Broccoli rabe and cannellini bean soup

Broccoli rabe, known in Italy as Cima di Rapa (top of the turnip), is a green cruciferous vegetable known for its slightly bitter taste and enormous health benefits. This is a quick, simple soup, very satisfying particularly in winter.

According to Martha Stewart, broccoli rabe is “a rich source of glucosinolates, which your body converts to cancer-fighting sulforophanes and indoles.” Stewart adds, “a 3 1/2-ounce serving of broccoli rabe provides more than half your daily requirement of antioxidant-rich vitamins A and C.” Hard to beat – tasty and healthy to boot!

A bit of an acquired taste, most people love the flavor of rabe. In this soup, the rabe is combined with cannellini beans to make a hearty, healthy meal.

Starting with a soffritto (base) of sautéed sweet red pepper, onion, and garlic, we will make a hearty soup that serves as a complete meal. Although water based, simmering the beans will create a satisfying broth. Buon appettito!

Ingredients

4 TBS extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp. hot red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. ground turmeric

Freshly ground black pepper

1 medium sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 bunch broccoli rabe (1 – 1 ½ lbs), washed and chopped into 1” segments

2 15 oz or 1 28 oz can cannellini beans, drained

3 cups water

Salt to taste

Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese as topping to serve

Method

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the hot red pepper flakes, turmeric, black pepper, stir well.

Add the chopped red peppers and onion, sauté until reduced – 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic, stir well.

Add chopped broccoli rabe to pan and cover. Cook down, stirring occasionally until rabe begins to soften.

Add cannellini beans and water, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or more until broth thickens. Add salt to taste, but the salt in the canned beans is typically enough.

Serve topped with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, fresh slices of Italian bread, and a green salad.  A complete meal!

Shakshuka - the Middle Eastern Delight

Eggs poaching in spicy tomato sauce.

Shakshuka is an oddly named dish extremely popular in the Middle East. Originating in North Africa, it migrated around the Mediterranean and is said to rival hummus in popularity. Commonly a breakfast food in Israel, it is also often eaten for lunch or dinner and is much appreciated as a one-pot meal.

Consisting of a spicy tomato sauce and eggs, Shakshuka is easy to prepare and very nutritious. Arguments rage about what constitutes authentic Shakshuka and a wide range of variations abound. I will present a common version using sweet red pepper, onion, garlic, and spices in a tangy tomato sauce.

When served as a meal, the dish is often accompanied by pita bread to soak up the delicious sauce. It can also be served over pasta or rice as a hearty topping.

Some variations include chick peas, others top with feta cheese, and some even use artichoke hearts. The dish can also be finished with cilantro or Italian parsley if desired. Paprika is a common alternative to the curry powder. Feel free to experiment.

Classic Shakshuka

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin (freshly ground preferred)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper (freshly ground preferred)
1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
1 medium onion, diced
1 large sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
28 oz. can chopped tomatoes with juices
A pinch or two of baking soda
4 large cloves garlic, diced fine
Salt to taste
6 large eggs
A sprinkle of salt and black pepper

In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add spices, stir and cook a bit till blended with the oil.

Add the onions and pepper and saute until softened, about 15-20 minutes.

Pour in tomatoes and increase heat to medium. Stir and cook tomato sauce until thickened (spend some time here - the thicker the better). Add the baking soda and mix in well (this reduces acidity). Stir in garlic and salt to taste and cook for two minutes more.

Make six indentations in the now-thickened sauce and break an egg into each. Season the eggs with a bit of salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until eggs have set.

Serve with pita bread or over rice or pasta.

Experiment with the spice combinations - I like it spicy so use a lot more hot red pepper.

For that late meal after returning home from work, you can even use a jar of tomato sauce supplemented by the spices. Not as good, of course, but plenty good enough and quick.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti di Calzolaio (Shoemaker’s Spaghetti)

I found this terrific, simple recipe in “The Italian Vegetable Cookbook” by Michele Scicolone. With a few minor modifications, I present it to you as a quick, delicious, healthy meal.

Why “Shoemaker’s” spaghetti? The theory is that the shoemakers of Naples, with few ingredients and little time, were able to satisfy their hunger and dine well by preparing this dish.

The sauce can be made with fresh or canned tomatoes. But they key is the hot red pepper, cheeses, and fresh basil which lend it a creamy, piquant, satisfying consistency. The pasta is cooked for the last few minutes in the sauce requiring a large enough skillet to accommodate all ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 large clove garlic, halved

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Pinch of turmeric

Freshly grated black pepper

3 TBS EVOO

1 14-oz can tomatoes with their juices, or;

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

¼ cup water if using fresh tomatoes

A pinch of baking soda

12 oz. spaghetti (I prefer whole wheat)

½ cup reserved water from pasta pot

3 TBS freshly grated Pecorino Romano

3 TBS freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

4 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

In the meantime, in a skillet large enough to hold all ingredients, cook the garlic, turmeric, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in the EVOO over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is browned, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes (and water if fresh tomatoes) and bring to a simmer. Crush tomatoes with the back of a spoon until sauce is thickened.  Add baking soda and stir well (this will remove acidity of the tomatoes). Cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Discard garlic.

