cheese.

One-Pot Curry

One-Pot (or slow-cooker) Curry

Curry is one of those things that people get intimidated to cook when in reality it's one of the most simple things to make and can be totally customized to you likes. I started dabbling in the Thai food realm about seven years ago. I discovered how much I liked curry after trying a local Thai restaurant but as a poor recent graduate preferred to spend the same amount of money to buy ingredients for about 6 servings of curry as I would to purchase one plate at said restaurant. So I started doing some research and after countless batches and about 25 different techniques I can tell you this: THIS ONE IS THE EASIEST AND THE BEST ONE OUT THERE. 

If you aren't familiar with curry then you should know that all curry has some level of spice (when you are buying paste ready-made and not making it yourself - bc girlfriend ain't got time for that). In general Yellow or Massaman curry are the most mild, Red and Panang are in the middle and Green or Kang Kua are the hottest. My favorite brand of curry paste is Maesri which I pick up at the Asia Supermarket (yes, this is what it's actually called) in Chinatown in Philly but you can get it on Amazon or other online retailers. Here are my three favorites:

These pastes have amazing flavor on their own but I find a tiny bit of tweaking really brings them to the next level. I prefer my curry on the sweeter side so I add in some brown sugar while it's cooking but that's a personal preference. I also like LOTS of ginger so I add in about 1/2 cup of chopped ginger to one batch of curry. Curry can also be customized in terms of protein and vegetables. My husband and I prefer to use cubed brisket in curry but you can use chicken, shrimp or leave it vegetarian and it will still be delicious. You will obviously adjust the cooking time and this one slow simmers for at least 5 hours to allow the beef to get nice and tender. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 - 2 pounds brisket, cubed and fat layer removed
• 1 can curry paste of choice
• 4 cans coconut milk (I prefer regular but you can get reduced fat)
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1.2 cup small diced fresh ginger (if using prepared pureed ginger from a jar use 1/4 cup)
• 2 medium leeks, halved, small diced and cleaned
• 1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 zucchini, quartered and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• Rice, cooked according to package directions

Directions:

1. Heat a heavy bottom soup pot over medium-high heat and add spray with cooking spray or add 1 tbsp oil. Add beef in single-layer batches and brown on all sides, removing from pot when finished. Repeat until all beef is browned on all sides.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in ginger to saute for several minutes until fragrant. 
3. Add in curry paste, coconut milk, soy sauce and brown sugar. Stir to combine all ingredients and taste for adjustments. 
4. Add beef back into curry (along with juice collected in the holding bowl) and bring to a simmer. Once curry is simmering reduce heat to low and cook with lid vented for 4-5 hours until beef is tender, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot every 30ish minutes. 
5. 30 minutes before you are ready to serve add in leeks, pepper and zucchini and turn heat up to medium, stir every few minutes. Make rice according to package directions. 
6. Serve with rice on the side or in the middle of a wide but shallow soup bowl. Enjoy!

Spicy California Sushi Roll Bowl

Spicy California Sushi Roll Bowl

This has quickly become one of my favorite lunches. First, it's quick. I can throw it together in less than 5 minutes. Second, it's delicious and hits that sushi craving for me without me having to shell out the big bucks for delivery or take out. Third, it's versatile and allows for lots of changes based on what you have, what you like or what you feel like eating that day. While I make mine with crab stick (you know, the imitation kind...judgement free zone, please!), you could totally make this with shrimp, seared tuna or even salmon. I have a very weird issue with cold and reheated protein so this works well for me. 

The star of this dish is most definitely the Furikake. It's available on Amazon and really adds that "sushi" flavor to the bowl. For those unfamiliar (like I was until recently) it's a blend of light and dark sesame seeds and ground nori. IT. IS. THE. BOMB. Totally worth the $10 price tag. So if you are anything like me and have a regular sushi craving and no great way to fix it, this is your ticket! 

