Split Pea Soup

Hardy entree soups can be enjoyed year round. Yes, even split pea soup in the summer! It's one of those soups that can be tweaked year round to meet each season. It's simple yet filling as a main course. It's also nice to make entree soups that keep for a couple of days to have for another meal, lunch, or to freeze for another time. This recipe is as simple as it gets but it is also very flavorful with the onions, celery and carrots as the base. Top it off with some lemon zest, fresh herbs and a little drizzle of olive oil....it's so good!

Ingredients

• black cracked peppercorns: About half a teaspoon or more
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil or olive oil is fine
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 large onion
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 1 ham steak (7 ounces or so)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 pound split peas
• 8 cups water-use more if needed

Directions

1. Wrap peppercorns, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth, then tie with kitchen twine.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 9 minutes. Add garlic, ham, and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook for 3 minutes. Add bouquet garni, split peas, and water.
3. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peas are completely tender and begin to fall apart, 50 to 55 minutes. Discard bouquet garni. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and garnish with fresh herbs. (Soup will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Warm over low heat, and thin with water to desired consistency if necessary.

*A few Suggestions: If cooking this soup in the summer, when it's finished cooking let it sit for a good while and eat it more at at warm or room temperature. Add shrimp instead of ham and pair this soup with a tomato salad, summer squash, or a steamed artichoke. Mmm!

Four Girls... Frozen

Today I ate lunch from Week 3! Jess's Penne Pumpkin Pasta and Jo's Tomato Basil Soup. I let them thaw in the fridge, microwaved them covered, and both were marvelous. The pasta consistency had changed a little but it was still delicious and the soup was as good as the day we ate it hot! This made me excited about freezing meals as a way to save money and time. Then I found this photo on pinterest that is making me want to spend money and time organizing my freezer. oops!

Thanks for lunch FGFS!

Better Date Than Never

      With every recipe there is a lesson learned, the fun comes when you learn a lesson that is unexpected...
      I chose my recipe for last week's dinner based on simplicity (rule #1-as few ingredients/steps as possible).  Of course it did require ingredients that are NOT naturally found in my pantry (Note: things commonly found in my pantry include black beans, power bars, instant oatmeal and york peppermint patties).  So off I went in search of my 3 ingredients to Whole Foods on a SATURDAY!!!  OMG! HUGE MISTAKE!!!
     Now I know what the rest of Memphis does on Saturday-they go to Whole Foods.  It was so crowded, the check out lines trailed down the shopping aisles and threatened to reach the back of the store.   For a minute I was tempted to throw down my list of 3 ingredients and stomp back out cursing my beloved city for not having a properly sized Whole Foods (but that is another blog post for another day).  Alas, I could not claim defeat, because I had invited Lana to come with me. We'd come all this way for the promise of organic produce and a greener life.  So we were committed to seeing this project through. (At least I wasn't going to be the one to say "uncle").  So we decided to ease into the organic madness by starting at the smoothie counter.  I got the Green Genie. Wow.  Empowered by wheat grass and other green genie stuff, we accepted our fate and settled into the bustle and flow of Whole Foods. And so it went.  I bought my three ingredients among many other things.

      I will say that if you are making a recipe that only requires a few ingredients, then it is important to make sure that those few ingredients are high quality ingredients...

So here it is the recipe for Bacon Wrapped Dates with Parmesan a la Perfect Party Food by Diane Phillips:




1) Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it has rendered some fat and begins to turn translucent; don't let it brown at all.  Remove from the pan and drain thoroughly on paper towels.

Exhibit A

2.) Make a slit in each date and stuff with a small piece of cheese. (I'm going to add here to take out the pit--for those other novices out there, who like me may not have inferred that right away).  Wrap in a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick if needed.  (Haven't found organic toothpicks yet.  Am I the first person to think of this?) Place the wrapped dates in a baking dish.

Exhibit B

3.)  Preheat the oven to 375 F and bake the dates until the bacon is crisp, 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from the oven, drain the dates on paper towels and set on a platter for serving.  Thin shreds of any leftover Parmesan make an awesome garnish.

I realize that my photog skills need work.  Next!

Again for the novice cook who needs explicit directions (me), I would like to add for the record that once the bacon has crisped up you should take the toothpicks out before serving them.

Ta Da!!--No these are not pigs in a blanket!

SEE!  They're dates in a blanket!  Oh la la!

I thought the dates were deliciously sweet and almost could have been a desert!  But the real moral of this story is:

Don't go to Whole Foods on a SATURDAY!  Never again!

Quin-wha??

This week for a side dish I made quinoa, which was uncharted territory for me. Quinoa is a "Power Food" and has twice the protein of rice and is rich in vitamins such as B6 and E, and immune boosters zinc and iron.

I didn't know what to expect and picked a recipe that seemed easy from wholeliving.com:

Quinoa-Spinach Bake

I read the reviews and doctored it up accordingly with extra cheese and an extra egg. It didn't turn out as exciting as I'd hoped, but I enjoyed the texture and consistency of the baked quinoa and thought of it as a great base for many variations. This dish with a few different veggies and herbs could make a good substitute for cornbread dressing. I could see this as part of a healthier approach to Thanksgiving. I would also like it in a Greek version with more spinach, kalamata olives, feta cheese and roasted tomatoes!

A little research turned up a New York Times article about quinoa and lists some delicious sounding recipes to try. Definitely worth a look!

Recipes for Health: Quinoa

Eating in Season

My friend Olivia gave me this great letter press calendar which profiles fruits and veggies in season by month, so you'll know what to look for at the market and in the grocery. Especially helpful during the winter months when tomatoes are stocked next to the watercress and endive - how do you know what is in season and what is not? Here you go... all wrapped up in a stylish and handmade package!

A great Valentine's date!

There are few better ways to celebrate Valentine's Day (week) than with close girlfriends, and I did just that last night at our weekly dinner. Forget the Hallmark cards, heart-shaped boxes of empty calories, and waiting for the florist's delivery truck...

Give me instead wild Atlantic salmon with a simple lemon dill sauce, arugula, radish and red onion salad, and quinoa laced with spinach and topped with parmesan and bread crumbs. Ahhh, my sweethearts.

But the winner of the evening, drum roll, please -- parmesan-stuffed dates, wrapped in hickory smoked bacon. Yes, bacon. Who needs chocolate hearts?

It was a great Valentine's date. And a perfect kick off to a chilly February week in Memphis.

Pecorino Cayenne Crackers

'Keep that Cayenne Pepper Around'

I've got a an old jar of cayenne pepper that my aunt gave me. I keep it with my other seasonings as a reminder of how my family used it...in almost everything. And talk about good for you!  Now, in this recipe for Pecorino Crackers, the amount of cayenne called for was just right...remember a little bit goes a long way!

                                          

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups grated pecorino Romano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup all-pourpose flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter. Using a hand mixer, beat the cheese mixture and butter until combined. Add the flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing only until incorporated and the mixture holds together.

Place tablespoon-sized balls of the dough on 1 or 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets, tapping the dough down gently with your fingertips. Bake until just beginning to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving plate. 

Recipe From: Giada De Laurentiis