Armenian Potato Leek Soup

Friends, I have been living large this week. I found out about an absolutely amazing donut shop that is a short walk from my office (Do-Rite Donuts OMG), accidentally stumbled upon the downtown Chicago Farmstand (as I was trying to find aforementioned donut shop for the first time), and went to the first outdoor Green City Market of the season! So exciting!



I love the produce at the beginning of spring. It's so tender and bright green and delicate. It deserves to be treated gently. Last Thursday, I was impatiently waiting our trip to the market on Saturday morning, so finding the Farmstand was like getting to open a present on Christmas Eve. I got some rhubarb, leeks, pea tendrils, and mint, and started dreaming about dinner.

As I started pulling things together for this soup that evening, I wasn't purposefully trying to turn it into an Armenian-flavored dish. I just wanted a light, simple way to spotlight these first few springtime treasures. But when I tasted it, the mint and yogurt were unmistakably Armenian. One of my favorite meals from my childhood was Tan Abour, a delicious soup made with lamb stock, yogurt, mint, and barley. This hits all the same flavor spots, and only takes about 25 minutes to come together, making it a perfect supper for a springtime weeknight. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!



Armenian Potato Leek Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 small potatoes, about a pound, peeled and cubed
2 leeks, rinsed well and sliced
2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

In a wide, shallow saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and onions, and saute for a few minutes, until the vegetables are getting some color in places. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and add the vegetable stock or water. Cover and reduce the heat to low, and simmer about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Puree in a blender. Return to the pot and stir in the milk, and heat through over low heat.

In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, mint, and salt. Stir yogurt mixture into the soup and mix well, or ladle soup into bowls and drizzle a little bit of the yogurt mixture over each bowl. Serve warm or chilled. Top each bowl with a little pile of pea tendrils.

Serves three as a meal, four as a first course.

7 Quick Takes: Ode to my iPhone

Happy happy Friday! This week, I finally traded in my crappy, falling-apart Palm Pixi for a shiny new iPhone 4. I've been playing with it almost nonstop since I got it, so my quick takes this week are going to be iPhone-centered. What are your favorite iPhone apps? I'm all ears!

1. RIP Palm Pixi.

Please tell me you can see why I thought this would be a good way to transition into smartphone-land. I mean, it's cute and tiny (which I liked), has a keyboard (since I was worried I would hate touch-screen typing), and has that little touch screen. If it had performed as promised, it would have been fabulous! ALAS. There's a rubbery layer on the back that just peels off after about 6 months of use. The battery life was atrocious. And about 5 months ago, the button on the side that controls the ringer broke, so I haven't been able to hear call or text alerts since January. Unacceptable. The iPhone is better than my other phone in basic ways: it makes a sound when I have an incoming call. Wow.

2. Pandora!



Wednesday after work, the sun was shining, and it was warm for the first time in weeks! I decided to take my Vibram FiveFingers (which I got on sale a couple months ago) and my Nickel Creek Pandora station for a little spin around the neighborhood. The combination may well change my life. The way I run (even though, let's be honest, I was mostly walking) in the barefoot shoes is completely different, and feels like the way you used to run around when you were a kid playing tag. It didn't feel like jogging (which might as well be called slogging) - it felt like play!

3. Twitter + Instagram!

I started using Twitter on my computer a while ago, but now that I'm using it on my phone, I feel like I'm getting more out of it. I'm able to scroll through and interact a little at a time, which makes it more fun! If you're on Twitter, follow me @elizaraxi.



Instagram was one of the apps I was most excited to start using. See a beautiful thing during your day? Share it. It's a lot of fun, and reminds me to stay present to all the lovely things I see (and delicious things I eat!) in the course of my daily life. If you use Instagram, follow me @elizaraxi there too!

4. I know, I know.



Maybe this is lame, and maybe it's a waste of time. But Angry Birds is pretty dang fun, and my husband and I have been fighting over who gets to play when he gets home from work. Judge away.

5. Redfin + Mint + other apps for grown ups.

Redfin allows you to search for and track real estate listings. It has a great map feature, which is great if you're out and about and want to see if there are open houses happening nearby. Mint keeps track of all your financial accounts in one place. What apps do you use to keep track of your life?

