Cleaning the Fridge, or "Rustic" Lentil Soup

It's a late Saturday evening, and our fridge is full. I sleepily open the door to discover a partially eaten roasted chicken and several shelves full of week-old vegetables. I look behind, pull out a wedge of cheese as a snack and settle in to plan a soup to use up the leftover chicken and vegetables.

I have traditionally thought of soup as a way to use up food before it goes bad. This approach has served us well. As twenty-somethings who would rather spend a day wandering around a good grocery store or market than going somewhere to have watered down drinks and dance the night away, you can imagine the state of our refrigerator. We'll do spontaneous things, like buy three different bunches of greens just because they were on sale and I want to compare their tastes. It makes for a collection of disparate vegetables which we can't eat fast enough. Soup is one of the easiest ways to get a large quantity of vegetables cooked down and preserved for a little bit longer.

But, soup is much more than a method to save my vegetables from the trash bin. To me, it's the ultimate comfort food. If done right, soup can be the only meal you need. And trust me, my soup? It's done just right. Chocked full of vegetables for lots of flavor and color, lentils and barley to give additional volume and protein, plus chicken for extra oomph (and, of course, more protein). I top each bowl with a generous topping of Pecorino, and the two of us settle in with a great movie and wonderful company. It's a soup that is suitable for serving to guests, as well as for a quick heat up for lunch.

To me, the process of making this soup is almost therapeutic. I like to take the time to simmer a stock from a chicken carcass, and I feel that the flavor is better with a homemade stock. Yet, I know that many people don't have or don't want to take the time to make a stock. And that's fine. There are plenty of good homemade stocks on the market. Choose one that is very low in sodium and very high in flavor. You can't go wrong. Soup is all about trial and error, and taking chances. So grab your stock pots and get experimenting! Don't forget to let me know how your soups turn out.

Delicious Slow Cooked Italian Lentil Soup serves 10-12

Note: You may start with pre-made chicken or vegetable stock or use your favorite store-bought stock to start off this soup. In this case, simply skip the instructions detailing the process for making the stock.

What You'll Need: A large stock pot. (Seriously people, huge)

Ingredients:
For stock-
One fairly picked over chicken carcass
1 large carrot, scrubbed not peeled, chopped roughly
2 stalks of celery and and leaves, chopped roughly
1 small yellow onion, chopped roughly
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/4 tsp salt
1 handful chopped parsley (optional)

For soup-
1 pot of stock (recipe to follow)
1.5 cup French lentils (sort through to remove sticks and stones)
2/3 cup Barley
1-2 handfuls of parsley, chopped
1 medium-large yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
3-4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 28 oz can roasted tomatoes (or use your own and roast them on the grill!), diced or crushed
1/2 head of broccoli, chopped roughly
3-4 large florets of cauliflower, chopped roughly
Shredded chicken meat
Grated Romano cheese, to serve (optional)

What You'll Do:
For the Stock:
1. Strip chicken carcass of all use-able meat, and set aside meat for later use.

2. Break down the bones into manageable chunks, which are able to easily fit in your stock pot. Toss the chicken hunks and any leftover skin and fat into the pot, and fill pot with water until bones are covered with at least 2 inches of water.

3. Add in all other ingredients, and insure everything is covered with at least an inch of water. Add more if necessary. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

4. Using a slotted spoon, occasionally skim surface clean of any foam. Continue with this skimming and simmering for about 3-4 hours.

5. When time is up and stock is both colorful and flavorful, strain to separate bones and vegetables. Repeat, if necessary, to insure that you remove all the bone fragments. For a clearer stock, strain through a cheesecloth.

6. Stock will save frozen for at least 2 months, and save in the refrigerator for a few days. For the

Soup:
1. Rinse both lentils and barley, and sort through to remove any stones or sticks which may have been mixed in during harvesting.

2. In your large stock pot, add pre-made stock (about 5-7 cups) and another 3 cups of additional water. Bring to a boil.

3. Stir in your lentils and barley once you have reached a good simmer. Add parsley, onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper (I like to add a handful of red pepper flakes, but if you don't like a little bite don't worry about them).

4. Cook for about 20 minutes. As the lentils and barley cook, you may need to add additional water. Add in additional ingredients (carrots through cauliflower) and cook for another 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

5. Add in shredded chicken meat and cook for another 5 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly warmed. Check your seasoning, and adjust as necessary.

6. Serve, garnishing with a little grated Romano cheese.

7. Any leftovers may be refrigerated for up to a week. Reheat on stove to a light simmer, or microwave, to serve leftovers.

*Note: What makes this soup recipe so amazing is its flexibility. The lentils and barley add a lot of fiber and protein, making the chicken meat and stock go farther nutritionally. In addition, the lentils and barely continue to flavor the stock. This means that as you eat through the pot, you can add water and vegetables and "stretch" your soup out for a couple more days. Any sort of bean can be substituted for the lentils, and you can exchange the barley for pasta. However, I find that barley is much cheaper and offers more protein than most other grains. To add even more nutrition substitute vegetables as they come in season, or add 2 heaping handfuls of chopped greens (kale, spinach, collards). Anything goes!

Italian Style Pesto Soup

Yesterday, Christian's mother mentioned politely how cold it is beginning to get up in Minnesota. She mentioned how lovely soups are during this time of the year, and I completely agree with her. When there's frost on the ground, is there anything better than settling down to a steaming bowl of herb soaked vegetables and other goodness? I don't think so (unless Mulled Wine is an option of course!).
As my basil plant has, verily, exploded this last week, I was planning on making a pesto dish. Now, my thoughts turned to a pesto soup. But how to manage the delicate flavors ... Chicken broth and leeks would form the base, I thought. I would add in other vegetables for the main flavor. I'd try to keep things tame, so the pesto would shine.

