The Way to a Man's Heart: Petite Filet with Gorgonzola and Porcini Mushroom Sauce

Today is “Fat Tuesday” and people in these parts are stuffing their faces with pączkis (pronounced "poonch-kees"). We, on the other hand, are still working on leftovers from our Valentine’s dinner. When I asked my husband if he would mind dining in, I added a steak into the equation and it sealed the deal!

I tried this steak for the first time a couple of years ago, when I made it for my husband and father. They both loved it. During the warmer months of the year my husband will just toss a steak on the grill with a little seasoning. The freezing temperatures and snow piled on top of our grill kept us inside, and this was the perfect indoor steak to make. The creamy mushroom and gorgonzola sauce make it extra special.

You can make the sauce ahead of time, and it makes a good amount. The recipe below has you only cooking one steak, but you can adjust the amount of filets for the amount of people you’re serving. The sauce should easily be enough for 4 servings. If you have leftover sauce (which I did), you can use it for another meal. I put some on a baked chicken breast for my husband to eat the next night. I also think it would be good on a baked potato.

You will want to sear your steak on a very hot pan. I used my Le Creuset 5-Quart Braiser and it browned perfectly. My husband said that the steak had a nice crust on the outside, but was perfectly medium-rare on the inside. Bring you steak up to room temperature before searing it (you do not want it to go directly from the fridge to the frying pan!). You can do this by letting the meat sit on the counter while you make your cheese sauce. On Sunday I served this with some fingerling potatoes, roasted in olive oil, sea salt, and Herbes de Provence.

Petite Filet with Gorgonzola and Porcini Mushroom Sauce
(As seen on Everyday Italian)
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
Filet:
1 (4 to 6-ounce) petite filet of beef
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Gorgonzola and Porcini Mushroom Sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked and strained
1 shallot, sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces (about 3 tablespoons) Gorgonzola cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions
For the sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the shallots and cook until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, white wine, salt, and pepper and continue to cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, put the Gorgonzola, mayonnaise, and mustard in a food processor and combine until smooth. Transfer the Gorgonzola mixture to the skillet with mushrooms and shallots. Gently stir the cheese mixture into the mushroom mixture.

For the beef:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Sprinkle both sides of the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe medium skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the filet in the pan. Cook until browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer the steak to the oven and bake until a meat thermometer reads 130°F. for medium-rare, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the beef from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Slice the beef and serve topped with a dollop of the cheese sauce. Reserve leftover sauce for another use.

Coney Island: Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup

My husband and I began dating in college. Once we met, we were instantly inseparable and pretty much spent every waking hour together that we weren’t in class. (And we did find a way to take a couple classes together, even with different respective majors.) On days that we had a short break in between classes for lunch we would grab a bite at a Coney Island that was just a block from campus.

I was some type of vegan or vegetarian at the time, and would order a simple plate of hummus and pita. My husband had his regular order as well, which was chicken lemon rice soup and two “Coneys”. While I’m pleased to say that we’ve since moved up in the world as far as restaurants that we frequent, and our visits to Coney Islands are few and far between. However, my husband will still order chicken lemon rice soup wherever he can find it.

Lucky him, he found it just the other day cooking on the stove in our kitchen! I was flipping through Ellie Krieger’s The Food You Crave a few nights ago and saw a recipe for this type of soup, but made with orzo instead of rice. The soup is very easy, and he loved, loved, loved it! As soon as he tasted it, he instantly informed me that I would be making it again soon. It has been in our fridge for just about 24 hours, and he has already snuck back with a spoon to sneak a taste several times.

