COMFORT FOOD

Arroz aguado (watery or soft rice) is a dish I was none too happy to eat when I was little. Its mushy texture and bland flavors were well suited to the flu-ish and hungover, but not to people whose tastebuds were unimpaired and stomachs weren’t queasy. Arroz aguado is basically chicken soup to which rice has been added and cooked until its blown out and soft. The harsh winds and chilly temperatures of early spring have made me reconsider this recipe, however, and it is now a very welcome addition to the table.


ARROZ AGUADO

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
3 carrots, cut into ½”-thick slices
2 whole canned plum tomatoes, sliced into ½”-thick slices, plus 2 tablespoons juice
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Salt and pepper
2 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts, cut in half crosswise
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or 4 drumsticks)
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 sprigs fresh mint
3 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1” cubes
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into ½”-thick slices

Bright garnishes like mint, cilantro, and lime juice will brighten the arroz aguado -- top each bowl or pass at the table.

¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 limes, cut into wedges
1 ripe avocado, cut into ¼” cubes
Pickled jalapeño chiles


-Heat oil in large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes and juice, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

-Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot. Add broth, water, rice, and sprigs of fresh mint; stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and maintain a low simmer, skimming surface from time to time, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes.With tongs, remove chicken and place in bowl. Remove and discard mint sprigs.

-Stir potatoes and zucchini into soup and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

-Meanwhile, using 2 forks, carefully remove and discard skin and bones. Shred chicken and return to pot. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

-Serve in bowls and garnish with mint and cilantro. Serve with limes, avocado, and jalapeños.

Note: When reheating leftovers, add a bit more broth to the stew as the rice may become blown out as it rests.

SHOUT OUT!

This is s shout out to Lady L who made one of my recipes recently. Thanks for sending a picture!
xoxo HH&F

EGGCELLENT

I love eggs. To quote Dr. Seuss, “So I will eat them in a box. And I will eat them with a fox. And I will eat them in a house. And I will them with a mouse. And I will them here and there. Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE!” Scrambled, poached, fried, hard boiled…I will eat them – just not spoiled.

Many of my favorite meals (especially those I fashion from leftovers) are topped with an egg. Steak. Black bean soup. Grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Hamburger. Quesadilla. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner, eggs are incredibly versatile. It should come as no surprise then that pasta alla carbonara is one of my favorite dishes. It’s rich, creamy, and incorporates eggs very delicately and deliciously. Plus, it’s quick to make and can easily be pulled together with ingredients you (should) have on hand.

The following is my version of carbonara. I use cappellini instead of the usual spaghetti to cut down on cooking time and use bacon and pancetta interchangeably. Also, if you don’t have white wine on hand, I’ve found a nice lager or ale acceptable substitutions.
For vegetarians: in place of pancetta, sauté 8 ounces chopped mushrooms of your choice in 2 tablespoons olive oil until browned.

3 large eggs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
4 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼” cubes (or 6 slices bacon, chopped)
8 ounces cappellini pasta
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup white wine

- Set 4 quarts water to boil in medium pot.

- Whisk eggs in large bowl. Whisk in ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and parmesan.

- Cook pancetta (or bacon) in a large skillet over medium heat until golden and some of the fat has rendered (if using bacon, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve), 4 to 5 minutes.

-Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and cappellini to water and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water and drain. Return to pot.

- Add garlic to skillet and cook, stirring, until lightly golden and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and remove from heat.

- Add cappellini to bowl with eggs and very quickly, using tongs or two large forks, toss to coat evenly. Stir in pancetta-wine mix (if using, stir in reserved bacon bits). If pasta looks a bit dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. Serve immediately.

FEED ME

There are days when, despite my best efforts, I eat like a voracious billy goat. I didn’t wake up this morning planning to eat complex carbs only, but that’s what I did. I gulped down an espresso for breakfast, got super busy, and all of a sudden I looked up at the clock and it was noon. I was ravenous.

I had a grilled cheese sandwich. And some manicotti. Then a Diet Coke (I suppose that doesn’t really count?). A while later I ate (ok, more like inhaled) an olive roll. And a few minutes after that I had a bit of pastry and three French fries. And one more olive roll. By 5:00pm I was bloated and full but unsatisfied. The poor nutritional choices I made left me feeling wobbly and tired so I skipped yoga (did I tell you I’ve been doing crazy Bikram yoga about 4 times a week since January?!). That means that instead of burning 800 calories this evening, I stayed home and carb loaded some more (beer, Triscuit, pastry).

At 8:00pm I decided I still wanted more to eat and finally decided to cook some real food. It was the one nice thing I did for myself today. Did you do anything nice for yourself today?

