Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Soup with Ginger and Veggies

I have a confession to make. Although I've lived in this country since 1989 I never cooked a turkey in my life until yesterday. I'm talking, not ever--ever. I've managed to dodge turkey cooking by shamelessly inviting myself over to friends' homes year after year. I love cooking, but I've always been intimidated by the concept of cooking a 20-lb bird, especially one that starts off rock-solid frozen and has to thaw out for days. At the peak of my turkey cooking anxiety (which spanned a good three to four years) I simply traveled out of the country over Thanksgiving break to avoid the task.

And then, my life changed. This amazing man came into my life and asked me to marry him, and with him came two awesome little boys as part of the package. So facing the inevitable and impending reality of having to cook a family-style Thanksgiving dinner for the first time this year, I decided to finally tackle my turkey cooking fears head-on, once and for all. Turns out I'd been making much ado about nothing, and the turkey came out just fine.

The challenge then became what to do with all the leftovers, while not having to change out of my sweatpants to go buy groceries on Black Friday. Even with what random things I had in my pantry and fridge, I must say this turned out to be one damn good tasty soup--and it was super easy to make. If you also have an endless tupperware tub of turkey in your fridge and are tired of making sandwiches with it,  read on for the recipe!










For 4 generous bowl servings, you will need:

1/2 yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups sliced carrots (I used baby carrots)
About 2 cups of dark shredded turkey meat (thighs, wings, drumsticks work best)
6-7 cups chicken stock
1 slice of fresh ginger root, about 1/4-inch thick
2 bay leaves
14 oz. can of cut green beans, drained
1 cup small pasta (orzo or stars work well)
Juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil, sea salt, pepper, dried oregano

Using a large enough pot to contain all the ingredients listed above, heat up about 4 tbsp. olive oil and saute the onion until translucent.  Add the minced garlic, stir, and saute for about a minute. Then, add the carrots, stirring and cooking for about another 4-5 minutes.

Next, add the shredded turkey, followed by the chicken stock, the ginger "medallion", and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes on medium-low heat.

OPTIONAL STEP: 

In addition to the ginger and bay leaf, I also tossed in some dried oregano and a dash of my favorite Goya Adobo seasoning--but you can use any other brand you might have on hand, like Mrs. Dash or whatever other all-purpose seasoning that suits your taste.

Next, add the cut green beans and the pasta. Bring back to a gentle boil.

Once the pasta is fully cooked, remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste, give it a good stir, and serve.  (But remember to pick out the ginger and the bay leaves first!) Happy Thanksgiving Leftovers Week!

Ginger Peanut Soup with Rice and Scallions

I often say that we can accurately guess where people come from and where they've been by checking out the contents of their pantry. In this vein, let me share with you that I lived in Morocco for some time when I was a child (about 6 years old)--although I was quite young, I still recall that period vividly. The vast windy beaches with whipping sands, the colorful bazaars, the narrow cobbled streets; the intricate tilework and architecture...but perhaps the most indelible memory is of a dinner I attended with my parents and other relatives at a friend's home--being part of about a dozen people sitting on colorful floor cushions in a candle-lit room, forming a circle around a huge copper tray, laden with a variety of typical local foods, such as couscous, lamb stew, olives and dried dates. The guests helped themselves by rotating the huge tray as though it were an oversized Lazy Susan to get to their delicacy of choice. This was the first time I ever tasted couscous and I remained fascinated by Moroccan culture and cuisine ever since.

While not Moroccan in origin, this soup recipe is most certainly inspired by North African flavors. You will find that this is an excellent choice for fall cooking, when the weather outside calls for aromatic, hearty, comforting foods--and as a bonus it can be made 100% vegetarian by subbing the chicken stock with vegetable stock.

I guarantee that with just one sip of this unique soup you'll be instantly transported to a foreign land, veiled in sheer embroidered colors, swept by desert winds, and rich with the fragrance of exotic oils and spice. Bon voyage!

Gather and Prep your Ingredients

For batch big enough to serve about 8-10 you will need:

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch squares
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 (20 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
5-6 cups chicken broth (sub with vegetable stock if you want to make it 100% vegetarian)
1 cup peanut butter
1 container of silken tofu
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
Fresh ginger root, finely minced (about 2 teaspoons)
Peanut oil (although any vegetable oil will do)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste), salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion/scallions
1 cup long grain rice, cooked
1-2 limes

You will also need a big wide-brimmed cooking pot (one that has a lid) and a blender.

