Cream of Celery Soup

Celery is a vegetable I have never particularly cared for.  I will use it as a base for soups & sauces - but there is something about it I always found slightly off-putting.  I know a lot of people who feel this way about tomatoes and I have always said they only feel that way because they have never had a real tomato - one straight off the vine.  I realized this might be part of the reason why I don't like celery - its such a common ingredient we have gotten used to it being in the stores year round but really - like most vegetables - its in season in summer and early autumn. 

So this week at the farmers market I saw fresh locally grown first-harvest celery and I have to say I barely recognized it.  It was a beautiful dark green - lush and leafy and still attached to its bulbous root.  I had to buy it, and decided immediately I would make this soup.  See - I used to hate fennel (or anything remotely resembling anise-flavor) too.  Then, my first (and last) time dining at a Michelin-star restaurant,  I had a Fennel Cream soup and I had a total flavor epiphany.  I think you could literally see the light bulb go on over my head and suddenly I got it.  Now I finally understood the beauty and subtley of that flavor - and all the delicious places it could go (it was the best soup I have ever tasted.  Really.). 

So now when I see a really beautiful ingredient I tend to gravitate toward a really simple cream soup.  This soup is light and fresh tasting and seems perfect for summer (it would be great for a harvest-time meal as well).  The pure celery flavor (which by the way, is not at all the same as when its that white watery stuff we use during the winter) just shines and tastes so fresh and summery.  With the gremolata it is over-the-top delicious - the bright crispiness of the herbs and lemon make such a perfect compliment.    I do realize the irony of a creamy soup recipe directly following my post saying I'm on a diet.  But here's the thing - simply leave out the cream (you can let people stir it into their own bowls if you like) and this is still a rich, satisfying and delicious soup.  The cream just gives it that extra something special.  That being said - about 3 cups (which I would call one main dish serving) of this is only 225 calories (but 24g fat if you are counting).


Cream of Celery Soup with Celery Leaf Gremolata
5 cups finely chopped celery
1 cup chopped celery leaf
2 medium onions, diced
2 cups diced peeled celery root (supplement with potato if your celery root isn't big enough)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs butter
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper
Olive oil (optional)

Gremolata:
1 Tbs celery leaf, finely chopped
1 Tbs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbs lemon zest
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced or pressed

Heat butter in a heavy pot over medium heat.  Add celery, celery leaf, and onions.  Stir and cover and cook down until very soft and just barely beginning to caramelize - around 25 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  (This is a good time to make the gremolata)

Add celery root and garlic and stock.  Stir, raise heat and bring just to a boil then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for around 35 or 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper.

Turn off the heat and with an immersion blender blend the soup until no lumps remain.  Taste and season as necessary.  You can do this ahead and keep in fridge or freezer.

Stir in the cream and taste and season again if necessary.  Ladle into bowls and drizzle with a nice light & fruity olive oil and top with a spoonful (or to taste) of gremolata. 

Gremolata:  simply combine all the ingredients and mash together in a mortar & pestle or in a small bowl with the back of a spoon. 

Fat Free Chocolate Cake!

Being that I had a baby not quite 4 months ago, I am currently trying very hard to lose weight.  I have a lot of it to lose  - and that means getting very serious about my diet.  The working out thing, I can do (or I used to be able to do before my abdominal muscles were shredded and then sliced open) - but following a strict diet is difficult because I LOVE food - eating and preparing it.  Its very trendy right now to go the way of Michael Pollan and say just eat real foods and if you want dessert make it from scratch, right?

Um, wrong - cause I already do all that.  I don't eat convenience foods and unfortunately I really have fallen in love with baking.  Telling me to make my own desserts will not help me lose the weight I gained during pregnancy - quite the opposite.  I have to go the much harder route - if I want to lose I have to find a way to eat a lower calorie diet at home.   Which means what I really have to do is find a way to make 'diet' food something I actually enjoy making and eating.  Cooking is much easier (and more fun) when you aren't concerned with the amount of butter you are using.

And of course, when my birthday rolled around a few weeks ago and I really wanted to make a chocolate cake, that meant I needed to find something that wouldn't undo all my hard work.  I immediately thought of Angel Food cake, which is one of my favorite things anyway.  I had always wanted to try a chocolate one and I found this recipe filed under 'healthy' on Epicurious and I thought I would give it a try.  You know what, its really good.  Its slightly more dense than traditional Angel Food cake and could easily be used to substitute any chocolate cake if needed.  Its not too sweet, very chocolatey and only has 185 calories a slice (less if you are making more than 8 slices - which we did).  Its the perfect indulgence for those on a restricted diet and its tastes great even if you aren't.  We had it with just a dollop of Greek yogurt that I stirred some vanilla bean into, and we loved it! 

