Cilantro Lime Chicken for the Crock Pot

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Sometimes my recipe inspiration comes from unlikely sources. In this case, I first saw this recipe from my friend Samantha (not her real name, but her chosen alias. I’ll give you a second to digest the fact she has a need for an alias). Sam is one of my oldest friends, and once upon a time, she was the Lucy to my Ethel. I could (and probably should) write a whole book devoted to Sam, but today I’ll just share this one story.

Sam’s mother wasn’t much of a cook, so she was not trained in the art of Thanksgiving since childhood. I helped talk her through her first Thanksgiving back in 1993 or 1994. I had thought I covered all of my bases. We went over the recipes and the shopping list and the How To’s, and I believed my little birdie was ready to fly. Then around 5:00 pm, while I was entertaining my own guests, the phone rings.

Sam: I don’t understand! The turkey has been cooking FIVE HOURS and it’s still not done. It’s still pink and bloody and not brown like the pictures.

Me: Wait, FIVE HOURS? I thought you had an eight pound bird. That doesn’t sound right. Maybe your oven is broken. Did you set it for 325 or 350?

Sam: Uhhhh. I thought I was supposed to set the oven for 165 degrees. That’s the number you kept saying. Is that not right?

Me: SAAAAMMMM!!!! 165 is the INTERNAL temperature. Remember? I said you needed a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of 165. The OVEN needs to be at 325. No wonder your turkey is raw. I didn’t even know an oven could be set so low.

Sam: I thought internal meant INSIDE THE OVEN, not INSIDE THE TURKEY.

Me: We will laugh about this one day. Enjoy your Thanksgiving pizza!

Perhaps the above illustrates my surprise and delight that my little Sammy has come so far and is now picking out recipes on Pintrest and posting them on Facebook. Hey, it’s a start.

This recipe has all of my winning elements: crock pot, flavorful, easy. Added bonus: My whole family loved it. The only change I made is that I used boneless chicken thighs, as I absolutely hate boneless breasts done in the crock pot. I firmly believe that if you are crockpotting chicken, you either need to go for bone-in breasts or boneless thighs. Not everyone agrees with me, but I feel compelled to share this opinion with you. I served this over rice with a dollop of sour cream, and it was perfect. The author suggests using it for chicken tacos, and I think that’s a brilliant idea.

Cilantro Lime Chicken for the Crockpot (original recipe by Megan from Pip & Ebby here)

In crock pot, mix together:

One 24-ounce jar medium or mild salsa

Juice from one lime

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

One 1.25-oz. package taco seasoning

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)

2 to 3 pounds of boneless chicken thighs or 3 – 4 bone-in chicken breasts

Directions:

Mix together first five ingredients in crock pot. Cover chicken with mixture. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Shred chicken with a fork (removing any bones if necessary) and return to the crock pot for at least another 20 minutes. Serve with rice or as a taco filling. Top with more fresh cilantro.

I have a thing for cilantro and try to grow some every year. This should be ready in a few more weeks.

I also have a thing for limes, lemons’ classier green cousins.

Uncle Larry’s Teriyaki Steak

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I love getting mail! I was thrilled to open my mailbox last week and find several recipes sent from my dear aunt (and Mom Mom’s daughter). She wrote:

Dearest Dawn,

When Uncle Larry was in his early 20’s, he lived with a girl in Hawaii and they had a cook (Japanese) and before he left, she gave him these recipes.

I never knew this about my uncle, and once again I was reminded that most people have lived lives beyond the ones we know. Before we became stable, upstanding citizens and parents, many of us had quite an interesting and colorful past. Myself included. But those are tales for another day.

I always knew my uncle was a great cook, because my mother raved for years about how he cooked dinner for her and my aunt after my cousin was born and my mom was sent up to New Hampshire to help out with the new baby duties. Of course, Mom’s standards — no offense, Dad — were pretty low, and I’m sure anything beyond a bowl of cereal and milk was mighty impressive to her. Anyway, the surprise to me was not that my uncle (or any man) can cook, but that he lived in Hawaii. I have a bit of a Hawaii fixation, and we will definitely be discussing that another day.

