Italian Ciambotta (Vegetable Stew)

More vegetarian fun! My fridge is bursting with veggies and I was desperate for a way to use them up. I really love vegetables but I'm always at a loss for what to do with them. Enter Ciambotta, my rescue dish. This is apparantly a traditional Southern Italian dish, and has many variations (as do all traditional dishes) depending on who's cooking. I got the original recipe from Epicurious, and switched out for things I had in the fridge and pantry. I added chickpeas to give it some protein and it makes a really lovely main dish. You'd be amazed at how much flavor there is with just simple salt and pepper seasoning.

Italian Vegetable Stew (Ciambotta)
Adapted from recipe in Gourmet Magazine
yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
active time: 45 min
total time: 45 min

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 leek, hard green removed and remainder cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 3/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 red bell peppers, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/4 pounds zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3/4 pound boiling potatoes (about 4 small), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 14 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Heat oil in a 7-to 8-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add onions, leek, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in water, tomatoes with juice, and bell peppers, then reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook green beans in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan of well-salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add zucchini to boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to bowl with green beans. Add potatoes to boiling water and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and add to beans and zucchini.
4. Add boiled vegetables to stew and simmer, stirring, until all vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add chickpeas and continue stirring about 5 more minutes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Note: Stew can be made up to 1 week ahead and chilled (covered once cool).

Foods of the Prophet (pbuh)

February has been a busy month! I guess I haven't been cooking all that much or I would have posted something :) I did make some awesome chicken wings from Mark Bittman's book which I will post soon. But a friend had a really fun party at her house this past weekend where the theme for the food was things that the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) enjoyed eating. There was a whole range of things, from dates and honey to cucumbers, lentils, and tomato-basil salad (I think tomatos were big back then :)). While I was googling for things to make, I came across "tharid", which is a dish that the Prophet mentioned was at the top of the list of best meals. I'd never heard of it before but it sounded delicious when I looked up recipes, so I decided to try it.

I read that the original tharid is so thick with bread that you can actually pull it apart with your hands, no spoon required. I toned down the bread crumbs since I know people enjoy stews and so did the Prophet (pbuh). This recipe below makes a lot, so cut down if you're making for just a few people. I also used 3 cans of canned chickpeas, so I added them after the stew had been cooking for about 30 min on lower heat.

Tharid Lamb & Chickpea Stew
This recipe is adapted from a 13th century Andalusian cookbook.
http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook/substantial_tharid_lamb.html


Soaking: Overnight
Total second-day time: 2 hours

Ingredients:
3 cups chickpeas
3 lbs. lamb, cut into bite-sized cubes
8 cups water
6 cups finely chopped onion
2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander
2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 tsp. pepper
6 eggs
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. saffron in 2 tbsp. water
1/2 cup honey
Enough stale bread for 2 cups of crumbs
6 rounds pita bread, quartered

1. Put the chickpeas into a large bowl, cover them with cold water and let soak overnight. The next day, drain the chickpeas and set them aside.

2. Put the lamb into a large stew pot and cover it with cold water. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam that rises to the top. Add the chickpeas, onion, ground and fresh coriander, caraway seeds and pepper; return to a boil, then reduce the heat.

3. Break the eggs directly into the pot so that they will poach along with the stew. Let the stew cook for an hour to an hour and a half, until the chickpeas are done and the lamb is tender.

4. Add salt and saffron, then remove 1/2 cup of broth from the pot, mix it together with the honey, and pour it back into the pot. Return to a boil and boil vigorously for 3 minutes. Add the bread crumbs to the pot.

5. Put the pita wedges in the bottom of the serving bowl and pour the tharid over them; or serve the pita wedges alongside the tharid and so that guests may put a few in the bottom of an individual soup bowl, then spoon the stew over the bread.

Thai cooking at home

I'm a big proponent of thai cooking at home, so it was nice to see an America's Test Kitchen episode about cooking good asian food at home. I'm hoping to try these two recipes this week.