I doubled Ellie’s recipe to have a bigger batch to get through the week. I also skipped her step of cooking chicken breasts, and instead added the (already cooked) meat from a rotisserie chicken at the end. I carefully tempered the eggs in a bowl with the hot broth, not in a saucepan (as the recipe calls for), and I thought that worked just fine. This soup gets thicker with each second you let it sit. My husband likes that consistency, but if you find that your soup has become too thick after a day or so, you can add more broth to it. I also added a few extra tablespoons of lemon juice, to make it extra lemony. Next time I might add some lemon zest too.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
(From The Food You Crave)
Ingredients
4 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into small chunks
1 pinch salt, plus more to taste
1 medium onion , diced (about 1 ½ cups)
2 stalks celery, diced (about ½ cup)
1 medium carrot, diced (about ½ cup)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup orzo (preferably whole wheat)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with the salt, add it to the pot, and cook, stirring, a few times, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a dish and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and thyme and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and let simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Turn the heat down to low to keep the soup hot but not boiling.

Warm the remaining 1 cup broth in a small saucepan until it is hot but not boiling. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually whisk the lemon juice into the eggs. Then gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking all the while. Add the mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened. Do not let the soup come to a boil. Add the cooked chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

San Fran Stew: Cioppino

A couple of years ago my husband and I were watching a Food Network special that spoke about the history of Cioppino (pronounced “chuh-pee-noh”). This fish stew has an interesting origin, as it was developed by Italian fishermen in San Francisco in the late 1800's. The fishermen would all “chip in” their catch of the day to a collective soup pot to create seafood stew, similar to a French bouillabaisse (less the saffron).

My husband orders Cioppino occasionally when we dine at seafood restaurants. Most recently, we shared some with our friend Sarah while dining at Beretta in San Francisco.


I had been intending to make Cioppino at home, but had not taken the time to sort through different recipes. I was delighted to find a Cioppino recipe while I was flipping through my new copy of Ellie Krieger’s So Easy. I flagged the page, bought my seafood (and for such a steal at Trader Joe’s! ), and made this over the weekend to get us through a few dinners this week.

It smelled delicious while it was cooking, it was ridiculously easy to make, and my husband loved it. It wasn’t even mealtime when I finished it (we were somewhere between lunch and dinner), and I had to stop him from eating a whole bowl. He actually said to me, “Kate, I love everything that you cook. But I haven’t been this surprised by something you’ve made since you made Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Cream Sauce for the first time.” (And that was two years ago!) Needless to say, this Cioppino is making it into the regular rotation! I actually can’t wait until we’ve eaten it all up so that I can make it again!

Cioppino
(Adapted from Ellie Krieger’s So Easy)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (6 oz.) jar tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
2 (14.5 oz.) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 cup fish stock or water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ - 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (you may want to remove the tails, too)
½ - 1 pound scallops
½ - 1 pound skinless halibut fillet, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Fresh bread for serving

Directions
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, an additional 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juices and the fish stock (or water) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, for 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, salt, and pepper. (This base may be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Heat the soup base to a boil. Add the shrimp, scallops, and halibut. Reduce the heat and simmer, until everything is just cooked, about 5 minutes. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with the parsley. Serve with bread.

Love Me Tenderloin: Pork Tenderloin with Seasoned Rub

Last weekend my husband accompanied me on a grocery run. While I perused the fresh vegetables he found himself a pork tenderloin and told me that he really wanted me to make one. During the 15 years of my life that I ate meat, I don’t recall ever eating pork tenderloin, and subsequently have nothing to reference it too. My husband, however, gets to enjoy it frequently at my sister’s house. She has a killer pork tenderloin recipe that my husband just loves. While I was prepared to use her recipe for this experiment, my husband told me he was craving a pork tenderloin with a crust. My sister’s recipe uses a glaze, so I did a quick search and made an adaptation of Ellie Krieger’s pork tenderloin with a seasoned rub.

Making this recipe was a joint effort. My husband took care of the pork, while I did all of the ingredient prep work and made the pan sauce. He loved this pork recipe. It cooked perfectly, and while the pork was moist and pan sauce wasn’t needed, it was a nice touch. I served this for him with some broccoli and fingerling potatoes. (After removing the pan sauce from the skillet, I added some olive oil and butter to the pan, sautéed the fingerling potatoes, and then finished them off with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.) I think we will have to try my sister’s glaze recipe sometime, but this one is definitely a keeper!

