Chorizo and Potato Soup

Humble dishes can be some of the most satisfying to make and to eat. when I was a kid my mom would always make a dish of potatoes and sausage that she called potatoes paprikash. I later learned it's an actual dish that many Hungarians make, oftentimes without any sausage because they're on a tight budget. At the time I didn't care much for the dish, but now I've come to appreciate it much more.

The Spanish make a dish that's very similar in its flavor. (There's actually a lot of overlap between Hungarian and Spanish food, the foremost being the spice paprika.) The sausage is the key to the recipe. Hungarian and Spanish sausages are packed with paprika—it's what makes both sausages so red. This cross between a soup and stew is a traditional dish from Rioja. Yet it's almost exactly like my mom's recipe, except it features chorizo.

I make this recipe without any oil at all. There's enough fat in the chorizo, which comes out during cooking, that there's no need to add more oil or fat. There's also no need to add any additional paprika because there's enough in the sausages. I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes in the recipe because they hold their shape well after boiling. If you wish, some of the potatoes can be crushed to thicken the soup/stew. You'll really enjoy this humble and hearty dish. Add a chunk of bread and a glass of wine to complete the meal.

Chorizo and Potato Soup

6 ounces chorizo sausages, cut into half moons
1 medium white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups chicken broth or water
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes (about 3 large), peeled and cubed
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook until crisp and fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes.

Add back chorizo and rewarm. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, crush some potatoes to thicken the broth. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

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Flageolet Bean Salad with Carrots and Fennel

In the fall and winter I really enjoy cooking with beans. I make lentil soup or sometimes black-eyed pea soup for New Year's. I love chili with beans. And I particularly enjoy bean salads, either warm or cold, as side dishes or mixed into green salads for a healthy lunch. Black beans and cannellini beans are some of my favorites to cook with, but I'm always looking for other types of beans that I haven't tried before.

There are many varieties of beans and I've been on a trek to discover them all, especially heirloom ones. I recently discovered French flageolet beans and loved them right away. The unique feature of this bean, besides its pale green color, is that they keep their shape very well after cooking and, if soaked overnight, they cook up quickly—in about 30 minutes. Their firm texture is what makes them perfect for this French-style bean salad.



In this recipe I play with Mediterranean flavors like fennel, garlic, lemon, and olive oil. I use fennel stalks and fronds, which most people would otherwise discard after using the bulb. (I usually use the fennel bulb in a roast chicken recipe and use the stalks for this salad. Then I pair the two dishes to make a meal.) The fennel adds a sweet anise flavor to the salad and the carrots lend additional sweetness. Lemon as well as red-wine vinegar add tartness. Serve this bean salad warm or cold, as an appetizer or side dish to fish, chicken, or meats. You'll enjoy the bright and fresh flavors.

Flageolet Bean Salad with Carrots and Fennel

1 cup dry flageolet beans, soaked overnight
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 small carrots, sliced diagonally on a quarter turn
2 stalks fennel, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 chopped fennel fronds

Drain and rinse beans. Add to a pot and fill with water 2 inches above level of beans. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Partially cover and cook until tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. Drain beans.

Warm 2 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots and fennel and sauté until lightly colored, about 3 minutes. Add more oil if pan gets too dry. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low heat to steam vegetables until tender but still crisp, about 8 minutes.

Stir in beans and rewarm. Off from heat, add lemon juice, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fennel fronds. Serve warm or cold. Yield: 4 to 6 servings as an appetizer or side dish.

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Cola-Braised Pork Shoulder with Onions and Dried Cherries

Braising is one of those cooking techniques that's made for winter. When you've got the time and you're stuck indoors on a cold day, braising low and slow is the way to go. Almost anything can be braised, but tough cuts of meat like beef chuck, lamb shoulder, and pork shoulder are the best. Under a tight-lidded pot, these meats go meltingly tender—with the touch of a fork it falls apart.

The key to a flavorful braise is the liquid. Many classic recipes use red wine or beer, such as ale or stout. But braising in soda, either ginger ale or cola, also produces mouthwatering results. Since a standard cola recipe uses a number of ingredients (including roots, spices, and herbs), the soda acts like a very flavorful broth. It all lends wonderful flavor to the meat. This pork shoulder braise features the flavors of Mexican cola.

To enhance the flavor further, I add balsamic vinegar for tanginess and brown sugar for sweetness. Dried cherries lend another level of flavor as well as texture. Since I love cherry cola, it's a win-win. After braising the meat, I like to reduce the liquid to create a luscious sauce. Simply serve the pork thickly sliced with the sauce alongside plus some boiled or mashed potatoes—it's the perfect Sunday dinner.

Make this recipe on the weekend when you have the time. It can even be made ahead and then chilled. The fat will be even easier to skim when it's cold. Simply rewarm and reduce the sauce before you serve it.

Cola-Braised Pork Shoulder with Onions and Dried Cherries

2 tablespoons olive oil
4-pound boneless pork shoulder, tied
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 large white onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 12-ounce bottles Mexican cola, preferably Jarritos
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Warm oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Sear the pork shoulder on all sides until brown, about 15 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste to coat the vegetables. Deglaze the pan with vinegar. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Add cola, water, and bay leaves. Nestle in pork shoulder. Bring to a simmer and cover. Transfer to oven and cook for 1-1/2 hours. Remove from oven and turn pork shoulder. Add cherries, recover, and cook for an additional 1-1/2 hours or until tender.

Carefully remove pork shoulder to a plate. Remove twine. Cover and keep warm.

