A Life, Lived

Childhood

Photo Hunt - Youth

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'youth'.

One of the great things to do whilst in Italy is to hang out in a piazza cafe and watch youth (by age or attitude) at play . . .

Kale and Potato Soup with Turkey Sausage

The traditional Portuguese kale and potato soup inspired this delicious country–style dish. It's especially welcome in the winter months when kale is at its peak.

You might be wondering - why the heck is Jerry posting a hot soup recipe in August . . .?

First we have been getting kale weekly in our CSA. Then we received a large shipment of new potatoes. Then it turned decidedly chilly.

What was I to do?

So I made this soup, which really hit the spot. It's a meal in a bowl and kale is one of the healthiest vegetables around, high in vitamins K, A and C with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

This soup will taste as good as the sausage you purchase, so be sure to find an Italian turkey or chicken sausage that you like, either would work. If you want this a little spicy, you can certainly use a hot sausage instead. Vegetarians could swap the sausage for soyrizo and vegetable broth.

Kale and Potato Soup with Turkey Sausage

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 pound turkey or chicken sausage
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices
1 quart water
2 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 14-inch pieces
Pinch dried red-pepper flakes
1 pound kale, stems removed, leaves shredded
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning, until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot and, when it is cool enough to handle, cut it into slices. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan.

Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer.

Add the water, broth, and salt and bring the soup to a boil. Add the sausage, potatoes, and red-pepper flakes and bring back to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 2 minutes. Add the kale and bring the soup back to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until the potatoes and kale are tender, about 6 minutes longer. Add the black pepper.

Attitude . . .

Indeed!

Spicy Chicken and Basil Stir Fry

Aromatic basil, sometimes called Italian basil, is fundamental to Mediterranean cooking. But on the other side of the world, in Thailand, another basil variety is equally essential. For a more authentic version of this dish, seek out Thai basil, which has smaller, narrower leaves than the common Italian variety, a reddish purple cast and a more pronounced anise flavor. Look for it in Southeast Asian stores or at farmers' markets, or plant seeds outdoors in pots or beds for easy harvests. Our crop of Thai basil has been growing out of control and I have been searching for ways to use it up.

This stir fry, from Williams Sonoma certainly helped with that!

If you've enjoyed Thai Basil Chicken at your local Thai/Asian restaurants and eateries, then you should try this wonderful homemade recipe! Once all your fresh ingredients are ready, this dish cooks up in just minutes. Basil chicken is one of the most popular Thai dishes, both in Thailand and here in North America, offering spicy flavors that mingle beautifully with the fresh taste of savory basil.

Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken and Basil Stir Fry

6 Tbs. chicken stock
2 Tbs. Asian fish sauce
2 tsp. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 or 2 Thai or jalapeño chilies, cut into very thin rounds
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
3/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, preferably Thai basil
3 green onions, cut into 3-inch pieces
Cooked jasmine rice for serving

In a bowl, whisk together the stock, fish sauce and brown sugar. Add the cornstarch and whisk until the cornstarch and sugar are dissolved. Set aside.

In a large wok or fry pan over high heat, warm the oil. Add the bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add chilies to taste and the garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 2 1/2 minutes. Stir in the basil and green onions and stir-fry until the onions are barely wilted, about 1 minute.

Whisk the sauce mixture and pour into the pan. Cook just until the liquid comes to a boil. Spoon the rice onto individual plates and top with the stir-fry and sauce. Serves 4.

Travel Tuesdays - Camping on Lake Huron

Next weekend is our annual camping trip on the shores of Lake Huron. We have been busy making plans for our 4th annual trek to the Sunset Coast.

Here are some pics from previous visits.

Roasted Broccoli and Farro Salad with Feta

Jeans a little snug? Here's recipe to make your body, as well as your palate, happy; the dish leaves you content, and tummy full without adding a ton of calories or fat.

If you've never roasted broccoli you're in for a treat. The essense of broccoli flavor, as other vegetables sweetly transformed in the oven, emerges and is marvelous with the earthiness and chew of farro.

This salad was amazing either hot, cold, or at room temperature - what is not to love about THAT? You might want to just start off by doubling the recipe because you'll want more. -)

Roasted Broccoli and Farro Salad with Feta

2/3 cup dry farro
4 cups (bite-sized) broccoli florets
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 degrees.

Cook farro, according to package instructions, in boiling salted water until tender, 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile toss florets with 2 tablespoons of the oil and spread in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in oven 15-20 minutes or until browned in spots.

