Lots O' Veggie Chili-Style Soup

The picture doesn't do it justice but this is the best vegetarian chili I have ever made.  It presents more like a soup than a chili. It is super healthy, low fat, full of fiber and protein and one bowl just won't be enough, I promise. 

Ingredients

1/2 an onion,  chopped

1/2 a green pepper, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, diced (I removed the seeds but if you like more heat you don't need to)

2 cans canelini beans (or great northern beans)

1 T. olive oil 

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

16 oz veggie broth

10 oz whit mushrooms, quartered

1 c green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces (frozen is fine)

2 t. Cumin

1 T. Oregano

1 t crushed fennel seed (I use a mortar and pestle to crush it) 

2 T. Chopped fresh cilantro 

Salt and pepper to faste (don't be shy here)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in medium to large soup pot. Add onions and peppers and cook until they begin to soften (about  5 min). 

2. Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to get tender (another 5 min)

3. Add tomatoes, broth, green beans, herbs and spices.

4. Cook over median heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Continue to tastes and add salt and pepper as needed. 

5. Serve with toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream or sliced avocado..

Notes: the green beans could be swapped out for corn if you prefer.  You could also incorporate a dollop of sour cream at the nod for a richer flavor. If you like it spicy, add some cayenne or leave the seeds in the jalapeño.  

New Fav Eats in RVA

OMG! Hubby and I just had dinner at The Blue Goat. By far, hands down my new favorite place to dine in RVA. Very often we find that the restaurant concept is good, food delish, but the location sucks. Or maybe the location and the service rock but the food in mediocre. Well the Blue Goat hit the sweet spot in location, concept, food, atmosphere and service....making it by far the most enjoyable dining out experience I have had in a awhile.

We stopped at Phil's for a drink beforehand. We felt the need to pay homage to an icon that has moved into a new space (fantastic BTW) thus making room for this place called the Blue Goat. We love the new space and truly hope Phil's will have as many happy years to come as they have behind them.

We then walked down to the Blue Goat in time for our fairly early (6:30) reservation. Here's the scoop:

1. Atmosphere: Comfortable! The bar is busy and welcoming with big screens broadcasting the game. The dining area is rustic and unpretentious and I got a kick out of the artwork showing all the different parts of the cow most of which were on the menu. All-in-all you just can't beat beams and brick.

2. Service: Hands down the best I have experiences in while. Our waiter's name was Brayden and he was efficient, charismatic, knowledgeable and instructive. He guided us through the menu and restaurant concept, offered suggestions for his favorite bites, provided a fantastic wine recommendation and was the perfect catalyst for what became a nearly perfect dining experience. There were several others (who's names I do not know) who offered support and therefore added to the "we are here to serve you" vibe.

3. Food: WOW! So I am a bit of a locavore. I make a concerted effort to by local (especially when it comes to meat and produce) as often as possible. I am a loyal Relay Foods customer and whole-heartedly look forward to my weekly red box from Dominon Harvest. I therefore love the concept of a head-to-tail, buy local restaurant. The concept itself was enough to peek my interest.....little did I know the food was going to be as tasty as it was. Every dish was unique and flavorful. We noticed at the end of the meal that the tables didn't have salt and pepper on them.  It wasn't missed. The chef knows what he is doing and every bite was an experience to be cherished.

The Blue Goat has hit the mark for RVA Locavores and wins my votes for best dining out experience in RVA so far (I moved here in '94 btw). I am currently planning to revisit...lunch with the girls, happy hour with the crew....I might even bring the kids for a family dinner one night. I"ll be interested to see how that experience translates. In the meantime if you haven't been , go. It's an imperative, really!

Notes:
Our favorite Menu Items were:
1. The hickory smoked venison, pork & duck prosciutto sausage with chocolate stout grainy mustard
2. Pickled ruby & golden beet salad tossed with baby arugula, goat cheese, hydroponic local cherry tomatoes & champagne thyme vinaigrette
3. Braised pig cheeks over pumpkin spaetzle

Local beers!

Great wine selection!
Tappas style so you can taste everything!

OK - Who's up for lunch Monday"?

