Category: Main Dish

Savoy Cabbage and Sausage Soup

Winter is prime soup season and as we are in the thick of Winter here, it is time to share a favorite.  It is simple but satisfying, easy to make and provides multiple meals for a relatively low cost. The original recipe appeared on the Proud Italian Cook blog written by a friend and mentor, Marie. When I first started writing my blog she generously gave me advice and encouragement. She has shared wonderful recipes that highlight the beauty and simplicity of Italian cooking.

Her recipe is not that much different than the one that I am going to share. While Marie created a recipe that could easily be adapted to a variety of tastes. I tried it several ways and settled on one that features Italian sausage (a lot of it) and uses beef stock (a lot of it). The one constant is the Savoy Cabbage (a lot of it).

Savoy Cabbage is the ruffly cousin of Green Cabbage. Its leaves are crinkled and look a bit brain-like. It is slightly more tender than its cousin and has a milder taste. It is usually available in most grocery stores and is in season in Fall and Winter. It is perfect in this soup and plays well with the Italian Sausage. If Savoy is not available, green cabbage can be used.

The only other requirement is the largest soup pot that you have. Depending on how large you cabbage is, it will yield well over 8 cups of cabbage once it is chopped up. This will cook down to a reasonable amount eventually but with all of the other ingredients you will have at least 10-12 cups of soup.

If you have or can find them, Parmesan or Pecorino rinds add an incredible flavor.  I save them when I use up a block of either cheese. I have occasionally seen them in stores, but not very often. They are worth the effort to save or find.

As with any soup, this one benefits from long and slow cooking. It doesn’t require much in the line of garnishes either. I used some French bread croutons (from more than day old rolls I had on hand).

To make them; Cut stale bread into 1-1/2- 2 inch pieces. I usually spray them with some cooking spray and sprinkle them with a little seasoning, then let them toast in a 250 degree oven until they are dry and just barely turning golden.

I also like a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano cheese and a few red pepper flakes.

Here is the recipe as I like it. As always, play with it until it is yours alone. There is plenty of Winter left.

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Savoy Cabbage and Sausage Soup

A hearty and comforting soup that will feed a crowd or keep on giving.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 10
Author: binner216@comcast.net
Ingredients
  • 2-1/2 Lbs. Savoy Cabbage Cored and chopped
  • 2 . Lbs. Italian Sausage Bulk is easiest
  • 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 2 Large Carrots Chopped
  • 1 Large Onion Chopped
  • 6 Large Garlic Cloves Finely Chopped
  • 1 14.8 oz Can Fire Roasted Chopped Tomatoes Juice Included
  • 2 Quarts Beef Broth or Stock More as needed
  • 1-2 Parmesan or Pecorino Rinds
  • 1-2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning (like McCormick Italian Herb grinder) To taste
  • Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese For Garnish
  • Red Pepper Flakes Optional
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions

  1. Heat your largest soup pot over medium/high heat and add the olive oil. Add the sausage meat to the pan and break up with a wooden spoon. Allow it to cook until it is no longer pink, stirring and breaking up as needed, about 15 minutes or so

  2. While the sausage cooks, chop the onions carrots and garlic. Set aside.

  3. When the sausage is cooked, remove it to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but a smidge of the oil and return the pot to the stove. Add the onions, carrots and garlic to the pot with a pinch of salt, cover and sweat for 2-3 minutes then cook uncovered until slightly softened and fragrant. Add half of the Italian seasoning and let cook for a minute or so.

  4. Return the sausage to the pot and add the tomatoes. Add 1 quart of the stock and the cheese rinds. Begin to add the chopped cabbage. This will seem like a ridiculous amount, but it will shrink as it cooks. Add more stock as needed to allow for stirring in the cabbage. Cover the pot and simmer until the cabbage is soft. 20-40 minutes depending...

  5. Once the cabbage is soft, add as much stock as needed to make it a soup (2 quarts may not be enough.) Add the remaining Italian seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer for a few more minutes until it is steaming hot.

  6. Serve with grated cheese, pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning to pass at the table.

 

Pork and Green Chili Stew with a Chilaquiles Topper

January brings a new year, but here in the Midwest it also brings winter at its most aggressive. This is shaping up to be a winter that is unpredictable. We got our first snow (a major 12 inches, not a late Fall dusting) for Halloween, since then we have had temperatures ranging from the upper 50’s to well below zero (don’t get me started on wind chill).

