Zoe Cuisine

Creamy Pumpkin White Bean Soup

This is a recipe that I have been meaning to make for over a year. Better late than never, right! I was introduced to this recipe in an online food styling class as a possible dish to try to style. I thought it sounded delicious and extremely easy at the time, yet somehow I never got around to making it until now. I have been caught in a rut of making my same old standby recipes, which is why the blog has been pretty stagnant recently. In an effort to switch up my own dinner routine and get something fresh online, I decided to finally try this perfect fall soup. It gets an A+ in terms of quick preparation and healthfulness. Although it was good when made exactly as the recipe said, I have to admit that I thought it needed quite a bit more seasoning, so feel free to go heavy on the salt and pepper. I'm a big fan of toppings on soup to add both flavor and texture, so I decided to experiment with adding some additional fresh sage and some prosciutto (although this makes the soup not quite as healthy as originally intended). I cut the prosciutto and sage leaves into thin strips and sauteed them over high heat in a little olive oil until crispy. I topped each bowl of soup with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and then the crunchy sage and prosciutto. A drizzle of white truffle oil or good extra virgin olive oil is a nice finishing touch. I also made some simple dipping toasts by brushing thin slices of wheat bread with olive oil and then toasting them with some additional grated parmesan. This soup is great as an appetizer, or main course for lunch or dinner. It can be pureed in advance and kept in the fridge until you are ready to heat and serve it. It's convenient that it can be made entirely with items from your pantry. I highly suggest trying my topping suggestions to jazz it up or else experiment with a little gruyere cheese, croutons, or a dollop of greek yogurt or creme fraiche.

Creamy Pumpkin White Bean Soup Ingredients: 1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin puree 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock 1 teaspoon dried sage or 3-4 fresh sage leaves 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper Instructions: Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Suggestions for toppings: Lime wedges and pumpkin seeds (recommended in the original recipe) Crispy prosciutto strips and sage leaves, grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of white truffle oil (my personal recommendation)

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Whole-Grain Naan Pizza

I love pizza. Who doesn't? Instead of ordering greasy take out we often prefer to make our own pies with a whole wheat crust. These days you can find whole wheat dough in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores which you would think is a healthier option except that some varieties still use trans fats. Trader Joe's dough is trans fat free, Stop & Shop and Shaws are not. Sometimes I am too lazy to even deal with raw dough and instead just want to whip up a pizza on a ready made crust. My favorite new option is to make pizza using whole-grain Naan flat bread that you can find packaged in twos in the deli section of most major super markets. Naan is a traditional Indian leavened flat bread that is similar to pita bread. I use the International Fabulous Flats brand. These are the perfect size to make 2 individual pizzas. They also make great appetizers when cut in bite sized pieces. I like to make my crust extra crisp so I put the Naan directly onto the oven rack of a hot 400 degree oven for about 5-7 minutes (make sure you watch it closely). I pull out the flat bread and put it on a baking rack on top of a baking sheet. I add the toppings and then put the pizza back in the oven on broil for about 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. The baking rack keeps the hot air flowing under the pizza which keeps it crisp. This is a super simple and fast method to make pizza during the week. If you want to get a little more creative you can throw these pizzas on the grill instead of in the oven. The Naan freezes and defrosts really well so you can stock up at the store and just pop them in the freezer until you want to use them. I also freeze bags of pre shredded mozzarella and then just pull out what I need the night I make my pizza. This way if you keep jars of sauce in the pantry you can create a simple home baked pizza any night of the week.

Salmon with Pea Purée

Last night I cracked open my copy of Giada de Laurentiis' cookbook, New Italian Favorites, that had been on my shelf, untouched, for well over a year. I was looking for a new simple, healthy and tasty fish recipe and found quite a few to choose from. Since the local fish market had some good looking wild salmon I decided to try her recipe for salmon over a purée of peas, fresh mint and parmesan. Giada recommends creating a broth of lemon, shallot and chicken broth to go along with the fish and the peas but I decided to forgo it as it seemed like extra work for not much added flavor. She also serves her purée at room temperature which I tried and was not thrilled with so I decided to serve it heated. I have made a similar pea purée in the past that I have served as a dip or spread on crostini. This version with parmesan is absolutely delicious and would also be an excellent accompaniment to grilled white fish, chicken or even tossed with pasta. It is a very satisfying side dish that is a great alternative to a starch.

