Halloween Edition: Borscht

A couple of summers ago C and I took a trip to Riga, Latvia. We had an amazing time there seeing the sights, drinking kvass, and eating our way around the city. One of my favorite things I ate there was “borscht,” which is a beet soup of Ukrainian origin that spread to the rest of Eastern Europe over the years. While beet soup doesn’t sound appetizing, it actually is one of my favorite dishes. I originally learned how to make borscht from a family friend when I was a teenager, and it’s been a standard fall soup in my house ever since. Since Halloween is here, and the color of the beet soup is almost blood red, I figured it would make a fabulous, spooky looking soup for a Halloween dinner party!

Ingredients:

Cooking oil (I used olive oil)

1 onion

4 cloves garlic

4 large beets

4 medium potatoes

1 large red cabbage

Beef stock (16 FL OZ)

Salt

Pepper

Sour cream (for topping)

Performance:

This soup takes almost no effort, really. I began by heating a large pot over medium high heat and adding a bit of olive oil. I asked C to squeeze 4 gloves of garlic through a garlic press into the soup pot. I then chopped up an onion and added that to the pot. I stirred the pot occasionally until the garlic and onions had caramelized. Then I added the beef stock to the pot and turned the heat up high. While I waited for the pot to boil I peeled and cut up the beets and potatoes into large bite sized pieces, and cut the red cabbage into long strips. I added everything into the pot (do NOT be alarmed if it seems like the cabbage won’t fit, as the cabbage with wilt and shrink) and shimmied in a bit of salt and pepper to my taste. Then I simply waited for the vegetables to soften. After the vegetables had softened enough to be pricked with a fork, I ladled my vampire red soup into a bowl, topped it with a dollop of sour cream, and sighed in enjoyment.

Express Summer Recipe: Shrimp, Mango, Peach, and Avocado Salsa

A couple of weeks a ago, C and I took a mini trip to wine country in Idaho. I know what you’re thinking, “Idaho has wine?!” Yes, dear readers, it does, and very good but underrated ones at that. Since the climate in Idaho is quite similar to California, the wines are of lovely quality, but at an undiscovered gem of a price!

A few days ago, we invited one of our friends over to sample our new wine finds. I wanted something to serve alongside a curious red wine from Ste. Chapelle Winery in Caldwell (pictured, cradled in my hand), dubbed their “Soft Red” which is intended to be served chilled and is oddly, yet delightfully, refreshing.

I took a peek in the fridge and noted fully cooked frozen shrimp, store bought mango and peach salsa, an avocado, and a lime. I turned it into a tropical salsa that was super quick, refreshing, and quite a people pleaser.

Ingredients:

La Mexicana Peach Mango Salsa (whole tub, easily found in your refrigerated veggie aisle)

A handful of fully cooked frozen shrimp (de-veined and tails off)

1 Avocado

1 Lime

Salt

Performance:

I began by taking a large handful of cooked frozen shrimp and plopping them into a large bowl of hot water to defrost. In mere moments the hot water had completely defrosted the shrimp, so I drained the contents and returned the shrimp to the bowl. I added the tub of peach mango salsa (which as it turns out is made fresh, and has no artificial preservatives), the juice of one lime, the green goodness of one avocado, and a generous pinch of salt. I combined and served with tortilla chips.

The wine and salsa pairing was super summery, and definitely took the edge off the heat of the city.

French Onion Soup

Last Summer C and I took a trip to Latvia and spent ten amazing days there exploring and eating. On our way back home we had a layover in France at Charles de Gaulle airport and I mentioned that I had never been to Paris before. C looked at his watch and said, “Well we have 6 hours until our next flight. Do you want to have lunch in Paris?” It was probably the most romantic question I have ever been asked. Of course I’d like to have lunch in Paris! I have I mentioned that I love this guy? So he took my hand and we hailed a taxi. I explained to the taxi driver in my very broken college French that we would like to go to the Arc de Triomphe, and off we went.

