Tag: yellow onion
Turkish Style Lentil Soup
Yummy lentil soup for meatless Monday!!
- 1 tablespoon butter or extra light olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- ½ cup red lentils, washed
- 1 small potato, peeled and cut in half inch squares
- 2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- Fresh lemon juice
Heat a medium saucepan with the oil. Add the onion, ground cumin and mint. Saute on medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add the lentils, potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil and add the salt and turmeric and simmer on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes adding more broth if necessary. Once the potato chunks are soft, take off the heat and let cool. Transfer to blender and blend till smooth. Pour the liquid back to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Adjust the consistency by either adding more broth or cooking off extra broth. Check for seasonings. Squirt some fresh lemon juice right before serving.
Cheesy Turkey Meatballs
Another recipe for our favorite thing to eat in my house- meatballs!! These are absolutely yummy…
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup pancetta, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook over medium low heat for 4 to 5 minutes till all the fat is rendered and the pancetta bits are golden brown. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the heat off and set aside to cool.
- 1 pound dark meat ground turkey
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs soaked in ¼ cup milk (let sit for 10 minutes before adding to the turkey)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups tomato sauce
In a large mixing bowl, add the ground turkey, parsley, cheese, egg, soaked breadcrumbs, salt and the cooled pancetta mixture. Mix well and keep aside.
Bring the tomato sauce to a boil in a large saucepan, form the meatballs and gently slide them into the sauce. Cover with lid and lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or once the meatballs are cooked through. Serve warm with spaghetti.
Ground Turkey White Chili
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 pound dark meat ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 to 5 small tomatillos, husks removed and chopped
- 1 4 ounces can of diced chilies
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 14 ounces can cannellini beans
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the ground turkey and brown the meat on high heat while stirring constantly- for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano and chili powder. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and tomatillos. Saute for another 5 to 7 minutes. Add the diced green chilies, salt and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add the beans. Simmer on a medium heat with the lid partially on for 20 minutes, checking every 5 minutes to ensure enough stock is remaining. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Garnish with cilantro and serve with corn bread.
Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings
I think I will call these vegetarian meatballs! They were really delicious and no one missed the meat! Make sure to buy a good quality ricotta- preferably fresh and drain in for a couple of hours so the extra liquid comes out before forming your dumplings. I always have fresh tomato sauce on hand – which is quite handy with a number of dishes.
- 1 pound fresh ricotta cheese placed in a strainer above a bowl for 3 to 4 hours
- ½ box 9 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out and chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
- ¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup all purpose flour (plus more)
- Semolina for holding dumplings
Take the ricotta out of the strainer and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, parsley, eggs, cheese, nutmeg, salt. Mix well. Add ¼ cup flour, mix, if the mixture is still wet, add in the remaining ¼ cup. I added the entire ½ cup. Using a spoon take about a tablespoon of the mixture and place them on a platter with some flour. Form into a ball and transfer them to a tray lined with semolina. Form all the dumplings and keep aside.
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 cups fresh tomato sauce or a 28 ounces can of San Marzano crushed tomatoes
- Salt
Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and some salt and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste for seasonings.
In the meantime, bring a large pot full of salted water to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and gently add the dumplings to the simmering water. Cook until the dumplings float and swell, about 3 to 4 minutes. You may need to cook them in badges in order not to over crowd. Using a slotted spoon remove the dumplings from the water and add to the sauce. Serve warm.
Roasted Tomato and Shiitake Mushroom Pasta
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Sprinkle of salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Transfer the tomatoes to a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle the salt and mix well. Roast in oven for 30 minutes. Put the tomatoes through a food mill or a blender. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 cups Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- ½ pound rigatoni, cooked with ½ cup pasta water to spare
- Salt
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the roasted tomato sauce, cooked pasta and the pasta water. Mix well, season according to taste and garnish with parsley.
Paella with Chorizo and Chicken
This was a great hit at a get together I had recently at our home. I love making paellas, especially because they fit the ‘one pot meal’ category really well. This particular one is very flavorful with lots of chorizo and smoked paprika. The great thing is I was able to make it in advance and it actually tastes better as it sits.
- 4 to 5 chicken thighs, with bone, skinless
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Sprinkle the salt and smoked paprika all over the chicken thighs and let sit for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup dried chorizo, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium red pepper, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon Spanish saffron
- ½ cup tomato puree
- 2 cups short grain rice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Salt
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- 1 small tomato, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a paella pan. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes each. Take out and add the chorizo. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, pepper and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minute. Add the bay, saffron and tomato puree. Saute for a minute. Add the chicken thighs and cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take out and let cool. Add the rice and mix well. Add the chicken broth and check seasonings. Add salt. Bring to a boil and in the meantime, take the chicken meat off the bones and shred. Add the shredded chicken to the pan and mix well. Cook the rice on a simmer for 5 minutes, lower the heat and cover till rice is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add the peas and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes till the peas are warm. Stir in cilantro and parsley and serve warm.
Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry with Blood Orange Sauce
Perfect thing to make for Meatless Mondays- and it has blood oranges which are in season!
- 1 cup blood orange juice
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Thai chili paste
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
Bring the juice, soy, honey, vinegar, chili paste, ginger and garlic to a boil. Simmer and reduce by half. Keep aside.
- 4 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 1 cup Cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 package firm tofu, cut into cubes
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
Heat a wok like pan with 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onions and sauté on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the florets and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Take the vegetables out, add the remaining oil to the pan and reheat. Sprinkle the cornstarch on the tofu cubes. Brown the tofu on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetables back to the pan. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Mix well and check for seasonings. Serve with brown rice.