Tag Archives: Onion

March 13, 2013 · 9:33 pm

Nothing soup won’t fix

It’s been probably five years since I shared a drafty, old Chicago apartment with my best friend Maggie and my sister Maddy. We laughed, cried, fought, watched lots of bad movies, stayed up too late and drank too much. The three of us grew up a lot during those years and will always be connected by that funny old place with the slanted floor, the chronically smelly second bathroom and the bedroom with no door.

It was during that time that I decided I wanted to be a food writer. Since I was known to often panic over the uncertain future of my career (I was still a financial reporter at the time) and Maggie was sometimes homesick for Milwaukee, the best way I knew to fix our problems was through soup. I’d order her to take a seat on the stool we kept in the kitchen and DJ from her laptop while I chopped, sauteed, poured and stirred with my favorite beat-up wooden spoon. From potato leek to sausage & lentil to Italian wedding, I tested soup recipes on the world’s easiest food critic, all while we cured homesickness and performed amateur therapy.

The old roomies trade gossip at my wedding

Now whenever I offer to cook for Maggie, she almost always requests soup. “Ooh, what about the Italian wedding soup you made that time?” she’ll venture. “But I don’t feeeeel like rolling all those tiny meatballs,” I protest. Then last week I finally caved, realizing it was high time for a little weddin’ soup therapy.

There are lots of interpretations when it comes to wedding soup, though they all involve those little meatballs. My favorite version is the one with pasta because that turns the soup into a meal. I am usually not a fan of ground chicken, but I like the idea of blending it with sausage for a lighter flavored, more delicate meatball. I also added a little lemon zest for brightness.

Weddin’ soup
adapted from Ina Garten

Meatballs

Soup

Method: Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, sausage, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, zest, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, salt and pepper until well mixed. With clean hands, shape about 50 teaspoon-sized meatballs and place them on parchment-lined sheet trays.

This step will take you a little while, enough time for the dog to tire out from begging.

Bake the meatballs for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. It’s OK to cut one open and check that the juices run clear–you did make 50 of them after all. Set aside.

For the soup, heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium, and add the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Saute the vegetables until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn the heat up to medium high; add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and meatballs to the soup and simmer for another minute or two. 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 dill and grated Parmesan. Serves 4 to 6.

6 Comments

Filed under Chicken, Meat, Soup

Tagged as Baby spinach, Carrots, Celery, Chicken stock, Dill, Dry white wine, Eggs, Fresh breadcrumbs, Garlic, ground chicken, Italian sausage, Italian wedding soup, Lemon zest, Onion, Parmesan cheese, Parsley, Pasta, Pecorino romano cheese, Wedding soup recipe, Whole milk

December 22, 2012 · 10:00 am

Braised short ribs

I like to think of braised short ribs as beef in a tuxedo, because there are few things more luxurious to eat. Seared until golden and braised for several hours, the meat is meltingly tender and rich, perfumed with wine and aromatics. I served it for my friend Paul’s birthday dinner last week with a sharp little frisee salad and a heap of grainy mustard mashed potatoes.

Midway through the meal, Paul said: “I forgot to eat the meat for a bit while I was eating the potatoes. I just had my first bite again. HOLY CRAP, that is good!”

My pathetic reply: “Just keep saying things like that to me for the rest of the dinner; cooking compliments are like my porn.”

Here are a few bits of advice that will help you achieve delicious short ribs and, as a result, receive compliments of possibly pornographic proportions.

1. Be patient when you sear the meat–I’m talking a full 4 to 5 minutes per side. The reward will be a gorgeous, seared crust jacket on the outside.

2. Give the meat at least 3 hours to braise in a fairly low oven to ensure the meat gets sufficiently tender and the bits of fat melt into the meat and liquid.

3. Braise the meat 1 day before serving! This removes the painful step of skimming the fat off the top. Cool the ribs in the braising liquid, and stick the whole thing in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, the fat will have hardened and you can simply pluck it off the top in pieces, sort of like really unattractive peppermint bark.

