Archives for April 2012

White Bean, Kale and Pancetta Soup

April 9, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

I have been trying to eat more “super foods” lately and one vegetable I never think to buy is kale. Kale reminds me a lot of spinach when it’s cooked so I thought a hearty Italian soup with kale would fit together nicely. This recipe is a peasant style soup with white beans, potatoes, veggies, and Italian bacon. I added a little red pepper flakes, fresh herbs, and lemon zest to brighten up the broth and the result was a really tasty, hearty stew! I decided to use chickpeas and cannellini beans but you can use any variety of white bean you like. The soup is garnished with Italian parsley and a few slices of parmigiano reggiano. I served the soup with a couple thick slices of Parmesan Potato Bread and the two together were delicious.

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Parmesan Potato Bread

April 8, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Making yeast based breads is a fun challenge as the bread needs time to rise and plenty of kneading. For me the process of making bread is relaxing and the end result really satisfying! This bread is a potato bread with the added flavor of Parmesan cheese in the dough. The recipe is easy to follow and baking the loaf in the oven produced amazing aromas. The bread is just a tiny bit flaky on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I was looking for a good dipping bread to go with an Italian soup and this was a great recipe for that meal. Dipping the bread in the broth enhanced its flavor even more. I chose to make one extra large loaf which results in long and thin pieces of bread. The size of the slices were perfect for dipping but if you wanted to make more of a sandwich bread cut the dough into two smaller loaves. I can’t wait to make this bread again!

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Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Grilled Chicken

April 6, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

It feels like Spring in Central California and I wanted to have a meal that fits with the seasonal transition. This salad was the solution as it perfectly balances wintery beets and goat cheese with fresh greens and grilled chicken. For some added flavor and color I threw in some sliced red cabbage and red onion as well. The greens can be red leaf lettuce, spinach or mixed greens but I went with the red leaf lettuce. The result was a delicious salad and all the flavors worked so well together! The tangy grilled chicken and creamy goat cheese made a great pair. This salad was a great way to bring winter and summer flavors together. I drizzled the salad with balsamic vinegar for a little more tanginess, but this salad would work fine without salad dressing.

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Phở Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

April 3, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Pho is one of my favorite soups simply because the broth is so flavorful. A while ago I made Pho Ga which is the same soup only made with chicken. Then I went to a local Pho restaurant and the beef pho was just fantastic and I knew I had to try the beef version as well. The pho is seasoned with star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger, and cloves which gives the stock a fragrant and savory aroma. The most important part of making good stock is the beef. Charring the onion and ginger is an important first step for the stock as well and needs to be done over an open flame. I chose to make the stock with 4 pounds of beef neck bones with neck meat and the stock came out really well. Beefy and flavorful, it was one of my favorite stocks I have ever made! I chose some thinly sliced, good quality beef for the actual soup which cooks after pouring the boiling stock over the meat. My second favorite part (the first is the broth obviously) is all the great condiments that mix together in the broth! I chose cilantro, bean sprouts, jalapeno peppers, Thai basil, Hoisin sauce, and Sriracha for the condiments but you can pick and choose whatever you like. Making the stock takes time but it was well worth the effort as the soup turned out great!

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