Pork Tenderloin with Seasoned Rub
(Adapted from Ellie Krieger)
Ingredients
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt
1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed
For Pan Sauce:
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

In separate bowl mix dry ingredients such as garlic powder, oregano, cumin, coriander, thyme and salt. Stir mixture with a fork until all the ingredients are well combined and they form a seasoning. This will be used as a rub to ensure the pork is well seasoned throughout. Sprinkle the rub over the tenderloin with a dry hand, then rub the pork with the seasoning over both sides of the meat, pressing gently so the seasoning adheres well to the tenderloin.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat. Add the garlic cloves and sauté, stirring, for 1 minute. Put tenderloin in the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, searing each side using tongs to turn the meat. (When garlic cloves begin to burn, remove immediately from pan.) Transfer meat to a roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, keep the skillet over medium-high heat and deglaze the pan with the white wine and chicken stock. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in Dijon mustard, and allow sauce to simmer for 5 minutes. When pork is done cooking, add any remaining juices from roasting pad to sauce.

Slice pork and serve. Drizzle with pan sauce, if desired.

Mom's Favorite Orzo: Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas

I made this recipe for the first time a couple years ago when my husband and I had my parents over for dinner one night. My mom (a fellow pescatarian) loved it, and started making it herself all the time. It is delicious as a side dish, but can also work as a vegetarian entrée.

I like to rotate the menu for my Christmas dinner each year, and I decided that this family favorite should have a place on the table this year. It worked well for the holiday, but is also good any night of the week! Serve it alongside a meat entrée, like Baked Chicken, or as an entrée itself with a simple side salad.

Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas
(From Giada's Kitchen)
Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth (Kate uses vegetable broth)
1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the baking dish (Kate uses cooking spray)
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (Kate uses cremini mushrooms)
1 cup Marsala wine
½ cup heavy cream
4 ounces shredded fontina cheese (about 1 cup)
4 ounces diced fresh mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
½ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

Bring the chicken/vegetable broth to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Pour the orzo and the broth into a large bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until the mushrooms are beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the Marsala. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until the Marsala has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the orzo in the large bowl. Add the cream, fontina, mozzarella, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and dried thyme. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the pasta. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

French Connection: Beef Bourguignon

Early this fall I was leafing through an edition of Wine Spectator magazine. There was a featured section that had a tribute to Julia Child with recipes from a variety of star chefs. My husband and I had seen Julie & Julia in the theater a month prior, and when I saw Thomas Keller’s (of French Laundry) recipe printed for Beef Bourguignon I decided I should make it. I mentioned my personal challenge to my husband, and being the carnivore he is, he was undoubtedly supportive of my quest. (You may have noticed this is my first blog post about beef. This is not coincidental. For many reasons that I can elaborate on at a another time, I rarely cook beef. Consequently, my husband usually orders it every time we dine out.)

The rest of the fall unfolded rather unfortunately, and I never found myself with a weekend to devote to this labor-intensive recipe. Finding myself with a theoretical break from work for a few days between Christmas and New Year’s, I took a break from work emails and devoted myself to making Beef Bourguignon.

In preparation of making this dish, I must have reread the recipe three-dozen times. It is quite complex – spanning across three pages of this 12.7 x 9.7 inch magazine - and with each read I attempted to visualize the cooking process. On Saturday and Sunday I visited three different grocery stores gathering all of the ingredients, in the precise form they were called for in the recipe.

For some reason I waited until Sunday night to see what other Beef Bourguignon recipes looked like. Some of them called for one pot and one day of cooking. My recipe used about six or seven pots and required a minimum of two days of cooking. Some used a little red wine; my recipe used a whole bottle. I started wondering why I had stuck to the first recipe I had seen. I further investigated and found that Thomas Keller's recipe had the main distinctions of what others claimed to be a good Beef Bourguignon: red wine aromatic reduction, overnight wine bath, and freshly cooked vegetables. While the recipe I was set to try was more complex than others, it apparently was going to have more depth.

