Ham and Lentil Soup

I had big plans for those lentils, I really did. But, then I made this soup and although it was tasty, it looked a wee bit unappetizing, and I became afraid. Afraid not of the lentils themselves - but of what they can become when matched with a immersion blender.

Silly, silly me.

So, after finding 3 bags of lentils (the green variety) in the pantry, I knew that I must search for a recipe that would highlight the little disc-shaped legume and bring it to it's former glory. Since I've been on a soup kick, it only seemed natural that the recipe I would give the thumbs up to would be...soup. Ham and Lentil Soup. Brace yourself for some serious "yum."

HAM AND LENTIL SOUP

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, washed and diced
8 oz. cubed ham
1 1/2 cups dried green lentils
4-6 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1 can of stewed tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
2 cups baby spinach
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried parsley

Heat oil and butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, until onion becomes translucent. Add vermouth and continue to cook until vermouth reduces by half. Add ham, lentils and tomatoes - followed by 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, and cook (with lid on) for about 15-20 minutes, or until lentils are al'dente. Take lid off, add spinach and season with dried herbs and salt and pepper. The spinach will immediately wilt down. If soup is too thick for your liking, add more chicken stock until it becomes the consistency you desire.

If you are not a lentil fan, prepare to be converted!

Thai Lettuce Wraps

When I think of Thai food, I often think of overly complicated dishes with many steps done in a particular order with ingredients not found in many kitchens. I'm so silly, because in the end - none of that is even true. The most complicated thing about this dish was making the rice. And, who (besides Lisa on Top Chef) doesn't know how to make some kind of rice? I also think of my very special pan thai. (Cheating is OK!) Thai food has this way of ending with a "pretty" and a "yum." I think what draws me to this particular cuisine over and over are the vibrant colors, different textures and the break from the American norm of meat and potatoes. I went out to dinner with a couple of friends last week to a newly opened Thai restaurant, and tried the fried bananas...you can bet I will be attempting to make those soon!

Give this recipe a shot. I promise you will not be disappointed in the outcome. It's lovely on a warm summer night! Plus, no silverware.

THAI LETTUCE (under) WRAPS

2 cups prepare Jasmine Rice
1 head of a leafy green lettuce (such as Boston), leaves separated, cleaned and patted dry
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, milled finely to a canned "crushed" texture
1 bell pepper (any color), diced
4 scallions, diced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tsp minced garlic
4 tsp minced ginger
2 lb. lean ground pork
3/4 tsp chili paste, or Tabasco sauce (less if you want less heat)
1/3 cup Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Prepare rice according to package directions.

While rice is steaming, prepare lettuce leaves and set aside. Prepare pineapple, scallions and bell peppers and place each ingredient in their own small bowl.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add ginger and garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Immediately add pork - using a wooden spoon to separate the meat. Season with pepper. Add chili paste and stir to combine. Cook meat until done, approximately 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and fish sauce. Add sauce to cooked pork and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off heat. Add chopped cilantro, and transfer to a serving bowl.

Assemble your lettuce wraps using each of the prepared ingredients, and enjoy.


Sometimes you just need to feel like a kid again, and eat with your hands. Pork and pineapple are such a classic combination, there was no doubt in my mind that this recipe would work and be great. Plus, it left ample room for ice cream.

Fennel and Sausage Strudel

Phyllo dough scares me. I've used it once or twice, with great results, but it doesn't matter, my mind still thinks what it wants. And, truth be told - once you have all of your ingredients ready to go, the use of phyllo is actually painless and easy.


Some time ago, I found a recipe for fennel and chorizo strudel in the Culinary Institute of America's Gourmet Meals in Minutes cookbook that I glanced at, saw phyllo, made a mental note and filed it away in the depths of my mind for months. (The picture is actually featured right on the cover!) This week I finally pulled out the phyllo sheets to defrost so I could make a variation of this recipe that intrigued me so - replacing the chorizo, which I do not like, with good old Italian Sausage.


