Spring Leek and Potato Soup or Vichyssoise

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup

I've had leeks on my  mind lately. I keep seeing them, looking fresh and palely green in stores and at markets but I've got a secret. I've NEVER cooked a leek! Why? I honestly don't know, except perhaps I can't remember my mother or my grandmothers or any of my aunts cooking them. Those wonderful ladies were my cooking mentors, companions and partners in happy hour crime. We cooked and laughed our way through many, many dishes, but leeks never appeared. Now that I've conquered them, I honestly don't know why.

Why was I afraid of a leek? 

I decided to start out with a Leek and Potato soup. First I researched my favorites-- a little Julia, a little Ina and a dash of Emeril. All of them have much to say on the subject of leeks -- Julia doesn't saute' them first in any fat, but simply boils the leeks and vegetables in water. Ina and Emeril both added different amounts of chicken stock and water. Emeril kicked his up with spices, but I wanted a more traditional flavor. However, they all agreed on one point -- YOU'VE GOT TO WASH THEM WELL!! This is REALLY important, as the leeks hold lots of sand and dirt between their layers. I decided to do it by removing the tough outer, dark green leaves, cutting off the top couple of inches (also tough and darker green) and then cutting off an inch at the root. I sliced them into rounds about 1/4" thick, like this:

Sliced Leeks

I put them into a big bowl filled with cold water, and let them soak for a few minutes, swishing my hand through the water. I drained them in the colander shown above, and then put them back into the big bowl with more clean cold water. I swished, I repeated the process. Finally, after several repeats, I didn't see any sand or grit in the on the bottom of the bowl. So, I drained them well and I weighed them. Why weigh them you ask? Well, that's what Julia Child said to do, so that is what I did. And after all, I've got this snazzy red food scale, so why not?

1 lb leeks and my handy food scale

Once I'd cleaned the leeks and weighed them, it was all uphill, and the kitchen began to smell like something good was on it's way. I have made potato soup many times over the years, but I must admit, this was hands down, the BEST POTATO SOUP I've ever made! Something about the leeks and the slow cooking worked absolute magic on the flavor. I cut WAY down on the amount of bacon, butter and cream used by the famous chefs, but I swear, it didn't matter! Here's the recipe and some pictures to urge you on toward your own leek adventure. I promise, I'll be cooking them again and soon. Perhaps a leek gratin or quiche or tart.....hhmmmmm.......

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup or Vichyssoise
1 lb. leeks, well washed and drained (about 3 large leeks)
1 lb peeled russet potatoes, cut into chunks for cooking

Frying Smithfield Original Bacon

3 rashers "Smithfield" original bacon
2 cloves minced garlic
2 T. butter
6 c. chicken stock
4 c, water
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. heavy cream + a little for garnish
chives for garnish
In a large, heavy soup pot, cook the bacon over low to medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain it well on a paper towel. Add the butter to the bacon fat in the pot and then the leeks. Cook them for 5 minutes until they begin to wilt and add the potatoes and garlic. Stir all the vegetables around in the pot until they are coated with the butter/fat mixture. 

Leeks and potatoes in the fat mixture

Add the stock, wine and water to your pot. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Turn the heat down and add the salt and pepper. Partially cover the pot and let the soup cook over low heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes. By partially cover, I mean leave the top just off center so that the soup reduces and thickens, like this:

Partially covered soup pot

Watch it, you don't want it to boil over, just to gently bubble away. Lower heat worked fine on my gas stove. At the end of  1 hour, test your potatoes by sticking them with a knife to make sure they are tender. You may need to cook the soup another 15 or 20 minutes, depending on the size you cut the potatoes during the prep. When the potatoes are done and the soup is thickened, you'll need to puree your veggies. 

