A tribute...

This happens to me all the time: I go to the store in search of a product that I fell in love with, only to find that it has been discontinued. I’ve started buying triplicates of certain products, knowing that the next time I look for it, it will probably be gone. When this happens with toiletries or food items, there are always other options. After grumbling and searching, you can find something comparable. But when a restaurant closes, there is no recourse...

I’d never been to Compadres Mexican Bar and Grill before I met Andy. The first time he took me, we had margaritas at the bar. Happy hour was indeed happy, with $1 margaritas before 4pm. He told me that their tortilla soup was the best he’d ever had, and it was pretty much all he ever ordered. The next time we went, I took his advice and ordered it. I was hooked. I don’t think I ever tried anything else. Even on the hottest days, we would go sit on the patio with our margaritas and have a bowl of hot soup. The first thing we did upon getting home from a ten-day trip to Tahiti, where Mexican food was non-existent, was go to Compadres for the soup. I think I’ve made my point…we loved that soup.

So imagine our horror when one day two years ago, they closed their doors. Just like that, our tortilla soup was gone. I searched high and low online to try to find the recipe, or at least a copycat version, but there was nothing. Tortilla soups run the gamut…some are tomato based, some are chicken broth based. All have varying ingredients, and all claim to be authentic.

This is my recreation of Compadres tortilla soup:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Makes 4 large servings 

8 corn tortillas
vegetable oil for frying

1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, small diced
1/2 -1 jalapeno pepper, small diced
2 stalks celery, diced

5 14 ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 14.5 ounce can Mexican recipe sliced tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken*
1 tablespoon cilantro (plus extra for garnish)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon epazote (optional) 

1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Monterey Jack cheese

For tortilla strips:

Cut tortillas into 1/2” strips. Fry in vegetable oil untilcrispy. Salt and set aside.

For soup:
In a large dutch oven, sauté onion, garlic, poblano, jalapeno, and celery in vegetable oil until soft, about 10-12 minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes, chicken, cilantro, and spices and bring to a simmer. Check seasonings; add salt and pepper as needed. Let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Serve with tortilla strips, cheese and fresh cilantro.

*Shortcut: I use the pre-cooked rotisserie chickens for this. (Just make sure it isn’t seasoned with any unusual flavors.)

To us, what makes this soup so good is the combination of the melted cheese, the crunchy, salty tortilla strips, and the homey, cozy chicken broth. It is our version of a comforting chicken noodle soup.

Andy still talks about the first time I made this soup. He just couldn’t believe it. I knew I had hit the mark when he took his first bite and his eyes got wide. The recipe has morphed a little since that first time…it’s a little spicier, and a little more flavorful, but the essence is still the same. And every time we have it, we think about Compadres and wish we could pop over for happy hour.

I guess I’ve got to get around to replicating their margaritas, too…

An apple a day...

Pastry chefs and bakers are an amazing bunch...it astounds me the things they can make with sugar and flour and chocolate. And I happily eat most any dessert on any given night. 

Unfortunately, as you may have gathered from my prior pastry rant, I don't consider myself a baker. Sure, I always serve homemade dessert at dinner parties...I can follow the directions of a recipe and the dish will turn out just fine. But I don't have the patience to bake tray after tray of cookies, or the understanding of the ingredients to make things rise or puff or set. 

So in trying to come up with my own dessert dishes, it has to be something that doesn't involve too much chemistry. 

With the changing weather, I've been thinking a lot about apple pie. Years ago, when my uncle had apple and peach orchards, my mom would make homemade pies with his fruit. This was the kind of fruit you felt lucky to be eating...it was perfect. I've heard stories that my grandfather would hoard his peach pie and not share with anyone. Another story goes that if the customers at my uncle's fruit stand squeezed a peach, they would receive his wrath for handling the fruit that way. His fruit was ripe...no need to poke or prod or squeeze. He didn't take kindly to people bruising it. Not knowing if this was just lore, I called my dad to verify the story. He chuckled and said, "Hell yes, he'd yell at them!" I can so picture that.

                                               

My uncle no longer has his orchards, so my mom no longer makes pies. I'm sure she is quite pleased about this since she hates all things involving cooking and baking. I suppose then that I have to lay the blame on my uncle for selling his orchards. Otherwise, I might still have homemade apple pie.

