Potato Cheddar Guinness Soup

 St. Pat’s is around the corner and in anticipation we’re serving up a warm bowl of potato cheddar soup, flavored with a bit of Irish Guinness extra stout. Do you ever cook with Guinness stout? It has a wonderfully deep taste from roasted barley and malt, perfect to accent this potato cheddar soup.

I’ve made several batches of this soup. Leftovers are dangerous, I tend to eat them all!
Now, one of the things I’ve learned over the years is that either you are a Guinness fan or not. If you are not, then you likely will not like this soup. But if you are, I think you will love it.


Ireland produces some of the best sharp cheddar cheeses out there. So if you have access to Irish sharp cheddar, by all means use it! You might not need to use as much as is called for in this recipe. Maybe 4 ounces instead of 6. But experiment to find the balance you like.

 

Potato Cheddar Guinness Soup Recipe

Sharp cheddar cheeses vary with intensity of flavor. For this recipe we assume a standard grocery store label extra sharp cheddar.
If you are using a specialty sharp cheddar (some of the Irish cheddars are lovely), you may be able to accomplish the same amount of flavor with less cheese than is called for in this recipe.
Some people are much more sensitive to bitter flavors than others. It’s genetic. So if that’s you, I would use only a quarter of a cup or skip the beer entirely, and just add more stock.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 celery rib, chopped or sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock (add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt if using unsalted stock)
• 1 cup (250 ml) Guinness extra stout (do not use draught)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh or 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 6 ounces (170 g) grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• Chopped chives for garnish

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Mint Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Move over lasagna, make way for stuffed shells!

There’s something whimsically satisfying about stuffed pasta shells. Is it the shape that conjures up a sunny day at the beach with ocean surf turning over pebbles and shells as the waves retreat? Or is it the seasoned ricotta stuffing hiding inside?

I’m guessing pasta shells were invented by some mischievous pasta maker who created the shape as an act of rebellion against every parent whose ever said to a child, “stop playing with your food.”

This stuffed shell recipe is a nod to spring, with a ricotta stuffing packed with chopped fresh mint leaves.

Usually when I add mint to a recipe, I do so in moderation. Mint is strong. But in this case, ricotta is stronger, and you do need the leaves from an entire bunch of mint to make an impact, and to hold its own with the flavors coming from the tomatoes and Italian sausage.

The combination? Fantastic! The mint, ricotta, tomato, pasta, sausage, together? Perfect.

 

Mint Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe

I love the taste and texture of a chunky tomato sauce with this recipe. But if you prefer a smoother sauce, please feel free to pulse it a few times in a food processor or blender.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces jumbo shell pasta (1/2 standard box)

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage (out of casing)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (packed)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Mint ricotta stuffing:

• 15 (or 16) ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 bunch of mint, leaves only, chopped (about 1 cup packed)
• 1 ounce (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Topping:

• 1 ounce (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces (1 cup) grated Mozzarella cheese

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Jerk Chicken

I recently had the jerk chicken at a local Davis hangout, the psychedelically inspired Delta of Venus. The place looks a bit scruffy, but my oh my is their jerk chicken good. And hot. My meal there led me to do some research on jerk preparations. Jerk seasoning, if you are unfamiliar with it, is based on two main ingredients – Scotch Bonnet chili peppers (or habaneros) and allspice, and is how they like to cook chicken in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean. The following recipe we cooked up isn’t as scorching as the Delta of Venus’, but it is still plenty spicy, and great the next day in a chicken salad. Serve with rice (to spread out the heat) and a very large glass of cold beer. Do you have a favorite jerk seasoning recipe? Please let us know about it in the comments.

Jerk Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup malt vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 2 Tbsp dark rum
• 2 Scotch bonnet peppers (or habaneros), with seeds, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 4 green onion tops, chopped
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme or 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons ground allspice
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons molasses

• 1 (5 or 6 pound) roasting chicken, cut in half, lengthwise
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• Salt and pepper

Safety note. Scotch Bonnet and Habanero chile peppers are very hot and can cause extreme pain if they come in contact with your eyes. We strongly recommend wearing protective gloves while handling the chilies and the jerk paste.

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Bavarian Sauerkraut

One of our favorite side dishes is hot sauerkraut, delicious served with pork or bockwurst – a mild German sausage. You can also make a sandwich with toasted or grilled dark rye bread, melted Jack, havarti, or Muenster cheese, the sauerkraut, and avocado.

