The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (25 page)

2.
Season chicken with the salt, and place in bag. Add broth, chickpeas, carrots, raisins, onion, garlic, ginger, thyme, mustard, and zest to bag; tie bag closed, and shake to combine. Set in pan, and make four ½-inch slits in bag near opening. Bake chicken mixture in bag in the roasting pan until chicken is very tender, 1 hour 30 minutes.

3.
While the chicken cooks, prepare the couscous according to package instructions, omitting any fat. Serve chicken and sauce over couscous.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 381 CALORIES, 10 G FAT, 76 MG CHOLESTEROL, 46 G CARBOHYDRATE, 473 MG SODIUM, 28 G PROTEIN, 5 G FIBER

spring vegetable stew with sweet-potato dumplings

SERVES 6

for the dumplings

1 medium sweet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into large chunks

Coarse salt

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

Freshly ground pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

for the stew

2 lemons, halved

4 medium artichokes (10 ounces each)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

10 ounces red pearl onions, blanched and peeled

1 rind Parmesan cheese (about 5 inches long; or substitute 5-inch piece cheese)

2½ cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable stock (not roasted)

1 teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

12 orange or yellow baby carrots, peeled, or 3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 3-inch pieces

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

6 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces (about 1¼ cups)

1.
Make the dumplings: Place the sweet potato in a saucepan; cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; add a large pinch of salt. Reduce the heat; simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder, 1½ teaspoons salt, and a pinch of pepper in a bowl; set aside.

2.
Drain the sweet potato. Pass it through a ricer onto a baking sheet. Spread out; let cool 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the eggs and parsley. Add the flour mixture; stir just until a sticky dough forms.

3.
Meanwhile, make the stew: Fill a medium bowl with cold water. Squeeze the juice of 1½ lemons into the water; add the rinds. Remove and discard the tough outer leaves from 1 artichoke. Cut off the top third; peel the stem. Halve the artichoke lengthwise; remove the fuzzy choke, and discard. Cut into 1-inch-thick wedges, and place in the lemon water. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.

4.
Melt the butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions; cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add the Parmesan rind. Drain the artichokes; add to pot. Stir in the stock and 4½ cups water; add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the carrots. Reduce the heat; simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes. Squeeze the remaining ½ lemon into pot; stir in tarragon.

5.
Using 2 spoons, form 18 dumplings, dropping into the stew as you work. Cover; cook 7 minutes. Add the asparagus. Cook, covered, until the dumplings are cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the rind before serving.

potato soup with baby artichokes

SERVES 8

You can substitute eight small artichokes for the baby artichokes: Prepare them as directed below, removing all but the tender inner leaves and scooping out the choke. Adjust the cooking time accordingly. Fan leaves of artichoke hearts, and place one in each bowl.

2 lemons, halved crosswise

24 baby artichokes

6 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 small onions, finely chopped

Coarse salt

Freshly ground white pepper

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

Fresh chives, cut into 1-inch pieces, for garnish

1.
Fill a large bowl with cold water, and squeeze the juice of 3 lemon halves into the water; add the rinds. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove the tough outer leaves (reserve about 8 cups leaves, and discard remaining). Trim the tops so the artichokes are 1 inch long. Peel the stems to remove tough, dark-green parts, and cut the stems flat so that the artichokes can stand upright. Rub the artichokes with juice from the remaining lemon half; place the artichokes in the lemon water. Cover with damp paper towels. The artichokes can be refrigerated in lemon water overnight; cook just before serving.

2.
Put the reserved artichoke leaves and the stock into a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a large bowl, and discard the leaves (you should have about 4 cups liquid). Set aside.

3.
Melt the butter in a medium stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and reserved artichoke broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.

4.
Meanwhile, fill a clean large stockpot with 2 inches of water. Insert a steamer basket, and bring water to a boil. Add the artichoke hearts to steamer basket. Cover, and steam until artichoke hearts are tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes (begin checking after 15 minutes). Season with salt. Transfer the artichoke hearts to a platter, and cover to keep warm.

5.
Working in batches, coarsely purée the soup in a food processor (do not overprocess). Pass through a medium-mesh sieve into another pot. Season with salt and pepper. The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container overnight; reheat over medium-low heat before serving.

6.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Fan leaves of artichoke hearts, if desired; place 3 hearts in each bowl. Garnish soup with chives.

cavolo nero and cannellini bean soup

SERVES 4

1½ pounds cavolo nero (also called Tuscan kale), stemmed and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¹
/
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cup finely chopped red onion

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 dried red chile, crumbled

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

4 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

8 ounces dried cannellini beans, soaked according to package instructions

1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped (about ¾ cup)

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

¼ loaf Tuscan bread (about 6 ounces), cut into ½-inch-thick slices and toasted

1.
Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the kale; cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, reserving ¼ cup cooking liquid. Plunge the kale into the ice bath. Drain.