Salmon with Pea Purée Ingredients: For the Purée 2 cups frozen peas, thawed 1/4 cup fresh mint 1 garlic clove 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese For the Salmon: 4 (4-6oz.) salmon fillets 1 tablespoon lemon zest extra virgin olive oil kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Instructions: First make the purée by combining the peas, mint, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor. With the machine running, add the olive oil to the mixture in a steady drizzle through the opening on top. Once combined, mix in the parmesan. Warm the purée in a sauce pan over medium low heat while the salmon is cooking. Do not over cook or you will lose the freshness of the mint. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the salmon fillets lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and the lemon zest. Heat a large oven proof skillet coated lightly with olive oil on the stove top over high heat. Sear the salmon for about 2-3 minutes flesh side down. Once they are browned and can be flipped easily (if you turn them too soon the flesh will stick to the pan), flip them to skin side down and put in the oven for about 5 minutes or until they are just cooked through. Divide the purée equally between four plates and top with a salmon fillet. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4. If making for just two people I recommend decreasing the amount of salmon but making the same amount of the pea mixture. It won't go to waste! Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' recipe from her book New Italian Favorites. View Printable Version

Banana Bread Frozen Yogurt

 

I have been to Naples, Florida a few times for vacation and the single best part of each trip has not been the weather or the beach but the chocolate chip, walnut and banana gelato at the Ritz Carlton ice cream shop. Every trip has revolved around me trying to figure out how to incorporate this bowl of deliciousness into my day multiple times. I have yet to find a frozen treat that is anywhere near as scrumptious in the Boston area. This gelato literally tastes like frozen banana bread in a cup. The bag of frozen bananas that I have been storing in the freezer for smoothies had been getting pretty full so I decided that I needed to find a way to use them. Since we don't have a decent ice cream shop in walking distance from our condo I decided to get creative and attempt to recreate my Naples obsession. I don't have the time or the energy to try to make gelato from scratch so I improvised with store bought frozen yogurt and my blender. Give this a whirl if you love bananas and need a little respite from this oppressive summer heat!

Banana Bread Frozen Yogurt Ingredients 1/2 cup low fat vanilla frozen yogurt, such as Haagen Daaz 1 large frozen banana, broken into 1-2" chunks 1/2 cup low fat milk 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts 2 tablespoons chocolate chips or 1/2 chocolate bar cut into chunks Instructions Put first 3 ingredients in blender and process until combined. Mixture should be thick. Pour into a plastic storage container and add in the walnuts and chocolate, stir to combine. Cover container and place in the freezer for at least an hour before serving. Serves 2 View Printable Version

Whole Wheat CousCous with Summer Squash and Chicken

 

Now that my baby is 12 weeks old and slightly more predictable, I am finally able to get back into the kitchen at dinner time. Since he goes to bed around 7pm, I am not able to start preparations until then (unless I am super organized early in the day!) so my recent dinners have been pretty basic and need to be able to be thrown together rather quickly so we aren't eating at midnight. We wouldn't want to waste any precious time that could be spent catching up on sleep! I have become very focused on creating one dish dinners, such as this whole wheat couscous with veggies and chicken. I used zucchini, squash and red onions as the vegetables but you could use any variety of produce that suits your taste. You can even omit the chicken and serve this as a meat free side dish. If using chicken, I recommend buying a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and taking the meat off the bones as soon as you get home (I discard the skin too), then you have cooked chicken all ready to throw into your meal. I did use "pearl" or Israeli couscous instead of the regular variety because I find it more substantial for a main meal. This variety of couscous can be found in most Whole Foods, I use a brand called Rice Select that comes in a plastic container. A key part of this recipe is cooking the couscous in chicken or vegetable stock to really boost the flavor of an ingredient that can be somewhat bland when cooked in water.