6. Prayer on the go.

The iBreviary app lets me pray in the rhythm of the Church wherever I am. I open it up, and I instantly have the Liturgy of the Hours (prayers for different times of the day that are prayed by religious communities worldwide), daily readings, and lots of common Catholic prayers at my fingertips. I did morning prayer on the train this morning! Super convenient.

7. Quick and easy food sharing!



Sometimes great things happen when you look in your fridge and get creative with what's in there. This was basically my thought process:

I'm starving. Hmmm... I kinda want a burrito. I really don't want to leave the house again, and I don't want to spend any money. I don't have any chicken defrosted. What do I have? A few flour tortillas and a giant bag of broccoli from Costco. I wonder if I could turn that into tacos? Broccoli cheddar tacos? People make broccoli cheddar soups and casseroles! I bet it could be tacos...  Oh! Oh! Let's make them Asian flavored.

And BOOM. One of my new favorite quick dinners was born.

Asian Broccoli Cheddar Tacos

about 2 cups broccoli florets
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sriracha (or more to taste)
a couple dashes toasted sesame oil
2 fajita-sized flour tortillas
grated sharp cheddar

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and add the broccoli. Toss for a minute or two, and then add a couple splashes of water to help steam the broccoli. Season with the soy sauce, sriracha, and sesame oil, and continue to cook until the broccoli is bright green with some crispy brown areas on the edges. Place the flour tortillas over a medium flame, flipping every 5-10 seconds, until hot and blistered. Fill each tortilla with half the broccoli, and top with the cheese.

Have a great weekend, and go see Jen for more quick takes!

Pear Crisp for One

Before long, peach and berry season will be here, but now the fruit that's available is still apples and pears.  They may be looking a bit tired, and they've lost the novelty they held in the late fall. But chopped up and tossed with sugar and spice, topped with oats and crystallized ginger, and baked, they're still hitting the spot for me.



What seasonal fruit or vegetable are you most looking forward to this spring?



Pear Crisp for One

1 pear, peeled, cored, and cubed
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the topping:
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon finely minced crystallized ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8-ounce ramekin. In a small bowl, toss pears, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and lemon juice together. Place mixture into the ramekin and dot the top with the cold butter. In another small bowl, combine oats, flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and melted butter, and stir together until it's crumbly but starting to hold together. Sprinkle oat mixture on top of pears, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until pears are tender and topping is crispy and golden. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Orange Sweet Rolls

Ever since our crazy heat wave in March, I've been just waiting for the warm weather to return. It's not that it's even been that cold, but those couple weeks of summer-ish heat ruined my tolerance for a normal cool and rainy April. I want to wear dresses (without tights!), ride my bike, have a picnic, walk around in the sunshine during my lunch break, and shop at the farmers market! Speaking of which, the Green City Market comes out to play again starting this Saturday, May 5! I can barely contain my excitement.

That first trip to the market tends to be a little disappointing, though. I'm trying to manage my expectations. Green onions and garlic scapes, probably. Maybe asparagus. Is it too much to hope for a few shimmering pink stalks of rhubarb?! Rhubarb makes my heart go pitter-pat.

The warm weather seems to be creeping back, too! This morning, my walk to work was cool and pleasant. The forecast this week is in the 70's and 80's with a chance of thunderstorms every day. I'll take it!



My mom has made these orange rolls every Easter since I can remember. When I moved out and wasn't able to come home for Easter, I learned to make them for my friends. The rolls are a rich yeasted sweet dough, brushed with butter and sprinkled with a mixture of sweetened, flaked coconut, sugar, and orange zest. They are then rolled into crescents and baked, and then doused in a bubbling sauce of butter, sour cream, sugar, and orange juice which seeps into each one, making it sticky and irresistible. I highly recommend that you make them for your mama for Mother's Day (May 13! Don't forget!).

If you're scared of baking with yeast, go read this post first.

Put the dough together (details in the recipe below), and let it rise once, then divide in half and roll them into a 10- to 12-inch circle. Brush with melted butter:



This is my sister. She was visiting for Easter. She's good at sprinkling coconut. Isn't she pretty?



Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut into 12 wedges, and roll up.



Line 'em up in the pan, cover and allow to rise about an hour, or until you feel that you cannot wait any longer...