Through all of these fluctuations, hearty bowls of love that simmer for hours, filling the house with delicious smells are a must. This is a recipe that I found at Eating Well. This site features an enormous variety of recipes that are geared towards various diets and nutritional needs. It is a simple recipe that starts with pork shoulder and comes together in the crock pot with corn, potatoes, and a lot of green chilies.

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/269916/pork-green-chile-stew/

That was a solid foundation, but I wanted to to make it a bit more interesting. I upped the spices which included ancho chili powder and cumin; easily going to a tablespoon of each. The oregano was Mexican, a fruity more complex flavor than its European cousin. I opted for fire roasted corn, more onions, and fresh chopped garlic. The result was flavorful and comforting. Use the above recipe and make the adjustments that make it sing to you.

One thing that I like about a slow cooker for soups and stews  is that you can generally dump all the ingredients and forget about it until it starts to smell amazing. The Slow Cooker holds a lot which means for our household of two there will always be at least one more meal. This was no exception. I froze half and pulled it out of the freezer just the other day. While it heated on the stove, I came up with an idea to create a topping to elevate it a bit more.

Enter the Chilaquiles Topper. Chilaquiles are a Mexican breakfast staple. Fried corn tortilla chips are cooked in a chili sauce until they are soft and have absorbed tons of flavor. They are often topped with an egg to make one of my favorite breakfasts. They are so tasty that they shouldn’t be relegated only to breakfast. Why not top a steaming bowl of pork stew (or chili or any other hearty soup that has a slightly southwestern flavor) with some Chilaquiles?

The ingredients are simple. Tortilla chips are the basis. You can fry them yourself or buy some really good quality ones, like these that came from a local market. They were perfect. Sturdy and unsalted with a full corn flavor. Just roughly crumble a good handful for each bowl of soup or stew that you want to top . You can make your own chili sauce or use some good fresh salsa.

Put the chips in a pan and add enough salsa to coat the chips. Heat over a medium flame until the chips are beginning to soften. I found that adding a small amount of water helped the whole process.

When the stew was piping hot, I spooned it into oven safe bowls and topped each with the warm chilaquiles. I also sprinkled a little cheese on the top. I used a pre-packaged Mexican cheese blend, but whatever kind of cheese you like will work. I put the bowls on a baking sheet and slid them into the oven (about 375 degrees). In a matter of minutes the cheese melted and the edges of the chilaquiles were golden brown. Finally, right before serving, I added a dollop of sour cream (Mexican crema would also be great) and it was ready to serve.Flavorful and satisfying Pork and Green Chili Stew with Chilaquiles Topper

Happy New Year from The Kitchen of Love.

Italian Beef Stew, My Ode to the First Snow

 

We are well into Fall, but it seems that Winter is charging in at warp speed. It has been snowing here the last few days and the first snow and the accompanying colder temperatures always makes me want to hunker down. Thoughts in the kitchen turn to Comfort Food. Those dishes that create warm smells as they cook for an extended time. They are perfect for curling up at home, enjoying said smells and the delicious results that will eventually come to the table. Soups and casseroles and of course the big pot of tomato sauce come to mind, but today it is all about stew.

I think stew is an under appreciated comfort food. It takes a lot of time and usually makes enough to feed an army. It is my belief that it is the perfect dish to make on a cold afternoon. As far as the huge pot of goodness that results goes, the upside is that it usually tastes better the second time around and it freezes very well for one of those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking. It is the dish that keeps on giving.

What makes this stew Italian? A glance at the recipe ingredients should make it perfectly clear. The garlic and herbs are a dead giveaway. Even the wine is Italian.

The amount of vegetables (onions, carrots, and garlic) may seem daunting at first glance of the recipe. They are labeled “divided” as you will be using them two ways. Some will be chopped to create a mirepoix that will flavor the stock and meat during the initial cooking. The rest will be cut into larger chunks to become the vegetable component of the stew.

