NuM NuM

This weekend was my favorite niece's second birthday. To celebrate, white man made his family's famous seafood gumbo. You may remember him from this post. I've been looking for a gumbo recipe to try but after eating his, the search is officially over. This gumbo was LEGIT. It was soooo good that for this post, and this post only, will I refer to him as GENIUS WHITE MAN. I'm even writing it in CAPS to emphasize the yummyness behind this dish AND maybe because he gave me the recipe.

The recipe itself is not that difficult however making the roux was quite a daunting task. I was tired from just watching him. You're literally stirring the roux non-stop for about thirty minutes until you achieve that dark brown color gumbo is known for. If you think risotto is difficult, do not attempt to make a roux. However if you do decide to make gumbo, this step must not be skipped since it gives the dish such a deep rich flavor that takes your taste buds to an entirely new level. Since this is his family recipe, I am sworn to secrecy and cannot share it with all of you but must hoard it all for myself. Who knew it would be such a benefit to have a Texan round eye for an in-law. Thanks GENIUS WHITE MAN :)

chicken meatballs OR little soccer balls :P

I'm sure some of you already knew this, but I JUST had an epiphany today that I can make my own ground meat at home. I had an abundance of chicken breasts leftover from my sister's b-day dinner and since it's cold out, I thought I'd make some soup. Also since I gorged last night I thought I'd make a lighter meal.

Last night lobster made his famous ribs. Except this time he made them THE BEST EVERRR!!! He cooked them looooow and slooooow on his Big Green Egg for five hours. These were fall of the bone, lip smackin good. While we were stuffing our faces, the bones literally didn't have an ounce of meat on them b/c they literally just "fell off" into my tummy. It's times like these, I'm so glad I married him :)

Anyway, on to my recipe. This soup is GOOOOOD!!! This is the first time I've ever had Italian wedding soup and now I can see why it's such a popular dish. The original recipe called for ground turkey and chicken sausage but I used my food processor and grinded up 3/4 pound of chicken breasts. I just used 12 - 1 second pulses and voila, homemade ground chicken. Ground meat can be so expensive at supermarket and now I never have to buy it again...YAY! Since chicken is so lean it can tend to be tough and dry but these were so moist. I also discovered how much leaner a ground chicken breasts are then ground turkey. It's amazing, when you bake these in the oven the chicken literally renders no fat. Now that I found this new method, I can't wait to make other things. Chicken burgers, chicken kabobs. Oooh, I may have to try to make a huge ground chicken patty, cut it up then throw it in a salad.

I used Ina Garten's recipe as a reference but made my own changes along the way. So the following recipe is my version. For the meatballs I'm sure if you substituted dried herbs it would be fine, but you MUST use fresh dill for the soup. It really gives the soup a fresh, clean taste and is the final component to finishing the dish. Also, if you can find rosemary bread to make the breadcrumbs, I would highly recommend it b/c it gave the meatballs so much flavor. If not, I would finely mince a tablespoon of fresh rosemary or 1 tsp of dried and add that to the meatballs. This soup was supposed to last us a couple days but it was so good it only lasted one meal. Nummmmm.

Italian Wedding Soup
Adapted from Ina Garten
Makes 3 servings

For the meatballs:
3/4 pound ground chicken breast
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used rosemary bread and grinded them in the food processor)
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tbs grated onion
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons of freshly minced thyme
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
1 egg white
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup diced celery, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
5 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
6 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, garlic, parsley, thyme, Parmesan, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork.
Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and cover with milk. Grab breadcrumbs and squeeze out all the milk then put in bowl with the meat.
Grate an onion on the side of a box grater (like you would grate cheese) then put into the meat mixture.
Make a small test patty on a skillet and check to see if the meatballs are seasoned to your liking.
With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 16-20 meatballs) Bake for 25 minutes, until cooked through. (You can tell they're done when you touch them and they bounce back) Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan if desired.

It's a little chilly out so I decided to make a hearty pot of chili with the leftovers from our lemon chicken. I've never eaten white chili before, let alone made a chili that calls for chicken instead of beef either. However, this will now be a new favorite to add to my repertoire. It's a rich and hearty stew almost and has a nice kick to it. When I first added the green chilies I thought the dish became a little too spicy but it mellowed out after the broth reduced and the flavors concentrated. In the end it was the perfect amount of heat to the dish.

If you decide to make this, at first your chili will be very liquidy like a soup, but after an hour of simmering it will become a thick dish of nummyness. This dish is perfect for a cold winter day OR for someone who had a little too much to drink last night :)

White Chili Recipe
6 servings
Adapted from Simply Recipes with my revisions

Ingredients
1 15 oz can on cannelini beans (rinsed and drained)
6 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups diced cooked chicken
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, chopped (optional) - I did not use one

Method

1 In a skillet, add oil and sauté onions in oil until tender then add garlic until fragrant or a minute of two. Add chilies and seasonings and mix thoroughly. Add beans to mixture. Add chicken and continue to simmer 1 hour. Adjust seasoning with S&P.

