Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. finely diced onion
• 8 oz. fresh chorizo sausage (Mexican)
• 1 tsp. tomato paste (double-concentrated, or 1 tbsp. normal)
• 8 oz. swiss chard, washed but not dried, each leaf cut into 4 or 5 pieces
• 2 15– or 16-oz. cans white beans, drained and rinsed (around 3 c.)
• 1/2 c. medium-bodied red wine

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring once or twice, for 2 to 3 minutes, until it has softened, then add sausage. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the sausage is lightly browned but not cooked through; use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up any large chunks.

Add the tomato paste, stirring to mix well; cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard; if the cut pieces are not very wet, add a few tablespoons of water, as needed, to help create steam. Reduce the heat to medium; cover and cook for 2 minutes, until the chard starts to wilt. Add the beans and the red wine; use tongs to fold the ingredients together. Cover and adjust the heat as necessary so the liquid in the pan is bubbling slightly. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chard is tender.

Remove from the heat; taste and add salt, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

WaPo

Ingredients

• 1 lg. fennel bulb, trimmed, cored
• 3 limes
• 2 green onions
• 3 avocados
• 250g baby cucumbers, cut into ribbons with a peeler
• 200g (1 bunch) radishes, trimmed, washed, thinly sliced
• 400g smoked salmon
• olive oil
• crème fraîche, for serving
• salmon roe, for serving
• fresh dill, for serving
• crackers or bread, for serving

Preparation

Use a mandoline to thinly slice the fennel lengthwise. Place in a large bowl with the juice of 1 lime. Add a large pinch of salt, toss to combine, and set aside to pickle.

Cut green onions into 8cm lengths, and thinly slice lengthwise. Place in a bowl of cold water for 2–3 minutes or until lightly curled. Drain well.

Mash the avocados in a bowl, and add the juice of the last two limes. Combine and season with salt and pepper.

Drain the fennel. Arrange the avocado in a heaped circle around the edge of a large plate. Arrange fennel, cucumber, radishes, green onions, and salmon over the top. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with pepper. Dollop on crème fraîche and salmon roe. Scatter with dill. Serve immediately with bread or crackers.

Taste.com.au

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, halved
• 3 small leeks, cut into rings
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 slices bacon, diced (optional)
• 1 1/4 c. risotto rice
• 1 c. heavy cream, plus extra if needed
• 1/2 c. Parmesan, grated, plus extra for serving
• 4 c. vegetable stock, warm
• 1/4 c. white wine
• 3 springs thyme
• 6-10 sage leaves
• olive oil (can be flavored, e.g. thyme)

Preparation

Add squash halves to a dish, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes at 375F, or until the squash is soft.

Meanwhile, add the bacon to a pot and render on medium-low heat until crispy. Reserve the bacon bits. Alternatively, replace with oil to make the recipe vegetarian. Fry the sage leaves in oil until crispy, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes, then garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add rice and thyme, and cook for 2–3 minutes. Deglaze with the wine. Add the vegetable stock, one ladle at a time, making sure that it is mostly absorbed before adding more. Cook until no stock remains, stirring often.

Scoop out the flesh of the squash and add to a food processor with the cream. Blend until smooth and season with more salt and pepper.

When the risotto is almost ready, add the squash and the parmesan. Season again, and add more cream if needed to thin the risotto. Serve topped with sage, bacon, more parmesan, and olive oil.

Nudo

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lb. bone-in pork loin, excess fat removed (preferably marinated overnight)
• 2 lb. or 5 c. dry white beans (in the US, Great Northern beans)
• 1/2 lb. fresh pork rind or salt pork rind
• 6-8 sprigs parsley
• 4 unpeeled cloves garlic
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb. fresh, unsalted, unsmoked lean bacon (or very good, lean salt pork simmered for 10 minutes in 2 qt. water, drained)
• 1 c. sliced onions
• 2–2 1/2 lb. boned shoulder or breast of mutton
• 4–6 tbsp. fresh pork fat, pork-roast drippings, goose fat, or oil
• 1 lb. cracked mutton or lamb or pork bones
• 2 c. minced onions
• 4 cloves mashed garlic
• 6 tbsp. fresh tomato purée, or tomato paste, or 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and juiced
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups dry white wine or 2 cups dry white vermouth
• 1 qt. brown stock or 3 cups canned beef stock with 1 cup water
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 lb. saucisse de Toulouse or other garlic-forward sausag
• 2 c. dry white bread crumbs mixed with 1/2 c. chopped parsley
• 3–4 tbsp. pork roasting fat or goose fat

Preparation

Bake the pork loin to an internal temperature of 175–180 degrees, and set it aside to cool. Reserve its cooking juices.

Place the beans into an 8 quart pot containing 5 quarts of water at a rolling boil. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and let the beans soak for 1 hour. The rest of the cooking should proceed as soon as possible after the soaking is completed.