Thai Chicken Soup
from America's Test Kitchen

If you want a soup with less fat, it is possible to substitute light coconut milk for one or both cans of regular coconut milk. Fresh lemon grass can be omitted, but the soup will lack some complexity. Don't be tempted to use jarred or dried lemon grass-their flavor is characterless. If you want a spicier soup, add more red curry paste to taste. For a more substantial meal, serve the soup over 2 to 3 cups of cooked jasmine rice. The soup can be prepared through step 1 up to one day ahead of time and refrigerated, but it should be completed immediately before serving, as the chicken and mushrooms can easily overcook.

6-8 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course

1	teaspoon vegetable oil
3	stalks lemon grass , tough outer leaves removed, bottom 5 inches halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
3	large shallots , chopped
8	sprigs fresh cilantro leaves , chopped coarse
3	tablespoons fish sauce
4	cups low-sodium chicken broth
2	(14-ounce) cans coconut milk , well-shaken
1	tablespoon sugar
1/2	pound white mushrooms , cleaned, stems trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1	pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts , halved lengthwise and sliced on bias into 1/8-inch-thick pieces (see below)
3	tablespoons fresh lime juice from 2 to 3 limes
2	teaspoons red curry paste (Thai)
Garnish
1/2	cup fresh cilantro leaves
2	serrano chiles , sliced thin
2	scallions , sliced thin on bias
1	lime , cut into wedges

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering. Add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce; cook, stirring frequently, until just softened, 2 to 5 minutes (vegetables should not brown). Stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk; bring to simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors have blended, 10 minutes. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer. Rinse saucepan and return broth mixture to pan.

2. Return pan to medium-high heat. Stir remaining can coconut milk and sugar into broth mixture and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove soup from heat.

3. Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce in small bowl; stir into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, chiles, and scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.


Step-by-Step: Slicing Chicken Breasts
Our Thai-Style Chicken Soup calls for thin slices of boneless, skinless chicken breast that will cook in just a minute or two. To make slicing easier, place the chicken in the freezer for 30 minutes, then cut the breasts in half lengthwise. Firmer, narrower pieces of chicken will be easier to slice on the bias into 1/8-inch-thick slices.


Stir-Fried Portobellos with Ginger-Oyster Sauce
from the Episode: Asian Take-Out at Home

This stir-fry cooks quickly, so have everything chopped and ready before you begin cooking. Serve with steamed white rice.

Serves 3 to 4

Glaze
2	tablespoons soy sauce
2	tablespoons sugar
1/4	cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
Sauce
1	tablespoon soy sauce
1	cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
3	tablespoons oyster sauce
2	teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1	tablespoon cornstarch
Vegetables
2	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
4	teaspoons minced fresh ginger
4	tablespoons vegetable oil
6 - 8	portobello mushrooms (each 4 to 6 inches), stems discarded, gills removed (see below), and cut into 2-inch wedges (about 7 cups)
2	cups carrots (sliced), or other longer-cooking vegetable from the chart below
1/2	cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1	cup snow peas or other quick-cooking vegetable from the chart below
1	pound leafy greens from chart below
1	tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

1. Whisk glaze ingredients in small bowl; whisk sauce ingredients in separate small bowl. In third small bowl, mix garlic and ginger with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Set bowls aside.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, without stirring, until browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn mushrooms and reduce heat to medium; cook until second sides are browned and mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add glaze mixture and cook, stirring, until glaze is thick and mushrooms are coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to plate; rinse skillet clean and dry with paper towels.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth and cover skillet; cook until carrots are just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates, about 30 seconds. Transfer carrots to plate with mushrooms.

4. Heat remaining teaspoon vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add snow peas and bok choy stems or napa cabbage cores and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown and soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add leafy greens and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 1 minute. Push vegetables to sides of skillet to clear center; add garlic-ginger mixture to clearing and cook, mashing mixture with spoon or spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds, then stir mixture into greens.

5. Return all vegetables to skillet along with sauce. Toss to combine and cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and vegetables are coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to serving platter, top with sesame seeds, if using, and serve immediately.

Choosing and Preparing Vegetables for a Stir-Fry
Portobello mushrooms and eggplant are the mainstays in our stir-fries. As for the other vegetables, use those called for in the recipe or switch them with another vegetable from the same category below. We recommend using one harder, longer-cooking vegetable paired with quicker-cooking vegetable and a leafy green (either napa cabbage or bok choy).