I am always so honored when people take the time to share their favorite recipes with me, and I promise you I will eventually try them all. In April, I will be making a coconut cake from one of my mom’s oldest friends. But tonight, it is Uncle Larry’s Teriyaki Steak from 1970’s Hawaii. It is a simple little recipe, but as we all know, simple things are often the most delicious. I served this tonight with sauteed green peppers, onions and rice. The verdict was strongly positive. Logan, 15, said it was as good as expected. Andrew, 8, and my pickiest eater in the family, said it was BETTER than he expected. Nate liked it well enough, and Ed is already asking when I can make it again. In this family, that’s a win.

Some notes on the recipe:

“Shoyu” means soy sauce. “Ajinomoto” is the commercial name for mono-sodium glutamate, or MSG as it’s commonly known, and we will NOT be using that, even sparingly. But in the interest of authenticity, I am including it in the recipe. I actually made two batches of this marinade: one for the peppers and onions, and one for the steak. I wanted to be able to pour some extra over the rice, and of course we know that any extra beef marinade must be discarded for safety reasons. I used about a pound and a half of a boneless top round sirloin. I also sprinkled some roasted sesames on my serving, because I believe almost everything is better with sesame seeds.

 

Grating fresh ginger is a breeze if you freeze it first. Even peeling is unnecessary. A Microplane grater/zester makes the job effortless. Say goodbye to bloody knuckles forever!

Uncle Larry’s Teriyaki Steak

1 pound meat

1/2 cup shoyu (soy sauce)

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

ajinomoto (Dawn did not use and does not recommend)

1 small piece of ginger, crushed or grated

Boil sugar and soy sauce. Add other ingredients while cooling. Soak meat in this sauce for an hour. (Dawn used a Ziplock bag and marinated for about two hours). Use hot skillet and cook quickly (Dawn used some olive oil in the skillet, too).

The original recipe is shown below, and I just love that it was kept for all these years. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did.

Tears in my Shopping Cart

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Like most women who stay at home, I find myself at the grocery store quite often during Mom Hours (9:00 to 3:00 pm), and I tend to avoid the store other times. When you shop during Mom Hours, you obviously see lots of moms, and frequently those moms will have their kids with them. I used to be one of those moms towing kids along, but I’m not anymore. My kids are big and in school all day, and they smartly choose to avoid the grocery store whenever possible.

Back in the day, taking my kids to the store was never what I would call “fun,” but it wasn’t terrible, either. It was just something we did together for many years — part of my Life with Small Children, part of my Life as a Young(ish) Mother. Most of the time, things turned out just fine. Yes, we had our moments, and I’m sure some trips were stressful and embarrassing and rather unpleasant at times, too. But mostly we were fine.

It’s hard to describe or explain my sorrow over losing something not particularly fantastic. It makes sense to mourn the loss of snuggles and public hugs and cute mispronunciations and naps, but it doesn’t make sense to miss a chore you never especially cared for in the first place. And yet, inexplicably, I will be in line and see a mom with three little ducklings behind me, and I will sometimes have to blink back my tears. It doesn’t matter if one of the kids has a runny nose and the other one is trying to steal gum and the third one is whining that he’s thirsty and the mom looks a little frazzled. It doesn’t matter that I am showered and my hair is brushed and I might even be wearing something nice because I am soon going to a grown-up lunch with a grown-up friend to enjoy uninterrupted grown-up conversation. I see that woman with her three little kids, and I always feel sad and sometimes even a little jealous. It makes no sense whatsoever.

I suppose I am at a crossroads, transitioning from the world of needy little kids to independent bigger kids. I’m not quite ready to leave Sesame Street and Fisher-Price behind, but my kids have long since graduated from those baby things. Like the perpetual college student, I just enjoy it here way too much and want to keep things the same even though all of my friends have moved on to bigger and better.

