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No garlic?

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No garlic.

For some time now my husband has had this persistent cough, that mainly occurs after he eats a meal. Finally, he went to the doctor and he suggested going on this acid-free diet. There are details to the diet but we must be very strict for 2 weeks and the main things are: no garlic, onions, tomatoes, or spicy or regular peppers and of course no fruit, except for bananas, pears and some apples.

Well telling me no garlic, onions, tomatoes or peppers is like well, I don’t know what!! I’d say the only dish I cook without garlic would be duck breasts with a fruit sauce!!!

So we started this diet on Monday and I’ve been reacquainting myself with Herbs de Provence. I used it to roast a chicken last night and on some tilapia fillets tonight. Tomorrow I’m making striped bass fillets and if any of you have any suggestions, please pour it on. He also should have limited olive oil and butter, only skinless chicken or fish, no meat or fried foods.

Help!

My Mom’s Pea Soup with Ham

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Pea soup in a white bowl.

As many of you know, I grew up in suburban St. Louis – Webster Groves – and left for college at Parsons School of Design here in NYC. So whenever I would go back home, my Mom would always have a big pot of pea soup with ham waiting for me as my first dinner home. It was my request as I adore pea soup and my mom made the best. My father would help her watch over it and stir every once in a while, referring to the simmering soup as it was “smiling”. And then he would “sweeten” it some more with Tabasco when she wasn’t looking. My friend Joan even remembers and still has my Mom’s handwritten recipe card. My card is pretty beat up and in my handwriting. I must have gotten the recipe over the phone from her. I had no idea that Joannie had an original Mom-handwritten one or that she had the recipe at all!

Now is the perfect time to make pea soup. Make a big pot and freeze some for later. Mom always seemed to have a ham bone with meat left on it to use. I use ham shanks from my butcher Bob. He cuts them in half to be able to get more flavor out of them while cooking and these babies are really meaty. (see photo below) Once again, I have made this recipe my own and changed up Mom’s. Another butcher in Summit, NJ gave me the tip of adding whole milk or cream at the end, to smooth it out and that it does! I hope you love this as much as I do.

SOPHIA’S COUNTRY SPLIT PEA SOUP – ADAPTED
1 lb. dried split green peas
1 ham bone with meat on it or 2 ham shanks, each cut in half
1 ½ cups chopped onions
1 ½ cups chopped celery with leaves – about 3 stalks
5 carrots, peeled and sliced in rounds
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
4 dashes Tabasco plus 3 more at the end
1 tsp. dried thyme
Salt
Pepper
4 smallish red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut into eighths
½ cup whole milk or cream

Wash off peas in cold water, drain, then cover with 2″ cold fresh water and let sit for one hour. Drain again, add 14 cups of cold water, put on high heat and let come to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the top. Add the ham bone or shanks, 2 bay leaves and 25 whole peppercorns. Simmer very slowly for 2 ½ hours, skimming any foam, stirring every once in a while, partially covered. Then add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, Tabasco and thyme. Simmer for another hour, uncovered, then add potatoes and simmer for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until potatoes are tender. Remove ham shanks or bone to a platter and remove all meat from the bones. Discard bones and fat, put shredded or small bite-size chunks of ham back in the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste along with 3 more dashes of Tabasco and ½ cup of milk. Serve with buttered rye bread. We loved to dip it into the soup. Yummy and so soothing and comforting.

Ham shank on a wooden cutting board.

one ham shank

The original pea soup recipe.

my original recipe

 

Amazing lamb ragu

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Lamb ragu with Girelle pasta from Fairway Market in a white bowl.
This dish is scrumptious!!! You have got to try it and see the look of love on the faces of your eaters!! Comforting and bursting with flavor, it’s a perfect Fall dish. This is the kind of dish that makes you want to crawl right inside of it, cuddle up and sigh. Really. And it’s quick, easy and special enough for guests!

PASTA WITH CREAMY LAMB RAGU & MINT
– serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground lamb
1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand, with liquid
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound dried penne pasta or Girelle as pictured
2 – 3 tbs. fresh chopped mint (or parsley if you don’t have mint)
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Warm olive oil in a medium skillet and turn heat to low. A minute later, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes translucent, about 10 – 12 minutes. Meanwhile, set a pot of water to boil for pasta and salt it.

When onion is ready, add lamb and garlic to skillet and cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until all traces of red are gone, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juice to lamb mixture, then adjust heat so it simmers briskly, constantly. The sauce should thicken.

Put pasta in boiling water and cook to al dente – usually 1-2 minutes less than package directions.

Taste and salt and pepper your sauce. Take the sauce off the heat, add cream, stirring completely. When pasta is done, drain well, toss it with sauce, some grated Pecorino Romano cheese and half the mint or parsley. Sprinkle the remaining chopped mint or parsley on top to finish the dish. Pass more cheese at the table.

Lamb ragu with Girelle in a bowl with grated Romano cheese and cracked black pepper.

With more grated Pecorino Romano cheese and cracked black pepper

Sunday night Cornish hens

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I love this dish because it’s quick and easy and looks fancy – fancy enough for a Sunday night dinner! The bold flavors are imparted from the mustard and teriyaki – flavorful components in of themselves, along with the onions and lemons just sliced. So no washing and chopping of fresh herbs makes it a quick fix! My mustard is a hot and sweet combo. I will post that recipe in the next few days. It’s nice to always have some on hand as it keeps well in the refrigerator. In the meantime, you can use Dijon or Nance’s.

Mustard teriyaki cornish hens on a white plate.

MUSTARD TERIYAKI CORNISH HENS
2 Cornish hens
Olive oil
2 large onions – sliced in 1/4’ thick slices
1 1/2 lemons – sliced in 1/8” slices
4 rounded tsps. of Mary’s mustard – recipe to come, or use Dijon or Nance’s
1.25 tsps. dried rosemary, crumbled
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and dry the Cornish hens. Cut off all visible fat and butt piece and then cut down the back portion to separate the 2 breasts to make 2 distinct halves. You should have 4 halves. Rub olive oil in a thin film on a rimmed baking sheet. Alternate slices of lemons and onions to form a large rectangle. Lay the Cornish hens halves on top and put a rounded teaspoon of mustard on each one and spread all over the skinned surface with a brush or knife, Sprinkle dried rosemary over all and then brush with the teriyaki sauce. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 -30 minutes. Baste at least twice, starting at 15 minutes. Your instant read thermometer should read 150 – 155. Let them rest on a platter for at least 10 minutes before serving. The lemon and the onions will give their juices along with the hens to make a wonderful mixture. You can even eat the roasted lemons with the hens, skin and all – like a fresh, preserved lemon!
Cornish hens on stove top.

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