A Good Appetite: lunch

Showing posts with label lunch. Show all posts

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Curry Turkey Pasta Salad and an Update

Where oh, where have we been? Well, we have been continuing our diets, which doesn't always lead to the most exciting of menus. That said, the diet has been going well, Matt is down 34 pounds and I am down 23. I'm not saying we don't still eat well, just not as many fun things to share.

On top of that, we have just gone into contract on a new kitchen...

Ok, not just a kitchen, but the whole loft around it. We are selling our house and moving into Minneapolis's downtown North Loop neighborhood. We are looking forward to being in a walkable neighborhood surrounded by restaurants like Sapor, Borough, Bachelor Farmer, Smack Shack, Black Sheep Pizza, 112 Eatery, Bar La Grassa, and Be'wiched, just to name a few. Uh oh, there goes that diet!

With getting the house cleaned up, preparing for a garage sale and finding a new place to buy, we are looking for quick, satisfying meals these days. Over the weekend we roasted a turkey with friends, so we decided to turn the leftovers into a pasta salad. (You could easily do this with chicken too.) Curry powder gives this salad lots of flavor, carrots and celery add a crunch and golden raisins provide a perfect touch of sweetness. We use light mayo and non-fat yogurt to keep the calories low.

Curry Turkey Pasta Salad

4oz pasta
1 t cider vinegar
4 oz roasted turkey, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 c chopped red onion
2 T golden raisins
2 T plain non-fat yogurt
3 T light mayonaise
2 T skim milk
1 T mild curry powder
salt

Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Put into a bowl and stir in vinegar. Let sit a few minutes to cool an absorb vinegar.

Mix everything but the salt into the pasta. Taste and add salt as needed.

Chill covered for at least an hour.

2 servings
About 430 calories per serving

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2013 Kathy Lewinski

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Easy Gazpacho

When the tomatoes are ripe and the temps soar into the triple digits, it's the right time of year for gazpacho. Really, there is nothing like a bowl of this cooling soup with some crusty bread when the thought of turning on the oven, or even the grill, seems unbearable.

Ok, you do have to turn on the stove for this, but just briefly to blanch the tomatoes to remove the skins. Do it in the morning before the house heats up.

I just winged it with this version using what vegetables we had on hand and adding things I thought sounded good. Funny thing is, it's probably the best version of gazpacho I've ever made. All the flavors blend together so one vegetable doesn't over power the rest. The balsamic adds some depth and the red pepper flakes a litte zing. The color is a gorgeous deep red. Cilantro, while not typical in gazpacho, really goes with it beautifully, but if you are one of those people who can't eat cilantro leave it out. I can't recommend topping it with sweet corn more, the crunch and sweetness it adds is really something special.

Easy Gazpacho

1 c peeled, seeded and roughly chopped tomatoes
1 red pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 large sweet white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
handful of fresh cilantro (optional)
1 11.5 oz can of tomato juice
1 t kosher salt
1/8 t - 1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 T balsamic vinegar

Put everything in a blender or food processor. Process until everything is chopped but the soup still has a little texture. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.

Makes 4 cups

Optional toppings:
cooked corn kernels (To cook an ear of corn easily, peel the husk without removing it. Remove all the silk you can. Push the husk back up around the corn. Microwave on hight for 3 minutes. Perfectly done corn)
diced cucumbers
diced onion

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Lasagna Soup

When Matt travels I often find myself picking up containers of soup from the deli at the local gourmet grocery store, Kowalski's, for lunch or dinner. Recently, they seem to have a whole bunch of new varieties for winter & I was intrigued by one called lasagna soup. It was so good I knew I had to try creating a version of it at home.

A creamy tomato soup is made even creamier with ricotta cheese & seasoned with basil & oregano. Sausage & lasagna noodles are added creating a hearty soup with all the flavors of lasagna. We used a spicy Italian sausage which gave a good bite of heat against the creamy, cheesy soup. The broken lasagna noodles make great soup noodles,retaining their texture even two days later, plus, I like a thick noodle in soups. This soup was tasty as is but next time I may add some spinach for color & to get some greens in our winter diet.

We had our first snowstorm of the winter this past weekend which kept us trapped inside on Saturday. This soup was the perfect warmer in front of the fire re-watching all the Harry Potter movies (yes, I'm getting excited to see the new one Thursday night!).

