Slow cooker split pea soup

Soupy Sunday has returned! Today’s recipe isn’t pretty. In fact, its ugly green color and gloppy texture is the main reason I wouldn’t touch my mom’s split pea soup growing up. After a 20-year hiatus, I tried Caprice Bistro’s wonderfully hammy version in 2010. I’m now a split pea soup convert.

Slow cooker split pea soup served with cheese quesadilla.

My recipe is adapted from Food Network Magazine’s version in the January/February 2011 issue.

Slow cooker split pea soup
Makes 4 servings
1/2 pound split peas
1 smoked turkey leg
2 carrots, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
4 1/2 cups water
Salt, pepper to taste
1 cup frozen peas

Put all ingredients except frozen peas in slow cooker. Turn on low and cook 6-8 hours. About halfway through cooking time, taste soup for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed.

After 6-8 hours, take out turkey leg and remove meat from bone. Shred meat and return it to soup. Discard the skin and bones. Stir soup to thicken.

This is another one of those soups that tastes better the next day. So if you have time to stash it in the fridge overnight, then rewarm before serving, go for it!

Ladle soup into bowls, then stir in about 1/4 cup frozen peas per serving.

Making the incredible edible

I hated eggs my whole life … until I learned to cook. Then I discovered that eggs don’t have to be slimy and tasteless. They can taste like whatever you cook them with. I now enjoy scrambled eggs, omelettes, quiches and frittatas. (Still can’t do hard-boiled, fried or poached.)

The frittata is my favorite because it’s easy and healthy. Plus, it’s a great vehicle for using leftover produce. The moral of the story is: If you think you don’t like eggs, try this recipe.

Eggs, bacon and veggies: A breakfast or lunch that'll keep you going.

Frittata for one
2 eggs
Splash of milk
Salt, pepper
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. butter
Approximately 1/4 cup of your favorite add-ins (I used 1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, 6 halved cherry tomatoes, 2 tbsp. chopped Poblano pepper, 1 clove minced garlic and 2 strips crumbled bacon)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Beat eggs with milk, salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil and butter in small, oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add veggies and saute until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add any other toppings (bacon, cheese) to skillet, then pour egg mixture over top. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until edges of eggs are set.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake until top of frittata is bubbly and center is set. Remove from oven and let rest 3-5 minutes. Use spatula to loosen edges of frittata, then turn out onto plate. Cut into slices and enjoy.

*Fun fact I learned at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry: Did you know that baby chicks still in the egg eat the yolk and white for nutrition before breaking free of their shell? If it’s good enough for a baby chick, it’s good enough for me!

Roasted risotto with bocconcini

I threw this recipe together with a couple of my favorite things (sausage, risotto) and couple of ingredients on hand (broccoli, garlic). It’s definitely a one-bowl meal.

Risotto with bocconcini and roasted sausage, tomatoes, broccoli and garlic.

Roasted risotto with bocconcini
1 head garlic
2 links sweet Italian sausage
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 stalk broccoli, chopped
Olive oil
Salt, pepper
1 cup arborio rice
3 cups beef broth
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
10-12 bocconcini mozzarella balls

Preheat oven to 375. Cut top off garlic head. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil. Remove casings from sausage links. Place garlic, sausage, tomatoes and broccoli on sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 40-50 minutes, flipping sausage links halfway through.

Meanwhile, make the risotto. Heat beef broth in pot over low heat. In skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. Pour in rice and toast until lightly browned. Add two ladles full of broth to rice and cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly. Repeat process of adding two ladles full of broth into rice and stirring, until all liquid is absorbed and rice is plump, al dente and creamy. (Directions on rice box say whole process should take about 20 minutes, but it usually takes me 30-40 minutes. Maybe I’m doing something wrong?)

Off the heat, finish risotto by stirring in Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Cut each sausage link into 9-10 rounds. Fold roasted sausage, tomatoes and broccoli into risotto. Remove garlic from foil and squeeze into risotto and stir. Serve risotto in bowls and top with 4-5 bocconcini.

Brioche & French toast

One thing good breads need is time. And I have a lot of that right now. This brioche, for example, needs to be started the day before and sit in the fridge overnight.

My freeform loaf could not confined to a bread pan.

The recipe comes from The Sono Baking Company Cookbook by John Barricelli. I’ve written about this little gem before — the author knows his stuff. I was surprised how delicate and uniform the inside of my loaf turned out.

Brioche
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm (105-110 degrees) milk
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2/3 cup bread flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 3/4 tsp. coarse salt
14 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

1. In a medium bowl, combine the yeast and the warm milk, and let proof for 5 minutes.

2. When the yeast has proofed, add the eggs and egg yolk and whisk to blend. Combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until the flour is absorbed and a stiff dough comes together, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once. With the mixer on low, add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until the butter has been absorbed. The dough will be very sticky.

3. To knead by machine, replace the paddle with the dough hook and beat on medium-low to medium speed until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic and completely cleans the sides of the bowl, 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour as needed. (Here he goes into how to knead it by hand, but I wasn’t even TRYING to get into that).

