I love cold nights warmed by steaming bowls of soup. It’s soup season and I fully intend to take advantage of it. Freshly made, reheated, at home, out with friends… it’s one of my all time favorite comfort foods.
Did you ever watch the Seinfeld episode where they aren’t allowed to buy soup anymore? I always get so frustrated when people have food to eat, on a show, and they can’t. I don’t know why it bothers me so much. But, it does. I think I would be devastated if I had to wait one year to come back for soup.
Do you like fennel? I didn’t think I did. But, I’ve discovered that I do. Especially in Mac and Cheese, roasted, and in soups.
Heat soup pot. Add olive oil. When oil is hot, add fish and cook, over med-low heat for 3 minutes. Add veggies, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium, and cook covered, for 10 minutes.
Add vinegar, stir to deglaze the pan (scrape off any browned bits from the bottom).
Whisk together flour and 1/4 C water. Add to soup pot. Stir. Add hot water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook 15-20 minutes, or until veggies are tender and fish is cooked.
Remove from heat and add milk, cream, and fennel pollen. Stir. Add lemon. Stir. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Slice chicken almost all the way through, lengthwise, creating a flap. Stuff with 2 pieces of gruyère and 1 piece of prosciutto. Close flap and spread the top with dijon, a sprinkle of salt, pepper, paprika, and flour.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Pour in water. Place chicken in pan, mustard side up.
Bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake 15-20 minutes more (or until chicken reaches 175F).
Spread 1/4 T dijon over one side of each chicken thigh. Season it with salt and pepper. Sprinkle it with flour.
Heat skillet. Add olive oil. When hot, shake excess flour from chicken and place in pan, mustard side down.
Top each thigh with remaining mustard, salt, pepper, flour, and 1 T butter. Place lid on pan and cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Flip and cook 8-10 minutes more, or until chicken reaches 180F.
1/2 to 1 C cheese, grated (creamy jack and cheddar)
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350F. In an ovenproof skillet, cook beef. Drain (wipe out pan, if desired) and set aside. Add olive oil to skillet and let it get hot. Add all veggies and seasonings except mustard greens and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until veggies are tender.
Whisk cornstarch with water, dijon, balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Pour over veggies. Stir in beef and mustard greens, and cook for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. If the liquid evaporates too much, add more water.
Remove from heat. Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed. Spread the meat and veggies evenly in the pan (if you weren’t cooking in an oven safe skillet, now’s the time to transfer to a greased, ovenproof dish.) Cover meat mixture with mashed potatoes. Top with cheese and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
Bake at 350F until the potatoes are hot (165F) and cheese is melted. With fresh, hot mashed potatoes, it should only be 10-15 minutes. With cold potatoes, it could be about 30-40 minutes (at least it was for me!).
Notes
Individual pies would also be a fun idea, especially for a dinner party! Great with a simple Green Salad, or Coleslaw. * To roast garlic: Slice the top off a head of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake at 350F for 45-60 minutes. Once it’s cool, squeeze garlic from skin.
