One frying pan pasta meal (sort of)

I bought a couple of Lean Cuisine's skillet sensations recently. They're quick and easy to prepare and are a great alternative for me on nights that I really don't want to cook (and the allure of take out beckons). From time to time I play with the concept of making such a meal from scratch. The skillet sensation is rather like pan hash, replacing the potatoes with pasta and gravy with whatever sauce you have on hand.

I grew up in a household where, if my father was cooking, it would either be something on the barbeque, a quickly opened can of Claude's Chicken Frico, eggs, or pan hash.

My father's recipe for pan hash is as follows:

Peel and dice cooked potatoes into freshly melted butter. Add diced chicken, or ham, or roast beef. Follow with a handful or two of frozen vegetables (whatever in the freezer is good), or leftover canned vegetables (do not drain). Add just enough water, or stock, or beer to keep the mess from sticking. Flavour with salt and pepper, cover with leftover gravy, and serve as soon as the potatoes have developed a crisp edge and everything is hot.

The recipe doesn't work well with fresh vegetables (I tried), but it works great with tinned meats or fish. My version's slightly different (and perhaps not surprisingly longer).

Drop a halved clove of garlic into almost foamless melted butter. Once the aroma rises, discard the clove. Add 1/2 a diced onion and cook until translucent. Peel and dice cooked potatoes and drop them into the pan. Add a cube of frozen chicken stock to the hot pan and stir well, making sure to coat the cold potatoes. Add a cup of frozen vegetables to the top of the mix. Cover for 5 minutes until the vegetables are thawed and starting to warm. Add diced protein or a full can of fish (drained and rinsed). Stir to incorporate. If it starts to stick, add another cube of frozen chicken stock. Crisp is good, sticking is not. Free with a spatula and stir. The potatoes will break up; that's OK. Season with fresh herbs (dill for fish, rosemary for chicken, tarragon for beef, oregano and thyme regardless). Dust with red chili flakes, salt and pepper. Cook until everything is hot. Serve at once.

Then I saw those pasta meals. I'm not a big fan of regular pasta (I shouldn't eat it anyways) but I've always loved pasta sauce. Its velvety textures, it's luscious smells; my mouth waters just thinking about it.

So, one Saturday night when I should have known better I tried an odd combination.

Spätzle (German egg noodles), broccoli, diced chicken, and brown sauce.

Make brown sauce. Cook pasta according to package instructions less 5 minutes. Add frozen broccoli in a steamer atop the pasta for the last 5 minutes of the cooking time. Drain (but do not rince) the pasta and add it to the pan. Set the broccoli aside to cool slightly. Season the pan with a cube of frozen chicken stock and a clove of diced garlic. Once the aroma begins to fill the kitchen, add the pasta, diced chicken, broccoli and brown sauce and stir to incorporate. Serve once everything's steamy.

Brown sauce is amazingly rich ...but bland. I'm not sure what I wanted with this. I ended up adding oregano, rosemary, hot chili flakes and pepper at the table to give it more flavour. It was good (especially with the herbs and spices) and I'll definitely try this again; only next time I'll try it using something like tomato arrabiata, or simple marinara as a sauce. Then again, maybe I should have tried making the sauce from paprika Huhn.

Once I get this recipe down, I'll go about seeing to amounts and actual instructions in some sort of structured manner. Right now, I'm playing with tastes.

Everything soup

Summary: Making soup with leftovers. Nothing else tastes this good or is so good for the budget. While I doubt I can ever make this exactly again, the basic idea of beef broth + black beans + meat balls is one I definitely have to remember.

Serves 8-10 (or 6 generously with leftovers for a good lunch)
Time to make: 1 hour (total). 45 minutes prep time;
could have been faster but I was fussy and disorganized.

Equipment:

• Cutting board & Chef's knife
• Pairing knife
• Frying pan & spatula
• Big soup pot & spatula
• Immersion blender

Notes:
It was a circus. Three-rings, no waiting.