4. Turn the dough into a buttered bowl, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

5. Butter an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and let it soften for a few minutes. Pat or roll the dough to a rectangle (or oval) about 12 inches by 8 inches, with one of the long sides facing you. Fold in the sides so that they meet in the center and the dough is about 6 inches wide. Starting from the top, roll tightly into a log. Place the loaf seam side down in the prepared pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap or enclose in an oiled plastic bag, and let rise until increased in bulk by about 1 1/2 times and very soft, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

6. Set an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

7. Brush the top of the loaf with the egg wash. Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet and put it into the oven. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375 and bake, rotating the sheet about two-thirds of the way through the baking time, until the brioche is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom (use an oven mitt to carefully lift it up, and gently tap on the bottom with your knuckles), 30 to 35 minutes. Turn the loaf out immediately on its side onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Of course, my main reason for making brioche was for Alton Brown’s French toast recipe.

French toast with bacon and coffee.

Now that’s a Saturday breakfast!

Pork chops with savory applesauce

Pork chops used to be on the bottom of my pig list. When you have bacon, ham, slow-roasted pork butt … why settle for a dry, flavorless chop? Then I discovered the butcher counter pork chops. On the bone, inch-thick chops are where it’s at!

The combination of pork and apples is pretty standard. Here’s my take on it.

Here's where I really miss my herb garden. Needs a pop of green.

Pork chops with savory applesauce
2 half-pound, inch-thick pork chops
2 apples, sliced (I used Macintosh)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt, pepper
1/4 cup white wine (I used pinot grigio)
1 tbsp. half and half

Preheat oven to 400. Toss apples slices with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

While apples are roasting, heat skillet over medium-high heat. Rub both sides of pork chops with olive oil and a liberal amount of salt and pepper. Add another teaspoon of olive oil to skillet. Sear chops 6 minutes per side for deep brown crust. After searing, place chops in oven for another 6 minutes. Remove chops from oven and remove from skillet to rest.

Return skillet to burner on medium heat. Add 1/4 cup wine. Use wooden spoon to scrape up brown bits off bottom of skillet while wine comes up to a boil. Add roasted apples and garlic and let cook another 5 minutes. Mash apples with wooden spoon while they cook. Turn off heat and add cream. Top pork chops with savory applesauce and serve. (You could also serve the chop on top, so the applesauce catches all of its juices. Yum!)

I’m a brand now! (And carrot cake!)

Check out this awesome apron my mom gave me for Christmas.

Rosemary, one of my favorite herbs!

Speaking of my mom, she came up recently to see my new place in Chicago. It was her birthday, so I made her a carrot cake.

Subtle spice cake with creamy, super-sweet icing.

Here’s the recipe, adapted from allrecipes.com:

Carrot Cake
4 eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. sour cream
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. mace
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350. Rub two 9-inch round cake pans with butter. Line each pan with round of parchment paper, then rub parchment with butter. Dust pans with flour.
In large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sour cream, sugars and vanilla extract.
In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
In 3 additions, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Fold in grated carrots.
Pour batter into prepared cake pans. Bake 50 minutes to one hour, rotating pans halfway through.
Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans onto wire rack and cool completely before frosting. (Note: I wrapped my cooled cakes in plastic wrap and 2 layers of foil, then froze for 3 days before using.)

Cream Cheese Icing
1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter together. Add vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar in one-cup intervals. If icing is too runny, put in fridge for 10-20 minutes before frosting cake.

BALTs and Roasted Broccoli

It was a foodie Christmas for Nicooks! Those near and dear to me knew the best gifts were those I could use in the kitchen. This post was inspired by a Christmas gift.

Cook’s Illustrated

Almost No-Knead Bread from Jan.-Feb. 2008

I’ve just discovered the joys of Cook’s Illustrated, thanks to a gift from my Dad and his wife. They got me the bound editions of all 2008 and 2009 issues.

Last night’s dinner came from 2 recipes in the 2008 edition.

BALTs (Bacon, Avocado, Lettuce and Tomato) on homemade bread with roasted broccoli and potatoes

The loaf was the best “regular bread” I’ve ever made. It’s got a crunchy crust and chewy, moist middle.

Cook’s Illustrated’s Almost No-Knead Bread

Makes 1 large round loaf

3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting work surface

1/4 tsp. instant yeast

1 1/2 tsp. table salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. water (7 ounces), at room temperature

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. (3 ounces) mild-flavored lager

1 tbsp. white vinegar

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.

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.

* * * * *

I’ve been roasting broccoli for years, but I thought I’d give Cook’s recipe a try. On this account, at least, their careful research and experimentation didn’t make any difference — I like my version better.

Cook’s Illustrated’s Roasted Broccoli

1 large head broccoli (about 1 3/4 pounds)

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. table salt

1/2 tsp. sugar

Ground black pepper

Lemon wedges for serving

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place large rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Cut broccoli at juncture of florets and stems; remove outer peel from stalk. Cut stalk into 2- to 3-inch lengths and each length into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Cut crowns into 4 wedges if 3-4 inches in diameter or 6 wedges if 4-5 inches in diameter. Place broccoli in large bowl; drizzle with oil and toss well until evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt, sugar and pepper to taste and toss to combine.

2. Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven. Carefully transfer broccoli to baking sheet and spread into even layer, placing flat sides down. Return baking sheet to oven and roast until stalks are well browned and tender and florets are lightly browned, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer to serving dish and serve immediatly with lemon wedges.

My version of roasted broccoli

Preaheat oven to 400.

Cut head of broccoli lengthwise, into 4-6 pieces. Place on baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Scatter 2 cloves minced garlic over top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 15-20 minutes.