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Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup

Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup | Gather & Dine

With the cold weather officially here to stay, we’ve transitioned into full-time soup and stew eating mode over here.  This comes as a relief to me since soups and stews have such flexible cooking times and can be so easily prepared in advance.  Now that it’s November, I feel that I should have our after-school routine running smoothly each day, but instead I find myself continuing to struggle with helping the kids with their instrument practice and homework, taking them to various activities, and cooking dinner all within the 4:00-6:00 time frame.  I always feel so good on the days when dinner is done before they even arrive home because it’s one less thing I need to worry about.

I made a double batch of this Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup last week so I could have some to freeze and have a healthy meal easily available when I need to balance out all of the upcoming holiday treats.  I find grain soups so hearty, cozy, and nourishing.  The pleasant hint of saffron in this soup reminds me of the warm flavors of a Spanish paella, but this soup is a lot less time consuming to make.  This recipe is extremely versatile and the spelt, millet, and quinoa can be easily substituted for other whole grains such as farro, wheatberries, or rice.  To keep it gluten-free, use any combination of rice, millet, and quinoa.  Or for simplicity, choose one single grain to work with.  Pre-soaking whole grains such as spelt or wheat berries is recommended to aid with digestion and improve texture.  Soaking for a few hours is optimal, but soaking for even an hour makes a difference.  The soup thickens considerably after it sits for a while, but it can thinned it out with a bit of additional water if desired.

Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup | Gather & Dine Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup | Gather & Dine

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Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup

Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup | Gather & Dine
  • Yield: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/8-1/4 teaspoon saffron
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup spelt, soaked for at least 1 hour and drained
  • 1/4 cup millet
  • 3 tablespoons quinoa
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 ouches) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Add bay leaves, paprika, cumin, saffron, spelt, broth, and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until spelt is tender, about 30 minutes.
  2. Add millet, quinoa, tomatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper and continue to simmer until millet and quinoa are cooked and flavors have blended, about 15-20 additional minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle with a garnish of parsley to serve.

Notes

adapted from Martha Stewart

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Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars

Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars | Gather & Dine

I would consider myself a fairly disciplined person when it comes to eating, but my one can’t-say-no-to type of dessert is anything with almonds.  Lucky for me that Ryan loves almond desserts too.  Some of our favorites are this raspberry frangipane tart, the almond cake from The Art of Simple Food, these almond cloud cookies, and of course, these Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars.  I usually vary the cookies that I make each holiday season, but I almost always try to include these because I never get tired of them.  With the holidays approaching, I was thinking about putting these cookies on my Christmas baking list and then I remembered I had actually made these for my son’s cello recital a few months ago and never posted the photos and recipe.  I am actually thinking about making these twice in one year so considering that I hardly ever make the same dessert twice ever, that says a lot!  What sets these bar cookies apart from other cookies that may look similar is the almond paste, which contributes to the splendid almond flavor and incredible chewy texture.  Apricot preserves complement the almond flavor nicely although I imagine raspberry preserves would also be lovely.  These are delicious slightly warm, at room temperature, and also cold.  They freeze well so they can be made in advance and thawed when ready to serve.

Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars | Gather & Dine

Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars | Gather & Dine

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Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars

Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars | Gather & Dine

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup apricot preserves
  • 1-2 tablespoons rum
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup natural cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup packed almond paste, crumbled (about 2.5 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325. Butter a 9×9-inch or 7×11-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the almond preserves and rum. Set aside.
  3. Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on high speed. Beat in the almond extract. Add the flour and salt and mix together on medium speed until flour is just incorporated. Transfer 1 cup of dough to another small bowl and add the crumbled almond paste. Use fingers to mix together until small clumps begin to form. Mix in 1/4 cup sliced almonds. Put mixture in refrigerator to chill for a few minutes.
  4. Use hands to press the remaining dough in the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Spread preserves evenly over the dough. Crumble the slightly chilled almond paste mixture over the preserves and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup almonds on top. Press the topping lightly into the preserves.
  5. Bake until shortbread bars start to brown and become golden, about 50 minutes. Cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Notes

slightly adapted from Bon Appetit







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Fennel Celery Salad {with Pomegranate and Pumpkin Seeds}

Fennel Celery Salad {with Pumpkin Seeds and Pomegranate} | Gather & Dine

We finally got around to carving our pumpkins this past weekend.  I am a firm believer in better late than never.  After we carefully washed all of the seeds, we transferred them to the salad spinner to dry.  My sweet 5-year old girl enthusiastically volunteered to do the spinning.  She spun the spinner with all of her might and then, for whatever reason, she decided to take the lid off of the spinner while it was rapidly spinning and…  pumpkin seeds went flying EVERYWHERE.  Literally hundreds of seeds scattered over the entire kitchen and even into the connecting foyer.  It was a sight to behold.  I wanted to scream and make her pick up every one of those hundreds of seeds by herself, but instead I managed a heavy sigh and started helping her pick them up.  My son offered to help as well and pretty soon all four of us were on our hands and knees picking up pumpkin seeds.  Gotta love those unexpected family bonding experiences.

Even though pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are sold throughout the year, I especially like adding them to my salads in the fall.  They add a hint of crunch and a bit of extra protein.  This Fennel Celery Salad seemed perfect for the addition of pumpkin seeds.  Together with the pomegranate, they add another layer of color and texture.  My favorite salads are green salads, but sometimes I enjoy the simple beauty of a white salad such as this one.   The lemon dressing mellows out the licorice flavor of the fennel and the results are a bright, crisp, and refreshing salad.

Fennel Celery Salad {with Pumpkin Seeds and Pomegranate} | Gather & Dine

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Fennel Celery Salad {with Pomegranate and Pumpkin Seeds}

Fennel Celery Salad {with Pumpkin Seeds and Pomegranate} | Gather & Dine
  • Yield: 4 small side portions

Ingredients

  • 1 large fennel bulb
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 3 tablespoons shelled pumpkin seeds
  • 3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Trim the long stalks off of the fennel and save some of the thin leaves for garnish. Slice the fennel in half lengthwise and use a sharp knife to cut both halves into thin slices.
  2. Thinly slice the celery on a diagonal.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, combine the fennel, celery, and pumpkin seeds.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt. Pour dressing over salad and toss together. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
  5. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle pomegranate seeds and fennel leaves on top.

Notes

adapted from Alice Water’s The Art of Simple Food

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