Here I stood, in the center of a milling crowd. The stock was chillin' and completely ignorant that it would soon be boiling. There was a lone carrot amidst the crowd. His posse had left him, and while he was a big fellow and pretty tough, he still looked strange all alone. The celery saw him and wilted. It was obvious she had a thing, but he was oblivious to it. The jalapeno was fresh, but no one seemed to mind. The onions were red. With what I never figured out, but they were sweet to me, at least.

The mushrooms fresh while the green onions were old and withered. The black beans were stirring in their own juices, and pretty tough to boot. The potatoes, red wine, tomato paste, and meatballs - frozen. I think they've been hanging out with the stock for too long. The parsley was fresh while the cilantro was definitely on the way out. The tin of tomatoes was just there. It didn't initially interact with anything.

So, how did this crowd of nobodies, forgotten souls, and aging ingredients become Mexican meatball soup?

Simple really, I cleaned out my fridge and freezer, gathering everything that was so low in quantity that it could no longer be the star of the meal or so old it shouldn't be left alone. This meal is definitely an ensemble cast. The recipe is provided more to prove that you really can make a good soup from a disparate set of sources. I doubt I'll casually have all the ingredients again in the same quantity.

• The stock is homemade from beef bones for a Pho Bo. The stock itself was highly aromatic, fairly thick and flavourful.
• The meatballs were homemade following Marc Bittman's Italian Meatballs recipe. They were a bit black on some sides (I cooked them with the pan too hot).
• The tomato paste and red wine were frozen in ice-cube like shapes in my freezer; leftovers from a time of plenty.
• The cilantro and celery were dying in my crisper, and the carrot was the last one in the bag.
• The black beans were homemade with lots of cilantro and cumin.
• The cauliflower was starting to turn, so I cut it up for snacking. About 1/2 a cup wouldn't fit in the container -- so it went into the soup.
• I'm part of a VG and this week I got red onions, instead of yellow this week. What the hey.
• The green onions were well past their prime, but always make a good soup topper.

Everything else was added because I had it. I do actually have other things in my pantry and soup; not everything went into the soup... but it certainly felt like it.

Pros: very tasty, especially on a cold winter night. It also smelled really good and used up a lot of vegetables that would have otherwise spoiled.

Cons: I should have let the mess (beans+tomatoes+broth) cook down for about 1/2 an hour before I started cooking or held off on about 1/2 the broth, or thickened it somehow. Maybe the beans and tomatos should have been strained first? Either that or serve it with a really good (day old) bread.

Ingredients

1	carrot, peeled and finely diced
3-4 stocks	celery, leaves removed & diced
2 cups	baby potatoes, frozen
2 cups	black beans (do not drain or rinse)
1 can	diced tomatoes
1	red onion, finely diced
1 bunch	cilantro, to taste, finely diced
1 bunch	parsley, to taste, finely diced
2 tablespoons	red wine
2 tablespoons	butter, divided
24	meatballs
6	button mushrooms, large dice
6 cups	beef stock
2 tablespoons	tomatoes paste
1	jalapeno pepper, diced fine & seeds removed.
	Salt, to taste
	Black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup	cauliflower, finely diced.
	Romano cheese, freshly grated (topping)
	Green onions, sliced (topping)

Instructions:

