Today, I present another mystery vegetable I found over the weekend, the chayote. I've seen it before but never bought one before. It's typically grown in Costa Rica and is of the same family as cucumbers, melons, and squash. It's firm-fleshed and about the size of a pear.
The chayote can be prepared in nearly every way imaginable, but I opted to use it in soup. Actually, it somewhat thicker than a soup, not quite a stew ... 
Raw chayote has the texture of a starchy cucumber, like the cross between a cucumber and potato. The flavor is quite subtle and it's crisp to the bite. It can even be used raw in salads. I ate a few pieces and found it refreshing and light.
The chayote plant and leaves have been used medicinally to treat arteriosclerosis, hypertension, and even to dissolve kidney stones. As a man who has suffered two rather painful kidney stones so far, I can only assume my body instinctually knew to buy these chayote!
I purchased the chayote at my local Chinese market and it reminded me of bitter melon. Joe's mom made me a bitter melon soup once, so I decided to try the chayote in a similar preparation.
Chayote and beef soup
1lb. cubed beef
1 can butter beans, drained/rinsed
4-6 small tomatoes
2 chayote
3/4 cup fregola (or other small pasta)
1 small onion, finely chopped
8 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
Heat a large pot over medium heat and add oil. Toss cubed beef with flour and ground black pepper. Place into pot and brown on all sides. While meat is cooking, add bay leaf and the whole tomatoes. I used 6 2" diameter vine-ripe tomatoes. You don't need to chop them, they will eventually break apart. If they don't, just use the back of your spoon to pop them towards the end of cooking.
After meat has browned, add onion. Cook until onions start to become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock and scrape any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
The chayote does not need to be peeled. I sliced it in half lengthwise. Toward the bottom is a soft pit. I used a spoon to scoop it out. I then sliced each half crosswise into 1/4" slices. Oddly, it looked like a pile of granny smith apples when I finished. I read on wikipedia that in Australia there was a rumor that McDonald's apple pies were made with chayotes instead of apples. I can see how such a rumor might start :-)
After the soup has cooked for 30 minutes add the butter beans and chayote, along with the paprika, garam masala, and ginger. Return to a simmer, then add the pasta. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until chayote becomes tenders. It will retain a firm, potato-like texture but will begin to become slightly translucent.
The pasta and flour will slightly thicken the broth. I served with a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves and dash of smoked paprika.
The chayote remained firm in texture, although soft to the bite. It developed a slightly stronger flavor and worked well with the other ingredients.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Cooking with the mysterious Chayote
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Creamy congee (jook) is so comforting
One of my favorite comfort foods is a thick and savory rice porridge. It's often considered a breakfast item but can be eaten for any meal. It is often called congee or jook and comes in a variety of flavors ranging from plain to abalone and chicken. Joe always orders one that is a mixture of pork parts (tripe, kidney, etc.). Since I'm not a fan of internal organs, I usually opt for something terribly non-exotic like 'chicken' or 'beef'. Regardless, I loved it so much that I started making it at home.
Generally, my congee is made using leftover cooked rice. It can be made from uncooked rice, but takes a bit longer. Last night I made plenty of rice so I could make congee this morning. However, I didn't think it all the way through and realized this morning that I didn't have any chicken broth on hand. No worries, congee is versatile and I made a more simple version.
Many of us have had rice in soup, but congee takes rice one step further. The rice cooks until it begins to break apart. The starch thickens the liquid and creates a creamy consistency. The bits of remaining rice are soft and extremely tender. Since it's easily digestible, it's often one of the first foods a child learns to eat. Many mothers make it to soothe their sick children when they are at home sick. It's comforting and nourishing.
I made a plain version today, then dressed it up with a few toppings. I used a ratio of 1 part cooked rice to 2 parts liquid. In this case, I used water. As it cooks, you may need to add more water to reach the desired consistency. I also added 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons freshly minced ginger about mid-way through cooking. Using 5 cups cooked rice, it took about 30 minutes to reach a thick consistency. It's important to lightly simmer and stir often. Once the rice seems softened, I run a whisk through the congee which quickly breaks up the rice.
