Posts filed under 'Feeding a Crowd'
This post could also be entitled "True Confessions of a Recipe Tester." Here’s the story: Marion is a very skilled soup maker who lives in NY State; she is also a Hannaford customer and two of her recipes were featured in the January/February issue of Hannaford fresh. Her recipes came through my kitchen last summer for basic testing.
As I read through the recipes, a few culinary red flags went off. What – no olive oil? no saute? Seasoning salt is the only seasoning? No broth, only water? Hmmm…What will I do with all the leftover soup?
Well, I tip my chef’s hat to Marion. This recipe, chock full of veggies, bright with tomatoes and studded with toothsome barley, has been made three times this winter. We have enjoyed this soup in the straight vegetarian version and with pulled rotisserie chicken meat. Slices of pre-cooked chicken sausage also worked great
Everyone who has tasted this soup agrees with my evaluation. This recipe is a winner, seasoning salt and all. Marco is especially fond of this soup. As he accents his bowl with way too much grated Parmesan, he likes to exclaim "See I do eat vegetables!" I like to portion it out for quick lunches from the freezer. I might add that this soup is very budget-friendly. Skip the take-out soup and brown bag it!
Scroll all the way to the end of this post for a slow cooker preparation.
Marian’s Vegetable Barley Soup
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 tomato cans of water (about 7 cups)
1 tsp. seasoning salt, more to taste
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 small onions, peeled and finely chopped
6 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 large carrots, peeled, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2/3 cup barley (rinsed and picked over for stones)
1 (16-oz.) pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
12-oz cooked chicken, cooked ground beef or fully cooked chicken sausage (optional)
good quality extra-virgin olive oil (optional for drizzling on finished soup)
In a large stockpot, combine tomatoes, water, seasoning salt, onions, celery, carrots, and barley. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir well and reduce heat to low. Simmer covered, for about 1 hour. Vegetables should be tender.
Add frozen mixed vegetables, increase heat to medium, and simmer until frozen vegetables are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
The soup is ready to be served at this point. If desired, add the cooked meat or poultry. This soup is thick. Thin with a little water if desired. Serve hot. For extra flavor, drizzle a very small amount of fragrant olive oil over the soup.
Adapted with Courtesy of Fresh Magazine November/December 2009
Cook’s Note: This recipe could easily be adapted for your slow cooker. Layer the carrots, onions and celery into the slow cooker. Sprinkle the barley and seasoning salt over the veggies. Add the tomatoes and 6 cups of water. Do not stir. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours. Thaw the frozen veggies on a plate on the counter while the soup cooks. To finish the soup, stir in the thawed vegetables and meat if using. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until veggies are tender and meat is warmed through. Add additional water if needed to thin out the soup. Adjust seasonings.
February 10th, 2010
Slow cookers and game day should go hand in hand. This pulled pork recipe is one of our favorites, not only for the Superbowl, but also for weekend suppers and summer parties.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches from Hannaford fresh Magazine January/February 2008
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup beer
2 (12-oz) bottles of your favorite grilling sauce
(I LOVE Hannaford’s Inspirations Red Apple Grilling Sauce)
1/4 cup of your favorite barbecue rub
2 to 2 1/2 lbs. boneless pork loins
12 ea Hamburger buns
1 (16-oz) bread and butter pickles
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Coleslaw
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
6 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/8 tsp Kosher salt
1 (8-oz) pkg. pre-shredded coleslaw mix
1. Put onion, beer, and 1/2 cup of the grilling sauce in a slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Put spice rub in a medium mixing bowl. Coat pork loins, one at a time, with spice rub, and add each one to slow cooker. Pork loins can be placed side by side or on top of each other. Cook on low temperature setting for 8 hours.
2. Make coleslaw. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise, black pepper, and salt. Add coleslaw mix and toss to coat with dressing. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
3. When pork is done cooking, carefully transfer to a large bowl. Pour cooking juices through a strainer and reserve. Pour 2 cups of strained cooking juices and remaining grilling sauce (should be about 2 1/2 cups) back into slow cooker and stir well.
4. Using two forks, shred pork. Return shredded pork to slow cooker and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce. Keep pork covered and on low temperature setting until serving time. To serve, lay out hamburger buns, coleslaw, pickles, and sliced onion. Set a pair of tongs near the pork for easy sandwich making.
Do-Ahead Tip: Make coleslaw in the morning when you put the pork loins into the slow cooker. If you get everything going in the morning, the BBQ pork will be done by game time.
Source: Courtesy of Hannaford Fresh Magazine, Jan/Feb 2008
Just one more thing…
While we are on the subject of game day, don’t forget the dip! If you are looking for some fab "chips and dip" recipes to round out the buffet, click here for a Bon Appetit’s Top 10, inlcuding Smoky Black Bean Dip and Pimento Cheese Dip. Break out the Ruffles baby! And perhaps some vegetables for good measure.