Diet Friendly Chocolate Cake
from  Chef Albaladejo at Four Seasons Aviara
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
12 egg whites
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 163 C / 325 F

Sift 1 cup of the sugar, flour, cocoa and salt together in a small bowl.

In a (very) large mixing bowl beat egg whites, lemon juice and vanilla on medium-high until peaks form.  Add sugar and beat on high until semi-stiff peaks form (don't overbeat they will break down). 

With a rubber spatula slowly and gently fold in dry ingredients until all incorporated.  Spoon into a tube pan and cook for 45-55 minutes or until the top springs back when you touch it (I found it to be on the lower end of that time frame). 

Remove from oven and invert onto a wire cooling rack to cool (if you don't invert the cake will sink!).   Gently remove cake from pan after it has completely cooled and serve.  Its great with yogurt or cream or marscapone, dusted in powdered sugar, with a light glaze, with fruit...you name it, the possibilities are endless!

Orange Chicken

 Probably the number one thing I miss from the US, food wise, is Chinese food.  Cheap, fast, totally Americanized, Chinese take-out.  I love it - and there is absolutely nothing comparable in Germany.   My favorite Chinese food ever comes from Hunan Garden in Kingwood, Texas (if you live in the Houston area, you should go) (And don't let anyone tell you Hin's Garden is better, its a filthy lie).  But honestly, I miss it so bad that Orange Chicken from Panda Express is sounding pretty freaking amazing right about now.

Not that I should be eating it anyway - seeing as I am trying to lose that pregnancy weight and Chinese take-out is notoriously bad for you.  The thing is, I am realizing that its super easy to make and it doesn't have to be battered, fried and greasy (not that it is at Hunan Garden.  Go there!).  It can be made with low-fat chicken breast, full of vitamin-rich green vegetables, and when cooked in a good wok requires hardly any oil.

This is a recipe I have perfected over nearly a year of making it probably once a week.  That would be because it is both my husbands and I's favorite meal.  I seriously look forward to it all week (I would eat it multiple times a week, no problem).   Its incredibly easy to make - the prep only takes a few minutes and once it all goes in the wok its just another few minutes until its done.  The key is to prep everything and have it all ready to go next to your wok - then just throw each ingredient when its time and its a piece of cake.  Get yourself a rice cooker and you have a super easy, very light and healthy weeknight meal. 


 Orange Chicken
2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts, diced (could sub firm tofu, turkey breast, or steak  and it would probably be good too)
2 Tbs dark soy sauce
1 tsp + 2 Tbs corn starch (seperated)
Juice of one orange (about 1 cup juice)
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
2 Tbs (or to taste) Sriracha
1 tsp grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp powdered)
2 Tbs honey
1 cup sliced/chopped Scallion (reserve some of the green tops for garnish)
zest from one orange
Fresh sturdy green vegetable, such as Bok Choy, Broccoli, or Asparagus, chopped
few Tbs Sesame Seeds
1 or 2 Tbs vegetable oil (not olive)

Take diced Chicken Breast and combine in a bowl with soy sauce and 1 tsp corn starch.  Mix up so chicken is all well coated.  Set aside.

Whisk together Hoisin, Sriracha, Orange juice, ginger and honey in a small bowl and set aside.  Whisk together 2 Tbs cornstarch and 3 Tbs water and set aside.

If using bok choy, heat some oil in a wok over medium high heat.  Add in bok choy and cook until its starting wilt just a tad.  Add a bit of soy sauce and stir while cooking another 30 seconds more.  Remove from wok and set aside. (If using a different green veg you can pre-steam if you want, until its not-just-quite finished or you can just skip to next step, I find that it will often be fine if I add it to the pan raw). 

 Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.  When oil just begins to smoke, toss in the chicken.   After about a minute throw in the scallions and half the orange zest and toss with tongs.  Continue to cook, stirring continuously, for a couple minutes or until chicken is browning. When its starting to brown, toss in the green veg and cook/steam until chicken is cooked all the way through and vegetable is just starting to soften (the idea is for the veg to be lightly cooked with still a bit of crunch to it, and its still going to boil some more, so don't overdo it). The timing will vary - it will be super fast if you are cooking over a gas flame, but if you are cooking on an electric like mine it might not get as hot and will take a bit longer.

Add the orange sauce and let it come to a boil.  Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir well.  Cook until sauce is starting to thicken, tossing with tongs to coat all the chicken.  Add cooked Bok Choy, if using, and combine.  Add sesame seeds and remaining orange zest and toss until everything is well coated and sauce is nice and thick. 

