Variations on a Theme: Egg Drop Soup

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To continue the theme of spring dishes, I wanted to discuss Egg Drop Soup. This basic soup goes by many different guises, including the Chinese version that is most familiar and Stracciatella in Italy. Heartier versions with garlic, rice, spinach and even chicken can be found in many other cuisines, such as Greece and France. But in all these variations, the basic principle is the same. Chicken stock, preferably homemade, is brought to a simmer. Then beaten egg is slowly stirred into the stock with a fork off the heat, creating ribbons of scrambled egg in the soup.

Made properly, Egg Drop Soup is delicious and satisfying, and of course it can be dressed up in many different ways. This is a perfect quick dish if you’re on your own for dinner.

Basic Egg Drop Soup

Yields: 1 serving (can be doubled, tripled and so on)
Time to make: ~10 minutes (not counting time to make the stock)

Beat 1 egg lightly. Bring 1 cup chicken stock to a simmer. Remove the stock from the heat. Slowly pour in the egg, stirring the soup constantly in a circular motion with a fork, until the egg has thickened into long ribbons, 2-3 minutes.

Add any additional ingredients or flavorings as desired:

• Chinese-style: sesame oil, soy sauce, watercress and sliced scallions
• Italian-style: grated Parmesan
• French-style: minced garlic simmered in the stock and fresh herbs
• Greek-style: rice (cook it in the stock before adding the egg), spinach, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice; also add shredded, cooked chicken for a heartier, diner-style version

Tortellini With Lemon & Herbs

Tortellini with fresh herbs, originally uploaded by shannon_turlington.

Last week I posted a wintry pasta dish, so this week I am countering with a pasta that is all about summer. This sauce is light and tangy, perfect for a hot summer night, especially if you can use herbs right out of your own garden. It pairs best with fresh pasta, I think. I used cheese tortellini to make a more filling main dish, but it would also work well with fresh fettuccine as a side.

I paired the pasta with steamed asparagus sprinkled with Parmesan and a little olive oil. (Just run it under the broiler until the Parmesan melts.)

Pasta with Lemon and Herbs

Time to make: ~10 minutes
Yields: 2 servings (double or triple as desired)

What you need:

• 1 garlic clove, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• the zest and juice of 1 small lemon
• 2 tbsp. butter, softened
• ¼ cup fresh herbs, minced (good choices are basil, parsley and oregano)
• crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• grated Parmesan to taste
• 8 oz. tortellini or other fresh pasta

1. Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water.
2. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium.
3. Add the garlic and saute just until golden, then remove from the heat.
4. Combine the garlic and oil with the lemon juice, zest, butter and herbs in a large bowl.
5. Toss with the cooked, drained pasta until the butter is melted and the pasta is well coated.
6. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and Parmesan as desired.

Note: Reserve some of the pasta cooking water and mix in a tablespoon or two if the sauce needs a little liquid.

This is my entry for Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by Once Upon a Feast.

Quick and Easy but Elegant Party Food

Yes, the party season is winding down, but here’s a dilemma that can come up at any time: What do you do if you want to be social and have people over, but you don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking beforehand? I know that as I have gotten more and more pregnant, my tolerance for standing in front of a stove has diminished greatly. Here are some ideas I’ve used for putting together a simple but elegant spread without spending a lot of time or effort, beyond perhaps a quick trip to the grocery store.

The Cheese Tray

Of course, the cheese tray is a classic for good reason — who doesn’t love a selection of nice cheeses? But you can get creative with it without too much extra effort. Fresh and dried fruits, nuts, pickles and cured meats all pair well with cheeses. In addition, why not put out one or two unusual accompaniments? One of my favorites is hot pepper jelly, which goes especially well with a creamy cheese like chevre. An unusual mustard, chutney, honey or infused oil would also work. In fact, this is a great opportunity to get rid of that gourmet gift or that jar you picked up on a shopping trip that looked interesting but you haven’t figured out what to do with it.

