Posts Tagged ‘celery’
October 10, 2017
It’s no secret that I am a big Trader Joe’s fan. I brave the crowds frequently to stock up on items that are unbeatable for both price and quality.
One of my latest discoveries is not new to the brand, but it is new to me and it is life-changing. One word. Mirepoix.
Mirepoix (meer – pwah) is a staple in the French culinary world, consisting of diced onion, carrot and celery, which provides the base for soups, stews, and sauces. It takes a bit of an effort to make, due to the washing, peeling, and dicing of the vegetables.
Trader Joe’s offers it in a 14 oz tub, layered with the perfect proportion of one-half onion, three carrots, and 3 celery stalks, all cut and ready to use. In the time it took to unpack my groceries, I had sauteed the Mirepoix and was ready to add the other ingredients for a quick pureed soup. And did I mention it’s only $2.99?
Quick Pureed Soup:
Slowly saute the mirepoix in butter or olive oil, until the vegetables start to soften, and the onion becomes translucent. True mirepoix is not meant to brown or caramelize.
Add the vegetable of choice, (zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli are all good options) and any herbs you might like. Add enough chicken or vegetable stock* to fully submerge the vegetables and simmer covered until they are soft. Puree the mixture until smooth, put it back in the pot, correct seasonings and enjoy!
* If you don’t have stock on hand, Better Than Bouillion is another easy fix. It comes in a jar and is spoonable, rather than dehydrated into a salty cube. It is organic, not full of fake ingredients, and a big dollop added to the pot of water makes a tasty soup. It is high in sodium, so be sure to taste before adding additional salt.
SaveSave
SaveSave
SaveSave
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags:carrots, celery, kitchen tips Tuesday, mirepoix, onion, pureed soup, Trader Joe's, unrecipe
Posted in Food | Leave a Comment »
May 16, 2016
Sometimes, the slightest twist on a classic makes the old seem new again. Such was the case with the Celery Caesar Salad that I stumbled upon this weekend. Truth be told, it was a little bland, but the combination of diced celery, matchsticks of endive and Parmesan cheese were a hit. Mine had diced chicken breast in it, and to add insult to injury, they forgot the croutons. But even with its faults, the salty Parmesan and the crisp and crunchy celery held their own. A squirt of fresh lemon juice and a few shakes of pepper re-invigorated it and helped make the flavors sing. I think a julienned apple would be a nice touch; a welcome addition of tangy and slightly sweet.
Hooked on the concept and knowing it could be easily be improved, we bring you our take on the Celery Caesar.
Celery Caesar Salad
For the salad:
Clean, scrape and dice a few stalks of celery. Julienne an endive, an equal amount of Parmesan cheese and a tart apple, so that all the matchsticks are similar in size. Add diced chicken breast if desired.
For the dressing:
Whisk together about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, and the juice of about 1/2 a small lemon. Add a couple of shakes of Worchestershire sauce and a little salt. Taste, and adjust the lemon /olive oil ratio as needed. It should be tangy and the lemon flavor should stand out.
Toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle with a liberal amount of fresh black pepper. Add croutons and enjoy!
Photos: Glasshouse Images
Check us out at indigojonesnyc on instagram.
Want to see what we have been pinning? Take a look at our Pinterest page!
Tweet along on Twitter.
Take a peek at our Tumblr.
To keep up with the latest, show us some “like” by liking our Facebook page
Check out our new site Indigo Jones Eats
Visit our shops on Gourmly ,Ecohabitude, and Etsy
Download the HOMEMADE app
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags:Caesar salad, celery, Celery Caesar salad, chicken, croutons, endive, lemon, parmesan cheese
Posted in Food | Leave a Comment »
November 9, 2015
Even though the weather in New York has been balmy, I have been craving soup. It might be about seeking comfort more than warmth, but soup has been on my mind for a couple of weeks now. My mother sent me a recipe for mushroom soup that she had recently made, and I thought I would give it a try. That is, until I read it. The original recipe called for adding 10 tablespoons of flour and a whole stick of butter to the pot, to get a creamy texture without the cream. Thinking there was no way I was going to add a stick of butter to my soup, let alone all that flour, I set out to adapt the recipe to make it a bit cleaner. While I don’t know if it resembled the original, it definately tasted good enough to share.
Pureed Mushroom Soup:
Dice one onion, a couple of ribs of celery and a carrot or two. Clean and slice about 1 1/2 pounds of mushrooms. I used all conventional mushrooms, but next time I will try to mix in some shiitake and crimini mushrooms for a deeper flavor profile. Saute all of this in a little olive oil until slightly browned and the mushrooms have released all of their liquid, about 5-8 minutes.