January 30th, 2010
Before Christmas Barr offered up her Potted Shrimp recipe. I brought some along to a holiday party and it garnered rave reviews, the "Can I have that recipe?" kind of rave reviews.
When I was making the shrimp, I thought replacing the shrimp with wild mushrooms would result in a seriously delish vegetarian starter. We added these sherried shrooms to our Christmas buffet and along with my French Onion Soup, I was happy, happy happy. The name change is simply because "Potted Mushrooms" sounded like something that should be growing in a garden, instead of being served on crackers.
Sherried Mushroom Spread
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup finely diced shallots
1 bay leaf
6 Tbsp. butter at room temperature
1 lb. sliced cremini mushrooms
3 Tbsp. dry sherry
4 ounces whipped cream cheese ( about 1/2 a cup)
2 Tbsp. minced chives
(you can substitute scallions but use just the green parts thinly sliced)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Heat 2 Tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bay leaf and the mushrooms, season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms have given off all of their water and have begun to brown, about 15 minutes. Add the sherry and boil until the liquid is almost evaporated. Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool. Discard the bay leaf.
Whip the remaining butter and cream cheese together. Add the mushrooms, herbs and lemon juice and mix until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve at room temperature with crostini or thin, crispy crackers.
January 14th, 2010
One of my favorite Middle Eastern spice mixtures in baharat, a wonderfully aromatic blend of 9 spices that includes cassia (cinnamon), paprika, black pepper, cumin, allspice, cardamom, clove, corinader and nutmeg. It lends itself to just about anything from potatoes to pork. I especially love it on pork tenderloin.
It’s easy enough to make if you have a spice grinder and all the spices in your pantry. Otherwise, my friends at the Savory Spice Shop have a unique blend that features ginger as well. Over the holidays flavorista Tracey and I made this and served it with her favorite Israeli Couscous. Some leftover roasted broccoli bits were mixed into the couscous. I served it this summer for Sue’s Nifty Party. This pork is outstanding served hot or cold!
Citrus and Baharat Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Marinade
2 Tbsp. orange zest
2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp. lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup baharat spice blend
2 pork tenderloins
Place all the ingredients, except the baharat, into a large mixing bowl. On the stove in a dry skillet, heat the baharat until it starts to release its aroma. While whisking the juices, add the spice mixture. Place the pork tenderloins in to large zip lock bags or a non-reactive mixing bowl and pour the marinade over the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Make sure that all the pork is submerged into the mixture. Ziploc bags work great for marinating for this very reason.
An hour or so before you want to cook the pork, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. You can either grill or roast the pork, either way it is delicious. Cook until it is medium rare. Meanwhile reduce the marinade over medium/low heat until it has been reduced by half to make a zesty sauce. You can skip this step but it’s nice to have the added flavors.
Remove the pork from the grill, place it onto a platter and cover for about 10 minutes. This is very important as you want all those juices. Heat a large serving platter and place your couscous onto it. I like to place my carving board into a baking sheet so that I can really capture the juices, this also more santitary as they won’t run all over your counter. Slice the pork and place it on top of the couscous. Pour the juices on top and serve!
January 8th, 2010
Are you one of those folks who loves to order French Onion Soup at restaurants? There is just something special about French Onion Soup and its traditional cheesy crouton crust. Making this classic soup in your slow cooker is so easy you won’t believe it.
Three pounds of onions caramelize in the slow cooker and then broth is added to complete the dish. E-A-S-Y and very, very tasty. Then the soup is ladled into bowls or crocks with crusty baguette topped with Parmesan and gruyere and baked – DELISH!
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup adapted from Lora Brody’s Slow Cooker Cooking
Serves 6 – 8
Caramelizing the onions can be done ahead of time (through step 1) and them the soup can just be pulled together quickly for service. These amazing onions can be used for all sorts of other things too: Pizza, Risotto, Isreali Couscous, Savory Bread Pudding.
4 Tbsp. butter
3 lbs. onions (shallots, sweet, purple – whatever you have at home)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 tesapoon ground black pepper
6 cups broth (vegetable, chicken or beef)
1/4 kosher salt, more to taste
16 thin baguette slices, toasted
1/2 cup grates Parmesan
1 cup grated gruyere
1. Add butter to the slow cooker and melt on high. Cut the onions into thin 2-inch strips. Once butter is melted, reduce heat to low. Add onions, thyme and black pepper stir well to coat the onions with the butter and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 12 – 14 hours, stirrring once. Onions should be golden brown and caramelized (see below).
2. Increase heat to high. Add broth and salt. Cover and cook to heat through, about 2 hours. Adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
3. Preheat oven to 450°F. Transfer hot soup to oven-safe bowls and top each bowl with two toasted baguette slices and 1 Tbsp. Parmesan and 2 Tbsp. gruyere. Place bowls onto a baking sheet and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Remind your guests that the bowls are extremely hot!
