Frozen Blackberries & Yogurt with Honey

This recipe is now the second that I've made from Alison Roman's cookbook Dining In, which I recently bought after my first bite of her salted chocolate chunk shortbread cookies. Her dessert recipes look, sound, and taste outstanding. Well, to be fair, I've only made 2 of them so far, but she's got a 100% success rate so far. This recipe was really fun, very easy, needs no special equipment, and yielded a delicious and frozen dessert hat is a mix between frozen yogurt and a semifreddo. The swirls of tart yogurt and berries compliment each other well and it looks lovely in a bowl. Try it out!

INGREDIENTS
12 oz (total) fresh blackberries and raspberries
3/4 cup honey (separated into 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cup whole fat greek yogurt or labneh
pinch of salt
squeeze of lemon juice

Prep a loaf pan by lining the inside with plastic wrap. You may need to spray the pan first with cooking spray first so that the plastic wrap sticks to the edges well.

Heat the berries with 1/4 cup of honey in a small saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil for 8-10 minutes, until berries start to break down and sauce thickens a bit. Let cool completely (I allowed the freezer to help me speed up this step).

Meanwhile, using a whisk & arm strength or an electric mixer beat the heavy cream into medium stiff peaks. Fold in the greek yogurt and a pinch of salt, being careful not to overmix. Stir in a little lemon juice to the berry mixture (if you think it could use a little tart kick) and then carefully fold the mixture into the yogurt cream with only 3 or 4 folds... you want to be able to see and taste each individual flavor, not have it all blended together. Pour into prepared pan and freeze for a few hours (Alison recommended 2-3 and I found that it was better at 4-5). If its too hard to scoop leave it on the counter for 15 minutes before putting into bowls.

Minestrone Soup with Tortellini

I've been getting bored with my usual rotation of soup recipes and wanted to try something new. I came across Cook's Illustrated's Hearty Minestrone recipe and used that as a base for this recipe that I've adapted a bit. It is packed with veggies, but still incredibly flavorful and very filling. A perfect winter meal at home. Don't be swayed by the number of ingredients... they are all easy to find!

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into a 1/2 inch dice
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 small fennel bulb, cored and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into quarter-rounds
1 cup green beens, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of savoy cabbage (or green cabbage), halved, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup flour
1 can cannellini or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 cups chicken broth (use the good stuff, not low-sodium)
1-2 cups water
1 piece of parmesan rind (5x2 inches)
1 bay leaf
2 cups V8 juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 9-ounce package of cheese tortellini, cooked according to package
salt and pepper

Garnish: parmesan, red pepper flakes, olive oil

In a large dutch oven heat the butter and pancetta over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until pancetta is lightly browned and fat has rendered. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and fennel and saute until vegetables start to soften about 7 minutes. Add the zucchini and green beans and cook all the vegetables until they start to lightly brown. Add the garlic cabbage, along with the 1/4 cup of flour (this will help thicken the broth a bit) and stir continuously until cabbage has softened and flour is cooked about (2-3 minutes). Pour all the vegetable mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

In the same pan, add the broth, beans, red pepper flakes, water, parmesan rind and bay leaf and bring to a boil, stirring every few minutes so the parmesan rind doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the head to a vigorous simmer and add the reserved vegetables and V8 juice and cook, simmering for about 15-20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and parmesan rind and taste for seasonings. Stir in the pasta and basil. Serve with grated parmesan on top and a drizzle of olive oil and enjoy!

Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

Apparently, this is the "cookie of the year" from 2017. So, I'm a little late to the game. But I kept coming across this recipe from Alison Roman's new cookbook Dining In on various sites (e.g., Smitten Kitchen, Bon Appetit, etc.) and decided it was time to try it myself. These cookies highlight the best parts of cookies without a lot of extra distractor flavors. They are simple, but deeply rich in flavor and highlight the good quality salted butter and dark chocolate. I recommend getting good chocolate and chopping it yourself. Beware: this is not your everyday chocolate chip cookie, so don't expect it to be. It's a horse of a different color, but in an excellent way. Makes 24-30 cookies.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup plus 2 TBS good salted butter, cold and cut into small pieces (I used this)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
1/4 cup light brown sugar (50 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (295 grams)
6 oz. of semisweet/bittersweet chocolate chunks (170 grams)
1 large egg
Raw or turbinado sugar (for rolling)
Flakey sea salt

Using a stand mixer beat together the cold butter pieces, both sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (this might take 5 minutes). Add the flour and beat just until combined. Add the chocolate chunks and stir to incorporate. The dough will be crumbly and that is just fine. At this point, the dough is DONE (don't add the egg! it's for later). Separate the dough into two parts and place each half in the middle of a piece of wax or parchment paper and roll into logs about 2 inches in diameter. Chill, covered in the wax paper, until firm-- about 2-3 hours, or longer.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, slightly beat the egg and brush the entire log with egg and then roll in the raw sugar to coat. Then, using a serrated knife (I used a bread knife for the weight), slice cookies about 1/2 inch thick. You'll need to use a slow and stead sawing motion. You will likely hit chocolate chunks and might have to put the dough back together a bit if it crumbles or breaks in half. Thats okay. Place cookies on the baking sheets, sprinkle with a little flakey sea salt, then bake for about 13-15 minutes until edges are lightly brown. Remove from oven, let cool, then serve and enjoy!

Lemony Carrot & Cauliflower Soup

It is 13°F outside and tomorrow is going to be colder... meaning it's soup weather, y'all, and this 5 star Melissa Clark/NY Times recipe is getting me through the weekend of the Bomb Cyclone. This soup is creamy, sweet, tart and deeply savory, thanks to the miso. Best part: it comes together in under an hour. Highly highly recommend. I've adapted it slightly. Serves 4-6 people.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 teaspoons ground coriander

3 tablespoons white miso

1 small head (1/2 a large head) of cauliflower, chopped into florets

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cilantro leaves (for topping)

Sprinkle of smoky chile powder (for topping)

Olive oil (for drizzling on top)

In a large pot over medium heat warm the oil. Add the onion, celery and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to color (about 7-10 min). Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir together for 1 minute. To the pot add the carrots, chicken broth, water and coriander and stir to combine. Add the miso and stir until it is incorporated. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cover the pot and let simmer for another 10-12 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Puree the soup (either with immersion blender or in batches in your stand blender). Return to pot and add the lemon zest and lemon juice and taste for salt and pepper.

Pour into bowls and top with cilantro leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, chile powder and a touch of flaky sea salt. Serve and enjoy!