2 Garnish with chopped fresh tomato, salsa, chopped scallions, and/or guacamole. Serve with fresh warmed flour tortillas or tortilla chips. (I cut up some left over pita that I cut into thin strips and toasted in the oven)

**If you do not have any leftover chicken, the following is what the cook from the recipe suggests to do:
For the chicken, I saute chicken breasts cut in 1/2" strips in olive oil (1-2 tbsp)...I season the meat with my favorite steak seasoning, D.L. Jardine's. It seems to tenderize the chicken and gives just that extra bit of flavor. While I'm sauteing the chicken, I chop it into smaller, bite-sized pieces before adding to the soup.

This is Julia Child's famous Beef Bourguignon recipe. I've been wanting to make this ever since I saw Julie and Julia. We had this over the weekend and it was a lovely comforting meal since it was cold and rainy outside. It was hearty, rich, and just the essence of comfort good. Serve this with some bread to soak up the sauce. The meal was a team effort: I made it and the photo is courtesy of the lobster.

Lately, lobster and I have been cooking many meals together and it's been so fun hanging out in the kitchen. Him drinking glasses of wine and me sniffing them and getting equally buzzed. (I have the Asian red face alcohol gene) I never realized how much money you can save cooking at home. Therefore, I have decided to cook something almost everyday. You would think cooking at home would be healthier and make us thinner. I believe I am causing the polar opposite effect and although our savings are expanding, so are our waist lines....I think. I don't know, I've been avoiding a weight scale like the plague. Alas, so many recipes...such little will power...oh dear God...I'm going to have to go to the gym :(

• 3 ounces bacon, solid chunk
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ½ lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1/2 carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 onion, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups red wine (a full bodied wine like Bordeaux or Burgundy or Chianti)
• 1-2 cups beef stock (Simple Beef stock is posted on the site, unsalted and defatted)
• 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed (you may choose to add more)
• 1/2 sprig thyme
• 1/2 bay leaf, preferably fresh

For the braised onions
• 9-12 white pearl onions, peeled
• 3/4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup beef stock
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1/2 sprig thyme
• 1 sprigs parsley

For the Sauteed Mushrooms
• 1/2 lb mushroom, quartered
• 1 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions
1. First prepare the bacon: cut off the rind and reserve.
2. Cut the bacon into lardons about 1/4" think and 1 1/2" long.
3. Simmer the rind and the lardons for ten minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water.
4. Drain and dry the lardons and rind and reserve.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.
6. Put the tablespoon of olive oil in a large (9" - 10" wide, 3" deep) fireproof casserole and warm over moderate heat.
7. Saute the lardons for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly.
8. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.
9. Dry off the pieces of beef and saute them, a few at a time in the hot oil/bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides.
10. Once browned, remove to the side plate with the bacon.
11. In the same oil/fat, saute the onion and the carrot until softened.
12. Pour off the fat and return the lardons and the beef to the casserole with the carrots and onion.
13. Toss the contents of the casserole with the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour.
14. Set the uncovered casserole in the oven for four minutes.
15. Toss the contents of the casserole again and return to the hot oven for 4 more minutes.
16. Now, lower the heat to 325°F and remove the casserole from the oven.
17. Add the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered.
18. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs and the bacon rind.
19. Bring to a simmer on the top of the stove.
20. Cover and place in the oven, adjusting the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly for three to four hours.
21. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
22. While the meat is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms and set them aside till needed.
23. For the onion, if using frozen, make sure they are defrosted and drained.
24. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.
25. Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart.
26. Pour in the stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover.
27. Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
28. Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.
29. For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet.
30. As soon as the foam begins to subside add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes.
31. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
32. To Finish the Stew:
33. When the meat is tender, remover the casserole from the oven and empty its contents into a sieve set over a saucepan.
34. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it (discarding the bits of carrot and onion and herbs which remain in the sieve).
35. Distribute the mushrooms and onions over the meat.
36. Skim the fat off the sauce in the saucepan and simmer it for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
37. You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
38. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock.
39. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency.
40. Taste for seasoning.
41. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
42. If you are serving immediately, place the covered casserole over medium low heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
43. Serve in the casserole or on a warm platter surrounded by noodles, potatoes or rice and garnished with fresh parsley.
44. If serving later or the next day, allow the casserole to cool and place cold, covered casserole in the refrigerator.
45. 20 minutes prior to serving, place over medium low heat and simmer very slowly for ten minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

***I skipped steps 1-6 and saute'd the bacon in the casserole dish first. I also omitted washing out the casserole dish and throwing out the vegetable. I simmered the stew for three hours and the sauce was the perfect consistency so there was no need to do all the extra steps.

Since we were eating this the next day, I also threw in the onions and mushrooms after the casserole was done cooking and mixed them into the stew. So next time, I don't think I will take the extra time to cook the onions separately, I think if you threw them in the casserole dish for the last half hour with the peels off they will hold up just fine and not turn into mush. Although I have yet to try it so don't take my word for it :)