Lasagna Soup

1 lb bulk Italian sausage, we used hot but mild would be find too
5 oz yellow onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped, about 2 T
1 T tomato paste
1 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
2 t kosher salt
few grinds fresh pepper
2 14.5 oz cans of crushed or diced tomatoes
2 T sherry
2 c chicken stock
1 c half & half
1 c ricotta
1/4 c grated parmesan
6 lasagna noodles (not the no boil kind)

In a large heavy soup pan or dutch oven brown the sausage over medium-high heat until cooked through, break it into pieces as you go. Remove from the pan & set aside.

The pan should have a good coating of fat in it from the sausage if not, add a little olive oil. Cook the onions & garlic over medium-high heat until tender & the onions are translucent. Add the tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt & pepper. Cook while stirring for about a minutes. Add the tomatoes & bring to a simmer. Let simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water. Break the lasagna noodles into large pieces & put into the boiling water. Boil until just undercooked, for us that was about 6 1/2 minutes. Drain & set aside.

Process the soup until smooth either in a blender or with an immersion blender. Stir in the sherry, chicken stock & half & half. Heat through over low heat. Add the ricotta & parmesan. Stir over low heat until melted. Stir in the sausage & noodles. Taste for seasoning & adjust as needed.

Serve with extra grated parmesan if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Fig and Camembert Tart

The inspiration for last night's dinner come from two places, some lovely, stinky Camembert that Ile de France sent us & some dried Black Mission figs from the CA Fig Advisory Board.* I thought they would be perfect paired together.

The results were, well, kind of mixed. Matt felt the figs weren't a great match for the other ingredients. I liked the flavors together but thought that the tart needed a little something else. Perhaps a little of another cheese like Parmesan. I would also maybe double the amount of onions I used.

The filling turned out really light, almost like a soufflé and made for a nice light dinner with a spinach salad. This is a combination I'd like to play with some more. I think using the puff pastry as more of a pizza style crust & topping it with the figs, onions & cheese alone would make for an amazing appetizer.

Fig & Camembert Tart

1 sheet puff pastry (1/2 a package)
1/2 T olive oil
1- 2 medium onions, sliced thin
2/3 c milk
4.5 oz camembert, I removed the rind but you can leave it on.
1/4 t thyme
1 beaten egg
10 dry Black Mission figs, roughly chopped

Let puff pastry sit at room temperature until thawed, about 40 minutes.

Heat the olive oil over low heat in a small skillet. Add the onions. Let the onions cook slowly until they are golden brown, stirring as needed, 30 - 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not allow to boil. Reduce heat to low & add the camembert. Stir until melted (if you left the rind on it may not melt completely). Let cool. Whisk in the thyme & beaten egg.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Roll the puff pastry out slightly, until its just big enough to fit a buttered 9" pie pan. Lay in the pan & trim off any excess. Put in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Remove chilled pie crust. Cover the bottom of the pie pan with the figs & onions. Pour the cheese mixture over the top. Place in the center of the oven & bake for 30 minutes until the filling is puffy, set & golden brown.

Let sit a few minutes before cutting to serve.

Makes 1 9" pie

* Ile de France sent me some of their new French Camembert. It's beautiful, creamy, slightly stinky & perfect on a cracker or in a recipe. The CA Fig Advisory Board sent me an assortment of fresh & dried figs, these dried black mission figs were sticky & moist with tons of flavor. Neither company reimbursed me in any other way or required me to review their product.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Matt's Chicken Salad

As I think I've mention a few hundred times, we love a roast chicken. It makes for a great meal right when it's cooked but then there are the leftovers to play with which means I get one of my favorite lunches, chicken salad.

Last week, we had some of that leftover chicken. I was busy moving a dump truck full of mulch that had been delivered to our front yard so asked Matt to make the chicken salad. Matt seems to have an innate sense when it comes to cooking. He almost never uses a recipe & often puts together strange combinations that end up tasting really good together. Take this salad for instance, I would have never thought to put cajun seasoning & kalamata olives together. What we ended up with was a salad that had a nice saltiness from the olives & a zing from the seasoning. It was so good I was sad there was only 4 servings. I'm so lucky to be married to this kind of cook.