Whole Wheat Couscous with Summer Squash and Chicken Ingredients 1 cup whole wheat Israeli couscous 1 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock 1 tablespoon butter or oil 1 tablespoon herbs de provence 1/2 medium red onion, chopped 1 small zucchini, chopped (about 3/4 cup) 1 small summer squash, chopped, (about 3/4 cup) 1 cup shredded, cooked rotisserie chicken parmesan cheese for serving Instructions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Chop the vegetables so they are in approximately a 1/2" dice. Toss vegetables with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the herbs de provence and some salt and pepper. Arrange the veggies in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes or until the edges are browned and they are fork tender. Meanwhile, bring the stock or broth of your choice to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of butter and the couscous and cook for about 8 minutes (if using the Israeli variety), stirring occasionally, or according to the directions on the package.  In a large bowl, toss together the couscous, vegetables and chicken. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste. View Printable Version

Soft Shell Crabs (and a baby...)

I apologize for the lack of tasty recipe posts recently, but I swear I have a good excuse! On May 12th I gave birth to my first baby, a boy named Tyler. My days for the past month have revolved entirely around food, only it's the liquid variety that has to be fed to my baby approximately every 2.5-3 hours. Between the feedings, diaper changes and erratic nap schedule, I have been left with very little time or energy to experiment in the kitchen, let alone make even a simple dinner! Hopefully this will change in the next month or so as I learn to juggle cooking with baby-minding. Thankfully my husband has stepped up to the culinary plate and has been dishing out some great meals lately. One of his favorite foods of all time are soft shell crabs which are in season right now for only about another week or so. Fresh soft shells can be found at James Hook lobster company in the seaport area of Boston. If you decide to try some at home, make sure to ask the fishmonger to clean them for you as this can be a daunting and messy task to attempt yourself. If you can get your hands on these delectable crustaceans, I highly recommend trying one of these two methods of cooking them, which are both easy and delicious. These are the two recipes we made the night I went into labor - so pregnant women beware, soft shells could have some special powers :) Excuse the picture quality, I couldn't be bothered to take out my fancy camera that night so this is via iphone.

Corn Meal Crusted Soft Shell Crabs

(We used regular milk instead of buttermilk for this recipe with success)

Sauteed Soft Shell Crabs with Garlic and Butter

(We substituted shallots for garlic for a mellower flavor)

 

 

Dulce de Leche Brownies

 

More chocolate. I know, it's been a bit of an obsession lately. I have been trying to use up some pantry items recently and came across a few cans of sweetened condensed milk that I bought over a year ago when I was going to try to make dulce de leche, the popular Latin and South American caramel. So I saw these cans sitting there, gathering dust, and remembered a recipe I had seen in one of my favorite foodie books, The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz. This book is part memoir, part cookbook and entirely hysterical so I suggest seeking it out. For those of you who are not familiar with him, David was a pastry chef at Chez Panisse for many years before packing up and moving to Paris where he writes an amazing blog and many highly acclaimed cookbooks. Many of his pastries are a little out of my comfort zone in terms of difficulty, but this dulce de leche brownie recipe seemed straightforward enough for me to give it a shot. I followed his recipe almost exactly, only substituting 77% Dagoba cacao chocolate bars for the bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, and using the entire 14 oz of dulce de leche instead of just 1 cup. These are amazing served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Dulce de Leche Brownies Ingredients:  8 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing the pan 6 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 3 large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup flour 1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts (optional) 1 cup dulce de leche or confiture de lait (see recipe below) Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease an 8" square pan and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper (this makes them much easier to remove). Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the chocolate, stirring until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla and flour. Mix in the nuts, if using. Scrape half of the batter into the pan. Drop 1/3 of the dulce de leche in evenly spaced dollops over the batter, then drag a knife through the dollops ever so slightly to swirl it. Spread the remaining brownie batter over the top, making sure the dulce de leche is completely covered, then repeat by dolloping the remaining dulce de leche over the top of the batter. Again, use a knife to swirl the dulce de leche slightly (don't stick the knife completely through the batter to the bottom of the pan, just use it to swirl the top layer).  Bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven, or until the center of the brownies feels slightly firm. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting. These brownies will keep well for up to three days in an air tight container. Makes 12 brownies. Dulce de Leche Recipe Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pour 1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk into a glass pie plate or shallow baking dish. Stir in a few flecks of sea salt. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place the baking dish inside a larger baking dish (such as a roasting pan) and fill it with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the smaller baking dish. Bake for 1-1 1/4 hours or until the condensed milk is nicely browned and caramelized on top. Check periodically while baking to make sure there is enough water in the roasting pan, refill if necessary. Let the dulce de leche cool completely and then whisk until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready for use. This is great as a topping on ice cream or pound cake. Recipes courtesy of David Lebovitz's "The Sweet Life in Paris"