I wanted to come up with a dessert that included the flavors of an apple pie, without all the work. So here's my easy version of the pies of my past...

Caramel Apple "Pies"

(Makes 6 individual desserts)                                                                 

2 apples, peeled and sliced (I used 1 Honeycrisp and 1 Granny Smith)

1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for topping

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter

24 caramel squares

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted (or 2, depending on the size of your dishes)

1 egg

Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1-2 tablespoons sugar

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large pan, saute apples with butter, cinnamon and sugar until the apples start to soften. Stir in cornstarch. Remove from heat.

Put caramels and cream in a small pot and heat over medium heat. When caramels start to melt, stir constantly until completely melted.

Spoon caramel into the bottom of each dish, then top with apples. Cut the puff pastry to fit the the top of the dishes, leaving some filling showing on the sides. Brush pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.

For whipped cream: Whisk cream, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar in a mixer until peaks form. (Add more sugar and cinnamon to taste, if desired.)

Top with whipped cream and serve warm.

These little pies received much praise. The bubbly caramel and the cinnamon whipped cream gave this classic dessert a fun twist. Next time you don't feel like rolling out pie crusts, give these a try.

And remember: don't squeeze the fruit. At least not when you're being watched...

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

Another post about beans? Well, not really…sure, there are beans in this dish, and the whole thing started because of the beans I got at the farmer’s market, but when all was said and done, whether the beans had been included or not, what I ended up with was a pot full of goodness.

I have been seeing cranberry beans at the market for a few weeks now, and was taken by their ostentatious shells.  I’d never seen them before and had no idea what they were like, but I’m a sucker for pretty produce, so I grabbed a few handfuls. After visiting a few other stalls, I ended up with a bagful of soup makings.

Cranberry beans, I read, are mild in flavor and can have a nutty taste.  You prepare them like any other bean, bringing them to a simmer and cooking until tender.  Easy enough.

My goal was to make a soup that had both the waning flavors of summer, and the newly arrived flavors of fall.  Basically, I was able to clean out all my produce bins.  I love dishes like that.

Spicy Vegetable Soup

3/4 pound unshelled cranberry beans (I forgot to measure the yield)

3 small Yukon gold potatoes

1 small fennel bulb

3 baby carrots

1 stalk celery

1 leek

1 yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

1 ear of corn

1 purple bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

3 hot peppers

2 tomatoes, seeded

6 cups chicken stock

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Shell the beans.  In a small pot, add beans and enough water to cover them.  Let simmer uncovered until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain and reserve.  (And don’t be alarmed that they turn an odd shade or grayish-purple when cooked.)  If you can’t find cranberry beans, just substitute with your favorite kind.

Remove the corn kernels from the cob, mince garlic, and chop all other produce into a large dice.  (Try to keep pieces approximately the same size for even cooking.) 

In a large pot, heat olive oil and add onions, leeks, carrots, celery, fennel, hot peppers and season with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, then stir in potatoes.  When the potatoes and carrots are starting to soften, stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add chicken stock and check seasonings.  Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender.  (Time will depend on size of pieces.)  Lastly, stir in beans, bell peppers, corn and tomatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes or so.  (Be careful not to overcook as the beans will get chalky and the peppers mushy.)

(I meant to add pasta to this, but completely forgot.  The soup doesn’t need it, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt.)

Serve with bread on the side for dipping.

This broth packs a little punch (depending on the peppers you use) and turns a standard vegetable soup into an exciting one.  All the ingredients contribute in their own way, producing a very flavorful bowl of soup.  The beans do in fact have a little nuttiness, and bites including them are very full bodied.

I feel good about my farewell to summer soup.  It was somehow both light and hearty at the same time.  And I had to wholeheartedly agree with Andy when he said, “I can’t wait to eat this again!”

And I just had to sneak in one more photo of these gorgeous veggies.  (It makes up for the less-than-gorgeous photo of the soup.)

What's cooking?

You know how women have the reputation of standing in front of a closet full of clothes but claim they can’t find anything to wear? Well, that was me the other day, but I was standing in front of my refrigerator full of food, and even with a list of ideas in my notebook, could not come up with a single dish I wanted to make. I thought about it off and on throughout the day, and was getting increasingly unmotivated about dinner. I’d aimlessly meander over to the fridge and the pantry, hoping something would speak to me. What finally did was a lonely can of white beans.