Matt's Chicken Salad

2 c cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1/8 c slivered almonds
1/4 c kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 c scallion, sliced
1/4 c mayo
1 t cajun seasoning

Mix everything together. Serve in a sandwich or on top of a bed of lettuce.

4 servings

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Curried Root Vegetable Soup

This time of year our fridge is full of the root crops. Most vegetables have been harvested already here in the great white north but we are still getting carrots, turnips, potatoes, parsnips & onions from the farm. Luckily these are just the hearty type of thing we crave in the winter for stews & soups.

This soup started out as curried carrot soup but I figured why not just throw in everything I had in the crisper. The end result is thick & hearty. The sourness of the yogurt is a good combination with the sweetness of the vegetables. Plus talk about healthy, this soup doesn't even have any oil or butter in it!

Curried Root Vegetable Soup

1 1/2 lbs carrots, sliced
1 lb yellow onion, chopped
1 lb parsnip, peeled & chopped
10 oz turnip, peeled & chopped
8 oz potato, peeled & chopped
4 c water
3 c chicken or vegetable stock
2 t salt
1 t dried thyme
2 T curry powder
1/2 t sweet paprika
1/2 t pepper
plain yogurt

Put the carrots, onions, parsnip, turnip, potato & water in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover & simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Process the vegetables until smooth with an immersion blender, blender or food processor. Add the stock, salt, thyme. curry, paprika & pepper. Simmer uncovered about 10 more minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve with a scoop of yogurt on top.

Makes 6 servings

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Corn and Smoked Sausage Chowder

While we were at my parents over Thanksgiving my dad whipped up with corn & sausage chowder for lunch one day. It seemed to come together in no time & was a big hit with everyone especially served with his homemade breadsticks.

Matt really liked it so wanted to make it at home right away. We forgot to get my dad's recipe but Matt figured he could wing it. I think my dad's was slightly thicker but other than that its pretty close. This soup makes for a nice hearty lunch. The sweetness of the corn pairs beautifully with the smoky sausage. My dad uses frozen potatoes o'brien instead of chopping his own potatoes, peppers & onions so feel free to substitute that if you want even a quicker meal.

Corn & Smoked Sausage Chowder

2 T unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, seed & chopped

4 T all-purpose flour

3 c chicken stock
12 oz smoked sausage, cut in half lengthwise then sliced sliced
2 c sweet corn, frozen or fresh off the cob
2 c potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 large russet)
1/2 - 1 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 t sweet paprika
salt & pepper to taste
2 c milk
hot sauce (optional)

In a large soup pot melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion & red pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent. Sprinkle in the flour & cook while stirring for 1 minute, do not let brown. Add the stock slowly & continue stirring until bubbly. Add the sausage, corn and potatoes. Stir in the red pepper, paprika plus salt & pepper. Cover & let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potato is tender. Stir in the milk & heat, do not boil. Check seasoning & add salt, pepper & hot sauce to taste.

4 - 6 servings

Monday, November 23, 2009

Corn and Pepper Soup

Matt has a list of soups to make for lunches this winter so we won't get bored having the same ones over and over again. This was a soup he found of Elly Says Opa. I can see why it made it to his list since the Southwestern flavors always seem to appeal to him

I was a little worried I wouldn't care for this soup especially with how strong the smell of peppers was while he was cooking it. In the end we both really liked it. The flavors were really great together & I especially liked the sweetness of the corn (we used MN sweet corn I froze this summer). Matt added a little extra hot sauce to his before eating while I added a scoop of yogurt, I liked the tanginess it added.

Matt stuck pretty close to the original recipe though he added some water.

Corn and Pepper Soup

2 T unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion chopped
2 poblano peppers, seeded & chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped
1 red pepper, seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t cumin
1/2 t oregano
1/2 ancho chile powder
2 c corn, divided
1 c water
2 c chicken stock
1 c milk
1/4 c masa

In a large soup pot melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers & cook until tender. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, ancho chile powder and 1 cup of corn. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of water & puree in a blender or with an immersion blender. Add the remaining corn and the chicken stock. Mix the milk & masa together & add to the soup. Heat through. Serve with hot sauce & yogurt.