When we arrived at the Arc de Triomphe it had begun to rain—in true Parisian fashion of course. This didn’t bother us at all, and we took our time perusing shops and even had a snack of macarons (I remember the raspberry ones vividly). Finally we decided on a place to have lunch called, Le Triomphe, and my god was it amazing.

Everyone there was very hip and very French—dressed all in chic black clothing, smoking cigarettes, and having a glass of red wine with lunch. We had the most beautiful lunch of onion soup, duck confit with potatoes, and a lovely Bordeaux. While everything was incredible, the most astonishing dish was the onion soup. It was velvety, decadent, and had such depth to it. To this day when I think of that onion soup I can remember vividly the taste of the soup on my tongue, the smell of the Parisian rain, C’s arm around my shoulder, and how neither of us cared one bit that we were cold and wet from the downpour—we were cocooned by our happiness and the warmth of the soup… maybe the wine had something to do with it as well :)

Today in Nashville it rained. A lot. On my way to the grocery store I was struck with the desire to recreate that onion soup. A French friend once told me that onion soup is the cure for hangovers and broken hearts, but I don’t think either one of those ailments is needed as an excuse to make it.

Ingredients:

5 Large onions

Olive oil

Red wine

Beef stock

Bourbon

Salt

Black pepper

White pepper

2 bay leaves

Thyme

Garlic powder

Dried parsley

Oregano

Sourdough bread

Cheese (I used parmesan because that’s all I had, but gruyere would be better)

Performance:

First I donned my onion goggles. I got them as a gift from C’s Aunt, and I must say they are amazing. I usually cry like a baby when I cut onions, but no longer! I cut up all five onions and put them into a large pot with olive oil and turned the heat to medium. The onions filled the pot over the brim, but not to worry, they cook down to a very small amount. This is the only fussy part about the soup—it takes about 30 minutes to an hour to cook all the way down to a golden brown. 

Once the onion was bronzed, I deglazed the pot with about 2 glasses of red wine. I then added the beef stock, salt, black pepper, white pepper, bay leaves, thyme, garlic powder, dried parsley, and oregano. I allowed the soup to simmer for about 30 minutes, poured in a shot of bourbon to lift the flavors, then ladled into a bowl. Traditional French onion soups usually call for a baguette rubbed with garlic then smothered with cheese to be placed on top of the soup then baked until the cheese is bubbling. I don’t have to ramekins or the patience for this. I simply cut a slice of sourdough bread into a heart shape then toasted in a toaster. I then applied olive oil spray onto the bread and shimmied a bit of garlic powder on it. Since everything was already so hot, I sprinkled a bit of Parmesan cheese on top and it melted just fine.

C and I ate this happily with a side of mixed greens and a glass of Bordeaux. To enhance our evening, I also popped in the movie “Midnight in Paris” (which I highly recommend). It was like Paris in Nashville, except we weren’t soaked with rain, but warm and dry at home.

Deliciously Retro: Venison Meatloaf + Old Bay Brussels Sprouts

I was raised by an amazing single mom. During the week my grandmother was my caregiver, but on the weekends I wasn’t visiting my father, my mom tried her damnedest to be the mother she wished she had time to be. I had a blast helping her make dinner and dessert (usually some sort of comfort food followed by dark chocolate chip cookies) on a Friday night, dancing as we did so. These nights were joyful and often accompanied by fingernail painting and classic movies. We were essentially living an episode on Gilmore Girls. These laughter filled evenings felt more like a slumber party with a friend than a night in with my mother, and this feeling is one I’d like to pass on to my children one day.

One of the staple recipes my mom made was a 50’s style meatloaf with, as she calls it, “an egg surprise.” I’ll try to recreate that delightfully retro dish here, in honor of my mom and our weekend dinner/ joy fests.