Years ago, when I was first starting out my career, I worked with a girl who talked about what she wrote under “ambition” of her high school yearbook senior picture. She told me, without the least amount of shame or embarrassment, that she wrote her ambition was to be a good wife and mother. Really, I said? That’s it? Boy, did I feel sorry for her. Frankly, I thought that was the most pathetic thing I ever heard. Hello, is it 1950? A good wife and mother? Way to aim for the stars, Sister. Nice job setting feminism back fifty years.

Greetings, Irony, we meet again. Despite all of the colossal — and perhaps delusional — ambitions of my late teens and early twenties, I ultimately settled on being A Good Wife and Mother as my ambition. I can’t imagine a better one to have chosen. But there are days like today, when I’m in the grocery store all by myself, when I am reminded that my days here at this gig are numbered. Today I am buying food for five, but in a couple years, I will be buying food for four. And then three. And then two. Excuse me while I break into Sunrise, Sunset while sobbing by the yogurt.

The simple fact is that I truly love being a homemaker, and I think I’m pretty good at it. And I really don’t want it to end. So if you see a teary-eyed 40-something lady staring a bit too long at you and your kids in Acme, don’t be alarmed. That’s just me willing myself to remember every mundane detail of the best job I will ever have.

Lasagne for Dummies

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If you grew up making your own pasta or assisting your Italian grandmother while she skillfully prepared Sunday dinner, move along. This recipe isn’t for you.

This is for all of the people who are intimidated by the awesome Italian architectural splendor that is lasagne and have thought, “Nope, can’t do it. Too complicated.” I’m here to tell you that you CAN do it, and it’s really quite simple, assuming you follow certain elementary procedures. And unlike me, you don’t have to wait until you’re 35 to try this for the first time.

The number one secret is this: Barilla No-Boil Lasagne Noodles. Secondly, use a good sauce. Either make your own or cough up the big bucks and buy two decent jarred ones (hint: not Ragu or Prego). The sauce is important, yet very forgiving at the same time. I usually just open a jar of crushed tomatoes and start adding a little of this and a little of that like a crazy mad scientist, and eventually I stop once I like how it tastes.  Finally, do not skimp on the cheese. When it comes to lasagne, I am definitely from the More is Better school of cheese distribution.

Maybe because I am rapidly developing old lady eyes, or maybe because the writing is legitimately too small, but I always have the worst time reading the back of the box instructions. I am going to lovingly type them out here, both for your benefit and for mine. Remember, be creative! Put your own personal stamp on this lasagne, whether it’s a splash of red wine, some crushed red pepper, extra veggies, pancetta instead of ground beef — or all of the above.

These lovely rainbow readers are the last gift Mom Mom gave to me. I couldn’t read the box without them! She had a matching pair. I have reading glasses planted everywhere throughout my house.

Barilla Four Layer No-Boil Lasagne

Ingredients:

1 box (16 sheets) Barilla No-Boil Lasagna Noodles
1 lb. ground beef or ground sausage, cooked to crumbles and drained
2 jars Barilla Marinara sauce (OR your own, which I suggest)
2 eggs
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
15 oz. container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (or similar) cheese

IMPORTANT: If using a 2-inch deep pan (such as the 13 x 9 Pyrex which I use), make only 3 layers to avoid boiling over. Use the same amount of filling, just distribute it evenly.  If using meat, add it to your sauce, OR do it the Barilla way, which involves adding it above the ricotta mixture. Both work fine.

In medium bowl, beat two eggs, and combine with ricotta with 2 cups of the mozzarella and 1/2 cup grated parmesan.  Set aside.

Spray pan with cooking spray.
Layer 1:  Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce in pan.  Cover with 4 noodles, overlapping a bit as necessary.  Spread with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture.  Layer half the meat over top. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Spread 1 cup marinara over that.

Layer 2:  Cover first layer with 4 more noodles.  Spread with next 1/3 of the ricotta mixture.  Spread 1 cup marinara over that.

Layer 3:  Cover 2nd layer with 4 more noodles.  Spread last 1/3 of the ricotta mixture.  Layer last half of the meat over that.  Spread with 1 cup marinara.