Flavorista made it into the finals for a Homie Award over at Apartment Therapy. When you have a free moment, please cast one more vote for us. Click here to vote.
While you are in the voting spirit, please cast a vote for our friends over at Remodelista, a finalist in the Home Design category. Thanks!
January 3rd, 2010
Starting to think about Thanksgiving and ready to cross something off of the list? Make some homemade cranberry sauce!
There is simply no reason to use canned cranberry sauce. Fresh cranberries abound this time of year and homemade cranberry sauce is so silly easy and my goodness, it tastes so much better than the canned variety.
Classic Cranberry Sauce
Yields about 2 cups
1 (12-oz) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
pinch of salt
Add all of the ingredients to a large saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes until the berries start to pop.
Transfer sauce to jars and allow to cool to room temperature. The sauce thickens up as it cools. Refrigerate for up to two weeks. Cranberries sauce can also be frozen for up to 6 months.
Add In’s: I am a purist about my cranberry sauce but you can certainly jazz it up if you like. Orange, lemon or lime peel give the sauce a lovely citrus note. Some grated nutmeg, cinnamon or a pinch of ground white pepper turn it into a spiced cranberry sauce. Heck, you can even throw in some toasted pecans or walnuts and then you’ve got yourself a conserve.
Here is a recipe for Barr’s Fresh Cranberry Relish, not a make-ahead condiment, but certainly a fab idea for the Thaksgiving table.
November 13th, 2009
Entertaining sometime soon? Pork shoulder is a cinch with a pressure cooker.
Most of the prep and cooking should be done the night before but even early morning on the day of your party will make it easier for you to enjoy your guests. Another advantage to cooking it the day before is that you can refrigerate the sauce and pork which will solidify the fat. This makes it very easy to skim the fat before reheating it for the party.
Being very meaty in flavor, pork shoulder is great paired with some fruit. I served this with grano and green bean almondine. It was perfect for a cold fall night. If you are curious and want to learn more, accomplished cookbook author Victoria Wise wrote a very handy book entitled The Pressure Cooker Gourmet.
Citrus Pork Shoulder Under Pressure
Serves 6
2 lbs bone in pork shoulder
1 Tbsp. cumin, toasted and ground
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
1 large onion, diced
1 cup chicken or beef stock
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice with zest from one orange
Juice of 1 lime
2 bay leaves
1 cup grapes
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes or 1 (16-ounce) can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp.-1 Tbsp. Spanish paprika, spicy works well too
sea salt, to taste
Begin by braising the pork shoulder. Pour the oil into the bottom of the heated pressure cooker. Season the pork shoulder liberally with salt and pepper. It works best to start with a pork shoulder at room temperature. Sear the shoulder in the oil and brown on all sides. Remove from pan.
Add the onions to the pan and saute until soft. If the pan is dry add the stock to moisten. Now add the spices, bay leaf and the orange & lime juices. Snuggle the pork shoulder down into the onions. Add the fruits and garlic. Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and bring up to pressure.
Once you start hearing the steady hiss, lower the heat to medium and cook for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pan to release it’s one pressure for about 30 minutes. Now you can release the remaining pressure. Take off the lid and let cool completely.
To reheat for dinner remove the meat from the sauce. Using an immersion blender or your food processor or blender, puree the pan juices. Slice up the meat into portion sizes and place on to a nice oven proof casserole. Pour a bit of stock or water into the pan and heat in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Heat your sauce and adjust the seasonings. Enjoy!
November 3rd, 2009
I am in denial. Conde Nast has broken up with me and I am sick about it. I know Gourmet is just a magazine, but I feel kicked in the gut.
Each month, Gourmet arrives in my mailbox and within 24 hours, I have thumbed through the entire issue. The photography teasing my taste buds and encouraging my tendency towards wanderlust. Gourmet is my monthy escape into luxury, indulgence and deliciousness. Ruth Reichl’s letter from the editor primes me for the pages to come.
Red Wine Caramel Apples from this month’s cover.
The cocktail section brings drinks, new and old, to my table; Anyone care for a well-shaken Brandy Alexander? All of the history (last year’s Christmas cookie issue was unreal) and an amazing website (where you can find the recipes they can’t fit onto the printed page dating back to 1941) will be gone.
Hold on, I am running for tissues.
The following recipe appeared in last year’s Thanksgiving issue. I was able to make it twice before sugar pumpkins became unavailable. At least ten people have asked me for the recipe and at least that many people have asked me if I will be making "that stuffed pumpkin thing" again? My answer: "Yes. Yes. Oh my God. Yes!"
Yup, this unassuming pumpkin stuffed with bread, cheese and cream is that good.