Serve immediately over steamed white or brown rice (I just stick in the rice cooker before I start on everything else and its ready by the time the chicken is done).  You can also garnish with some of the chopped green scallion tops. 

If the chicken breasts are large, this can probably feed up to four.   It normally feeds me and my husband and one of us for lunch the next day as well :)

Bucatini Pomodoro

I have been completely obsessed with making pasta the past few weeks.  Its been almost two years since I went to Rome and I have been finding myself daydreaming about pasta, gelato, and granita.  I loved Rome and for two years have been trying to plan another trip to Italy.  It hasn't worked out so far (even though its just a very short plane ride away *sob*).

So I have been attempting to bring Italy to me by learning to make delicious pasta dishes.  Bon Appetit magazine must have read my mind too, because their entire May issue was dedicated to Italy - with an awesome tutorial on how to make perfect pasta.  The cover recipe?  Bucatini Pomodoro.  I immediately tried it - and I kid you not we have eaten this for dinner once a week since (not really so great for the diet, but whatchagonnado).

Pasta really is such an affordable meal though, and when you figure out how to do it right, even simple spaghetti with tomato sauce seems like an indulgent gourmet meal.  I spend just a little extra buying some fantastic pasta imported from Italy (though that is cheaper here in Europe than I would imagine it is in say, the US) and also slightly-better-than-cheapest canned tomatoes.  I see a huge difference in quality (the pasta itself and the tomatoes are truly everything in this recipe) for just a few extra cents that, to me, its worth it.  However, even with the cheapest stuff this is just damned good.   Enjoy with a favorite bottle of wine and it turns 'spaghetti night' into something extra special.

Bucatni Pomodoro
from this recipe from the May issue of Bon Appetit

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
pinch Red Pepper Flakes
a few glugs dry Red Wine (I use the Chianti we drink with the meal)
2 cans whole tomatoes, pureed in food processor
a few basil sprigs
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
12 oz bucatini or spegetti (I really recommend the bucatini!)


Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the onion and saute until soft, 10 to 12 minutes.  Add the Garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute or two.  Raise heat to medim and pour in the wine and allow to simmer down for a minute or so (this was my addition and I really think it made a BIG difference in the flavor/richness of the sauce but feel free to leave it out).  Add the pureed tomatoes and cook for around 20 minutes, or until sauce thickens and flavors combine.  Remove from heat, stir in the basil, and set aside (this can be done waaay ahead too).

Cook your pasta in salted boiling water until a few minutes shy of al dente (follow times on the package to help you cook it just right).  Reserve 1/2 cup (I always set aside a whole cup just in case) of the starchy cooking water and drain.

Remove the basil from the sauce and return to the heat (on high).   Add 1/2 cup pasta water and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta and toss to coat - allow to cook until pasta is al dente (should be just a minute or two).  Remove from heat and add the butter and parmesan, tossing to combine until its all melted.  Serve warm! 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crostata

I think one of my favorite smells ever is strawberry and rhubarb together.  How come you never see that in a scented candle?  No matter, cause it filled my kitchen yesterday when I was making this incredibly easy dessert.  I have been seeing long stalks of rhubarb at the market for weeks now, it has been beguiling me with its pretty hues of light pink and green (and super cheap price tag).  I never quite know what to do with rhubarb though - this isn't something I grew up with.  In fact, I think it may have only been in the past couple of years that I had ever even tasted it.

And how weird is that?  I find food like this all the time - stuff everyone seems to know about and have grown up with (or at at least tasted!) that I barely even knew existed.   I really have no idea why that is, either.  I was not a sheltered child by any means, but clearly when it comes to food - my family didn't get out much.  Maybe thats why I love it so much now?  It all seems so new - not only the fruit itself but the very existence of a pie thats not a pie.  And really, with its adorable rustic-ness and lack of pan to clean afterward - there is something so much better about a Crostata (or Gallete....or whatever you want to call it in possibly an English word as well) than a traditional pie or tart.

Especially with this crust.  I saw this recipe in this months Bon Appetit magazine (though it was raspberry and not strawberry), and it sounded so simple and had so few ingredients that weren't already in my pantry (I only needed to buy the fruit) - I decided it would be my first Mothers Day dessert.  The thing that always deters me from making more crusted pastries is that I don't want to make the crust.  I don't want to cut the butter into cubes (freeze it for like 20 minutes and it doesn't get all melty when you are trying to cut it), I don't want to sit and mess with the dough until it becomes 'crumb' like...it just isn't that fun to me.  This one though, made entirely in the food processor, took literally only a few minutes to make.  The whole wheat flour makes the dough rich and crumbly...and it literally became my new favorite pastry crust.  The filling is tart and sweet (but not too sweet) and is the perfect combination with the nutty and flaky crust.   With how easy and delicious this is, I wish I could get my hands on rhubarb for more than a just a few weeks each spring - I'll just have to find some other seasonal options (I'm thinking this crust is destined for peaches this summer, and maybe plums this fall!). 