4. Serve the short ribs with a fresh, bright counterpart, like a gremolata of garlic, lemon and parsley; or, in this case, a bitter frisee salad with red wine vinegar, chives and parsley. This will make you appreciate the deep flavors in the dish even more.

Braised short ribs with frisee salad
adapted from Chow.com

Ribs

Frisee salad

For the ribs: Rub the short ribs all over with about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot over high heat, and add the short ribs.

Sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until the ribs are golden brown. Remove them from the pot, and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium. Drain most of the grease from the pot, and add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil along with the onion, leek, carrot, celery and garlic. Season with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper, and sauté the vegetables until they become tender and slightly caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes.

Pour in the wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, then add the short ribs back to the pot along with the beef stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and place in a 300F oven for 3 hours, until the beef is falling off the bone. Strain out the vegetables and return the braising liquid to the pot with the short ribs.

Cool on the stovetop and then refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove the fat from the top and slowly reheat the short ribs in their braising liquid over low heat on the stovetop until the liquid is bubbling and the meat is hot, at least 20 minutes.

For the frisee salad: Place the frisee, chives and parsley in a large bowl. In a separate non-reactive bowl, mix the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed. Just before serving, pour the vinaigrette over the frisee and herbs and toss well to combine.

To serve, place 1 to 2 short ribs on each plate (depending on the size), along with a few spoonfuls of the braising liquid. Heap some frisee salad alongside the meat. This dish is made complete with a pile of mashed potatoes or creamy polenta for soaking up the juices. If preparing two-day short ribs is more than enough work by itself, simply tear off a few hunks of crusty bread for each guest. This recipe serves 4.

4 Comments

Filed under Meat, Salad

Tagged as Beef short ribs, braised beef, braised short ribs, Chives, Cooking with wine, Frisee, Garlic, Leeks, Onion, Parsley, Red wine

September 29, 2012 · 8:32 am

Sunday sauce

I love the idea of Italian Sunday gravy–meaty tomato sauce that cooks all day on very low heat. It conjures this romantic image of a tiny Italian grandma stooped over a pot older than she is, masterfully babysitting the bubbling, savory sauce while the house fills up with the sounds of idle chatter and clinking glasses.

My own experience has been much less romantic. I splattered myself and most of the stove with tomato seeds as I attempted to squish them over the pot as instructed. (As I’m typing, I just noticed I actually have tomato juice on my foot.) Even worse, all the aggressive clanging as I frantically chopped aromatics and heaved them into the pot scared the dog into the far corner of the house. I guiltily coaxed her back into the living room with a hunk of cheddar cheese, reassuring her I wasn’t a total lunatic. But it all felt worthwhile as the house filled with the aroma of meaty browned bones, sweet San Marzano tomatoes, pungent onion and garlic and the faint acidic tang of white wine.

The funniest (and worst) part about the long hours spent procuring ingredients, browning them and then waiting while they bubble away at a snail’s pace is the day doesn’t even end with me eating the dreamy sauce. Instead, it’s one of several ingredients going into a braised pot roast that we’ll eat over rigatoni tomorrow.

Oh, sauce. Why must you tease me?

Sunday sauce
adapted from chef Michael Symon

Method: In a 5-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium high until it slides easily around the bottom. Add the bones and sear them, turning occasionally, until brown all over.

Add the onion, garlic and a generous pinch of salt, and sweat for about 3 minutes, until softened. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Crush the tomatoes with your fingers and add them and their juices to the pot.

Add the red pepper, oregano, bay leaves and another large pinch of salt and bring the sauce to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting, cover and cook the sauce until it’s reduced by one third, about 8 hours. (You don’t want the sauce to simmer; instead, you should see a bubble rising to the surface every now and then.) Remove the bones and discard.

This complex, deeply savory sauce would be wonderful pureed and served with pasta, Italian sausage and torn basil, or for adding to any braised meat. It will keep in the fridge for about a week or up to 2 months in the freezer.

