Bakkheia

This recipe began in the kitchen of my very first apartment when I was a junior in college.  I had become obsessed with the Food Network, and I desperately wanted to learn how to cook.  It began as basically just chicken broth with a vegetable and herb base, and over the past 6 years it has morphed into the deliciously thick and hearty soup you see pictured here today.  

When I took time off school and moved back home with my parents for a semester, my now-fiance Tom and I were living in different cities; he was in Columbia, I, in St. Louis.  He and his roommate were renting a townhouse together with a pretty great kitchen, and I would drive up to visit whenever possible.  I remember making a huge batch of this soup before leaving on Sundays for them to eat throughout the week.  It’s gotten better since then.  

I feel obliged to mention the disastrous Bacon Fat Experiment.  I normally start the soup with olive oil, but I got the bright idea about a year ago to start with bacon fat instead.  I diced up some bacon and sauteed it in my stockpot before adding the veggies.  The soup right off the stove tasted pretty good, but I had drank the better part of a bottle of wine while cooking the soup, so I can’t really even attest to that.  The best part of making this soup is the leftovers, and the bacon fat caused the broth to become quite gelatinous in its leftover state.  A word to the wise: don’t try this at home.

Here we go with chicken noodle soup.  

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 

1 medium white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 ribs celery, sliced

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper, to taste

10 chicken bullion cubes

10 cups water

about 2 tsp + 1 tsp Italian seasoning, divided

about 3 tbsp olive oil

1 pinch crushed red pepper

1 lb egg noodles

1 tsp poultry or grill seasoning, optional

Preheat oven to 350.  Coat chicken breasts with olive oil, 1 tsp Italian seasoning or gill seasoning, salt and pepper, then bake until fully cooked, about 20-25 minutes.  Set aside to rest, then dice into bite size pieces (think about the spoon you want to use to eat it!). 

In a large stockpot heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add diced onion and garlic, saute until onions begin to soften.  Add carrot and celery, continue to saute until softened, stirring constantly.  Season with salt and pepper as you add ingredients.  You may need to increase heat as you add ingredients.  When onions, carrots, and celery are softened add water, bullion cubes, and bay leaves.  Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.  Cover and stir occasionally until bullion is dissolved.  Add egg noodles and cook for about 5 minutes, then add diced chicken.  Simmer for about 10 minutes or until ready to serve.   

I wish I had a photo of my non-lazy chicken enchiladas, but here is my recipe for lazy ones.  I will also include the recipe for Poblano Pepper Pesto that I use in my non-lazy version.  

1 chicken breast, roasted, seasoned with cumin, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper

about 2-3 oz low fat cream cheese

3 whole wheat tortillas, medium size

1 can green enchilada sauce

a handful shredded white cheese (whatever is on hand)

5 rings jar jalapenos, chopped fine

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

diced tomato, for garnish

sour cream, for garnish

Roast chicken breast in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165.  Let rest for about 10-15 minutes.  Dice chicken.  In a mixing bowl, combine warm chicken, cream cheese, chopped cilantro and jalapenos.  Spray baking dish with non-stick spray.  Spoon filling mixture evenly into tortillas and roll.  Top with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes, then run under broiler for about 1.5 minutes to brown cheese.  

Non-Lazy Poblano Pepper Pesto (goes in the filling and makes it way better)

3 poblano peppers, roasted and charred, peeled and seeded

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped

2 cups fresh cilantro

2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

juice of 1 lime

salt & black pepper

1 clove garlic

About 1 cup olive oil, or so

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor or blender.  Pulse a couple of times.  Keep pulsing and slowly stream in olive oil until sauce takes on an almost creamy consistency.  

Lettuce 

Basil, rosemary, cilantro, oregano

Peppers

Tomato, Early Girl

It is my steadfast belief that macaroni and cheese is everyone’s favorite food.  The decision to make my own was easy.  The first batch left me sweating with a gritty bechemel.  Since then, I have made several batches, and I no longer need to use a recipe.  I also no longer sweat when I make it, and my cheese sauce is creamy and ethereal.  Topped with cheese and toasted Panko, eating it is better than the buzz that comes from a bottle of wine on an empty stomach.

3 tbsp flour

3 tbsp butter

3 cups milk

.5 cup yellow onion, chopped

2 tbsp ground mustard

1 tsp paprika

1 egg, beaten

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

7 ounces elbow macaroni pasta

4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp Panko breadcrumbs

Boil elbow macaroni until al dente, drain and set aside.  Melt the butter in a huge saucepan.  Whisk in the flour and make a blond roux, cooking about 5-7 minutes.  Add the milk, onion, mustard, and paprika.  Bring to a simmer and reduce by 1/3, whisking consistently.  Temper in the egg.  (If you don’t know how to temper an egg, visit http://www.wikihow.com/Temper-an-Egg)  Slowly add 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese, whisking sauce until smooth.  When cheese is incorporated, fold in macaroni and transfer to a 2 quart baking dish.  Top with 4 ounces shredded cheddar and Panko breadcrumbs.  Bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes until the top is golden.  Let rest about 10-15 minutes and serve to your delighted guests.

Tom’s twice-baked potatoes are seriously amazing.  He bakes some Russet potatoes, slices them in half, spoons the innards into a mixing bowl, and mixes in Velveeta cheese, milk, chopped bacon.  He spoons them lovingly back into their skins and sprinkles paprika over the top, then bakes them for about 20 minutes.  I can’t wait to marry this man.  

Bought some filet mignon & puff pastry sheets.  I sauteed some Porcini mushrooms and shallots until they were deeply caramelized.  I spooned the mushroom and shallot mixture into the puff pastry and placed the filets on top.  I brushed the tops with egg wash once wrapped and baked for about 30 minutes.  

The result:

My chef friend said, “I surprised you can cook that.”  

During the purple Lenten time this year, on a meatless Friday, we made the best fish tacos I have ever tasted.  Read on for the rest of the story (recipe)

Right.  So that’s what the fish looked like right out of the skillet.  Here’s what happened to get it looking so tasty:

I bought 3 tilapia filets, which was way too much for 3 people once they were all cut up and battered and fried to a tasty golden brown.  However, I cut them into sort of bigger-than-bite-size strips before they were battered.  

Batter:

About 3/4 cup corn starch in a bowl by itself

The following is all mixed:

1.5 cups flour

about half a beer, whatever is in the fridge, I think we used Natty Light

2 tbsp Southwest seasoning mix (make up your own, use a package taco mix, whatevs)

Then Adrianne suggested this Baja sauce, which took the tacos over the top:

.25 cup mayonnaise

.25 cup sour cream

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp Southwest seasoning (same as the batter)

1 tsp chopped jalapenos

We added shredded lettuce, et voila:

The mysterious side is rice.  

Baby picture of my garden, freshly planted.  From left: basil, rosemary, cilantro, oregano, lettuce, red and green bell peppers, sweet banana and jalapeno peppers, Roma tomato, Early Girl tomato, Big Boy tomato.