Longer-cooking vegetables (to yield 2 cups)

• 4 small carrots, peeled, sliced on bias 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 pound broccoli, stalks discarded, florets cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound cauliflower, core removed, florets cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 pound medium asparagus, bottoms trimmed, cut on bias into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed, cut on bias into 1 1/2-inch lengths

Quicker-cooking vegetables (to yield 1 cup)

• 1 medium bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 ounces snow peas, strings and tough ends trimmed
• 3 medium ribs celery, ends trimmed, cut on bias 1/2 inch thick
• 1 small zucchini or summer squash, seeded, quartered lengthwise, and cut on bias 1/4 inch thick

Leafy Greens (to yield 2 cups stems and 4 cups greens)

• 1 small bok choy or napa cabbage (about 1 pound), stems/cores and greens separated, stems/cores cut into 1/4-inch strips, greens into 3/4-inch-thick strips

Step-by-Step: Preparing Vegetables for Stir-Frying

Portobello Mushrooms: After removing the stem, gently scrape the underside of the mushroom with a dinner spoon to remove the feathery gills, which can impart a muddy taste to the stir-fry.	Zucchini: Halve zucchini lengthwise and gently scrape out the seeds from each half with a small spoon. Cut in half lengthwise again, then cut into 1/4-inch slices on a 45-degree bias.
Napa Cabbage: Separate leaves, removing the core of each leaf with a wedge-shaped cut. Slice the leafy greens crosswise into 3/4-inch strips. Cut the cores into 1/4-inch strips.

Update 2/3/08: I tried both these recipes and they were both delicious. The chicken soup was very easy, and has almost gotten me hooked on soups, which is an accomplishment. The stir-fry was great when it was done but man was that labor intensive. I want to say buy all these veggies cleaned and chopped for you but I don't believe in recommending that so I can't :( It's more cost-effective to do it yourself, but maybe try to prep in advance when you have the time. This is the first time I made portobellos, and I love them. Will try again.... on a weekend. :)

Jamie Oliver recipes...

I bought Jamie Oliver's latest cookbook..Jamie at Home..it's big, beautiful hardcover with beautiful color pictures and has this fascinating new book smell. Anyways I love it but at first glance didn't think it was very useful, some of the recipes look intimidating and he uses a lot of fresh ingredients and herbs, which I usually don't buy because they go bad.

Anyways after a few recipes, I'm enamored with Jamie Oliver. His recipes are so so simple, use few ingredients and are really reliant on the quality of the items in the dish. He's taught me to respect and love fresh ingredients and vegetables and that simplicity is king.

Take this soup for example: it's stellar in taste! And so easy my friend's 4 year old kid was helping her make it. Afterwards, he ate bowls and bowls of it. Try not to love this soup. You might think salt and pepper is not much for taste, but try this soup out without any of your own touches at first. It's a perfect recipe.

The book it comes from can be found here:
http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Home-Cook-Your-Good/dp/1401322425/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225218475&sr=8-1


Jamie Oliver's asparagus leek soup

p.s. i omitted the eggs

serves eight

1 3/4 lb asparagus, woody ends removed
olive oil
2 medium white onions, peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped
2 leeks, trimmed and chopped (after chopping, drop in a big bowl of water to wash)
2 quarts good quality chicken or vegetable stock
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
eight slices ciabatta or other fresh bread
extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
eight small eggs
---

chop the tips of the asparagus stalks and put aside

roughly chop the rest of the asparagus

in a large deep pan, add a good glug of olive oil and gently saute the onions, celery and leeks for 10 minutes, until soft and sweet. do not brown

add the asparagus and stock and simmer for 20 minutes with a lid on it
remove from heat and blitz with an immersion blender or in a standard blender until just smooth

season the soup bit by bit with salt and pepper until it's just right
put soup back on heat, add asparagus tips and bring back to a boil- simmer just until asparagus tips soften.

in a wide fry pan heat three to four inches water to boiling- gently crack eggs into the water and poach for just a few minutes, until softly cooked- they should still be a litle runny. serve on top of soup with toasted slice of bread and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Coconut Shrimp Soup

I make a really quick thai curry chicken all the time because my husband loves it. We were having some people over last weekend and he wanted me to make it for dinner. I wanted something to start off, and I saw a great-looking recipe for thai-style soup in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food - Great Food Fast cookbook that I borrowed from the library. It turned out fantastic and it was pretty low maintenance. To be honest, it was filling enough to be a main course on its own. And barring the garlic, ginger, and lime, it didn't require any special thai spices at all. I'll be making this again soon.

