Escarole Soup

This week has been pretty crazy. First, I totaled my second car in three months, the bought a new car. Also, tropical storm Isaac came barreling towards Florida but it turned West and only dumped us with rain and wind. Thankfully, despite it moving westward, FAU cancelled work on Monday! Woohoo!!!

Exciting week all around...

Also, for anyone who lives in the SE US, I highly recommend checking out Annie's Organic Buying club. For $45, you get a two week supply of organic produce. Here's how it works: every other week you stop by a coordinator's house and pick up a huge box of produce. Its different every week depending on what's available locally and in season. Its a really good value and it pushes me to try new produce. Case in point: escarole.

I don't think I've ever had escarole before receiving it in my produce box a month or two ago. At first, I just thought it was another lettuce, like one would find in a spring mix, but after a bite or two I realized the texture and taste wasn't really ideal for raw noshing. I did a little research and found this amazing recipe for escarole soup.

And this soup is the amazing. I've made it twice now and it keeps getting better. 

Escarole Soup adapted from:
http://achowlife.com/2009/01/home-back-in-game.html
1 tsp olive oil

1 lb. hot Italian sausage, casing removed and cut into bite size pieces
5 large garlic cloves, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes (I used a palm full, but we like spicy food)
1 head escarole, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
3 cups chicken broth/ stock
3 cups canned beans, such as great northern (white) or navy, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 stick unsalted butter (you can go a little light on this if you want)
2 tblsp. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Salt and fresh pepper to taste

Heat oil in a deep 12 inch skillet (or dutch oven) over moderately hight heat until hot but not smoking. Brown sausage, stirring, for 7 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is softened about 2 minutes. Add escarole and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add beans and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add stock and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in butter, cheese, tomatoes, and half of parsley and cook, stirring, until butter is melted and stew is heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladles stew into bowls and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve with extra-virgin oil and Parmesan. 

The soup will get better as it sits for a day or two in the fridge and the flavors meld. 

Done!

Bonus photo: Hurricane Breakfast 

(Waffles, Champagne Grapes, Starfruit, and a Caramel Latte)

Cabbage Rolls

I decided to make cabbage rolls for two reasons: I wanted to make something new that I had never tried, and I wanted to use cabbage in a recipe. 

Just before simmering for an hour

Neither of these were super exciting reasons, but around St. Patty's day I got it in my head that I wanted to make cabbage rolls because it was an nice traditional Irish meal (turns out its more Eastern European, but yummy all the same).

After extensive internet perusal, I found a good looking recipe on the Taste of Home website. It looked easier than most, I had everything it called for already (yay! No 4 item run to the store), and had decent reviews. In the end, I had a good time making them (even if the cabbage wasn't cooperating as well as I had hoped), I really enjoyed them, but Chris wasn't a fan (he said they were bland which is crazy). I would make them again if Chris liked them.

Don't worry about too much of a cabbage-y taste. The darker outside leaves are more cabbage-y, but the inside leaves are milder and melt more into the flavors of the filling. Serve accordingly.

Cabbage Rolls:

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cabbage (The ingredients in red are if you want to make the tomato sauce yourself. Otherwise, just use a jar of your favorite marinara sauce. Much faster)
• 1-1/2 cups chopped onion, divided
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian stewed tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 1/4 pound bulk Italian sausage (I used a pound of breakfast sausage because that's what I had in the fridge and I like sausage)
• 1/2 cup V8 juice, optional

Directions

• In a large pot, cook cabbage in boiling water for 10 minutes or until outer leaves are tender; drain. Rinse in cold water; drain. Remove eight large outer leaves (refrigerate remaining cabbage for another use); set aside.
• In a large saucepan, saute 1 cup onion in butter until tender. Add the tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the rice, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and remaining onion and salt. Crumble beef and sausage over mixture and mix well.
• Remove thick vein from cabbage leaves for easier rolling. Place about 1/2 cup meat mixture on each leaf; fold in sides. Starting at an unfolded edge, roll up leaf to completely enclose filling. Place seam side down in a skillet (don't worry if it doesn't look perfect. It doesn't change the taste). Top with the sauce.
• Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Add V8 juice if desired. Reduce heat to low; cook 20 minutes longer or until rolls are heated through and a thermometer inserted in the filling reads 160°. Yield: 4 servings.

Yummm!

Look at how tasty these are!