Day 1: I started chopping the vegetables to begin the red wine reduction. I thought to myself, this isn’t bad at all. I knew I’d be disposing of them later, and just gave them all a quick, rough chop. I moved on to browning the meat, and began wishing that I was doing this step when my husband was home, because he would have gladly stepped in to assist. I made it through the three whole pounds of short ribs, and got the reduction and the meat in the oven. As the meat slowly braised, a tantalizing aroma filled the house. After a few more steps, the meat went into the fridge, and I went out the door to take the night off and meet some girlfriends for cocktails!

Day 2: My sister had called me a couple days earlier stating that she and my brother-in-law wanted to come over with their kids over for dinner. We jump at any chance that we get to see our niece and nephew, and her timing couldn’t have been better for wanting to eat dinner at our house.

The second day of preparation for this dish was mainly cooking the vegetables, as the meat only needed to be reheated. The preparation of the carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes created al dente vegetables that were deliciously flavored. To cook the pearl onions, put the onions in a pan of bowling water for 1-2 minutes. Drain them in a colander and them immediately plunge them into an ice bath to stop the cooking process (a bowl of cold water with ice cubes). Cut off the root end of each pearl onion and squeeze the onion so it pops out of it’s skin.

Our guests arrive and the Beef Bourguignon was ready to be eaten. The meat was tender, the vegetables were tasty, and no one found a need to use any Dijon mustard as the recipe suggested. I served the Beef Bourguignon with a salad and some French bread (that could be used to sop up some of the cooking liquid). While my husband, sister, and brother-in-law made a sizeable dent in the Beef Bourguignon, I enjoyed some vegetarian lentil soup, but was proud to have put together such an intricate French dish!

Boeuf Bourguignonne
(by Thomas Keller, from Wine Spectator, September 30, 2009)
Ingredients
1 bottle hearty red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
2 cups diced yellow onions
1 2/3 cups peeled and sliced carrots
2 ½ cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
1 cup sliced shallots
1 cup button mushrooms, plus 32 individual mushrooms with stems cut flush to caps
12 thyme sprigs
14 Italian parsley sprigs
7 bay leaves
1 ¾ teaspoons black peppercorns
9 large garlic cloves, skin left on and smashed
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds boneless short ribs, cut into 2-inch-by-1-inch pieces
Canola oil
6 to 8 cups veal or beef stock
8 ounces small fingerling potatoes, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
16 baby carrots, halved lengthwise
4 ounces slab bacon, cut into 24 lardons 1 ½ inches long and 3 ⁄8 inch thick
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 red pearl onions and 12 white pearl onions, cooked
Fleur de sel (Kate used sea salt)
Dijon mustard

Directions
1. To make the red-wine reduction, combine the wine, 1 cup onions, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup leeks, 1 cup shallots, 1 cup mush-rooms, 3 thyme sprigs, 6 Italian parsley sprigs, 2 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon peppercorns and 3 garlic cloves in a large ovenproof pot with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, or until the wine has reduced to a glaze.

2. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat 1⁄8 inch of canola oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add just enough meat so as not to crowd the pan. Brown the meat on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the meat to a paper towel–lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat with the remaining meat, adding more oil if necessary.

3. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Add 3 thyme sprigs, 3 Italian parsley sprigs, 2 bay leaves, 2 garlic cloves, and the remaining 1 cup onions, 2⁄3 cup carrots and 11/2 cups leeks to the red-wine reduction, and toss together. Wet and wring dry enough cheesecloth to cover about 4 inches more than the diameter of the pot. Cover the vegetables with the cheesecloth, tucking in the edges to form a nest shape. Place the meat in the nest, and add enough stock to just cover the meat. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, and transfer to the oven. Reduce the heat to 325° F, and cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.