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup brown rice (or other starch of your choosing, this would also be good with quinoa)
• 1 Persian cucumber (or 1/2 cup regular cucumber, seeded and skin removed)
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 1/3 cup imitation crab (or 3 oz seafood protein of your choice)
• 1 tbsp pickled ginger, chopped
• 1 tbsp spicy mayo (I mix light mayo with Sriracha for this)
• 1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• Sprinkle of furikake 

Directions:

• Place rice in the bottom of your bowl and microwave for 30 seconds with a touch of water to "wake it up" from being in the fridge. 
• Add cucumbers, avocado, crab, ginger, spicy sauce, soy and Furikake on top. 
• Take a picture for instagram and tag @_beagoaldigger_  ;) 
• Mix all together and enjoy!

Swedish Meatballs

I have been thinking about attempting this dish for a while but every time I came close I would feel too guilty deserting my Italian roots and giving up the red sauce. That said, I'm glad I finally took the leap because this were legen...wait for it...dary! Shout out to all my Barney Stinson fans who got my HIMYM reference ;) (Balled like a baby during the finale, BTW, that was so cruel!) But I digress...

This dinner was perfect because it was warm for a cold March night and was hearty while still feeling light since the sauce is more of a broth then a heavy gravy. This reminded me a lot of the Salisbury Steak recipe I made except it took a lot less time and it's inherently served with pasta instead of mashed potatoes. The flavor profile is similar, though with the beef stock/mustard/Worcestershire base but is taken a different direction with the additional of the sour cream and parsley. Overall we both really enjoyed it which is saying a lot since I'm married to the king of "I hate pasta" and he went back for seconds.  I served this with roasted brussel sprouts but I think it would be even better with a refreshing salad such as the fennel and apple one I make.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients: 

For the Meatballs: 

• 1.5 pounds 80/20 ground beef (VBP would be good, also)  
• 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup cup shaved hard cheese (Pecorino, Parmesan, etc)
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp cream or whole milk
• Pinch of salt and pepper

For the Sauce:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 cups unsalted beef stock
• 2 tbsp smooth dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup cream *optional, if you want it extra creamy - I did not use this

Additional:

• 2 cups egg noodles, cooked al dente
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup chopped flat Italian parsley leaves 
• 2 tbsp cooking oil (canola, corn, vegetable, etc)

Directions:

1.  Prepare meatballs by mixing all ingredients together and forming into 1.5-2 inch balls (should make between 12-14)
2. Heat cooking oil in a heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Once up to temp, add meatballs and cook on all sides until browned, about 10 minutes. Work in batches without crowding the meatballs so they don't steam. 
3. Once meatballs are browned remove from pot and set aside. Add butter to rendered meatball fat. Once melted add flour and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes - stir regularly scraping the bottom as you do so. 
4. Once roux has browned slowly whisk in beef broth in a slow, steady stream. Add in remaining ingredients and stir until combined. *I buzzed mine with my immersion blender for about 30 seconds just to incorporate everything quickly and that worked well. If you don't have one a whisk will work fine, it will just take some time. 
5. Bring sauce to a simmer (medium-low heat) and then add meatballs back in. Cook partially covered until meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they don't stick to the bottom. 
6. While meatballs simmer make egg noodles according to package directions and wash and chop your parsley leaves. 
7. Once paste is cooked, strain and add remaining 2 tbsp butter to your pasta pot. Return pasta and toss 1/2 the copped parsley and a sprinkle of salt. 
8. Serve immediately by spooning meatballs and sauce directly over your noodles Top each plate with a sprinkle of parsley.

 

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

I can't tell you how many times I have made stuffed peppers in the past 6 years. Way more times then I can count. And every time I made them it's because Nick requested them and I begrudgingly agree. I actually highly dislike making stuffed peppers. First of all, they can be a lot of work. Second, peppers tend to give me indigestion so I never feel great after eating them. Third, I can never organize my "filling to pepper" ratio and always end up with a huge pile of leftover stuffing and no pepper to fill. All together, not my favorite thing to make.

