Rice Pilaf

 

I’m not usually a huge fan of rice. But this rice is special. It has cinnamon and clove and cardamom in it but it’s not sweet. It has an exotic, pungent flavor that I just love. So do my kids, they’ll eat this like they’ve never had food before! And it doesn’t take forever to cook, which is really nice. I like to serve this along side my favorite meatballs, also a Nigella recipe. Try it, you’ll love it too!

 

Rice Pilaf

Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Feast

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves

1 stick of cinnamon, broken into large pieces

3 cardamom pods, bruised

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds, optional

2 1/2 cups basmati or jasmine rice

4 cups chicken stock

 

In a deep saucepan, heat the oil.

Sauté the onion along with the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods, cumin seeds and nigella seeds.

When the onion is translucent, add the rice.

Stir for a few minutes, then add the chicken stock.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over the lowest heat possible for 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, take the lid off, cover with a tea towel and clamp the lid back on the saucepan. You can leave the rice to rest like this for at least 10 minutes, and up to about 1 hour. Fork the rice through when you are ready to serve it.

Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Soup

 

Do you have a signature dish? An old stand-by that you know will always impress? I do. I’ve hinted about posting it since the day I started my blog. I’ve probably got 100 pictures of it on my hard drive. But the pictures never looked as appealing as the dish itself, so I didn’t post it. Which is a shame, really, because this is such an easy dish and everyone I’ve ever served it to (even when I forgot a key ingredient! Sorry, Carrie!) has loved it! So, even though I’m not impressed with this picture either, I’m going to share it with you.

This soup is based off one I used to get in my favorite restaurant in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. It’s a local place called Tomato Street and it’s like a funky, cooler version of Olive Garden. The food is MUCH better, too. I’d always get this soup and tons of their to-die-for fresh garlic bread, a wonderful spicy chicken pasta, and creme brulee for dessert. And then I’d leave, a bit overly full and entirely satisfied.

When we moved away from Coeur d’Alene, and I found myself suddenly cut off from my favorite Italian food fix, I had to try and make the soup myself. I tried lots of different variations before I settled on a winner. You’re not going to believe me, but this soup is better with canned tomatoes rather than fresh. (Especially if you spring for San Marzano tomatoes) Easier too, always a consideration with three little kiddles underfoot. And I know peeling celery is a pain in the bum, but it really makes a difference in this soup. That peeled celery is the ingredient that had me stumped for the longest time!

Without further ado. . . . .

 

Tomato Basil Soup

 

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large sweet onions, chopped into large dice (you can use any onions you like, but sweet onions make it really special.)

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

4 stalks celery, peeled and diced

salt and pepper

2 28oz cans of unpeeled tomatoes

1 46oz can of V8 or tomato juice

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 cups basil, chopped

1 cup cream

1 cup parmesan (optional)

 

In a large soup pot, heat the butter and oil over medium heat until melted and bubbly.

Add the onion, garlic and celery and cook until the onion is translucent and the celery is softened. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I usually use about a teaspoon of kosher salt and a half teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.)

While the vegetables are cooking, pour one can of tomatoes into your blender and puree.

When the onions are ready, pour the pureed tomatoes into the pot and stir. Repeat with the second can.

Stir in the V8 or tomato juice.

Add the sugar and bring the soup up to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Add the balsamic vinegar and basil and simmer 5 minutes longer.

Turn off the heat and let the soup cool for 10 minutes.

Stir in the cream and parmesan, if using.

Serve with garlic bread or grilled cheese sandwiches and enjoy!!!

P.S. This soup is almost better the second day! It’s a great one to make ahead if you’re having a party.

P.P.S. If you don’t feel like having soup the next day, simmer it a bit while you boil some tortellini. Pour the drained tortellini right into the soup and cook for a few minutes longer. Makes a delicious sauce!

P.P.P.S. This does make quite a large pot of soup. If you don’t want to eat it all right away, pour it into a freezer bag and pop it in the freezer. Then you’ll have a nice little treat waiting for you on a rainy day when you don’t feel like cooking!

P.P.P.P.S. Really, you need to make this soup. I promise you’ll be glad you did!

P.P.P.P.P.S. Hmmmm, 5 post scripts. I think that should do it! Bye now!

Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

We don't have snails where we live. Sad, huh?

Making a snail parade.