Get Cooking

Start by chopping and mincing your veggies as described above, and heating 3-4 tablespoons of the peanut oil in the cooking pot.


Sauté the sweet potato, bell peppers, onion and minced ginger together in the peanut oil , using high heat and stirring frequently.


Incorporate the minced garlic to this mix about 5 minutes into the cooking process, and continue to sauté for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and have a slight golden hue.

Next, add the cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to taste and stir again. 

Now you're ready to add the crushed tomatoes, juice and all. Stir and cook briefly for another minute or so, using a wooden spoon to scrape any caramelized bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Then add the chicken stock. Once it all comes to a rolling boil, lower the heat, stir, and simmer covered for about 25 minutes.

While the soup simmers, cook some basic, plain white rice following container instructions. I like to use jasmine rice for this particular recipe, but any long grain white rice will work.

Also in the meantime, chop up a few green onion stalks, and a handful of dry roasted peanuts--they will be your garnish.

Once the 25 minutes of simmering have elapsed, drop the peanut butter into the soup and stir until completely dissolved. 

Next, place the tofu in a blender, and add two cups of the soup. Blend until creamy smooth.

Incorporate the blended tofu and soup back into the pot, and stir.

At this point you can choose to keep the rest of the veggies whole, or blend for a smoother, creamier texture. I personally like to keep a little bit of the chunky sweet potato and bell peppers texture to bite into, so I use an arm blender to dip directly into the soup and blend until I get the desired balance of creamy versus chunky. If you don't have an arm blender, that's ok-- you can use the regular blender (you'll just have to do it in batches).

Now you're ready to serve this delicious, velvety soup atop a small mound of cooked rice.

For the final touch, sprinkle the juice from 2 wedges of lime, as well as chopped green onions and peanuts. Don't skimp on the green onions, they are a key textural and flavor-balancing component in this soup.

American Shepherd's Pie Recipe

This recipe is the adaptation of a meal my mom used to make for me as a kid, with a distinct American twist I added along the way. What makes this Shepherd's pie "American" is the combination of ground turkey and beef used as base--whereas a traditional Shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb or mutton meat, or more commonly these days, with just beef. With turkey being the centerpiece of the most iconic American meal (a.k.a., Thanksgiving dinner), and ground beef being an ubiquitous ingredient popular at most American diners (think hamburgers and meatloaf), I decided to experiment by mixing the two as base for a Shepherd's pie. I dare you to try this recipe out and be surprised by how wonderfully these two seemingly polar opposite proteins complement each other.

Gather and Prep Your Ingredients
For an approximately 12- to 14-inch round, 3-inch thick pie (serves about 6 people), you will need:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. lean ground turkey (if you don't want to use turkey, substitute with an additional 1 lb. of beef)
1 large carrot, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small (8 oz.) can of peas, drained
1 medium (14 oz.) can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup (8 oz.) of tomato sauce
1 cup chicken stock
4 beef bouillon cubes
6 (medium-large) potatoes, cubed
Butter, black pepper and olive oil


Get Cooking

Start by browning the ground beef and turkey in batches in a large skillet. Set aside in a big mixing bowl.  No need to drain--because the meats are already lean (choose 90% lean or higher) you want to retain some of the fat for flavor and consistency. Next, sautee the chopped onion and sliced carrot in olive oil for about 5 min. (or until tender), then set aside in the same large mixing bowl with the browned ground meats.  Mix thoroughly and then return the entire contents of the bowl to the skillet, adding the peas, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, and two cubes of beef bouillon. Turn the stove heat to high and bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered at medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the stock thickens.

Meanwhile, place the peeled and cubed potatoes into a cooking pot and add enough water to submerge the potatoes entirely, then turn the heat to the highest setting. Add the other two beef bouillon cubes, and bring to a rolling boil. Lower heat to medium-high, and cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Drain the water from the potatoes once they're fully cooked, then add about 4 tablespoons of butter, a handful of finely shredded cheese, and a generous glug of milk. Mash and whip the potatoes with a fork until mostly smooth in consistency.