Strawberry Rhubarb Crostata
from Karen DeMasco in May 2011 Bon Appetit

Crust:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (172g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

Filling:
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 cups rhubarb, in about 1/2 inch thick slices
6 ounces strawberries, diced
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
Raw sugar

For Crust:
Combine flours, sugar, and salt in a food processor and blend for 5 seconds. Add the butter; pulse until butter is in pea-size pieces. Whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl; add to the processor and pulse until moist clumps form. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 1/2 hours. Can be made a couple days ahead (I made mine the night before) - keep in the refrigerator. 

For Filling:

Dissolve the cornstarch in 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and set aside. Combine rhubarb, strawberries and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and juices are released - took mine about 5 minutes. 

 

Stir in the cornstarch and bring just to a boil (rhubarb will not be tender and slices will still be intact). Careful not to let the sugar burn! Transfer to a bowl and stick in the fridge or freezer to chill until its all the way cooled (but doesn't need to be cold). 

 

Preheat oven to 400 F / 204 C

Roll out dough on floured parchment paper to 12-inches round; brush with beaten egg. 

Mound filling in center of crust; gently spread out, leaving 1 1/2-inch border (I measure at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock, making a little mark in the dough so that I didn't get to close to the edges). 

Gently fold edges of dough over filling, pleating as needed. Brush border with egg; sprinkle with raw sugar. Slide parchment with crostata onto a baking sheet (I actually used my 12-inch round pizza stone - cause my oven is small and something round won't fit on baking sheets that actually fit in my oven!) and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 30-45 minutes (took mine exactly 35). Let cool on baking sheet on a rack. Cut into wedges, and serve with whipped cream or ice cream (or its really just as amazing plain!)

Spring!

 Let me tell you, as much as I love it...cooking loses all of its fun when you are swollen up like the Michelin Man and your joints are aching at the end of pregnancy.   Its been six weeks since we brought the little bugger home, and I finally feel like I'm starting to be a human being again.  I can't wait to post some new stuff on here cause for some reason I love taking photos of the random things I cook and posting them on the internet (what?  we all need hobbies).  In the meantime though...here are few of my springtime-y favorites:

 Angel Food Cake with Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting

Lemon Curd

 Steamed Artichokes with Garlic-Lemon Butter

 Asparagus Soup

Strawberry-Lemon Cake

Classic Banana Bread

I used to hate baking.  When it came to time spent in the kitchen, I would usually much rather spend it over a pot of soup or a sizzling skillet.  That is, until I got pregnant.  I have officially fallen in love with baking - really, its more like I have become obsessed with it.   This is partly because all I want to eat is baked goods.  Real food?  Blech.  Cake?  Yes please (and could you make that slice a little bigger?).

Mostly, though, its because I have very little energy for doing things like cooking (and even less for taking photos and blogging about it, sorry 'bout that).  I have had a rough third trimester, with a risk of pre-term labor, and so when I do feel up to doing anything other than laying in bed watching past seasons of Top Chef, I find myself wanting to spend the precious time making something more exciting than dinner (thats what my husband is for).

Due to my pregnancy-enhanced obsession with bananas - I also frequently find myself with an ample supply of ripe bananas just begging to be made into some kind of sweet treat.   Strangely, I had never made banana bread in my life until last month, and I haven't been able to stop making it since, determined to get it perfect.  Its super moist with the occasional crunch from the walnuts and with just the right amount of sweetness.  Its just so simple and so delicious and so perfect with a cup of coffee on a boring Sunday afternoon in January.   And it will make your whole house smell like childhood.   Perfect.

**As I am expecting the imminent arrival of my son - I don't anticipate any posts for the next few weeks.  See you soon!!**

Classic Banana Bread
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (German type 550)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, at room temp
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 (113 g) butter, softened/at room temp
1 cup sugar
1 heaping cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 or 3 very ripe bananas)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.  Whisk together the eggs and vanilla and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.  Pour in the eggs while mixing, then the bananas.  The batter will seem kinda curdled at this point, that's ok.

Gently fold in the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the walnuts.   Pour into a lightly buttered loaf pan and bake at 180 C / 350 F for 40 to 55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a rack then gently turn it out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.  Store wrapped in plastic wrap.  Like a lot of quick breads - this one tastes great right away but is even more amazing the next day.  I like it plain or spread with a bit of cream cheese.