Andalusian Gazpacho with Grilled Corn

Today’s post is about more than good food. It’s also about some good news, and giving you a little preview into what you can expect from The Stout Sprout in the coming year… and it’s a big year! This fall our Stout Sprouts are entering Pre-K and 1^st grade, respectively, and I’m now working in a new position that has me commuting in to Manhattan regularly.

Kitchen time and writing time is now more limited than it has been in prior months, but we’ve been making the most of the time we do have together, visiting farmer’s markets, playing at the Jersey shore, and eking as much time out of our weekends together as we possibly can. Our crunched schedule also means that in addition to focusing on seasonal, kid-friendly dishes, we’re also focusing on convenient meals. Things we can make together and enjoy together without a crazy investment of time or ingredients.

Fresh Jersey corn – nothing better

What this also means is that we have a backlog of easy weekend and weeknight recipes that make excellent use of the riot of fresh produce that summer has delivered. And while the farms and gardens are churning out juicy, ripe tomatoes, sweet summer corn, crisp bell peppers and cooling cucumbers, we’re busy putting it all to good use.

Take, for instance, one of my favorite summer suppers: gazpacho.

This creamy gazpacho with grilled corn is amazing

Gazpacho is the kind of dish that uses all that market bounty. Refreshing and cooling, it’s vegetarian and vegan and, when served with a slice of hearty grilled bread, is still as satisfying as any protein-packed main dish. It comes together quickly and can be made hours in advance of mealtime. There is little real cooking required – just a bunch of chopping and a little blending (and in our case, a little bit of grilling).

Crostini with Ricotta and Assorted Veggie Toppings

These little toasts have a lot going for them, starting with their name. As if “crostini” weren’t inviting enough — roll that “r” and you’ll even sound Italian — few kids I know would pass up toast. And little toasts…well, I hardly have to say more.

Anyone who has ordered a bruschetta appetizer is familiar with this concept: toast up a slice of bread and top it with something yummy. True peasant fare, which is probably how these tidbits became popular in the first place. Economizing with meat or vegetables piled on leftover toasted bread in the absence of elaborate place settings. In the middle ages, after all, you were lucky if you owned a fork and knife, let alone a bowl or plate.

Suffice it to say that the concept of crostini have been around for a very long time. I, however, credit the Italians for elevating this dish by improving upon the toppings (see the afore-mentioned bruschetta as an example) and serving it, frequently enough, with a glass or two of wine.

Now, the kids in the house will have to substitute their favorite non-alcoholic beverage for that wine, but they can easily partake in both the crostini making and eating. And here’s an observation: you may even persuade a non-veggie eater to try something new if you pile it on top of toasted bread smeared with a healthy dollop of creamy ricotta cheese.

The ricotta is a star ingredient, and this ricotta from Fulper Family Farmstead is fresh and fantastic

Beef, Bacon And Chocolate Chili

I had begun mourning the absence of chili in our household. Sure, my husband and I would occasionally make a batch, but it had become a strictly grown-up indulgence relegated to a cold fall or winter weekend when the kids were invited out to a birthday party or had other away-from-home plans. Chili — our chili, at least — was always “too hot” or “too spicy” or “too…beany” for them.

If we were lucky — and the pot of chili was a particularly mild one — we could convince them to have a little over nachos as long as we also loaded them up with cheese and sour cream. But I puzzled a bit over this considering that black beans cowboy style got a green light, and chili wasn’t much of a departure from that familiar dish.

But with Father’s Day coming up we took on the challenge of retooling our chili to make it both flavorful and kid-friendly. We’re lucky that our Stout Sprouts show a growing interest in helping in the kitchen — that made this experiment a little easier since they got to measure, stir, cook and eat. And, did I mention the chocolate? And the bacon? Yea…pretty much a winner out of the gate.

This Beef, Bacon and Chocolate Chili is great with sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges and…of course…tortilla chips

Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Breasts

The Memorial Day weekend in the United States is the unofficial start of summer. It’s also the weekend that grills across the nation — having lain dormant under feet of winter snow — get dusted off, cleaned out and fired up. If you’re on the hunt for an easy grilling recipe that is both adult and kid-friendly, raises the bar over traditional hamburger and hot dog fare, and takes no more than five minutes to cook once it hits the flame, this is the recipe for you.