While the beans are soaking, place the pork rind in a saucepan and cover with 1 qt. cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Drain, rinse, and repeat the process. Then, with kitchen shears, cut the rind into 1/4" strips, and cut the strips into small triangles. Cover the rind again with 1 qt. water, bring to a simmer, and simmer slowly for 30 minutes. Set the saucepan aside.

Tie the parsley, garlic, cloves, thyme, and bay leaves in cheesecloth. Place the unsmoked bacon (or blanched salt pork), onions, the pork rind and its cooking liquid, and the herb bouquet into the kettle with the soaked beans. If you did not use salt pork so far, add 1 tbsp. salt. Bring to a simmer. Skim off any fat which might rise. Simmer, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are just tender. Add more boiling water during cooking, if necessary, to keep the beans covered. Season to taste near the end of the cooking process. Leave the beans in their cooking liquid until you are ready to use them, then drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Remove the bacon or salt pork and set aside. Discard the herbs.

Cut the lamb or mutton into chunks roughly 2" square. Dry each piece in paper towel. Pour a thin layer of fat into a heavy, 8-quart, fireproof casserole and heat until almost smoking. Brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, on all sides. Set the meat aside. Brown the bones and add them to the meat. If fat has burned, discard it and add 3 tbsp. more. Lower the heat and brown the onions lightly, about 5 minutes.

Return the bones and the lamb to the casserole and stir in the garlic, tomato, thyme, bay leaves, wine/vermouth, and stock. Bring to a simmer and season to taste with salt. Cover and simmer slowly, or in a 325-degree oven, for 1 1/2 hours. Then remove the meat to a dish; discard the bones and bay leaves. Remove all but 2 tbsp. fat and carefully correct the seasoning of the cooking liquid.

Pour the cooked and drained beans into the lamb cooking liquid. Stir in any juices you may have from roasting the pork. Add bean cooking liquid, if needed, until the beans are covered. Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes, then let the beans stand in the liquid for 10 minutes. Drain the beans when you are ready for final assembly, again reserving the liquid.

Brown the saucisse de Toulouse, cut into lengths between 1/2" and 3" long (depending on size/preference) and drain on paper towels.

Cut the roast pork into 1 1/2–2" serving chunks. Slice the bacon or salt pork into serving pieces 1/4" thick. Arrange a layer of beans in the bottom of your cassoulet dish, then continue with layers of lamb, roast pork, bacon slices, sausage, and beans, ending with a layer of beans and sausage. Pour on the meat cooking juices, and enough bean cooking juice so that liquid comes just to the top layer of beans. Spread on the bread crumbs and dribble the fat over the top. You can set this aside until you’re ready for final cooking (about 1h).

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bring the casserole to a simmer on top of the stove. Set it in the upper level of the oven. When the top has crusted lightly, after about 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Break the crust into the beans with the back of a spoon, and baste with the liquid in the casserole. Repeat this process several times, as the crust re-forms, but leave a final crust for serving. If the liquid in the cassoulet becomes too thick, add a spoonful or two of bean cooking liquid. It should bake for about one hour.

Variations

You could use goose confit instead of the roast pork. Scrape the fat off, and cut it into serving portions, then brown it lightly in some of the fat from the package. Then arrange it directly in the final step.

If you have fresh goose, duck, turkey, or partridge, you can roast or braise it, carve it into serving pieces, and use it with or instead of the roast pork.

Ham hock or veal shank can be added to the simmer with the beans, then cut into serving pieces and added at final assembly.

Julia Child

Ingredients

• Brown & wild rice combo (to make ~6 cups)
• fresh sausage (e.g., bratwurst)
• butter
• 1 lg. onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 8 oz box sliced mushrooms
• a fresh spice that matches the sausage (e.g., thyme)
• 2–3 tbsp. plus 1/4 c. parmesan

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the rice mix according to the package directions. Either cut the sausage into rounds and sautée, or sautée first and then slice, depending on the kind of sausage. Reserve. In the same skillet, add butter, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and spice. Sautée. Mix with the sausage, rice, and 2–3 tbsp. parmesan, and pour into a buttered 13x9" casserole. Dot with more butter. Bake for 45 minutes, covered. Sprinkle top with the remaining parmesan, and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered.

