Winter Cooking

As fall turns into winter and the holiday season is quickly approaching we find ourselves turning to chilly weather foods such as soups and stews. What better way to warm up than with a big bowl of soup?

Most soups start with the trio of vegetables known as mirepoix- a mixture of diced carrot, celery and onion and after that one can add just about anything to a soup pot. Most vegetables lend themselves to soup preparation but especially root veggies such as; potatoes, carrots, and anything in the squash family. Eating with the seasons is known to be a better deal for you both health-wise and economically therefore I always turn to the Farmer’s Market to find what’s in season. In the chillier months we see all kinds of winter squash, leeks, many varieties of potatoes and mushrooms.

Stews are also a great way to go for an easy one pot meal and almost all protein can be braised to stew perfection. The best cuts of meat would be tougher pieces such as a leg or shoulder and dark meat chicken is ideal due to its higher fat content. Substituting vegetable protein is easy as you can add it towards the end of the cooking process to insure the right texture.

I love the soups included below as they are easy to make and are sure to satisfy with great texture and elegance. I often serve the both soups for guests as they are perfect for making ahead.

The chicken tagine is a stew in the Moroccan style- cooked in a tagine (often a cast iron coated with enamel saucepan with a cone shaped top)if you have one or in a large heavy saucepan with a tight fitting lid. This recipe is wildly popular for dinner parties since it can serve a crowd and is beautiful to present.

Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash halved, seeded

Olive oil for brushing

1 Tb. butter

2 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced or 1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 Tb. minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

Salt, pepper

Crème fraiche or sour cream for garnish

3 Tb. chopped parsley

Procedure

1. Heat the oven to 375. Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet coated lightly with olive oil. Roast until tender about 35 minutes.

2. Meanwhile melt the butter in a large saucepan and saute the leeks, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic for 5 minutes over low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the broth. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

3. Remove the squash from the oven and cool slightly. Scoop the flesh from the skin and add to the saucepan. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

3. Puree the soup in batches in a processor, taste for seasoning. Transfer back to the saucepan and heat through.

4. Spoon the soup into six soup bowls and spoon a small dollop of crème fraiche onto each serving, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Roasted Eggplant Soup with Garlic Croutons

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 firm large eggplant, about 1 1/2 pounds

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large red onion, halved

1 red pepper, halved and seeded

1 yellow pepper, halved, seeded

2 medium tomatoes, halved

5 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic

2 Tb. chopped basil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh pepper

3 cups vegetable or chicken stock

juice of 1 lemon

Croutons:

1/2 loaf stale French bread, cubed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

Saffron Mayonnaise:

1 large egg

1 Tb. Dijon mustard

1 Tb. lemon juice

pinch salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

large pinch of saffron

Procedure

1. Heat the oven to 400. Halve the eggplant and brush the cut side with 2 Tb. of the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking pan. Repeat with the onion, peppers and tomatoes.

2. Roast the vegetables until softened about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and set aside.

4. Heat the remaining 2 Tb. of oil in a large saucepan and warm the thyme, bay leaf, garlic and basil, about 2 minutes over low heat. Add roasted vegetables, salt and pepper. Add stock, bring to a boil over med-hi heat and cover, lower heat to medium and simmer about 25 minutes.

6. Puree the solids in a processor, removing thyme stems and bay leaf. Return to saucepan stir in lemon juice and season to taste.

7. Place cubed bread on a baking sheet. Combine the garlic and olive oil in a small bowl and then drizzle on the bread. Toss to coat evenly. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.

9. Combine the egg, mustard, lemon and salt in a processor and blend- add oil slowly through the feed tube until it is thickened. Add the saffron and salt to taste and serve a dollop on top of the soup with the croutons. Saffron mayonnaise will be keep up to 10 days in the refrigerator.

Chicken Tagine

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 whole chicken cut into 10 pieces

Kosher salt

1 Tb. white wine vinegar

5 Tb. olive oil

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. saffron

Salt

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. turmeric

2 Tb. olive oil for cooking

¼ cup mixed olives, pitted

2 preserved lemons, rinsed well, or 2 whole lemons, zested and juiced

4 oz. pitted prunes

Procedure

1. Rub the chicken with the salt and then wash it with the vinegar. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry the chicken and set aside in a medium bowl.
2. Mix the oil, cilantro, cinnamon, saffron, salt, onions, garlic, cumin, ginger, paprika and turmeric in a medium bowl. Rub over the chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 350.
4. Heat the tagine or large deep saucepan and add the olive oil. Add the chicken and sauté until chicken is lightly browned on each side. Add the olives, preserved lemons and prunes. Transfer to the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Serve with the couscous.