1. Put the beef stock into a very large pot. Turn up the heat and bring it to a gentle boil.
2. Add the potatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove the potatoes and set aside.
4. Add 1/2 the butter to a frying pan. Dump in the carrot, celery and red onion (mirepoix) and the jalapeno pepper. Mix regularly until the onion becomes translucent.
5. Add the mireaupoix to the soup. Stir to incorporate.
6. Put the remaining butter into the frying pan. When the butter melts, add the mushrooms. Stir to coat.
7. As the mushrooms start to change color add the red wine.
8. Cook until almost all the liquid is gone.
9. Add the mushrooms to the soup. Stir to incorporate.
10. Open the can and add the diced tomatoes to the soup. Stir to incorporate.
11. Add the meatballs to the soup. Stir to incorporate.
12. Add the black beans (and juice) to the frying pan. Bring them to just below a boil.
13. Using the immersion blender, mash the black beans into a paste. Stir to incorporate.
14. Add the paste to the soup. Stir to incorporate.
15. Add the tomato paste to the soup. Stir to incorporate.
16. Add the parsley, cilantro, and cauliflower to the soup. Stir to incorporate.
17. Cover and allow the soup to come to a gentle boil. Cook until the cauliflower is soft (about 5-10 minutes).
18. Serve with grated Romano cheese and sliced green onions.

A hurry-up and Eat dinner (Potato & hamburger fry up)

I try to eat well on weeknights, really I do.

But some nights it's not just my pantry that's against me.

I came home exhausted and never quite did get that nap I wanted. Instead I settled down before the TV with my computer before me. As I did some mindless data entry, I watched home improvement shows. Surprisingly (or maybe not) this combination seems to sap my will to leave the room, go to the kitchen, and cook.

I love cooking, but often figuring out what to cook is the biggest challenge. I'd been out all weekend (coming home only to recharge my computer, load up more books, shower and ... oh yeah, sleep). So I'd not refilled my pantry yet and was getting low on a few staples. In addition, the hamburger I took out on Saturday night had not been eaten; and so had to be used tonight.

So, I had a pound of lean hamburger and no bread, no pasta, no sour cream, no lettuce, and no cheese. This removed the options of: BBQ hamburgers, tacos, enchiladas, or even taco salad. I couldn't use the oven (it's broken), so that took away meatloaf or lasagna. I couldn't make meatballs (no bread, remember?), or bolonaise sauce (no pasta). The beans were either dried or frozen, and I already had 3 cups of chicken chili frozen in the freezer. Frozen being the key word here. I had enough ingredients for hamburger soup, but that tastes best if left in the crockpot for 3+ hours.

The funny thing is - my pantry is almost full and both my fridge and freezer are in a similar state. I try to cook with what I have without buying special things, but I still end up with a fridge full of little bottles and oddities.

Searching through my freezer and pantry, I was able to scrounge a few things. Turning to the Food blog search for inspiration, I found a few similar recipes that mixed up potatoes, hamburger and some spice. They all sounded good, but what I could do was extremely limited by what I had on hand combined with the fact that I only had about 30 minutes to make dinner. Any longer and someone would be ordering pizza. Whether it would be me or my significant other was anyone's guess.

Ingredients

• 5 potato hash browns, frozen
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup hot homemade salsa (or salsa of your preference)
  
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
  
  
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp oregano (dried)
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 bag of mixed Californian vegetables (or any frozen vegetables of choice)
  
• 2 tsp butter, divided (optional)
  
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Thaw the hash browns in a microwave (5-7 minutes on high). Then set them aside on a towel to drain. Note that they must be completely thawed.
   
2. Meanwhile, fry up the hamburger and toss all the dried herbs and spices over the cooking meat. Brake the meat up into little chunks and stir often.
3. Once cooked thoroughly, drained the meat well.
4. Dump the hash browns into a big glass bowl and mashed them up with a fork.
5. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the salsa to the mix, and stir well to combine.
6. Add the drained meat to the mix and mix again.
7. Put 1/2 the bag of mixed Californian vegetables into a bowl with a little water and a pat of butter. Cover it. Microwave the bowl for 5 minutes on high or until the butter is melted and the vegetables are warm to the touch and free of frost.
8. Pour the hamburger-and-potato mix back into the frying pan with the rest of the butter. Fry it until everything is warm and somewhat steamy.
9. Add fresh ground black pepper to taste.
10. Serve the hamburger-and-potoato mix with the steamed Californian vegetables while hot.

