You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Ina Garten’ tag.
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You want to know what is REALLY hard to make look delicious?
That would be, a bowl of this here soup.
I mean, it’s freaking tasty stuff, this soup, but it will definitely be filed under the category of what I like to call, ugly food. Don’t get me wrong, ugly food is almost always tasty – we’ve been over this before – it’s just that you’re going to have to convince your guests/spouse/disbelieving children of that fact before they’ll even sit down to the table. I tried to be all Ina-like and add “a garnish that reflects the flavors present in the dish” – that’s why the rosemary spring is just hanging out over there on the left – because honestly, brown soup is just a wee bit unappetizing.
Okay, so we’ve been over the basics of why you probably WON’T want to try this soup. But this is a food blog, so its not like I’m going to post horrible recipes. So let’s go over the reasons why you should try this, non?
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1. It’s a recipe from Ina Garten, whose every recipe is a foodgasm in the making, and who is only second to God in our foodie world next to Martha Stewart. (But is actually first in God’s eyes because Ina hasn’t been to jail. Go Ina.)
2. It’s made with all natural ingredients like chicken stock and white beans, so you know it’s good for you without tasting like cardboard.
3. This is a perfect dish for winter, since it uses just about the only thing “in season” in Colorado – dried beans.
4. The end product is creamy without being heavy, flavorful without being full of fat. The best of both worlds.
5. The ugly factor of food is inversely related to how delicious the food is. So this dish is obviously off the charts. (Obviously.)
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So, now that I’ve thoroughly convinced you, Law & Order-style, get thee to your grocery store/farmers market/pantry some cannellini beans.
And make sure to distract your children/spouse/guests with cartoons/sports/booze before you serve this.
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Rosemary White Bean Soup
Adapted from Ina Garten
Serves 6
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The only “adaptations” included reducing the amount of olive oil (because she alway uses a ton, bless her heart) and removing all references to “good” ingredients that will make you feel inferior.
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Gather:
1 pound dried white cannellini beans
4 cups sliced sweet yellow onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large branch fresh rosemary
6 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
kosher salt, to taste
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
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Prepare:
Pick through the beans to remove any pebbles or other debris. In a large bowl, cover beans with at least 2 inches of cold water. Let soak overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain.
In a large stockpot, saute the onions with the olive oil until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. (Note: Instead of adding more olive oil, just add a bit of water if the onions start to burn. And if you do burn the onions, just tell your guests it’s “Caramelized Onion White Bean Soup.”) Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add the drained white beans, rosemary, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Cover; bring to a boil, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the beans are soft. Remove rosemary and bay leaf. Pass the soup through the coarsest blade of a food mill, or puree half of the soup in a blender/food processor. Continue pureeing and mixing until you reach a consistency you like. (I prefer a course puree.) Return the soup to the pot, and reheat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
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Best Coast / The End
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So while we bought both a 3-pound chicken and a 2-pound cut of flank steak from the market, we were unable to get either of them to defrost by the time dinner rolled around on Saturday night. So I decided to kick it old elementary school and have breakfast for dinner!
Although, I have no idea which elementary schooler is cooking Ina Garten recipes.
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As Ina Garten says, the best way to make scrambled eggs is to cook them low and slow. This was kind of a surprise to me, as I tend to cook mine as quickly as possible over high heat. But no one can contradict the Barefoot Contessa! She knows her schtuff. And no surpise, these eggs are really freaking good. I mean, I had to convince myself not to eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next 2 days. I’m still seeing a repeat performance of these happening in my very near future.
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This post also conveniently fits in with Real Food Wednesdays – the theme this week is “100 ways to eat more fat.” Eggs, check. Whipping cream, check! Plus, the eggs and herbs are all sourced locally. Omit the bread, and it’s a gluten-free dish.
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The Flip-Flop Contessa’s Herbed Scrambled Eggs
Adapted from Ina Garten
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Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- A dash of chiffonade basil
- A dash of minced thyme
- A dash of minced parsley
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Combine minced herbs in a medium-sized bowl. Crack eggs into bowl and whisk to combine.
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A helpful note: I like to crack one egg at a time into a smaller bowl, just in case one of my eggs is bad. That way I won’t have to throw away everything I’ve been working on, like I would have to if I cracked all of them into the bowl at once.
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Add heavy cream and whisk again to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Melt a knob of butter over medium-low heat. Add the egg mixture. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula until the eggs come together. Serve with toast or hashbrowns.
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Playing in the Kitchenette: The Black Keys / I’ll Be Your Man, dedicated to Kristin (remember your promises should your 4GB thumb drive come into use)
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These onions are my favorite. My absolute favorite recipe in the whole, wide, world. True story.
What’s not to love? It’s a simple dish, and it’s fairly cheap, because most of the ingredients are pantry staples. And even though it incorporates only a few ingredients, the flavor is amazing. This dish is a true testament to the fact that simple food can be delicious. Plus, it takes like 5 minutes to make and you don’t need any fresh veggies. This is your go-to dish for middle-of-the-winter blues.
This is one of Ina Garten’s recipes, and it’s generally safe to say that anything Ina makes is going to be pretty freaking delicious. However, I’m posting this recipe the way I make it – The Flip-Flop Contessa’s style, if you will. First, I only use about half the olive oil that she uses. Even though I would kiss Ina’s feet if I ever met her in person, I generally think she uses too much olive oil in her recipes. I also use twice the amount of mustard. And I generally prefer the red onions in this recipe, so I use 2 red onions to 1 white onion.
I usually serve these onions as a side dish, but they are also delicious as a condiment on sandwiches. Seriously – these, on a hamburger or a turkey sandwich with a bit of mayo? SWOON.
So I urge you, break out the onions right now and make this immediately. Even if you’re reading this at 7:08 am on Tuesday morning. Even if you haven’t done your hair or put on your pants yet. Trust.
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Herb-Roasted Onions
Adapted from Ina Garten
Serves 6
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Ingredients:
- 3 onions, mix of white and red
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1-2 cloves, depending on size)
- 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
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PS. That is totally a prop lemon. I use lemon juice from concentrate in this recipe. GASP! I know, Ina is going to sneak up on me while I’m making this and STRANGLE my sorry behind because she only wants to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Sorry, Ina, but some of us have lives. And don’t want to waste a whole lemon for the sake of 2 tablespoons of juice.
PPS. If you’re wondering what that bottle of wine is doing in my ingredients pile, I’m not a wino who puts Chardonnay in everything. That’s what I keep my olive oil in. I have the wine bottles already (but let’s not discuss why I have so many) and the dark glass keeps the light from turning the oil rancid. You can get spouts from Sur La Table for $1 each. Plus the bottles are prettier and you can buy the olive oil in bulk.
Whoops, tangent. My bad. Back to the recipe at hand…
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut each onion into quarters or eighths, depending on the size of the onions. Ensure that the stem end is still intact so that the onions stay in wedges.
For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
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Pour the dressing over the onions and toss to coat. Transfer the onions to a baking dish or sheet pan.
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Bake the onions for 30 to 45 minutes, until tender and browned at the edges. Toss the onions as necessary during cooking. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with parsley and season to taste.
Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or midnight snack.
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