Bavarian Sauerkraut Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 16-oz can or jar of sauerkraut (best is fresh sauerkraut in jars, found in refrigerated section of grocery store)
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup peeled and chopped apple
• 10 juniper berries, cracked
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

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Spinach and Orzo Salad

“Needs more cheese.” “Needs more vinegar.” “Needs fewer olives.” “You could add more spinach.”

My parents love it when I cook for them, especially when it’s a new recipe and they get to be the taste testers.

They happily put up with the delays to the meal due to my tweaking the dish as they “dish out” their suggestions. And with the delays that come from my attempts to take the perfect photo (“Don’t touch that, I still haven’t shot it!”).

I love their input, as they know much more about food than I do, and their suggestions almost always result in something better.



 This spinach, orzo, and feta salad recipe comes from our happy family collaboration. Feel free to experiment with the proportions.

Many recipes I’ve found online call for twice as much orzo to the other ingredients than I’ve listed here. I think there is a lot of room for maneuvering when you are working with great ingredients like these.

Spinach and Orzo Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 ounces orzo pasta
• Salt
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 6 ounces feta cheese, roughly crumbled
• 2 ounces Kalamata Greek olives pitted, roughly chopped, about 1/2 cup (about 20 olives)
• 4 ounces baby spinach
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion (about half a red onion)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar (can substitute white vinegar or lemon juice)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Pinch dried basil
• Pinch dried tarragon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Hawaiian Oxtail Soup

Oxtails! My oh my how I love oxtails.

We grew up with oxtail stew, a deeply rich, hearty stew perfect for cold days. You don’t find them that often in the market, so when they appear I’ll usually pick up a few pounds.

The oxtail is the tail of a steer, usually cut into segments. It is a flavorful, tough cut, perfect for slow braising in stews or soups, well marbled with fat, and here’s the best part, the bones have a ton of collagen, so good for making a gelatinous stock.

Several years ago, my colleague Reid from the Hawaiian blog Ono Kine Grindz wrote about Hawaiian oxtail soup, which completely piqued my interest.

Apparently oxtail soup is served all over Hawaii. Unlike the thick and hearty stew I grew up with, the Hawaiian soup is relatively light (a blessing post holidays), with a thin broth and seasonings from ginger, star anise, orange, green onions, and cilantro.

Peanuts make an appearance too. What a combination! The flavors just sparkle together.

By the way, although oxtails are often hard to find at regular markets, Costco often carries them.

Hawaiian Oxtail Soup Recipe

An odd ingredient, one that isn't readily accessible in the stores around here at least, is dried orange peel. (Apparently you can buy it pretty easily in Hawaii.)

What I did for this ingredient is I used a vegetable peeler to strip off a long strip of peel (just the zest) from an orange. This I set on a shelf in my kitchen for a week to dry out. It worked great!

I wondered why one would use the dried and not fresh orange peel and I think perhaps it's because of the long cook time; maybe the dried peel holds up better to long cooking?

If I didn't think ahead to dry the peel, I would just use a couple teaspoons of orange zest instead.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs oxtails
• 1 strip dried orange peel (zest, not the pith)
• 2 star anise
• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• Salt, at least a tablespoon, more to taste
• 1/2 cup of shelled, skinned, raw peanuts (can sub roasted unsalted peanuts)
• 1/8 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• A handful of fresh mustard greens, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups, loosely packed)

Garnishes:

• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Green onions, white and green parts, sliced on diagonal
• Freshly grated ginger

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Pork Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Have you ever had stuffed cabbage rolls with sauerkraut? It’s a classic Hungarian dish. Lightly cooked large cabbage leaves are stuffed with a mixture of paprika-spiced ground pork and pork sausage, and then rolled up into little bundles.

They’re cooked over tomato-infused sauerkraut and then served with a sour-cream sauerkraut sauce. So good!

Like tamales, they take some time to prepare, but the result? Fabulous.

Pork Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe

Paprika can go flat if it's too old. Make sure you taste test your paprika for cooking with it in this recipe. If it doesn't have a strong flavor, it's no longer good and you'll need to replace it.

Cook the rice while preparing the cooked cabbage.

Caraway seeds can also be used to season the stuffing in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs sauerkraut (preferably a good brand, such as Bubbies, that you would find in the refrigerated section of your grocery store)
• 1 large head green cabbage
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup minced onions
• 1/4 tsp of minced garlic
• 1 lb ground pork
• 3/4 cup cooked white rice (from about 1/4 cup of dry rice)
• 2 lightly beaten eggs
• 2 Tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (or plain paprika if your market doesn't offer a choice)
• 1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram (can sub oregano)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup water mixed with 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup sour cream

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