Soup...It's Just Liquid with Stuff In It!

This was sauces and soups week in class.  Chef reminded us SEVERAL times that soup is really only liquid with stuff in it.  It's not complicated, it's nothing to be scared of, and can be one of the easiest things to throw together at the last second.  The book tries to make the whole process really difficult, using many different pots, doing everything separately and throwing it all together at the last second.  Thank goodness for Chef's outlook on making soup!  I LOVE soup!  I could eat it almost everyday.  I also have a daughter who LOVES soup.  But I'm a busy mom.  I don't have time to do twenty different steps in five different pots.  That's time I don't have and dishes I don't want to clean.  Not to mention what little miss princess might get into while I'm slaving away.  So, today I offer you the soup I made in class.  It's SUPER easy, uses one pot, takes 10-15 minutes to throw together...and then you leave it alone for 30 minutes or so (and hey, it probably takes at least that long to get everyone wrangled for dinner anyway!)  Oh...and I apologize in advance for the picture not being the best.  I do what I can with harsh overhead florescent lighting in the school kitchen!  ENJOY!!

Bean and Potato Soup
Serves 4-6

2 bacon strips; cut into thin slices
1/2 c dried beans; rinsed and soaked
1/2 c onion; diced
1/4 c carrot; diced
1/4 c celery; diced
1 c potato; diced
1 bay leaf
T dried thyme
1 garlic clove; minced
2 qts ham or beef stock (I used ham stock and added some of the meat from the ham hock into the soup)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon strips in a pot on the stove over medium until the fat is rendered (2-3 minutes).  Add onion, celery and carrot to pot.  Sweat the vegetables in the bacon grease for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add all other ingredients (except salt and pepper.)  Stir well.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 30-45 minutes (or until the beans are cooked through).  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve!

We also made "croutons" to go with the soup.  Thinly slice French bread, top with Gruyere cheese, put on a cooking sheet in the oven at 400 degrees until golden brown.  YUMMY!

Super Yummy Salmon Salad!

On December 10th, I hosted a wine dinner for friends and family.  Of the six courses I served that night, this one got the highest reviews.  It's super yummy, incredible easy, and (overall) pretty good for you too!  Of course, if you were looking for a very healthy alternative, I would swap out the tarragon dressing (which is oh so good and worth the extra calories in my opinion) for a light vinaigrette.  I found this recipe in a cookbook I got from Biltmore Estates.  Of course, I've tweaked it a bit to my liking (because I almost NEVER go straight from a recipe), but it gave me a good starting point to go from.  The whole book is pretty fabulous, actually.  If you are a cookbook fan or somewhat obsessive collector like myself, it would definitely be worth adding to the shelf!

I paired this dish with a 2009 Chardonnay from Little River.  Little River is a winery located in Mt. Gilead, NC (an hour or so east of Charlotte).  I love this Chardonnay!  No oak, buttery flavor here.  The nice, crisp finish balances out the creaminess of the dressing on the salad perfectly.  So, if you were going to change up the dressing, I would probably change up the wine too.  A vinaigrette with this may make the wine taste sour. 

So give this a whirl and tell me what you think!  ENJOY!!

Simple Salmon Salad with Tarragon Dressing
Makes: 8 salad servings; 2 1/2 cups of dressing

For salmon:
8  8oz salmon fillets
1/2 c soy sauce
1/4 c lemon juice
3 garlic gloves, minced
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/6 c vegetable oil
12 c mixed baby greens

1. To marinate the fish, you are going to need a shallow, glass dish (I like to use my rectangular glass Pyrex dish).  Make sure to marinate in a dish and not a Ziploc bag for this one.  Fish is delicate and very likely to break on you if marinating in a Ziploc bag, so doing the extra dish is worth it this time!
2.  Combine soy sauce and next 5 ingredients in the dish and stir well.  Place the salmon in the dish and turn several times to coat with the marinade. 
3.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-5 hours.  Turn the fish each hour to insure even marinating.
4.  Remove fish from marinade and discard.  If you wanted to serve the fish by itself without the salad, I would reserve the marinade, heat it in a sauce pan over medium heat until boiling and serve over the fish...yum!
5.  Heat a grill pan on the stove over medium heat.  To test if the pan is ready to go, place a small corner of the fish onto the pan.  If it starts to sizzle immediately, your ready to roll.  Alternatively, you can use a grill heated to 350 degrees.
6.  Grill the fish about 4-5 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  If you salmon still has the skin, start the grilling process with the skin side down.
7.  Serve fish over mixed baby greens and top with tarragon dressing.

For dressing:
2 c Dukes mayo
1/3 c buttermilk
3 T fresh tarragon, very finely chopped
2 T fresh parsley, very finely chopped
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 T tarragon vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp Sriracha hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Combine all ingredients (except salt and pepper) and stir well with a wire whisk.  Once dressing combines, season with salt and pepper as desired.  For more of a kick to your dressing, add more Sriracha sauce (but be careful...this stuff is HOT!)
2.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.