The Apartment Kitchen » warm

Roasted Tomato Soup

theapartmentkitchen — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:55:23 +0000

A bit of a bug put me in the mood for soup. I immediately thought of tomato soup – I love it and generally only make it in the summer when the tomatoes are the ripest. But it sounded so good, I thought I would try it with good quality canned tomatoes and roast them to boost their flavor. I used olive oil for richness and balsamic to bring out their sweetness and acidity, and was really happy with the results. After I made, I ran around my house with a spoon forcing everyone to taste. What did I discover? No one (no one) in my house likes tomato soup, leaving me with the whole pot to myself! (Oh yea)

Roasted Tomato Soup

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

Leftover Potential: Delicious reheated and comforted me all week.

2 large cans (32 oz) whole tomatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper, as needed

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 leeks, thinly sliced

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

4 cloves garlic

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

salt and lots of pepper, as needed

1. Drain the tomatoes, and reserve the juice. Halve the tomatoes and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle the tomatoes evenly with olive oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes until they are slightly blistered and lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 7-9 minutes.

3. Add the drained tomato juice to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced almost entirely.

4. Add the roasted tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, and continue to simmer until good flavor develops, about 10-15 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.

Bacon and Tomato Mac and Cheese

theapartmentkitchen — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:40:42 +0000

Driving in the car yesterday, trying to decide what to make for dinner, an interesting question was posed by my mother. In an effort to use up some leftovers, she suggested a sort of taco bowl for dinner, and I had suggested mac and cheese. Since we couldn’t decide, we just had to make both. Yes, both. Yes…I am sort of ashamed. But not so ashamed that I won’t share the recipe for this very successful mac and cheese with you.

My apologies for such a horrible picture, it certainly does not do it justice. But I pumped up the flavor of this mac and cheese with bacon and some canned tomatoes (we used my mom’s canned tomatoes from her garden so it was extra delicious). Onions, garlic, and lots of cheese were the finishing touch on this, dare I say, jaMAZING dinner.

Bacon and Tomato Mac and Cheese

Makes one 9″ x 13″ pan.

Leftover Potential: Um...it has bacon in it. And cheese. So, yea. I‘d say if there are leftovers, they‘d be delicious.

7 slices bacon, diced

1 onjon, diced

1 bunch green onions, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup tomatoes

5 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour

3 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp paprika

1 lb cheddar cheese, grated

1 lb pasta, cooked

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon begins to crisp, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Deglaze the pan with the tomatoes, and transfer the mixture to a bowl.

3. Melt the butter. Whisk in the flour well, making sure there are no lumps. Cook to heat through, about 2 minutes.

4. Add the milk and cream, whisking constantly, to prevent lumps. Continue whisking until the mixture begins to boil around the edges and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the paprika and 3/4 of the cheese, and stir to combine.

5. Stir in the bacon mixture and the pasta. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 9″ x 13″ backing dish. Bake until the sauce is bubbling around the surface and the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:14:49 +0000

This year, I did something I have not done in four years. I went home for Thanksgiving. And in three weeks, I’ll be home again for Christmas. While this makes me happier than I can truly express, it also made me a little nervous. When I go home, I tend to treat it like a big, delicious, vacation. So I attempted to prepare myself by eating healthier in the weeks up to heading home for the first time.

Key word, attempted.

Normally, I don’t have too much trouble eating well the majority of the time, allowing for the occasional ridiculous extravaganza of eating. This was just that – an incredibly ridiculous, outrageous, definitely not good for you (but so, so, so, SO good) dish: green chile mac and cheese. The only thing I’d change next time is reduce the cream and increase the cheese. I think this will boost the green chile flavor and make this totally out of this world. Now, the recipe list may seem long, but it’s not complicated. If it still stresses you, make the green chile cream ahead of time. It will hold, refrigerated for a couple days.

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Adapted from Luna Cafe

Made one honkin huge 9″x13″ casserole
Leftover Potential: Makes great leftovers. Add shredded chicken for a slightly different meal.

