Spring is in the Air and on the Plate

This is a sophisticated take on soup and a sandwich, one that is perfect for early spring. Asparagus is the star of the soup (which comes from Jasper White's Cooking from New England) but the wild rice gives it a fantastic nutty base and a lovely texture. The sandwich is a smoked trout melt with cucumber on pumpernickel (from Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone). The combination of smoked trout (which I adore) with the crème fraîche and cucumber, highlighted with lemon and lots of dill, and grounded with the pumpernickel bread is just brilliant.

Asparagus and Wild Rice Soup (4 to 6 servings)

• 2 lbs. asparagus
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 cup wild rice
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup light cream
• juice of ½ lemon

1. Cut of the asparagus tips and save for garnish Roughly chop the stalks.
2. Sweat the onion in butter in a heavy soup pot. After a few minutes, add half the wild rice and the chicken stock. Simmer for 30 minutes, then add the stalks. Simmer 30 minutes more.
3. While the soup is cooking, prepare the garnishes. Cut the asparagus tips into ½-in. pieces and blanch in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Shock in cold water and set aside.
   Simmer the remaining ½ cup wild rice in lightly salted water for about 40 minutes or until cooked through. Drain and set aside.
4. After the soup has simmered for a hour, purée in a blender and return to the pot. Bring the soup back to a boil and add the asparagus and wild rice garnishes. Add the cream and simmer 5 minutes more.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Smoked Trout Melt with Cucumber on Pumpernickel (4 servings)

• 10 oz. smoked trout, skin and any bones removed
• ½ cup crème fraîche
• 1 ½ tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• 1 ½ tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• lemon zest
• 4 slices pumpernickel
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• cheese to melt on top (the original recipe calls for Emmentaler, I used raclette)

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Flake the trout into large chunks and toss in a medium bowl with the crème fraîche, dill, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
3. Arrange the pumpernickel slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil for about 2 minutes on each side.
4. Arrange the cucumber slices on the toast and spoon the trout mixture over the cucumbers.
5. Top the sandwiches with the cheese and broil for about 3 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is lightly golden.

More than Just Dip

We had a party at my office where a few people brought in things to nibble on. I made breadsticks with my two favorite dips: pumpkin-cannellini bean and roasted red pepper. There was plenty left over so it’s a good thing these dips are versatile.

The roasted red pepper dip is a recipe I adapted (ever so slightly) from Main-Course Sandwiches by Ray Overton where it was presented as a tapenade to be used as a sandwich spread. But leftovers also make a terrific quick pasta; simply toss the cooked and drained pasta with the dip and voila.

I made a variation on my pumpkin-cannellini bean dip by substituting 10-12 sage leaves instead of the herbes de Provence, omitting the garlic, and adding ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. I wondered whether I could use those leftovers as a pasta sauce as well. I cooked up a pound of farfalle, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. I added about ½ cup of the pasta water to the dip to make it a little more saucy and tossed it with the pasta. Conclusion: another great quick pasta sauce from another great dip.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

• 2 red bell peppers
• 12 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp. herbes de Provence
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Arrange the peppers in a foil-lined baking sheet about 6 inches from the broiler. Roast until the peppers are charred all over, turning with tongs ever few minutes, about 15 minutes under the broiler. Place blackened peppers in a heavy-duty zip-top freezer bag and seal (the steam will loosen the skin of the peppers). When cool enough to handle, gently remove the charred skin, tear open the peppers, and remove the seeds.
2. In a food processor or blender combine the peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, garlic, capers, herbes de Provence, and basil. Process until chopped. With the machine running add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream until the mixture is smooth and thick. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with the pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

Serve with breadsticks (shown above) or pita chips, use as a sandwich spread (for example, it’s delicious with prosciutto and mozzarella on ciabatta) or use as a pasta sauce.

Pumpkin-Cannellini Bean Dip

• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 10-12 fresh sage leaves
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup olive oil

1. Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food process and process roughly. While running the food processor, stream in the olive oil and mix well.