Makes 3 - 4 servings

Friday, October 30, 2009

Roasted Pepper Soup

Matt & I are lucky enough to both work at home. (I know many couples say they would kill each other but we've learned to respect each other's space & enjoy the time together.) One of the perks is we get to have a homemade lunch together. We'd gotten into a real sandwich & chips rut over the summer so we decided to make an effort this fall & winter to make homemade soups & stews ahead of time to have instead. This week I made celeriac, potato & apple soup & this roasted pepper soup.

Seriously, who wouldn't prefer this beautiful plate for lunch instead of a cold sandwich? The original recipe called for just red peppers but I used a mixture of red & yellow. I also decided to add a jalapeno to the mix to give it a little bit of a kick. I have to say I was surprised at just how good this soup was, it's rich, creamy & just a little spicy.

Are you wondering about this bread? It's the Peppery Olive Oil Bread with Sweet Potato from the new Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients. We're excited to try a bunch more recipes from this book to go with our daily soups & stews. We need to head to the grocery store now to stock up on various whole grains & interesting flours.

Roasted Pepper Soup

adapted from The Big Book of Soups and Stews: 262 Recipes for Serious Comfort Food

3 large bell peppers (we used a mix of red & yellow)

1 large jalapeno

1 T olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small potato, peeled & cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 t salt

1/4 t dried thyme

1/8 t crushed red pepper flakes

2 1/2 c chicken or vegetable stock

1 c milk or buttermilk

Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Seed & cut the peppers & jalapeno in half. Cut a few slits in them to make the pepper halves lay flat. Place in the tin foil. Put in broiler & let roast until charred, 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from broiler & wrap the peppers in the tin foil to steam. Once cooled a bit, remove the peppers from the tin foil pouch & take off the charred skins (I find this easier to do under running water). Chop roughly.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion & sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic & let cook for a minute or two. Add the potato, salt, thyme, red pepper flakes and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & cover then let simmer for about 15 minutes until the potato is tender. Add the chopped peppers & let cook another 5 - 10 minutes. Pureé in a blender or with an immersion blender. Add milk or buttermilk gently heat to serving temperature.

4 servings

The recipe recommends topping with some yogurt or sour cream. We did add some yogurt but it really didn't need it.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Cherry Tomato and Goat Cheese Pie

The hot weather continues in Minneapolis so light meals are in order. With all the beautiful tomatoes in season right now, I decided a tomato tart with a salad would hit the spot. Well, I originally planned for this to be an open-faced tart but as I was making it thought why not top it with more crispy phyllo and make it a pie. Really can you have enough flakey, crispy phyllo?

(I wished this looked as good as it tasted!)

Use the most flavorful tomatoes you can get for this dish, they will make all the difference. I used black cherry tomatoes but you can really use whatever you have.

Cherry Tomato and Goat Cheese Pie

9 sheets of phyllo dough
oil olive
1/2 t dried basil
2 oz goat cheese
8 - 10 cherry tomatoes, sliced
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Lay one sheet of phyllo dough on a silcon pad or greased baking pan. Brush with olive oil. Place another sheet on top & brush with olive oil. Repeat with another sheet. Sprinkle with basil. Top with another sheet of phyllo & brush with olive oil. Repeat with two more sheet of phyllo brushing with olive oil between each sheet. Crumble goat cheese on top leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Top the goat cheese with the tomato slices. Season with salt & pepper. Top with a sheet of phyllo dough. Brush with olive oil. Repeat with two more sheets of phyllo brushing with olive oil between each sheet. Fold the edges over 1/2-inch sealing the edges.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until crispy & brown.

2 servings.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Chicken with Fennel Salad Sandwiches

The other night Matt was flying back from the Bay Area right around dinner time & I had to work at the library until right before picking him up. I had a feeling he wouldn't want to go out for dinner after lots of meals out for the past couple of days. I decided the best thing to do was have something that was ready to eat when we got home that was fresh & light. Chicken salad seemed like a perfect solution, I could make it before I went to the library & let it chill until we got home.

We make lots of variations of chicken salad based on what's in the refrigerator; leftover rice & beans - Mexican chicken salad, leftover chile rub - southwestern chicken salad, leftover grilled vegetables - vegetable chicken salad. It's the type of dish that can be a spring board for many flavors. I wanted to use one of the fennel bulbs we got from our CSA so I went for a Chicken & Fennel Salad this time. I was just going to wing it but I found what sounded like a great recipe from Gourmet June 2006 on Epicurious. The only issue with the recipe is that it was huge, it used 3 whole chickens! So here I give it to you sized down to make 4 sandwiches.