Breads and Chips

This is another way to get creative without expending too much effort: make your own crostini and chips. Slice up a baguette or cut pitas or tortillas into wedges, brush with oil, sprinkle with a little coarse salt and crisp up in a 400-degree oven for 8-10 minutes, until browned. Other breads will work too. Crostini and chips freeze well, so are easy to keep on hand. I have gotten into the habit of making them whenever I have some bread that is about to turn rock hard and keeping a freezer bag full. Not only are they good to pull out for parties, but they also make yummy snacks.

Straws and Tarts

If you have some puff pastry dough or pre-made pizza dough, you can make a whole host of finger foods. Keep these ingredients on hand in the freezer, and all you have to remember is to take them out to thaw a few hours before the party starts. I have spread pizza dough with pesto and sprinkled with grated cheese, then folded over the edges to form a rustic tart. Other simple toppings, such as sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers or olives, would also be delicious. Bake for 10 minutes in a 400-degree oven, and the result is a real crowd pleaser.

Or press grated cheese, sesame seeds, herbs or spices into a sheet of puff pastry dough. Cut the dough into strips, twist each strip and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes to make elegant straws. These look nice served in a tall vase or pitcher.

Smoked Fish Platter

This is one of my favorite appetizers (sometimes I make a meal of it): an assortment of smoked fishes, such as salmon, trout and oysters, with a variety of accompaniments. I like to serve smoked fish with those tiny loaves of black bread, sour cream, honey mustard, fresh dill or chives and minced red onion. They also go well with cucumber slices, tomato slices and melon wedges.

Mulled Wine or Cider

One way to ensure that your house smells terrific when guests arrive is to have a pot of mulled wine or cider on the stove, and it’s dead easy to make. Pour 1 bottle of dry red wine or apple cider into a large pot. Add 1 sliced orange and 1 sliced lemon, 2 cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks and a few dashes nutmeg. If needed, stir in some sugar to taste. Bring to a simmer — do not let it boil! — and then keep warm over low during the party.

Presentation

Since you don’t have to spend a lot of time cooking, you have more time to come up with creative ways to present the food. I actually think these ideas are more fun than the typical trays of hors d’oeuvres, because they can be served in lots of little bowls, plates and platters that you can place at various strategic points around the party area, rather than creating that one central food station where everyone congregates. I love to collect small ceramic dishes and bowls, and a gathering is a perfect excuse to show them off.

The key is to have fun with it. Even the simplest dishes can be impressive, and your guests won’t know what shortcuts you’ve taken. This leaves you more time and energy to actually enjoy your parties.

Happy new year!

Tomato & Bread Salad

Tomato and Bread Salad is a resourceful way to turn day-old bread and an abundance of summer tomatoes into something delicious. This is actually one of my favorite salads, one I could eat every day for lunch during the height of tomato season.

Although bread salad, called panzanella in Italy, is most often associated with Italian cooking, it is actually a pan-Mediterranean salad. The Lebanese version, called fattoush, uses stale pita and has a few more vegetables. In Greece it is called dakos, and features feta and cucumbers in addition to the tomatoes and stale bread. In truth, this salad is very versatile, which is why it is often referred to as “leftover salad.” But I prefer the spare Tuscan version, which reduces the salad to just the essentials.

Tomato and Bread Salad

Time to make: ~15 minutes
Yields: 2-4 servings

1. Chop 2 tomatoes and sprinkle with salt.
2. Cube 3 cups of day-old Italian or peasant-style bread.
3. Combine the tomatoes and bread, and let the juices soak the bread.
4. Thinly slice ¼ red onion and scatter into the salad.
5. Combine 3 tbsp. olive oil and 1½ tbsp. red wine vinegar, and toss into the salad.
6. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil and oregano.

Note: If the bread is not stale enough, brown the cubes in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes or so. It needs to have enough crunch to absorb the tomato juices without becoming too soggy.

