Beef Vegetable Soup

I'm not one to like vegetable soups.  Soggy veggies just don't do it for me.  I tolerate Chili soup because it's mostly beans and I like my Baked Potato Soup because it's mostly potatoes and dairy with bacon.  But chunky wet vegetables.... no way.

My Farmer does like vegetable soups and I want him to have the best food possible, which meant I needed to find a recipe for "Homemade" Vegetable Soup.  Cook's Illustrated to the rescue again!

Please.... this is their recipe.  I'll put my variation here but don't steal this.  Give credit where it's due, please.

(Kay's variation:  I use leftover cooked beef whenever possible.  Usually roast or short ribs.  I start with sauteing the onions and mushrooms.  Put into a bowl.  Add the garlic and tomato paste to the pot and let it coat the bottom -- Don't Burn It!!  Add in the beef pieces and let heat for a few moments [you may have to reduce the heat or take the pot off the burner, you don't want the fond to burn!]  When the beef is  warmed, deglaze the pan with the red wine.  Add the beef broth and chicken broth.  Return to burner or turn the heat back up.  I then finely minced the mushroom/onion mixture in my Mini Chopper because there is NO WAY my Farmer is eating mushrooms [if he knows they are in there!]  I do this in 2 batches.  Add minced mixture to the soup.  Add the carrots and bay leaf and continue according to the directions....EXCEPT!.... I do not bother with the gelatin mess.  And I add 2 cups of 1/2" diced potatoes the last 15 mins of cooking [or until they are tender.]  Basic Beefy-Veggie goodness without all the weird cooked tomato/greenbean/pea mess.  Happy Cooking!)

Beef Vegetable Soup

Serves 6.   Published September 1, 2007.  

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

For beef and vegetable soup recipe in just an hour, we turned to quick-cooking sirloin tip steak and doctored store-bought broth with mushrooms, tomato paste, soy sauce, and red wine. One final touch perfected our quick beef and vegetable soup...(more)

Choose whole sirloin tip steaks over ones that have been cut into small pieces for stir-fries. If sirloin tip steaks are unavailable, substitute blade or flank steak, removing any hard gristle or excess fat. Button mushrooms can be used in place of the cremini mushrooms, with some trade-off in flavor. Our preferred brand of beef broth is Pacific. If you like, add 1 cup of frozen peas, frozen corn, or frozen cut green beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking. For a heartier soup, add 10 ounces of red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups), during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

INGREDIENTS

• 1pound sirloin tip steaks , trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (see note above)
• 2tablespoons soy sauce
• 1teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1pound cremini mushrooms , stems trimmed, caps wiped clean and quartered
• 1large onion , chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2tablespoons tomato paste
• 1medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1/2cup red wine
• 4cups beef broth (see note above)
• 1 3/4cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4medium carrots , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 2medium ribs celery , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
• 1bay leaf
• 1tablespoon unflavored gelatin (powdered)
• 1/2cup cold water
• 2tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Combine beef and soy sauce in medium bowl; set aside for 15 minutes.
2. 2. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion pieces are brown and dark bits form on pan bottom, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl.
3. 3. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and meat starts to brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add red wine, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, and cook until syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. 4. Add beef broth, chicken broth, carrots, celery, bay leaf, and browned mushrooms and onion; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables and meat are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. While soup is simmering, sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand.
5. 5. When soup is finished, turn off heat. Remove bay leaf. Add gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in parsley; adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and serve.

RECIPE TESTING

A Tale of Two Meats

We tested nearly a dozen cuts of beef before settling on sirloin tip steaks as the best choice for our quick soup. Texture was a deciding factor.

Too Dense: Tender cuts such as strip steak and rib eye become tough, livery, and chalky when simmered in soup.

Loose and Tender: Cuts with a loose structure, such as sirloin tip steaks, give the impression that the meat has cooked for hours.

SHOPPING

Building Meaty Flavor Quickly

These four glutamate-rich ingredients boosted meaty flavors in our quick soup.

Red Wine: Red wine helps loosen flavorful browned bits from the pan bottom.

Tomato Paste: Thick tomato paste caramelizes in the pot to create more flavor.

Mushrooms: Sautéed cremini mushrooms begin to build flavor.

Soy Sauce: Strips of beef are marinated in soy sauce before being browned.

TECHNIQUE

The Flavor Base Begins

Before the beef is added to the pot, create a flavor base by browning chopped onions and cremini mushrooms. Stir frequently until the onions are really brown and dark bits form on the pan bottom. Don't shortcut this process or you will rob your soup of flavor.

America’s Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated magazines and is the workday destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.