Keep an eye on the meat and veggie mix simmering on the skillet. Once the desired sauce thickness is achieved, transfer  it all to an oven-safe dish--or if the skillet you're using is already oven-safe, then you can skip this step.

Using a large spoon, gently deposit the mashed potatoes on top of the meat and veggie mixture, making sure you distribute evenly.

Next, use a fork to spread out the potato--you can even get creative and make a pretty pattern, being careful not to dilute the potatoes into the sauce. Lastly, liberally sprinkle cracked black pepper on top and place in the oven.

Chill out and watch some football or your favorite cooking show for the next 20-25 minutes--or however long it takes for the potato layer to acquire a golden-brown glow, then remove from oven and let cool for about 5-10 minutes.

Now you're ready to serve--and enjoy! I promise you will love it.

Fall Fashion Must-Haves

Michael Kors Leather Jacket - Currently in stores for $450

Yes, I do realize I advised in my last Closet Goddess blog entry that it was too early to go shopping for Fall clothes because trends are not yet fully established and you want to wait and see which runway trends actually stick before you buy.  However, somebody's got to do the dirty job of getting out there and testing the waters, so it may as well be me.

The good news is that in the course of this weekend's mall excursion I gathered some good intel to share--particularly as it pertains to key season must-have accessories. The focus here are investment pieces--the items you'll be wearing frequently, if not every day, and get good mileage out of during the coming months.

If you are anything like me, you don't have unlimited funds to spend on threads, so your best bet is to pick what  you want to be your neutral color scheme early on in the season and plan to buy your "anchor" pieces in these hues--so that later on you can build the rest of your wardrobe and color accent pieces around them. My own neutral foundation choice this season is the combination of gray and fawn. With that said, let me show you what I am building upon, most of which I found over this weekend:

A Kick-Ass Leather Jacket
After looking around for a while for the next addition to my outerwear collection, I went with this fawn-hued leather beaut from Michael Kors. She's hooded, zippered, and fitted just right to make me look like a fashionable badass on my free time. As you shop for outerwear, look for the details--such as the stitching, buttons, lining, etc.--they make all the difference! In this case the quilted shoulder and cuff details  along with the oh-so-luxe gold hardware were what had me at hello.

It's all in the details when it comes to outerwear

Suede Platform Booties
The high heeled platform bootie is the season's hottest footwear trend. My pick is the "Lesly" bootie from Michael Kors--they come in several colors and finishes (suede, leather or reptile), and are basic enough in design to go with just about everything in your closet, from skinny jeans to opaque tights and pencil skirts.

Michael Kors "Lesly" booties, currently in stores for $220

A Touch of Fur
Please, make sure it's faux fur. I realize this directive is in conflict with the last two items I just highlighted, both made of leather-- but leather usually comes from cows, and we eat cows. We don't eat fox or mink--and to kill one for its fur alone is downright wrong. In this vein, a faux fur vest is what first comes to mind as a go-to trendy piece this season...but a scarf is the most versatile if you're looking to have something that you can wear in cold weather with a coat, or in milder weather as means to add visual interest to a sweater.

MK faux fur scarf currently in stores for only $59.50 (it's also available in a minky brown!)

Wrist Candy 

So this post so far has been biased in favor of Michel Kors' merchandise, but how can you blame me when the stuff is so affordable and so hot?  These days MK is the girl-on-a-budget's version of Burberry. More so, a watch is an accessory you wear just about every day, so why not pick one you love? I've had my eye on this MK tortoise and gold tone watch for a while...Right in line with my "anchor" color scheme, it's bound to take me far into the Fall season, if not all the way through the Winter.

My watch pick this season, an MK tortoise design currently in stores for $250. The multi-toned metal cuff bracelet and starburst stud earrings are from The Limited, both under $40

A Classic Handbag with all the Bells and Whistles 
In all truth, I jumped on this Louis Vuitton handbag when I visited Boston last month--and it pretty much determined what my Fall wardrobe was going to be built upon--i.e., shades of brown. A luxury handbag may be expensive, but when you consider that you'll be wearing it every day straight for a few months and do the math as to what the cost-per-day boils down to, chances are it's cheaper than the average blazer or designer jeans you're only wearing once every couple of weeks. So go ahead and splurge guiltlessly.

