Gazpacho

Gazpacho! What in the world is gazpacho? The origins of the word itself are unknown, though theories abound. Some people believe it comes from an Arabic word for “soaked bread”; others claim it has roots in the Hebrew word for “to break into pieces.” If you watch the video of Ina Garten preparing this recipe, though, you’ll hear her call it a “salad soup.” Elsewhere I’ve seen it described less appetizingly as “liquid salad,” which sounds like something a catatonic hospital patient would receive through a tube. I like to think of it as a salsa soup, which is what I called it when my kids asked what we were having for dinner and I didn’t want to say “liquid salad.” I really couldn’t see them running to the table after me calling…

“Come and get your liquid salad, kids!!”

If you’re someone who enjoys salsa, you’re highly likely to be a fan of gazpacho. One of my salsa-loving friends refers to tortilla chips as “salsa transportation devices” because, when it’s good salsa, don’t you really just want the salsa? The chip itself is definitely not the main attraction. Well, what if you didn’t have to bother with the chip for propriety’s sake? What if you could just eat the whole bowl of delicious salsa? Guess what, my friends?

YOU CAN!!!

And THAT is the meaning of gazpacho.

(You may, of course, have to get over the fact that it’s a cold soup, which seems like a contradiction in terms. But once you do, you’ll be thankful. As a colossal fan of soup, I can tell you it’s a delightfully sneaky way to still get to eat soup in the summer. We enjoyed it with pesto grilled cheese sandwiches and I thought it was the perfect combination. So go get grinding and chopping–summertime is liquid salad gazpacho time!)

Gazpacho
(Barely adapted from Ina Garten)

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, halved and seeded but not peeled
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
4 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 c. tomato juice
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Directions:

1. Chop the cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, and red onion into 1-inch cubes. Place each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely chopped (about the texture of a very chunky salsa).

2. After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add garlic, tomato juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper, mixing well.

3. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serves 4-6.

Easy Blueberry Jam

As a parent of young children, I can no longer think about the concept of jam without the image of Dr. Gru from Despicable Me 2 popping into my head, maintaining in that Boris Karloff/drunken Slav accent of his that he is no longer a villain and is on the straight and narrow:

“I am developing a line of delicious jams and jellies!”

If you’re a parent, you know what I’m talking about, because you have seen this movie approximately 8,000 times and know all its ins and outs, including how the Minions become purple and evil. If you’re not, or haven’t seen the movie, I won’t spoil how the Minions turn evil, but I will tell you that Gru is giving the law-abiding life his level best by abandoning projects like stealing the moon for tamer pastimes like creating fruity spreads–and more power to him. I have a feeling he and the Minions would put out some pretty tasty stuff.

Since we’re talking jams and jellies and tasty stuff, allow me to introduce you to this ridiculously easy blueberry jam, which does not require an army of Minions. Have you ever heard of a jam that 1.) doesn’t call for pectin and 2.) takes 20 minutes start to finish? Right, me neither. Most jams and jellies involve a real commitment in the kitchen. This jam, on the other hand, can be slapped together in the time it takes to watch a New Girl episode (or a Ninjago, if we’re going to stick with the kids’ entertainment theme). It may or may not end up being cheaper than store-bought blueberry jam, but if you hit the grocery store/farmers’ market/berry patch on the right week, it just might. Even if it doesn’t, though, making your own blueberry jam is a fun way to give yourself and your family a homemade, delicious breakfast treat on toast or muffins, or even to give a friend or neighbor as a thoughtful little gift. Without canning, this jam will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator. It could also make a lovely cake filling or an unusual “J” in a PBJ. I know I’ll definitely be making it again!

Easy Blueberry Jam
(From Fine Cooking)

Ingredients:

4 c. fresh blueberries
1 c. white sugar
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)

Directions:

1. Place the berries and 2 Tbsp. water in a 3-quart heavy-duty saucepan over medium-high heat. Using a potato masher, stir and mash the berries until they are bubbling around the edges of the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until dissolved, about 1 minute.

2. Add the lemon juice, increase heat to high, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 218 degrees on a candy thermometer, 8-10 minutes. (If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can do the “cold plate test”: place a small amount of jam on a spoon on a plate in the freezer. Check the consistency after a couple of minutes. If it has jelled to your liking, it is done.) Remove the pan from the heat and let cool 5 minutes.

3. Transfer to a heatproof, airtight container and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Basic Mini Frittatas

If I’m being honest, I have to admit I’ve been stuck in a breakfast rut for years. Not that I mind. Toast, whole grain muffins and quick breads, and cereal have been my trusted morning companions for years. So even if they are same-old, same-old day after day, I just really, really like carbs, so my bread-based breakfasts suit me pretty well. If I had a personal Breakfast Food Pyramid, it would look like this:

As you can see, eggs are not high on this list. (Well, technically, they are high, but in the upside-down-backwards kind of high, like how you want to score low, not high in golf.) Still, there is the occasional morning when something other than straight-up carbs appeals to me, or when I need to make something portable to take to a brunch, or when I give in to my husband’s pleas to make these muffin-sized frittatas. Because they really are a wonderful, satisfyingly savory way to make eggs. As with most egg dishes, these frittatas are unfailingly modifiable, so you can pretty much throw in any savory ingredient and wind up with something pleasing. Additionally, they’re embarrassingly easy to slap together and reheat beautifully (30 seconds in the microwave) for a convenient protein-y breakfast. I’ve made them for everything from bridal showers to Easter brunch to a quick dinner for the babysitter to feed my kids. Not that they’re going to supplant my grain-focused morning meal, but they certainly are easy, tasty, and healthy enough to make a semi-regular appearance.