Green Chile Cream

2 cups heavy cream

26 oz canned green chiles

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch green onions

salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a medium pot, heat the cream to a simmer. Add the chiles, garlic, and onion. Simmer for 2-4 minutes to infuse with flavor. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. With a blender or food processor, blend the cream until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

Mac and Cheese

1 1/4 pounds pasta (I used fusilli)

6 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups dried breadcrumbs

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 oz grated parmesan cheese

salt, to taste

9 oz white cheddar cheese, grated

9 oz pepperjack cheese, grated

2 Tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

1/4 cup all purpose flour

green chile cream (above)

1 cup red bell pepper, diced

1 cup poblano peppers, diced

1 cup corn kernels

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until tender, about 7-9 minutes. Drain and reserve.

2. In a small bowl, combine the butter, breadcrumbs, garlic, parmesan, and salt to form a crumbly topping.

3. Toss the cheeses together and set aside.

4. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.

5. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the cheeses.

6. Transfer the pasta to a buttered 9″x13″ casserole dish. Toss with peppers and corn. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta. Top with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

7. Finish with a generous sprinkling of the breadcrumb topping. Bake until the macaroni is bubbly and heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Horseradish Crusted Steak Sandwich with Arugula and Crispy Shallots

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:47:04 +0000

My roommate loves horseradish. I know this, but still haven’t given in to any of her requests to do something about it. But when she suggested a horseradish steak sandwich – my mouth was watering. I love me some steak, and combined with a slightly spicy horseradish crust, some fresh, peppery arugula, and some deliciously fried shallots – I knew I had a recipe the whole house was going to love.

Horseradish Crusted Steak Sandwich with Arugula and Crispy Shallots

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: I saved the steak and ate it by itself on a bed of lightly dressed arugula.

1/2 # flank steak

salt and pepper, as needed

3 Tbsp creamy horseradish

1 Tbsp mustard

nonstick spray, as needed

3 shallots, thinly sliced

oil, as needed for frying

baby arugula, as needed

4 buns, halved

1. Season the steak with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the horseradish and mustard. Rub the mixture over the steak until well coated.

2. Heat a medium saute pan over medium high heat. Spray lightly with nonstick spray (I normally cook with a thin coating of real oil or butter, but the horseradish mixture will dissolve into the fat if there is too much present in the pan).

3. Saute the steak until it is well browned on both sides, and finished to your desired doneness (6-8 minutes for medium). Let rest for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot until shimmering and hot. Add the shallots (if they bubble and begin to cook immediately, the oil is ready – if they burn, it is too hot). Fry until the shallots are golden and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Dry on absorbant paper towels, and season well with salt.

5. Slice the steak. Spread additional creamy horseradish on the buns, if desired, and layer the steak, arugula, and crunchy shallots. Serve warm.

***I hate to let good frying oil go to waste, so I thinly sliced some potatoes and fried them in the hot oil until golden and crispy. Drain like the shallots, season well with salt, and they go great with the sandwich!

Brown Sugar Apple Upside Down Cake with Apple Cider Caramel and Spiced Walnuts

theapartmentkitchen — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:24:20 +0000

The other weekly challenge over at Food52 was for Apple Cake. Living in the Hudson Valley means some of the best selection and variety of apples I have ever seen. I love the orchards this time of year, and the farm stands, and the smell of cinnamon, spices, and sweet appley goodness coming out in all it’s best forms, including cider (cider doughnuts – a love of mine that will have to be addressed another day). Anyway, I feel like cider is a great way to amp up the flavor of an apple cake, so I smothered my apple upside down cake with apple cider caramel and served it warm. Yum yum.

Brown Sugar Apple Upside Down Cake with Apple Cider Caramel and Spiced Walnuts

Makes one 8″ cake.

Leftover Potential: Save some of the caramel to serve over ice cream or with apple pie!

Apple Cider Caramel:

1 quart apple cider

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp salt

1. In a large pot, bring the apple cider to a boil. Reduce heat slightly, and simmer the cider until it reduces to about a cup. Do not stir the cider after this point (it may crystallize if over-agitated).

2. Continue to reduce the cider until it begins to get thick and caramelize. When the caramel is thick and could coat a spoon, remove the pot from the heat.