Snail Pile!

And now, here's my famous escargot recipe! Enjoy!

Jennie's Famous Escargot

1 pound snails
1 stick of butter
1 clove of garlic, chopped

First, deshell the snails.
In a medium pan, melt the butter.
JUST KIDDING!!!!!!

Finally! Tomatoes!!!!

The summer before last I fell in love. With tomatoes. And the woman who grew the most amazing heirloom tomatoes I’ve ever seen. She sold them at the local farmer’s market and ohmygosh did she have the most fanastic array of varieties. Red ones, orange ones, yellow, green, purple, striped, oblong, gigantic, teeny, sweet, dense, sturdy, fragrant. . . . I could go on and on! I made salsa, sauce, soup, and sandwiches. I stuffed them, broiled them, grilled them, and popped them raw. The next summer I stalked the market, waiting week after week for her to return. And when her tomatoes were finally ripe I came home with bags of them. Amelia ate them like candy!

This year I waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. No tomato lady. All summer, no tomato lady. I had heard that our crazy weather had been hard on tomatoes, and I wonder if that is why I haven’t seen her. *sniff* I haven’t had a decent tomato since last September. Boo. I’ve been bookmarking all sorts of tomato recipes that sound just amazing. Like this one, or this one. But I didn’t want to bother making them with grocery store tomatoes. What’s the point, right?

But then. . . . . a friend of my mom’s dropped off some tomatoes!!! Hallelujah!!! So I stole them from her and made this salad (she's got some great info about tomatoes in that post, check it out!) that we took to a potluck. It was wonderful!

Tomato and Onion Salad
Adapted from The English Kitchen

2 pounds tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
½ red onion, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
½ cup parmesan, grated
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3-5 tablespoons olive oil

Toss everything in a bowl and gently mix, using your hands.

Slide into serving bowl and cover with saran wrap.
Park in fridge for at least two hours.
Devour.

I’ve been taking a lot of pictures of Reese lately. Well, really I’ve been taking lots of Lia too, but she doesn’t hold still long enough to snap a very good picture. Anywho, I can’t stop risking my life, and my camera, taking these pictures. I’m lying under the swing shooting up as he swings over! I know he’s not really going to kick me or anything, I’m just out of reach, but it still freaks me out! Makes for interesting pictures though!

I’m not exactly sure when his obsession for skateboards started, but I know it was spurred on while we were in Seattle and he saw a guy on a board. Reese got so excited and pointed him out to everyone. The guy smiled at him and did some cool little skateboard trick. And Reese’s fate was sealed. I should just start setting aside money now for all the casts and x-rays this kid is going to need. He’s fallen off Uncle Chauncey’s board like crazy, but he’s so excited to be playing on a real skateboard that he just hops back on and tries again. This picture was taken just before it occurred to me that the kid should be wearing a helmet. I had to practically pry it off him later when we were heading out. I’m not walking around a grocery store with a kid in a bike helmet, sorry son.

How happy is THIS kid? Seriously, that little smile kills me! He's so cute! Oh, and let me just say that when this picture was taken there was cheesecake, pie, banana bread, zucchini bread, smore cookies, ice cream and gobs of candy in the house. Nothing beats Grandma's house! I've had some happy, and insanely hyper, kidlets the past week. It'll take 'em weeks to come down from this sugar high! (I'm guilty here too, though. I'm making cupcakes and cake pops tomorrow!)

What a Steal!

I'm sort of addicted to ramekins. Small dishes of any kind, really. I found 6 of these gratins at a local thrift store the other day. I paid .49 each for them! I totally felt like I was stealing them!

So, what to put in them? How about artichoke gratin? Warning, you are going to need bread to sop up all the yummy sauce!

Artichoke Gratin

1 pound marinated artichoke hearts, cut to bite sized pieces
(if you use plain ones be sure to season them up!)
3 cloves of garlic, grated
2 cups cream or half and half
1 cup parmesan, grated

Preheat oven to 350.
Put everything in a large bowl.
Mix it all together.
(This is hard, huh!?)
Divide between 4 gratins or ramekins.
(Or just put the whole thing in a baking dish.)
Smoosh each gratin to make sure there is enough liquid in it.
(The liquid should be just covering the artichokes.)
Add more cream if you need it.
Top with extra parmesan.
Place gratins on a baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown and delicious!