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground venison (my mom used beef or turkey but I’m still using up the venison C procured during his last hunting trip)
1 onion
1 cup matchstick carrots
4 hard boiled eggs
2 regular eggs
2 slices of toast crumbled
Barbecue sauce (use your favorite)
Salt
Black pepper
White pepper
Oregano
Cajun seasoning
Cumin
Garlic powder
*Note on spice measurement: Although I used about a tablespoon each of the spices, this kind of heavy seasoning is only appropriate for wild game. If using beef, turkey, etc. season lightly.*

Accompaniment: Sriracha or Mang Tomas (both sauces are easily found at Asian markets)

Performance:
I began by hard boiling four eggs. * I’ll give a quick lesson on how to perfectly hard boil eggs every time—I placed the eggs in a small pot of cold water then brought the pot to a boil. Once the pot started boiling I set my timer for 12 minutes. When the time was up I drained to eggs, then plunged them into an ice bath to halt the cooking process. And that my friends, is how you make perfect hard boiled eggs every time.* While the eggs were boiling I diced up an onion and sautéed in olive oil it until golden in a medium pan, then transferred it to a large bowl. Then, I unwrapped and placed my ground venison into the large bowl with the onion. Next, as a precaution, I donned some nytril gloves because frankly, I didn’t want to be picking raw meat, raw eggs, and spices out from under my fingernails until kingdom come. I cracked 2 eggs into a separate smaller bowl, whisked, then added them to the venison. I toasted two slices of wheat bread, tossed them into a large Ziplock bag, and handed the bag of toast to C to scrunch into breadcrumbs (he thought this was fun) then add it to the venison and eggs. I then had C shake in the matchstick carrots, salt, black pepper, white pepper, oregano, Cajun seasoning, cumin, and garlic powder. I squished and mixed everything until it was fully combined, then greased a glass meatloaf pan with olive oil. Next was the fun part—I smoothed half of the mixture into the bottom of the pan, then placed the four hard boiled eggs, end to end, into the mixture. I then placed the remaining mixture on top of the eggs and smoothed it into a dome shape. Finally, I smothered, and I do mean smothered, the entire meatloaf with barbecue sauce. I slid the meatloaf into the oven at 350 degrees for one hour and the internal temperature was 155 degrees.

C and I sliced the meatloaf, tasted, and giggled at the pure comfort food pleasure. We complemented it with two awesome Asian sauces called Sriracha and Mang Tomas (it was fun to take a forkfull of meatloaf and dip it into either the spicy Sriracha or the sweet and savory Mang Tomas), Old Bay Brussels sprouts, and a nice Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a good Friday night.

Bonus Side Dish: Old Bay Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
2 pounds Brussels sprouts
Olive oil
Old Bay seasoning
1 microwave safe Ziplock bag

Performance:
Make sure the Brussels sprouts are clean, then place them in a Ziplock bag and toss it in the microwave for 5 minutes. When the time is up, carefully transfer to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning, and mix. It’s the quickest, easiest, tastiest side dish ever.

Filipino Recipe: Guinataang Alimasag (Crab in Coconut Milk) *The Low Budget Version*

When I was a little girl my grandmother used to make guinataang alimasag (crab in coconut milk) for me on special occasions. She would take me to our local Asian food market, lead me to the large container of live crabs, and hand me some metal tongs. I would lift the dancing water creatures with the tongs, giggling as I did so, and plop them into a paper grocery bag. They would snap their claws audibly, and rustle about in the paper bag in the back seat on the way home. My grandmother would cook them on the stove and tell me about her childhood in Manila as I sat, watching and listening closely, with my knees hugged to my chest. I remember intensely how it made me feel to eat that dish. The crabmeat was tender and yielding, and the coconut milk a comforting sweetness that managed to be heavy and light at the same time.

I wanted to recreate this dish, but didn’t want to shell out (LOL I "crack" myself up!) the big bucks for real crab, so I used imitation crab and it was still wonderful. This also makes the dish safe to eat for anyone who is allergic to shellfish (still be cautious and read the label before use if that is a concern). The use of imitation crab also makes this recipe very quick and easy to make, so it would be no problem to throw together as a midweek meal.