 This handbag currently in LV stores, retailing for about $1,500. The matching wallet is $600, and  the flower clip- on charm is about $500

Cool Sunglasses
Just like a watch and a handbag, chances are your sunglasses will be an everyday item. I personally dig aviator style shades--they look good on most face shapes and have a bitchy badass cool look to them. Again, MK is my choice this season for aviators--so crazy affordable and stylish all at once.

MK aviators, a bargain for $99 -- Currently in stores

What colors and wardrobe pieces do you plan to make your anchors this season?

Food Styling Tips for the Home Cook

It's no secret that we experience food with our eyes as much as we do with our taste buds. I think we can all agree on the fact that our most memorable meals not only tasted delicious, but also looked it. Professional chefs have known for ages that the aesthetic appeal of what's on a dinner plate often influences our perception of its flavor, and the right presentation has the ability to elevate food from being just a meal to being an experience.

Sure, Michelin-rated restaurants and celebrity chefs have raised the concept of food styling to nearly architectural standards--but that doesn't mean it cannot be applied to home cooking.  Keep in mind nobody expects a home cook like you or me to be able to build an Eiffel tower out of crystallized caramel drippings to place atop our flambé dessert. The fact is you don't even need to know what the hell the term flambé means to make your tasty home-cooked meals that much tastier and enticing by following these four simple, basic food styling rules:

Rule #1: Think of Plates as Fashion Accessories for your Food
The dish you choose is the canvas for your culinary artistry. Make it a point to have more than one dishwasher-safe set in regular rotation. This allows you to match the meal to the plate, just as you would match different pairs of shoes to different outfits. If all you own is one set, it's never too late to start collecting. No need to spend a fortune, either. My favorite places to hunt for unique plates, bowls and serving trays are bargain stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx--where you can often find dishes sold individually, which allows you to build coordinating sets or mix and match at will for a fraction of the price you could pay at other stores. Oh, and one last thing please: ditch the paper plates. Your home-cooked meals deserve to be treated with dignity.

I scored these Tiffany-blue crackled enamel beauties at Marshall's for about $3.99 a piece

Rule #2: It's All About the Plating! 
Don't just pile it on--save the sloppy mountains of food on a plate for those in line at Golden Corral. You want the serving size to be balanced in proportion to the dish you serve it on...aim for at least one third of the plate's total surface to be visible after you're done placing the food on it. Always lay the food down carefully, using kitchen tongues or other food handing utensils if need be to deliberately arrange the meal's different components. Even a humble chicken stew can look like a Top Chef creation if the carrots and potatoes are beautifully laid out on the plate.

Coq a Vin Stew

Rule #3: Garnish the Power of the Garnish
Keep fresh herbs handy, or better yet, grow your own. Not only will they infuse your recipes with the lovely flavors and aromas that dried herbs don't even come close to matching, but they can also be used to add just the right amount of pretty to a plate. A couple basil leaves here, a rosemary sprig there, and chopped parsley everywhere. Mint leaves, berries and chocolate shavings are no-brainers for desserts. Lemons and limes are always good to have handy as well. Just slice them up, then place strategically on the plate and you've got yourself a spruced up meal guaranteed to elicit all sorts of ooooohs and aahhhhhs!

A plain slice of cheesecake gets a little help with just a drizzle of rasperry licquour, berries and mint

Rule #4: Wipe It Off
You've come this far, so don't skip this step. Before you serve your meal to your anxiously awaiting audience, do what the pros are trained to do from Day One of cooking school, which is simply to grab a clean paper towel and wipe off any unwanted sauce or food drippings that may have landed on the plating surface detracting from the presentation.

Now you're ready to share and enjoy all the effort and love you've put into creating a beautiful meal. Just pull up a chair and watch their faces light up in anticipation of what's sure to be a spectacular treat. And then tell them they can thank you later by doing the dishes :-)

Portuguese Caldo Verde Soup Recipe

If you grew up in Southern Europe or are closely acquainted with someone who did, you already know where this is going. For every bit of good fortune involved in having had the privilege of experiencing such vast cultural wealth, there is a price to pay--a curse of sorts. That curse is being destined to become restaurant food snob by the time you reach adulthood.

