Tomato Soup with Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

April is National Grilled Cheese Month!  I have no idea who declares these silly food holidays, or why, but I will embrace any excuse to eat a grilled cheese sandwich.  This very special month-long holiday was revealed to me via Tastespotting, and it was later confirmed by another reputable source.  Such a momentous occasion inspired me to make a grilled cheese sandwich’s perfect companion: tomato soup.  I suppose there’s nothing wrong with a little old school canned tomato soup.  Amy’s Kitchen makes a lovely chunky tomato bisque.  However, it’s entirely feasible to whip up a whole pot of your own (significantly better) tomato soup for the same cost as a dinky can of Amy’s. 

You will find that the ingredients for this soup are similar to marinara sauce.  In truth, the final product sort of resembles marinara soup.  Personally, I don’t think that this is a bad thing.  It’s lovely as soup, and when you get sick of soup, you can add it to your favorite  pasta.  May I suggest sautéed zucchini and grape tomatoes with spaghetti?  Perhaps a soup that tastes like pasta sauce doesn’t appeal to you.  That’s fine; you’re can opener awaits.  I, however, thought it was delicious, and ate it with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.  Yes, I veered off my original grilled cheese course, but my sandwich could be considered a first cousin of grilled cheese:  crusty Italian bread, sharp provolone, Black Forest ham, and baby spinach.  In my defense, it was heavy on the cheese, and light on the ham.  I don’t think this combination should trigger too many complaints. 

Tomato Soup (adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe)

  

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

½ onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, with juice

½ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock

¼ to ½ cup half and half

·      In a medium sized saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Once hot, add the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender (at least 10 minutes). 

·      Add the can of tomatoes, dried thyme, and little more salt and pepper.  Increase heat so the mixture starts to boil gently, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, and breaking up some of the tomatoes.

·      Add the chicken stock, and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Taste for seasoning, and re-season if necessary.

·      Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it is smooth, but leave some chunks if desired.  Then add the half and half.  Heat the soup through and serve with grilled sandwich of choice. 

Al Fresco Dining

What’s the perfect ending to a perfect spring day?  The perfect dinner, outside, of course.  What’s the perfect outside dinner?  Parmesan chicken topped with a simple salad dressed in lemon vinaigrette.  There’s really no witty story or commentary behind this recipe.  Last Sunday, I just happened to spend a lovely homework-free day in good company.  I literally forgot I was in grad school for they day, and as I rode this wave of contented delirium, this recipe popped in my head.  I saw Ina Garten make it for Mel Brooks on Barefoot Contessa a while back.  If it is good enough for Mel Brooks, it is good enough to complete my perfect spring day. 

The gist:  pounded out chicken breasts, coated in Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs, and sautéed.  Then you top it with a simple salad, and eat perfect morsels of lemony greens with crispy chicken.  It doesn’t take too long to make, and it’s perfect for warm weather because you only need to have the stove on for about 10-15 minutes.  Eating this dinner outside definitely makes it taste better, and I do have a witness.

Parmesan Chicken (adapted from Ina Garten's recipe)

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (the crumbly kind you find at the grocery store)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Lots of freshly ground pepper

2 large eggs

Olive oil

For the salad:

Salad greens for two (I used about 2/3 of a bag of spring mix)

Juice of one lemon

1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

About ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Extra parm for garnish

·      First order of business:  make the chicken breasts thin (about ¼ inch thick) to make them more tender and quick cooking.

·      You can do this by pounding them out with the flat side of a meat mallet, the bottom of a skillet, or a rolling pin.  Put the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to contain the mess.

·      Or you can butterfly them first, and then pound them out (my preferred method), but if you’re not very comfortable with a knife go with the other method.  To butterfly, I place the palm of my hand on the chicken breast, and press down to stabilize it.  Then with my Santoku knife sideways, I slowly work it through the middle of the chicken.  The result is two thin pieces.  Then I pound.

·      Mix together panko, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a large shallow bowl.  Taste for seasoning.

·      In another large shallow bowl, beat the two eggs with a splash of water (about a couple of teaspoons).

·      First dip the chicken in the beaten egg, then the panko mixture.  Press the chicken into the panko for an even coating.  Proceed with the rest of the chicken.  [This can be done a couple of hours in advance.  Separate layers of chicken with wax paper and refrigerate.]

