My Italian Wedding Soup

I haven't been reaching for my Barefoot Contessa books as often as I used to, but I did come across this soup in her newest book. Trying to wean myself off of Ina and enjoying other cookbooks in my collection. However, the picture in her book of the little meatballs on the pan was enough to end my hiatus.

I did change a few things from that recipe. I didn't have any small pasta to put in the soup so I decided not to add any. After a pasta is added to soup, no matter if the pasta has been cooked ahead of time or not, it still soaks up stock to some degree. Not much of a problem, but at this time of year, my homemade chicken stock is in short supply - I tend to use it soon after it's made. I'm sure to be a traditional Italian Wedding soup, it should have pasta in it - that's why I felt compelled to call it "My Italian Wedding soup". I have not had an Italian wedding of my own, though I have been a guest at a few.

Another prudent decision I made was not adding baby spinach to the whole pot of soup. I knew once I added the tender, healthy green leaves, my kids would immediately react negatively. Without the spinach, the kids enjoyed bowls of this delicious soup, and Alan & I enjoyed it with lots of wilted greens and extra Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.

In the Barefoot recipe, she calls for 3/4 pound of ground chicken and sausage. Most packages of ground chicken and sausages weigh in at about 1 pound each. I decided to use all of the chicken and sausage and I increased most of the other ingredients for the meatballs to make up for it. There were a lot of meatballs, but they are the star of the soup and people won't complain. You will need to add extra chicken stock or water to the soup pot, but wait and see until after everything has been added.

A word about homemade chicken stock - it is so easy and so worth it. When I buy a whole chicken to roast, I have two things on my mind. One is cooking the perfect roast chicken for dinner, and the other is using the leftover carcass for stock. For directions, go to the entry "Conspicuous Consumption & How to Make a Good Chicken Stock" (Nov. '07). I mentioned to a neighbour that I had made this incredibly good soup. She sort of frowned and said, "Well, you probably make your own chicken stock." I told her that I do, but that she could too. Really she could. And so could you.

My Italian Wedding Soup

For the meatballs:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 lb. sausage (chicken or turkey Italian sausages), casings removed
1 c. fresh bread crumbs
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped fine
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1/4 c. milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 t. salt
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper

For the soup:
2 T. olive oil
1 c. onion, diced
1 c. carrots, diced small
1 c. celery, diced small
10c. chicken stock, preferably homemade
A handful of baby spinach for each serving of soup

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the ground chicken, sausage meat, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese, milk, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl and combine gently but thoroughly with your hands. Wish a teaspoon, drop little meatballs (about 1-inch in diameter) onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. There will be lots. They don't have to be perfectly round. Bake for about 30 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside.
2. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 minutes or so. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs to the soup. Simmer gently. Taste for salt & pepper.
3. For each bowl of soup you are serving, place a handful of baby spinach in the bottom of the bowl. Ladle the soup into the bowls with the spinach. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

I once considered myself a real cheesecake connoisseur. I suppose I still am, to some degree, but back then I had all the confidence of the young, with very little experience to back it up.

A little cafe had opened up in Harrow called "The Dog House" and I decided I would try to sell my cheesecakes to the woman who owned the place. I made up a few different kinds of cheesecake for her to try. She was very appreciative and promptly stole my idea and ran with it. The next thing I knew, she was selling cheesecakes at "The Dog House" (an unfortunate name for an eating establishment, if you ask me) and I never heard from her again. Unfortunately for her, the business didn't last very long.

In my teens, I was probably using artificial vanilla flavouring. What did I know? I just used what was on hand in my mom's cupboard. These days, artificial vanilla flavouring does not even come close to cutting it for me. I keep lots of pure vanilla extract on hand at all times. But for those times that call for something special (see Dark Chocolate-Sour Cherry Ice Cream Jan. '09), I have a bottle of whole vanilla beans.

The bottle was a gift from my sister one Christmas. She was working somewhere that made it possible for her to order vanilla beans in bulk and she made up bottles of them for her friends and family. Just vanilla beans and vodka. Once the beans have soaked a while in the vodka, you have homemade vanilla extract, plus very plump, moist beans. This was the perfect Christmas gift.

Lori happened to be over here when I made this cheesecake. My bottle of homemade extract had just a little liquid left in the bottom (what I need to do is to refill it with some more vodka). I ended up using the dregs of the homemade vanilla extract, which was so thick and gooey, it actually slid out of the bottle, as opposed to being poured. Then I took one of the whole beans and carefully slit it down the middle, using the back of a paring knife to scrape the tiny seeds out, and added these to the mixture as well. It was pure vanilla ecstasy. I popped the empty vanilla pod back into the bottle for another use, one of my favourites being Chai (Dec. '07).