Basic Mini Frittatas
(Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)

Ingredients:

8 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Optional add-ins:

2 tsp. dried parsley (I always add this, regardless of other add-ins, as it gives such nice color!)
1/2 c. chopped cooked meat–ham, salami, bacon, chorizo, etc.
1/2 c. cheese–feta, Parmesan, shredded cheddar, etc.
1/2 c. cooked chopped vegetables–sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, etc.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and generously grease a regular-sized muffin tin.

2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, pepper, and salt to blend well. Stir in any and all optional add-ins. Using a measuring cup to scoop, fill in muffin cups almost to the top.

3. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until frittatas are set in the center and begin to brown on top. Carefully loosen frittatas from muffin cups and serve immediately or refrigerate for later reheating.

Makes about 10 mini frittatas.

Fresh Blueberry Ice Cream

For your reference and mine, here’s a handy flow chart to show the decision-making process for whether or not to write (yet another) post about dessert on the blog:

Yep, that’s basically how it goes around here. I genuinely do like other foods, it’s just that I like dessert so much more. Of course I know it’s supposed to be eaten in moderation and that sugar is killing us all and yada yada yada. But for me, sweet foods are just one of life’s great pleasures, so dang it, I’m gonna keep making them. Maybe someday I’ll achieve some dietary zen where I’m eating lentils for dessert holed up at a hermitage writing a book like this:

From amazon.com

but all I can say is I am not there yet, and I don’t think I want to be. (I have a lot more I could say about this topic as a prospective nutritionist, but it would probably just get me all worked up and then I’d have to go diffuse my frustration with a cupcake brisk jog and I’d never get through this post.)

Anyway, so let me tell you about this melt-in-your-mouth blueberry ice cream. Blueberry is a flavor that gets a lot of love in muffins, breads, and even pies, but rarely do you see it headlining in ice cream. This needs to be remedied ASAP. The combination of blueberries and cream just rings with freshness and makes me think of what you would be served at some quaint Alpine pension. With blueberries in season, it’s time to take advantage of rock-bottom sale prices and stock up so you can try blueberry-flavored everything. When we got a giant clamshell of them at Costco recently, they were quickly put to work in fruit salads, jam, and a blueberry-lime pound cake…but I think this creamy treat may have been my favorite. Give it a try and see if you agree!

Blueberry Ice Cream
(Adapted from Your Home-Based Mom)

Ingredients:

2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 c. sugar
1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1 c. half and half
1 c. whipping cream

Directions:

1. Puree berries in a standard blender or with an immersion blender.

2. Heat pureed blueberries and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Refrigerate until cold–totally, thoroughly cold. Your end result will be much creamier this way.

3. Mix in vanilla, salt, half and half, and whipping cream.

4. Pour into ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer directions.

15-Minute White Chicken Chili

For as often as I make chicken dishes, it’s kind of weird how seldom they show up here on the blog. Maybe because chicken, as a rule, is just not the most visually appealing of meats and therefore not terribly photogenic, whether raw,

NSFW?

cooked,

Who doesn’t want to eat a pile of legs?

or in “original” form:

“I have NO idea why I crossed the road.”

See what I mean? Chicken needs to go on one of those reality makeover shows like Ten Years Younger before it’s camera-ready. (Ironically, I just looked up that show. It aired ten years ago. Whoa. That’s meta.) Anyway, chicken. It may not be going to win Miss Teen Meat USA, but dang if it’s not cheap, versatile, and easy to cook. At our house we’re all over chicken like white on meat. Even in spite of our part-time vegetarian status, we probably average at least one chicken dinner per week. And a chicken dinner earns bonus points from me when it also contains wholesome ingredients and can go from fridge/pantry to table in under 30 minutes, like this super-simple white chicken chili. Did I mention it also only uses one pot? YEAH.

So on a weeknight when life is crazy and you know you won’t even make it home until 6:45, with a little planning, a delicious dinner can make it to the table by 7:00…which beats this kind of chicken any day:

Mmm…mechanically separated chicken goo.

And even though it might not be the prettiest dish you ever serve, it’s a bit like the quote from the mother to her daughter in Thornton Wilder’s play Our Town–it’s “pretty enough for all normal purposes.” Like dinner in a pinch.

15-Minute White Chicken Chili
(Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:

2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
2 c. crushed tortilla chips
2 15-oz. cans cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 4.5-oz. can diced green chilies
20 oz. chicken broth
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Directions:

In a large stock pot, combine all ingredients except cilantro. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serves 4.