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Double Chocolate Chews

 

I continued my baking binge this weekend with a batch of delicious chewy chocolate meringue cookies. Lately I cannot get enough of the sweet stuff and these treats hit the spot. I was looking for a recipe for some cookies that would satisfy without a tremendous guilt factor and these fit the bill. The key to getting a rich and decadent cookie is using high quality chocolate, as the only other ingredients are egg whites, sugar and vanilla. I used Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips that are 60% cacao and they worked perfectly. My favorite part about these cookies is that they stay chewy and don't turn hard like a typical meringue. A couple of tips for making these are to make sure that the chocolate is not hot when you mix it in with the egg whites, and that the egg whites are beaten until they are stiff, smooth and glossy. Lastly, do not mix the chocolate and the egg whites too much, instead try gently folding the two together until combined. I included a link in the recipe below for how to beat egg whites to the right consistency if you aren't familiar.

Double Chocolate Chews Ingredients: 12 oz. (typically 1 bag or 2 cups) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks or 12 oz dark chocolate chopped into small chunks 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract pinch of salt 3 egg whites 1/3 cup sugar Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips in a large heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water on the stove. Cool until just warm to the touch. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer in a separate bowl for 2 minutes, or until white and foamy. Add sugar in 2 tablespoons at a time, beating constantly. Continue to beat the egg whites for about 6 to 8 minutes or until soft peaks form and the meringue is a snowy white color (Click here for clarification on this process). Fold the meringue into the melted chocolate in three batches, being careful not to deflate the egg whites. Continue folding until no white streaks remain and the batter is stiff. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Drop the cookies onto the sheet pans using heaping tablespoons. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the exterior of the cookies look dry. Cool on baking sheets. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 24 cookies.

Recipe courtesy of Vegetarian Times, April 2009 issue

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Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

 

It seems as though winter has briefly returned to Boston this weekend which has put me in the mood to bake. I find it too tempting to have sweets lying around, because I can't stop eating them like the ricotta cookies from earlier in the week, so I wanted to find as guilt free a recipe as possible to try out. For some reason blueberry muffins were on my mind, so I was happy to find a healthy recipe from the Food Network's Ellie Krieger, who is a nutritionist as well as a TV personality and cook. Her recipe lightened up the muffins by using applesauce and low-fat buttermilk and only a quarter cup of oil. Recently I have been determined to use up ingredients I have on hand, so I decided to forgo buying buttermilk by creating my own which is as simple as adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Just let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes until it curdles and then use what you need. I also realized I only had a half cup of applesauce instead of a full cup as the recipe called for. I knew that the applesauce was really a substitute for some of the oil that normally would have been in the recipe. When I went to reach for my vegetable oil, I was dismayed to realize that I was all out and only had peanut or olive oil in the cupboard. Both of these oils could have imparted a not so favorable flavor, so I was back to the drawing board to find a substitution (yes I could have gone to the store but it was raining and cold and I was lazy). I decided to use non-fat vanilla yogurt in place of both the 1/4 cup of oil and the 1/2 cup of applesauce I was missing. Would it work? I know that yogurt is often substituted for fat to make baked goods healthier, I was just a little hesitant about the fact that now I had no oil in the recipe at all and was using 2 different methods of swapping out fat. The batter came together beautifully and in no time at all. I watched the muffins rather cautiously as they baked as I was expecting a disaster but instead they rose normally and became perfectly golden. I could barely wait to try one so I dug in while they were still hot out of the oven. They were great! Ok, I have to admit these are not the super sized, cake like, crumbly blueberry muffins that are common place at bakeries now. These are not an indulgence at all. They are a muffin that you can eat multiple times in a week without feeling like you just ate a Big Mac, which is what most muffins these days are the calorie equivalent of. You feel good after you eat these muffins. I usually give my baked goods away so I won't eat them all but this time I am keeping every last muffin for myself. 