Almost No-Knead Bread

 (PLEASE, please, please, do not steal this recipe. It is Cook's Illustrated's. And the photos are Mine. Give credit where credit is due!!)

Almost No-Knead Bread
(with my photos inserted)

Makes 1 large round loaf. Published January 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

An enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid yields best results, but the recipe also works in a regular cast- iron Dutch oven or heavy stockpot. (See the related information in "Making Your Dutch Oven Safe for High-Heat Baking" for information on converting Dutch oven handles to work safely in a hot oven.) Use a mild-flavored lager, such as Budweiser (mild non-alcoholic lager also works). The bread is best eaten the day it is baked but can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.

3	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces), plus additional for dusting work surface
1/4	teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2	teaspoons table salt
3/4	cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces), at room temperature
1/4	cup plus 2 tablespoons mild-flavored lager (3 ounces)
1	tablespoon white vinegar

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms.


Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.


(I wrote on the plastic wrap because I'm a bit "duh" sometimes and can't be relied on to remember things like times I start bread dough fermentations.)


2. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray.


Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

(no slashes in the top of mine because it was too wet of a dough even after fermenting and rising.)

Technique

Bread Sling

Transferring dough to a preheated Dutch oven to bake can be tricky. To avoid burnt fingers and help the dough hold its shape, we came up with a novel solution: Let the dough rise in a skillet (its shallow depth makes it better than a bowl) that's been lined with greased parchment paper, then use the paper's edges to pick up the dough and lower it into the Dutch oven. The bread remains on the parchment paper as it bakes.

Step-by-Step

Almost No-Knead Bread

1. MIX: Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a spatula.

2. REST: Leave the dough to rest for eight to 18 hours.

3. KNEAD: Knead the dough 10 to 15 times and shape it into a ball.

4. LET RISE: Allow the dough to rise for two hours in a parchment paper-lined skillet.

5. BAKE: Place the dough in a preheated Dutch oven and bake it until it's deep brown.

• © 2009 America's Test Kitchen. All rights reserved

Many Flavored Zucchini Cake

Many Flavored Zucchini Cake

1 box cake mix (any flavor- chocolate, spice, lemon, etc)

2 cups grated zucchini

4 eggs

1 sm pkg instant pudding to compliment the cake mix

3/4 cup oil

1 tsp extract to compliment the cake mix & pudding (I used burnt sugar and rum with the spice)

1/2 c pecans

Mix together all ingredients, 3 mins by hand and 1 min. by stand mixer. Pour into greased pan and bake at 350°. Use time noted on cake mix box for the pan you choose (bundt, cupcakes, 9x13). Frost with cream cheese frosting if desired.

NOTE: I have made this as a chocolate cake, lemon cake and now a spice cake. You can make 12 cupcakes and a 8x8 pan from one recipe. Moist and versatile. My kind of recipe. :o)

Shrimp Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

Fresh Tomato Shrimp Pasta

If you click on the photo caption, it will take you to the original recipe (printable) on Allrecipes.com.  Below is my variation.  It's changed enough to be my own now, I think.  ;o)

Shrimp Angel Hair Pasta 

with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

1/4 lb angel hair pasta (approximately- I used part of a package)

2 cloves garlic

1/2 small onion, wedged

2-4 Tb EVOO

2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes (about 15-18), halved

2 sprigs fresh basil

12 uncooked, not shelled frozen shrimp, thawed & peeled

Parmesan cheese for topping

Begin water heating for pasta.

In small food processor (I used my Handichopper), combine the garlic and onion.  Process until finely chopped.  Heat EVOO in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion mixture and cook until almost golden.  Meanwhile, process cherry tomatoes (Handichopper will take 2 batches) and basil until coarsely chopped.  Add to skillet with shrimp.  Cook over med-low until shrimp is cooked.  

While sauce is cooking, cook pasta.  When done, drain well.  When shrimp is cooked, add pasta to skillet with sauce and toss gently to coat.  Serve with Parmesan cheese topping.

Serves 2-4.

Debby's Apple-Walnut Cake

(This is an incredibly moist cake.  It does not need frosting.  Maybe just a small dollop of whipped cream if you are feeling the need for calories, but it's sweet enough and flavorful enough to stand on it's own with some cold milk or hot coffee.)

3 eggs
1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon *
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. chopped walnuts
4 c. chopped apples

Beat the eggs and oil until foamy.  Add the sugar and beat until light and thick.  Sift the dry ingredients together and fold into the batter.  Stir in the vanilla.  (I added this after the sugar.)  Stir in the nuts and apples.  Spoon into a greased 9x13" baking dish.  Bake for 50 mins. at 350°. 