Add about 10 cups of chicken or vegetable stock to the pot, and bring to a boil. Simmer, with the lid partially on for about 45 minutes. Add a few sage leaves and puree the mixture until smooth. Return the soup to the stove. Make a paste using a little of the hot soup and a couple of tablespoons of flour adding more liquid until it is smooth. Stir this into the pot of hot soup, and gently boil until it starts to thicken. I added just enough to get a silky consistency, but you can add more if you prefer an even thicker soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!
Photo: Glasshouse Images
Check us out at indigojonesnyc on instagram.
Want to see what we have been pinning? Take a look at our Pinterest page!
Tweet along on Twitter.
Take a peek at our Tumblr.
To keep up with the latest, show us some “like” by liking our Facebook page
Check out our new site Indigo Jones Eats
Visit our shops on Gourmly and Etsy
Download the HOMEMADE app
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags:carrot, celery, mushroom soup, onion, sage, soup, soup weather, stock
Posted in Food | 1 Comment »
March 30, 2013
Tonight we are celebrating “Easter-over” a hybrid of Easter, Passover and a celebration of spring. It’s an opportunity to indulge in the flavors and traditions of the holidays, and the diversity of the guests. The rules are simple: it’s my made up holiday,and it’s appropriate to serve anything I feel like making, within the confines of the season and the holidays. That could mean matzoh balls and pork chops, or gefilte fish and fried chicken, but it’s not either one of those.
This year, I have mixed it up, and for those of you who follow us on Facebook, or Instagram, you have been getting hints of things to come.
Here are a few “works in progress”, as our Easter-over feast comes together:
A beautiful mess of food scraps. What were they from?
Personally, I loathe raw, red onions, and will surgically remove them from my food if they are there. Sometimes, a recipe really needs a little jolt, and these do the job well. They look pretty, don’t they?
Nothing says spring like daffodils and asparagus!
Apples, walnuts, honey, cinnamon….what could this be?
Yum,chocolate! That’s a little almond flour you see. This one just happens to be gluten free and passover approved!
Maybe a little white chocolate bourbon cream to put on top would be nice…
Spring lamb is synonymous with the season. This one has a rosemary,garlic coating to keep it moist and flavorful. The meat is sitting on a bed of baby fingerling potatoes, which should get crisp and tender as the lamb cooks.
Did we get you hungry yet? If you’re in the neighborhood, dinner is at 7!
photos by indigo-jones.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags:apples, asparagus, baby fingerling potatoes, carrots, celery, chocolate, cinnamon, dinner, Easter, Food, garlic and herb butter, honey, lamb, onions, parsley, passover, red onions, Spring, walnuts, white chocolate bourbon cream
Posted in family, Food | 1 Comment »
December 5, 2012
It’s that time of the week again; CSA Tuesday!
Today we got golden beets, potatoes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cilantro and celery.
Brussels sprouts, still on the stalk!
Fresh cauliflower.
Golden beets.
Cilantro.
It’s been so busy, that it may have to wait until Sunday to get cooked and eaten. We still have leftovers from last week’s haul!
photos: Spencer Jones
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags:beets, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, CSA Tuesday, farm fresh, farm to table, Food, golden beets, potatoes, produce
Posted in Food | Leave a Comment »
October 29, 2012
All of us in New York are hunkering down and waiting for Hurricane Sandy to have her way with us. Sunday was spent preparing lots of leftover ingredients into edible dishes.
The leeks, celery and potatoes became a delicious potato leek soup; rich and creamy, without the added calories of cream.
The pumpkins were roasted and pureed. A pumpkin tart was quickly assembled, using what I had in the house. The traditional evaporated milk was hastily replaced by coconut milk, with no adverse reactions to the texture or flavor.
The leftover roasted pumpkin puree will become pumpkin gnocchi tomorrow night, assuming I can see to cook it!
There is still a giant cabbage awaiting it’s fate. I think the carrots and celery can get slivered in with the cabbage and tossed with an avocado dressing,assuming we have electricity for the blender. I guess sooner or later, they will be soft enough to blend by hand!
The flashlights have batteries, the bathtubs are filled with emergency water, and the candles and matches are laid out on the dining table.
We are as ready as we can be for Sandy’s wrath.
We hope all of our east coast readers weather the storm safely.
We will continue to post as long as we have the internet connection to do so.
