Cacio e Pepe Soup With Chickpeas and Kale

Boy is this soup delicious. Such simple ingredients, but it really lets each ingredient shine. A is not the hugest fan of kale but I sneak it in to our food in different ways and this is one way that he does not object to. I usually make soup, then ladle it into clean jars and seal them while hot - this tends to activate the vacuum seal and so I have long-lasting soups in the fridge for quick, tasty, warming lunches.

Cacio e Pepe Soup with Chickpeas and Kale

Adapted from “Comfort & Joy” by Ravinder Bhogal (Bloomsbury, 2023).

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon or lime zest
• 6 cups broth (I used Knorr's chicken bouillon powder to make chicken broth, but veggie broth would be great here too)
• 16 ounces curly kale, stemmed and chopped
• Two (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces orechiette (or other small pasta shape)
• 4 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

Method

1. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and lemon/lime zest and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Pour in the stock, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add the kale, chickpeas and pasta. Reduce the heat to medium, so the liquid is simmering, and cook until the pasta is tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Add the cheese and butter and stir vigorously (without splashing) until the butter is melted, then stir in the pepper and salt. Scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent too much cheese from sticking; some is inevitable. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper as needed.

4. Divide among serving bowls, add a little more cheese and pepper to each bowl and serve hot.

Pressure Cooker Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

If only the weather would get a bit cooler, this would be the perfect cozy soup. Made it anyway, and now I'm uncomfortably warm, but this recipe is delicious so I'm posting it to remember for an actual cold day.

Pressure Cooker Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

Adapted from the New York Times

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter 

1 yellow onion, minced

2 pounds mixed mushrooms (I just buy sliced white and baby bella mushrooms)

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

6 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped (or use the pre-minced stuff like me)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ cup all-purpose flour

5 cups chicken stock (I cheat and just add 5 teaspoons of Knorr's chicken bouillon to 5 cups water) OR vegetarian stock if you'd like to keep this soup vegetarian friendly

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup wild rice

1 cup sour cream

Chopped scallions or chives and fresh dill, for topping (optional)

Method

1. Turn on the sauté setting on a 6- to 8-quart electric pressure cooker. Melt the butter, then add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the mushrooms and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and shrunk a bit, about 8 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, chopped garlic, thyme, garlic powder and several generous grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine. Add the flour and stir until the vegetables are evenly coated and no white spots remain.
3. Pour in the stock and lemon juice, and turn off the heat. Scrape the bottom of the pot very well to incorporate flour and any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom. (This will add flavor and also prevent a burn warning later.) Stir in the wild rice.
4. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure reduce naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually.
5. Put the sour cream in a small bowl and slowly whisk in a few spoonfuls of warm soup until smooth, then stir the mixture into the soup. (This prevents the sour cream from separating.) Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. I did not need to add more salt.
6. Serve the soup in bowls topped with chopped scallions or chives and dill. Reheat any leftovers on low until warm. (Boiling can cause the sour cream to break.)

Pumpkin Bread

In a clearout of the pantry, 3 cans of pumpkin were uncovered. Why do we have so many? No idea. Thankfully, pumpkin bread is delicious. As usual, I've cut sugar, used the whole can of pumpkin and cut back on oil to balance the increased pumpkin. And a few spices were modified due to what I had on hand (pumpkin pie spice instead of a variety of warm spices in the original recipe). Delicious!

Pumpkin Bread

Adapted from Sally's Baking Recipes

Ingredients

• 170g all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 3/4 teaspoon salt 

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature 

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 50g whole wheat flour

• 100g granulated sugar

• 100g packed light or dark brown sugar

• 1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 60g semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Method

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too much, too soon. Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, and orange juice. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. There will be a few lumps. Do not over-mix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, if including.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. This may be before or after 60–65 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 55-minute mark.
4. Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing and slicing.
5. Cover and store leftover pumpkin bread at room temperature for up to 3–4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Pad Kra Pow (vegetarian)

This is a favorite around here - and now that we're really trying to limit our meat consumption, we've gone almost entirely vegetarian at home. This means lots of tofu and various meat substitutes, and when they're used in super flavorful dishes like pad kra pow, it's hard to even notice the difference. You could use ground pork or chicken instead if you prefer the meat version, but I get zero complaints about the veggie version!

Pad Kra Pow (vegetarian)

Adapted from The Woks of Life

 

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 tablespoons oil
• 5-6 Thai bird chilies (I buy these in bulk in the frozen section of 99 Ranch)
• 1 onion (thinly sliced) or 3 shallots (I never have shallots on hand...)
• 5 cloves garlic (sliced)
• 1 pound veggie ground meat substitute (I use Impossible ground meat, Beyond breakfast sausage, or Gardein crumbles - basically whatever is in the freezer)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 bunch holy or Thai basil leaves
• Green beans, chopped into small 1/2 inch pieces (optional)

Method

1. In a non-stick pot over high heat, add the oil, chilies, onion and garlic, and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the veggie ground meat and stir-fry for 2 minutes, breaking it up into small bits. If you are using green beans, add now and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
2. Add the sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Stir-fry for another minute and deglaze the pan with the water. Because your pan is over high heat, the liquid should cook off very quickly.
3. Add the basil, and stir-fry until wilted. Serve over rice.

