Turkey Pho Soup

I know this is starting to sound like a broken record, but once again, I've begun a grueling 2 week detox program.   It's only been 4 1/2 days and the food I think I miss the most is oatmeal (weird) and a good cup of coffee.  I haven't had coffee, any kind of sugar or sugar substitute, no wine,no carbs, except for 1/2 cup of brown rice, but all the veggies I can eat!  Whew...feeling okay except for a headache which diminished after a cup of green tea while popping an aleve.  I have to keep reminding myself that it's only for two weeks, then I'll re-evaluate after seeing the results and there had better be some darn good ones!

Once again, I need to be extremely inventive when it comes to preparing my meals.  The most satisfying, so far, was this Turkey Pho Soup.  Hubby even liked it!  His had noodles while mine had brown rice.  One of the helpful hints of this detox is to have plenty of roasted vegetables on hand, pre-cooked turkey or chicken and the will of a Tibetan monk!  

On the UP side, I developed a new soup recipe that anyone, including a monk would love.

Turkey Pho Soup

about 1/2 lb turkey breast meat, cooked and shredded (or about 2 cups

4 cups organic vegetable broth

2 cups water

2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly

2 Tb of fresh ginger, sliced

1-2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 large handful of spinach, bok choy or cabbage (I used spinach and bok choy)

Garnish

1 cup bean sprouts

fresh cilantro

fresh Thai or regular basil, tear pieces

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

jalapeno rings (optional)

cut up lime

rice noodles or brown rice (pre-cooked)

The ingredients look like a lot, but this is pretty simple.  In a large soup pot, add the broth, water, garlic, carrots and ginger.  Bring to a boil, then add the turkey and spinach/bok choy.  Cook for only 5-7 minutes on low heat for a "simmer".

To serve:  Place cooked noodles or brown rice in a bowl, add the soup mixture, then garnish with bean sprouts, lime, jalapeno, green onions or whatever you want.  A good Asian hot chili sauce (sriracha) really brings it all together.

Being Wined and Dined

I rarely go for over a week not writing something.  The usual suspect would be that I'm travelling to my bucket list places.  But, lately I've spent time with family, cooking and being wined and dined.

A week or so ago my sister surprised my mom for her 84th (!!) birthday.  Chris became my official meatball tester as a pot of sauce simmered away on the stove top.  She excelled at this job!  Then the feast of pasta and chocolate cake.  I think I got the "secret to the sauce" finally down!

Then, we were invited over to my son and his beautiful bride's home (newly remodeled) for a feast of barbecued ribs, mashed roasted cauliflower and grilled veggies, followed by a special flavor from Jingleheimer-Schmidt's reserve ice cream, Earl Grey .  Yum...I  love ice cream, but especially my son's.

Appetizers...avocado tomato bruschetta with balsamic glaze

Earl Grey ice cream

I'm not much for St. Patrick Day festivities, even though I am Irish.  I don't look good in green and I don't really care for corned beef.  But, I wanted the luck of the Irish to ooze into my being, so I partook in an annual St Patrick day dinner my mom and dad religiously have.  I really had to inspect my closet for a smidgen of green clothing.  (It was tough)  They put on a spread that any lucky leprechaun would be proud of.   I missed having the Irish coffee though, because this girl was driving and the police were out in droves!  I'll take a rain check on that!

All in all it's been a nice couple of weeks spending time with friends and family.  The weather is getting bearable and seasonably warm...flowers are starting to bloom, birds are singing and life is good...

Chicken Poutine

What, you may ask, is poutine?   I didn't know there was such a thing until I started doing a bit of ancestry research.  Evidently, it was a staple of Acadian food.  And, Acadia, which is near Edmundston, Canada and the northern tip of Maine, was the area that French settlers migrated to.   So much for a history lesson...  On to the poutine!

Simply put,  poutine is meat with gravy on top of french fries and cheese on top of that!.  I made this with a "twist",  baked sweet potato fries instead of plain,  and no cheese!  Did you know that In & Out burger has a version of poutine on their "secret" menu?   Neither did I....French fries covered with grilled onions and cheese, called Animal Fries.


Chicken Poutine

Serves 2

3 boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces 

salt & pepper

1 tsp paprika

2-3 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

4 large mushrooms, shopped

Handful of parsley

1/4 cup chicken broth or water

1/12 Tbsp additional flour (for thickening of the sauce)

1/8 cup water

Season the chicken pieces  with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour/paprika mixture that you've placed into a pie plate.  Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat, add the chicken to brown on all sides.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and mushrooms, stirring while cooking another 6 or 7 minutes.  Add the chicken back in, mix well and turn heat to low.  Meanwhile in a small bowl add the 1/8 cup water and stir in the 1 1/2 Tbsp flour to make a thick paste.  Scrape into the skillet.  Stir well.  At this point you can add the parsley and additional 1/4 cup water or broth.  Turn the heat back up to medium and stir until the sauce thickens.  About 10 minutes more.  