Typically, I would use chicken broth which adds much more flavor. Here is the naked version before toppings are added:
I boiled a few eggs and sliced for the top. I also added some leftover roast pork from last night's dinner. For a bit of veg, I blanched baby bok choy and drizzled with sesame oil. A bit of chili pepper gives it a nice splash of color and spice!
It made for a nice warm breakfast this morning. Unfortunately, we didn't have my favorite accompaniment on hand. It's a long fried salty donut called Yao Tiew -- SteamyKitchen has a great pic of them. You slice it up and dip it into the congee -- YUM!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Oxtail soup with kohlrabi, carrots and barley
Soup is on the menu again, this time inspired by a package of oxtails I found at the local Asian market. My mother made oxtail soup with carrots and cabbage, there was something magical about its taste. I haven't cooked with them in a long time and felt I was due a nice dose of comfort food.
Instead of cabbage I figured I would replace it with chunks of kohlrabi, a root vegetable from the same family. I also found it at the market and it intrigued me for some reason. I'm a fan of root veggies and this is one I had never used.
The kohlrabi looks somewhat odd, yet beautiful. I like the pale green color of the smooth skin. I'll admit that I had to look it up and learn more about it once I got it home. I knew absolutely nothing about it when I bought it.
I experimented by using a few seasonings that I've grown to love over the past year: bay leaves, caraway seeds, and star anise. Aside from bay leaves, we never used caraway or star anise when we cooked. Maybe this is why the flavors are so meaningful to me now.
Oxtail soup with kohlrabi, carrots and barley
2 lb.s oxtails, trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 star anise
1 tsp. caraway seed
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 cup barley
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 kohlrabi, cubed
1 large carrot, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Dredge oxtails in flour to coat, then add to pot. Brown oxtails on all sides and remove. Add onions and garlic to pot along with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the oxtails, bay leaf, star anise, and caraway seed. Cover with about 8 cups water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours, until meat begins to pull away from the bones.
Remove oxtails and set aside to cool. The next step is extremely important -- you must skim the fat from the top of the broth. I used a very convenient fat separator
If using a fat separator, return broth to pot. Remove meat from the oxtail bones and add the meat to the pot (discard bones). Add barley and soy sauce, bring to a simmer. Cook covered for about 45 minutes. Add carrots and kohlrabi, cook for an additional 30 minutes or until veggies are tender. Before serving, stir in the cilantro. As always, season with salt and pepper to taste.
The broth is rich and is balanced nicely by the sweetness of the vegetables and bright flavor of the cilantro. The barley gives it substance and makes it capable of being a 'meal'. It took an afternoon to make, but it was worth it. I curled up in a chair by the TV and watched the news while I sipped on my soup. Now I've got to go clean the kitchen .... ugh.
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Pea soup nourishes my soul
Hearty vegetarian barley and lentil soup
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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Pea soup nourishes my soul
I've been hooked on soup the past couple of weeks. I'm going to blame it on Heidi at 101cookbooks.com because she's always making soup -- I'm certain it was her pea soup that set my mind in motion. She's successfully given me her addiciton :-)
Last week, I made a barley-lentil soup, followed by a lentil-squash soup that I never posted to the blog. Now, I've pulled out a big bag of split peas and dug through my cupboard trying to find where I wrote down my recipe. Fortunately, I found it -- it's nothing earth-shattering, just my particular notes on ingredients and proportions I like.
The following pic isn't all that useful, but I really liked the look of the peas. The colors of green are just so cool. Yes, I spent more time taking pictures that I did in making the soup. For every pic you see in this post, there are probably 40 or so more on my hard drive. Thank god Joe is working late tonight - he would totally have freaked over the mess I made while doing my photo shoot.
