Winter Comforts: Soup 003: Semi-Homemade Crab Corn Chowda

After a eventful day of errand running, my favorite Trader Joe buddy and I went to our favorite place, Trader Joe's :) I have been dying for some crab of some sort ever since I had the biggest  crab cake of my life a few weekends ago in Baltimore.  So I snagged box of creamy corn and roasted red pepper soup, a can of crab claw, and heavy cream to make this magic I will have for lunch.   I also spent the vast majority of my lazy Sunday Monday on the sofa channel surfing so a scratch made soup was not on the list of things to do.  

necessary ingredients: 

1 box of creamy corn and roasted pepper soup
8 oz can of crab claw
3 medium red skin potatoes
8 oz of heavy cream
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1/2 cup of chopped carrort
1/2 of  diced jalapeno
1 tbspn of dried thyme
Salt and Pepper


In one pot add about a two table spoons of EVOO, to coat the bottom. Add in garlic, onion, celery, and carrots.

Just the aroma from this combination here alone sends my taste buds dancing. 

Lovely texture here in the claw. I did not have one complaint about just using half the can. A lot of good flavor here also.

 Let saute for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat, add in diced jalapeno cook for another 2 minutes.  Slowly pour  in creamy corn and roasted pepper soup, stirring and mixing up the sauteing vegetables. Stir in heavy cream. Bring to low heat. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Add in potatoes and let cook for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add in crab meat let simmer for 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with additional slices of jalapeno pepper.

Food Trip: Soho: Winter Restaurant Week 2013

It's winter restaurant week, this means several things:

I have at least four nights out on the town planned.
I may or may not be repeating a location.
I am not cooking at least once a week.
And my time in at Bikram or running has increased by one day or 4 extra miles.

This post is in dedication to my sister friend over at Treasured Trinket in celebration of her birthday.  For her night out, the usual suspects of our crew plus a few trekked down to SOHO to David Burke's Kitchen to enjoy his restaurant week treats. I cannot even begin to describe the deliciousness so here are a few flicks of what the table feasted upon.

Atmosphere: cozy, chic, well lit, good for large groups
Food: flavorful, bold, creative
End Result: ten happy diners

Tuna Sashimi

soba noodle nori roll / miso vinaigrette

Pretzel Crab Cake

ar sauce / frisée / red pepper marmalade / beer foam

 

Pork Chop

cumin bacon / mango chutney / parsley onion ring

Lamb Chop

braised shoulder / eggplant lasagna / tomato gravy / olive

Dark Chocolate Malt Cake

hot chocolate ganache/ caramelized white chocolate ice cream              

 The Lovely Birthday Girl, 

Celia Williamson Owner and Creative Director of Treasured Trinkets

Winter Comfort Soup 002: Chicken Noodle

chicken noodle soup, chicken noodle soup, pause there will be NO soda on the side. however this is another HATED soup of my childhood. I am starting to think that I just strongly disliked Campbell's soups all together, hmmm...i digress this beautiful bowl of goodness was amaze-a-balls! it consist of bacon and mushrooms...two things i love. and i made it  up with whatever was in the cabinets and fridge as a trip to the grocer was not on the menu this chili day.

necessary ingredients:

6 oz of egg noodles (i used thin spaghetti) 

2 tbsp of EVOO

2 chopped garlic cloves

1 cup chopped scallions

1 cup sliced mushrooms

4 bacon slices, chopped

2 tsp of chopped tarragon

2/3 cup of white wine

4 cups of chicken (i used some left over rotisserie chicken)

5 cups of vegetable broth

salt & pepper to taste

bring a pot of water to boil, add noodles and cook according to the directions on the package. drain, refresh under cool water and let stand in a bowl of water.

add EVOO to a pot, add garlic, scallions and bacon over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. add in tarragon and chicken, cook for 8 minutes, until chicken is golden brown.  pour in wine and let cook for 2 minutes, once alcohol has evaporated, pour in enough broth to cover the chicken.  add in mushrooms, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

season with salt and pepper, pour in remaining broth, and then bring to a boil. place noodles in a bowl, ladle broth in bowl and serve.

Comfort Food Pizza 001: Breakfast Pizza

breakfast pizza

randomly i had whole wheat pizza dough in the kitchen, i had probably planned to make some kind of no red sauce pizza but i never got around to it. so one Saturday morning I perused the fridge and found some pretty typical breakfast ingredients sausage, potatoes, eggs, and cheese. then out of nowhere I had the bright idea for me and my house guest to have pizza for breakfast. note this is not available at the local pizza shop, but because sharing is caring you can make it for yourself! **this was a little labor intensive as i made the potato hash from scratch

necessary ingredients:

1 pie of pre-baked pizza pie
2 pieces Italian chicken sausage, chopped/sliced
1 red skin potato hash
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
EVOO

first things first, red skin potato hash:

wash and scrub potato clean. shred potato into pieces, dry with a paper towel, potatoes hold water, a lot of it.  in a skillet with EVOO, one clove of fresh chopped garlic, salt and pepper, saute the shredded potato until tender.

Pre-heat oven to 425

cook sliced sausage in a skillet for about 5 minutes each side or until brown.

pizza pie, drizzle with EVOO a top the pie, place topping across the entire pie. in a bowl scramble two eggs and pour on top of pie. sprinkle mozzarella cheese atop. place on pizza pan and bake pizza for about 30 minutes...watch it closely so that it does not burn. remove, slice and serve.

