Split Pea Soup

if you’ve seen the movie youth in revolt you’ve seen the split personality in action.  there’s the nice polite young boy and the unyielding, taking what he wants type guy all in one.  kinda reminds me of this soup.  is it a pea or is it a lentil?  how mysterious…

Split Pea Soup
6 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 lb split peas
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 pepper

soak the split peas in boiling hot water for ten minutes in a bowl.  in a separate large pot, saute the bacon over medium heat.  once crisp remove from the pot and add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.  add red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper while letting the veggies soften, 8 minutes.  then add split peas, stock, and water.  turn down the heat to medium low, partially cover the pot and cook for 50-60 minutes or until the split peas are tender.  then using an immersion blender puree the soup in the pot.  once smooth laddle into a bowl and top with crispy bacon.

tips

• don’t forget to salt and pepper the soup without the proper seasoning any dish will be completely lost.
• because you’re starting by soaking the split peas in hot water, you are cutting the cooking time in half. 
• this soup needs pork, so if you’re not a bacon fan try pancetta, ham or sausage.
• immersion blenders are cool little appliances that allow you to puree anything without leaving the pot.  they’re under $100 so get one if you don’t already have one. 

Substitutions

everyone’s been in a situation where you’re making a recipe or looking for one when you notice you don’t have one of the ingredients.  some stop right there.  but the best cooks solider on, knowing they can, as tim gunn would say, “make it work.”  here’s a few that can get you through those difficult times.

Buttermilk – 1 cup milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar

Brown Sugar – 1 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses or dark corn syrup

Fresh Herbs – for 1 tsp fresh do 1/2 tsp dry; for 1 tbs fresh do 1 tsp dry

Currants – raisins or dates

Tomato Paste – let 1 cup tomato sauce reduce to 1/2 cup

Bacon – pancetta or smoked ham

Dry Breadcrumbs – make your own with fresh bread

Butter – replace some with applesauce…for every 4 tablespoons of butter do 3 tablespoons of applesauce and 1 tablespoon of butter.

Bisquick – 1 c flour, 1 1/2 tspbaking powder, and  1/4 tsp salt mixture

Carbonara Risotto

so there i was in the kitchen and i needed to cook dinner to go.  i wanted carbonara and i wanted risotto….so i figured why not push them into a lovely marriage with one another.  in any other circumstance pushing something/someone into marriage would not be desirable…but this works.  this dish has the same creaminess of the carbonara with the bacon and peas, but in a risotto.  the recipe is for one dinner portion, the amounts for 4 servings are in parenthesis.

Carbonara Risotto
1 tsp oil (2 tbs)
2 tbs onion, diced (1/2 c)
1 slice of bacon (4 slices)
1 garlic clove, minced (4 cloves)
1/4 c arborio rice (1 c)
3 tbs white wine (2/3 c)
1 c chicken broth (4 c)
1/3 c peas (1 1/3 c)
2 tbs parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1/2 c)

in a sauce pan heat the chicken broth over low heat covered.  in a seperate sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat then add the onions once the oil starts to smoke.  let cook for 4 minutes then add the bacon and the garlic, cook till cooked (haha)…2 minutes.  then add the rice and toast until lightly browned.  pour in the wine and stir as it is added.  once the rice has soaked up all the liquid add 1/8 c chicken stock and stir as it is added.  once the rice has soaked up the liquid add more and continue till all of the chicken broth is used.  then mix in the peas and the cheese.  and enjoy.

tips

• arborio rice must be used to achieve the creamy texture that only their starch can provide.
• if you want to make the dish a little more figure friendly but eat your bacon too, cook the bacon seperately (whether in the microwave or on the stove) then crumble it in at the end.
• you can also use pancetta since that is more authentic, but bacon is what i had on hand.  you can also use ham.

Green Beans with Bacon

with thanksgiving officially on the countdown watch you should solidify your menu.  there are some definite standards that should be your table: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing/dressing, cranberry sauce…and these.  and if you have those basics then it’s ok to go over and above and make dishes like corn or wild rice.  i’m lucky with my family, among the 20+ people in attendance, the basics are always covered.  so this year i’m making sweet potato casserole, pecan pie, and cranberry sauce.  so i’ll have to hope someone else will make these.  and in our house one thanksgiving isn’t enough…my mom always buys an extra turkey just so we have leftovers…either way these beans will be enjoyed.  the combination of the crisp of the green beans with the smokey bacon…it just spells out deliciousness.

Green Beans with Bacon
1 lb green beans
6 slabs of bacon, chopped
black pepper

fill a skillet or sauce pan with one to two inches of water and place the green beans inside the pot then cover.  heat them over medium heat for 5 minutes.  while the green beans are working pull out another skillet and heat the bacon over medium high heat until crisp, then add the green beans, season and toss.  serve.

serves: 6
total time: 5 minutes

tips

• the reason these green beans have so much flavor is because they are tossed in the bacon drippings.  but you can always drain off most of the fat and toss with a tablespoon or two of olive oil to make the dish a bit more heart healthy.
• i like to use thick cuts of bacon so they maintain their shape.  otherwise if you have thin slices and chop them, the bacon can break up easily.
• since the bacon itself is salty, the dish shouldn’t need much salt, if any.  but you should taste the dish for seasonings, and if salt is needed add the appropriate amount.