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Monday, December 14, 2009

Recipe Review from 12/7/09

Whew! The weather sure took a turn toward full fledged winter this week with a semi-blizzard on Tuesday and Wednesday (we ended up with only 3" of snow while parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin topped out at over 20") and temperatures that have dipped well below 0*. Good soup weather and that's what I made!


Carrot and Parsnip Soup (Ckng Lght Annual, 2005) 4.5
I had carrots. I had parsnips. I LOVE soup! What I didn't know was that nearly 2lbs of my carrots had composted on me in the fridge and I barely managed to salvage the 1lb I needed for this recipe. Still, a pound made the soup! Super easy, very tasty and great as leftovers for lunches during the week. I skipped the "parsnip chips" and toasted pumpkin seeds instead. I also added a dollup of heavy cream (I had some to use up) to make it a bit thicker. Delicious!

(Picture from CookingLight.com)



Carrot and Parnsip Soup with Parnsip Chips
"Winter root vegetables lend their complementary, slightly sweet flavors to this hearty bowl. Stir in more water or broth if you prefer a thinner consistency."

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups soup, about 2 teaspoons parsnip chips, and 1/2 teaspoon chives)"


Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
3 cups coarsely chopped parsnip (about 1 pound)
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped carrot (about 1 pound)
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (1/8-inch-thick) slices parsnip
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Preparation
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add chopped parsnip, water, carrot, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.

Place half of carrot mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed carrot mixture in a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining carrot mixture. Stir in salt and pepper.

Heat remaining 5 teaspoons oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add parsnip slices; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle parsnip chips and chives over soup.



Antipasto-Style Penne modified (Ckng Lght, Dec 09) 3.5
But I also needed something for dinner and I had bought the ingredients for this a while back. I kept forgetting to buy the penne pasta that it calls for and so I finally said "to heck with it! I'm using whole wheat spaghetti!" This does come together fairly quickly so it's good for a week night dinner. It was okay, not outstanding, a good hearty meal for cold nights. It re-heated well which was in it's favor and I did like the combination of pesto, olives, and artichokes. Skip the proscuittio to make it vegetarian.

Antipasto Style Penne
If you prefer crisp prosciutto, spread it out on a baking sheet and broil 4 minutes.

1 medium bell pepper
1/2 cup pitted kalmata olives
1/3 cup refrigerated pesto
3 oz prosciutto, chopped
1 (7 oz) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes halves, drained and chopped
1 (6 oz) jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
8 oz uncooked penne pasta (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup (2 oz) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1) preheat broiler.

2) Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise, discard seed and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened. Place in zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel and chop bell pepper; place in large bowl. Stir in olives, pesto, prosciutto, tomatoes, and artichoke.

3) Cook pasta according to directions on package omitting fat and salt. Drain. Add cooked pasta and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to bell pepper mixture, and toss gently to combine. Spoon about 1 cup pasta mixture into each of 6 bowls, and sprinkle each serving with 2 teaspoons remaining cheese and 2 teaspoons pine nuts.

Serves: 6

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