There are several ways to process the vegetables. I used my immersion blender, which is super easy to do. Let the soup cool a little before you start, put the immersion blender into the pot and begin blending in short bursts. You want the soup to be smooth and creamy.  You could also use a regular blender. Simply remove the potatoes and leeks (in batches) with a slotted spoon and puree them, then return them to the broth. You could run the vegetables through a food processor or a food mill. Whichever method you use, let the soup cool slightly before pureeing, to minimize the chance of getting splashed by boiling liquid or super hot vegetables. 

After the vegetables have been processed and returned to the soup, add the cream. Turn the heat on low to gently heat the cream and soup. Crumble the bacon and add it to the soup. Be careful not to let it boil. Taste the mixture and correct the seasoning -- you might need a little more salt or pepper, depending on the chicken stock you used. I always use lower sodium chicken stock and sometimes do need to add a little more salt at the end. Be careful, it's better to under-salt a dish than to over-salt one! This will make at least 6 bowls of soup. Garnish the soup with a tablespoon of cream and some chives. To make Vichyssoise-- that American invention we think is French -- simply cool the soup and serve it cold. We ate it one night for dinner, along with spinach salad. The rest made it's way to several delicious lunches and yes, one of the lunches I ate it cold. I knew I couldn't sell it to my husband, but I liked it just fine. 

Bon Appetit! 

Pot Roast and More on a Monday Night

Pot Roast with green beans on a Monday night.

I've always held the position that you should serve a good dinner on Monday night. Monday can be a tough day for anyone, whether you are returning to the office, work at home, go to school, stay home with your kids (work at home, I know) or even if you are retired. After a busy weekend, we often start the week out stressed or tired, and I know at least two people who say they have a hard time sleeping on Sunday night, because they are worried about Monday! 

I've written about this phenomenon before, and you can read about it, and check out my recipe for Pork Roast, HERE .

To combat those Monday doldrums, it's nice to have a good dinner to look forward to. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to drag your slow cooker out of the closet and put it to good use. Today, mine is simmering away with a pot roast and vegetables. See how old mine is? It still works really, really well.

My Old Slow Cooker. Still works.

My mother made good pot roast and she always used a chuck roast. We've decide we don't love a shoulder roast. Chuck is better, but try and find one on sale. It used to be a cheap cut, not so much anymore.

 There are many ways to cook a pot roast:  In the oven, on top of the stove or a combination of both cooking methods. The easiest way by far is to dump everything into the slow cooker, turn it on and walk away. The gravy suffers a little, but I'll give you some tips on how to fix it up, so that it tastes very much like the gravy you get when you first sear the roast and then slow cook it. This is a BASIC recipe and you can certainly experiment with herbs that you like. I've thrown in a bay leaf, used summer savory, and added a little fresh rosemary and thyme to this, all with good results. Think of this like a map to get you in and out of the kitchen quickly on a busy day.
At the very end, I'll tell you how to make your leftover roast into the best beef stew ever! IF you've got any leftovers!
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
2 - 2.5 lbs. chuck roast, excess fat removed
1 cup tomato sauce
2+ T. worcestershire sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
4 medium onion
4 medium all purpose potatoes, peeled
16 mini carrots, or 4 whole carrots, cut into 4 - 6 pieces
1/4 c. dry red wine**
3/4 c. beef bouillon, divided usage
2 T. corn starch
kosher salt and coarse pepper