* I used 3/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp cardamom.

Roast Salmon with Bacon and Leeks (Fine Cooking)

Roast Salmon with Bacon and Leeks - Fine Cooking Recipes

Oh my stars..... You MUST make the recipe above... The roast Salmon. With Bacon. And Leeks.... ** swoon **

I normally buy a side (fillet?) of salmon when it goes on sale for about $5 and keep one in my freezer for grilling or broiling. It's winter now, so no grilling and oven-roasting heats the house.
I had some "leftover" pancetta. Oh my... listen to me.. hoity-toity... as if I have pancetta every day and leftovers of it all the time. I don't even remember what I got it for originally, but I had used only one slice (round). I knew I needed to use the rest soon, and although I have not made this salmon recipe using regular smoked bacon, I think this was better. The smokiness would detract from the leeks and the salmon.
I did buy the leeks today since I've used all the ones I dehydrated. Remember to only use the white and light green parts and to slice them first and then wash them. It is MUCH easier than trying to get all the sand out of the whole leek.

The technique:
Preheat oven to 400°
Cut up the pancetta into small pieces (cubes). Brown/crisp the pancetta in a little EVOO in an oven-safe skillet. I used my large cast iron skillet.
While the bacon/pancetta is cooking, cut the salmon into 4 pieces. Sprinkle with fresh thyme, kosher salt and pepper. Set aside.
Remove the pancetta from the oil when crispy. Set aside.
The directions said to drain off all the bacon drippings and wipe out the pan and then use a tablespoon of oil. Say what? I simply drained off all but about a tablespoon. Add in the leek slices, some black pepper, some fresh thyme and 2 Tb. of vinegar (either cider or like me, use red wine vinegar -- it's what I had on hand). Cook the leeks until fairly soft. I didn't go the entire 10 mins but just until they were softened.
Place the salmon pieces, skin side down on the bed of partially cooked leeks, tucking the thin parts under or layer all the thin parts over one another so they don't overcook.
Cook/roast, uncovered for 20 mins. Top with crisp pancetta.

I served this with some leftover mushroom brown rice I found in the freezer (cook brown rice in rice cooker with chicken stock, EVOO, dried mushrooms and thyme), steamed frozen mixed veggies and cheese-herb biscuits (from the Schwan truck).
This was so amazingly delicious. The caramelized leeks/saucy bits mixed with the pancetta over the rich salmon.... to die for! The rice had a richness of it's own from the chicken broth and mushrooms. The veggies... simple and a nice counterpoint to all the richness. And who can go wrong with cheesy biscuits?

There are 2 pieces of salmon left, some veggies and rice. I see the ingredients to a lovely salmon soup there or perhaps some refried rice with salmon and veggies. Comfort food for another night.

This is just one of 3 recipes I had bookmarked from the Fine Cooking site. I know there are more, so keep watching for more cooking and reviews.

Hugs
Kay

Hattie's Cream Puff Dessert

(Hattie was a former boss's mother-in-law and a very wonderful woman.  She provided this dessert recipe and we made it at the cafe where I worked.  It was always a big hit and still is now, when I bring it to pot-luck dinners.)

Hattie's Cream Puff Dessert

Crust:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 400°.  Melt the butter in 1 c. boiling water and salt.  Add the flour and cook while stirring until dough forms a ball in the pan.  Let cool off the burner for 10 mins.  Mix in eggs, one at a time, using either a hand mixer or stand mixer.  Be sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next one.
Spread dough in a sprayed 9x13" pan.  Bake for 20-30 mins. or until golden brown and the crust shows no moisture in the cracks.
Let cool completely. (I usually make this the evening before and cover with a clean dish towel until I'm ready to fill.  You can freeze the crust.)

Filling & Topping:
3 1/2 c. milk
2 Lg packages instant vanilla pudding
1 c. sour cream (I used Greek yogurt, worked great!)
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1/2-1 tsp. vanilla flavoring (I use less if the yogurt is vanilla flavored.)
8-oz container whipped topping
1/4-1/2 c. chopped pecans
Chocolate syrup for drizzling (optional)
Mix all the ingredients using a mixer.  When thickened, pour or spoon into the cooled crust.  Spread with whipped topping.  Sprinkle with chopped pecans.  You can drizzle with chocolate syrup.

(Note:  You can top this with "Real" whipped cream.  I just don't take the time to make it.  If you do that, I would imagine you would top it right before serving or dollop each piece.
You can also use other flavors of pudding.  I'm imagining chocolate with some expresso powder added in for a mocha flavor, maybe some rum rather than almond flavoring.)