Review

We both liked it.
It was hot, filling, and spicy. It was almost too spicy for me (but that's because I went nuts when I made the salsa and made it super-hot). The meal was well-rounded-ish and would probably be better with more vegetables added to the fry up. It would have tasted a lot better too if I'd shredded my own potatoes and added a shredded onion to it instead of starting with ready-made hash browns.

I didn't add enough fats or liquids to make it stick together when I fried it the second time--so it was a bit awkward to eat; rather like a plateful of peas.  Tasty, but it takes time.

Half my plate was filled with vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower and a few slices of carrot); while the other half was filled with the fry up, and I still have enough left-over for lunch today.

This is something I'll definitely make again (with only a few minor changes).

"Guilt-Free" Cinnamon Rolls

These are quick and easy cinnamon rolls. While they are about 1/2 the calories of the more traditional recipes, I wouldn't actually call them completely "Guilt-Free"; they're still really sweet. I've made them twice with good results. I got the recipe from Cooks Illustrated's Cooking Light magazine (Spring 2008).

The recipe calls for a lot of equipment, fortunately I keep a pan of hot soapy water to hand whenever I bake.

Once my counter was clean (and the previously standing dishes washed), I changed the washing water, and dug out the ingredients.

The dough ingredients were mostly familiar, but I hoped the strangers amongst them would be easily warmed. The microwave made quick work of melting the butter and bringing the skim milk up to 110 degrees. They initially mixed well, but kept separating every time I put the large measuring cup down to tend to other things. The maple syrup did little to help these familiar ingredients keep mixed.

Using the dough hook of my Kitchen Aid mixer, I mixed the four, yeast, and salt together. Then, turning the machine to low, and giving the liquid an extra wisk to get it to at least pretend to be mixed, I drizzled the liquids into the dry ingredients as the Kitchen Aid slowly turned the mixture over and over again.

I had a few problems figuring out when the dough was ready. The recipe calls to allow the dough to be mixed until it's shiny and smooth. It was sticky, but I don't have the experience to know if that was OK. I guessed it was, and turned it out onto a floured silicone baking sheet.

The recipe calls for the dough to be shaped into a ball. But it came out of the Kitchen Aid mixer in a fairly ball-shaped lump. I worked it over for a minute or two (adding flour so it wouldn't all stick to my hands), then dumped it in a metal bowl that was well greased.

I then put the metal bowl in a warm oven, covered with a towl.

After washing my hands (and my equipment), I got to work on the filling. This meant melting more butter. I mixed the butter, sugars, cinnamon, and salt together in the same large measuring cup I used previously.

When the dough came out of the oven, it hadn't risen much. I put it back on the lightly floured silicone sheet, and rolled the dough out to the size of the sheet. I sprinkled the sugar and cinnamon mixture over the dough, but ended up using the backside of a spoon to press it all in. I think I rolled the dough out too big because I had a devil of a time trying to get the sugar mixture as even as it looked in the picture.

Rolling was easy enough, but it took some practice to roll the dough tightly enough so that when I cut it, the dough roll didn't fall apart.

The cut dough then went into a 13x9 inch baking dish that was liberally lubed. I covered the dish with plastic rap, then the dish went into a warm oven for 40 minutes while I did up the dishes and tried to scrub the flour off the counter, and the floor.

After 40 minutes, the rolls had puffed up a little. I took them out and set the oven to heat to 350. When it was ready, I took off the plastic covering and set the rolls into the oven to cook. I then went back to finding more errant flour in the cubbards, on doors and in drawers in my kitchen.

When the timer went off, I returned to the kitchen and took out the rolls. They were soft and smelled strongly of cinnamon. I made the icing as the rolls cooled on a wire rack, then poured icing over the rolls. Note to self: next time line the counter with some parchment paper before icing the rolls.

They tasted great. The icing was gooy and the rolls soft and delicious.

Cinnamon Rolls

A lighter version of the more traditional rolls, these are quick and easy to make. They taste best if fresh from the oven, but can be stored overnight if they are frosted first.