·      In a large skillet, preheat a shallow layer of olive oil (about 3 tablespoons) over medium-high heat.  When it’s good and hot, add the chicken in a single layer.  Cook in batches if necessary.  The chicken should sizzle.  Cook for about four minutes, and then flip.  Continue cooking until the chicken is firm to the touch and cooked through (nicely browned, too).  If you are cooking the chicken in batches, be sure to add more olive oil to the pan.

·      While the chicken cooks, make the dressing.  Whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon, salt, and pepper.  Then slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking.

·      When the chicken is reading, lightly dress the greens with the vinaigrette.  Mound salad on top of chicken breasts, and top with more Parmesan.

Albondigas Soup

I was working at the Palm Steakhouse, in Philadelphia, when I first ate albondigas soup.  When I was really unlucky, I had to write the specials on a chalkboard for everyone to see.  I have horrible handwriting, so my being delegated this task was not just a punishment for me, but for everyone else that had to look at it.  One day, the chef hands me a piece of paper with the specials on it.  I proceeded with my usual grumbling about the task at hand, until the soup of the day distracted me.  It was something magical called “Albondigas.”  As soon as I had finished scribbling on that blasted chalkboard, I bolted into the kitchen and ate a bowl.  Albondigas is a hearty soup Mexican soup.  It consists of a rich broth, flavored with cumin and cilantro, mingling with vegetables and tender little meatballs.

This soup is essentially a meal in bowl.  At the Palm, albondigas is garnished with fried tortilla strips.  In general, I think fried tortilla strips are over-rated.  But they have their place on albondigas.  I recently found a recipe for this soup in Bon Appétit.  I used this, combined with what I could remember from the Palm, to form my own conglomerate.  The resulting soup was comforting and hearty, but not too rich.  I skipped the tortilla strips because I am afraid to deep-fry in the tight quarters of my apartment.  This may be a little irrational, but it is what it is.  I’m sure crushed up tortilla chips would have been a fine substitute, but I don’t think anyone missed them.  I apologize for the lack of pictures.  I was cooking for actual people (instead of my own lone belly), and I apparently found it too challenging to chat, cook, and photograph simultaneously.  I’ll try to do better next time.

Albondigas Soup (loosely adapted from Bon Appetit)

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground chicken

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

1 large egg

1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

¼ onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater

1 garlic clove, grated (a microplane works best here)

About a tablespoon of tomato paste (or ketchup)

1-2 teaspoons cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon kosher salt

lots of freshly ground pepper

Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 poblano pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

8 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock

1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juices

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons chile powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)

½ cup white rice

1 zucchini, chopped

½ to 1 cup frozen corn

Garnish:

Cilantro

Shredded cheese

·      First make the meatballs.  In a small mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients for the meatballs, besides the chicken, and mix together with clean hands.  Then gently fold in the chicken with your hands until it is just mixed through.

·      Set up a sheet pan or large baking dish and line with waxed paper.  Then about a tablespoon and a half of the mixture into a meatball and set on the waxed paper.  It’s helpful to a have a bowl of water near by to dip your fingers in to prevent the meat from sticking.  The meatballs can be whatever size you like.  Mine were about an inch and half in diameter.

·      Cover the meatballs and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready for them.

·      In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Add chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, poblano, and minced garlic.  Season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 10 minutes. 

·      Then add the stock, tomatoes, cumin, chile powder, oregano, and hot pepper flakes.  Stir to combine.  Increase heat to high, and bring to a gentle boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. 

·      Add rice and meatballs to the soup.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure the broth is simmering at all times.

·      Add zucchini and corn, and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.

·      Serve soup and garnish with shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

I think I have a gift for finding fabulous recipes.  I suppose “gift” might not be the right word, since it implies an innate talent, without practice or effort.  Given the amount of time I spend sifting through recipes, I suppose I can’t exactly classify my recipe-finding talent as naturally occurring.  Regardless of this silly semantic argument, I knew I had found a crowd-pleaser when I came across a recipe entitled “buffalo chicken mac and cheese.”  If this doesn’t make your stomach grumble, you must be my oldest brother, who won’t eat cheese, or someone who shouldn’t be reading this comfort-food-laden blog. 