Sometimes all you need is one ingredient to make everything fall into place. For me, it usually starts with the star of the show; the juicy piece of beef or the delicate piece of fish. But for some reason, seeing those beans made me instantly think: poached halibut on a bed of beans! Thankfully, my funky mood was lifted and was replaced by that happy “I know what I’m making for dinner” mood. I love that mood.

I’ve wanted to try poaching fish for a long time, but have always had this weird hang-up about it, envisioning something like boiled fish. I’d eaten poached fish in restaurants and it was always wonderful and very moist, but for some reason I never prepared it that way at home. Until now…and it won’t be the last time.

Poached Halibut with White Beans and Roasted Fennel and Onion

Roasted Fennel and Onion:

1 fennel bulb

1 red onion

olive oil

salt and pepper

Beans:

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

2 slices bacon, cut into lardons

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper

Halibut:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

white wine (amount depends on size of pot)

2 halibut filets

salt and pepper

Prepare the fennel and onion by slicing each lengthwise into thin strips. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven until soft, about 15 minutes.

Cook bacon in a small pot until starting to crisp. Pour off fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot. Add garlic and let soften. Mix in beans, salt and pepper and just heat through. If beans look a little dry, add a splash of white wine or water. (To make bacon-free, just start with the garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil.)

For the halibut, choose a small pot or baking dish that can go from stovetop to oven that is just big enough to lay the halibut filets in side by side. (I used a small Le Creuset dutch oven.)

Seed and slice tomatoes lengthwise. Heat olive oil in the pot and add tomatoes. Let soften, then stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. When garlic is softened, add enough white wine so it will just cover the halibut. (I used about 2 cups.) When wine comes to a boil, reduce and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Season halibut with salt and pepper. Place filets in the poaching liquid and put in a 400 degree oven. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of filets. The halibut will turn white when cooked. (Mine cooked for 10 minutes.)

Plate beans, then halibut, and top with roasted fennel and onions. (You could spoon a little poaching liquid of the halibut if you want…I didn’t.)

I really liked all of these components; both on their own and as a whole. Each piece added its own distinct flavor to the dish, but also paired together beautifully.

Roasting the fennel and onions brings out their sweetness and takes away any harshness they have raw. The beans offer a creamy hominess, and the bacon of course offers its usual fantastic bacony quality. (Bacony? It should be a word.)

And although the halibut didn’t start out as the star when I originally planned the dish, it certainly ended up that way. Poaching is such a gentle way to cook fish, and the poaching liquid imparts just hints of what went into the broth. A taste of tomato, a pinch from the red pepper flakes and garlic. The end result is moist and tender.

I did a little happy dance when I tasted this…that’s how I think every meal should be.

If at first you don't succeed...

Dear Pastry,

Why do you have to be so difficult??? It’s not nice.

Truly, pastry makes me want to scream, cry, flop on the ground, kick my legs and pound my fists. In that order, and then simultaneously.

I’ve mentioned before how pastry and I aren’t friends. When I made my onion-fig crostata for the first time, the dish only lacked a homemade crust (I had used ready-made). When we had company a few weeks ago, I remade the crostata and even made my own pastry dough with creamy mascarpone cheese in it. It chilled in the fridge overnight and dared me to roll it out every time I opened the door. At the last minute, I balked and used my back-up ready-make crust again. And I’m glad I did.

Yesterday however, I decided to put my worries aside. I wanted to make goat cheese tarts, but without a crust it would be a goat cheese puddle at the bottom of the oven. It was time to conquer my fear.

This can’t be that hard, right? I did copious amounts of research online, only to find that there are crazily varying schools of thought on pastry. Differing amounts of wet to dry ratios left me thinking that I would be lucky if this even formed a ball of dough. After formulating a recipe that included two kinds of cheese, I pulsed it in the food processor, fingers crossed.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I dumped my dough out of the food processor and it looked like dough. I smushed it around a few times, formed it into a disk, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and smiled smugly to myself as I put it in the fridge to chill, thinking that I had beaten pastry.