Marinating meat does several things to it by adding flavor and tenderizing the meat fibers. But be careful: not all marinades are created equal. Here are some of the things we’ve learned along the way that you’ll need to be aware of when marinating meat (check out the subscription site Cook’s Illustrated for great scientific explanations of what happens during the marinating process):

• Acids: break apart the meat and collagen fibers on the meat surface which allows it to better retain moisture. But if you use too much acid in a marinade, or marinate the meat for too long in an acidic marinade, the meat will become mushy as the meat fibers break even further apart.
• Oil: carries oil-soluable flavors and coats the surface meat fibers in the flavoring agent (in this case, lemon and garlic).
• Salt/high-sodium ingredients: add flavor, but also work as a brining agent to pull moisture from the marinade into the meat.
• Flavoring agents like garlic and herbs: once the acids and salts have worked their magic on the meat and collagen fibers, these flavors combine with the oil to penetrate the outermost surface of the meat and add complex and complementary tastes.

This particular recipe uses highly-acidic lemon juice in combination with salt to quickly tenderize and brine the outer surface of some thinly-cut chicken breasts. The olive oil and garlic, in combination with the citrus flavor of the lemon juice, then works its way into the chicken. These chicken breasts are very tender and flavorful as a result, the perfect complement to a Memorial Day spread.

A great recipe for grilling season: lemon garlic chicken breasts

Baked Tomatoes

The fruit that took over the world. No, it’s not a long-forgotten sci-fi thriller, or even some GMO experiment gone horribly wrong. It is, in fact, something you have likely eaten, in one form or another, within the past week. It’s the tomato.

I’m kind of envious of the world tour undertaken by this humble fruit (and yes, contrary to what you may have been lead to believe, the tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable). Originating in the Andes Mountains in South America, it soon became a domesticated crop that was, by 500 BC,  being grown as a food source throughout the Mexican peninsula.

One of the early Spanish explorers — perhaps even the fabled Christopher Columbus — returned to Spain with the seeds of this fruit after a trip to the New World. Although initially suspicious of the fruit of any plant in the deadly nightshade family, Spaniards couldn’t resist the juicy, sweet tomato, likening it to an eggplant. Those same explorers were responsible for introducing tomatoes throughout the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean. Climates in countries like Italy were especially favorable for growing tomatoes, though the Italians in the 1500 and 1600s  used them originally as ornamental fruits, believing that they were not edible. That changed, obviously, and thank goodness it did, or we may never have gotten the opportunity to experience pizza in its many forms and permutations.

Tomatoes continued to migrate — north to France and Great Britain, south and east through the Middle East and Africa, and, eventually, made their way back across the ocean…this time to North America.

So the next time you cut one of these beauties into a salad, make a batch of salsa, or serve a simple vegetable soup, think of all the places the tomato has been. And all the passport pages it must have gotten stamped. Now, that’s a trip I want to go on!

Baked tomatoes ready for the oven: stuffed and dotted with butter

Speaking of trips, the Stout Sprouts and I have a simple recipe for baked tomatoes that could take you no further than your garden, or just the produce aisle of your local grocery or farmer’s market (can’t WAIT for Jersey tomatoes to come into season here). If you’re having a big barbecue this weekend — ’tis the season, after all — this is an easy side that is a great complement to steaks or baked chicken or a hearty rice dish and takes absolutely no time at all to make.

Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Call it what you will: hummus, hummous, hummos, or even حمّص بطحينة (that’s chickpeas with tahini, in Arabic, as translated by the wonderful contributors at Wikipedia). But whatever name you choose to embrace, this dish — with the addition of marinated artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers — is something you’ll want in your entertaining repertoire going forward. Trust me — we’ve made this once so far this season and have already been asked to share the recipe!

Spinach-Basil Pesto

Let’s face it. Most children do not arrive in this world universally loving their veggies. Getting there can be a slow process. And for some kids (and some veggies), the process is longer than for others.

With all its natural sugar it’s not hard to warm up to the carrot. Corn, too, is an easy sell. But on the other side of the spectrum lurk broccoli, Brussels sprouts and spinach. Dark green vegetables contain higher amounts of certain natural compounds which many kids just don’t care for.  The bitter taste in cruciferous veggies like broccoli and kale come from what are know as glucosinolate compounds, and raw spinach contains carotenoids to which many people — although at times it seems those people fall disproportionately in the 0- to 10-year-old age group — react strongly. Indeed, scientists have identified genes that predispose certain individuals to be “supertasters” with highly-refined palates that distinguish and amplify certain flavors. (If you’re interested in learning more about this phenomena, read People Who Taste To Much by Sumathi Reddy, published in the Wall Street Journal in March, 2013.)

Supertaster or not, your child may occasionally approach their leafy greens with more aggression than anticipation. Why not harness that energy with a little invitation to, quite literally, pound their vegetables.

