Spinach & Pea Soup with Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese
Soup
Serves 6
- 2 cups chopped leeks
- 1 cup onion, small diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, additional for garnish
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoons salt, additional as needed
- 1 (1-pound bag) frozen peas
- 1 cup finely chopped spinach
- Heavy cream, for garnish
- Crushed black pepper, for garnish
- Chopped green onions, for garnish
Grilled cheese
Serves 1
- 2 slices bread
- 1 slice cheddar cheese
- Butter as needed
To make the soup, in a stock pot, combine the leeks, onion, and oil. Sauté until slightly golden. Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Deglaze the pan with vegetable stock, add whole cloves, bay leaves, and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and cloves, and add peas and spinach. Recover and blanch peas for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and use an emersion or stand blender to puree the soup. Taste and add additional salt as needed. Serve hot or chilled. Garnish with heavy cream, olive oil, black pepper, and green onions.
To make the grilled cheese, use your waffle iron as a panini press, preheated to medium heat. Butter each slice of bread on one side. Place the buttered side of the first slice of bread face down on the base of the preheated waffle iron. Top with a slice of cheese, and a second slice of bread, buttered-side up. Shut the waffle iron and press down on the lid to create the signature waffle shape. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, toasting until golden brown. Carefully remove sandwich from waffle iron and let cool to the touch before eating. Serve warm with spinach and pea soup.
RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY KRISTEL MATOUSEK
WWW.PHOTORICALFOOD.COM / @PHOTORICALFOOD
Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches
Serves 4
- ½ cup flour
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 fluid ounces water
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 cup (1.5 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 (½ to inch to thick) elongated slices of eggplant
- Oil, as needed for pan-frying
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- Butter, as needed for toasting bread
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) crushed tomato puree
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 1 (1.5-ounce) package basil, stems removed
Mix flour, egg, salt, and water together to form a batter. On a large plate, combine the bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese. Fully submerge eggplant slices in the prepared batter, then transfer to the bread crumbs to coat. Firmly press the bread crumbs into the eggplant as you coat. Added pressure drives the bread crumbs into the eggplant, creating a good bond and preventing the coating from falling off while cooking.
HEART HEALTHY.
Instead of deep- or pan-frying, lightly spritz with oil and bake or air-fry until crispy and golden brown.
Preheat oil in frying pan over moderate heat. When eggplant is placed in the pan, oil should rise halfway up the side of the eggplant for even cooking. Pan-fry each eggplant for 5 minutes on one side before gently flipping and frying for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain off excess oil.
Butter one side of each slice of bread before toasting in a frying pan. Place the fried eggplant on the toasted side of 1 slice of bread, followed by crushed tomatoes and mozzarella, then place under a broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Top with fresh basil leaves and a second piece of bread, toasted-side down. Serve warm.
RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY KRISTEL MATOUSEK
WWW.PHOTORICALFOOD.COM / @PHOTORICALFOOD
Meatless Veggie Balls in Mushroom Sauce
Makes 24 balls
- 2 tablespoons oil, divided
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- 1 cup onions, small diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cooked lentils
- ½ teaspoon fennel
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup oat flour
- Gravy (recipe to follow)
- Mashed potatoes and green beans for serving, if desired
Gravy
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- ¼ cup heavy cream or coconut cream
- 2 cups vegetable stock
Preheat 1 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan over moderately high heat. Sauté the mushrooms until golden brown. Reduce heat to moderate, add onions to the pan, stir occasionally and sauté until translucent and slightly brown. Add garlic, season with salt, and cook for an additional minute or until aromatic. Transfer contents of the pan to a food processor followed by cooked lentils, fennel, oregano, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, and oat flour. Process until smooth in consistency and no clumps remain. Divide the mixture into 24 equal-size meatballs.
Preheat the remaining tablespoon oil in a sauté pan over moderate heat. Place the formed meatballs in the pan and cook until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside while you make the gravy.
To make the gravy, return the sauté pan to moderately high heat and preheat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown. Reduce burner to moderate heat, melt the butter in the pan before adding the onion and garlic powder, then season with salt. Add the corn starch, mixing to remove any clumps. Slowly add the cream, followed by the vegetable stock, whisking to prevent clumping. Bring to a simmer, add the meatballs back to the pan, and cook until the gravy is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Serve warm.
RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY KRISTEL MATOUSEK
WWW.PHOTORICALFOOD.COM / @PHOTORICALFOOD