Fast forward…I roll out the dough into some crazy abstract shape that doesn’t resemble a circle at all (I’ve got to work on that), and realize that it is WAY too soft and mushy. I didn’t over-handle it, it was chilled for more than an hour…it was just too soft. I quickly transferred it to my tart pans and hoped for the best.

After blind-baking for way longer than I expected, and then baking uncovered for way longer than I expected, they somewhat resembled normal tart shells, albeit with what looked like twice the amount of butter. At least it was a start. Maybe I had a chance…

Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese Tomato Mini Tarts

(Gratuitous tomato shot)

For tart shells:

Well, my attempt at the pastry didn’t quite turn out as well as I’d hoped, so I won’t be including it here. Either use ready-made pie crust or make a standard pastry recipe and add a little parmesan cheese to it. I added parmesan and goat cheese to mine, and the flavor was fantastic, but the overall consistency wasn’t right; not nearly as flaky as it should have been. Whatever way you choose, bake them off first according to the directions of the recipe prior to filling.

For roasted garlic:

1 head of garlic, peeled

olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic cloves in a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Seal foil and wrap another piece of foil around that. (It will leak if not double-wrapped.) Bake for 35 minutes, until garlic is soft. (You could also roast the whole head and squeeze out the cloves if you prefer.)

For filling:

4 ounces goat cheese

1 head of roasted garlic

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped basil, plus extra for garnish

pinch of pepper

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

tomatoes (depending on size, you’ll need a handful of small cherry tomatoes per tart, or 1 small tomato per tart if slicing)

(Ignore the incredibly stained baking sheet)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put goat cheese, roasted garlic, parmesan, basil and pepper in a mini food processor and pulse until combined.

Spread cheese filling among the bottom of 4 mini tart shells. Top with tomatoes. (Note: I used whole cherry tomatoes, but the end result was a bit too tomato-heavy. Next time, I will slice small tomatoes and layer them over the top of the filling instead.)

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until tomatoes start to soften. (Time will depend on which tomato method you choose; less time for sliced.)

Remove from oven and top with toasted pine nuts and chopped basil.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

All in all, these were a success. My crust, while not perfect, had the yummiest hint of parmesan, which I loved. The creamy goat cheese filling was slightly tangy and the roasted garlic gives the whole thing a huge flavor boost.

I can’t say I’m looking forward to it, but I’m determined to get back into the kitchen and make the perfect pastry. 

Until then: Karen – 0, Pastry – 1

In other news, I recently received my first award (and on the one month anniversary of my blog!)…thanks to Kristy at My Little Space for passing this on to me!  

Test Kitchen: Shrimp - Part 3

Here is the final installment of my shrimp test kitchen dishes.  This one has several separate components, but it is SO worth it.

To see the other dishes, click here (Shrimp Mousse on Homemade Potato Chips) and here (Shrimp Curry Bruschetta).

(Same disclaimer: These are all still in pretty rough form and I need to make them again so I can write actual measurements and recipes, but I wanted to share to see what everyone thought.)

Shrimp, Roasted Figs, and Pears in Puff Pastry with Balsamic Reduction

shrimp
garlic
butter
salt and pepper
white wine
cream
mascarpone

Sauté garlic in butter, then add shrimp and wine. When shrimp are done, remove from pan. Add cream to pan sauce and let reduce. Remove from heat. Add pan sauce to a scoop of mascarpone cheese and stir to combine. Return shrimp to sauce and toss.

figs
thyme
rosemary
olive oil
salt and pepper

Cut figs in half and toss with all remaining ingredients. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Let cool and cut in half again.

balsamic vinegar

sugar

Stir together in a small pot and let reduce over medium hear until syrupy. Set aside.

pear, sliced

walnuts

puff pastry 

egg wash

When ready to assemble, roll out one puff pastry sheet to make it a couple inches bigger on all sides. Cut it in quarters.

Place some shrimp, figs, and pear in the middle of each square. Fold edges up, leaving the middle open, like a crostata. Brush pastry with egg wash and top with chopped walnuts.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until pastry is golden brown. 

When ready to serve, drizzle with balsamic reduction.

This is hands-down my favorite of the three test kitchen dishes. The puff pastry is light and airy. The shrimp, figs and pears combine beautifully to make the most wonderful bite. I can’t say enough about it…I just loved it. 