PORK TENDERLOIN with APPLES & ONIONS

2 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼” cubes (or 3 slices bacon, chopped)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
2 red apples (such as Gala or Fuji), peeled, cored, and cut into 6 wedges
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 (1-lb.) pork tenderloin, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons orange marmalade (apricot jam, apple jelly, or maple syrup may act as substitutes)
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

- Preheat oven to 450˚F.

- Cook pancetta (or bacon) in a large oven-safe skillet (a cast iron skillet is great for this recipe) over medium heat until golden and some of the fat has rendered (if using bacon, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve), 4 to 6 minutes.

- Add oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Sprinkle the onion wedges with the sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

- Push the onions to the side of the skillet, add the apples, and cook until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Mix the apples and onions together and push to the side.

- Season pork with salt and pepper and place on empty side of skillet. Cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Distribute apple-onion mixture evenly around pork and top pork with marmalade. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until pork registers 160˚F on an instant read thermometer (145˚F if you like it pink), 8 to 10 minutes.

-Return skillet to stovetop. Transfer pork to cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile, stir remaining tablespoon butter and sherry vinegar into apple-onion mixture and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper (if using, add reserved bacon bits). Slice pork into ½” thick pieces and serve, topping with apple-onion sauce. Serve.

HOW TO FRY AN EGG

I was in New York last weekend and went to brunch at a restaurant where I’ve had consistently good food on every single one of my many visits. Sadly, this time around the stars were not in alignment. The meal got off to a bad start when I saw that the bread basket wasn’t on the menu. “Only on Sundays,” I was informed. What? Why can’t the public have baked goods on a Saturday? I was annoyed, but moved on. More room for the huge plate of beef, hash, and eggs I wanted. Not on the menu either. “Seasonal menu,” was the explanation. Apparently cows aren’t in season. Who knew.

Since this was my favorite brunch place when I lived in New York, I let both offenses slide and ordered the special: a breakfast sandwich with spicy merguez sausage, horseradish cream, and my favorite, fried eggs. I settled back into the booth and sipped my coffee. Things were going to be just fine.

And then my food arrived. The eggs – quel horreur! – were completely overcooked. The yolks were firm and the whites were crunchy. I don’t know how you like your eggs, but I like mine over-easy, i.e. firm but not crispy whites and yolks that run when pricked with a fork tine. I don’t usually send things back, but I was revolted and just had to get rid of them. I politely asked for a replacement (I even offered to keep the rest of the dish) and in good faith saw them off. But when the second batch of eggs showed up, I knew it was all over. This pair was raw. No question about it. The whites were not white, but unsettlingly mucous-y and clear, and the yolks bright marigold instead of delicately hidden under a thin, shell pink skin.

Step 3 of my previous post explains how to make eggs over easy, but after last weekend’s debacle it occurred to me that perhaps the frying of an egg – or at least my version of the method – deserved a post all of its own. If you hate this recipe, e-mail me and I’ll tell you where to go in New York for a well done egg.

1 egg
1 pat of butter
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon water


Crack the egg into a teacup or cereal bowl.



Melt the butter in a small nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan around to evenly grease it.



Gently slide the egg into the skillet and sprinkle it with salt. The edges will start to bubble and turn white after about 15 seconds.



At that point, add the water and cover it with a lid.



Cook the egg for 1 to 2 minutes until the white is set and the yolk has a pale pink coating over it.



Transfer the egg to a plate and enjoy.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

I eat a lot of cereal. And usually I eat it at night, rather than in the morning (last week I had a bowl of Frosted Flakes every single evening). My cabinet is stocked with all sorts: Kashi Honey Puffs. Kashi Almond Crunch. Cracklin’ Oat Bran. Frosted Flakes. Honey Bunches of Oats. All Bran. Cocoa Pebbles. Cocoa Puffs. (Yes, I have TWO different chocolate cereals on hand. I can never decide whether I like the soggy pebbles or the crunchy puffs... Maybe I should mix them). While your enthusiasm for cereal may be a little less fanatical than mine, I’m sure you often arrive home after work, exhausted and ravenous, and the first thing you reach for is a bowl and a spoon.

Seriously, though, no one should have to eat cereal for dinner every night. Or takeout. You can cook. Honest. And you don’t need a culinary degree or a long list of ingredients to put together a decent meal. I’ve been delinquent with my blog; weeks will go by without any new posts, mainly because I want something that says “WOW!” to show you, but I think I’d be of better service if I posted some simple, weeknight recipes. So I’ll start today with this super-easy, super-tasty (vegetarian) sandwich for two.