Categories: Desert, Rolls, Yeast
Cuisine: American
Serving: 1 roll.
Yeild: 12 rolls.
Time to make: 45 minutes.
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes rising time)
Author: Katie Henderson,
Source: Cooks Illustrated Cooking Light (Spring 2008)
Copyright: Cooks Illusrated
Sering ideas: Great for breakfast, or as a snack in a meeting.

Ingredients

For the dough:

	Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/3 cups	skim milk, warmed to 110 degrees
3 tablespoons	maple syrup
2 tablespoons	unsalted butter, melted
3 1/2 cups	unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface
1 package	rapid rise, or instant yeast
1 teaspoon	table salt

Filling:

1/2 cup	dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cups	granulated sugar
2 teaspoons	ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon	table salt
1 tablespoon	unsalted butter, melted

Icing

1 cup	confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons	light cream cheese
1 tablespoon	skim milk
1/2 teaspoon	vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a large bowl and a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. When the oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off.
4. Combine the milk, syrup and melted butter together in a large measuring cup.
5. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook.
6. Turn the machine to low speed and slowly add the milk mixture.
7. After the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mxi until shiny and smooth (4-6 minutes).
8. If the dough is wet and not forming a ball, add up to 1/4 cup more flour as needed, and knead the dough for 2 more minutes.
9. Turn the dough onto a heavily floured work surface, shape it into a ball and put it in the greased bowl.
10. Cover, and let the dough rest in the warm oven for 10 minutes.
11. While the dough is resting, mix the filling together.
12. When the 10 minutes are up, put the dough on a lightly flowered work surface and roll it out into an 18x12-inch rectangle.
13. Sprinkle the surface with the filling and press it evenly into the dough. Leave a 1/2-inch border along the edges.
14. Starting at the long edge nearest you, roll up the dough into a cylinder.
15. Brush he border with water and press to seal.
16. Using a chef's knife, slice the dough into 12 rounds.
17. Place them in the prepared pan, with the cut side up. Cover the pan with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray, and return them to the warm oven until the rolls have nearly doubled in size 30-40 minutes.
18. Remove the pan from the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees. the rolls will continue to rise on the counter as you wait for the oven to heat.
19. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls until they are a deep brown, 20-25 minutes. Rotate the pan from back to front 1/2 way through baking.
20. When the rolls are done, make the icing by whisking the ingredients together until smooth.
21. Remove the pan from the oven, and turn the rolls out on to a cooling rack. Remember to put a piece of parchment paper, or a pan beneath the rack!
22. Cool 10 minutes, then spread the icing over the rolls.

Notes

The color and size of the rolls are more important than the times given in this recipe. If the rolls have not doubled in size after the second rise, give them 10-15 minutes more time and turn the oven back on to 200 degrees. When the oven is at that temperature, turn it off immediately.

Best Light Lemon Bundt Cake

I recently purchased Cook's Illustrated Light Recipes (Spring 2008). The first recipe I tried was their "Best Light Lemon Bundt Cake" by Julia Collin Davidson.

I was pretty nervous and time was fleeting.
Gathering my ingredients together, I gave them (and my kitchen aid mixer) a pep talk. Thinking to save time, I filled a tub with hot soapy water and did the dishes before starting.

Reading down the list of ingredients, the recipe seemed straightforward. All the ingredients were old friends. I thought it should be fairly straightforward.

With the kitchen straightened, and the floor swept, I set to work. I lined up the ingredients with military precision. I measured out the dry ingredients (2 cups sugar, zest of 3 large lemons, pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder) and let the kitchen aide mixer run them through the obstacle course. By the time they were done, they were a unit.

I set out another bowl and whisked the wet ingredients together (1 cup 2% milk, 3 large egg yokes, 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 tablespoon vanilla).

