The Entree Soup, money saving and nutritious

This soup has been a staple for dinner in our house for sometime. It is so quick and easy to make, so nutritious and very satisfying to eat. The varied textures and tantalizing flavors make it so. It is a take-off from an Asian style soup basically, and we love it. I vary the vegetables a bit depending on whats on hand and you can too! Make sure the vegetables do not overcook.

Ingredients

4 oz. beef sliced  very thin, either flank steak or tenderloin

3-4 TBS. Soy sauce
1Tbs. toasted sesame oil
2 carrots, sliced thin on the bias
3-4 inch piece of dikon Radish sliced thin on the bias
2 oz fresh Shitaki mushrooms
4 cups water
1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and grated or minced

3 cloves of garlic grated or minced

2 broccoli stems, sliced thin and florets (2 cups total)
2 scallion
1 cup baby spinach leaves

In a small bowl combine the beef with 2 TBS. of the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Then prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Place the marinated meat, the carrots, the dikon, and the mushrooms in a soup pot or Dutch oven.

 Add the water and remaining soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Over high heat bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes until meat is cooked through. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 1 minute. Vegetables should be emerald green, crisp and hot. Serve immediately.

Recipe, writing and photos by Karen Pickus 2011

Courtesy Karen Pickus 2011

New England Boiled Dinner

This hits the spot even in summer, on a cool day in New England. It's hard to believe we might get a respite given the heat spell throughout the country this week. So when the heat subsides this might be a welcome change to salads and seafood. The rich beefy broth and tender meat enriched with carrots and potatoes are a robust meal all year round.

1 Lb. brisket
2 shallots sliced thin
2 yellow onions cut into rings
4 cloves garlic sliced thin
4 ribs of celery cut in thirds
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cups good quality beef broth

6 carrots sliced in half then cut in half lengthwise
6 small red potatoes quartered

1 cup broccoli florets

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a 3 quart pot, season the brisket with salt and pepper add the shallots, onions, garlic and celery, the bay leaf and thyme. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.

 When the brisket comes to a boil add the carrot and potatoes. Cover the pot and place it into the preheated oven. Cook for 1-1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender. Add the broccoli, stir and serve. Serves 3-4.

Recipe, writing and photos by Karen Pickus 2011
Courtesy Karen Pickus 2011

Marinated Flank Steak, Grilled for a crowd

I love marinated flank steak especially this way. It is a relatively lean cut of meat with no waste as long as the meat is well trimmed to start with, delicious , and quick cooking. It is also an efficient use of ingredients... the marinade becomes a nice splash of sauce. This recipe works well for 1-3 Flanks. Each steak ranges in weight from 12-14 ounces to the larger ones that can be between 1-1/14 Lb. to 1 Lb. 6 oz.
When using tamari ( a strong brewed soy sauce, found in most health food sections) the marinade is strong  enough to deal with the discrepancy of steak sizes.

 

Ingredients

1  fresh jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and rough chopped
5 cloves of garlic peeled
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce
4 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1 lime juiced

1-3 approximately 1 1/4 Lb. flank steaks well trimmed.

Method

In a food processor blend together all of the ingredients (except the steak), as smooth as possible. Pour the marinade into a large resealable bag, add the steak(s). Move the meat around so that it is coated with the marinade. Place the sealed bag with the meat into a large pan in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to grill. Place  the grill on high or make a fire with coals. When the coals are burned through and a bright orange flame color, remove the meat from the marinade. Place the meat on the hot grill and cook for 4-6 minutes on each side to desired doness. Pour the marinade into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Strain and keep warm. Cook the meat to 125-130 degrees on an instant read thermometer for medium rare. Let the meat rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board. Slice the meat thinly against the grain. Serve immediately and splash with a bit of the sauce.