FENNEL AND SAUSAGE STRUDEL (makes two six inch strudels - enough to feed 4 people)


8 sheets of prepared and thawed phyllo dough
1 stick of butter, divided
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 oz. ground sweet Italian sausage
2 tbsp fresh tarragon
1 tbsp fresh chives
1 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs, divided
1 egg
pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter. Saute sausage and onion until sausage is fully cooked. Add fennel and continue to cook until fennel is tender. Set aside and let cool until mixture is room temperature. Finely chop herbs. Add herbs, bread crumbs and egg to cooled mixture and stir to thoroughly combine. Season with pepper. (No need to add salt - the sausage is salty enough!)

The chives add such a nice flavor to the overall mixture. Save a little for some garnish at the end.

Prepare your workplace for the phyllo. Melt remaining butter, and dampen a clean kitchen towel. (Use the kitchen towel to cover the phyllo you are not using so that the dough does not dry out and become brittle while you are working.) Place one sheet of phyllo on a piece of parchment paper. Brush melted butter on phyllo, working away from you. Sprinkle a thin layer of bread crumbs on buttered phyllo, and repeat with remaining dough until you have 4 complete layers.

Spread 1/2 of sausage mixture on one end of the phyllo, and carefull roll up, tucking the ends under slightly and placing the strudel seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat all steps to create another strudel roll.

Brush strudels with remaining butter and dust another layer of bread crumbs on top to assist with browning and flavor. With a very sharp knife, score the top of the strudel rolls to make cutting the final product easier. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned and flaky.



Although I served this for dinner, it would make an absolutely awesome appetizer if made into a thinner roll and cut into bite sized pieces. I loved the way the phyllo crisped up and became this buttery, flaky covering for the flavorful sausage interior. Be warned though - it is incredibly rich.

These strudels would also be incredible (and a little healthier) with ground chicken, or even a spinach mixture for all the vegetarians out there! I may even try the technique stuffed with spinach and artichoke dip for Easter, so that no one has to mess with broken tortilla chips!

Braised Pork

Slow cooking is definitely an art that I am growing more familiar with. I officially gave up trying to make anything taste good in my crock pot. That thing hates me, and turns everything into gourmet dog food. I've tried all the tricks of the trade (searing meat first, low and slow, adding vegetables last, upgrading to a better machine) but it seems as though I do not have the magic touch with crock pots, which happens to be fine with me. Personally, I never found fulfillment in coming home to a dinner already prepared...I need that 10-15 minutes of prep and chop time to get any aggression I may have out!

What I do enjoy is 'slow' cooking in the form of braising on the stove top in a nice big pot. We are late eaters (there is definitely not enough time in the day!) so I can still work all day then come home and have dinner ready at our regular time....I just start cooking a tad earlier than usual.


BRAISED PORK

1 lb pork of your choice - I did boneless pork chops on accident...they were packaged to look like boneless short ribs and I was totally fooled!
5 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, quartered
1/2 lb baby red skinned potatoes, halved
2 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
2 cups red wine
beef stock
1 large can of pureed tomato
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp sugar (optional)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Add olive oil to a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Season pork on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear pork on both sides until nicely browned. Add carrots, onion, potato and mushrooms to pot with meat. Add wine, tomato puree and enough stock until the liquids completely cover all of your vegetables. Add herbs and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium and simmer for about an hour or until the meat is extremely tender and the liquid has reduced and thickened. Add balsamic vinegar, then taste for seasoning. (I added the sugar because the tomato puree I used wasn't as sweet as I wanted it to be.)

Serve alongside your favorite steamed rice.


I was pleasantly suprised that the carrots still had a little bite to them - which is good since mushy vegetables suck! The balsamic vinegar gave just a little bit of tang, which cut through the tomatoey gravy nicely. And, can we talk about the pork? It was fork tender and melt in your mouth good.

The recipe would rock with beef as well.