Comfort food--chicken/rice casserole

This is a standard at our house, a simple, plain dish that is easy to make and very comforting.  Kids love it, as do grown-ups.  From time to time I cook enough chicken or turkey so that I can make 2-cup packages of diced meat to put in the freezer.  I generally have the other ingredients always on hand, so this is a convenient fall-back dish.  This recipe comes from my husband David's mother, Dorothy Amor.  David grew up on an orchard, and the family raised chickens also.  Often a chicken was roasted for Sunday dinner, with leftovers lasting through the week, with their final appearance in this casserole.

CHICKEN-RICE CASSEROLE

serves 4

2 cups cooked, diced chicken or turkey (bite-size pieces)

1 cup (raw) white rice, cooked (you can substitute 3/4 c. brown rice, cooked)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cups frozen peas, defrosted

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray some oil on a casserole dish.  Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Put into the casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.

French lentils

 

I don't know if I'm doing this recipe a favor by showing a photograph--it's not the prettiest dish.   But quite tasty, and different from the other lentil recipes I make (lentil soup and a lentil chile).  This is made with the small green French lentils, which hold their shape more than the regular brown ones do.  The recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That; I've halved the amount of olive oil, cut way back on the amount of salt, and increased the vinegar.  It's fine with the lower amount of oil--in fact, it could probably be reduced even further.

WARM FRENCH LENTILS

serves 4-6

1 T. plus 2 T. olive oil

1 leek, white and light green parts, sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 carrots, scraped and 1/2-inch diced

1 t. minced garlic

1 cup French green Le Puy lentils

1 whole onion, peeled and stuck with 6 whole cloves

1 turnip, cut in half

1 t. unsalted butter

4 t. Dijon mustard

3 T. red wine vinegar

1 t. kosher salt

1 t. freshly ground pepper

Heat the 1 T. of oil in a sauté pan, add the leek and carrots, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute and set aside.

As the vegetables are cooking, place the lentils, 4 cups of water, the onion with cloves, and the turnip in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, add the leek and carrots, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are almost tender.  Remove and discard the onion and turnip and drain the lentils.  Place them in a bowl and add the butter.

Whisk together the 2 T. of oil, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Add to the lentils, stir well, and allow the lentils to cool until just warm, about 15 minutes.  (Also fine made ahead and re-heated.)

Lamb Stew with Apricots and Almonds

In the fall, I purchased a half of a lamb from a person who raises lamb locally.  So, I have a freezer full of various cuts of lamb, and am enjoying making one meal a week from the lamb.  My favorite recipe so far is this lamb stew.

LAMB STEW WITH APRICOTS AND ALMONDS

adapted from two recipes in

Claudia Roden, A Book of Middle Eastern Food

2 T. butter

1-2 onions, finely chopped

2 lb. lean lamb, cubed  (a little less is fine)

1/2 t. coriander

1/2 t. cumin

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. saffron (optional)

salt and black pepper

1/4 c. raisins

8 oz. dried apricots, halved

scant 1/4 c. ground almonds

Heat the butter in a large, heavy saucepan and fry the onion until soft and golden.  Add the meat and fry gently, turning the pieces to brown them all over.  Drain fat.  Season with coriander, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, saffron, salt, and pepper.  Add raisins and apricots and saute lightly.  Cover with water and simmer gently, covered, for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is very tender.  If the stew is still rather liquid by the end of the cooking time, reduce it by fast boiling.  Stir in ground almonds.

Serve over rice.

Meatball Soup

MEATBALL SOUP

adapted from Cooking Classics, 1, 14 (1994)

serves 8

This recipe comes from a small booklet I hadn't looked at in years. The recipe gives instructions for making the meatballs, but I usually have use purchased frozen meatballs. Even though I rarely use "convenience" food in recipes, I have to say that this soup is delicious, even though I used frozen green beans as well as the prepared meatballs.  It is easy to make and is great comfort food.  Makes a full meal with some good bread and a salad.

Although I've always used meatballs, I think the soup would be fine with ground beef or turkey, cooked before adding to the soup. If using turkey, I'd change the broth to chicken.

4 cups beef broth

14-oz can of diced tomatoes, including the juice

1 8-oz can pizza sauce

3/4 to 1 lb. prepared meatballs (look in the grocery's freezer case)

1 medium onion, diced

1 15-1/2 oz can kidney beans, drained

2 cups sliced cabbage

2 medium carrots, sliced thinly

10-oz package frozen green beans (recipe called for Italian beans, which my store doesn't have, so I use French-style)

Heat broth, tomatoes, and pizza sauce in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until boiling. Add meatballs, onion, beans, cabbage, and carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Add green beans; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes more.

Another great soup: Kale-Bean

This is a comforting soup.  I first had it in an Italian restaurant a couple of summers ago.  I was in New Jersey for the funeral of the mother of my friend Kay.  After the funeral, I went out for lunch with Kay's family, and I had a bowl of kale-bean soup.  It was not just delicious, but, after the emotion of the funeral, a soothing comfort.  When I came back home, I searched for similar recipes on the web, and I've been very happy with this one.  Everyone I have ever served this soup to has asked for the recipe.

