One Pot Wonder: Italian Vegetable Soup & Cornbread

Summer is unofficially over, which means it's time to get back to routines and schedules. And I could not be happier. I know, I sound like a total party pooper. Don't get me wrong, I do love summer, but come late August every year, I'm itching for cooler weather, apples and pumpkins, prime time TV, and a week when I can just stay put and get back in the kitchen.

Now I don't want to jinx it, but I think it's safe to say that the dog days of summer are finally past us. The weather in NYC has been just divine, and I've finally had a few weekends where I can stay home and relax instead of living out of a suitcase between graduations, vacations, and beach visits. So with some extra time on my hands, it was about time I got back in the kitchen with one of my favorite Sunday traditions: one pot meals!

As I've said here before, one pot meals are clutch for young, busy and poor folks (like me)! They're a major timesaver during the week, and much healthier and more cost effective than ordering takeout everyday for lunch or dinner. On the menu this week is a big, biiiig pot of Italian vegetable soup. Besides chopping up all the vegetables, you essentially just dump and stir everything into a big pot. And because I always need a little carb-age to truly hold me over, I made a lighter version of hearty cornbread. While it may officially be summer until this Saturday, this Italian vegetable soup and cornbread says fall is here to stay.

Italian Vegetable Soup
serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 cups escarole, chopped
2 cups baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
28 oz can diced tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Add escarole, spinach, garlic, onion, zucchini, red bell pepper, fennel, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, red pepper flakes, thyme and oregano to a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10-15 minutes until vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and top with parsley and basil.

Healthy Cornbread
serves 12

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in yogurt and eggs until combined and batter is smooth. Pour into pan and bake 20-25 minutes until tender and cooked through in the center.

Falling for Autumn

This summer has flown by at lightning speed. It’s been over a month since my last blog post, and yet it feels like it was only Memorial Day a week ago. Unfortunately, I think the summers will only get shorter as my years as an “adult” progress. I’m kicking myself now, wishing I soaked up every last second of freedom last summer rather than stressing out about finding a job.

As sad as it is to see summer go, I always look forward to this time of year—apple picking, sweater weather, and pumpkin everything! For me, the fall is a time of comforting traditions spent with friends and family, and a welcome change of pace after a summer on-the-go…So the recent dreary and cooler weather in NYC was the perfect opportunity to make something warm and wholesome for dinner.

Sloshing through the puddles on my way home from work, I had this craving for a curry dish. Now don’t be fooled—curry was never a tradition in my home. I don’t know that curry has ever set foot in my family’s home, but something about the rich spices and the deep orange color of curry just has “autumn” and “comfort” written all over it. Luckily, this recipe is so simple that I already had all the ingredients and didn’t have to trek back out in the rain to the grocery store. I served the curry sauce with shrimp over brown rice, but it would also be great over chicken or vegetables. The curry perfumed my whole apartment with this spicy, almost cinnamony smell, and had a rich, creamy texture that I just crave in fall foods. Not having a true summer vacation anymore is definitely a bummer, but it’s these hearty, comforting meals that I look forward to all year round.

Easy Curry with Shrimp and Brown Rice (served with roasted baby zucchini, pictured below)

Serves One

Ingredients:

1 tbs butter

2 tbs honey

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tsp curry powder

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of salt

6-7 cooked shrimp (I just thawed some frozen shrimp in my freezer)

1 cup cooked brown rice

1. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, honey, mustard and spices over medium heat. Whisk until the butter is melted and everything is combined even.

2. Add the cooked shrimp to the sauce, allowing them to absorb the flavors and warm through—about 4 minutes.

3. Pour the shrimp and sauce over prepared brown rice and serve warm.

You Grill, Girl!

Who ever said that girls can't grill? My women's studies classes in college taught me well that gender is not defined by biology, but by the societal and structural demands and expectations placed on the so-called genders. As a feminist who loves a good burger, you better believe no societal expectations were getting in the way of me learning how to man the grill.

I have to admit, it was a little scary the first time my dad taught me how to light it. It probably didn't help that my mom was fretting through the window, waiting for the flames to blow up in my face. Like any cooking technique, it's taken me some time to figure out all of its intricacies--how hot to heat it up, or how to know when your burger is done. But there are a few female-gendered qualities that just might be a little more helpful on the grill. (Boys, listen up. Take a lesson from these qualities not only at the grill, but also in real life...)

1. Patience is extremely important on the grill. Flipping your burgers over and over again won't make them cook any faster. Let the meat/veggies/etc sit for a good few minutes to get that nice char on one side before flipping.

2. Be gentle with your food, especially burgers and fish. Pressing the burgers into the grill only causes all the tasty juices to drip out. Make sure the grill is lightly oiled or sprayed before placing fish on the grate--if it sticks, it will crumble apart when you try to move it.

3. Organization A little planning can get you a long way in the kitchen, whether cooking inside or out. Before you throw all your food on the grill at once, make sure you know the cooking times for each item. Also, the more you crowd the grill, the longer everything will take to cook. Keep food evenly spaced for accurate cooking times.

So go forth women, and show that grill what you're made of!

Grilled Vegetable Skewers
Makes 6-7 skewers


Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 summer squash
1 zucchini
1 tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbs finely chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil

1. Cut the squash and zucchini into 3/4-inch cubes, so they're about the same time as the cherry tomatoes. Place in a boll with tomatoes.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour the marinade over the vegetables and stir to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the vegetables to absorb the flavors.
3. Assemble the skewers as desired.
4. Over a medium grill that's been lightly brushed with olive oil or sprayed with cooking spray, place the skewers so they run perpendicular to the grate. Flip every 2-3 minutes, so that all sides are nicely charred and cooked through.

Cheddar burgers and vegetable skewers

Grilled sweet potato fries

S'mores! (these were deceivingly not prepared on the grill)