Honestly, this concept may just qualify as the Holy Grail of comfort food.  The idea is ingenious, and the preparation does not waste any of the abundant conceptual potential.  The recipe has quite a few steps, but it is entirely manageable, even for a novice cook, with a little motivation and organization. 

First, chicken breasts are marinated in pool of Frank’s Red Hot, then roasted, shredded, and mixed with even more Frank’s.  Second, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic are sautéed, which provide the dish with flavor and texture, and another philosophical nod to buffalo wings.  Third, a simple cheese sauce is made with a roux, milk, a few dried herbs, and buckets of cheese.  Then all of the previously mentioned components are mixed together with some elbow macaroni, piled into baking dishes, topped with extra cheese/bread crumbs, and baked.  I know; there are a lot of steps, but it’s worth it.  And note that I said this masterpiece is piled into baking dishes, as in more than one, because it makes an obscene amount of food.  I supposed you could cut the recipe in half, but you might regret it.  Or, you could prepare the whole recipe, which would make some hungry friends really happy, and you would still manage to have leftovers for some significantly above average lunches. 

Based on the reactions of two very tall boys, my cousin, and myself, I can say that this dish is indeed a crowd-pleaser. This mac surpassed expectations regarding the cheesiness factor, and general flavor.  In hindsight, I was hoping it would be a little saucier, and spicier.  The texture wasn’t exactly a bad thing; it was just different than my expectations.  For ultimate buffalo satisfaction, be sure to bring the Frank’s (or hot sauce of choice) to the table.     

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese (from Choosy Beggars)

1-1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

¼ cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce, plus 3 tablespoons, plus more for garnish

1 lb. elbow macaroni, or other small, cut pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper (Be easy with the salt.  Frank’s is very salty)

3 ribs celery, small diced

3 small carrots, small diced

½ onion, small diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 cups milk (I used 1% lowfat)

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1 pound cheddar, shredded (I used a combination of extra sharp and sharp)

½ pound Parmesan or Pecorino, shredded (it will make a huge difference if you buy a chunk, and shred it yourself)

¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1 cup panko bread crumbs

·      Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and marinate chicken in ¼ cup Frank’s hot sauce for at least an hour (or all day), flipping them occasionally.

·      In an oven preheated to 400 degrees, roast chicken breasts for about 25 minutes, or until cooked through.  Set aside to cool, then shred or chop meat, and toss with remaining 3 tablespoons of Frank’s.  Reduce the oven to 375 degrees.

·      Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil, on high heat.  When boiling, add macaroni, and cook a few minutes less than the instructions indicate.  Drain and rinse (yes, I said rinse the pasta, and no, you’ll probably never hear me say it again).  Set aside.

·      In the meantime, add the olive oil to a medium saucepan over medium to medium-high heat.  Add celery, carrot, onion, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until softened, but not mushy.  Set vegetables aside.

·      Add the butter to the same pan, and heat until foamy.  Stirring with a whisk, add the flour, and whisk until well incorporated.  Cook the flour and butter, whisking frequently, for about two minutes (this is a roux).  Then whisk in the Dijon mustard.

·      Add the milk, about ½ to ¾ cup at time, whisking constantly.  Proceed until all milk is incorporated, then add basil, oregano, hot pepper flakes, and black pepper. 

·      Cook the sauce over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, for 5-8 minutes, or until it thickens to the point of coating a spoon (see photo).  Add all of the cheese except 1 to 1¼ cups.  Stir to combine. 

·      In a large pot or bowl, combine pasta, chicken, vegetables, cheese sauce, and parsley.  Stir to combine and then distribute between two casserole dishes, coated with cooking spray (I used one 9x13 and one 8x8 casserole dish.  It may have fit in the 9x13, but I was scared).