(As a side note, if you are ever in the kitchen and realize that you are out of an ingredient and need a substitute in a pinch, check out this site - it's a life saver!)

Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins Ingredients: 1 cup all purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp baking soda 2 large eggs 1/3 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup fat free vanilla yogurt, such as Stoneyfield 1/2 cup applesauce (I used a sweetened organic version with cinnamon, but plain is fine) 1 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 cup low fat buttermilk, or 3/4 cup whole or low fat milk mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries Instructions: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees. Coat a standard 12-muffin tin with non-stick canola oil cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours with the salt, baking soda and powder. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and yogurt together. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla. Add half the flour mixture, then half the buttermilk and whisk until incorporated completely. Add the rest of the flour and buttermilk, stirring well until incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries. If using frozen blueberries, toss them with a tablespoon of flour first so they don't turn the whole batter blue. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, I use a 1/4 cup measure to do this. They should be filled nearly to the top. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean, about 20 - 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around each muffin to loosen and remove from the pan. Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You may also freeze them by wrapping individually in plastic wrap first. Makes 12 muffins

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Adapted from Ellie Krieger's Good for You Blueberry Muffins

Ricotta Mini Cakes with Lemon Glaze

 

While I was in the waiting room at the doctors office today I came across this recipe in one of the magazines I was flipping through. I knew I had half a container of ricotta in the fridge that was left over from my last batch of turkey ricotta meatballs, so I was drawn to this recipe as a way to use it up instead of making more meatballs or a heavy pasta dish. I quickly snapped a picture of the page the recipe was on with my iphone so I could visit it later (so much easier than scribbling down all the ingredients by hand!). I was pleased to see that I had all the ingredients to make the cookies so I got right to work when I got home. These cookies are really easy to make and cook quickly too. Instead of using the basic glaze the recipe called for which just uses confectioners' sugar and milk, I decided to jazz it up a little by substituting lemon juice and zest to make a lemon glaze. I was really happy with the taste and texture of these cookies when I tried them. They are very light and subtly sweet, like a cakey sugar cookie. They reminded me a lot of the sugar plum cookies an old co-worker used to make around the holidays that I absolutely loved. The lemon glaze makes these a nice, refreshing spring treat. Now that I have eaten three in the span of 5 minutes, I am packaging up the rest to distribute to family and neighbors because these are addictive!

Ricotta Mini Cakes with Lemon Glaze Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp salt 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese 1 tsp vanilla extract Glaze 2 cups confectioners' sugar 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice zest of 1 lemon Instructions: For the cookies - Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together; set aside. Beat the butter and granulated sugar together in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer on low or medium-low speed until blended (you can also use a stand mixer or beat it together by hand). Mixture will look grainy. Add the egg, ricotta and vanilla, beating until combined. On low speed, add the flour mixture in increments and beat until blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared pans. For a neater looking cookie, chill the batter and then roll a tablespoon of batter lightly in your hand to form a ball before putting on the sheet pan. Bake at 350 for 14 minutes or until very lightly browned around the edges. Let cool on the sheet pans for about 3 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely. For the lemon glaze - Beat or whisk confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and zest together until well blended. The mixture will be thick. Dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze and use the back of a spoon or a knife to spread evenly. It may be easier to use a knife or spoon instead of dipping. Set aside or put in the fridge until the glaze has hardened. For a basic unflavored glaze, substitute 3-4 tablespoons milk for the lemon juice and zest. Recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies.

Cookie recipe courtesy of Chris White, Bordentown, NJ

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