Whisk together remaining tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Toss with feta, scallions, parsley, cooked farro and roasted broccoli. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bacon-wrapped Halibut Fillets

Halibut is a great fish for grilling for many reasons. It is easily available year round, relatively inexpensive, easy to grill and lends itself to almost any flavor. This mild flavored, white fish has a kind of versatility you won't find in any other fish. Halibut can be substituted for many kinds of fish and even poultry in most recipes, so this is a great one to experiment with.

This recipe, from the folks at Weber, is from the book Time to Grill  (see . . . I do use one of the cookbooks from time-to-time) and it takes the grilled halibut up a notch by wrapping it in bacon. MMMMM EVERYTHING is better wrapped in bacon. This is why those bacon bowls are such a popular treat south of the border.

Wrapping the fish in bacon imparts rich, smoky, meaty flavours and makes the fish easier to flip on the grill. The main thing you need to watch for is flareups from the bacon fat.If this is a concern you can pre-cook the bacon for 2 minutes in boiling water. This removes a good deal of the fat that tends to flare up.

I made this with some halibut that had a bit of freezer burn on it. I figured the various components (bacon, lemon, and the herbal marinade) would hide the fact that the fish was not as perfect as we would have liked. It did - the end results were amazing and you'd never have known that the fish wasn't fresh from the fish monger.

We'd liked this so much that we want to try other variations i.e. using prosciutto or pancetta instead of bacon, or trying it with other types of fish such as mahi mahi or red snapper.

Enjoy

Bacon-wrapped Halibut Fillets

2 T olive oil 1 t minced fresh rosemary
1 t minced fresh oregano
1 t minced garlic
1/4 t kosher salt
1/4 t cracked pepper
4 skinless halibut fillets, each about
6 oz and 1 inch thick
1 lemon, thinly sliced
8 thin slices of bacon

Prepare the grill for direct heating over medium heat.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl for the marinade. Add the halibut and turn to coat each fillet thoroughly (I did this in a flat baking dish). Marinate at room temperature for 5 - 30 minutes.

Place one or two lemon slices on each fillet. Using two slices of bacon, wrap each fillet by starting with one end of the bacon slice on the fillet. Wrap in a slight spiral, bring it back to the bottom do the edges of the bacon overlap minimally. Wrap the second slice the same way to cover the fillet. Secure the bacon with toothpicks. Repeat with the remaining fillets.

Brush the grill grates clean. Wipe with oil. Grill the halibut, underside down, over direct-medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the bacon is browned and the halibut is opaque in the centre - about 10 minutes. While grilling turn the fish one of two times to ensure even cooking.

Remove from the grill and serve warm.

Photo Hunt - Engage

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'engage'.

Ok, is it just me or these themes getting crazy hard?

Come on Sandi . . .give us some moderate ones next. LOL

When we hiked in Rocky Mountain National Park we came upon these guys resting along the path. We were very careful not to engage them.

Cheesy for the theme but it was the best I was going to get. *smile*

Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Usually when I post something that we have cooked there is a wee story behind how it got to our table. This recipe is strange in that I don't know how I would have found it and thought 'mmmmm' that looks good. Regardless, it was amazing.

I suspect you've noticed a trend here.

I generally don't post the things that are horrible although in fairness there are not many stinko recipes.

We thought these tasted like trips to the Mediterranean - plump chicken breasts stuffed with a delicious blend of tomatoes, basil, and feta cheese, then cooked (we baked them) to perfection. If you can even believe it, this recipe has but 6 ingredients! Simple and bloody delicious. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal or you could jazz it up for company.

Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1   tablespoon snipped dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
4    skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/2 pounds total)
1/4  cup crumbled feta cheese (1 ounce)
2   tablespoons  softened fat-free cream cheese (1 ounce)
2   teaspoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/8  teaspoon  ground black pepper
1   teaspoon  olive oil or cooking oil
Fresh basil sprigs (optional)

Place tomatoes in a small bowl. Pour enough boiling water over the tomatoes to cover. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry; set aside. Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, cut a pocket in each chicken breast by cutting horizontally through the thickest portion to, but not through, the opposite side. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine feta, cream cheese, the snipped or dried basil, and tomatoes. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoon into each pocket. If necessary, secure openings with wooden toothpicks. Sprinkle chicken with pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 12 to 14 minutes or until tender and no longer pink, turning once (reduce heat to medium if chicken browns too quickly). Serve warm. If desired, garnish with basil sprigs. Makes 4 servings.