6 Comments

Filed under Meat, Sauce

Tagged as Bay leaves, Garlic, Italian Sunday gravy, Onion, Oregano, Pork bones, Slow cooked tomato sauce, Tomatoes, White wine

March 13, 2012 · 7:00 pm

Not quite sukiyaki

I love anything that can be slurped from a deep bowl with chopsticks and a spoon (I like the idea of tackling a dish with two utensils–it feels very industrious). I often riff off the general idea of browning some kind of meat and vegetables with different seasonings/herbs and dumping them into a big pot with noodles and broth.

Sukiyaki is a Japanese variation on this simple concept. Instead of browning the meat, it is thinly sliced and simmered, along with vegetables and noodles, in a broth made with soy sauce, mirin and sugar. The meat in this version is thinly sliced lean beef from the tenderloin.

Slurping happily

Resources used: I borrowed a lot from a recipe for beef and onion sukiyaki in Ming Tsai’s Simply Ming: One Pot Meals cookbook. I highly recommend this book if you love fool-proof one-pot dishes. And even the most basic sounding recipes contain something slightly unexpected.

I added rice wine vinegar for a little punch of acidity and swapped out the rice stick noodles for Chinese wheat-based noodles. Cilantro leaves added a splash of color and a fresh, grassy note. You can certainly add vegetables or change the protein if you prefer–it’s a wonderfully versatile dish. I especially love the idea of floating the beef on the surface of the liquid to cook it–it makes for a spectacular presentation when you place the pot in the middle of the table.

Beef, onion and ginger “sukiyaki”

Method: Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside until ready to serve.

Heat the canola oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers when you move the pan. Add the onion and ginger and sauté until tender and slightly caramelized, 8-10 minutes.

Add the mirin and vinegar (head back or sinuses will be cleared instantly), and cook until it’s reduced by about half. Then add the sugar, soy sauce and chicken broth. Let it simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Check for seasoning and adjust as needed with salt, pepper and additional soy.

Dump in the noodles and stir for a minute to heat them through. Carefully float the beef pieces on the surface of the broth, turning after 30 seconds or so to cook both sides.

Sprinkle with cilantro and freshly cracked pepper. To serve, pile some noodles and beef into deep bowls. Ladle in enough broth to go about halfway up the noodles. Garnish with additional cilantro leaves.

Serves 3-4 good friends, as there will be no talking for awhile, just slurping.

2 Comments

Filed under Meat, Soup

Tagged as Beef tenderloin, Chicken broth, Chinese noodles, Cilantro, Ginger, Mirin, Onion, Rice wine vinegar, Soy sauce, Sriracha

March 10, 2012 · 8:54 am

Simple dinner for one (with leftovers)

This spoon rest is one of my favorite kitchen tools. It was handmade by Chicago-based Circa Ceramics–they do all kinds of colorful, functional porcelain pieces fired with funky screen prints (these lidded bowls are another favorite). I found it last year while I was browsing the Renegade Craft Fair on a stifling summer day in Wicker Park. I met the artist at the fair and told him I wanted a custom spoon rest with the piggy parts print. He slipped me a business card while juggling a wiggly baby boy in his other hand. Two weeks later, I visited the studio where he had made and glazed it, paid him right then and carried my spoon rest home to put to work that very evening. It was lovely to work with the artist throughout the entire process–it made the piece that much more valuable to me.

But I digress. My piggy spoon rest got quite a workout last week with Sunday pot pie, Tuesday lentils, Thursday bolognese and Friday paella. So on Saturday, tomato-poached eggs offered a light yet satisfying counter to a week of meat-heavy meals. Penny the Peanut and I had the house to ourselves, so I poured a glass of wine, served my eggs on the fancy china and turned on Downton Abbey (oh, the shame). It was the perfect night in.

As for the eggs, I started by sautéeing a small onion, half a red bell pepper and a few cloves of garlic in olive oil. I poured in a can of chickpeas and some whole tomatoes in tomato purée. Then I carefully cracked four whole eggs into the pan and sprinkled sharp white cheddar cheese over the top. A quick bake just to set the whites, a sprinkling of parsley and dinner was served. A few hunks of baguette helped me sop up all the egg yolk and tomato broth.

