Broccoli Soup with Dubliner Cheese

Broccoli Soup with Dubliner Cheese

1 cups chopped broccoli
2 chopped leeks
2 celery stalks
3 tbsp butter
32 oz chicken broth
6 oz Dubliner cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Dried thyme

Rinse and chop the leeks and celery. 
Melt butter and sauté the leeks and celery.
After 10 min, add the chicken broth and broccoli.  On a low flame, cook for 30 min.
Use an immersion blender and blend for 5 min.
Add the grated cheese until it incorporates.
Add the heavy cream.
Add salt, pepper and thyme.
Stir and serve.

Moujadara with Bulgur

this dish i had at a middle eastern restaurant called Alfanoose on Pearl St, Manhattan.  i thought i'd try it.  i mixed and added the ingredients of two recipes.

Moujadara with Bulgur

1 cup dry green lentils, rinsed and picked over 

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup bulgur wheat
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch grated nutmeg
Pinch allspice 

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp tomato paste

parsley to garnish

directions

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat and add the onion slices.
2. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until brown and caramelized.
3. If they begin to burn, reduce heat to medium or even medium-low.
4. Remove onions from pan and set aside.
5. Add lentils, spices, tomato paste, and chicken both to the same pan and boil for 15 minutes, uncovered.
6. Stir in bulgur, salt and pepper then bring to a simmer.
7. Place a lid on the pan then reduce heat to low.
8. Cook for 15 additional minutes then fluff with a fork.
9. add some water if the lentils are still hard. cook until done.
10. Spread pilaf on a platter and top with caramelized onions and chopped parsley. Serve with plain yogurt.

 

Gnocchi

i was 23 when i first made gnocchi.  at 23 i didn't have the same type of preparation equipment as i do now.  it was easier this time, 27 years later.

Gnocchi

1 (1-pound) russet potato
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten to blend 

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup shaved Parmesan/Romano cheese

cook and mash the potato well. Mash in the salt and pepper. Mix in 3 tablespoons of the egg; discard the remaining egg. Sift the flour and the cheese over the potato mixture and knead just until blended. keep the flour out in case.  the dough may be to sticky.

use a rolling pin and roll it out to 1/2 in (as shown).  cut the dough into 1/2 in strips (as shown). cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over the tines of a fork to form grooves in the dough.

 

cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until the gnocchi rise to the surface, about 1 minute. Continue cooking until the gnocchi are tender, about 4 minutes longer. 

 

Coleslaw

i slow cooked a pork tenderloin last night with BBQ sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, and hot sauce.  i cooked it on low for about 10 hrs.  when the pork was done this morning i fork mashed it to make pulled pork.  we had it 2 weeks ago and we bought Zabar's® but i thought i might make it fresh this evenings meal.

Coleslaw

1 head green cabbage, finely shredded

4 carrots, finely shredded
1 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons grated onion

1/3 cup raisins

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons wine vinegar 

2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons celery salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground pepper

shred cabbage and carrots in a food processor.

in a separate bowl mix all the other ingredients well.

combine and mix well.

Crustless Quiche Lorraine

i never truly made quiche lorraine.  i've made variations of quiche.  the first time i had it was in my early twenties at a restaurant is the village.  this evening i'm making one.

Quiche Lorraine

6 - 7 bacon strips
5 eggs

1 onion, miced
1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss

cook the bacon.  when done, crumble the bacon.

saute this onions in butter and bacon lard.

then mix the ingredients together.

bake in the tart or round baking pan for 30 - 35 min.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/quiche-lorraine-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Chicken Cutlet Parmesan

to go with the tomato sauce i made today!

Chicken Cutlet Parmesan

1 lb chicken cutlets
1 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella 

1 tsp. parmesan for each cutlet

Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the cutlets. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of mozzarella over each cutlet. Sprinkle the butter pieces atop the cutlets. Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Tomato Sauce

I don’t really remember my mother preparing chicken cutlet parmesan, however to do have fond memories of her preparing tomato sauce.  The house would smell of tomato sauce for what it seemed like for days.  On a summer afternoon on a Sunday, it was at its best.  She‘d start off early, like 10:00 am.  The changes, the progression for the different smells as the tomatoes sauce cooked was unbelievable.  

I started out at 9:00 am to start.  At all costs, use San Marzano tomatoes.  It brings a nice flavor and is rich.  First I’ll make the tomato sauce.  

I purposely keep the windows open a bit so to make the neighbors jealous!

Tomato Sauce

2 – 28 oz. cans San Marzano peeled tomatoes

½ cup olive oil

1 onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic pressed

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. thyme

10 or so basil leaves

½ cup parsley

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 - 2 cups red table wine

*1 carrot, peeled
*1 celery stalk, peeled

Salt and black pepper

i have a sensitive stomach so i always put 1 tsp of baking soda in to the tomato sauce as it cooks.  the tomato sauce will foam up, its temporarily normal.  it will adjust the PH levels.  *when the sauce is done, throw out the celery and carrot.  it it if you'd like.

In a 5 – 6 quart Dutch oven, the olive oil, onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes and simmer for about 10-15 min.  Put the tomatoes in a big deep bowl and crush with your hands.  Transfer the tomatoes into the Dutch oven and turn the flame on high just until it boils.  Turn the flame quickly on simmer. Place the rest of the ingredients in.

Let the tomato sauce run its course, stirring every 30 min.  Be sure you have it on simmer, UNCOVERED.  The tomato sauce should be ready in 3-4 hours.  If the sauce gets to thick, you can add can add water to it on an as needed basis.