·      Top with extra cheese, then panko breadcrumbs.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

The notion of “tuna noodle casserole” keeps finding its way to me.  First, it was a friend’s nostalgia about a roommate’s version of the recipe in college (Annie’s “Alfredo Style” mac and cheese, mixed with tuna, and topped with potato chips).  Then it was a feature recipe in March’s Bon Appétit (all gussied up with leeks, fresh dill, and béchamel sauce).  Additionally, I’ve been eating more tuna salad lately because I’m bored to death with my standby lunch of turkey sandwiches.  I know: tuna lacks glamour, and it tends to conjure up images of elderly couples splitting sandwiches on pumpernickel, but it has potential with the right preparation.  Ironically, there were many years when I wouldn’t even eat tuna, and I am still hesitant to eat tuna salad prepared by anyone other than myself and a few relatives.  However, between my turkey sandwich rut and my tight financial situation, tuna’s stock is currently up.

Last weekend, during one of my maze-like Internet binges of all things food-related, I found the perfect recipe for tuna noodle casserole.  I believe Tastespotting led me to it, but I can’t be certain.  The recipe’s creator is the blogger/author of “The Comfort is Always Here,” and I am currently quite grateful to this nameless, faceless, culinarily-gifted stranger.  The recipe includes the necessary components to earn the title of  “tuna noodle casserole”: canned tuna, egg noodles, and canned cream of mushroom soup.  The original recipe also includes some lump crabmeat, which puzzled me.  If I had the money for lump crabmeat, I’m pretty sure I would find a recipe to let that gorgeous crabmeat take center stage.  If I’m not mistaken, the whole point of tuna noodle casserole is to mask the potential funk of canned fish.  Lush lump crab requires no such masking.  Needless to say, I omitted the crab.  Anyway, I relished the fact that the resulting product would be an authentic tuna noodle casserole; however, due to some quality ingredients and flavors, it would be augmented to an undeniably delicious meal with humble (i.e. inexpensive) origins. 

How was this feat accomplished?  I added a little lemon zest to the tuna; I sautéed lovely little mushrooms, onions, celery, and garlic for flavor and texture; I topped the whole the thing off with extra-sharp cheddar (flavor!) and panko breadcrumbs (crunch!).  Everything brought a little something extra to the party, but I must say the celery and the panko were the big winners.  I am developing a new appreciation for celery.  It really adds a lot to the background of a dish, but it is so modest and unassuming, that it doesn’t call attention to itself.  Rather, it lets the whole dish shine.  It is truly a vegetable of integrity.  And the panko breadcrumbs add such a divine crunch.  Need I say more?  The crunch loses some of its tenacity with re-heating, but it will make you weak in the knees when this lovely casserole is fresh from the oven.

This dish is comprised of solid, non-controversial flavors, but another selling point is:  it is not a greasy mess.  It is a rich and satisfying comfort food, but even when you reheat it on high in the microwave, the sauce doesn’t separate or congeal.  Tuna noodle casserole: make it and enjoy.

 

Tuna Noodle Casserole (adapted from “The Comfort is Always Here”)

2-5 oz. cans solid white Albacore tuna, drained well and broken up with a fork

Zest from half a lemon

1-12 oz. package wide egg noodles

1 can Campbell’s Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup

2 cups milk (I used 1% lowfat milk)

8 oz. white button mushrooms, quartered

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil divided

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 onion, small diced

4 stalks celery, small diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)

¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Loads of freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt, garlic salt, and/or Lawry’s seasoning salt, to taste

1 ½ cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs

·      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; put on a large pot of water to boil for the noodles; spray a 9x13 inch-baking dish with non-stick spray, or use butter.

·      Mix drained, flaked tuna with lemon zest and season liberally with black pepper.  Set aside.

·      Whisk together the canned soup and two cups of milk.  Set aside.

·      Once water is boiling, add egg noodles.  Drain them when they are still a little underdone, and rinse with cold water.

·      Preheat one teaspoon of olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Once hot, add the quartered mushrooms.  Allow liquid to cook off so mushrooms can brown.  Remove from pan and season with soy sauce.  Set aside.

·      In the same pan, add the tablespoon of olive oil.  Add celery, onion, and garlic.  Season with salt and lots of pepper.  Sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

·      In a large bowl or pot, mix together noodles*, tuna, soup mixture, mushrooms, sautéed vegetables, peas, and parsley.  Season as desired (I added more pepper and a dash of garlic salt and Lawry’s seasoning).

·      Transfer to the prepared baking dish.  Top with cheese and breadcrumbs.  Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 

*Note:  I didn’t quite use all of the noodles.  I maybe held back a cup or so.  Use your discretion.