Layer 4:  Cover 3rd layer with last 4 noodles.  Spread remaining marinara over top, completely covering noodles.  Sprinkle last 1 cup of mozzarella over top.

Cover pan with aluminum foil.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until bubbling.  Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

Let stand for half an hour before cutting.

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

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Yes, you read that right. Cinnamon. Bun. Popcorn. I KNOW! So simple, yet so genius.  I realize people have been doing all kinds of pimped up stuff to their popcorn for ages, so I thought I’d seen it all. Frankly, I’m disappointed that I didn’t think of something so obviously delicious myself. And the best part is you probably have everything you need to make this already in your kitchen — just in time for the Oscars tomorrow night!

I first heard of the food blog Lauren’s Latest when my friend Kristan pinned some of her sinfully good looking Garlic Cheesy Bread on Pintrest and it showed up on her Facebook feed (more on that subject later…perhaps). Then today, less than a week later, Fine Cooking posted Lauren’s recipe for Cinnamon Bun Popcorn on its Facebook feed. Could Facebook be conspiring with the universe to make me fat? And, if so, should I blame cute little Lauren? She looks so harmless, but, oh, these recipes!

My only advice with this recipe would be to double it. Make the popcorn however you feel like making it. Like Lauren, I do it on the stove top. Unlike Lauren, I try to use coconut oil, since I think it’s healthier. But pop your corn however you wish.

I have a major aversion to stickiness, but this popcorn was so good that I managed to push my issues aside and eat more than my fair share. I have a feeling you may do the same.

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn by Lauren’s Latest (recipe here)

yield: 4 servings

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
a few dashes of salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon, or more if desired
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon half & half

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix butter and cinnamon together. Set aside. In a separate small bowl, mix powdered sugar with half & half until smooth. You may have to stir in a little more half & half to get it to drizzling consistency. Set aside.

Place oil and popcorn kernels into a large pot. Cover with tight fitting lid or foil. Place pot over high heat. Shake pot back and forth over hot burner to heat kernels evenly. Continue shaking the pot until the popcorn starts to pop. After a minute or two, the popping will slow right down and you’ll have a pot full of popcorn. Dump the hot popcorn onto a baking sheet and drizzle with cinnamon butter immediately. Stir to coat. Drizzle the icing over the top and toss to coat as well. Serve warm, or let it cool so the icing can harden up a bit.

Recipe notes: It’s important to keep the pot moving the entire time its over the heat–this ensures the kernels don’t ever burn.

Review: Zitner’s Butter Krak Eggs

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Note: If you came here looking for a recipe, please see the last paragraph for link.

For a couple months a year, it is very, very good to live in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. That is when our local gems, Zitner’s chocolate Easter eggs make their brief appearance. Like many Philadelphians, I grew up first seeing these eggs at the checkout counter of a Wawa convenience store, and I was immediately hooked.

There are a number of flavors available, but my favorite one by a mile is Butter Krak. Now I know what you’re thinking: Huh? How can candy with the words, “Zit, Butt, and Crack” — and misspelled, at that — possibly taste any good? Poor, illiterate Philadelphians with no sense of proper marketing language! You’re just going to have to trust me on this one. They are so good. They taste like Easter. They taste like childhood.

In a world of mass produced candy with infinite shelf lives, the centers of these eggs are still placed on wooden trays by hand in limited batches from the same factory in North Philadelphia since 1922. While some automation has occurred over the last 90 years, the recipe has remained the same. I still prefer the earlier versions of Butter Krak eggs which had little pieces of coconut poking through the chocolate (just like someone’s nana would have made in her own kitchen), but the machines they use for coating now provide a thicker layer of chocolate than when done by hand, and those stray pieces of coconut are now covered. Call me crazy, but that little detail makes a difference to me.

I can’t devour the chocolate Easter eggs like I once did, so I try to limit myself to two or three spread throughout the two month season. I love that they’re so little and 140 calories, so while eating one is very satisfying and always feels a wee bit naughty, it’s not doing too much damage. Assuming you stop at one. Which I highly advise.

