Happy New Year! I want to take this time to thank all my fellow cohorts who have jumped in and added to the blog along the way this year. I look forward to seeing more from each of you and maybe adding some new friends along the way. I would also like to thank all of you that continue to read this blog. It started out as a catharsis after losing my mom and has turned into a fun place to share what is going on in our little worlds that may or may not cross paths. I know the content displayed here isn't for everyone, but if it makes one other person happy in a day then we have achieved our goal.
This year for Christmas I was a lucky woman. I received a beautiful kitchen cart island which made the whole space come together and gave me the space I needed for cooking up masterpieces. I also was given a set of professional chef grade stainless steel cookware! To round it out there were several new cookbooks, a much needed cookbook stand, and a long time wanted mandolin slicer. Those of you who know me understand this is an extravagant and giddy Christmas. Cooking was something, one of the only things, that my mother had the patience to teach me. Cooking was the great trait passed down through our family. My grandmother taught my mother, my mother shared it with me, and I spend a lot of time sharing this with my child. Some girls learned to sew, some learned knitting, but I learned cooking.
Today I would like to share a new recipe from Rachel Ray's cookbook "Week in a Day". It is a concept book that essentially would allow you to make the base for 5 meals in one day and then you can just pull stuff out of the fridge and whip it up or heat it up and go. I don't really have the fridge space for this. We have a small unit that was left to us when we got the house and I am not even sure there is too much space to get a bigger one due to the fact it is built into a cubby space under the main stairs. Anyway, I will just share one recipe so you can give it a go.
Mediterranean Bean & Bacon Soup
3 T EVOO
1/3 pound pancetta, finely diced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
3 small ribs celery, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large bay leaf
Herb bundle: parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme (I added a few dried spices of rosemary, thyme, oregano and skipped the bundle as the rest would be thrown away)
salt and pepper
2 T tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine (you can use cooking sherry or 1/4 cup aged white wine vinegar)
6 cps chicken stock
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 small bunch of lacinato kale, stemmed and finely shredded (I used regular kale and only about 1/3 of the bunch)
pinch of nutmeg
shaved parmigiano-reggiano for serving
In a medium soup pot heat 3 turns of EVOO over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf and herbs. Salt and pepper. Cook until veggies are tender, about 8 minutes.
Add tomato paste and stir about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with wine, add stock and bring to low boil.
In food processor, blend one can of beans with a little broth from soup and puree. Stir into the soup along with the whole beans. Wilt the kale and season with nutmeg. Cook for about 15 minutes and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with crusty bread and shaved parm. Be sure to remove bay leaf and herb bundle before serving.
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