I had a second helping, but you tell me if I succeeded ...

Italian Style Pesto Soup
serves 5-8 (with leftovers)

What you'll need:
A large stock pot
A food processor/mortar pestle
-- a knife and cutting board work just fine, if more work.

Soup Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, de-fatted
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pint chicken stock (unsalted, if you can)
1 leek, chopped
6-7 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons red pepper flakes (optional)
3-4 tablespoons dried basil
6 russet potatoes, quartered
3 carrots, roughly chopped
4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1/2 lb asparagus, roughly chopped
1 stalk broccoli, roughly chopped
1/2 lb whole wheat penne
Pepper, to taste

Pesto Ingredients:
1 large handful fresh basil leaves
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
3 handfuls spinach leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons whole pine nuts
3-4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons olive oil
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:
Soup-
In your large pot, place chicken breasts and coat with olive oil and pepper. Cook on medium heat until nearly cooked (still pink on the insides, about 15 minutes). Be sure to turn breasts regularly to ensure even cooking.
Over partially cooked chicken pour 3 quarts of water and add in chicken stock. Bring to a rolling boil. Chop leek (discarding the top quarter of green section and rinsing throughly to avoid mud), and add into stock. Add chopped garlic, potatoes, carrots, dried basil and red pepper flakes. Cook at a simmer over medium heat until potatoes are soft.
(Hint: While your soup is simmering, take advantage of the downtime to make your pesto- instructions below.)
Once your potatoes are soft, add in asparagus, broccoli and celery. Continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes, then add your penne. Cook until pasta is al dente.
Pepper to taste (try to resist the urge to salt, your pesto will have plenty).

Pesto-
Using a very sharp knife (or scissors) chop basil leaves into small pieces. Combine basil with other ingredients in to mortar/pestle or food processor. (If using a knife and chopping block, chop all ingredients finely and mix together in a large bowl.)
Add olive oil to moisten and continue to mix until ingredients begin to break down (you want a chunky consistency, not smooth, so don't over do it).
Salt and Pepper to taste.

To Serve:
Dish up into individual portions and serve with a large spoonful of pesto on top. Before eating, mix pesto into soup and enjoy!

Notes:

• Pesto will store in the fridge for a couple of days, beyond that it will freeze nicely.
• If you are sensitive to garlic, try oven roasting it first, this will mellow the taste.
• Feel free to substitute different vegetables due to season or location. This soup needs fresh veggies to be at it's best, so use what looks good. (Some further suggestions include: winter squash, artichokes, zucchini, onions, eggplant ... )
• You can add the pesto directly into the soup pot, as opposed to on individual portions.
• Instead of penne, try using an Orzo type pasta or rice.
  

Penne Arrabbiata with Mushrooms and Chicken

Italian food is my specialty. There is just something comfortable for me about boiling pasta and mixing together a sauce. It's easy, and it's delicious. Plus, I get to make things as spicy or garlicy as I want without altering the original recipe, which is particularly nice.
This arrabbiata sauce is one that adapts very well to being spicy and filled with garlic. Plus, it's so simple it can be thrown together in no time at all and can use just about anything you might already have in your fridge, which makes it great for those evenings where every minute seems to be scheduled for something other than dinner. Of course, it's a little slower than just microwaving a pizza, but if that's what you wanted ... why are you here?

Penne Arrabbiata with Mushrooms and Chicken
Serves 3

What you'll need:
a pot for steaming vegetables
a large saucepan (large enough to toss pasta and additions with the sauce)

Ingredients:
For Sauce --
Olive Oil
1-2 tsp chili powder (we used hot)
2-4 dried red chilies (number will dictate spicy factor of your sauce), finely chopped (may use red pepper flakes)
4-5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 c finely chopped sweet onion
4-5 fresh basil leaves or 1-2 tsp dried basil
4 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
Salt/Pepper to taste
For Additions (may be substituted at will) ---
1/2 package (1 lb box) penne
2-3 cups chopped broccoli
2 Portobello mushroom caps, diced and cooked
3 small breasts chicken, cooked and diced

Instructions:
In a large saucepan, drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Add chili powder and red chilies, and cook on medium heat until olive oil turns brown (only a minute or so). Add in garlic, basil and onions. Make sure not to burn, and cook until onions are softened. Stir to coat garlic/onions with the infused olive oil.
Once the onions are soft, add in the tomatoes and cover. Simmer gently until tomatoes are easily broken up with a spoon (about 15-20 min).
While your tomatoes are cooking, cook your pasta and steam your broccoli (or just toss your broccoli in for the last minute your pasta is cooking). Also make sure your chicken and mushrooms are cooked and diced. We grilled ours with salt and pepper, but you could bake or sauté your own.
Once the tomatoes are done, use a spoon to break them up into small bits. Toss in the pasta, vegetables and chicken and continue to cook, mixing well. Cook for another minute or so, until flavors are well combined.
Remove from heat and serve, garnish with a little Parmesan.

For a more traditional arrabbiata, serve with pancetta (Italian bacon) instead of chicken. Arrabbiata is supposed to be spicy, so make sure to dial the spice to your individual tastes!
This entrée goes well served after a light spinach salad with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Oooh, I just love Italian!