Even though the soup is perfectly good on its own, but you can garish in many different ways. I added a few cilantro leaves and a light dusting of curry powder. The bowl is rimmed with smoked paprika so I can run my spoon against the edge as I scoop up each bite. Surprisingly, it's not as messy as you might think. Paprika adheres very well to a damp rimmed bowl. While I was washing dishes I was afraid it might not come off, but it did - whew! Sometimes a nice presentation is worth it.
The recipe creates a luxuriously smooth and rich soup, and the ingredients are completely inexpensive. I'm always pleased when I can make a satisfying meal without spending a ton of money on groceries. I usually purchase all of my dried beans/peas via the bulk bins, so it's even more affordable.
Although ham works perfectly, the soup is at its finest when made with bacon ... it's bite-off-your-arm good. I didn't want to add that much fat tonight, so opted for lean bits of ham that I had hanging out in my freezer. The soup still tastes amazing, just not *as* amazing as it could. Regardless, I still feel the urge to put on my slippers and robe to curl up on the couch after eating it. It just nourishes my soul.
Split pea soup
2 cups dried, split peas
7 cups water
1 lb. ham (or 8 slices uncooked bacon, chopped)
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
2 bay leaves
salt/pepper
Sort and rinse the peas, then place into a deep pot or dutch oven. Cut the ham into small cubes, and place half of the ham into the pot. Add the remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves.
Using a stick blender, puree the soup in the pot. Be careful, this can be horrificly dangerous when the soup is still hot. If it splatters, you will have burn marks up and down your arms. As you blend it, the soup will become thick and creamy in texture. Stir in remaining ham and cook for an additional 10 minutes to heat through.
Serve topped with curry powder or smoked paprika. A dollop of sour cream is good on top, unfortunately I didn't have any on hand. You may also sprinkle with chopped chives or cilantro. Crumble some bacon, dash some cayenne, drizzle some sesame oil, scatter green onions, toss on the croutons -- the possibilities are endless!
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Monday, February 04, 2008
Hearty vegetarian barley and lentil soup
I bought a bag of pearl barley last week with the intent of exploring the grain. My mom would occasionally make soup with it, but to be honest I haven't used it myself. I've considered it from time to time, but then stop from buying it since I tend to stockpile dry goods and then don't use them. 
Coincidentally, I noticed the upcoming No Croutons Required food event focusing on vegetarian soups, so I figured my barley would work perfectly for this event. I looked through my cookbooks but didn't find any interesting recipes for barley (at least, not interesting to me), so my search moved to the web. I found many barley recipes, but one soup recipe caught my eye because it also used lentils .... which are also lurking in my pantry. I figured the recipe would kill two birds with one stone.
And, as with any recipe I had to tweak it a bit to suit my tastes. The soup also called for one of my favorite leafy greens, swiss chard. We ate chard all summer long on the farm, but it didn't strike me as a strong enough green for the soup. I used a curly leafed kale for the first time a couple months ago while making an Italian wedding soup and I found the texture to work well. I picked up a bunch of it while shopping yesterday in anticipation of making the barley soup. And, kale is known to be one of the most highly nutritious vegetables with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers, so it's a perfect addition to the soup!
I've been fantasizing about rutabagas lately, maybe fantasizing is a bit strong ... I've been craving rutabagas and looking for new ways to use them. I think they are an overlooked tuber who deserve great recognition. It has a great cabbage-like taste and works perfectly in any soup or stew. I reduced the amount of carrot in the original barley soup recipe in order to add rutabagas. And since I didn't have any canned tomatoes on hand, I omitted them entirely.
My only remaining concern with the soup was the amount of cumin it required. I like cumin but didn't want the end result to taste like tacos, and with so much cumin, I was afraid it might turn out like bad Mexican food. I decided to go for it and surprisingly, the cumin gives some boldness/depth to the soup and doesn't dominate in the way I feared. So, have no fear -- use the cumin as noted. I added a bay leaf to give just a little more boost to the flavor.