3. Stir in the butter and salt. Spread half of the caramel at the bottom of a greased 8″ cake pan. Reserve the other half of the caramel.

Spiced Walnuts

1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1. Heat a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the walnuts, and toast, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and continue to cook, tossing to coat. Let cool completely before using them to garnish the finished cake.

Brown Sugar Apple Upside Down Cake

2 Honeycrisp apples, quartered, cored, and very thinly sliced (about 1/8″ thick)

5 oz butter

1 1/3 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1. Fan the apples into the base of the prepared cake pan (with caramel in the base) into a circle, with the points of the apples going to the center. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping well after each addition. Add the vanilla, mix to combine.
3. Alternately add the milk/heavy cream and the dry ingredients, mixing just to combine.
4. Scoop the prepared batter the pan atop the apples. Bake at 350 until baked through, about 15-25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
5. Scoop the prepared batter the pan atop the apples. Bake at 350 until baked through, about 15-25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Serve the cake warm, topped with reserved apple cider caramel and the spiced walnuts.

Roasted Squash Salad with Bitter Greens, Seckel Pears, and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:11:54 +0000

Tonight’s dinner started out simple: three beautiful kinds of squash from the market, some gorgeous and perfectly ripe seckel pears (those little baby ones that are so wonderful), and some in-season greens. Add some bacon to tie it all together (because that’s what bacon does) and I had a gorgeous, hearty, and extremely delicious salad. Ok, ok, so it’s not the prettiest thing I’ve made recently. But it tasted exactly as I wanted it to: it tasted like fall.

Roasted Squash Salad with Bitter Greens, Seckel Pears, and a Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: Roast the squash with some olive oil, salt, and pepper in advance so that this salad is quick to toss together (35 min – 1 hour depending on size. The bacon vinaigrette is made to be made for however many portions you want, but feel free to make a big batch of it and serve it warm or chilled.

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 slices bacon, diced

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 cups roasted squash

4 cups greens (I used bitter mustard greens)

2 seckel pears, cores removed, cut into sixths

1. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and shallots. Cook until the bacon is crisp and the shallots are translucent.

2. Stir in the garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar, stir to combine, and remove the pan from the heat.

3. Toss the squash and greens with the warm vinaigrette until the squash is re-warmed and the greens are wilted. Transfer salad to a plate and serve warm finished with seckel pear slices.

Warm Salad of Arugula, Tomatoes, Fava Beans, Shallots, Sausage, Mozzarella, and Whole Wheat Pasta

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:12:50 +0000

Pasta is something I don’t make too often…which is a shame because it is such an ideal dish for the apartment kitchen! Fast, simple, and you can really use whatever you have. On the rare occasions that I do make pasta, I usually plan it out pretty carefully: what flavors I want to use, what ingredients will go together, etc. but you don’t have to! Toss together whatever is in the fridge and eat it warm or cold!

This is one of my favorite things to do with pasta – use it as an element in a leafy green salad. It’s not pasta with arugula, it’s arugula with pasta. This makes it a little healthier but also puts the emphasis on the veggies and other toppings which is really the most exciting part of pasta, isn’t it? My favorite part is how the warm pasta gently wilts the greens making it the ultimate warm, delicious, and slightly unexpected dinner. Dressed with a little red wine vinegar, it couldn’t be simpler.

Warm Salad of Arugula, Tomatoes, Fava Beans, Shallots, Sausage, Mozzarella, and Whole Wheat Pasta

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: This is also a great cold pasta salad! Made 2 meals after the initial dinner.

1 cup whole wheat pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, mincd

5 sausages (I used spicy chicken sausages)

1 cup fava beans, shelled (I also halved mine because they were especially large!

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 large bunch arugula, washed, stems removed

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed

1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until tender, 6-8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the shallots, garlic, and sausages. Cook until the sausages are cooked and the shallots are translucent.

3. Add the fava beans and saute until tender. Turn off the heat.

4. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan. Add the tomatoes, arugula, and cheese. Toss to combine. Season with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Serve warm or chill until needed.