Recipe: Italian Sausage Soup with Broccoli

 

I have made this recipe a couple of times now and I just can't get over how yummy it is. A girlfriend and I took a cooking class together on winter soups and stews and this was one of our creations. I usually freeze leftover soup because it reheats so well but even when I make a big batch of this it doesn't stick around long enough to freeze. I end up eating it for lunch all week and I don't seem to tire of it. Of course I LOVE all of the Italian flavors in it and the fresh herbs really make a difference. So here is one of my favorite recipes. I have included my own notes and substitutions.

Italian Sausage Soup with Broccoli

• 1 Lb. mild or hot Italian-style sausage (I have used sun-dried tomato chicken sausage from Trader Joes with great results - use whatever sausage suits your fancy) casing removed and cut into 1/2-in pieces
• 1 small to medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced (I use 3 :))
• 1 (28-oz) can Italian-style (plumb) tomatoes (include liquid)
• 1 (10.5-oz) can or 1 1/4 cup beef or chicken broth
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 tsp. finely snipped fresh basil (I don't recommend using dried basil but if you must its 3/4 tsp)
• 1 tsp. finely snipped fresh fennel weed (ditto on the fennel - dried fennel seed if used should measure 1/4 tsp.)
• 1/2 tsp sugar (optional - you can also just put a pinch in depending on your taste)
• 6 to 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced (have some fun here and use a variety)
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets (frozen works quite well too)
• 1 cup uncooked tube-style of shell pasta (have fun with this too. I actually put in a little more than a cup......I like pasta)
• Freshly grated parmesan or mozzarella for garnish

In a dutch oven or other large heavy saucepan lightly coated with non-caloric cooking spray (forget that....I use olive oil), saute sausage, stirring frequently, over moderate heat until thoroughly browned; drain off excess sausage drippings.

Add onion and garlic and continue cooking, stirring frequently for 1 minute until onion is crips tender but not browned.

Add tomatoes, broth, water, basil, fennel, sugar, salt & pepper to taste. Reduce heat and simmer, cover ajar for 30 minutes.

Increase heat to moderate and bring to a boil. Add mushrooms, broccoli, and pasta. Continue cooking, uncovered, according to pasta package directions. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve hot and garnish with cheese.

YUM!

Angela's Ristorante - Forest Ave.

So here is restaurant review #2. Angela's at 425 N Ridge Rd. Richmond, VA 23229 (right near Tuckahoe Elementary). I have to say that I really WANT to like this place. Its practically in my backyard, the atmosphere is quaint, the service is acceptable and I would really like to frequently patronize a local family-oriented place in the neighborhood. But I have to say that after getting the bill this evening it may be while before I go back. Now to be fair, none of what I am about to say has anything to do with their Pizza which is quite good and reasonably priced. Perhaps we'll blog about that another time. This evening I would like to chat about pasta. 

Paddy and I both ordered off the specials menu. I got a wild mushroom ravioli which was quite good. It was light and flavorful with ample mushrooms. The serving was huge and more than enough for two. Paddy ordered a dish called "Money Bags" which was pasta purses filled with cheese in a champagne sauce, topped with lump crab meat. This was also quite tasty and he brought more than enough home for lunch tomorrow.  The bread was warm, the wine was good (Fioni Chianti) and the service was decent. 

Now for the rest: We brought our 2 boys with us, even though the clientele suggests Angela's may not be a family-oriented restaurant. They don't have a children's menu, per se, but they do offer a "build your own pasta" option for kids under 12. This is a fantastic idea in theory. However the execution in this particular case didn't work. None of the options in terms of pasta, sauce, toppings, etc. are listed in the menu so it is necessary to engage your server to see what is available. The pastas available for this "build your own pasta" were spaghetti, penne or ravioli (a little limiting). My son (5 yrs old) chose cheese ravioli. Rather than offering different sauces to continue down this "build your own" theme we were informed that the ravioli comes in a marinara sauce. My son was bold enough to request pepperoni with this pasta which they were able to accommodate. Although the lack of choices was a little off-putting for me, he seemed to be comfortable with what he had ordered. Until, that is, it arrived at the table. His plate was so hot that I burned my finger brushing past it to pick up a knife. The plate was also enormous. I seriously thought about sending it back and asking them to put it in the freezer or bringing us back a portion of it in a smaller, cooler plate. What we ended up doing was using one of our bread plates for him, putting a few ravioli on that and pushing the hot, hot, hot plate out of his reach. Thank god he didn't try to touch it because we would have had a screaming child on our hands. 

