Roasted Sweet Potato and Chorizo Lettuce Wraps

You may have noticed I've taken a long break from root vegetables, even though it was wintertime.  I made a few too many soups and sides of roasted butternut squash last fall and by mid-December I'd had enough.  I took advantage of the warm winter to eat vegetables we don't usually get in February and avoided squashes and sweet potatoes.  They felt too heavy in my tummy!



The Monkey Scientist, to be honest, wasn't all too pleased with my boycott.  He likes his root veggies!  So when this recipe came around for sweet potatoes used in a light and refreshing way, I jumped on it.  I'm slowly letting the root veggies back into my kitchen.  The fact that this recipe included perhaps our favorite ingredient - chorizo sausage - certainly didn't hurt its cause.  Usually I save recipes for the backburner, but this one I saw and printed immediately to make that night!



The first thing I loved was the roasted corn.  I'd never think to roast corn!  In the summers we have always eaten tons of corn on the cob, and I love it in salad and cornbread, but that's about the extent of my uses for corn.  Now that I realized how easily I can roast frozen corn, I want to try it in all sorts of new dishes - pasta, wraps, sandwiches!  The possibilities are endless!



I also want to mention this little juicer.  It was a Christmas gift from one of my mom's best friends and I love it! I'm the queen of dropping lemon/lime seeds into whatever I'm cooking, but this catches all of them, along with the pulp.  It's totally fantastic and I recommend you pick one up if you ever juice citrus for cooking.



You may have noticed I slashed the cilantro from the original recipe.  If you follow this blog, you know it's because I think cilantro tastes like soap and no one should ever have to eat it.  Of course, if you disagree, just ignore me.  I guess you could add cilantro to the yogurt sauce, the filling, and added back on top of each wrap.  But don't expect me to eat it if you do! Blech!

Speaking of which, we had neighbors growing up with the last name Blech (like Bleck) and every time my dad would say their name he'd always pronounce it the way I would if I'd just eaten cilantro.  It always cracked me up... they were such nice people but what an unfortunate last name. I digress....



This was such a yummy dinner.  It had so many flavor components.  The potatoes and corn add earthy sweetness, but with a bit of spice from the cayenne.  The chorizo is spicy but is sweetened by the caramelized onions.  Then everything is cooled down by the yogurt sauce and feta, which is tangy and fresh.  Finally, the lettuce and extra lime juice add the perfect bit of citrus.  This is an absolutely fantastic meal!



Roasted Sweet Potato and Chorizo Lettuce Wraps
slightly adapted from Perry's Plate

Ingredients
filling
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 c frozen or fresh corn
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne
pinch of salt
1 c chopped onion (I used frozen)
16 ounces chorizo, removed from casing
juice from 1/2 a lime
yogurt sauce
1 c Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 tsp garlic salt
wraps
1 head of Boston lettuce (or Bibb or butter, leaves separated and rinsed well
1 c crumbled feta
additional lime wedges, for garnish

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. On a foil rimmed baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes and corn with 2 tbsp olive oil, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Spread everything evenly across the plate and roast 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until potatoes are tender and there are brown spots on the vegetables.
2. When the vegetables are finished, set aside. Then, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until brown and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. If you use frozen onions, you may want to add a pinch of sugar to help with the caramelization process.
3. Add the chorizo to the skillet and chop with the back of a wooden spoon until broken apart. Cook until they turn almost completely brown, but not quite, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the sweet potato mixture to the skillet along with the juice of 1/2 a lime. Stir and cook until the chorizo is completely cooked, and then remove from heat.
5. Combine the Greek yogurt, lime juice, and garlic salt in a small bowl.
6. Assemble the wraps by placing a bit of yogurt in the bottom of a piece of lettuce, adding a few large spoonfuls of the filling, and topping with a few pinches of feta.

Roasted Pumpkin and Lentil Soup with Chorizo

Finally the fall is here!

You know how I know?




I made soup!  I haven't made soup in months!  And my soup, it has PUMPKIN it in!  It truly is October, even if it feels like April outside.  (Although I'm sure when I'm in Minneapolis in a little over a week, I'll freeze my little tushy off!)




I came up with this soup on my own, though I consulted all sorts of recipes for ways to roast pumpkin as well as techniques for preparing lentils, meats, or squash in soup.  Everyone has their own ways of doing it - roasting the pumpkin or not roasting, pureeing or leaving everything whole, and even timing varied widely.  In the end, I just did what worked best for me.