ONION-JALAPENO GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH with FRIED EGG

4 to 5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half-moons
2 pickled jalapeño peppers, sliced
Salt and pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup shredded cheese, or 4 slices cheese of your choice
2 8-inch pieces baguette or 4 slices crusty bread
2 large eggs

MAKE FILLING In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter and add onion and jalapeños. Sautée over medium-high heat, stirring, until onion softens and begins to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.Transfer onion mix to bowl.
Wipe out skillet.

ASSEMBLE SANDWICH Butter exterior of baguette pieces or one side of each slice of bread. Spread onion mixture on un-buttered side of one piece of bread, top with cheese and other bread slice. Grill sandwiches, pressing down with spatula, on cleaned skillet, until browned and toasted, then flip and repeat with other side. Transfer to plates.

MAKE EGGS Melt a small pat of butter in skillet and crack eggs into it. When whites begin to bubble, add 3 tablespoons water, cover, and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes (for over easy eggs). Season with salt and pepper and serve alongside sandwich.

CROSS MY HEART

New Year’s resolutions: so easily – nay! so willingly – forgotten. “What’s one more day of not going to the gym?!” we exclaim. “Will one more tiny square of chocolate really add that much to those little fat bundles on my thighs?” we coax ourselves. These feeble excuses are exactly why this year I’ve decided to keep the resolution bar low. In 2009, I solemnly swear to:

1. Dutifully and meticulously apply hand lotion, and,
2. Eat my vegetables.

Although the first point seems by-the-by – as this is a cooking, rather than a beauty, blog – I must say that were my life less intertwined with food my hands would be smooth alabaster instead of the cracked, blotchy red horrors they are. Anyhow, the second point is very relevant.

See, despite my love of vegetables – really, I do love them! Even at the tender age of 6 I appreciated Brussels sprouts – I am very ignorant about them. I’m much more comfortable with things starchy and buttery. But, this year, I promise to learn more about vegetables – and eat them.

I spent the holidays in Southern California where my mother lives – Glorious! Blissful! – and returned to Boston on New Year’s Day, my holiday book-ended by frightful cold and snowy drifts. “Sand yesterday, today snow,” I mumbled sulkily as I burrowed my head deeper into my coat’s hood.

Days later, I am still hiding in my long, shapeless, puffy coat, clodding around in most unfashionable boots better suited to Frankenstein than to a worshiper of high heels. But, despite how bothersome winter is, there are some simple pleasures the season affords, such as soup.

The promise of a steamy bowl of soup can only be fully appreciated when the sky is slate gray and the wind lashes violently at the bare-limbed trees. And so, with these conditions readily available, I looked forward to making dinner. Plus, with my vegetable resolution in place, I felt I had a world of opportunities before me: Carrot! Broccoli! Zucchini! The produce aisle beckoned! “Maybe my 2009 goal is within reach!” I thought to myself – as I massaged gooey Neutrogena lotion into my broken knuckles.

Inspired by some kale chips in this month's issue of Bon Appétit, I decided on cannellini and kale soup with Spanish chorizo. Soups, in case you were wondering, are very easy to make. The holy trinity of vegetables – onions, carrots, celery – should live in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer since they are the foundation of many a hot bowl. Chicken broth is also a must – either homemade or the boxed stuff will do – and your vegetable of choice. A pork product is great, too, as foundation or garnish (bacon, pancetta, sausage, etc.).

Kale, dark green and luxuriously bumpy, like croc skin.

For this particular soup you’ll need:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 celery rib, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium-sized carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon freshly minced thyme leaves)
4 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, one can pureed, the rest drained and rinsed
1 bunch kale (about 2 pounds), stems removed
3 to 4 cups chicken broth
4 ounces Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Optional: Parmesan cheese for topping

-Preheat oven to 250˚F. Select 6 kale leaves from the bunch and cut in half lengthwise. Rub each leaf with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes. Reserve.

-Coarsely chop remainder of kale and set aside.

-On medium heat, heat oil in a 4-quart-capacity pot. Add onion, celery, carrot, 3 teaspoons salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until onions are translucent and celery and carrot are softened, 10 to 15 minutes.

-Add the three cans of drained and rinsed beans, increase heat to medium-high, and sauté, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add pureed beans and 3 cups broth and bring to a boil.

-Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook chorizo on medium-high heat until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to a paper towel-lined plate. Add chopped kale and 1 teaspoon salt to now empty skillet and sauté until kale is slightly wilted and deep green, 3 to 5 minutes. Add kale to soup and simmer about 15 minutes.

-Season soup with salt and pepper and add lemon juice. Serve, topping soup with chorizo chips, toasted kale, and fresh Parmesan crumbles.

Leftovers:
Reheat soup – adding more chicken broth if needed – and serve topped with a poached egg and chorizo.