This is a great meatless soup, but you can also add sausage, chicken or stew beef (cook the meat first). I often make this with 4 chicken sausages. If in casing, I remove from casing and sauté the meat; otherwise I cut up in pieces and sauté.

Kale and Bean Soup

6+ servings

adapted from www.portuguese-recipes.com

1  T. olive or canola oil

6-8 garlic cloves (minced)

1  large onion, chopped

4  cups kale, chopped if fresh (1 bunch is plenty).

4  cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 (15-1/2 oz.) cans white beans

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes or 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (I use canned)

1 t. dried thyme

1 t. dried rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of chopped parsley

4 chicken sausages (or other meat), cooked--optional

1.     In a large pot, heat olive oil, then add garlic and onion.

2.    Sauté these ingredients until soft.

3.    Add kale and sauté until wilted.

4.    Measure off 3 cups of broth and 2 cups of beans and add to the sautéed vegetables, along with the tomatoes, herbs, about 2/3 of the parsley (saving rest for garnish), salt, and pepper.  (See step 6 for what you do with the rest of the broth and beans.) 

5.    Simmer soup 5 to 10 minutes. Pre-cook the meat that will be added in next step (if using).

6.    Using a blender or food processor, mix the remaining beans and broth until smooth.  Mix into the soup (makes it thicker).  Add the cooked meat, if you're using it.

7.     Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

8.    Serve it up in bowls and garnish with parsley.

The Best-Ever Winter Soup: Cabbage Soup

I make this soup at least once each winter.  One recipe makes a lot--enough for a couple of meals, and then some leftover to freeze.  I know the recipe from my mother, who got it from her mother.  It is a traditional eastern European soup; all my grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia.  Growing up, we would not have put sour cream in this soup, as it would not have been kosher to mix a dairy product with the meat.  With or without, the soup is very, very good--my all-time favorite soup.

   

ANNIE SCHINE'S CABBAGE SOUP

about 10 generous servings

3 lbs. short ribs of beef (with bone in if available)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 onions, chopped

2 large cans tomatoes: Drain off liquid, saving liquid from one can. Shred tomatoes with fingers.

3 quarts water+juice (juice from 1 can of tomatoes and water to make up the rest)

1 med-large head cabbage

1 lb. canned sauerkraut (14 oz. fine)

3 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar (or less)

2 T. flour

2 T. water

sour cream (optional)

Place meat in a deep pot (10 qt. is good size) with garlic, onions, water, and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, skimming any foam off the top.  Shred cabbage coarsely, discarding core.  Add to soup with salt and pepper.  Cook for 1-1/2 hours.  Add lemon juice and sugar.  Cook 30 minutes.  Mix flour and water to a smooth paste.  Thin with a little soup liquid and then and add to the soup pot, stirring constantly.  Add sauerkraut and cook until meat is tender, about another 30 minutes.  Correct seasoning; you may want to add more salt, lemon, or sugar. (I always leave it as is.)

I like to make the soup a day ahead, so that it can sit in the refrigerator (or on the back porch when it's cold) overnight. Then once the fat is congealed, I skim it off the top. I also take the meat off the bones and shred it into the soup. Leftover soup freezes well.

             
The soup may be served with a spoonful of sour cream.  

This soup freezes well.  If freezing, take meat off bones and cut up.

Food cooked first when back from travelling

My husband David and I were away for almost a month, a trip to Hawaii and the Philippines.  The trip was great, and we had a lot of wonderful food.  But it was interesting to see what I felt compelled to cook as soon as possible after we got back home.  The first thing was artisan bread, from the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.  A loaf of this bread lasts us a few days, and I bake two loaves at once, putting one in the freezer.  So, baking just once a week, we have always have some bread from this book (or from their second book) on the counter.  It really is so easy to make.  And it is as good as any bread I've ever had, including when I lived in France.  My quality of life has improved, to have this bread so readily available.  My favorite recipes are the peasant bread (which I make most often), basic boule, rye bread, za'atar flat bread, pumpernickel bread, and pumpernickel with chopped dates and walnuts. Any of the bread recipes can also be made as dinner rolls.   


The second book is Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day--all the recipes feature whole grain, and there's a chapter with gluten-free recipes.  There's a third book on the way, devoted to pizza and flatbreads.

The method they use for making the bread is very simple, but special to them.  It doesn't work to give you an adapted recipe from the book--you need to read their introductory chapter on the method--although watching one of the videos below will give you the idea below.  I borrowed the book from my public library and tried out a recipe or two before buying the book.  It is definitely worth the price!

Here are two short videos that show the authors making the bread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFJZPm-_2-M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMxJgIpe38Q
And here's a video on the "healthy bread" version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSOoH686_b8
They also have a blog that has an archive of other video demonstrations: 
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/

The recipe is pretty foolproof.  On occasion I've forgotten to slash the top of the loaf and/or to put a pan of hot water in the oven, and the bread has still come out fine.


Note the video correction from the book:  bake on the middle shelf of the oven (no need to move from bottom to top), with a pre-heated pan for water on the bottom shelf.

If you want to do more of this, I suggest you invest in a baking stone (Target carries an inexpensive one) and a flat cookie sheet (to use like a pizza peel).  Or just two flat cookie sheets and forget the baking stone.