I really enjoyed making my own recipe for this soup. I had a vision of exactly what I wanted, and I accomplished it.  I was hoping for a soup that was spicy and savory, yet sweet, and full of protein so that it would be filling.  I love lentils, but I'd never tried to use them in soup and I'm so happy with my results!




If you're interested in making your own soup recipe, check out this guide on Simple Bites.  It's definitely a skill worth learning.  Homemade soup is so much tastier and healthier than anything out of a can!  Almost any seasonal produce can go right in!  I love any excuse to use my immersion blender, so squash in the fall makes my favorite soups.



This soup came out so amazing.  I brought some leftovers to work and everyone was wandering towards me, asking what they smelled.  It was very filling and the flavors were complex.  I'm not sure how I feel about the pureed meat (that sounds disgusting) but honestly it didn't bother me in the final soup.  I actually love the texture of the blended soup.  If you're not into that sort of thing, you can probably just add it in at the end, after you blend the lentils and squash, or leave it out all together (although in that case, I'd add some chiles to increase the spice level).  I thought it was just perfect as is though!




Pumpkin and Lentil Soup with Chorizo


Ingredients
1 small pie pumpkin
1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp cinnamon sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb chorizo, casings removed and crumbled
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp all spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed and sorted
7 cups vegetable or chicken stock

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
2. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds and stringy insides.  Slice into 2-inch wide crescents.
3. Spread butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon sugar over the foil on the baking sheet.  Rub the pumpkin on both sides in the butter mixture.  Arrange in a single layer and bake 20-30 minutes, turning them over halfway through cooking time.  When they're cooked, remove and discard skin and chop pumpkin.
4. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the chorizo and cook thoroughly. Remove to a separate bowl with a slotted spoon.
5. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger to the pan.  Season with salt, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves.  Allow to cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
6.  Add pumpkin, then lentils, then stock.  Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low and simmer until lentil are tender, about 30 minutes (may take more or less time depending on the type of lentils used).
7. Puree using an immersion blender.  Serve immediately (just don't burn your tongue!)

Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Pesto Orecchiette with Sausage and Pine Nuts

The other day, the Monkey Scientist and I were shopping at Trader Joe's (my favorite) and I found this orecchiette, and I was inspired.  I knew exactly what I wanted to make - and it turned out my intuition was spot on.

Orecchiette (little ears) are a fantastic pasta when you're adding lots of fun ingredients - they're the pasta version of Tostito's Scoops.  My inspiration was to mix healthy spinach with pesto to blend it in and make it delicious.  Then to add some goat cheese for warmth.  To top it with toasted pine nuts for crunch.  And then, add it some seared sausage for protein (the MS loves his protein) and spice.

On a side note, did you notice my new plate?  I was down in the U Street neighborhood a couple of weeks ago when it started POURING on us and we we took cover in an antique store.  They're moving locations, so they were having a big sale.  I got 6 of these plates for $10 - I was pretty excited.  I think they're kind of funky!

The pasta dish is ah-mazing.  How can you go wrong with spicy sausage, pasta, and goat cheese? Really, you can use any sausage you like, but I'm all for spicy sausages like Spicy Italian Chicken and Chorizo. AWESOME.  It filled our bellies after a long day of running around in the rain in Old Town Alexandria.  Is that a theme lately, getting caught in the rain?  If it means enjoying yummy dinners like this, I'm all for it.

Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Pesto Orecchiette with Sausage and Toasted Pine Nuts


Ingredients
1 bag orecchiette (I got mine at Trader Joe's)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 links Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage (...Trader Joe's)
1 link Chorizo (ok this was from Giant!)
2-3 tablespoons prepared pesto (again, Trader Joe's)
1 1/2 cups chopped frozen spinach, defrosted
2 oz goat cheese
3 tbsp pine nuts
freshly ground pepper
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes


Instructions
1. Boil pasta according to package instructions.  Drain and return to pot. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil.
2. Chop chicken sausage into 1 inch slices and remove Chorizo from casing and chop with edge of wooden spoon.  Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat, and cook sausage until Chorizo is cooked through and chicken sausage is browned on both sides.
3. Toast pine nuts in a small saute pan over medium heat until just browned.  Watch so that they don't burn!
4.  Add sausage, pesto, spinach, goat cheese, pine nuts, pepper and red pepper flakes to pasta and stir well to combine.  Serve immediately.