2.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chile, and fennel seeds; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.

3.
Stir in the stock, beans, and tomato. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

4.
Add the kale and reserved cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Divide the bread and soup among 4 bowls.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 290 CALORIES, 7 G FAT, 1 MG CHOLESTEROL, 47 G CARBOHYDRATE, 687 MG SODIUM, 13 G PROTEIN, 4 G FIBER

thai hot-and-sour chicken soup with wide rice sticks

SERVES 6

Some varieties of noodles suggest soaking them in boiling water instead of cooking them; check your package instructions before preparing them.

7 ounces wide rice sticks

6 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

2 lemongrass stalks, bottom 8 inches only, trimmed and crushed

16 slices (¼ inch thick each) jarred or canned bamboo shoots

1 piece (1½ inches) peeled fresh galangal or ginger, thickly sliced

8 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves, plus more thinly sliced for garnish

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

Juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon palm or granulated sugar

4 fresh Thai chiles, thinly sliced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each), cut into ½-inch-thick, 2-inch-long strips

3 ounces snow peas, trimmed

3 ounces oyster mushrooms

½ cup chopped (½-inch pieces) Chinese yard-long or green beans

¼ cup chopped garlic chives or scallions, plus more for garnish

1.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles; cook according to package instructions, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold running water. Set aside.

2.
Bring the stock, lemongrass, bamboo shoots, galangal, and 4 lime leaves to a boil in a large pot. Reduce the heat; simmer 8 minutes. Stir in half of the fish sauce, half of the lime juice, half of the sugar, and half of the chiles; cook 4 minutes.

3.
Stir in the chicken, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Taste, and add more fish sauce, sugar, or chiles as desired. Discard the lemongrass and lime leaves. Stir in the snow peas, mushrooms, beans, chives, and remaining 4 lime leaves. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining lime juice. Divide the soup and noodles among 6 serving bowls; garnish with lime leaves and chives.

japanese salmon ramen with chile-ginger dressing and wheat noodles

SERVES 6

for the salmon

1½ pounds salmon fillet, skinned

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

5 tablespoons store-bought teriyaki marinade

Vegetable oil, for rubbing

for the dressing

2 tablespoons black or red-wine vinegar

¼ cup sweet chili sauce

6 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 piece (2 inches) peeled fresh ginger, finely grated

for serving

1 pound thin wheat noodles or soba noodles

1 tablespoon plus ¼ teaspoon instant dashi stock powder

3 scallions, white parts cut into 1-inch pieces, green parts thinly sliced

1½ cups tatsoi or baby spinach

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1.
Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Transfer to a resealable bag. Add the teriyaki marinade; gently toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to 4 hours).

2.
Make the dressing: Whisk together the vinegar, chili sauce, fish sauce, and ginger in a small bowl; set aside.

3.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles, and cook according to package instructions, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

4.
Remove the salmon from the marinade, and rub with oil; reserve marinade. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the salmon; cook, flipping once, until dark brown, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Add about half of the reserved marinade during last minute of cooking, and flip salmon to coat. Transfer to a plate. Let stand 5 minutes. Flake into large chunks.

5.
Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the dashi powder and white part of scallion. Reduce to a simmer, and cook 3 minutes. Set aside.

6.
To serve, divide the noodles among 6 serving bowls; ladle some dashi broth over noodles. Divide the salmon and tatsoi among bowls. Drizzle with dressing; sprinkle with sesame seeds and green part of scallions. Serve immediately.

pear and autumn-vegetable soup

SERVES 6

2 medium Bartlett pears (8 to 10 ounces each) and 4 small Bartlett pears (about 6 ounces each)

1 sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 turnip (about 3 ounces), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 sprig fresh sage

1½ teaspoons coarse salt

¼ cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut 2 medium pears lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pears are dry, about 1 hour. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack.

2.
Meanwhile, peel the remaining 4 pears; halve lengthwise, and core. Place the pears, pumpkin, turnip, sage, and 1 teaspoon salt in a 4-quart stockpot. Cover with water (at least 4 cups). Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

3.
Pour the mixture through a sieve into a medium bowl, reserving the broth and discarding the sage. Puree the solids in a food processor or blender, adding up to ½ cup reserved broth as needed.

4.
Return the puree to the pot. Stir in 3 to 4 cups reserved broth to achieve desired consistency. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk in cream, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Serve garnished with dried pears.