After cleaning out the kitchen aide mixer bowl, I whipped three egg whites up into a froth. A pinch of cream of tartar and 1/2 a cup of sugar made the eggs stand up straight and stay at attention.

I then mixed the wet mixture with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then mixed the wet mixture with the dry. Once they merged, I added the egg whites. It was then that I noticed the 3 1/2 cups of flour at 1/2 teaspoon baking soda were AWOL. I gingerly added the ingredients to the already mixed cake, and the egg whites began to sag. It was at that time that I noticed I should have only added 1 1/2 cups of sugar to the cake, not 2 cups. Ack!

Resigned to my mistakes, I poured the batter into a pan coated with a paste, made from 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tablespoon flour. The cake went into a hot (350 degree F) oven, and I set the timer for 45 minutes.

When it was done, and cooling, I made up the glaze (1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 5 teaspoons lemon juice).

Just before leaving, I poured the glaze over the cake and let it sit for 10 minutes, then I wrapped it in plastic and left.

The cake was really well received; a bit heavier than the recipe said it would be (but then with the egg whites deflated, the texture of the cake made sense). I'm definitely going to have to try this again - with the proper recipe.

Lemon Bundt Cake

A light and lemony cake that is designed to please. The unique form of a bundt pan makes this cake perfect for glazing with either a lemon sugar glaze, or even just plain old confectioner's sugar. The lemon flavor is quite strong and offsets the sweetness of the cake.

Makes 16 servings.
Time: 1 hour + cooling time (1-2 hours).

Ingredients
3 cups cake flour + 1 tablespoon (for dusting the pan)
2 cups sugar, divided (1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup lemon zest, finely grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 4 lemons)
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
3 large eggs, yokes and whites divided
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter + 1 tablespoon (for the pan), melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Lemon glaze (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. The oven rack should be in the lower-middle position.
2. Lightly coat the bundt pan with a paste made from 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon butter.
3. Whisk the remaining flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, lemon zest, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. In a second bowl, wisk together the milk, yokes, oil, butter, and vanilla together.
5. In a third bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer. When the eggs are broken and foamy, add a pinch of cream of tartar and increase the speed of your mixer.
6. Continue to whisk the egg whites, adding the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. When all the sugar is added, continue to beat until the egg whites are shiny and foam stiff peaks.
7. Slowly whisk the milk mixture and lemon juice into the flour mixture until the mix is smooth.
8. Fold one third of beaten egg whites into the batter until combined.
9. Fold remaining two thirds into the batter until combined.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top. Clean the edges of the pan.
11. Bake until deep golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs attached. Halfway through baking, rotate the pan.
12. Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before inversing the pan.
13. Leave the cake for 1-2 hours to cool it. When cool, either dust with confectioner's sugar, or drizzle with glaze.

Lemon Glaze

Makes 1 generous cup, enough to glaze 1 cake.
Time: 5 minutes.

Ingredients
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
5 teaspoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon table salt

Directions

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Move the cake to a cooling rack over top of a piece of parchment paper.
3. Drizzle cake with glaze and let it set for 15 minutes before serving.

Meatball soup

Originally from the Relish! menu planning website, I modified the recipe to reduce the salt. I picked the recipe originally because it seemed straightforward and probably could be modified to work with the crock-pot. My first test of the recipe was a resounding success.

Version: 2.0
Serves: 6 (1 1/2 cups each)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Equipment

• Measuring cups & spoons.
• Cutting board & knife.
• Dutch Oven.
• Ladle.
• Stirring spoon.

Modification/Notes
The original recipe used canned beef broth and onion soup mix. Both taste good, but I wanted something lower in salt. So, I switched to chicken broth and real onion. I also reduced the amount of butter down to a tablespoon (from 2). I had 2 cups of rice (cooked in chicken broth) in my fridge - so I added it to the soup to positive effect.