Serve with breadsticks or pita chips or use as a pasta sauce (shown above), reserving pasta cooking water and adding it to the dip to make it saucier.

Spaghetti Fast or Slow

Spaghetti with meat sauce is one of my favorite comfort foods. I always make the sauce from scratch. It’s very easy and it’s pretty fast; dinner can be ready in 30 minutes. The key is lots of tomato paste to thicken the sauce and give a deep tomato-y flavor. I also use ground bison rather than ground beef (it has more flavor and less fat) but you could certainly use beef.

But I had a whole afternoon with nothing to do so I thought I would try a slow-simmering sauce and add some extra touches to give it a deeper, richer flavor. In addition to adding pork, I also added porcini mushrooms. The result was a rich, deep flavor that was absolutely delicious. The only thing I would change next time I make this (and there will definitely be a next time) is to add a little pancetta to the ground meat. I also used linguini because that’s what I happened to have in my pantry but you could use any long pasta that you prefer (or have on hand).

I’ll always go back to my fast spaghetti for a quick meal but when I have more time, the slow version is definitely worth the wait!

Slow Linguine with Porcini Meat Sauce (4 to 6 servings)

• ¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms
• ½ cup hot water
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ lb. ground bison or beef
• ½ lb. ground pork
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• ½ tsp. dried marjoram
• 1 lb. spaghetti, linguini, or other long pasta, cooked and drained

1. In a small bowl, soak the mushrooms in the hot water until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and finely chop.
2. In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add the bison, pork, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, marjoram, mushrooms, and reserved mushroom liquid. Bring to a boil then lower heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.
   Serve with the pasta.

Fast Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (4 to 6 servings)

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. ground bison or beef
• 2 small cans tomato sauce
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ tsp. dried basil
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• ½ tsp. dried marjoram
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb. spaghetti, cooked and drained

1. Sauté the onion and ground beef in the olive oil until the beef is cooked through.
   Stir in the tomato sauce and tomato paste.
2. Add the garlic, bay leaf. Add basil and oregano to taste. Simmer for up to 30 minutes.
3. Remove the bay leaf and serve with the pasta.

Southwestern With a Twist of Lime

Quesadillas! A little grilled chicken, some melted cheese, a toasted tortilla, what’s not to love? Add a side of black bean-corn-tomato salad for a healthy and delicious accompaniment. And lots of lime to jazz everything up. Flavoring the chicken with a lime marinade with garlic, cumin, and oregano adds depth to the quesadilla. And a lime vinaigrette really brightens up the bean salad. (If you dig cilantro you can certainly use it here, but since I don’t like it I use parsley instead.)

If you need a dessert to go with this meal you could, of course, keep with the lime theme but I think a spicy chocolate cheesecake would be perfect. Now why didn’t I think of that sooner?

Black Bean-Corn-Tomato Salad with Lime Vinaigrette (6 servings)

• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• juice and zest of 1 lime
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 10-oz. box frozen corn, thawed
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1. To make the vinaigrette, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice, and lime zest in a small bowl. Whisk the olive oil in a slow stream to form an emulsion.
2. Combine the beans, onion, tomatoes, corn, and parsley in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss thoroughly. Chill for at least an hour.

Lime Chicken Quesadillas (6 servings)

• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. chicken breast tenders
• 12 small (6-inch) tortillas
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese

1. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice and zest, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil and whisk to combine. Put the chicken in a zip-top back and pour the marinade over it. Seal the back and turn to ensure the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Grill the chicken until just cooked through (the amount of time will depend on the thickness of the chicken and the heat of the grill). Cut or shred the chicken into small pieces.
3. Arrange the chicken evenly on six tortillas. Add the tomatoes. Sprinkle ¼ cup of cheese on each tortilla. Cover with another tortilla and grill until the tortilla is just crispy and the cheese is melted.