Cut an onion in half and dice one half of it into very small dice. Put that in the bottom of your slow cooker along with 1/2 of the  minced garlic. Take 2 mini carrots or 1 piece of a whole carrot and slice thinly. Place that on top of the garlic and onions and then put your roast on top of that. Sprinkle the roast with salt pepper and the worcestershire sauce. Pour on the red wine and 1/2 c. of the tomato sauce. Put on the lid, turn your cooker on high and go get a shower or throw in a load of laundry and make the bed or all 3 of these. Leave that mixture in there for about an hour, then on top of the roast, layer in the potatoes, alternating them with the rest of the onions that have been peeled and cut in half. If you are using herbs, add them now. Make sure they are distributed evenly on top of the meat, potatoes and onions. Throw the rest of the carrots and garlic on top. Pour another 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, and the beef broth over everything, and sprinkle once more with salt and pepper. Put the top on, turn the cooker down to low and leave it alone for 6 - 8 hours. 
When you are almost ready to eat, remove the vegetables and the roast carefully with a slotted spoon to a large oven proof platter or big shallow serving bowl. Place this into a preheated 250 degree oven. You'll get a little color on your roast and potatoes like you'd seared them. 
Pour the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Mash up any big pieces with the back of a fork. Mix the remaining beef bouillon with 2 heaping T. corn starch and enough water so that it measures 1/2 cup total.  Make sure that the corn starch dissolves into the liquid. Pour it into the saucepan, turn the heat to medium high and start stirring. Add a drop or 2 of worcestershire sauce. When it boils and thickens, turn the heat down to low and  cover it. If you want the gravy a little thicker, mix another T. of corn starch with 2 T. of water and add it to the gravy. Let it bubble gently for about 5 minutes and then serve it along with the roast and veggies. Serves 4 amply. We like it with fresh green beans but you could make a salad or heat up some bread)

Pot Roast with Potatoes, Onions and Carrots

If you've got any meat, gravy and vegetables leftover, try this:

Leftover Beef Stew
Leftover pot roast and gravy (you need at least 1 c. beef and 1/2 c. gravy)
+ any vegetables you have leftover, all cut into bite sized pieces
3 1/2 c. beef stock or 1 can Campbells beef consomme' plus 2 1/2  c. water
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. thinly sliced carrot
1 clove minced garlic
3 medium all purpose potatoes, cut into 1/2" dice
8 frozen "pearl onions" from a bag 
1/2 c. dry red wine**
1 T. tomato paste
kosher salt and coarse pepper
1 slice crisp cooked bacon, optional

Place the beef stock or consomme' along with the chopped onion, carrots, garlic and potatoes, into a heavy medium to larger sized sauce pan -- not your huge one, but not the one you heat up soup in either. (Add water until the vegetables are covered by 1" of water, if necessary.) Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn the stove on high and bring to a boil. Turn down and let it simmer 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. When the vegetables are tender, add 1/2 c. dry red wine tomato paste and the pearl onions, and bring it back up to a boil. Let that cook about 5 minutes and add your pot roast, gravy and any veggies that were leftover. I like to cook this 30+ minutes over a low heat so that the stew really comes together. Add the bacon for the last few minutes of cooking, if using. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if you need it. 

**You can always substitute beef stock/broth for the wine in either of these recipes.

Twice Baked Potatoes

I've made this recipe over and over throughout the years. Making twice baked potatoes is easy, but a little time consuming. If you you like to cook, like I do, you won't mind the effort it takes to hollow out the potatoes and then stuff the goodies back in. If you love to eat but don't love to cook, you can always mash up the potatoes with the good stuff and then plop it into a casserole dish. I must say, however, that the stuffed potatoes are much prettier and it's kind of fun to have your very own twice baked potato on your plate!
To make these potatoes, pick large, smooth baking potatoes and scrub them well, nice and clean. Bake them in your microwave until they are just done, not shriveled and overcooked. Let them cool for a little while on the counter, until you can handle them easily. Slice off the top third of the potato and begin to gently remove the white potato flesh, leaving a quarter inch of shell with the skin. I think a small teaspoon works best for this operation. Take out little bits at a time, being careful to keep the potato shell intact. If you scrape too close to the skin, the potato will collapse, at which point you will have a potato casserole, as mentioned above!
After you have removed all of the potato and put it into a bowl, add in the good stuff:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
For 2 large potatoes, add 1/3 c. light sour cream, a generous pinch of salt and pepper, 1/3 c. grated cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. melted butter and 1 tsp. minced chives.
Mash everything together, using a hand mixer or an old fashioned potato masher. Be sure to combine everything so that there are no big lumps of potato. You may need to add another T. or so of sour cream, if the mixture seems dry, but you do want it to be thick.
Then, carefully and gently, spoon the potato mixture back into the potato shells. Press it gently into each end first, and then fill 'er up, mounding up over the top of the potato shell. Sprinkle on a little more cheddar cheese, if you wnat to, pressing so that it adheres to the mounded top and sprinkle with paprika, totally optional. My potatoes seemed cheesey enough to me when I made the ones shown below, so I skipped the extra cheddar and just added paprika. Put the potatoes into a baking dish or onto a cookie sheet. I like to use a dish, so that I can be sure that they stand up and won't tip over. Bake them for 30 minutes.