Ingredients

• 38-ounces frozen meatballs
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 carrot(s), thinly sliced
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 26-ounces (6 cups) chicken broth, fat removed, low-sodium
• 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh)
• 1 bay leaf
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 1/2 the butter.
2. Sauté the onion until the onion begins to become translucent.
3. Add the carrots and celery, and continue to sauté for 4-5 minutes or until softened.
4. Add all the other ingredients except the meatballs and the cheese.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add meatballs; cover and simmer meatball soup 10 minutes longer.
8. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
9. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

A sour dinner story (with a happy ending)

It was late. I got home and fell asleep on the couch, but when I woke up - I still had to make dinner and do the dishes. I was feeling pretty sour and it showed.

The chicken was completely thawed and downright weepy in its own wrapping. I didn't care and rinsed it throughly under cold water. It was pretty slimy, but still fresh. I slammed it onto a clean plate, where my attentions seemed to just make it weep a bit more. I ignored it.

Leeks and I just don't know each other well; and maybe this was not the best way to introduce ourselves. They were cold and hard from the fridge. I got rid of their tough green leaves, leaving the whites to chill on the chopping block. Once quartered and rinsed, they were starting to open up, despite my sour mood.

I could still tell there was some dirt yet undiscovered amongst their many layers. Another rinse or two made sure I had the whole story.

I quartered the quarters and then began the laborious process of dicing them as finely as my chef's knife would allow. As the cutting board got full, I put the remains of my work into a small bowl to one side. As I went the leaks began to weep a bit, making them clingy. They clung to the knife, so I scraped them off. When they clung to my hands - I used the knife to scrape them off again. They sat in the bowl, resentful. I worked over all chunks, bringing them down to size. By the time I was done, my arms were tired.

With them set aside, I took out the butter and cut two portions of roughly 2 tablespoons each from the block. The butter was soft and willing. I threw one portion casually into a hot pan, and it danced with joy. I added the leaks once the butter was exhausted, and stired them both briskly around the pan until the butter and the leaks merged into one.

I let them sit in the hot pan for 5 minutes or so while I did dishes.

My chicken broth was so uptight it had gelled, so I was unable to measure it exactly - but ended up dumping a cup into the leaks, rather than the 1/2 cup that the recipe called for. The heat made it relax, and it began to mix with the leaks without my forcing the issue. To that I added a big pinch of thyme, some freshly ground pepper and some salt. The herbs mixed with the broth made a heavenly scent that almost covered the strong oniony smell of the leaks.

To this I added a few shots of lemon juice, just to sour the mood. The chicken went in atop the bed of wilted leaks, and sat proudly there, no longer weeping. I dumped their water into the pan and closed the lid.

Ten minutes later the chicken were truely steamed. I took them out and set them on a clean plate beside the stove to cool down. I then pulled all the sauce out of the pan and beat it into submission. The smooth pale yellow sauce that resulted definitely showed the presence of lemon, but it smelled of thyme, pepper and leak.

The sauce (and a good helping of white wine) went back into the pan, and the chicken were carefully covered. The heat went up and I covered the pan once more to bring everyone back up to temperature.

I served it with steamed peas (microwaved with a bit of water), and brown rice. The rice was bland in comparison, but the sauce was delicious. So much so, I'm having this version of lemony chicken for lunch.

Lemony chicken
Recipe by Mark Bittman.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, washed and well diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon thyme
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and black pepper, to taste
parsley, minced fresh (garnish)

Instructions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the leeks and cook, stirring, until softened (about 5 minutes).
3. Add the stock and thyme.
4. Bring the dish to a boil and allow it to bubble for a minute, or two.
5. Ad the chicken.
   
6. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the meat is just cooked through (about 5 to 6 minutes).
7. Remove the chicken and keep warm.
8. Turn the heat to high and cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, until 3/4 of a cup remains (about 10 minutes).
9. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the lemon juice.
10. Add the remaining butter slowly, stirring all the while.
11. Season with salt and pepper and return the chicken to the sauce to heat through.
12. Serve over rice.