This cheesecake was so unbelievably fragrant and delicious. There was just one problem. As you can probably tell from the picture above, the very centre of the cake was not set completely. There are a few reasons for this. The biggest problem was that I couldn't find the base to my 10-inch springform pan and I had to use a smaller pan. Even an inch or two makes a difference. Also, this is a substantial cheesecake and I should have probably let it stay in the oven at least another half an hour. The next faux-pas that I made was cutting it while it was still warm. Can you blame me?? I really should have let it chill overnight before cutting it. It really does taste better after it has chilled. I think it should be a rule that you must make cheesecakes at least one day (if not more) ahead of time.

This was definitely the best vanilla cheesecake I have ever made, even being slightly under-cooked. I wouldn't even consider eating this particular cheesecake with a fruit sauce or compote, although that's just me. Covering up all that vanilla goodness would be a crime.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
6 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. white sugar

Filling:
1 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 lb. ricotta cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 T. cornstarch
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out for the cheesecake and the pod kept for another use
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a 10-inch springform pan by lining the sides with parchment paper. Anchor the paper with little dots of butter.
2. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar together. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake crust for 5 minutes in the oven (remember to set a timer).
3. In an electric mixer fit with the paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese and ricotta cheese together until fluffy. Mix the sugar and cornstarch together in a separate bowl, add to the cheeses, and continue blending until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides until everything is well incorporated.
4. Add vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, and sour cream. Blend until just combined. Pour into the prepared crust.
5. Place a pan of hot water on the lowest oven rack. Bake the cheesecake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees and then lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake for another hour, or until cake is slightly jiggly. The out half of the cheesecake will like done but the inside will still slightly jiggle. When the cheesecake is finished, turn off the oven and leave the cake in the oven for another 30 minutes, with the oven door left open. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and finish cooling it to room temperature on the counter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
6. To serve, remove springform collar and cut slices with a large, hot knife. Serves 10.

Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles

I make pancakes a lot, my favourite being oatmeal pancakes (Aug. '07). But when it comes to waffles, I have always questioned myself about what the best recipe might be. The oatmeal pancake batter is too thin, in my opinion, and other recipes didn't quite fit the bill for waffles.

Mildred Pierce is a restaurant in Toronto that specializes in breakfast and brunch. I have always wanted to go, but have never had the chance. However, I do have their cookbook, Out to Brunch by Donna Dooher and Claire Stubbs. It was recommended to me by my friend, Heather, who told me it contained her all-time favourite pancake recipe. It is an excellent little cookbook, and I did end up trying the pancake recipe. It was great, but I still prefer my old stand-by, oatmeal pancakes. However, for waffles, it is perfect. The batter creates thick, soft waffles that will remind you of what a waffle should be, not some cardboard-like disc with a catchy logo!

The Clean Food Connection, my local organic grocery store, has started carrying organic buttermilk. I love using buttermilk in baking and cooking, so I asked them to bring in a litre of it for me each week. A couple weeks ago, I realized I had three litres in the fridge and I quickly put a stop to my weekly order (I have since used it all). Organic milk, in general, seems like a bit of a luxury, but to me, it's worth it. If you can find organic buttermilk, give it a try.

Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 t. kosher salt
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
2 extra-large eggs
2 c. buttermilk (organic, if you can find it)
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Sift dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter. Using a spatula, combine the wet and dry ingredients to make a thick, lumpy batter, being careful not to overmix. Fold in blueberries gently.
3. If your waffle iron sticks, brush with melted butter or use a non-stick spray. Spoon about 3/4 cup of batter onto the hot waffle iron. Each waffle will take about 3 minutes to cook. Remove waffle from the waffle iron when it is golden brown.
4. Serve warm with warm maple syrup.

Beet, Corn & Bulgur Salad

With spring right around the corner, my thoughts have been turning to salads and other things such as, will my summer clothes still fit me this year...??

This salad came about because I was in a pinch. I had my friend Kristine coming over for lunch, a devout vegetarian. I had about a half an hour to throw something together, and this happened to be what was available in my fridge and freezer. As far as I know, she was a happy camper - until I mentioned that I hadn't made dessert. I must be getting really serious about fitting into my bathing suit this year!

Earlier in the week, I boiled the beets and then peeled them while they were warm. Before I sauteed the corn, I thawed it out in some warm water and then drained it well. No other explanations needed except, the goat cheese seems to be everyone's favourite part, so I have added more to the leftovers before serving.