Braised Chicken with Kale, Chickpeas, Cauliflower and Tomatoes

This dish is swoon-worthy. Trust me. Even reheated the next day for lunch I found myself audibly appreciating my meal: “Mmmmmmmm.” This may be the cook’s equivalent of talking to themselves — I mean, who else but I, alone in my kitchen, was going to acknowledge my enthusiastic praise for this particular recipe? But there I was, nodding my head and slowly closing my eyes in satisfaction. Yes, yes, we’ll be making this again, and soon.

It took me back to the Italian countryside I’ve never visited…or perhaps a Spanish tavern in which I have yet to set foot. But wherever it was my taste buds wandered, I was happy for the sojourn.

Chicken & Rice Soup with Leeks, Mushrooms and Carrots

Who turned off the lights?

That’s the question I want to ask at about 5:00 PM every day in the weeks that follow the end of Daylight Savings Time. And I’m not the only one asking. The kids are genuinely confused as to how their afternoons end so abruptly with the sudden onset of night. Not twilight, with its languid transition into a gentle evening. But inky dark night. You know — the “one minute we were playing, and the next minute we couldn’t see anything because it was so dark” time of the year.  It’s enough to make a body want to hibernate.

And so it was this past Saturday. Hibernation mode was in high gear as my typically-motivated meal preparation just kind-of fizzled. And with a refrigerator full of produce from our CSA and a morning stop at the West Windsor Community Farmer’s Market (it was sunny when we got there a little before noon!), I was feeling somewhat guilty to boot.

Enter my husband, who had put in some pretty long hours in his home office. He must have felt those wearying effects of reduced daylight as well. His dinner request: something light but comforting.

Light but comforting. Hey, I can do that. I can even do that in my sleep…which came pretty close to describing my state of mind at that particular moment. Then the wheels started turning and visions of chicken soup danced in my head. No better use for the lovely leeks and mushrooms I’d picked up earlier in the day, or for the leftover baked chicken from Friday night’s dinner party, or the fresh carrots and garlic from Cherry Grove Organic Farm, and the parsley and thyme that are still growing in the garden. Genius.

Fueling up for hibernation: leeks, carrots, mushrooms and garlic

I love it when a plan comes together, and this one was like a dream. The total prep and cooking time took little more than half an hour, dishes and clean-up were kept to a minimum (one pot plus cutting board), and the kids and I were back on the couch watching a Saturday night flick in no time at all. And really, if you’ve got a long, chilly night ahead of you…doesn’t that sound just about perfect?

For your own perfect chicken and rice soup, check out this recipe:

Chicken & Rice Soup with Leeks, Mushrooms and Carrots

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large leek, split down the center and well washed with the white and light green parts sliced into thin half-moon slivers
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
5 – 6 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced (from roughly 1/2 pint of mushrooms)
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups chicken stock (homemade if you have it)
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves removed from stalk
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup of brown rice, cooked and kept warm (if you don’t have brown rice, or just don’t like it, use white rice…but we liked the earthy/nuttiness of the brown rice in this dish)
4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Begin by melting the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the slivered leeks and a pinch of Kosher salt and sauté for 3 – 5 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the carrots and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes, until the carrots soften. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 3 – 5 minutes until the mushrooms soften. Add the minced garlic clove and sauté for another minute, until fragrant.

Add the chicken stock, bay leaves and thyme leaves and bring to a low simmer. Add the shredded cooked chicken. Cook soup for 15 – 20 minutes, reducing the heat if the soup begins to boil rapidly — it should be kept at a simmer.

Correct for seasonings and add salt and freshly-ground black pepper as needed.

Serve by spooning about 1/2 cup cooked brown rice into a bowl and ladling soup over the rice. Finish with about 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley.

Serves: 4

Hot, comforting, and on the table in no time

Parent rating: Four-and-a-half stars. This is a warming soup that, as my husband said, really hit the spot. It’s not easy for a soup to be both comforting and light, but this one is. Somehow reminiscent of childhood, it has just enough tooth and earthiness to satisfy on a cold autumn night, but still has a purity of flavor that isn’t too aggressive. It’s the kind of soup that leaves you saying “ahhhh” after you’ve finished your bowl.
Kid rating: Four stars. It took a little coaxing but both Daughter 1 and Daughter 2 confessed to really liking this soup. They slurped the broth and easily nibbled their way through the chicken chunks and carrots. They didn’t even notice the leeks and ate those up too. And I snuck a couple of mushrooms into their bowls to see if they would try them…which they did without even knowing it. Their portions did not include parsley…they just aren’t into it. But hopefully someday they will be, because in my opinion, this soup just isn’t the same without it. Bellies full, we finished the night watching Monsters U over a big bowl of popcorn. Now, that’s a weekend!