Coconut Shrimp Soup
from Great Food Fast - Everyday Food
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger (I used bottled)
2 garlic cloves, minced (again, I used the bottled version to save time)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, depending on desired spice level
1 lb carrots (6-8 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 oz angel hair pasta
1 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
coarse salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the carrots, coconut milk, and 3 cups water.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and 2 tbsp water until smooth. Add to the pot and bring to a boil.
3. Break the pasta in half and add to the pot. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the pasta is al dente and the carrots are tender, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp. Stir until opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Season with salt.
5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with scallions.

Ramadan Rice Soup

My husband loves this soup, it's like his comfort food. The recipe is from his mom, and she usually makes it in Ramadan for breaking the fast. I love the soup too, it's just so filling for me that I can't eat anything else for iftar!! 

Rice Soup (from Nahla Erakat)

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 zucchini cut in cubes (skin on or off, depending on your preference)

1 onion chopped small

1 large potato cut in cubes

1/4 cup of rice, washed (I prefer medium grain, like Carolina)

3 cups of water

1 chicken stock bouillon cube

1 tsp of salt, or to taste

pepper to taste

1 tsp of 7 spice powder (found in arabic stores)

1/2 tsp of turmeric powder

Directions:

1. Heat oil in 3 quart saucepan on medium and saute zucchini, onion, potato, and rice.

2. Add water, bouillon cube, salt, pepper, 7 spice and turmeric. Bring to boil on high heat.

3. Lower heat to medium, and cook covered for 20 minutes. Add more water if needed.

Chicken Corn Soup

Sameera shared her "cookbook" with me, which is a collection of recipes she uses often (I'm guessing - it could be for some totally other reason) and I've tried a couple of them and they've been great. I've always loved egg drop soup but I've never had a chicken version since I usually don't eat chicken in chinese restaurants. But this recipe was so easy and turned out really yummy. I added some chopped fresh green chilis to add to the punch, and used regular canned corn instead of creamed, but added some sour cream to make it creamy (as you can see I was just using what I had at home!).

4-5 chicken pieces ( I used 1 large breast halve, cut in large chunks)
water
1 can cream style corn
salt or agino moto
2-3 tbsp cornstarch
1 egg

To make:
1. Boil chicken in water, add salt to water.
2. After chicken has cooked, remove from water.
3. Strain water (now chicken broth) to remove all chicken pieces. Return to stove.
4. Add cream style corn to chicken broth.
5. Shred chicken and add to liquid mixture
6. Add agino moto or salt to taste
7. Mix some water (few tbsp) into cornstarch until it forms a thin paste
8. Add paste to soup until it forms a thick consistency
9. Beat egg in small bowl and add to soup, stirring immediately with a fork until spread throughout. Remove from heat.
10. Serve with soy sauce, hot sauce, and vinegar.

French Onion Soup

This is the recipe for the soup Sameera made for our French cook-a-thon. It was amazingly simple, and tasted really good with the bread and cheese topping. Mmmmmm. I didn't have any oven safe bowls, so we broiled the bread with cheese separately and then placed it on the soup before serving.

French Onion Soup

Serves 4


2 Tbs. butter OR margarine
4 med. white onions - sliced
3 cups beef or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
½ Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 dash dried thyme
½ loaf Sourdough or French bread
1/2 cup sliced provolone, mozzarella cheese, munster or Monterey jack
---

1. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat
2. Add onions and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Add beef broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and thyme to pot
4. Increase heat and bring to boil, then reduce heat
5. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes
6. Divide into 4 oven safe bowls
7. Cut the bread slices into the size of the bowl and toast
8. Top the soup bowl with bread, then cheese
9. Broil until cheese is melted, in the oven or toaster oven