Twice baked potatoes, ready for the oven

If you want to make these for a big group, you can easily make them ahead of time and refirgerate or freeze them. To freeze, put them onto a cookie sheet and place them into the freezer to get hard without adding the final cheese and paprika on top. After they are individually frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and they will keep beautifully for about a month, or even a little longer. When you want to use them, put them on the counter to thaw for about an hour, then top them and bake as directed.

Perfect Spring Dinner!

Panko breaded pork chops, oven roasted green beans and fingerling potatoes

Last night I made a meal that was new to our family. I am not usually a big fan of pork chops, but I think that is mostly due to to the fact that most of what I've been served have been overcooked. Chewy, tough leathery meat, is not palatable to me, even if it's been slathered in barbeque sauce. For a long time, I've looked for a recipe that showcases the tenderness of pork and tells how to produce it. I found this recipe in an old Southern Living magazine, and made it almost exactly the way it was written. The article had paired the chops with oven roasted green beans and pecans, which I tweaked slightly and make with almonds. I also added new fingerling potatoes, a new favorite of my husband. Tender and flavored with fresh herbs, these tiny potatoes are worth the price! The best part of this meal is that it can all be put together in about 35 minutes, making it perfect on a busy weeknight. I'll try and walk you through it, with a timeline that will help you get it on the table quickly too! You are going to love this easy, good for you, springtime dinner! First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash the potatoes and "snap" the beans and rinse them well. (To "snap" them means to remove the stringy ends, totally optional) Drain all the water off of the beans and potatoes and put them on a clean dishtowel to dry out. While they are drying off, prepare the mixture for dredging the pork chops.
Pan Fried Pork Chops
4 center cut pork chops, about 3/4" thick 1/4 c. vegetable oil, for frying 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs 1/4 c. parmesan cheese 1 T. lemon zest 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper Mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, lemon zest and thyme in a wide shallow dish (a pie plate works well). Season your chops with a little salt and pepper, both sides. NEXT, prepare the potatoes.
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes 1 lb. fingerling potatoes, halved if large 1 T. olive oil 1 T. chopped fresh rosemary 2 cloves sliced garlic 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper In a ziplock bag, toss the potatoes with the olive oil and herbs. Put them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cook at 400 for approximately 30 minutes. Go ahead and put them into the oven to get going. NOW, dredge the pork chops and preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Put in the vegetable oil and let it heat up a little. The pan is ready when a breadcrumb dropped into the oil sizzles on contact. Place the chops into the pan, and set your timer for 5 minutes. While they sizzle away, prepare the green beans.
Oven Roasted Green Beans 1 lb. green beans 1 T. olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 c. slivered almonds 1 tsp. butter On a cookie sheet, toss the green beans with the olive oil and garlic. Spread them in a single layer and cook in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. While they are cooking, melt the butter and saute the almonds. After 10 minutes, remove the beans and pour the almonds and butter over them. Return them to the oven, and roast 5 - 10 minutes more, until the almonds and beans brown but don't burn! After 5 minutes, turn your chops over and fry for another 5 minutes. Don't let your pan get too hot and burn them! You may need to adjust the heat, so keep your eye on it while you are getting the veggies ready. I cooked the green beans and potatoes in the same oven, simply by putting the beans in after the potatoes had been cooking for about 15 minutes. That way, everything came out hot and ready at the same time. If you chops are ready first, put them on a plate and cover them loosely with foil or put them in a warm (275 degrees) oven.

YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS DINNER!