A word about the seasonings: The quantities listed create a stew that makes all of them identifiable. So, if you don’t like hot spice or the flavor of fennel, feel free to adjust the quantities to your taste. Lemon peel and juice add a touch of acidity as does the wine. If you don’t have Sangiovese , another dry red wine will work. Just make sure it is a wine that you would drink on its own. Bacon will work instead of pancetta, but go easy on it so the smokiness doesn’t overpower the other flavors. As I always say, this recipe is a guideline, make it your own.

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Italian Beef Stew

Rich and hearty, the perfect weekend dinner. The long ingredient list and cooking steps are worth it.

Course: Main Course
Servings: 6
Ingredients
  • 3 Pounds Beef Chuck Trimmed of extra fat
  • Salt & Pepper To taste
  • 1-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 3 Ounces Pancetta Roughly chopped
  • 3 Medium Yellow Onions Divided
  • 2 Cups Baby Carrots (about a 1#bag) Divided
  • 10-12 Cloves Garlic Divided
  • 3 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary Chopped
  • 1-1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes Or to taste
  • 1-1/2 Tsp, Fennel Seeds (lightly crushed) Or to taste
  • 1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
  • 1 Cup Sangiovese Wine More to taste
  • 2 Strips Lemon Zest 1" X 2"
  • 1-2 Bay Leaves
  • 4 Cups Beef Stock
  • 10 Ounces Cremini Mushrooms
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice To taste
  • 1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives Pitted and halved
  • 1/3 Cup Parsley Chopped
Instructions

  1. Adjust the oven rack so that a 5-6 quart covered Dutch Oven will fit in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Begin to heat the Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat.

  2. Cut the meat into chunks about 1-1/2 - 2 inches. Dry it off with paper towels. This helps it brown better. Set aside.

  3. When the Dutch oven is hot, add about a tablespoon of olive oil coating the bottom of the pan. Add the pancetta and cook until it has rendered some fat and is just beginning to brown. Remove the pancetta leaving the drippings

  4. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown in batches. Place chunks in a bowl as they are browned. Add olive oil if the pot seems dry.

  5. Chop one onion, 1/2 cup carrots and 4 cloves of garlic in 1/2 inch dice. Add to the pot and cook until slightly soft and fragrant. Add the rosemary, fennel, and pepper flakes cooking for several minutes until they become fragrant

  6. Add the tomato paste and cook stirring for 3 minutes or so. Pour the wine into the pot and scrape up any brown bits that have accumulated. Cook about 4 minutes.

  7. Stir in the beef stock and add the beef (and accumulated juices) and pancetta back to the pot. Drop in the lemon zest and the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and place into the oven. Cook covered 1 hour.

  8. While the meat cooks, Slice 2 onions vertically into 3/4 inch wedges. Cut the remaining carrots in half. Slice the garlic into 1/4 inch strips.

  9. After an hour pull out the pot and add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Mix everything together, cover and return to the oven for about 30 minutes.

  10. Cut the mushrooms in half (quarter if large) and gently stir them into the pot after the 30 minute cooking. Cover and return to the oven.

  11. Continue to cook 30 minutes or so. Check the meat occasionally. It should be tender but not falling apart and the vegetables should be tender. When it is done to your liking, add the olives and the lemon juice, stirring to incorporate. Check for seasoning and make any adjustments.

  12. Serve in bowls with crusty bread or spoon over polenta, faro, or rice. Sprinkle with parsley.

Here’s to snowfall, the holidays, and the food that makes it all special in the Kitchen of Love

Upscale Tortellini Soup

Tortellini soup has been a part of our family for many years. When my sons were little it was a favorite request. Simple and easy to make, all it required was some stock, a few vegetables, and store bought tortellini. It was a permanent fixture on our week day menu and when the boys moved out on their own it was the first recipe they wanted to make themselves. This is the recipe I gave them constructed to be novice cook fool proof. It might also have been attached to a care package of the ingredients.

The basic recipe stayed the same for 20 years…why change something that worked so well. A couple of years ago I was looking through my old recipes for some new inspiration and there in its unassuming glory was the recipe. I must have been feeling fancy that day because I somehow knew that this modest little recipe was capable of bigger and better things…it could go “Upscale.”

How does one do that? Will it ruin something so enshrined in our family’s culinary history? Am I selling out? After a bit of thought and some soul searching, I realized that, NO, it would not be any of those things and it would be fun to make a new variation. Here’s how I took that recipe “uptown”.