Over a large saucepan, strain onions and cherries from sauce, and reserve. Skim surface of braising liquid with a ladle to remove fat. Set saucepan over medium heat and bring to a rapid simmer. Reduce sauce by a half, about 15 minutes. Add back onions and cherries and rewarm. Slice pork shoulder and place on platter. Spoon over with sauce and serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

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Orange, Banana, and Walnut Buckwheat Pancakes

Is there such a thing as healthy pancakes? Probably not, especially when you factor in the typical amount of syrup most people use. But there is something you can do. Make healthier pancakes—start by switching out the white flour for a better flour. I love to experiment with different flours, especially ones that are whole grain. I can easily adapt standard white-flour recipes to use whole grain flours.

Buckwheat is one of the flours I've come to like the most. It has an earthy flavor and a dense, hearty texture. Unlike regular wheat flour, buckwheat does not have gluten, making it safe to eat for those who have celiac disease. But even if you're not on any diet restriction, buckwheat flour is worth adding to your cooking/baking repertoire.



Buckwheat flour is great in many recipe, including baked goods and pastas or dumplings. If you've ever had Japanese soba noodles, French galettes, or Russian blitzes, then you've had buckwheat before. With this recipe I make pancakes to show how easy it is to replace your average pancake recipe or boxed mix with this recipe using buckwheat flour. It also includes orange zest, bananas, and walnuts for more flavor. If you're all for for trying something new, try buckwheat flour.

Orange, Banana, and Walnut Buckwheat Pancakes

1 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for pan
1 medium banana, peeled and chopped, plus 1 sliced banana for garnish
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, plus more for garnish
maple syrup, for serving

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add orange zest, egg, milk and oil. Whisk to incorporate. Mix in chopped banana and walnuts.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Brush with oil. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto hot skillet for each pancake. Cook 1 to 2 minutes on first side. When edges are brown and bubbles come to the surface, flip and cook an additional 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve pancakes topped with sliced banana and chopped walnuts along with maple syrup on the side. Yield: 10 to 12 pancakes.

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Potatoes and Cauliflower or Aloo Gobi

I first discovered Indian food in my first year of college. There were at least three Indian buffets around campus, so I had plenty of places to choose from for lunch. I've always been an adventurous eater so trying all the traditional Indian dishes was extremely fun for me. And I often brought along my Indian friends to show me what was good.

One of my favorite dishes to this day is aloo gobi or potatoes and cauliflower. What makes it special is the flavorful blend of spices including turmeric, which tinges the vegetables a beautiful yellow. Turmeric also happens to have many health benefits. I love this dish because of the spices but also because I'm a fan of cauliflower. And in this dish it plays especially well with potatoes.

This recipe couldn't be easier to make. You start by quickly sautéing ginger and garlic then toasting the spices. Add the vegetables and a bit of water. Cover, cook, and you're done. Just make sure not to overcook the vegetables. Pair this side with some basmati rice and maybe chicken tikka masala and it's an Indian dinner.

Aloo Gobi

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger (about 1/2-inch piece)
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup water
fine sea salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Warm oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; sauté for 3 minutes. Add spices and toast until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and potatoes; stir to coat with spices. Pour in water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until knife tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Toss with cilantro and serve. Yield: 6 servings as a side dish.

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Mushroom Risotto

I don't care what anyone says, you can't make risotto in less than 30 minutes. It just isn't possible, though many have tried. Some people claim that cooking the rice without stirring produces the same result. Others of the experimental cuisine echelon make risotto in mere minutes with the help of an immersion circulator. But true, creamy risotto does take anywhere between 30 and 45 minutes.

The process of continual stirring brings out the rice's natural starch to produce that characteristic creamy yet toothsome texture. If you're willing to put in the time, risotto is worth all the effort. Just the act of stirring it infuses the dish with love and care. One of my favorite types of risotto is mushroom, even though I love almost all types. But mushroom risotto is packed with so much earthy flavor, making it perfect for winter enjoyment.

My recipe for mushroom risotto includes four varieties, including dried porcini for depth of flavor and a combination of fresh mushrooms: cremini, oyster, and shiitake. I also don't let anything go to waste as I make a mushroom stock from the mushroom trimmings—it's basically just mushrooms boiled in water until all the flavor has been extracted. This risotto makes a great first course for a true Italian primi or serve it as a side dish.

Mushroom Risotto

1-ounce package dried porcini mushrooms
5 cups chicken broth or mushroom stock
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1-1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms, sliced 1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine, heated
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

Add dried mushrooms to a bowl and cover with 2 cups of boiling water. Soak, submerged with a small plate, for 20 minutes. Squeeze liquid from mushrooms and slice. Reserve liquid and strain. Combine mushroom broth and chicken broth in saucepan and heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy bottomed pan set over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove onion and garlic to a bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter to hot pan. Sauté mushrooms in three batches until brown and all moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Refresh pan with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter with each batch. Remove mushrooms to a bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter to hot pan. Add rice and toast until opaque, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add warmed wine and allow rice to absorb liquid, stirring constantly. Once all liquid is absorbed add about 1/2 cup hot broth. Once again allow rice to absorb liquid before adding another 1/2 cup hot broth, stirring constantly. Keep repeating this process until 1 cup broth remains.

Add reserved onion and garlic and half the sauteed mushrooms. Add 1/2 cup hot broth and allow rice to absorb liquid before adding the final 1/2 cup. The entire process takes about 30 minutes. The risotto should be very creamy and the rice slightly al dente.

Off from heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter and Parmesan. Divide the risotto among plates or shallow bowls. Top with remaining mushrooms, dividing evenly. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

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