The "poutine" can be served over pasta, rice or traditional french fries.  

Spicy Cabbage with Chile and Pancetta

Cabbage is always an inexpensive option in the produce section of the store.   The other day I was flipping through one of my Italian cookbooks and was inspired to try this.  Hey, I had all the ingredients so why not?  

Evidently this cabbage based side dish hails from the Abruzzo region of Italy.  The food in Italy is extremely regional which lends itself to fresh local ingredients.  What you may find in the Southern boot region may not resemble what you can find near Venice or the Lakes region in the North.  But, that's okay because for the most part the food is good no matter what!  This "fancy" cabbage is a keeper and will definitely be prepared again in this house!  Surprisingly good!

2 Tbsp olive oil

about 4-5 "rounds" of pancetta, chopped  

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes (depends how hot you want it

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

about 3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

1/4 cup water

salt & pepper to taste (for me, not much salt since the pancetta is salty)

In a large skillet on medium heat add the oil,  pancetta, onion and chile flakes and cook until onion is tender.   Add the garlic and stir for another minute or two.  Add the cabbage and water, stir and reduce the heat to low, cover and cook another 25-30 minutes.  Stir occasionally during this time.  Keep an eye on it and add more water to prevent sticking.

Serves 3-4 side dish portions.

Lemony Thyme Mascarpone Italian Gnocchi

Happy Valentine's Day!  Oh wait, that was yesterday!  Why not act like it's Valentine's Day every day.  Don't wait for one or two days a year to roll around to treat your special someone.  While, I admit, it is nice to go out once in awhile and be "served and pampered",  I don't mind creating something in the cucina.

My hubby seemed to read my mind by producing some aptly named, AMORE" red wine to go with our dinner last evening.  Although, if you're really into wine, a crisp white wine would have gone better with the lemon/thyme gnocchi.  But, hubby always chimes in with, "I just drink it for the "buzz" or results!  And I'd have to agree with him, sometimes.

On the menu for our intimate Valentine dinner was:

Amore wine
Home made rosemary sea salt heart shaped "crackers"
Assorted cheese plate with fig preserves

Entree was seared scallops on a bed of lemon thyme mascarpone hand made and rolled gnocchi
topped with roasted asparagus

It was necessary to wait for dessert because of the "bee-wah" factor.  I think you have to be a Little Rascals TV show fan to understand that!   The wait was worth it as we devoured dark chocolate covered organic strawberries.  To top a heart felt evening we watched the ultimate chic flick romantic movie of ALL time, in my opinion.  The NOTEBOOK!!  This girl really knows how to be in touch with her emotions!  I was practically bawling!!  What a baby!  All in all staying home on Valentine's Day was good for the heart and soul and even better for the wine and tissue manufacturers!

Here's the recipe for lemon/thyme mascarpone gnocchi inspired by Giada.  I only changed a few things to make it my own.

8 oz mascarpone cheese

1 egg and 1 egg yolk

the zest of 2 lemons

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp salt

Mix the above in a medium bowl with an electric beater.  Add 3/4 - 1 cup of flour.  Mix well until it forms into a ball and can be "worked" with floured hands.  At this point I wrapped it in plastic wrap and refrigerated until I was ready to hand roll them.

To make the gnocchi:  cut a chunk from the dough (re-wrap remaining dough as you go) and roll into a long tube or cigar shape.  On a floured surface, start to cut 1/3 inch pieces.  Then I went back and using a wooden gnocchi board (I purchased one from Bed, Bath and Beyond) roll into a ball while gently pressing down creating ridges into the gnocchi.  The first few are awkwardly made, but you develop a rhythm as you make more and more.  This recipe make about 100 gnocchi.  Hooray, there's a few more meals in the freezer!  (about 25 were used for two piggy people!)

To cook, add them to gently boiling salted water.  They only take a few minutes to rise to the top.

For the sauce:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

1-2 fresh basil leaves, sliced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

In a large skillet on medium high heat melt the butter, add the garlic, turn off the heat and add the thyme and basil, stirring.  Scoop the gnocchi into the butter mixture, coating the gnocchi and serve immediately.  Grate a bit of Parmesan (about 1/4 cup) on top and mangia.  These will melt in your mouth, I promise!