Our older son (10 yrs old) ordered calamari a la something or other. It has calamari, tomatoes, spinach and linguine in a nice light broth. Everything about this dish was fine except for the calamari. It was overcooked and chewy. The portion size was insane. We brought enough home to serve us all for dinner one night this week. I will however, swap out the calamari for some sauteed shrimp or chicken when I serve the leftovers. I think if Angela's has a desire to be kid friendly (even a little) they would benefit from offering anything on the menu half-size for kids. 

Next comes the most shocking part of the meal: the bill. This is pasta and yes, we had some crab and calamari but when the bill came in at $130 ($150 with tip) I have to admit I was floored. I might expect that at a 4-star place. I might expect that if all four of us ordered appetizers and dessert. But we didn't. We got three adult pasta entrees, one children's pasta and a bottle of wine. No apps, no dessert, no coffee you get the picture.

So my conclusion regarding Angela's is to stick with the Pizza. Carry out during the week, dining room only on weekends. 

Just down the street at Melitos we can feed a family of four quite well for under $60. Details on that we'll leave for another day. 

This evening's reflection is brought to you by Natura Carmenere. This is one of the more drinkable organic wines I have tried. This wine is a blend of several reds including Tempranillo and Malbec. It is quite smooth and drinkable and not bad for less than $10.

Adventures in Baking - January 2011

Historically yeast breads have not been my friend. I have attempted white bread, wheat bread, potato bread, beer bread and many, many more. Typically they don't rise like they should and often become dense. I keep trying though because I love to bake. 

I bake when I am bored, I bake when I am anxious, I bake when I am happy, I bake to relax or to celebrate or to vent. Unfortunately the things that are the easiest (and often most fulfilling) to bake are sweets; Cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins, etc, This is not only a problem for my waistline but quite honestly my family doesn't really eat sweets. So I can bake an entire batch of brownies only to throw half of them away. If I could master bread though I could bake to my hearts content and there might actually be a chance that my family would eat it. So the showdown with the yeast continues. 

Last week I made a wheat bread that was ok (Facebook Pic). This week I took a crack at French Bread. I used 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat flour and I must say in came out quite good (yay me!)

There are a few things I have changed in my yeast bread making endeavors that may have contributed to my recent success: 1. I keep any eye on the expiration date of my yeast. It does go bad. 2. I changed brands and now use the active dray yeast in a jar rather than the one that comes in a packet. The packet isn't quite a tablespoon and I am finding it is better to measure your own. 3. I add a couple of tablespoons of local honey in with the warm water before I add the yeast.

Today's french bread was fun. I did take a lot of attention though. During the first rising process you have to beat it down every 10 minutes or so. This is done for about an hour. Then it is separated into balls and rests. Then it is rolled out (like a pie crust) into a rectangle which is rolled up like a jelly role and set to rise again. Finally it goes into the oven where it fills the house with that beautiful just-like-mama aroma.

Now what will it be next week?

Adventures in baking is brought to you this week by St. Donatus Estate Balatonboglari Merlot. A rather sweet red with lots of berry and a soft finish. Not bad considering it is $5.99 at Trader Joe's.

Obrigado

Obrigado is Portuguese for 'Thank You'. It is also a lovely little restaurant in Louisa, VA (Obrigado). My husband, a detective for the Louisa County Sheriff's office is a frequent patron and has said great things about their food, particularly the fresh homemade potato chips which are usually still warm from the fryer when they arrive at your table. 

Sufficed to say there aren't too many decent places to eat in Louisa. Which is why I am very surprised that this past Saturday evening Obrigado wasn't more crowded. We had made reservations because there were seven of us and even though we got there fairly early (6:30 pm) I was expecting more of the tables to be occupied. I would put this lovely little place in a category far above "decent". The owner's name is Jade and she is also the chef. She cooks with fresh, local food whenever possible. The wine selection also highlights VA wineries which I truly believe are under-represented at most of the Richmond area restaurants. What I would give to see a Horton Vineyard Cab Franc or better yet a Norton on more local wine lists. 

Well the seven of us arrived right on time for our reservation and commandeered a large round table in the corner. The atmosphere is a little rustic in that the floors are worn hardwood and the furnishings have an antique yet artistic flair. The art is provided by local artists which is in keeping with Jade's desire to support the local community. There is a full bar which is probably the most inviting spot in the place. 