Hearty barley and lentil soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
1 cup cubed peeled rutabaga
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 large bay leaf (or 2 small ones)
10 cups (or more) vegetable broth
2/3 cup pearl barley
2/3 cup dried lentils
4 cups (packed) coarsely chopped curly-leaf kale
salt/pepper to taste
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Place olive oil, onions and carrots into a heated large pan. Cook until onions become transparent, then add garlic bay leaf, and cumin -- stir to combine and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add broth and barley, bring to a boil and simmer partially covered for 25 minutes.
Add lentils and rutabagas, simmer partially covered for an additional 30 minutes. Stir in kale and season to taste. Allow kale to cook for about 5 minutes before serving. This makes a large pot of soup, so I will be having leftovers today. 
The soup is hearty and has a rich/warm flavor due to the cumin and bay. The carrots and rutabaga add a slight sweetness that balance nicely with the kale and onion. Overall, I found this soup to be a smash hit.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Rustic & Comforting Bean Soup
I enjoy a hearty bean soup but never take the time to make it myself. My mother made it thick and loaded with smoked ham, and it's a prominent childhood memory. I decided that with our cold, rainy weather (ok, so it's California and I've become a total whimp) it would make a comforting dinner and would fit with this month's Monthly Mingle event.
Rustic Bean Soup
servings: 16 (1 cup each)
points per serving: ~2.5
1 lb. dry navy beans or other white bean
1 ham bone
2 c. lean/trimmed ham
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
salt/pepper to taste
This soup is pretty simplistic, but the smokey ham in combination with the beans is wonderful. I'm sure a few of you are wondering about the 'ham bone'. When I make a ham, I always save the ham bone for some future use. At Christmas, I took the bone and dropped it into the freezer so I could make this soup.
To begin, rinse the beans and cover with water to soak overnight. In the morning, drain off the water and cover again with water until ready to use.
When you are ready to make the soup, drain the beans for the last time and place into a large pot. Add ham bone and cover with water (about 12 cups). Bring to a boil, then add onion, celery, and ham. Cook over medium low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The beans will become soft and will begin to thicken the soup.
For a thicker soup, use less water or mash a cup of the beans and add back to the soup. It's important to not season this soup until near the end of cooking since the ham will provide saltiness. I like it with lots of pepper ... probably 1-2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper. Before serving, remember to remove and discard the ham bone.
Since I'm watching what I eat these days, I factored the Weight Watcher's points for this recipe. The ingredients include 41 points, so assuming you yield about 16 servings (~ 1 cup each), the points value per serving is about 2.5. Regardless of points, it tastes really frickin' good :-) And, the soup is even better the day after it's made.
You might also like these posts:
Hearty vegetarian barley and lentil soup
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Thursday, November 15, 2007
Simple Mushroom & Rice Soup
There's nothing better than a hot bowl of soup on a cool Fall night. I made a simple mushroom and rice soup tonight that I based on one I recently had at a Japanese restaurant. You'll look at the 'recipe' and wonder if I've lost my mind. It's only 4 ingredients but packs alot of flavor.
2 cups cooked rice
4 cups chicken stock
8 oz. crimini mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
Clean and slice the mushrooms. Heat a small pot, add olive oil, and add sliced mushrooms. Do not stir! Allow the mushrooms to get a bit browned before turning them. I find that if you put mushrooms in a pan and begin stirring the flavors do not develop and often they become watery. Once the mushrooms are browned add the stock and bring to a bowl. Add a few turns of pepper and a pinch of salt for flavoring.
Place a 1/2 cup of rice into a soupl bowl and ladle in a cup of the soup. Makes 2 big portions or 4 small ones.
Simple? Yes. Quick? Yes. Tasty? Heck, yes.
You shouldn't substitute a different type of mushroom -- the criminis bring a strong mushroom flavor to the soup. The rice softens when the broth is added making for a comforting meal.
Note: If you happen to be a fan of Weight Watcher's, this recipe can be made with fat-free stock for a low points version.