Ingredients:
1 lb imitation crab
Coconut oil (honestly any kind of oil will do to oil the pan)
2 cans coconut milk
3 cloves garlic
Ginger (about a tablespoon, freshly grated)
6 green onions (cut in thick 2 inch pieces)
Black pepper
White pepper
Salt
Cooked rice (to serve with completed dish)

Performance:
I began by slicking the pan with coconut oil and sautéing the garlic and ginger until golden. I then added the coconut milk and stirred casually for about 20 minutes. I then added the imitation crab and added the spices to my taste. Once the crab was well incorporated, I added the green onions and cooked until they were slightly tender. I served over rice and was transported back to childhood.

Sick Day Edition: Spicy Chicken Soup + Apple Cider Hot Toddy

A few weeks ago, I came down with a nasty cold. Nashville had been struck with another snow/ice storm and of course, everything was shut down once again. C had gone out of town for business and was stuck in New England, so I was all by my lonesome self. Fortunately this time around I actually believed the weatherman when he announced another bout of the snow and ice was on its way, and I hopped over to the grocery store and stocked up before the storm.

My cold hit me with the same force as the weather did. It was sudden, and it shut my body down. Even though I had bought a variety of healthy foods to keep me occupied during my days in, I found I didn’t feel like they were what my body needed to feel better. I was craving orange juice, saltine crackers, Jello, (not all at once of course), and honest to god chicken soup. I knew once I’d had a bowl of spicy chicken soup I’d feel loads better, so I convinced myself to get out of bed and make the ambrosial concoction.

Ingredients:

***NO JUDGEMENT for not boiling the heck out of a whole, raw chicken, carefully seasoning it with spices, and babying it for 3 hours. I know how to do that, and lord knows it tastes way better and is supremely elegant when its finished, but I was sick ok ya’ll?! ***

Chicken stock (32 fl oz and pre-seasoned)
Chicken (I bought packaged pre-cooked and pre-sliced kind typically used for salads)
Baby carrots (whole bag)
Mushrooms (whole package)
Celery (one stalk, because frankly I don’t like celery that much)
1 glass of white wine (veering into Coq Au Vin Blanc territory here, but it’s a delicious addition)
Salt
Black Pepper
White pepper
Cayenne
Oregano
Garlic powder
Bonus: Sriracha (A little squirt of this potent Asian hot sauce in your steaming soup will cure what ails you!)

Performance:

I dragged my pathetic self out of bed and into the kitchen. I glugged the chicken stock into a large pan, and groaned pitifully and felt sorry for myself until it began to boil. Very carefully, attempting not to drip snot into my soup (Eww!) I added the chicken, baby carrots, mushrooms, and celery. The stock was already seasoned but it tasted kind of bland (maybe because I couldn’t breathe out of my nose, and therefore couldn’t taste) so I shimmied in some salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, oregano, and garlic powder. I also added a glass full of white wine. Once all the ingredients had softened, I ladled some into a bowl, gave it a hefty squirt of Sriracha, plopped myself back into bed, started an episode of Gilmore Girls on Netflix, and slurped away. Though the weather was terrible outside and I missed C, I had a big bowl of spicy chicken soup all to myself—and that made me happy.

Drink Recipe Bonus: Apple Cider Hot Toddy

When the chicken soup is gone and you need something to nurse your cold and help you sleep, nothing is better than my Apple Cider Hot Toddy.

Ingredients:

1 packet Alpine Spiced Cider Mix
2 Cinnamon Sticks
Honey
Lemon (just a little slice)
1 shot of bourbon (your choice)

Performance:

Heat a kettle of water on the stove. While you’re waiting for the water to come to a boil, add the powdered spiced apple cider mix, cinnamon sticks, honey, lemon, and bourbon to your mug. Once the water is boiling, tip the water into your mug and stir. You’re welcome.