Recipes, photos and writing by Karen Pickus 2011
Courtesy Karen Pickus 2011

My Roast Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

This has got to be my all time favorite comfort food. Roast Chicken with roasted potatoes and vegetables. This meal says love me, love my friends, love my family... well heck, love everybody! You cook the chicken in a very hot oven on a raft of vegetables and potatoes, flecked with dried thyme and lots of salt and pepper and voila -- you have a feast of simple comfort and joy It is nutritious and downright excellent. Everyone needs a roast chicken like this in their repertoire.
Hope you like it!

Ingredients

1 Yam cut into chunks
12 small Yukon Gold potatoes or new potatoes, cut in half
2 carrots, left whole or cut into thirds

1 3 1/2 lb. Whole Organic Chicken
1 Tbs. Olive oil
1 Tbs. dried thyme leaves
2 tsp. fleur de sel or Kosher salt
1 tsp. finely ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In an ovenproof dish place all of the vegetables.
Then rub the chicken with the olive oil and season all over with the salt, pepper and dried thyme. Place on top of the vegetables and place in the hot oven.
Roast for 45-55 minutes. Take it out of the oven.
Carefully turn over the chicken and gently move around the vegetables.
Place the chicken and vegetables back into the oven and roast for another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. This will make the skin nice and crispy all over.
When the chicken is crispy and cooked through, take out of the oven and place the chicken on an attractive serving platter with the vegetables.

Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Recipe, photos and drawing by Karen Pickus
Recipe, photos and drawing courtesy Karen Pickus 2010

Rice and Beans and the Mother of the Chicken

I had an amazing experience when I did my externship from the Culinary Institute of America. I worked at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida under a Swiss gentleman named Manfred Hacker. He was the Executive Chef of the hotel kitchen. He was a very discerning boss and luckily was impressed by my work ethic and made it possible for me to work all of the different stations in the kitchen. There I worked with a Saucier named Tato. He was a passionate cook and made fantastic mashed yucca, rice and beans and roasted chicken. He used to say "we've got to have rice and beans and the mother of the chicken". This is not only a staple in Spanish homes in North and South America, it is so good for you and a very satisfying feast. Here is my version of rice and beans. I have made the beans, which are pinto, but you can use this method for black, kidney or chili beans. I made my yellow rice with long grain brown rice and added saffron and turmeric. I will blog my roast chicken, called " Galina" at a later date. Hope you enjoy this tasty combo and make this a staple in your home as well! Add a tossed salad to round out the meal. Wishing you excellent health and happiness!

Ingredients for the rice

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, medium dice
3 cloves minced garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. saffron
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup long grain brown rice
4 cups chicken broth

Method

In a 2 quart pot saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat,until the vegetables are tender, but not browned. About 5-7 minutes.
Add the herbs, seasoning and rice and stir to coat. Cook stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Add the broth and stir, raise heat to high. Bring to a boil, cover,


then lower the heat to simmer gently for 45 minutes, until the rice is cooked through and all of the liquid is absorbed. Check the rice while it is cooking and if it is dry before cooked through add a bit of water.

Serves 4

For the beans




Ingredients

2 Cups Pinto Beans or black, kidney or chili beans
Water to cover for soaking
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup diced bacon(optional)
5 carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
6 whole peeled garlic cloves
1 onion medium dice
2 tsp. sea salt
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs thyme
2 tsp. cumin (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Water to cover for cooking

Method

In a heavy gauge pot, cover the beans with water and soak overnight.
In a colander, rinse the beans thoroughly. If you are using the bacon render it in a large enameled cast iron pot with the olive oil until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients except the beans and water and cook stirring often until the vegetables are softened. Then add the beans and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook the beans for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Skim the beans every 1/2 hour and then stir. Add more water if necessary. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. This is my favorite method to cook the beans. Make sure the pot is ovenproof, an enamel covered cast iron pot with a lid works well. Combine all of the remaining ingredients in the pot. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and place into the preheated oven. Stir occasionally and simmer in the oven until beans are fully cooked and tender. Serve with the rice.




Recipes and Photos by Karen Pickus
Courtesy Karen Pickus 2010