While they're baking, make the glaze, and as soon as they come out, pour it over and sprinkle with more coconut. Make some coffee, too, while you're at it. Start with two rolls on your plate. I dare you to eat only two. This Easter, I think I ate six. At least.



Sticky, sweet, buttery, citrusy BLISS!



Orange Sweet Rolls

For the rolls:
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) dry active yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
scant 3 cups flour

For the filling:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup sweetened, flaked coconut
2 tablespoons grated orange zest

For the glaze:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup unsalted butter

Dissolve yeast in water and allow to sit until foamy. In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, salt, butter, eggs, and sour cream. Mix in yeast mixture. Add flour, starting with about 2 1/2 cups, and mixing in more as needed. The dough should be smooth and not sticky. Cover and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free area for two hours.

Coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Knead dough 15 times and divide in half. Combine sugar, coconut, and orange zest in a small bowl and toss together. Roll one half into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle with half of coconut mixture. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into 12 wedges. Roll up like croissants, starting at the wide edge, and line up in 3 rows in prepared pan. Repeat with other half of dough and filling. Cover rolls and allow to rise about an hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until rolls are puffed and golden. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, sour cream, orange juice, and butter over medium heat. Stir until melted and smooth, bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Pour glaze evenly over hot rolls, and sprinkle with coconut. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Tropical Fruit Pavlova + Our Lady of the Angels

Last week, as I participated in the rededication of the church at the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels in West Humboldt Park, I was reminded that the Resurrection is not a one-time event. I didn’t even know that the mission existed until mid-March, when I went with a group from my church to help out with their monthly mobile food pantry. The story of this place takes my breath away.

Our Lady of the Angels used to be a thriving parish in a largely Italian-American neighborhood. In 1958, a devastating fire in the parish school killed 92 students and 3 nuns and injured many others. The school was rebuilt and reopened in 1960, but closed as a result of declining numbers in 1999. The parish closed in 1990. The demographics of the area have changed drastically since the time of the school fire; today it remains an area of poverty, gang activity, and violent crime. In 2006, the median household income in the area was $21,000, and 35 percent of adults did not have a high school diploma.

In 2004, Fr. Bob Lombardo answered Cardinal George's call to rebuild the church in this depressed Chicago neighborhood. When he arrived, many of the buildings were vacant or in disrepair. With virtually no budget to make repairs, Fr. Bob relied on the help of neighbors and friends to donate time, money, skills and prayer to rebuild this mission. The state of the mission today is a testament to Fr. Bob’s great faith and tireless work, and to the reviving power of God.

In 2006, the Franciscan mission opened in the completely renovated rectory. Kelly Hall, which had been the vacant and crumbling parish center, reopened in January 2009 as a fully renovated YMCA community center. The convent has been beautifully renovated, and now serves as a facility for retreats and other community gatherings. The Franciscans of the Eucharist, a fledgling religious community, began serving the mission in 2009. Today, the mission helps about 700 families each month to get good, healthy food. About 130 children participate in the after school program, and several hundred are involved in activities and programs at Kelly Hall.

The most recent project was the church, which completed renovations and was rededicated on April 14, 2012. The church was packed with people who had come to celebrate the remarkable resurrection story that has occurred in this place. There was such joy! And they didn’t pause their community outreach for the celebration, either: the day of the rededication, they held their monthly mobile food pantry, hosted a Daddy-Daughter Dance at Kelly Hall, and then served a fabulous dinner to all the guests at the Mass.

For more information about Fr. Bob and the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels, visit their website, www.missionola.com, where you can learn about their many volunteer opportunities, donate money to support them, and view lots of pictures of volunteers and community members, and amazing before-and-afters of their ongoing renovations.

Tropical Fruit Pavlova

Pavlova is simple and elegant, and a perfect dessert for Easter, Mother's Day, or any other springtime gathering. Swap out the tropical fruit for berries in the summer. Also, I've heard it described as a symbol of the resurrection, since it spends 2 hours resting in the "tomb" (the oven that has been turned off) before it's done. A bit of a stretch, but kind of cute, right?

adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Meringues and Fruit:
4 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 kiwis, peeled, quartered, and sliced thin
1 1/2 cups pineapple, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the meringues: adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip whites to soft, billowy mounds, about 1 minute. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and whip until glossy, stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.