On this particular evening the service was adequate and almost amusing (more on that later). We ordered drinks; a few soda's, one glass of house white and a bottle of the house red. A basket of bread arrived. There was I admit, a bit of a wait for the bread but it was warm and fantastic. Homemade, I am certain and served with both olive oil and butter. 

We decided to skip appetizers and go straight for the main course. Now, since there were seven of us there is a lot of food to cover here so I will just hit the highlights. Our youngest son got chicken fingers off the kids menu (yes this place is a rare breed in its ability to mix upscale dining with a kid friendly atmosphere. That right there brings it up a notch in my book). The french fries were french fries but the chicken fingers, I must say were some of the best I have had. They were real white meat chicken that looked like it was just carved off the bird. The breading was light and they weren't the least bit greasy. When I took a bite (much to my son's chagrin) I tasted....wait for it......CHICKEN and not breading and oil which is often so prevalent in chicken tenders ordered off the kids menu. 

I, having been on a diet was craving a burger. So I ordered the 8 oz. Bistro Burger featuring all natural Angus beef, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and garlic mayo. I ordered the burger medium rare and it was cooked perfectly. The flavor of the beef was amazing and I'd be willing to bet the cheese was local. It was however really thick and I found myself wishing they offered a 4 oz. version at dinner like they apparently to at lunch. I substituted the fresh chips for the fries (at my husband's suggestion) and was SO happy that I did. They were still warm and really do put anything you can buy in a bag to absolute shame. I may have developed a new addiction. 

Hubby ordered the Portuguese Style Shrimp which are sauteed with chorizo, red peppers, smoked paprika, white wine, cream and herbs and served over pasta. It was amazingly flavorful (I stole a taste) and very filling. We brought at least a lunch serving home. The shrimp was cooked well and the sauce is a great marriage of the pasta and chirzo. Everything is always served piping hot and this particular dish is a welcome standard on the menu and great choice even considering the enticing specials.

Speaking of Specials, my sister-in-law ordered the Spanish Paella. The presentation was beautiful with an abundance of mussels, clams, oysters and shrimp on a bed of saffron rice. Being from Maryland I am not sure she was stopped in her tracks by this dish but she appeared to enjoy it and it certainly smelled wonderful. 

My husband and I shared vanilla creme brulee for dessert. It was a little on the thick side but very tasty. 

Now, I mentioned earlier in this little diatribe that I would have more regarding the service. Well, as I said the service we received that night was fair. Even if the bread was late and the waitress did almost serve us food that was meant for the table of two next to us. I think we lucked out that the place wasn't more crowded because rumor has it you play a sort of waiter roulette when you visit Obrigado. Most of the staff is fantastic. There is one waitress however who is not. This is the waitress we were 'lucky' to have that evening. Although very sweet she quite flighty and would forget her own head if it wasn't attached. If you get her on your first visit please don't let it stop you from coming back. Just pray you spin a different color on our next trip to the wheel.

Overall this is a gem tucked away in a little out-of-the-way town. So the next time you are on your way to the Shenandoah valley for the weekend, stop in for lunch. And make sure to order the chips. 

Brought to you by Obrigado's house red which is Garnacha de Fuego. It pairs fantastically with food and has a velvety finish with just the right amounts of fruit and pepper. Here are the thoughts of a fellow blogger on this particular bottle of red - Wine Weekly

Comedy

My husband and I were watching a comedy montage on pay-per-view the other night and I was struck by the demographics of the audiences. The audience tended to primarily be made up of people of the same ethnicity as the comedian. The Tommy Tiernan audience was pale and freckled, Paul Rodriguez was surrounded by a darker set who laughed loudest at words I didn't understand being in Spanish and all, and Louis Ramey's audience was primarily black. Why is that? Do we gravitate towards comedians who are more like us because we 'get' the humor? Is it because it gives us permission to laugh at ourselves? Or could it be that we want to be part of an inside joke somehow? I must admit that the funniest of Tommy's bits is when he ranks on the English. Perhaps it is because I am by my heritage one of those 'Brits" that I find it so funny. Would I find it as funny if he were picking on the Italians or if I was Spanish? Probably not, because I would have no personal link there. I wouldn't "get" the joke.

Anyway, I don't know what any of that means..... I just thought it was interesting. 

Tonight's pontification was brought to you by Philip Carter Cabernet Franc (2009). So yummy I can't even tell you. http://www.pcwinery.com/wines.html