Mediterranean-Style Roasted Vegetable Salad

Are you overrun in garden goodness? Then try this salad. It was a big hit at our house and is chock full of delicious veggies. While I made it with eggplant and squash, I think it might also take well to additions or substitutions of tomatoes and sweet peppers. A little bit of roasted chile is absolutely essential, though — the mild bite makes this salad special.

Mediterranean-Style Roasted Vegetable Salad

Time to make: ~30 minutes
Yields: 4-6 servings

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut 1 eggplant and 2 summer squash/zucchini into fairly large chunks.
3. Add 1 onion, sliced, and 1-2 mild chiles such as Anaheim, diced.
4. Toss all the vegetables in a roasting pan with 2 tbsp. olive oil, coarse salt and pepper.
5. Roast until browned at the edges, about 25 minutes.
6. Whisk together 2 tsp. garlic paste or 2 pressed garlic cloves, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. lemon juice and 1 tsp. cumin.
7. Toss with the vegetables and add more salt and pepper to taste.
8. Sprinkle over with shredded basil.
9. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Notes: All amounts are approximate and based on memory. Taste and adjust as you go.

Roasted Red Pepper & Yogurt Dip

Another big-time party is coming up, so time for a couple of dip recipes to hit my blog. This dip is a very pretty coral color, super-easy to make, tangy and really good. It goes well with crudites and pita chips. No one will ever guess you used yogurt (yuck!) for the base. (Actually, I eat plain yogurt almost every day for breakfast, so I am a fan of the flavor.)

Roasted Red Pepper & Yogurt Dip

Serves: many people
Time to make: ~5 minutes with pre-roasted peppers

In a food processor, proccess together:

• 1 cup roasted red peppers — jarred or roast them yourself under the broiler until the skins turn black
• ½ cup plain yogurt (not low-fat!)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Notes:If you use jarred red peppers packed in olive oil or vinegar, substitute some of the liquid from the jar, but reduce the amount a bit.

If you roast your own red peppers, let them steam for about 10 minutes in a paper bag after roasting. This will make it easier to remove the skins. But don’t stress about peeling every bit of skin off, since the smoky flavor will just add to the flavor of the dip.

Roasted Vegetable Salsa

When it’s wintertime and you’re missing fresh salsa, this can be a more-than-acceptable substitute. The seasonings I give here provide a Mediterranean flavor, and I like to serve this salsa as part of a mezze with pita chips. If you want a more Latin-style salsa, use hotter chilies and substitute seasonings like lime juice, vegetable oil, cilantro and cayenne or Southwest seasoning.

Roasted Vegetable Salsa

Serves: 8 or more as an appetizer
Time to make: ~30 minutes

What you need:

• ½ onion
• 1 bell pepper (cut in half)
• 2 mild chilies (such as Anaheim or poblano)
• 3 tomatoes, cut in halves
• 2 tsp. garlic paste
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• coarse salt to taste
• fresh basil (optional)
• food processor

1. Preheat the broiler
2. Broil the onion and peppers for 8 minutes
3. Add the tomato halves and continue to broil another 5-8 minutes, until the skins are blackened
4. Remove and let cool
5. Peel off as much of the skins and remove as many of the seeds as possible
6. Chop the vegetables coarsely and combine in a food processor with the garlic paste, cumin, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and basil
7. Process until still fairly chunky

Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce for Pasta

When you don’t know what to make for dinner, pasta is always a good solution. But don’t you dare open that jar of pasta sauce with all of its corn syrup and artificial ingredients that tastes more like sugar than anything. In just a little more time, you can make a really tasty pasta sauce from scratch. This recipe makes enough for 2 plus leftovers. Make double and freeze some for next time, why don’t you?

Tomato Sauce

Serves: 2-4
Time to make: 20 minutes – 1 hour

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ medium onion, minced (optional)
• 1 14-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste (optional)
• ¼ cup red wine (optional)
• Salt, pepper, other seasonings to taste

Heat the oil over medium-low. Saute the garlic and and onion until golden. You can add other aromatics at this point, like mushrooms, carrots, celery, peppers or chiles, if you like.

