Meatless Monday: White bean and mushroom soup

by Caitlin Saniga

Joel’s mom has always recommended blending down white beans in a soup to create a thicker, creamier texture. This is the first time I’ve used that trick, and I’m a fan.

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Roasted delicata squash boats with mushrooms, kale and Parmesan

by Caitlin Saniga

I got out all of the eating utensils, not sure how to go about digging into this squash. The rind is edible, so I tried cutting it into brimming half-moons with a serrated knife. Joel used a large spoon to scrape out the whole squash and eat it combined with the filling. No matter how you do it, it’ll be delicious! The flavors reminded me of Thanksgiving.

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Meatless Monday: Creamy roasted cauliflower soup

by Caitlin Saniga

This is a grown-up twist on the classic broccoli and cheddar soup: rich, silky, hearty and with a beautiful, mild, fruity depth, thanks to the white wine. Feel free to stir in cooked brown rice or farro, like my mom always did with our broccoli cheese soup.

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Grind and Roll: Simple beef meatballs with a white wine and chive tomato sauce

by Sarah Steimer

This is the meatball recipe my mom has always used. It’s simple enough to whip together in a hurry — and one of the first meals I think I remember mom letting me “make” (i.e. mush the ingredients together and roll into balls). I probably also made these meatballs for all of my roommates. The only difference today? I created a new sauce.

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Farrotto with scallions and bacon

by Sarah Steimer

This was an ideal dish for our wacky weather lately. The farro and bacon are the comfort food we (still!) need while the temperatures continue to dip, while the bright pops of scallion give us a literal taste of the spring season I hope we see soon.

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Buttery white wine mushroom crostini

by Caitlin Saniga

Mushrooms always reduce in size when they cook. This recipe could easily be doubled for larger portions or for larger parties.

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Roasted baby artichokes over pasta with a white wine, lemon and shallot sauce

by Sarah Steimer

Can’t find baby artichokes? Use canned artichoke hearts. Baby artichokes are pretty earthy, and I think Bill actually would have preferred the canned hearts instead (but he still liked this dish well enough).

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Wilted: Spinach with bacon, roasted red pepper and mozzarella

by Sarah Steimer

This dish was inspired by a meal I had at Tiny Lounge in Chicago back in December. They served this salad with warm French bread and roasted garlic. It was just as amazing as it sounds (with a Manhattan on the side).

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Spring pea risotto with mint and chorizo

by Sarah Steimer

I paired this risotto with an asparagus-Gruyere tart. The mint in this dish may seem odd for a risotto, but it's balanced very nicely with the salty pork chorizo. And one last thing - this picture doesn't do it justice. It looks dry here only because it's the leftover batch. Straight from the pan it was perfectly creamy.

• 2 1/2  cups chopped leeks (about three leeks using mainly the white and light green parts)
• 1 cup  aborio rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4-5 cups  hot stock (chicken or vegetable)
• 1/4 cup finely diced chorizo, if you can find the cured version. If not, use one chorizo sausage and remove from its casing. Cook as you would ground beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1  lemon (zest and juice)
• 2 cups  blanched fresh OR frozen peas
• 1/4 cup fresh mint
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste

Begin heating the stock on the stove.

In the meantime, puree 1 cup of peas (ONLY ONE), lemon juice and zest, mint, parsley, and salt and pepper. Pulse in a food processor until it resembles a pesto. Set aside.

Add the oil and butter to a large pan with high sides. Allow the butter to melt before adding the leeks. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the leeks have wilted and the white parts are translucent. Add the rice and stir for about one minute, so the butter and oil coats the rice. Add the white wine and simmer for until the liquid is absorbed.

Add the hot stock to the pan one cup at a time, waiting to add the next cup once the first is absorbed. Repeat either until all the stock is used or the rice reaches your desired consistency. I used a little less than four cups.

Turn off the heat and add the pea-mint puree, cheese, chorizo and additional salt and pepper, if desired. Stir until fully combined. Serve warm with additional shredded cheese.

Makes four to six servings.

Recipe adapted from: Feasting at Home

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Fond of You: Traditional Swiss fondue with fresh nutmeg

by Caitlin Saniga

Have you ever grated your own nutmeg? It tastes and smells dramatically different from the nutmeg that comes already grated in little jars at the store. It's fresh and floral and earthy. The large seed resting on the grater in the right of the photo is a nutmeg seed, and you can find whole nutmeg at bulk food stores.

• 7 ounces shredded Swiss cheese (I used Emmental.)
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 ounce cherry-flavored liqueur (Kirschwasser is good.)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg, for topping

Dipper ideas:

• sliced pear
• crispy mini sausages
• strips of grilled pita

When Sarah and I worked together at The Burr, one of Kent State's student-run magazines, we made several trips to The Melting Pot for dinner and desserts, courtesy of our editor John (left). This recipe is a copycat recipe for The Melting Pot's traditional Swiss fondue.

Toss the cheese with the flour in a bowl. Place a metal bowl over a saucepan filled with two inches of water (or use a double boiler). Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, and pour the wine into the bowl.

Stir in the lemon juice and garlic using a fork. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add half of the cheese, and stir constantly until the cheese is melted. Add the remaining cheese a small amount at a time stirring constantly. Pour the liqueur slowly around the edge of the bowl.

Pull the cheese mixture away from the edge of the bowl and cook for about one minute or until the alcohol cooks off. Stir the liqueur into the cheese. Stir the pepper in gently. Pour into a hot serving bowl. Garnish with a dash of nutmeg and serve immediately.

Makes about 4 servings.

Recipe adapted from: RecipeSecrets.net

*Throughout February we’ll post fondue recipes as part of our Fond of You guide (get the Valentine’s Day reference?). You can find all of our fondue recipes here.

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