Chicken and Fennel Salad

3 - 4 c cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (I didn't have any cooked chicken around so I just poached two breasts)
5 T mayonnaise
2 T plain yogurt
zest from 1/2 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 t fennel seeds, toasted & crushed
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
1 fennel bulb, stems discarded & chopped

Mix everything but the basil together. Cover & chill until ready to serve. Before serving mix in the fresh basil.

Makes 4 servings.

We served this as sandwiches on homemade rolls & ate the leftovers inside a tortilla wrap the next day. It would also be very goo just serves on salad greens. The lemon really brighten this recipe & I've upped it compared to the original. The fennel provides a nice crunch & a slight licorice flavor but is not overpowering at all, though the flavor was slightly more intense the second day.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Chile Chicken Salad

One of the best things about roasting a chicken is using the leftovers for chicken salad. As I was chopping the leftover chicken from the Bean Butt Chicken both Matt & I had the idea to use the Fragrant Chile Rub we used while roasting as the seasoning for the chicken salad. Well, this was just a brilliant idea as it was probably one of the best chicken salads we've ever made.

(doesn't it look lovely on my homemade roll)

The rub did not make it too spicy but gave it a really nice, almost smoky flavor. We added green onions & slivered almonds to the salad to give it a nice crunch.

Chile Chicken Salad

2 c cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 c mayonnaise (more if the salad is a little too dry)
1 t fragrant chile rub
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 c slivered almonds

Mix everything together. Serve on bread or a bed of salad greens. I like it with some cherry tomatoes on top for a little sweetness.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Radish Sandwich

This week we got our second bunch of radishes in our CSA box. The first bunch made a great Thai salad & I figured this bunch would most likely also go the salad route. Then I was reading Eating Out Loud the other day & he made a Spicy Radish Sandwich which inspired me to make one of my own.

Where he went a little South Asian with his sandwich flavoring it with garam masala, I took mine on a more Eastern European path.
I toasted some slices of my homemade buttermilk bread then added some light sour cream. I sprinkled a generous amount dill on top of the sour cream. Then I thinly sliced my radishes length-wise & added a layer of those with a pinch of salt. Finally I added a layer of spring salad greens.

Yum, this was such a crisp, flavorful lunch. I love the flavor of the sour cream & dill with the slightly spicy radishes. There is one thing that would have made this sandwich perfect, a really good dark Russian or Latvian bread. I have plenty of radishes left so maybe next time.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Ham & Spinach Pasty

I woke up the other morning & realized I had forgotten to make bread dough for sandwiches for lunch. So I started rummaging through the fridge to see what I could come up with. I had an uncooked pie crust leftover from the French Sorrel Tart, half a bag of spinach, a little leftover goat cheese & some deli ham so I decided a ham & spinach pasty would be just thing. I know a pasty is usually filled with meat, potatoes & onion but I really think of it as more of a technique that you can use with any filling. I used to buy two unbaked pie crusts at the store & make four of these at a time, freezing them after cooking, then I would take them to work & warm them up in the toaster oven for a really great lunch.

1 unbaked pie crust (I use store-bought but homemade would be great)
4 c spinach
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
1/4 c toasted pine nuts
1 egg
2 T goat cheese, crumbled (any cheese will work, feta is really good)
1 T grated Parmesan
2 sliced deli ham, chopped
salt & pepper
nutmeg

Preheat oven to 450 F. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion & garlic & sauté until the onion is tender. Add the spinach to the skillet & cook until completely wilted. Put spinach mixture in a medium bowl & allow to cool slightly. Mix in pine nuts, egg, ham and cheeses. Season with salt, pepper & a few pinch of nutmeg.
Cut the pie crust into two half circles. Put half of the spinach filling on one side of each half circle.

Fold the other half of the half circle over the filling. Fold the edges in & pinch them to seal shut. Poke a few hole in the top with a fork. Place the pasties on a baking sheet lined with a silicone pad or parchment paper. Bake for 15 -20 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 2