I love these eggs because they are special to me, but I do wonder if they will hold the same appeal to food-loving folks who didn’t grow up with them. For this reason, I hesitate to yell, “EVERYONE MUST TRY THESE!” Nostalgia is funny that way, and I’m the first to admit it completely robs me of my objectivity. But just in case any of you non-Philadelphians or transplanted Philadelphians are interested, they can be purchased here or through the Zitner’s website.

EDITED: Feb 2013

The following recipe, while not an exact duplicate of Zitner’s Butter Krak eggs, is still quite good, especially if you use higher end chocolate. Give it a try!

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Leeks and Sausage

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Fat potatoes for Fat Tuesday!

I don’t know how I originally overlooked this recipe back in the fall, but I was very excited to try it this week, as it contains all my favorites in one neat little package. Sausage? Check. Leeks? Check. Sour cream? Check. Sweet potatoes? Check. Fancy cheese? Check.

Depending upon your portion size and your appetite, this works equally well as a main dish or a side dish. It feels like a very strong side dish, so I would pair it with something on the plainer side like roasted chicken or broiled fish.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Leeks and Sausage by Martha Holmberg, Fine Cooking, October 2011 (printable recipe here)

Ingredients

4 small sweet potatoes (about 8 oz. each)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage (or link sausage, casings removed)
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 lb. leeks, white and light-green parts only, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated Gruyère

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil.

Poke the sweet potatoes a few times with the tip of a knife and arrange them on the baking sheet. Bake until completely tender when pierced in the fattest part with a skewer, 35 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, breaking it into small bits with the edge of a slotted spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat and add the butter. When it melts, add the leeks, sage, thyme, and 1-1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring stirring, until the mixture just starts to sizzle. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are very soft and starting to turn golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, carefully cut them in half lengthwise and gently scoop the flesh into a medium bowl, leaving about 1/8 inch of flesh in the shells. Mash the scooped flesh with a fork or potato masher until smooth. Stir in the sour cream and 1 tsp. salt. Fold the sausage and leeks into the mashed sweet potato and season to taste with salt.

Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high. Mound the filling into the potato skins and top with the cheese. Put the potatoes in a 9×13-inch baking dish and broil until the cheese is golden, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Ready to go in the oven.

Easiest and Best Pizza Dough

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Oh, how I wish I didn’t love pizza. While I may never look like a supermodel, I do believe if not for pizza I could actually be the weight of a supermodel. Alas, it will never happen. I will never break up with pizza, even though he is an abusive boyfriend who sometimes makes me feel very, very bad about myself. Pizza and I have a pathetic, unhealthy, codependent relationship, and I’ve made my peace with that.

As you can imagine, I have tried every version of a homemade pizza crust under the sun, and I have determined that this recipe from Giada is the very best of the bunch. Giada calls this crust tender, and I think that’s the perfect description. I realize that pizza is a very personal thing. In reading the reviews, I see that not everyone loves this recipe as much as I do, but keep in mind the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Personally, texture counts for everything in my pizza crust, and I consider it a blank canvas for my toppings.  I am not looking for any strong flavors, and that seems to be the biggest criticism of the negative reviewers — not flavorful enough. To them, I say, “Try Domino’s.” Did I mention I’m also an opinionated snob?

The strange part about this recipe is that it does not mention oven temperature or cooking time. On my original torn-out Bon Appétit magazine page in my binder, I have “Bake at 475 for about 15 minutes” written in pen. I am not sure where I came up with that, or why there are no instructions on the link I provided. Isn’t that strange? Anyway, I usually preheat a pizza stone, bake the dough for about five minutes, then add the toppings and put it back in the oven for another ten minutes.

Pizza Dough by Giada DeLaurentiis, Bon Appétit, March 2007

Printable recipe here

Ingredients

3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups (or more) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. KNEAD dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. PUNCH down dough. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. ROLL out dough according to recipe instructions. (Start in center of dough, working outward toward edges but not rolling over them.)

You can see how the dough has doubled in size in one hour. Now it’s ready to punch down and roll out.

 

Can we please admire this beautiful maple rolling pin from Vermont Rolling Pins? Hand crafted and made in Vermont.