This doesn't mean that we expect every restaurant meal that touches our lips to be cooked in the classic French method, or be topped with truffle shavings and caviar. Instead, it means we grow to be very picky about what we expect restaurant meals to measure up to, starting with the quality of raw ingredients. Anything previously frozen, mass-grown, or hormone fed just isn't worth paying premium for.

Double the odds if you grew up with a really, really good home cook--and you learned a lot of what you know from them. In that case, it's nearly impossible to eat a restaurant meal without breaking it down in your head and coming up how you would have made it better at home for a fraction of the cost. In short, we become the culinary version of that annoying friend who's unable to sit through an action film without pointing out which explosions, car chases or gun fight scenes are not consistent with what would actually happen in real life. We totally buzz-kill your Olive Garden experience.

Caldo Verde

To spare myself--and my dining companions--that agony, I often choose to cook and eat at home. More so if the cravings call for the sacred, iconic comfort foods of my childhood.

One such meal is Caldo Verde (which best translates as "Green Soup" from Portuguese). This soup is to Portugal what Miso soup is to Japan. If you're dining at a traditional Portuguese restaurant you can expect the Caldo Verde to come with your meal (just like Miso would come with your sushi), whether you planned to order it from the menu or not.

Second only to Bacalhau (salted cod), this humble little soup sits proudly in the hall of fame of dishes that make up the very foundation of traditional Portuguese cuisine. If you are curious about this Caldo Verde thing, keep on reading for the recipe--it's super affordable, easy, and quick to prepare (about 45 total minutes from start to finish, including prep and cooking time).

The Ingredients

Gather and Prep Your Ingredients:

For 6 servings, you will need about 5-6 medium potatoes (peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes), a yellow onion (diced), 3 or 4 minced garlic cloves, a big bunch of collard greens or kale (sliced into thin ribbons), a Kielbasa sausage (sliced, about 1/2 inch thick), plus high quality olive oil and sea salt. For an even healthier version, you can substitute with low-fat turkey sausage.

Roll the greens in order to slice into "ribbons" more easily

Get Cooking: Brown the sausage in olive oil. Once done, remove and set aside in a bowl. This is a single pot meal--and for this I prefer the cast iron type, but any old pot large enough to hold 8 cups of water (plus all the ingredients listed above) will do.

Next, sauté the garlic and onion together with a little extra olive oil until translucent golden. Then, add about 8 cups of water and salt to taste. Add the cubed potatoes now too. Boil gently for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

PANTRY QUEEN TIP: Use chicken broth instead of water or add meat-flavored bouillon for a more robust broth. My favorite extra ingredient for this recipe is a Goya ham-flavored seasoning packet (or two), which perfectly compliments the porky flavor of the sausage. If your local store doesn't carry Goya products, Knorr beef bouillon is also a good choice for this dish.

My "secret" ingredients for a little extra flavor

Once the potatoes are cooked, it's time to add the sausage previously set aside, but before you do--mash some of the potatoes by hand or, better yet, if you have an electric arm blender, then just give it a few quick pumps to release a little extra broth-thickening starch into the soup before reintroducing the sausage to the mix.

The sausage provides enough protein to this soup to make it worthy of "main course" status at your table

Mash some of the potatoes for thicker broth consistency, but don't go overboard!

Now you're ready to add the greens. If you use the entire standard-size bunch of winter greens found at most grocery stores, it may seem like you're using too much, but relax--they will wilt and reduce in volume as they cook. Bring the whole thing back to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes. Boom, you're done.

Collard greens are closest to the traditional recipe, but Kale will work just as well 

Serve drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil and crusty bread with butter. The Portuguese like to add a little glug of wine vinegar to give it a kick (and the acidity in the vinegar serves to balance the starchy and porky components)--but if that seems too weird, just add some fresh ground pepper or a dash of hot sauce to your taste. Portuguese wine of the "Vinho Verde" denomination pairs beautifully with this soup, as does Spanish Albarino or even a dry sparkling Cava (Brut).

Enjoy--and let me know how it turns out!

The finished product - perfect with crusty bread rolls and a crisp, lively Iberian white wine

For an alternative version, check a similar recipe out at www.epicurious.com