Place pasta in boiling water. Cook until not quite al dente (about 7 minutes). Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta.

Add the cheeses and pasta water to the sauce, stir well until smooth. Add the pasta, tossing and mixing well. Cook, covered, for 2 minutes.

Top with basil and serve with a nice Chianti or your favorite red wine.

Buon appetito!

  

British Virgin Islands Shrimp Salad

Caribbean islands with British roots have a significant Indian influence, as the intercourse of empire might suggest. Hence, this salad, whilst staunchly Caribbean, also offers the mellow spice of curry.

Jalapeno and garlic add a more substantial flavoring. But allowing the basic spices to marinate for a few moments permits the flavors to blend and mellow.  A most excellent, healthy, and nutritious repast.

Ingredients


2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 small red pepper, chopped

1 tsp curry powder

1 jalapeno, seeds removed, diced fine


Juice of 2 limes

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil


Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, coarsely chopped

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 large, ripe tomato, diced


2 Tbs chopped cilantro




Method


In a large bowl combine garlic, red onion, red pepper, curry powder, jalapeno, lime juice, olive oil, and ground pepper. Stir and let ingredients marinate at least 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Add the chopped shrimp, avocado, and tomato. Combine all the ingredients together and gently toss. Top with cilantro and give a final toss.

Serves four as an appetizer or two as an entrée. A wonderful, fresh meal!

Thick Cannillini, Tomato, and Pasta Soup Siciliano

This soup has Sicilian roots and celebrates the sun-blasted tastes of this southern Mediterranean island. Sicily’s Tunisian invaders are acknowledged with turmeric, and the northern city of Parma is paid homage with the double use of its famous cheese.

The key to this recipe is a double thickening. First, sauté and thicken the red pepper/onion base (soffritto). Then, cook down the added tomatoes until the mixture is very reduced and thickened.  Be patient, cook, and stir.

Then finish the soup with convenient canned beans, pasta, and a wedge of parmigiano rind. Serve with evoo and grated parmigiano - the result is silky smooth and satisfying.

Ingredients
2-3 Tbs. evoo
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp hot red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ medium onion chopped
½ fresh red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 bay leaves
1 plum tomato diced
1 28 oz. can chef’s cut tomatoes (or whole plum tomatoes crushed by hand)
1 28 oz. can water (after you’ve emptied the tomatoes – this washes out the remaining juices)
1 28 oz can cannellini beans, drained
1 parmigiano reggiano rind, 2-3”
½ cup red wine 
6 oz. (3/4 cup) small whole wheat pasta
2 garlic cloves chopped fine
Evoo to drizzle
Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano to taste

Method
Heat the evoo in a deep cast iron soup pot. Add turmeric, red pepper flakes, and black pepper… stir to mix. Add onion and red pepper – sauté and stir to reduce onion/pepper mixture. Add bay leaves and plum tomato, stir well, and continue sautéing.

When mixture is reduced and thickened, add canned tomatoes. Increase heat and boil away excess liquid, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer until tomato sauce has thickened and oil has risen to surface. The key to this recipe is to seriously thicken and reduce the tomato mixture. Take your time.

Add water, red wine, beans, and parmigiano rind. Bring to a boil and cook until ingredients are thoroughly heated, flavors mingled, and mixture thickened. Add pasta and cook till al dente – 8-10 minutes depending on pasta.

Add chopped garlic, stir, and cook for another minute.

Serve hot, topped with a drizzle of evoo and freshly grated parmigiano, with rustic bread and a nice glass of Chianti. Buon appetito!

Puree of Spinach and Lentil Soup

This is a hearty one-pot soup with Italian roots. Lentils, spinach, and carrot lend an earthy, filling taste with excellent nutrition. The soup may be served hot or chilled – either way it is outstanding. The soup is pureed, and an old fashioned kitchen food processor will do the trick. But that is a bit of trouble, so I would recommend an immersion blender.  Since obtaining our stick blender, I have made this soup much more frequently – it is so easy!

Ingredients

3 Tbs. EVOO

¼ tsp. hot red pepper flakes

½ red bell pepper seeded and chopped

1 medium yellow onion chopped

1 large carrot chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

6 cups water

1 ½ cups lentils, picked over for stones

8-10 oz. fresh spinach, washed and drained

Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

1 cup cottage cheese or plain yogurt

3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh chives

Method

Heat olive oil in a large pot, preferably cast iron. Add hot pepper flakes, red pepper, onion, and carrot. Saute until vegetable mixture is softened. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.

Add water and bring to boil. Add lentils and reduce to a slow boil. Cook lentils, covered, until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes. Add spinach and cook, covered, another 15 minutes.

Now the soup must be blended. If you are using an external kitchen food processor, transfer the soup in batches and blend until smooth. Return to pot when done. If using stick blender, blend in the pot until smooth (this is the preferred method).

Add cottage cheese or plain yogurt. Stir well until completely blended.

Serve topped with chopped chives, and on the side slices of rustic bread. A hearty red wine is the topper. This is a meal!  Enjoy.