Andy's Granola

There's a granola maker in our house! This is A's recipe that he has evolved over several batches to minimize sugar (while still tasting good). Everything is in weights since that means it can all be done in one bowl without dirtying a bunch of measuring cups.

Ingredients

• 320g rolled oats
• 50g chopped pecans
• 50g sliced almonds
• 70g coconut flakes
• 50g raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300 F. 
2. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread granola. Bake for 35 minutes.
4. Let cool for an hour. 

Celery Salad With Roasted Mushrooms, White Beans and Feta

I can honestly say I've never made anything like this before. But every main individual ingredient sounded delicious to me, and when combined, it is truly a satisfying salad. I doubled the entire recipe because 1) feta comes in a 6 oz container and 2) if I'm going to the effort of roasting mushrooms, I might as well roast twice as many, right?

Celery Salad With Roasted Mushrooms, White Beans and Feta

Adapted from The Washington Post. From cookbook author Joy Manning. Tested by Ali Sharman. 

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

For the marinated celery

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (original was 2 tablespoons minced shallot, which I skipped as I didn't have any)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (original was champagne or other white wine vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (original was 3/4 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (original was 1/4 teaspoon - but I LOVE black pepper)
• 8 ribs celery (leafy stalks from the heart preferred), sliced very thin on the diagonal
• 1 1/2 cup cooked white beans (original was 1 cup)

For the roasted mushrooms

• 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

For assembly

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Method

1. Make the mushrooms: While the celery is marinating, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with the oil, season with salt and toss to coat. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the mushrooms have browned and are tender. 

2. Make the marinated celery: In a large bowl, whisk together the onion powder, vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and black pepper until the sugar has dissolved. Add the celery and beans and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Add mushrooms, parsley, mint and dill to the marinated celery and beans and mix until combined. 

4. Top with crumbled feta and serve.

Arroz Rojo (Mexican Red Rice)

Adapted from Anna Luis Rodriguez's recipe in The Washington Post

This caught my eye since I usually have these ingredients on hand. Unsurprisingly I wanted to add a lot more vegetables, so proportions below show what I did (if you want the more traditional version please go to the original).

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes (8 to 10 ounces total), halved lengthwise
• 1/4 large white onion (3 ounces total), roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or chicken bouillon paste, such as Better than Bouillon or Knorr
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups water, or more as needed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cup frozen mixed vegetables (no need to defrost) - I used some fresh veggies since I had them (carrots, celery) and added frozen corn and peas
• 1 habanero pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

Method

1. In a large bowl, cover the rice with water and let soak for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, bouillon, tomato paste and habanero and puree until smooth. You should have about 1 cup of thick sauce. Add the water so you get 3 cups of sauce total and blend again until well combined.
3. Drain the rice, then rinse 2 to 3 times or until the water runs mostly clear. Drain the rice again.
4. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently until it turns bright milky white and some grains start to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables (inc the cilantro) and stir to combine with the rice. Pour in the tomato sauce, stir to combine and increase the heat to high. When it starts to boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice looks fluffy, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand, covered, to ensure the grains are evenly cooked, for another 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Remove the cover to release the steam. Fluff with a fork and serve, with more cilantro on top if desired.

Opie's Tater Tot Casserole

After visiting friends out in Llano, we stopped by Opie's BBQ in Spicewood on the way back to Austin. While the brisket was great, the thing that blew us all away was the tater tot casserole. I immediately went on a hunt for a recipe, and found some online guidance from folks who also did their best to recreate this gorgeous, stupidly good dish.

Opie's Tater Tot Casserole

Adapted from Sobiedaddies on Food.com

Ingredients

• 1 (2 lb) bag frozen tater tots (I use Hill Country Fare brand from HEB)
• 2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans reduced-fat cream of chicken soup (can also use cream of mushroom if you want to make this vegetarian)
• 1 (8 ounce) low-fat sour cream
• 1 (16 ounce) package sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (original recipe called for low-fat cheddar but I can't find low-fat sharp cheddar, only mild, and I'd rather have the sharpness so I throw caution to the wind)
• 1 (8 ounce) package colby & jack cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (6 ounce) container French-fried onions

Method

1. Mix everything but the Colby cheese and French-fried onions in a large bowl (make sure tots are still frozen so they don't break apart).
2. Scoop mixture into one 9x13 pan.
3. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour.
4. Top with Colby cheese and then French's onions and bake for another 5-10 minutes until onions are golden brown.

 

4 Ingredient Spicy Tofu

 

This has been a repeat favorite at home, probably because it's so easy, so tasty, and pretty healthy on top of it all. It's surprisingly vegan too.

4 Ingredient Spicy Tofu

Ingredients

• 1 bag ground meat substitute, around 12-16 oz (this has been very good with the Gardein frozen ground be'f or the Impossible ground beef)
• 1 container tofu, 14-16 oz (any firmness works - I usually can find firm at my local grocery store, but I also love softer tofu in this dish when I make it to an Asian grocery store), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 12 oz bag of frozen shelled edamame
• Half of a 9.88 oz jar of Laoganma chili oil with fermented soybeans

Method

1. Heat a non-stick pot over medium heat. Add ground meat substitute and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.
2. Add tofu, edamame and chili oil. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all ingredients are mixed and warmed through.
3. Eat on its own, or serve over rice.