Leave a comment to share your hurricane stories here…
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags:avocado dressing, cabbage, carrots, celery, coconut milk, Food, hunkering down, hurricane prepartaions, Hurricane Sandy, leeks, leftover ingredients, potato leek soup, potatoes, pumpkin, pumpkin puree, pumpkin tart, roasted pumpkin, vegetarian
Posted in Food | Leave a Comment »
October 17, 2012
After last week’s bitter greens extravaganza, it was nice to see a more balanced assortment of produce from my CSA.
We got 2 butternut squash, an eggplant, a carnival squash, arugula, celery, radishes and collard greens.
There is easily the makings of a salad for the uncreative nights, and perhaps some butternut squash ravioli if the weekend is not too crazy.
I have been taking whatever is leftover at the end of the week and making “CSA Soup.” So far, they have been interesting, filling and very low calorie.
CSA Soup:
Dice a small onion and saute it in a little olive oil. Add chopped up “whatever is left” and add it to the pot. Add enough broth ( chicken or vegetable) to the pot to fully cover the vegetables. Cover the pot and allow it to simmer until the vegetables soften. Puree the soup until it is smooth. Season according to taste.
I have used roasted butternut squash and kale, and spinach and tat soi so far. You really can’t go wrong.
I have frozen the soup in individual containers, and taken them out for an easy, nourishing lunch.
Enjoy!
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags:arugula, bitter greens, butternut squash, carnival squash, celery, collard greens, community supported agriculture, CSA, CSA Soup, eggplant, Food, kale, produce, radishes, tat soi, vegetables, vegetarian
Posted in Food | 4 Comments »
October 3, 2012
It’s Tuesday and that means it’s time to pick up our farm selection from the CSA. Today’s assortment is more balanced than it has been:
There is a huge butternut squash, a head of lettuce, some young broccoli rabe without any florets ( the jury is out on that one until it’s cooked),red potatoes, a beautiful bouquet of kale, some rosemary and a bunch of celery.
I am thinking about a simple vegetarian dinner tonight, especially if it prevents me from having to go back out in the rain again!
Any great ideas out there?
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags:broccoli rabe, butternut squash, celery, CSA Tuesday, Food, kale, lettuce, red potatoes, rosemary, vegetables, vegetarian
Posted in Food | 1 Comment »
June 5, 2012
We have written here about the “Dirty Dozen,” a list of produce that has the highest levels of pesticides and contamination. It is recommended that these foods be organic wherever possible.
There is another list called the “Clean 15”, which have the lowest pesticide load, and can be enjoyed in the conventional varieties.
These are:
Onions
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Avocado
Sweet peas
Mangoes
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Kiwi
Watermelon
Sweet potatoes
Grapefruit
Mushrooms
Asparagus
Other foods, such as broccoli, cabbage and tomatoes have more recently tested cleaner as well, due to less pest threats, and therefore less spraying.
Many of these fruits and vegetables have a protective outer layer that gets peeled or removed before eating. This helps eliminate the toxins, which are largely on the outside of the food.
The current list of the most harmful foods tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, and as many as 67. Buying organic insures that the fruit and vegetables are not treated with harmful pesticides.
Foods that should be organic:
Celery
Strawberries
Peaches
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Sweet bell peppers
Spinach, kale and collard greens
Cherries
Potatoes
Grapes
Lettuce
This lists were compiled by the Environmental Working Group, which is an organization made up of scientists, researchers and policymakers. The data used was supplied by the United States Department of Agriculture’s tests for pesticide residue on fresh produce.
photos: Glasshouse Images
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags:apples, asparagus, avocado, blueberries, cabbage, cantaloupe, celery, cherries, clean 15, collard greens, corn, dirty dozen, eggplant, environmental working group, Food, grapefruit, grapes, harmful pesticides, kiwi, lettuce, mango, mushrooms, nectarines, onions, peaches, pesticide load, pineapples, potatoes, spinach kale, strawberries, sweet bell peppers, sweet peas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, United States Department of Agriculture, watermelon
Posted in Food | Leave a Comment »
July 13, 2011
This week, I have been making lettuce-less salads for lunch. So far, this is my favorite:
Cucumber Salad with Mint and Tomatoes
Chop ½ a cucumber, 2 small stalks of celery and a small tomato.
Add a handful of chopped parsely and fresh mint leaves.
Mix in ½ cup beans and 1/8 cup feta cheese crumbles.
Drizzle with olive oil and the juice of one lime.
Season with sea salt and pepper.
Toss and enjoy!
photo: Glasshouse Images
In partnership with Glasshouse Images
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags:beans, celery, cucumber, feta cheese, fresh mint, lime, olive oil, parsley, tomato
Posted in Food | Leave a Comment »
Indigo jones 