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Two recipes, the first made using leftover ham from Saturday's dinner, the second served with Saturday's dinner.
Ham and 5 bean soup
(made by me!)
2 cups leftover spiral-sliced ham, diced
1 cup diced white onion
2 cloves minced garlic
4 red chili peppers
2 cups black beans
1 bag Manischewitz Four Bean Soup Mix (discard seasoning packet, unless you prefer to use it over your own seasoning)
2-4 bay leaves
7 cups liquid (I used 4 cups chicken broth and 3 cups water)
pinch cumin
pinch cilantro
ground pepper to taste
Prepare the Four Bean Soup Mix by boiling the 7 cups of liquid, adding the beans, and then simmering for two hours. Halfway through simmering, saute onion, peppers and garlic (using olive oil or butter) until tender and the onion is translucent. Add cumin and cilantro to onion mix; add onion mix to simmering beans. Add the diced ham to the soup. Continue to simmer for another hour. After two hours, check dried beans for doneness. Once dried beans are tender, drain and rinse black beans and add to soup. Continue to simmer on low.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Brown Rice Spring Vegetable Risotto
(from the recipes at Whole Foods)
The brown rice adds a nutty taste, but takes longer to fully cook compared to Arborio rice.
2 quarts liquid (I used a combination of water and chicken stock)
1/2 pound (about 1/2 bunch) asparagus, woody ends snapped off and discarded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups short-grain brown rice
6 spring carrots (slender), diced
2 zucchini, diced
1/2 cup fresh peas
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, more to taste
1 tablespoon butter
sea salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Bring stock and water to a boil in a large pot. Reduce to a simmer. Add the asparagus to the stock-water mixture and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove asparagus from pot and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain asparagus well, then slice spears into bite-size pieces. Set aside. Reserve cooking liquid.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent but not brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, one more minute. Add brown rice and stir with a wooden spoon until rice is coated with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is fragrant and toasted, about 4 minutes. Add a cup of hot liquid to the rice, stirring constantly, until the rice absorbs all the liquid. The liquid should gently simmer in the rice; if the liquid boils rapidly, reduce the heat. When the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid, add another half cup of stock, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed.
Continue this way and after 18 to 20 minutes, add carrots with more liquid. After another 10 minutes add the zucchini with liquid. If stock is getting low, add water. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, continuing to stir and add liquid. The rice will be close to fully cooked. Start testing to see if the rice is done-it should be tender but firm.
Add peas and asparagus to the rice when rice is done. Stir until remaining stock is absorbed and peas and asparagus are heated through. Remove from heat and fold in 3 tablespoons of the heavy cream. Stir in grated Parmesan and butter. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, adding more cream and Parmesan if you like. Serve immediately.
Between the two, I've got meals galore for the week! The risotto is melt-in-my-mouth good and if it were socially acceptable, I'd use it for my bath water. The soup is a pleasing mix of saltiness (thanks to the ham) and spice (thanks to the chilis). The parmesan cheese helps to moderate both the saltiness and the spiciness.
When I make this risotto again, I'll likely halve it--it makes a HUGE amount for just two people. If I make the soup again, I might add potatoes--it feels like it could use a starch.
Ham and 5 bean soup
(made by me!)
2 cups leftover spiral-sliced ham, diced
1 cup diced white onion
2 cloves minced garlic
4 red chili peppers
2 cups black beans
1 bag Manischewitz Four Bean Soup Mix (discard seasoning packet, unless you prefer to use it over your own seasoning)
2-4 bay leaves
7 cups liquid (I used 4 cups chicken broth and 3 cups water)
pinch cumin
pinch cilantro
ground pepper to taste
Prepare the Four Bean Soup Mix by boiling the 7 cups of liquid, adding the beans, and then simmering for two hours. Halfway through simmering, saute onion, peppers and garlic (using olive oil or butter) until tender and the onion is translucent. Add cumin and cilantro to onion mix; add onion mix to simmering beans. Add the diced ham to the soup. Continue to simmer for another hour. After two hours, check dried beans for doneness. Once dried beans are tender, drain and rinse black beans and add to soup. Continue to simmer on low.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Brown Rice Spring Vegetable Risotto
(from the recipes at Whole Foods)
The brown rice adds a nutty taste, but takes longer to fully cook compared to Arborio rice.
2 quarts liquid (I used a combination of water and chicken stock)
1/2 pound (about 1/2 bunch) asparagus, woody ends snapped off and discarded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups short-grain brown rice
6 spring carrots (slender), diced
2 zucchini, diced
1/2 cup fresh peas
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, more to taste
1 tablespoon butter
sea salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Bring stock and water to a boil in a large pot. Reduce to a simmer. Add the asparagus to the stock-water mixture and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove asparagus from pot and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain asparagus well, then slice spears into bite-size pieces. Set aside. Reserve cooking liquid.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent but not brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, one more minute. Add brown rice and stir with a wooden spoon until rice is coated with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is fragrant and toasted, about 4 minutes. Add a cup of hot liquid to the rice, stirring constantly, until the rice absorbs all the liquid. The liquid should gently simmer in the rice; if the liquid boils rapidly, reduce the heat. When the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid, add another half cup of stock, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed.
Continue this way and after 18 to 20 minutes, add carrots with more liquid. After another 10 minutes add the zucchini with liquid. If stock is getting low, add water. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, continuing to stir and add liquid. The rice will be close to fully cooked. Start testing to see if the rice is done-it should be tender but firm.
Add peas and asparagus to the rice when rice is done. Stir until remaining stock is absorbed and peas and asparagus are heated through. Remove from heat and fold in 3 tablespoons of the heavy cream. Stir in grated Parmesan and butter. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, adding more cream and Parmesan if you like. Serve immediately.
Between the two, I've got meals galore for the week! The risotto is melt-in-my-mouth good and if it were socially acceptable, I'd use it for my bath water. The soup is a pleasing mix of saltiness (thanks to the ham) and spice (thanks to the chilis). The parmesan cheese helps to moderate both the saltiness and the spiciness.
When I make this risotto again, I'll likely halve it--it makes a HUGE amount for just two people. If I make the soup again, I might add potatoes--it feels like it could use a starch.