Add the tomatoes. I strongly recommend organic canned tomatoes — they taste tons better because there is less salt and other additives, and the tomatoes they started from were better to begin with. One product I’ve grown really fond of lately is crushed organic tomatoes in a tall glass jar (I don’t remember the brand). It doesn’t have the canned taste, and you can use as much as you need and refrigerate the rest — handy!

If you want a thicker sauce, stir in tomato paste. What do you do with that leftover tomato paste? Spoon it out on wax paper by the tablespoon and freeze. Once it’s frozen, store it in freezer bags, and you’ll have pre-measured tomato paste whenever you need it. I’m also seeing tomato paste in a glass jar now, which lets you store leftovers in the refrigerator.

If you’re feeling a little ooh-la-la, add the wine and drink the rest of the bottle with dinner — otherwise, skip it. Season — an Italian dried herb mix comes in handy right about now.

Raise the heat to medium and simmer until it starts to look “saucy,” about 10 minutes (long enough to cook the pasta) or up to 45 minutes, if you so choose. Taste the sauce frequently while it’s cooking. If it tastes too acidic, stir in a little sugar. Leave it chunky or puree if you want and serve over pasta.

Of course, tomato sauce has a lot more uses than just for pasta. Now that you’ve got the basic formula down, you can whip up some tomato sauce whenever you might need it, such as when you’re making lasagne or meatball sandwiches.

Update: If you have a lot of fresh tomatoes on hand, you can also make this sauce with fresh tomatoes for immediate eating or freezing, in order to preserve your tomatoes after the growing season. About 16 roma tomatoes will make about 1 cup of sauce. The tomatoes should be peeled and chopped before cooking. I usually eliminate the onion, tomato paste and wine, especially if I’m freezing the sauce, as I can add more flavors during reheating — but the garlic is essential. Fresh tomatoes usually require only 10 minutes of cooking to break down into a thick sauce.

How to Make Hearty Soup

Soup is one of the easiest and most satisfying things to make. Almost anything goes when it comes to soup, and if you make a lot of it, you will have lunches for days, or you can freeze it and have ready-made dinner for the next week. Here is the basic formula for making pretty much any kind of soup you like.

Basic Hearty Soup

This recipe is intended to serve 4 people, but it can be easily doubled or tripled. Even when made for 4, there are always leftovers.

Over medium-high, saute aromatics in 2 tbsp. olive oil until golden. For most soups, you can’t go wrong with onion and garlic. Adding carrots and celery is a safe bet for traditional soups.

Add:

• 4 cups mixed chopped vegetables — any will do, but I prefer vegetables that aren’t too watery, so I usually don’t use zucchini, summer squash or eggplant.
• 1 cup canned or cooked beans, chicken, fish, shrimp or even clams for some protein – you will probably want to save the seafood until the soup is almost done cooking so it doesn’t get overcooked
• 1 cup starch, such as pasta, rice, orzo, whole grains or potatoes
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (optional)
• 8 cups water or stock

Add seasoning of your choice. Salt and pepper are mandatory. Dried herb mix is a good addition.

Chef’s tip! If you have a rind from a Parmesan cheese sitting around, throw it in–it will really enrich the flavor.

Bring it all to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until all the vegetables are tender and everything is cooked. This could take anywhere from 15-45 minutes depending on what kinds of proteins and starches you added. Just keep checking it every 10-15 minutes.

Garnish! Think of garnishes as like the accessories for your dish. Don’t overdo it, but a few well chosen garnishes can really make the outfit. Fresh herbs will always brighten the flavor. Grated cheese is nice, as are croutons. Or go outside the box: a dollop of pesto, toasts topped with cheese and broiled, diced avocado, raw bean sprouts, whatever you like. This is your soup.