Tuesday, February 21, 2023

HEARTY WARMING SOUPS

 

                                            Hearty warming soups

          A call from the kitchen: “Soup’s on” is bound to evoke warm and homey feelings to most of us. While cold summer soups are refreshing, the somewhat dreary days of February require something hot and substantial to give us warmth and comfort.

          Soup may be a comfort food in the winter but need not be boring. For soup allows for as many variations as there are cooks. Different parts of the world may have their specialties like Minestrone, Petite Marmite or pot au feu, which are guaranteed by their ingredients to vary according to the individual cook and the ingredients available at the time. Other soups are created simply by fortunate pairing of ingredients by the cook on any given day.  A cold winter afternoon will often have me surveying the possible ingredients on hand and explore the possibilities for a hearty new soup or a variation of an old standby.

          Fesh and dried mushrooms are some of my favorite ingredients for such explorations. Not only do they provide the delightful umami taste to the final product but also add different textures to enhance its visual appearance. The following mushroom-barley soup was adapted from “A Feast of Soups” by Jacqueline Hérieau.


                                          Mushroom, barley and kale soup

          Soak 3-4 oz wild dried mushrooms in 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes. Remove mushrooms and strain the soaking liquid trough a paper towel lined sieve to remove sand. Set aside the liquid and coarsely chop the mushrooms.

          Prepare the following: 1 chopped onion; 1 trimmed and washed leek with the white part thinly sliced; 2 medium carrots sliced; 1 large potato peeled and diced; 2 minced garlic cloves; 3-4 leaves Lacinato kale, washed, de-ribbed and torn in bite size pieces.

          Sauté the onion in a 4-quart pot in 1 tblsp. olive oil and 1 tblsp. butter for 5 minutes, until translucent. Lower the heat and stir in leek and carrots and cook for 10 minutes with occasional stirring. Stir in garlic, potatoes, 2-3 tblsp. pearl barley, bay leaf, 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, mushrooms and their soaking water and 4 cups water. Bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in the kale and cook an additional 10 minutes. Stir in 2 tblsp. butter and serve hot with garnish of a dib of sour cream and dill. Can be reheated or frozen.

          Lentils make wonderful winter soups, they cook in just 30 minutes and unlike beans, do not require overnight soaking in cold water. For best texture of the soup use green French lentils of black Beluga lentils and simmer after initially bringing the pot to boil.


                                                   Lentil - chorizo soup

          Rinse 1 ½ cups Beluga lentils in cold water. Prepare the following: 1 medium onion chopped; 1 medium carrot and parsnip chopped; 2 stalks celery chopped; 2-3 garlic cloves minced.

          In a 4-quart pot sauté the onion in 1 tblsp. olive oil for 5 minutes, stir in the garlic for an additional minute. Then add the chopped vegetables, lentils, 4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp. thyme, ½ tsp. lemon pepper and bring to boil. Turn heat down to simmer and cook for 30 minutes with occasional stirring.  Add 1 smoked chorizo sausage chopped to ½ inch size and simmer for additional 10-15 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with parsley or chives. The soup reheats well and can be frozen.

          Making a pot of soup is one of those relaxing chores on any dreary afternoon. Simmering soup on the stovetop will fill your house with delicious aroma and guarantee several ready-made meals to be enjoyed for lunch or dinner. “Soup’s on!”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

   (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

ESCAPE TO GREECE

 

                                                    Escape to Greece

          Last weekend’s cold snap had many of us dreaming of an escape to a warmer clime, possibly as a treat for the coming Valentine’s Day.  Last minute air reservations to the Mediterranean or even Caribbean are often hard to manage, but a bit of advance planning and some judicious shopping can produce a delightful Valentine’s Day feast without physically transporting oneself to the sunny shores of Greece or many of its idyllic islands.

          Food is one of the easiest ways to set a table and imagine yourself in a different clime. Fortunately, today’s supermarkets cater to a variety of ethnic tastes. Finding ingredients like grape leaves in a jar or that wonderful readymade, frozen phyllo dough, does not need to become an impossible quest. So, let us embark on a cooking adventure with a foreign, but not impossibly difficult menu.


                                                       Avgolemono soup

          This light lemony chicken soup, an all-time Greek favorite, is quickly prepared with a bright flavor for any season.  Heat 6 cups of chicken broth to a boil, add ¼ cup rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, whisk 2 eggs with the juice of 1 lemon in a medium bowl. After 20 minutes whisk a cupful of the hot broth from the pot in the eggs and then on medium heat whisk the egg mixture into the soup pot using long strokes to create long stands of egg in the soup. Lower the heat, gently stir in 2 cups of baby spinach, ¼ tsp. pepper and continue to cook for a minute or two until the soup thickens. Do not allow to boil. Serve hot sprinkled with a bit of dill.

Stuffed grape leaves or Dolmades are not really complicated, but require a bit of time to wrap the delicious filling in each grape leaf. This is a slightly simplified version from a recipe from a NY Times cookbook by Clairborne and Franey (1983).


                                                                  Dolmades

Drain grape leaves bottled in brine, separate them slightly in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let stand until ready to wrap around filling.

Put 1/3 cup rice in a pan with boiling water, simmer for 8 minutes and drain.

In a mixing bowl combine ½ lb. ground lamb, and the rice.

In small pan melt 3 tblsp. butter and sauté ½ cup finely chopped onion with 2 chopped garlic cloves until onion is wilted. Add this to the lamb and rice, plus 3 tblsp. dill, 2 tsp. mint, 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper. Mix the stuffing thoroughly with your hands.

Drain a few leaves at a time, spread out on a plate, place a heaping teaspoon of the filling on each leaf and fold the leaf around the filling like an envelope, Arrange the filled grape leaves tightly in single layer in a 12 inch pan with a lid. Pour 2 cups low sodium chicken broth mixed with the juice of 1 lemon over the grape leaves. Bring to boil, lower the heat to simmer and cook tightly covered for 45 minutes. The liquid should be reduced to less than ½ cup. Serve warm or cold. Can be made ahead and reheated.

Spanakopita or savory Greek spinach pie may sound a bit exotic, but like lasagna it is a savory dish made in a large baking pan to be served in individual pieces. 


                                                                  Spanakopita

Thaw a package of phyllo dough according to package directions. Thaw a package of frozen spinach and drain well, squeezing out any extra liquid.

The filling: sauté 1 large, chopped onion in 2 tblsp, olive oil for 5 minutes, stir in 2 minced garlic cloves for an 1 additional minute. In a large bowl beat 3 large eggs, ½ cup ricotta cheese, 8 oz. feta cheese crumbled and ½ tsp. lemon pepper. Stir in the onions and the drained spinach.

Unroll the thawed phyllo sheets and place them between slightly damp kitchen towels to keep them from drying. Have ready ¼ cup olive oil and a pasrty brush. Prepare a 7x11x2 inch baking dish by brushing the bottom and the sides with olive oil.

 Line the dish with 2 sheets of phyllo fitting up the sides, brush with olive oil and repeat with another 2 sheets of phyllo and brush. Spread the spinach-feta filling evenly in the pan and cover with 2 sheets of phyllo, brush and repeat with another 2 sheets of phyllo. Fold the bottom side and end phyllo over the top sheets, sealing the filling. Brush again with olive oil and sprinkle with a few drops of water. Cut the spanakopita in squares being careful not to cut the bottom layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour until the top crust is crisp and golden. Allow to cool a bit before finally cutting in squares to serve.

So, open a flavorful red wine, add some fresh pineapple with pomegranate seeds for desert and you won’t even miss the bouzouki players.

    (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)