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp. butter
• 3 medium onions, finely chopped (2 c.)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (1 tbsp.)
• 2 lbs. beets, coarsely grated (4 c. packed)
• 2 med. turnips, coarsely grated
• 1 celery root, coarsely grated
• 1 parsley root or parsnip, coarsely grated
• 4 med. tomatoes, coarsely chopped (4 c.)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt pepper
• 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
• 10 c. (2 1/2 quarts) beef stock
• 2 lb. head of green cabbage, cut into 2" squares and then shredded
• 1 lb. potatoes, in 2" squares
• 1 lb. polish sausage, in 1/2" slices, browned
• 1 med. raw beet, grated, with 3 tbsp. water
• 2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. fresh dill

Preparation

In a 4 quart heavy dutch oven, melt butter and cook onions and garlic until slightly colored (8–10 minutes). Add the next nine ingredients (from beets to vinegar), and 2 c. of the beef stock. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then lower the heat and cook partially covered for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the remaining 8 c. of beef stock to a boil in a large soup pot. Add the cabbage and potatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender.

When the beet mixture has finished cooking, pour it into the veggies. Add sausage. Strain the water from the soaking beets and add it to the soup to brighten its color.

Serve with dill and sour cream.

Alternative: You can add some dill and bay leaves to the beet mixture, and then add browned stew meat when you add the sausage.

From an exchange student who lived with my grandparents, 1960s

Ingredients

(amounts in brackets are scaled for a 515 mL European can of tomato soup)

• 1 lb. [750 g] fresh salmon (or canned)
• 1 can concentrated tomato soup (10.75 oz) [515 mL]
• 8 oz. [360 g] cream cheese
• 2 envelopes gelatine (1/2 oz., around 14g) [26g, 2 European packets]
• 1 [2] onion, chopped fine
• 1 [2] celery stalk, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp. [5 tsp.] Worcestershire sauce
• 1 c. [350 g] mayonnaise
• 2 [4] dashes Tabasco

Preparation

If using fresh salmon, bake the salmon until it flakes easily; cool.

Heat the tomato soup (undiluted) in a large pot, melt in the cream cheese. Dissolve the gelatine in 1/2 c. of cold water. Add to the soup, and cool.

Add in the remainder of the ingredients, pour into a serving dish, and refrigerate until set. Serve with black or French bread.

Ingredients

• 1 nice chicken
• 20g butter
• 1 egg
• 1 slice of bread per person
• Lemon
• 20cl cream
• 5 parsley roots/parsnips
• 5 potatoes
• 2 onions, cut in half
• 5 carrots
• 6 celery stalks
• 1 clove
• Thyme
• Bay leaf
• Pepper and salt
• Parsley

Preparation

The day before, prepare a nice chicken stock using the chicken. Discard the skin, but reserve the meat and the bones.

Place the bones in a large soup pot and cover them with half water and half chicken stock. Add the onions and the rest of the vegetables, either chopped medium-size or in large julienne. Add the clove, thyme, and bay leaf, and lightly season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low heat for three hours.

Remove the bones and spices, and reserve the vegetables. Add the cream and butter to the broth, and adjust the seasoning. Add all the vegetables and the chicken meat.

Just before serving, temper the egg yolk in broth and add it to the soup, then heat the soup slowly, making sure the egg yolk doesn’t cook.

Serve with chopped parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a slice of bread and butter on the side.

visit.brussels

Ingredients

• 8 endives
• 8 slices of ham
• 40cl milk
• flour
• 150g butter
• 300g grated Gruyere cheese
• 1 tsp sugar
• grated nutmeg
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Wash the endives and remove any damaged outer leaves. Trim the bottom of the endives and remove the bitter root base. Heat 50g of butter in a saucepan and add the endives with a few drops of water and the sugar. Leave to braise for 15 minutes lid on. The endives are cooked when tender and when they start to caramelize slightly. Remove them from the saucepan and leave them to drain for half an hour. In the meantime, prepare a Béchamel sauce and stir in some of the endive cooking juice. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and add 200g of the grated Gruyere cheese little by little. Wrap each endive in a slice of ham. Put them into a gratin dish. Pour the Béchamel sauce over the wrapped endives and place the gratin dish in a 180°C oven for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes in the oven, add the remaining grated Gruyere cheese over the preparation and leave until the sauce is bubbly and golden brown.

visit.brussels

Ingredients

• 1 medium-size firm eggplant, a little over a pound or so in weight
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 teaspoon fennel pollen or seed
• 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1 small onion, grated or very finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 1 chili pepper – Italian red cherry or Fresno, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• a generous handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 pound short-cut pasta, whatever shape you like
• Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Peel half the skin off the eggplant. Dice very finely into 1/8-inch pieces. Sprinkle with salt and reserve. Place a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve a half cup of the starchy pasta water for the sauce. Heat the olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, over medium to medium-high heat. Add pork and lightly brown while finely crumbling it into tiny bits. Season with fennel, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, thyme and the chili pepper. Squeeze any liquid from the eggplant then stir it into the pork. Cook about 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently until eggplant is tender. Deglaze with white wine, stir a minute then stir in cream and simmer over low heat while pasta cooks. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce, adding liquid to combine. Stir in parsley.

Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen