Lentil, split pea and barley soup with smoked turkey

Winter is at our doorstep, and with it comes days like today when the only reasonable thing to make is a huge pot of soup.  Here's my recipe for a delicious hearty soup.  You can easily make this vegetarian by omitting the smoked turkey wings.

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 C. diced onion

1 C. diced carrots

1 C. diced celery

1 tbs. kosher salt or smoked fleur de sel

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tbs. Italian seasoning

72 oz. chicken stock

1/3 C. each- barley, lentils and split peas, rinsed

16 oz. can diced tomatoes with herbs

2 bay leaves

2 smoked turkey wings

Optional- rind of Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large soup pot.  Add onion, carrots and celery.  Saute for 2 minutes, add remaining ingredients (including rind) and stir to combine.  Cover and simmer on medium low heat for at least an hour before serving.  

Thanksgiving 101 class, book talk at the Westport Library, and caramelized onion, bacon corn muffins

There are a few spaces left in Monday's Thanksgiving 101 class.  Learn how to prepare for, organize and cook a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

Register at www.timetoeat.tv

I will be giving a book talk and book signing on Thursday, December 1 at the Westport Public Library at 10:00 a.m.  Pick up great tips and ideas to streamline your nightly dinnertime dilemma.  

For more information, visit http://www.westportlibrary.org/events/chef-nicole-gives-you-more-time-eat?date=2011-12-01.

Here's my recipe for sweet corn muffins with caramelized onions and bacon.  

2 box corn muffin mix

1 egg

2 tbs. butter

1/2 C. creamed corn

1 C. cooked crumbled bacon

1 caramelized onion:

        1 onion

        1 tbs. olive oil

        1 tbs. brown sugar

        1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

        pinch of kosher salt

Saute onion and olive oil in a large nonstick pan on medium high heat.  Add brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and kosher salt and cook 6-8 minutes until onions are soft.  Remove and chop before adding to corn mix.

Preheat oven to 400.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Spray mini muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray and spoon corn mixture into tins.  Bake 10-12 minutes until muffins are firm.  

    

Lemon chicken francaise with artichoke hearts and mushrooms

We had friends over the other night and I wanted to try something new.  The beauty of this dish is a) most of it can be prepared in advance and b) the actual cooking time is very short.

6 thinly sliced pieces of chicken breast
1/2 C. flour
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. 4S seasoning or Adobo salt
zest from 1 lemon
1 can artichoke hearts, sliced
1 C. sliced mushrooms
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 C. white wine
1/2 C. water or chicken stock
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 C. flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnish

Preheat oven to 375.  Add oil and 1 Tbs. butter to a large nonstick saute pan on medium heat.  On a plate, combine flour, garlic powder, black pepper, seasoning salt and lemon zest.  Dredge chicken pieces in flour and set aside.  When butter has melted, add 2-3 pieces of chicken to the pan and saute for 2 minutes per side.  Remove chicken and place in a casserole pan.  Continue sauteing chicken.  Once all chicken pieces have been sauteed, place casserole pan in the oven, covered with foil.

In the same pan, add 2 tbs. of the flour mixture with remaining butter.  Stir for 1 minute.  Add white wine and water and stir until sauce thickens.  If sauce is too thick add a little more water.   Add mushrooms and artichoke hearts and cook for 2 minutes or until mushrooms have just softened.  Remove chicken from the oven and pour sauce over pan.  Garnish with parsley before serving.

Seriously healthy cookies!!

A friend brought some delicious coconut chocolate cookies she made last night, I was inspired to play off her recipe and create these delicious, airy cookies that are so healthy, you can even eat them for breakfast!

2 eggs
1 C. almond flour
1 C. shredded coconut
1/2 C. wheat germ
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbs. cinnamon
3 Tbs. agave or honey
1/4 C. apple sauce
1 mashed banana
3 tbs. oil
1/4 C. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mixture will be moist, but if mixture seems too wet, add another 1/2 C. almond flour. Bake on a Silpat mat for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch.

Peach black bean salsa

I did a cooking demonstration at the Westport Farmers' Market yesterday and made a delicious fresh peach and black bean salsa, here's the recipe. Don't forget to register for an upcoming class at www.timetoeat.tv, the new season is listed below.

1 ½ C. peeled diced peaches
2 C. cooked black beans
½ C. finely diced tomato
½ C. diced red pepper
½ finely diced onion
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tbs. olive oil
Juice from 1 lime
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
Kosher salt to taste
Cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, season to taste with salt and add a little cayenne if you like heat!

NOTE- this salsa is delicious on any protein or served as a side salad tossed in with cooked quinoa.

Time to Eat! Upcoming Class Schedule at Christopher Peacock Cabinetry


Sept. 14 Back to School-15 Minute & Make Ahead Meals
Sept. 28 15 Minute Meals
Oct. 12 Hearty Fall Soups
Oct. 26 Fall Harvest Dinner Party
Nov. 9 Easy Dinner Party
Nov. 14 Thanksgiving 101- How to plan for and create a stress-free meal
Dec. 7 Holiday Hors' D'oeuvres and Desserts in a hurry!
Dec. 14 Cookies as Gifts

Curried barley salad

Here's one of the recipes I'll be making at The Westport Farmers' Market tomorrow, Thursday, September 8th from 11-1. Come on by for a taste.


1 C. uncooked pearl barley

2 C. water or stock

1 C. cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 C. grated zucchini, drained

1 C. chopped tomato

½ bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped

¼ C. Golden raisins

Juice from ½ lemon

1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic

1½ tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. turmeric

½ tsp. Smoky paprika

2 tbs. Olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Combine barley and water in a pot with a lid; simmer for 30-40 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Or, try using a rice cooker. Add 2 1/2 cups water per cup of barley.

While barley cooks, combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside until barley is cooked. When barley is cooked, fluff with a fork and gently combine with vegetables. Season to taste with salt. Salad can be served warm or cold.

Learn more about Nicole Straight and Time to Eat’s cooking classes at www.timetoeat.tv.

Lentil, brown rice soup with turkey kielbasa... Perfect for the rainy weather.

The kids are (finally) back in school and like clockwork, the weather has turned cool and rainy. Today was the perfect day to make a large pot of soup. This is one of my favorite soups to make, and the addition of turkey kielbasa is a great addition. Feel free to omit it for a hearty vegetarian soup.

1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 C. diced onion
2 C. sliced turkey kielbasa
2 cubes frozen garlic
1 C. rinsed lentils
1 C. uncooked brown rice
20 oz. diced tomatoes with juice
56 oz. chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. each kosher salt, pepper and Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
2 chopped carrots
3 stalks celery, chopped

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven with a lid on medium high heat. Add onion and kielbasa and saute for 4-5 minutes until kielbasa begins to turn golden brown. Add garlic, lentils and brown rice. Stir to combine and add remaining ingredients. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 45 minutes. If soup looks too thick, add more stock, taste and add more salt or pepper as needed.