As with any good soup recipe upscale or otherwise you need a pot and some olive oil. I decided to use chopped up pancetta that I browned lightly allowing it to render some of that yummy fat. The starting line up still had garlic and carrots but I used shallots instead of onions. I added some other players; artichoke hearts, cremini mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, spinach and in this go round some cooked chicken Italian sausage (chicken could also work here and whichever you choose it won’t hurt to brown it in the drippings before adding the veg and set it aside until later). I used homemade stock and refrigerated tortellini.

The results were outstanding and while it  is a little more sophisticated, it still pays homage to the original.

Upscale Tortellini Soup
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Upscale Tortellini Soup
Print Recipe
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat a soup pot over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the pancetta and cook until it is lightly browned and has rendered some fat.. Remove the pancetta and leave about a tablespoon of oil/fat in the pan.
  2. Add the chicken or chicken sausage to the pan and brown . Remove from the pan and set aside with the pancetta.
  3. Add the shallots, garlic, cremini, carrots, and artichoke hearts to the pot. Cook over medium heat until everything begins to soften and becomes fragrant, stirring often. Add about 1/4 cup of stock to the pot and stir to loosen any brown bits. Add the rest of the chicken stock along with the Italian seasoning(s) of your choice.
  4. Bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add the spinach, chicken, pancetta, and sun dried tomatoes and simmer for another 10 minutes. While the soup simmers cook the tortellini.
  5. Cook the tortellini in a separate pan following the directions on the package. Drain and divide the tortellini between 4 soup bowls. Spoon the soup over the tortellini, again dividing among the bowls. Serve with shredded parmesan or romano cheese.
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What is White Chili?

I made “White Chili” this week. As I was making it, I wondered why it was called that. It isn’t white, at least not the way I make it. The chilies I used are actually green and the hint of red comes from the ancho chili powder that I lovingly sprinkled in at the beginning. The only actual white was the Chicken Breast. So what is White Chili?

I asked the all knowing Google and found out that it is an American invention, possibly with origins in the south (not Southwest). It is called white because it uses chicken or turkey as its anchor. I also took a look at some of the competition and the images ran from creamy white to a rosy glow much like how mine turned out. What I came away with was that “White Chili” is whatever you want it to be. The constants are poultry and green chilies and it can go whiter with the addition of dairy or pinker with the addition of red chili powder. Oh, and it is really delicious with crumbled tortilla chips and pepper jack cheese.

My recipe began with bacon…never a bad start and followed with chicken breast, onions, garlic and that blush of ancho chili. Three green chilies joined in; jalapeno, green (canned), and poblano. I used cannellini beans, but any white bean would work. Chicken stock provided the liquid and I used Masa Harina to lightly thicken everything up. I ended it all with a good squeeze of lime juice and added Pepper Jack cheese and Tortilla chips to each bowl. delicious, quick and perfect for the fall like days we have been having.

White Chicken Chili
Print Recipe
Quick, easy, and not too spicy
Servings
4
Servings
4
White Chicken Chili
Print Recipe
Quick, easy, and not too spicy
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat a soup pot over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and let it get hot. Add the bacon and chicken Sprinkle with the garlic & pepper seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally until the bacon and chicken are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Remove the drippings in the pan, but leave the brown bits
  2. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent 5 minutes or so. Add the drained chilies and the garlic and continue to cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.
  3. Heat poblanos under the broiler until well browned on all sides. Place charred peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 10 minutes or so. Remove the skin, stems and seeds and chop into small pieces. Add to pot with the canned chilis.
  4. Add the herbs and spices and cook for an additional minute or two. Add about 1/2 cup of the stock and stir to deglaze the pot. Return the bacon and chicken to the pot and add the rest of the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 15 minutes.
  5. Add the drained beans and cook until heated through. If the chili seems a little thin, mix the masa harina with a little of the chili liquid and stir back into the pot. Simmer until the chili thickens slightly and everything is happily hot. Serve topped with the cheese and tortilla chips.
  6. To make Tortilla Chips: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large cookie sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Tear or cut 3-4 tortillas of your choice into strips. Lay in a single layer on the cooking sheet and spray with the olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Bake 10 - 12 minutes, turning half way through. The chips should be golden brown and crisp.
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