Scoop six 1/2-cup mounds of meringue onto prepared sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.  Gently make small indentations in each meringue using back of spoon. It will be really sticky, so just do the best you can.Bake until meringues have smooth, dry, and firm exteriors, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn oven off and leave meringues in oven until completely dry and hard, about 2 hours. (Meringue shells can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.)

For the fruit: Gently toss mango, kiwis, and pineapple with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in large bowl. Let sit at room temperature until sugar has dissolved and fruit is juicy, about 30 minutes.

For the topping: Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip heavy cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes.

To assemble, place meringue shells on individual plates and spoon about 1/3 whipped cream into each shell. top with about 1/2 cup fruit. Serve immediately.

Balsamic Spinach Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

We've still got a couple of weeks until the glorious return of the farmers' markets to the fair city of Chicago, which means there's still time for a couple more wintry recipes! This juicy pork tenderloin is stuffed with a vitamin- and flavor-packed sauteed spinach mixture, seared, and finished in the oven. It's a perfect dinner for a rainy April weeknight. Soon it will be time for spring peas, asparagus, and rhubarb. But for now, let's use up the root vegetables and apples and enjoy where we are!





Balsamic Spinach Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin, thin end trimmed
olive oil
salt and pepper

For the stuffing:
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
5 ounces fresh spinach
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (*Roast some sweet potatoes and apples while you prepare the pork.)

Saute bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Reduce heat to low and add shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Add spinach along with a splash of water and saute until wilted. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook a couple of minutes to mellow. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Butterfly the pork tenderloin by using a sharp knife to cut into the long side. Stop before you have completely separated the top and bottom halves. Open it up so that it lays flat, cover with plastic wrap, and use the flat side of a meat tenderizer to pound it to between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Remove the plastic wrap and season the inside with salt and pepper. Cut three 10-inch pieces of butcher's twine and evenly space them under the flattened tenderloin. Arrange the spinach filling along the middle of the tenderloin, and carefully roll it up. Arrange it seam-side down, and secure with the butcher's twine.

Preheat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, and add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the rolled-up tenderloin seam-side down, and sear all sides for 3-5 minutes, until well browned. Make sure to leave it for at least 3 minutes without moving when you begin the sear, to prevent it from falling apart. Once the tenderloin is browned on all sides, transfer to the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking through.

Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Grapefruit-Ginger Curd

There is drama in this week. We start with a parade into Jerusalem, with palms and Hosannas. There is a feast. The king washes the feet of his friends, and then, even after that radical display of love and humility, one of the same friends betrays him. He is arrested, tortured. The people who hailed his entry into the City of David cry in a frenzy for his execution. And then the king, speaking not a word against those who mock him, beat him, and spit on him, is nailed to a cross. The sun refuses to shine, the curtain of the temple is torn asunder, and the king dies with forgiveness on his lips.

Two days pass in darkness and despair and then, a miracle. Bearing the marks of his crucifixion on his body, the king walks again among the living. The world as we've known it is changed.

Drama.



Grapefruit-Ginger Curd
adapted from 101 cookbooks

This would make a fantastic accompaniment to Easter brunch. Serve it at home, or give it as a hostess gift. They'll be glad they invited you. This can be safely canned in a hot-water bath, too. Process in boiling water for 10 minutes. After canning, it will remain fresh at room temperature for two months. After opening, refrigerate and use within a week.

2 cups freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, strained
10 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks, room temperature
4 whole eggs, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
2 tablespoons ginger juice (press grated ginger through a fine-mesh sieve)

Simmer the grapefruit juice in a small saucepan until reduced by half. I couldn't tell by eyeballing it, so I just poured it back into the Pyrex measuring cup a couple of times until I had a cup. Allow to cool slightly.

Cream the butter in a medium stainless bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), and then add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the salt, and then the grapefruit, lemon, and ginger juices, working them in gradually.

Set the bowl over a saucepan (you can use the same one you simmered the grapefruit juice in) of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is about 166 degrees F and coats the spoon, about ten minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to jars. Process in a hot water bath if desired.

Yield: about 4 cups (2 pints). Recipe can easily be cut in half.