Celebrating my 100th post with a Peach Tart and a Giveaway!!!

theapartmentkitchen — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:03:03 +0000

I can’t believe it…but today is my 100th post! It seems like just the other day I started chronicling recipes that I could make without spending a lot, using a lot, but that would still allow me to eat a lot! Because I know everyone gets inspired in different ways, I wanted to celebrate this milestone with my very first giveaway – a fantastic new book that’s hot off the presses.

A Tavola! is the newest release from The Culinary Institute of America, and it features incredible photos, history, and some amazing recipes that are my favorite kinds – simple, quick, and full of flavor. My personal favorite is the super easy and gorgeous pasta with red wine and herbs. To be entered into the drawing to win this book, just leave a comment on this post with your favorite easy meal solution before August 22nd. I will pick a winner randomly if you’re the lucky one, I’ll ship the book to you!

And as my own personal form of celebration, I made a this tart – a brown butter crust filled with peach compote, rice pudding, roasted peaches and toasted walnuts. I love the way this tart combines something comforting, like rice pudding, with the fresh taste of peaches. Best of all, it’s good warm, cold, or at room temperature. Try it with a dollop of meringue!

Rice Pudding Tart with Roasted Peaches, Toasted Walnuts, and a Brown Butter Crust

Makes one 9″ tart

Leftover Potential: This tart will keep, refrigerated, for 3-5 days.

Brown Butter Crust

7 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp sugar

pinch salt

1 cup flour

1. In a small pot, heat the butter, water, sugar, and salt over low heat. Once the mixture has melted, let it cook until the butter is lightly brown and has a nutty fragrance, about 10 minutes.

2. Remove the mixture from the heat, add the flour, and stir until the mixture comes together. Turn it out into a tart pan (or just onto a baking sheet, if you like), and lightly press. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes, until it’s cool enough to handle.

3. Press the crust into the pan until it’s about 1/4″ thick. Lightly score the base with a fork, and bake in a 400 degree oven until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Peach Compote

1 peach, diced

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla

1. In a small pot, cook the peaches with the honey until completely softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Cool completely.

2. Spread the compote across the base of the cooled tart shell.

Rice Pudding

1/2 cup arborio rice

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

1-2 tsp cinnamon

1 pinch salt

1 egg yolk

1. Bring the rice, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to a boil over medium heat.

2. Add the salt and the egg yolk, whisk vigorously to combine.

3. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat until the rice has absorbed the liquid and the mixture is thick and creamy, about 15 minutes.

4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover directly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cooled.

5. Spread the mixture evenly into the tart shell.

Topping

3 peaches, pit removed, sliced into 6 pieces

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

pinch cinnamon

walnuts, toasted

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture into the center of each peach slice.

2. Roast the peaches in a 400 degree oven until the sugar mixture has caramelized and the peaches have softened, about 8 minutes.

3. Let cool, and arrange the peaches on top of the rice pudding. Finish with toasted walnuts.

Grilled Sausages with Warm Garlic Pasta

theapartmentkitchen — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:20:24 +0000

Warm. Such a great word to use in a recipe. In the middle of summer, you don’t want your food to be steaming hot – at least not every day. But that doesn’t mean you have to ditch your favorite foods. Matt and I made some delicious chicken sausages and served them over a warm pasta dressed in a garlic sauce with mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. It’s not too hot (won’t overheat your kitchen) and the pasta can be made in advance, so the only cooking come dinner is the sausages on the grill. It was delicious eaten outside with a cool glass of crisp wine.

Grilled Sausages with Warm Garlic Pasta

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: This dish reheats well and makes for a good lunch to take to work or even on a picnic. Made 1 lunch after the initial meal.

handful thin pasta

3 Tbsp good olive oil

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 leek, thinly sliced

3/4 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/4 cup white wine

1 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed

4 sausages

1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until tender. Set aside.

2. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, leeks, and mushrooms. Cook until the garlic is lightly caramelized.

3. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Add the cooked pasta and the mozzarella cheese, and toss to combine. Set aside.

4. Grill the sausages over medium heat over the grill until cooked through. Let cool slightly. Slice, and serve over warm pasta.