Cream of Tomato Soup

"The New Best Recipe" cookbook is the bomb. I had a couple of cans of san marzano tomatoes sitting in the pantry and this was the best use of them I can think of. I served mine with a grilled bacon and swiss cheese sandwich.

Ingredients:

2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained, 3 cups of liquid reserved
1 1/2 T dark brown sugar
4 T unsalted butter
4 large shallots, minced
1 T tomato paste
pinch of allspice
2 T all purpose flour
1 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
2 T brandy or dry sherry (I've also used vermouth)
salt, pepper, and cayenne

Instructions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper middle position and heat the oven to 450. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Seed the tomatoes and spread in a single layer (don't forget to reserve the juices and the solids in the strainer). Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until all the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes begin to color, about 30 minutes. Let the tomatoes cool slightly and peel them off the foil.

2. Heat the butter in a large saucepan and heat until foaming. Add the shallots, tomato paste, and allspice. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, 7-10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly until thouroghly combined. Whisking constantly, gradually add the chicken broth; stir in the reserved tomato juice and the roasted tomatoes. Cover, incras the heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to blend the flavors, about 10 minutes.

3. Strain the mixture into a medium bowl, rinse the saucepan. Transfer the tomatoes and solids in the strainer to a blender, add 1 cup of the strined liquid and puree until smooth. Combine the pureed mixture and remaining straind liquid in the saucepan. Add the cream and warm over low heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the brandy and season with salt and cayenne to taste. The soup can be refridgerated for 2-3 days.

Mac and Shrooms

First of all Simpkins, thanks for the foodnetwork magazine. Beth loves mac and cheese and this recipe came from the May issue. We substitued the milk for skim milk, tellagio for smoked gouda (trader joes), panko for bread crumbs, and used dried mushrooms as opposed to fresh. It was scrumdillyumptious.

Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 pound mezzi rigatoni
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound wild mushrooms, such as oyster or shiitake, stemmed and sliced
4 ounces cremini mushrooms,
quartered
8 ounces taleggio or brie cheese, rind removed, cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)
5 ounces pecorino cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup cooking water.

Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon to make a paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste puffs slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking. Reduce the heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is creamy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the mushrooms and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Season with salt. Push to the side of the pan and repeat with the remaining mushrooms.

4. Reduce the heat under the sauce to low and whisk in both cheeses until smooth. Stir in the mushrooms and pasta and toss, adding the reserved cooking water as needed.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until golden; stir in the parsley. Divide the pasta among 8 small bowls. Garnish with the breadcrumb mixture.

Huevos Rancheros

Inspired by a recent blog post on seriouseats.com, I bought some Maseca (corn flour) and made homemade corn tortillas. By some I mean 24. With all these leftover tortillas sitting around I reminisced of my trip to Mesa Grill in New York and the wonderful Huevos Rancheros I enjoyed there. Here is my feeble attempt to re-create that.






Makes 1 serving
Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 t cayenne pepper
2 homemade corn tortillas (see maseca package for recipe)
1 can jalapeno refried black beans, warmed in microwave (trader joes brand is pretty good)
1/2 cup of shredded cheese
2 T sour cream
3 T fresh salsa
1 T fresh chopped cilantro
half of an avacado
cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400. Spray tortillas with cooking spray and bake until crisp, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile cook eggs over easy and sprinkle with cayenne. When tortillas are crisp, spread first tortilla with black beans to cover, top with cheese, half of salsa, 1 egg, and half of sour cream. Repeat layers with second tortilla, adding cilantro and avacado to garnish. I served mine with hashbrowns and hot sauce (my favorite is pictured).

Homemade Refridgerator Spicy Pickles

I went to the farmer's market and picked up some baby cucumbers for $3. Pondering what do do with them, I decided on pickles, but don't have the patience for canning yet. So, I decided on refridgerator pickles which are quick and easy. I found a spicy pickle recipe from Bobby Flay, which have an asian theme. I adjusted it a little and here is what I came up with.


Ingredients
4 cups rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 thai bird chili
1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dill
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
8 small cucumbers, washed

Directions

Combine the vinegar, honey, pepper flakes, coriander, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin and salt in a medium, non-reactive saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes; remove from the heat and let sit until cooled to room temperature. Add the dill and cilantro. Place the cut cucumbers in a medium bowl and pour the cooled vinegar mixture over them. Refrigerate, covered for 24 hours or up to 4 days. (leaving them longer just makes them hotter but still delicious.) Cooking time includes refrigeration.

OU Alumni Gear: Bobcat Rocks Glass

Picked this up at the college bookstore a couple weekends ago at the Obers-Carbone wedding. It works well, I've tested it a couple of times!

Beef Tenderloin

No real recipes involved with this post, but I thought I would share my pics anyway. Just picked up some beef tenderloin in Chicago this past weekend (yes, I take a cooler with me just so I can bring the meat back safely) They have the cheapest prices I've ever heard of at a grocery store called "Caputo's." ($4.99/lb.) I bought five of 'em! I usually trim them up, cut them into a few good sized roasts, and freeze them for future use. Also, as an "fyi," ran across these garlic fries from TJ's the other day. In keeping with their wonderful tradition, TJ's came through again. They were quick and tasty. Plus, combined with my tenderloin, it made for an easy weeknight "french bistro" style meal. I added a little homemade horseradish sauce as well. Love that stuff.