Grilled Soy-Ginger-Garlic Drumsticks

It’s funny the things we take at face value. My exposure to ethnic Laotian cooking, for instance. The rural central Pennsylvanian community in which I grew up during the 1970s and early 1980s wasn’t, as I’ve written before in my Chile Rellenos post, the most ethnically diverse area of the country. But through my family’s active involvement in social groups and other community affiliations we seemed to always be among a handful of residents welcoming newcomers to our town.

As the war in Southeast Asia came to and end in the mid 1970s and Communist governments formed in the region, refugees from Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos repatriated to other countries. Quite a few Laotian refugees — many of whom were of Hmong ethic origin — emigrated to the United States. One of the churches in our little town sponsored a Laotian family and, predictably, my family started to spend a lot of time with them. Maybe it was my mother’s background as a teacher (even retired, she still volunteers to teach English as a Second Language), or maybe it was my father’s ties with the Kiwanas Club members who almost certainly helped find housing and jobs for the new family, but I remember many afternoons that year bonding not over a shared language, but a shared love of cooking and food. As a young elementary schooler I didn’t question any of it — that we communicated in ways other than typical conversation seemed, strangely, normal.

One of the dishes our new Laotian friends taught us was a marinated chicken dish with strong Chinese influences: drumsticks soaked in soy sauce and ginger and then grilled over an open flame.

Drumsticks on the grill, indirect heat

Some time passed, the Laotian family moved to be closer to relatives, and then eventually my family relocated to Southeast Pennsylvania during my last year of elementary school. But this dish has always traveled along with us. My parents still make it, and now, so do I. It has a way of both taking me back and anchoring me in the present as I adapt it over and over again, serving it to my husband and daughters and our friends. And now, also sharing it with you.

It’s easy, inexpensive, and soooo good. Make it once and I guarantee you’ll make it again, and now you also have a kind-of cool story to tell anyone for whom you prepare it — a simple dish that traveled from Laos that is so much more than it appears at face value.

Soy-Ginger-Garlic Drumsticks

Grilled Soy-Ginger-Garlic Drumsticks

Ingredients:
3 pounds chicken drumsticks, skin removed
1/2 cup good quality soy sauce (low sodium if you have it — regular soy sauce produces pretty salty drumsticks, which is fine if you like that sort of thing)
Knob of ginger root approximately two inches long, cut into eight 1/4 inch disks
1 garlic clove, sliced into rounds*
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest – optional*
Cooked white rice for serving

You’ll get the best results if you begin to prepare this recipe the day before you plan to serve it…or at least early the same day so the chicken has time to marinate. At least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours.

In a quart size zip-top bag placed inside a medium bowl, combine the chicken, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and lemon zest if you’re using it. Squeeze out extra air and seal the bag. Massage the liquid around the drumsticks, place the bag in the bowl and put the whole lot into the refrigerator. You don’t NEED to use the bowl, but I’ve had zip-top bags spring leaks, and this at least keeps the mess contained if it does. Allow the chicken to marinate, periodically — and carefully! — shaking the bag so that the soy/ginger/garlic evenly penetrates the drumsticks.

The essential ingredients: soy sauce, ginger and garlic

About 45 minutes before you’re ready to eat, prepare your grill for indirect grilling and include a drip pan or sheet of tinfoil on the indirect side (see my earlier post on hickory-smoked chicken thighs if you have questions). When the grill reaches a temperature between 350 degrees and 400 degrees, put the drumsticks on the side with the drip pan. Cover to bring the grill back up to temperature and grill for 15 minutes before flipping the drumsticks and grilling, covered, for another 15 minutes.

When chicken is cooked through, remove from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Great with rice and a quick pickled cucumber dish or other veggie dish with a little vinegar.

This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd. Try it with chicken thighs as well – equally good.

Serves: six.

Chopsticks, drumsticks….

Parent rating: Four-and-a-half stars. I love this recipe. We must make it every several weeks or so during grilling season. Sometimes I leave the chicken skin on the drumsticks (the soy marinade doesn’t penetrate as much). Great for backyard barbecues or pot luck suppers. Leftovers are great too and can be used in a variety of ways…but more on that in another post!
Kid rating: Four stars. Daughter 2 polished off three of these drumsticks before I finished one the night we most recently made them…and she’s young enough that the novelty of eating chicken on a bone is actually fun. Daughter 1 finished one drumstick — enough to make me happy — but isn’t the biggest meat-eater anyway. The rice and sides, on the other hand…gone.

* The original recipe did not use garlic or lemon zest; I often just make this with soy and ginger myself, but the garlic adds a nice depth and flavor and lemon, when I use it, has a nice bright citrus quality. Mince the garlic for more potent garlic taste.