Roast Pumpkin with Cheese “Fondue” from Gourmet Magazine, November 2008
Serves 6 (main course) or 10 (side dish)
As the pumpkin roasts, its skin becomes gorgeously burnished, while inside, slices of baguette, Gruyère, and Emmental coalesce into a rich, velvety concoction that is utterly fabulous served with a scoop of tender pumpkin flesh.
1 (15-inch) piece of baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices (7 oz total)
1 (7-lb) orange pumpkin
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère (6 oz)
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated Emmental (6 oz)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lower third. Toast baguette slices in 1 layer on a baking sheet in oven until tops are crisp (bread will still be pale), about 7 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
2. Remove top of pumpkin by cutting a circle (3 inches in diameter) around stem with a small sharp knife. Scrape out seeds and any loose fibers from inside pumpkin with a spoon (including top of pumpkin; reserve seeds for another use if desired). Season inside of pumpkin with 1/2 tsp salt.
3. Whisk together cream, broth, nutmeg, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in a bowl. Mix together cheeses in another bowl. Put a layer of toasted bread in bottom of pumpkin, then cover with about 1 cup cheese and about 1/2 cup cream mixture. Continue layering bread, cheese, and cream mixture until pumpkin is filled to about 1/2 inch from top, using all of cream mixture. (You may have some bread and cheese left over.)
4. Cover pumpkin with top and put in an oiled small roasting pan. Brush outside of pumpkin all over with olive oil. Bake until pumpkin is tender and filling is puffed, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
Cooks’ note: Pumpkin can be filled 2 hours before baking and chilled.
For the original recipe, click here.
To you Gourmet, I raise my glass "cin cin." Your writing, recipes, insights and photgraphy will be sorely missed in my home.
Check out A Mingling of Tastes for more tributes to Gourmet.
October 15th, 2009
My friend Sue recently had a birthday, we’ll just say she’s nifty and it doesn’t seem possible that her age ryhmes with nifty. Her girlfriends planned a great party- an al fresco dinner on a Boulder creek beach; then cake and champagne on a party bus a top Flagstaff Mountain.
My contribution was a fresh orange juice and bahrat marinated tenderloin of pork and a large couscous with loads of roasted vegetables. I love Middle Eastern couscous (aka Israeli or Jordanian couscous).
The difference in this couscous, which is also known as maftoul is that it is made from bulgur and flour and it is larger in size, compared to Moroccan couscous. For the party, I cooked it the way they do in Jordan and it was fantastic!
Jordanian Couscous
2 cups Middle Eastern couscous
1/4 cup and then another cup Spanish style olive oil or your favorite fruity oil
3 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth or just water, heated
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 bag frozen baby peas
1 large globe eggplant, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large summer squash, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large zucchini dicced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 pints assorted colored cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large shallow pan heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the couscous and shake pan and cook it until the couscous starts turning golden brown.
Add the hot stock or water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes then remove from heat, add the frozen peas and garbanzos and cover for 5 minutes. While the couscous is cooking, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Salt and pepper the eggplant and the add some oil and coat is well. Place a piece of parchment on a baking sheet and spread the eggplant out in an even layer. Place in the oven and cook until the eggplant is golgen brown and soft to touch. Remove from oven and repeat with the summer squash and zucchini, roasting each individually. Once the couscous is cooked, place into a large platter and season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Now add all the roasted vegetables. Toss them all well. Adjust seasonings and then add the cherry tomatoes.
I served the grilled pork loin thinly sliced on top of the couscous so the juices of the meat mixed in with the couscous.
September 28th, 2009
In Japan, a momo is a little peach. My husband, Mo, is a big peach, sweet and mellow and, well yes, he has a big, loving, juicy personality!
Here in Colorado we have an amazing peach season which usually goes right into October. Some of the best peaches are from the western slope of the Rockies. For Mo’s birthday, he got Colorado Peach Cobbler.
Momo’s Peach Cobbler
For the fruit
6 cups sliced peaches
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
For the cobbler topping
3 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick of butter cut into small pieces
1 cup heavy ceam
2/3 cup buttermilk
Procedure
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice the fruit and place into a large bowl. Sprinkle the flour and cornstarch over the fruit. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Mix to distribute evenly. Place peach mixture into your baking dish (or dishes).
In a bowl of a food processor, add the dry ingredients and pulse. Add the butter pieces and pulse 3 times. Then with the machine running, add the heavy cream and buttermilk. The dough should come together into one big ball. Flatten the dough into small squares and place on top of the fruit.
Don’t worry that it seems flat or doesn’t cover the fruit entirely, this dough rises and spreads well. Bake for 25 minutes. The fruit will be bubbling and the cobbler dough cooked through. Let the cobbler rest for a few minutes before serving.
September 13th, 2009
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