4. Transfer the meat to an ovenproof pot or container, and discard the cheesecloth. Strain the liquid twice through a fine strainer, the second time into a saucepan, and discard the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil, spooning off any fat that rises to the top of the mixture. Strain the liquid over the meat. Let it cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 day, up to 3 days.

5. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Remove the meat from the refrigerator, and skim off any congealed fat from the top.

6. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan along with 2 thyme sprigs, 1 bay leaf, ¼ teaspoon peppercorns, 2 garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover the potatoes with an inch of cold water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain, cool, discard the seasonings, and set aside.

7. Place the baby carrots in a medium saucepan with 4 thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 2 garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon of salt. Cover with 11⁄2 inches water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, cool, discard the seasonings, and set aside.

8. Spread the lardons in a single layer on a nonstick or foil-lined sheet pan. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, stir, and return to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until browned. Drain on paper towels.

9. Melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat until the foam subsides. Add the remaining 32 mushrooms, reduce the heat to medium-low, and season with salt and pepper. Cook gently, tossing often, until the mushrooms are lightly browned and tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

10. Carefully transfer the pieces of meat to a deep, ovenproof sauté pan. Strain the liquid over the meat. Warm the meat in the oven for about 5 minutes, basting occasionally. Add the potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions, and toss gently. Roast in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are hot.

11. Meanwhile, warm the lardons in a small skillet. Chop the leaves of the remaining 5 sprigs parsley.

12. Remove the sauté pan from the oven, and gently toss in the parsley. With a slotted spoon, divide the meat and vegetables among 4 plates. Spoon some of the sauce over each serving. Distribute the lardons among the plates. Sprinkle with fleur de sel, and serve immediately with Dijon mustard.

Adapted from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon (Artisan)

Signora DiVinici: Grape and Olive Compote

Another recipe that I tried for my niece’s birthday was from my friend, Christina. She recommended to me the historical fiction novel, Signora DiVinici to read. I recently received the book through an online mail order, and am hoping to find some time during my upcoming winter break to read it. Apparently the heroine cooks throughout the book and this recipe is included at the end.

As I was cooking for a crowd that included some non-olive-eaters, I omitted them and added some toasted walnuts instead. It was the perfect “purple” addition for my Brown Bear theme. I spread goat cheese on crostini and topped them with the grape and walnut compote. The recipe below is the original version with olives.

Grape and Olive Compote
Ingredients
2 cups red seedless grapes
1 cup olives
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons thyme

Directions
Toss everything in a glass bowl and put into 350°F oven for one hour – tossing every 20 minutes to coat.

Serve with goat cheese and crusty bread.

Living off of Leftovers: Herbed Polenta

Thank goodness I cook (a lot) on the weekends! I was going to post tonight about a recipe I replicated from a meal I had in San Francisco, but as I was emptying my dishwasher when I came home from work this evening, I noticed that everything I was putting away was either tupperware or plastic-ware. (Okay, there were some wine glasses in there too.) I reflected on our week so far, and neither my husband nor I have eaten one meal at home. Each meal that we’ve respectively had has been homemade food, but they were eaten at a desk, from behind a computer screen, in the car, or on the way to a classroom. I’m so thankful that I took the time to cook up a storm on Sunday afternoon and evening, even though it resulted in us missing a previously scheduled get together with friends. We’re busy, but we’re eating well!

For my husband, I made a lot of chicken, including some balsamic marinated chicken (recipe to come). I made herbed polenta to pair with it as an accompaniment. I am a big fan of polenta, in all of its forms (soft, fried, grilled). Polenta is made with ground cornmeal, and is similar to grits. Soft polenta (like this recipe with fresh herbs) makes a nice alternative to serving mashed potatoes. If you want to speed up the cooking process, you can actually use instant polenta, cook according to the instructions on the box, and add the fresh herbs and cheese.

Herbed Polenta
(As seen on Everyday Italian)
Ingredients
* 6 cups water
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
* 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
* 3/4 cup whole milk
* 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
* 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Bring the water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the cheese, milk, butter, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and pepper, and stir until the butter and cheese melt. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.