Do The Wok: Shrimp Fried Rice

shrimp fried rice

sometimes i too want to eat greasy local Chinese food. but since my grandfather never allowed us to have anything beyond shrimp fried rice from them and he & I dining time was one of the most exciting things we did together my undying love for shrimp fried rice is simply tireless.  what makes it even more amazing is that Ikea sells Wok's for $4.99 and you too should invest like I did.

necessary ingredients:

1 lbs large shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 cup of snow peas

1 cup chopped bok choy

1/2 green scallions

2 finely chopped garlic cloves
1/2 cup of white onion

1 scrambled egg

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 very very teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp of EVOO


in a sauce pan, boil and prepare rice as printed instructions direct. oil wok with EVOO, drop in garlic, white onion,  bok choy, and soy sauce.  cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. add in snow peas, scallions, and shrimp cook until shrimp is done.

while the first round of vegetables are cooking, in a  separate bowl crack and scramble egg. prepare scrambled egg in a separate skillet.

add brown rice and cooked egg to shrimp and vegetables combo in wok. add in the teriyaki sauce, toss and cook for 3 minutes. plate and serve.

Quick Fix: Nutella & Strawberry Delight

nutella is pure hazelnut heaven!nothing short of delightful! i mean it taste amazing, is smooth, and it melts with perfection. i have not one complaint to offer you. this quick snack is brought to you by "i wanted something sweet and all I had available was wheat bread, strawberries, and a non-stick skillet.

necessary ingredients:

2 pieces of bread
6 sliced strawberries
2 tbsp of nutella
Pam spray

pre-warm skillet to medium heat. spray pan with Pam, spread nutella across the bread slices evenly. place in skillet nutella side up. spread strawberries atop bread while in skillet. place second piece of bread on top, allow it to simmer on both sides for about three minutes, flip to the other side for another three minutes. remove from skillet, slice into triangles, plate and sprinkle confection sugar atop. Ta-da, quick snack is served!

Twisted Mexican: Pesto Chicken Quesadilla

pesto chicken quesadilla

so one day while at Trader Joe's, I grabbed a bundle of basil, a bag of pine nuts, and asiago shredded cheese.  why? because i read the word "pesto" earlier that day and decided that i wanted to take my two cup food processor on a date in my kitchen.  unbeknownst to me a bundle of basil whipped into pesto goes a looooooooooooooooooong way!  and since i am no stranger to reusing the food in my fridge along came pesto chicken quesadilla!

necessary ingredients:
1/8 cup pesto
1/4 cup of shredded low fat mozzarella
2 (whole wheat) soft tortillas
1 cup of left over shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 avocado sliced

in a bowl toss chicken and pesto sauce together.  place one tortilla inside a large skillet that is on medium heat, lightly coated with Pam Cooking Spray.  spoon pesto flavored chicken on top of the tortilla, lay avocado evenly across chicken and sprinkle mozzarella across.  place second tortilla on top, let cook for three minutes and then flip and cook again for three more minutes or until medium brown. remove from heat and place on cutting board and cut into triangles. plate, add sauce, and serve.

dipping sauce:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup of mayo
1/2 fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp of pesto

mix all components of the sauce in a small bowl until smooth, dollop on top of quesadilla and serve.

The Home Griddle : It's Pork Chop Time!

pomegranate pineapple pork-chop

what is a chef's kitchen without a grill?  It is just a stove top that makes magic without the grill marks, that is what.  Any who! I invested into a stove top double sided griddle-grill and well, it has gotten a fair share of play in my kitchen.  

necessary ingredients:

1 lbs center cut bone in pork-chops

1 can of pineapples in their juice

1 cup of pomegranate seeds

1 half of a grapefruit chopped

1/2 cup of chopped green scallions

1 cup arugula

1/4 cup chopped garlic

1/4 chopped shallots 

1 tbsp of honey

1 tbsp of lime juice

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

marinade:

In a bag combine

1 cup of pineapple juice (from the can)

1/4 cup chopped garlic

1/4 chopped shallots 

1/2 tbsp honey

1 lbs pork-chops

roasted red skin potatoes:

4 medium red skin potatoes

1 tbsp of cumin

1 tbsp of turmeric

1 tsp of thyme

1/4 cup chopped garlic 

salt and pepper

EVOO

let marinate for at least 45 minutes. (I like the flavor to settle in so I marinated mine over night.)

While the pork chops marinate, I washed and chopped the redskin potatoes. tossed them in cumin, turmeric, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and EVOO.  place them on a cookie sheet and slide them in the oven for 45 minutes.  In a preheated 425 degree oven.

when the potatoes are nearing their last 20 minutes on the timer, I turn up griddle to medium high heat and oil with EVOO. I removed pork chops from grill and cooked them on the grill for at least 7 minutes on each side. I place the pineapples on the grill at about 10 minute mark and flip them over at the 5 minute mark.

pomegranate & scallion topping:

1 cup of pomegranate seeds

1 half of a grapefruit chopped

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1 tbsp Lime Juice

toss together in a bowl, spoon over pineapple and pork chop.