For next time, I would cut the shrimp and figs up smaller for easier eating and more even distribution. (Don’t cut the pears too small…they’ll disintegrate in the oven.) Another option is to make the puff pastry much squares smaller for more of a finger food appetizer. 

I’m happy when a test kitchen results in one new recipe, but I am thrilled with three! I will definitely be making all of these dishes again…

Test Kitchen: Shrimp - Part 2

Here is the second of three test kitchen winners...


To see the first shrimp test kitchen recipe, Shrimp Mousse on Homemade Potato Chips, click here.

(Same disclaimer: These are all still in pretty rough form and I need to make them again so I can write actual measurements and recipes, but I wanted to share to see what everyone thought.)

Shrimp Curry Bruschetta

shrimp
garlic
shallots
white wine
salt and pepper
hot curry powder
garam masala
parsley
pita bread or naan 

Sauté garlic and shallots in olive oil, then add shrimp, salt, pepper, curry powder and garam masala and deglaze with wine. When the shrimp are done, remove from pan and chop into medium dice. Return to pan. Over medium heat, add a little more wine to make a sauce, and more curry and garam masala to taste. (I ended up adding quite a bit more curry powder.) Toss the chopped shrimp in the sauce. Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley. 

Serve on pita or naan. 

I served this on toasted baguette, but the bread overpowered such a delicate topping. Next time I would serve it on toasted pita or warm naan.  It would probably also be good over noodles.

This is a very simple but flavorful dish. The curry powder offers a little heat, while the garam masala gives it a sweet hint of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. 

Next up: Shrimp, Roasted Figs, and Pears in Puff Pastry with Balsamic Reduction

Test Kitchen: Shrimp - Part I

Shrimp is a go-to fast and easy dinner in our house.  Even when you haven’t planned ahead, you can have shrimp from freezer to table in no time at all.  It’s quick to defrost and quick to cook.  It’s versatility allows you to do just about anything with it…shrimp can be roasted, boiled, sautéed, or barbecued.  Put it in a breakfast frittata, in a salad for lunch, or skewer and grill it for dinner.  

I’ve been in test kitchen mode over the last week or so, focusing on coming up with some new shrimp appetizers.  And since it is such a versatile ingredient, I wanted to try to come up with a few ideas that were all very different from each other, both in flavor and presentation. 

Sometimes test kitchens don’t go so well.  Sometimes the dish is just unsalvageable and goes in the garbage. Sometimes it’s edible but something you wouldn’t make again.  But then there are those times when you eat something and you say to your normally very critical self, “genius!”  Then, while patting yourself on the back, you proceed to eat the rest of the dish so quickly that you promptly find yourself on the couch in a food coma with two cats and a dog taking advantage of your placidity by sprawling all over you.  (Not that I know this from experience or anything.) 

It’s those times that make test kitchens completely worth it.

So here is the first of three winners…parts 2 and 3 to follow.

(Disclaimer: These are all still in pretty rough form and I need to make them again so I can write actual measurements and recipes, but I wanted to share to see what everyone thought.)

Shrimp Mousse on Homemade Potato Chips

shrimp

garlic

shallots

white wine

salt and pepper

cayenne pepper

heavy cream

gelatin

lemon juice

chives

potato chips

Prepare gelatin by adding a little white wine to about a teaspoon of powder.

Meanwhile, sauté garlic and shallots in olive oil, then add shrimp, salt, pepper, cayenne and some white wine to deglaze the pan and let reduce. When shrimp are done, put contents of pan in a food processor and puree until smooth.  Add gelatin, lemon juice and chopped chive and incorporate into mixture.

Whip heavy cream into stiff peaks and fold into shrimp puree. 

Refrigerate for a couple hours to allow the mousse to set up.

Pipe onto potato chips and garnish with snipped chives.

Let me just say right off the bat that I wouldn’t make my own potato chips again.  It was a pain and the potatoes didn’t fry uniformly.  Some refused to get crispy, others went too fast and burned.  I might try baking them next time, but I will more likely just buy a bag of really good potato chips.

The mousse was excellent though.  It was fluffy and light, and not the least bit grainy.  The flavors are very delicate, but the shrimp comes through just enough to let you know it’s there.  Pairing it with the salty, crunchy chip works nicely.

Next up: Shrimp Curry Bruschetta