Few things make me happier than pepperoni pizza.

“I Want to Marry You” Cookies

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Who could possibly resist cookies with this name? (Oh, wait, now that I think about it…). Recently, I was browsing the Cooking Channel website, and Elvis Cookies popped up. I was intrigued by the combination of chocolate, bananas and ten slices of bacon and briefly considered making them (and I’m such a sucker for attention that I’m sure I will make them if even one person asks me to). However, I spied “I Want to Marry You” Cookies at the bottom of my screen, and they seemed to hold more promise. For starters, they are made on the stove-top and do not require dirtying my beloved Kitchen Aid mixer, so they appealed to my lazy side. Secondly, they won some sort of contest, and despite the fact the author of this winning recipe looks like she never ate a cookie in her whole entire life, it is exactly the kind of hype to which I’m powerless. Want to impress me? Just tell me you won a contest. I LOVE WINNERS!

I followed the directions exactly, and the cooking time wasn’t really adequate. I question whether 325 degrees is really the best temperature for these, and I may turn the oven up to 350 next time I bake them. My oven is very well calibrated, and there is no reason they should have been so gushy after 14 minutes. They took me close to 19 minutes. However, the end result was quite good, and I’m still amazed that they were created in a saucepan with relatively little mess. I will definitely be making these again, and next time I may ditch the white chocolate chips in favor of peanut butter. I may also brown the butter (similar to the Perfect Cookie recipe I posted here). The flavor is good, the texture is chewy yet firm, and I declare it a winner.

“I Want to Marry You” Cookies by Melissa Stadler (print recipe here)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup uncooked rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until melted. Remove from the heat.

Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir until sugars are incorporated and smooth. Chill the mixture for 10 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator and stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.

Add the flour, oats, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cinnamon and mix together.

Stir in the white chocolate chips and chocolate chips.

Roll by hand into 24 medium-size balls or use a scoop, and place on a light-colored cookie sheet.

Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

My favorite part of this recipe — only one pan to dirty.

Make sure your cookies are well chilled in the refrigerator before baking. Wine not included.

Beware of marriage proposals when sharing!

Super Quick Minestrone

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This is called Super Quick Minestrone, but it probably should be called Not Overly Time Consuming Minestrone instead. “Super quick” feels like a bit of an exaggeration. There is a fair amount of chopping and babysitting of ingredients in this recipe. I wasn’t expecting to microwave a can of Progresso and call it a day or anything, but I guess my concept of “super quick” differs with the author’s. Semantics aside, it still is a very lovely minestrone and the only one I bother to make these days, so that has to count for something.

You may notice in my picture that the zucchini looks a lot like green beans and that the shell shaped pasta is not a tube shaped pasta. It is also a very forgiving minestrone which is open to improvisation and substitution. However, I do strongly recommend sticking to the pancetta if possible.

Super Quick Minestrone by Michael Chiarello (printable recipe here)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (4 ounces) tubetti pasta, or other small pasta shape
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 3 pieces
  • 6 medium garlic cloves, each cut in 1/2 lengthwise
  • 2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (2 small onions)
  • 1 cup small-diced celery (2 medium stalks)
  • 1 cup small-diced carrots (2 to 3 medium carrots)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary or thyme leaves
  • 1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups small-diced zucchini (green/yellow) (5 small zucchini)
  • 2 cups small-diced, peeled russet potatoes (1 large russet)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to a baking sheet. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the chicken stock.

In another large saucepan over high heat, heat 1/4 cup oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the pancetta and cook until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, and carrots.

Cook until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Add the chopped herbs. Raise the heat to high. Add the beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then bring it down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes, skimming any foam off the top of the soup. Season generously with pepper. Add salt, to taste. Just a few minutes before serving, add the cooked tubetti pasta. Serve warm with Parmesan and olive oil passed at the table.

Cooking notes: Add the cooked pasta just before serving. If it sits in the soup too long, it develops a flabby texture. Tubetti (little hollow tubes) are the classic pasta for minestrone, but you could substitute another small shape of pasta.