Cue to last weekend when I ask Nick for input on this week's menu and of course...what does he request?...Stuffed peppers. As I added it to the list something struck me - why couldn't I turn it into a casserole instead of having to prep the peppers to be filled (which sucks a little piece of my soul every time I do it)? SO I DID! AND IT WORKED! Nick even proclaimed these to be better then regular stuffed peppers (!!!!!) so you know it was good! Next time I would bake in a longer/flatter dish so that the peppers and cheese would be more evenly distributed - there was a lot of filling and not a ton of the good stuff on top ;) Otherwise this has totally restored my faith in stuffed peppers! Or at least a "pepper and stuffing" type of dish! Never stuffing peppers again, HALLELUJAH!

The other nice thing about this dish is it's easy to take in different directions. Add some taco seasoning, corn and black beans and you've got South West. Would be great topped with sour cream, salsa or guac! Could also take it more of an Asian route with teriyaki sauce, sans cheese. So many options!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound extra lean ground chicken (could use any ground meat you want though)
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 diced onion
• 1 diced zucchini
• 2 peppers (color of your preference) diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (cheddar would work well also)

Directions:

1. Cook your rice according to package directions. Chop all veggies.
2. Saute ground chicken in a nonstick pan until fully cooked, season with salt and pepper. 
3. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add onions and zucchini to the pan. Saute over medium-high until onions are slightly translucent and zucchini is browned. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Combine veggies, chicken rice and tomato sauce and mix until evenly distributed. Add to a baking dish.
5. Cover mixture with diced peppers and top with cheese. Bake covered on 375 for 35-30 minutes until peppers are tender. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Easy Meatballs and Polenta

This is one of those recipes that is near and dear to my heart. Meatballs and polenta has become my showstopper dish when I have people coming over for dinner. For years I have worked to execute exotic, technically difficult dishes when I have company over and it's only when I was pressed for time or had a specific request that I begrudgingly made something simple instead. What I found time and again was that while the "fancy" dishes were always well-received, there is just something about elevating basic ingredients that everyone loves. Sure, you can impress with a perfectly executed crème brûlée but when you can create magic with simple things like ground beef, corn meal and cheese you will win over even the stiffest of critics. I think this is because with all the hustle and bustle required of us to survive, it feels good to be reminded that you don't need to have a ton of time or skill to make delicious food for the ones you love.

As an aside, I won't lie...I use store bought red sauce because I just have not mastered the art of homemade yet but feel free to use whatever you prefer. Homemade red sauce would just elevate this to the next level.

Directions:

Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lean ground beef (I used 94/6 but you can use whatever you can find. This is also amazingly delicious with veal/beef/pork mix but I'm trying to give up eating baby animals)
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs*
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cream*
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (reserved for later)

Directions:

1. Mince your garlic, add to a large bowl with egg, cream, mustard and Worcestershire sauce - whisk to combine. Turn oven on to 400 while you prep the meatballs.
2.  Add ground beef to bowl and begin mixing. Add in breadcrumbs until the mixture is sticky and just barely holds together in balls. *You may need to add more cream or more breadcrumbs in order to reach this consistency. 
3. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium heat for several minutes. Once oil is up to temp add your meatballs and brown on all sides,  about 15 minutes total. 
4. Cover cast iron with foil and place into oven for about 20 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Remove foil, cover each meatball with a think layer of mozzarella cheese and return to oven for another 5ish minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with warmed sauce over polenta immediately. 

Polenta

Ingredients:

• 5 cups unsalted beef stock (you can use whatever stock or broth that you want but beef is my favorite for polenta served with meatballs)
• 1 cup dry polenta
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat your stock in a sauce pan over high heat until it reaches a rolling boil. 
2. Turn burner down to medium-low (simmering) and slowly whisk in polenta in a steady stream.
3.  Turn heat down to low (only bubbling occasionally) and stir every minute or so for the next 12-15 minutes until polenta has thickened. 
4. Remove polenta from heat and add in butter, cream cheese, sour cream and salt. Stir until combined. Serve with meatballs and leave covered over low heat for seconds.