Fakin' the Bacon: Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Bacon and Walnuts

I’d like to welcome November with a hearty seasonal dish. I tried another recipe from the Raley’s magazine. This was another opportunity for me to use a fall-favorite ingredient (butternut squash) and quinoa.

Wow – this was great! When we tasted it, my husband and I found it to be very hearty and rustic. A delectable fall meal. The original recipe calls for bacon, but I used soy bacon (which my husband has coined “Fakin’ ”). This made it healthier and allowed me to enjoy it as well! (The soy bacon keeps the smokey flavor that you'd achieve with real bacon, but cuts out the cholesterol and saturated fat.) I used more squash and onion that the original recipe called for, and also used a clove of garlic instead of garlic salt (all changes noted below).

Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Bacon and Walnuts
(Adapted from Raley’s "Something Extra", Holiday, 2009)
Ingredients
* 2 cups vegetable broth
* 1 cup rinsed and drained quinoa
* 4 strips chopped bacon (or “Fakin’”)
* 1 tbsp. olive oil
* 2 cups diced butternut squash
* 1 medium-size onion, chopped
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* ¼ cup walnuts, toasted
* Top with chopped fresh sage or thyme and chopped

Directions
Bring 2 cups vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in 1 cup rinsed and drained quinoa; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Cook 4 strips chopped bacon (or soy bacon) in a large skillet until very crisp. Remove and set aside. (If using real bacon, drain off all fat.) Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and stir in chopped onion, diced butternut squash, and minced garlic. Cook and stir over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Stir vegetables and bacon into quinoa and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top with chopped fresh sage or thyme, and chopped toasted walnuts.

More Tomatoes - Kate's Roasted Tomato & Cognac Soup

I mentioned to you yesterday that we ate our delicious Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with a soup that I made over the weekend. I wasn’t going to leave you hanging! Here is a brand new recipe I concocted.

At the farmers’ market last week I purchased bushel of tomatoes, and wanted to make something that would allow us to savor them as long as possible. The beauty of making soups is that they (can) last forever – well, at least six months in your freezer. I love making soups because they make so much food, and can incorporate so many wonderful vegetables. As a working professional, soups are a true blessing in that I can come home after a long day and still eat a homemade meal. I pull a serving out of my freezer, defrost, and serve with a salad or a sandwich.

This recipe was inspired by a tomato and cognac soup I have long been enjoying at Sweet Lorraines’s. (No known relation to the Patty Griffin song, but equally as awesome.) I haven’t had their version for several months, so my recipe is not an exact replica, but the general idea is there by flavoring the caramelized tomatoes with cognac. My batch from the weekend is still in the fridge, and as I’ve been pulling it out each night when I get home, I’m not sure that it will make it to the freezer. This is certainly one we’ll try again.

Kate's Roasted Tomato & Cognac Soup
Ingredients
* 2 ½ lbs fresh tomatoes, halved and cored
* ¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 3 cloves of garlic, minced
* 2 cups vegetable broth
* 2 - 6 oz. cans tomato paste (preferably with Italian seasoning)
* ½ cup cognac
* 4 sprigs fresh thyme
* 1 cup 2% milk (or ¾ cup heavy cream)
* Salt and fresh freshly ground pepper, to taste
* Crushed red pepper, to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F.

Spread tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with ¼ cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, until tomatoes are caramelized.

In a large stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 10 minutes, until onions are tender and just beginning to brown. Add garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, until paste is incorporated into onion and garlic mixture. Add cognac to deglaze the pan and cook for 3 minutes, until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add roasted tomatoes and all of their juices, along with vegetable stock and fresh thyme sprigs (on stem). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and discard of thyme sprigs. Use an immersion blender to puree to your desired consistency (longer for a smooth soup; briefly for a chunky soup). Return to low heat and season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Stir in milk or heavy cream and cook for 5 minutes. (Note: If your soup is too thick, you can add more vegetable broth or milk/cream.)