Winter Vegetable Minestrone

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, quartered and very thinly sliced
• 1 leek, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4inch thick
• 1 carrot, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper ( go light here if you don’t like spice)
• Kosher salt
• 1 large celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
•  1 quart vegetable broth
• One 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand
• One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 celery rib, thinly sliced
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup packed basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion, leek, carrot and crushed red pepper, season with salt and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the celery root, rutabaga and sugar. Add the broth, tomatoes and 1 quart of water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to moderately low, cover and simmer until the rutabaga is tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the beans, celery rib and garlic and simmer for 5 minutes. Add more water if the soup is too thick. Stir in the basil, cheese and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and serve.

MAKE AHEAD

The minestrone can be prepared through Step 1 and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Recipe Cred: Alex Guarnaschelli for Food and Wine

Aidells Teriyaki Meatballs with Udon Noodles

Aidells Teriyaki Meatballs with Udon Noodles

Ingredients

1 T  vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 T freshly grated ginger

4 c chicken broth

1 lb of Aidells Teriyaki Meatballs

1 carrot grated

2 green onions thinly sliced

1/2 c bok choy thinly sliced

2 stalks of celery thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb of udon noodles

Instructions

In a large soup pot, add the oil and sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir in meatballs, carrot, green onions, celery and bok choy. Simmer 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Divide the cooked noodles among 4 bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles and serve immediately.

Quinoa Salad With Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Quinoa Salad With Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• Salt
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 large Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup of craisins
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
• feta cheese (add amount to your preference)
• 8 packed cups baby greens, such as arugula or kale (about 6 ounces)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the quinoa and toast over moderate heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer the quinoa for 16 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the quinoa, spread it out on a baking sheet and refrigerate until it is chilled, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, on a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once, until golden and softened. Let cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add the quinoa, sweet potatoes, apples, parsley, onion, craisins, nuts, feta and greens and toss well. Serve right away.

The quinoa and sweet potatoes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Recipe Cred: Food & Wine

Crockpot Cranberry Porkloin

Crockpot Cranberry Porkloin

Ingredients

• 3 pound pork loin roast or rib roast
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup cranberry juice or apple juice
• 1/2 small lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 green apple sliced
• 2-3 peeled yams or sweet potatoes

Cooking Directions

for fresh/frozen cranberries: 1 cup whole cranberries, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar. The cranberries will pop while they slow-cook. Smash with a spoon before serving.

Use a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Trim the excess fat off the meat. Place the meat into a plastic zippered bag and add cornstarch, ginger, mustard, cloves, salt, and pepper. Shake to coat. Take the meat out of the bag, and place into an empty slow cooker. Add cranberry sauce, (or your fresh cranberries & sugar), raisins, sliced green apple and garlic.

Pour in cranberry juice, and top with lemon slices. Place peeled sweet potatoes on top of meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for about 4 hours. If your meat isn’t quite as tender as you’d like before serving, cut it into a few chunks, then return to the pot to soak in more juice and flavor. Pull out sweet potatoes and prepare in a separate bowl. I like to mash them and add butter and salt.  I serve our cranberry pork with mashed sweet potatoes and a green salad.

 

Recipe Cred: Stephanie O’Dea