Good Noms Valentine's 2: Soup

Part 1
Part 2 of the great Valentine's meal posts (but really part 1 of the meal itself) is wonton soup.
Wonton Soup

• Chicken broth - 2 cups
• Ground beef - 1/2 lb
• Green onions - 1/2 stalk
• Onion - 1/2
• Leek - 1/2 stalk
• Ginger - 2 tbsp
• Wonton wrappers
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
  
• Rice Vinegar - 1 tbsp
  
• Brown sugar - 1 tbsp
• Sesame oil
  

Cut the leek to separate the white part of the stalk from the leafy part. Dice the white part. Mince ginger. Chop up half the amount of each type of onion. Add brown sugar, a little bit of salt and pepper, soy sauce, rice vinegar. Mix all these with the meat in a bowl.
Chop up the green part of the leek. Thinly slice the rest of the onion. Set that, the second half of the green onion (chopped) and the leek aside.

Dollop out the meat mixture into the wrappers. Dip your fingers in water to seal up the edges as you pinch them together. Don't overstuff or they'll explode.

Heat up the chicken broth (or vegetable or beef) to near boiling, then pop in the wontons. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add in all your set-aside veggies. Cook for another 10 minutes, until the wontons get floaty and soft looking. Right before serving add a tiny dash of sesame oil for an awesome smell.

Good Noms Valentine's 1: Risotto

This is part one of a three part series that encompasses the meal that Tu made for me on Valentine's day. This meal has rekindled in me a fiery burning passion ... for beets. I seriously love beets. I guess Tu isn't bad, either.

So, Risotto.

• 2 cups arborio rice
• 8 oz mushrooms of your choice (shiitake)
• 3-4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 oz grated parmesan
• dried parsley
  
• 1 oz Grey Goose*

Clean and cut the mushrooms. Sautee them in a small amount of the oil. Set aside. In a thick bottomed (heh) pot, put the rice into the oil on medium heat. Give a stir to coat. When it becomes glossy and transparent and you start to hear sizzle, you will first add the vodka**, then begin adding the broth. You will add half a cup at a time and wait until mostly absorbed to add the next half cup, stirring constantly. This will take about a half hour. Have fun.

When you are on your last half-cup of broth, throw in your sauteed mushrooms and parsley. When the last half cup is absorbed, add the cream and turn off the heat. Stir in the grated cheese. Let rest a bit to thicken. You now might be as good a risotto maker as old Italian ladies. For everyone's best, though, don't challenge them. Feel free to speak with an appropriate accent for the rest of the day.

For complete meal ideas, tune in next week.

*Typically you should use white wine. Tu thinks that since the dish is grains, and the grape (wine) is a berry, it doesn't go well together. Vodka, however, is made from grains/root vegetables, so makes more sense. If you'd rather use wine, it's about 4 oz.

**If you are using wine, add it in-between your stock portions in increments

Good Noms spinach dip

Ingredients:

• Spinach - 1 bunch - 2 frozen packages (thawed and drained)
• Bacon - 4 slices
• Cream cheese - 6 oz
• Heavy cream - 1 cup
• Cheese of your choice - 1 cup
• 1/2 stick of butter
  
• Garlic powder, salt

Cook the bacon and place on paper towel to drain.
Rinse and chop up the spinach.
Melt some butter in a pot, add the cream. When the mixture begins to bubble, turn off the heat and add the shredded cheese, stirring vigorously.
Preheat the oven to 350. Once the mixture begins to thicken slightly, add the spinach and leave on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese and the garlic powder and a tiny bit of grated Parmesan cheese (optional) and salt. Place into a baking dish, chop up the bacon, sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. It will thicken as it cools. Enjoy warm. I recommend these chips. Delicious and nutritious.

Good Noms gingersnaps.

I was craving cookies and seeing as we were snowed in completely (everything was closed), I just made my own. Thank goodness for a stocked baking cabinet. I will never stop recommending buying 2-3 different types of flour, sugar, and all your spices at once, even if you don't need them (provided you bake on some sort of regular basis).

Gingersnaps:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup white sugar for decoration

I skipped the sugar dip on some of the cookies (because honestly, the thought of so much sugar scares me). I even reduced the white sugar from 3/4 cup called for in the original recipe. These cookies were great starting with the dough. It was the perfect moist, but not sticky consistency. The King Arthur whole wheat flour hides perfectly in the rich brown color, so you can even sneak these to your less health conscious friends - they won't be able to tell! I didn't use proper measurements for the spices, my teaspoons came out heaping, and the smell of the baking/done cookies was insanely tantalizing. Not for those of us that don't like spice, though. If you want less fat, you can substitute apple sauce for half the butter. They are super soft and chewy when done. Mmm.