Tomato-poached eggs with chickpeas

Method: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Heat a small Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Next stir in the paprika, cayenne, garlic and chickpeas; cook for 1-2 minutes until everything is fragrant and reddish-tinted.

Add the tomatoes and crush the whole pieces with your spoon. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed.

Next, carefully crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl and pour them into the pot, allowing some space between the other eggs and the edge of the pot.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Put the lid on, and slide the pot into the oven. Bake for 7-8 minutes, just until the egg whites have set and the yolks are still good n’ runny. (Up the bake time by a minute or two if you like your yolks a bit more done.)

Remove the pot from the oven, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Taste to make sure the seasoning is to your liking, and adjust if needed. To serve, spoon 2 eggs into a bowl along with some of the chickpea-studded broth. Top with a sprinkling of parsley. Serves 1 with another meal leftover. This dish is even better on day 2.

2 Comments

Filed under Dinner ideas, Vegetarian, Weeknight cooking

Tagged as Chickpeas, Eggs, Feta cheese, Garlic, Onion, Paprika, Parsley, Sharp white cheddar cheese, Tomatoes

February 27, 2012 · 9:24 pm

I’m heading to Ireland!

In a few weeks Sean and I are heading overseas with two dear friends for 11 days of driving through the south and west of Ireland. After months of research and Guinness-infused meetings, we’re ready to see the quaint towns and salty wind-swept green countryside that make up this gorgeous, rugged place.

During our last meeting, I prepared Guinness-braised beef in honor of the first three days of our trip, which will be spent in Dublin over St. Patrick’s Day weekend. This dish of tender beef, rendered bacon and vegetables lacquered with a thick sauce of Guinness, beef stock and wintry herbs is perfect for winter months when wearing many layers of clothing hides those few extra pounds we need to keep ourselves warm.

Nearly empty Guinness

Resources used: This recipe comes from Cooking with Friends, a sweet little cookbook with gorgeous photography that’s wonderful for any kind of entertaining. I really like the addition of the steamed red potatoes in this dish. Cooking them separately and adding them right at the end allows them to maintain some texture and keep their lovely brick colored skins.

Guinness-braised beef

Method: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper, and sear it in batches until brown. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm.

Turn the heat down slightly, add the bacon and cook until brown and crisp. Remove, and add to the plate with the beef.

Now add the butter and onion, and sauté for 8-10 minutes until tender and slightly brown. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to remove the raw flour taste. Pour in the Guinness and stir to incorporate the flour, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom.

Return the beef and bacon to the pan (along with their lovely juices), and add the carrots and bouquet garni.

Add the beef broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 2 hours until the beef is very tender, stirring occasionally.

While the meat cooks, prepare the potatoes by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes, and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove, and set aside.

When the beef is tender, pull it out along with the bacon, onion and carrot and transfer it to a large bowl. Raise the heat to medium high, and cook the braising liquid until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Check the seasoning, and adjust as needed. Return the beef, bacon, onion and carrot to the pot, and stir in the potatoes.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve. Serves 4. It might seem like a lot of beef, but truthfully, this meal served exactly 4 slightly ashamed yet very ravenous people.

3 Comments

Filed under Dinner ideas, Meat

Tagged as AP flour, Bacon, Beef broth, Beef chuck, Butter, Carrots, Guinness, Onion, Parsley, Red potatoes, Rosemary, Thyme

Tag Archives: Onion

Braised short ribs

Sunday sauce

Not quite sukiyaki

Simple dinner for one (with leftovers)

I’m heading to Ireland!

Search Marge’s Next Meal

RSS

Email subscription

Recent Posts

Marge’s Tweets

Follow “Marge's Next Meal”

Tag Archives: Onion

Nothing soup won’t fix

Share:

Braised short ribs

Share:

Sunday sauce

Share:

Not quite sukiyaki

Share:

Simple dinner for one (with leftovers)

Share:

I’m heading to Ireland!

Share:

Search Marge’s Next Meal

RSS

Email subscription

Recent Posts

Categories

Marge’s Tweets

Follow “Marge's Next Meal”