P.S. I'm going on vacation until after Labor Day, and the blog is going to vacation with me.  I'll be back and cooking again in September. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Duck and Chorizo Risotto

I have always had a love affair with duck.  I'm pretty sure it runs in our family.  My dad's brother has 4 kids, and had very similar bar/bat mitzvah parties for each of them...same caterer and location etc.  I distinctly remember my brother, who was young at the time, talking about the duck that they'd serve at the reception on the whole drive to Connecticut, and practically running to the duck serving station after the ceremony.  I'm almost sure he's counting down the days until the youngest is bat mitzvahed.



For me, there are just some dishes made very special by duck.  I'll never eat at California Pizza Kitchen again, since they took their amazing duck pizza off the menu.  And I cannot wait to go to New York with my coworker to try the duck she raves about at one of her favorite Chinese restaurants.  Proteins can become so monotonous  but, especially because we eat it less frequently, I find that duck has such a unique flavor. It's fatty and sweet and simply delicious.

Unfortunately, the Monkey Scientist won't eat duck.  Ducklings are one of those cute little animals with a family unit, and he's not into it.  I keep telling him I only buy "childless, old maid" ducks, but he's not buying it.  Oh well, more for me!



When PW posted this recipe, and said it was originally from David Leite's cookbook, I knew it had to be made.  If a recipe sounds good, and it's a collaboration of chefs from 2 of your favorite blogs, I think that's a sign. Go home and make it.  I obeyed. It's important to obey signs.



Surprisingly, I can almost always find duck at my local grocery store.  It's usually sold near the organic or not-so-normal proteins (like where the lamb and bison is sold).  Each piece (a leg or breast) is sold individually and cryo-vaced, shipped in from our neighbors to the north (yes, Canadian duck...old maid, childless Canadian duck, now will you eat it?).  It's actually relatively cheap (a leg was a little over $2) especially because you can buy exactly the amount you want.



For whatever reason, I totally misread the ingredients before I went to the store and didn't get enough chicken stock.  I don't know what I was thinking.  I almost never buy stock in a can either, but I was feeling cheap I guess. It was no matter, I supplemented with water and added a little ancho chile powder for extra flavor.  Since it was mixed with the can of stock, and the duck cooked it in, I thought it was plenty flavorful.  In retrospect, I would have used all stock.... next time. You live and you learn.



Now normally, I love making risotto.  I think there's just something special about a meal that you tend to the whole time it's cooking - you can really taste the love.  However, the AC in my apartment does NOT reach my kitchen and man-oh-man did I get hot making this one.  I have a magnet thermometer on my fridge that was off the scale (it only goes to 85).  I was melting.  But it was worth it.



This meal was absolutely delicious.  The sweetness of the duck and the orange, the spiciness and smokiness of the chorizo, the creaminess of the risotto - it all blended in perfect harmony.  This was one of those meals that my parents and brother would devour. I thought the extra kick from the red pepper flakes at the end was totally necessary.  It may have been the best risotto I've ever made - and it didn't even have cheese in it! Maybe it was better that I didn't have to share!



Duck and Chorizo Risotto
adapted from David Leite on Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
2 whole duck legs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp ancho chile powder
1 chorizo sausage, removed from casing
1 whole small yellow onion, minced
1 c Arborio rice
1/4 c dry white wine
Juice of 1 orange
Zest of one orange
Crushed red pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the duck legs well with salt and pepper. When the skillet is hot, add the duck pieces, skin side down and sear until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the legs to a medium pot and cover with chicken stock. Simmer, covered, over low heat, until the meat is tender, 1-1/2 hrs.
2. Drain most of the duck fat from the skillet but do not throw out. Add sausage to skillet and sauté over medium heat until brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels and drain fat into jar with the duck fat. Wipe skillet clean.
3. Transfer the duck legs to a plate and shred into bite sized pieces. Set aside. Spoon the fat from the top of the stock and bring to a simmer over low to medium low heat.
4. Add 1 tbsp of duck/chorizo fat back to skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice to coat, and cool until translucent around the edges, about 2 minutes. Splash in wine and cook until absorbed. Add a ladleful of hot stock and cook, stirring continuously, until the liquid has almost burbled away. Keep up this rhythm of adding stock, stirring, and cooking until the rice is tender but offers just the slightest bite of resistance in the middle and almost all the stock has been absorbed.
5. Stir in sausage and duck, then add orange juice and stir until absorbed. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Add in orange zest and serve.