Beet, Corn & Bulgur Salad

1 c. bulgur wheat
3/4 c. boiling water
2 c. frozen sweet corn (use fresh when in season)
4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cucumber, peeled & diced
1 1/2 c. beets, cooked, peeled, and julienned
1/2 c. red onion, diced small
1/3 c. fresh parsley, chopped fine
8 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled
3 T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper

1. Place the bulgur in a large bowl (large enough to hold the whole salad). Pour the boiling water over the bulgur and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit for 20 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed. Remove the plastic wrap and fluff with a fork. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Saute the corn over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add to the bowl with the bulgur.
3. As you cut the cucumber, beets, red onion, and parsley, add them to the bowl as well.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons of lemon juice with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, together with the salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour before serving.
5. Just before serving, crumble the goat cheese over the salad and toss gently.

Brown Rice, Mango, and Chickpea Salad

Last week, my friend Elaine emailed me this recipe. She said that her husband had enjoyed this salad so much the night before, he had basically licked his plate clean. And a rice lover, he is not.

The recipe intrigued me enough to gather the ingredients I needed and I made it last night for dinner. I want to mention right up front that I didn't even try to get the kids to eat this. I saved half of the chicken breast for them, and baked some sweet potatoes. They were happy and there were no squabbles.

I enjoyed the salad; can't wait to have it again for lunch today. But more surprisingly, Alan LOVED this salad. He was walking around with a second bowl of it, coming up with accolades for the salad that he suggested I quote him with saying on the blog. "Different flavours in every bite!" was one that I remember he mentioned. He also demanded that it should be put on the blog, as soon as possible.

I haven't seen a reaction like that since my friend Shaila tasted the Puy Lentil, Feta, Roasted Tomato & Onion salad (April '08). Maybe this salad just really resonates with husbands. Whatever the case, it is a delicious and healthy combination of flavours and textures, just right for a light dinner.

Brown Rice, Mango, and Chickpea Salad

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. slivered almonds
1 T. tahini paste
1 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 t. lemon zest
2 t. fresh ginger, finely grated
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. paprika
1 ripe mango, cubed
1 - 14 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed well
1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes (dry packed), thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 T. fresh chives, chopped
2 T. cilantro, chopped
2 c. cooked brown rice (short or long grain - I love brown Basmati)

1. In a large saucepan, bring about 4 inches of water to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, cover, and simmer until it is cooked through, about 10 minutes or so. Remove the chicken from the water and place on a plate to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the slivered almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes (set a timer because they will burn quickly). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

3. Place tahini, yogurt, orange juice, and olive oil in the work bowl of a food processor or blender, and process until smooth. Add the lemon zest, ginger, garlic, cumin, and paprika and process again to blend.

4. In a large bowl, toss the mango, chickpeas, almonds, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, chives, cilantro, and brown rice together. Add the tahini dressing and mix thoroughly. Serve right away or refrigerate for a few hours and serve chilled.

*Elaine mentioned that she added the rice to the salad bowl while it was still warm. I did the same and I think I like the salad better slightly warm.
*For a vegetarian option, leave out the chicken.

Apple Cobbler Oatmeal

I pulled out my recipe box the other day. Without attention, this box has a tendency to become stuffed to overflowing with recipes, hand-written or photocopies, that I have received or copied from friends. Every time I go through that old box, I end up with a pile of recipes that I have always meant to make and sometimes I actually get around to trying something, before stuffing them back in the box till next time.

I came across a card I had written out for "Cherry Cobbler Oatmeal" from our summer neighbour on Seymour Beach, Evie. Alan & I had joined their family for a skiing weekend in Michigan and Evie had made this oatmeal one morning. It was so good, I wrote the recipe down. Unfortunately, it was like so many other recipes in that box, untried and mostly forgotten about. Until this week.

I don't keep dried apples on hand but I happened to see them in the bulk section of our natural foods store. The texture of the dried apples after soaking overnight and being cooked in the oatmeal was wonderful. They were like little pieces of apple right out of an apple pie. I also used some chopped dried apricots and they were great, too. If you want to be truly decadent, use dried cherries. In a perfect world, I would keep a jar of those on hand at all times! I think that the full amount (1/2 cup) of brown sugar makes the oatmeal a little too sweet for breakfast, but you can decide that when you're making it. A little bit of cream or milk to pour over the top, some bacon on the side, and you have a delicious breakfast for the cold days of March.


Apple Cobbler Oatmeal

2 c. apple juice (or prune juice)
2 c. water
1/2 c. dried fruit (apples, apricots, cherries, or cranberries), chopped
2 c. quick-cook oatmeal
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 c. brown sugar - to taste
2 T. butter
1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts (optional)

1. In a large bowl, soak the dried fruit in the apple juice and water. Cover and keep in the fridge overnight.
2. In the morning, bring the mixture to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the oatmeal and stir for 1 minute. Cover and and remove from heat. Let sit for a few minutes.
3. Before serving, stir in the cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and nuts (if using). Serves 8-10 people.