The Lederman Kitchen

I am not the biggest broccoli fan.  I think that it has more to do with the texture though, because I love cream of broccoli soup.  This recipe that Michelle found on Real Simple is a great way to get that same creamy taste but without the cream.   For super simple soup for 4, you will need: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion 1⁄8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) 2 cups stock (I used chicken stock) 1 bunch broccoli, florets roughly chopped and stems peeled and sliced (about 7 cups) 1 large russet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces kosher salt and black pepper 1/2 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese To get started, chop the onion and peel and chop the potato. Next, heat the oil in a dutch oven and add the onion and red pepper.  Cook for a few minutes until soft. While the onion cooks away, wash and cut the broccoli into manageable florets. When the onions are soft, but not brown...

I didn't go to the store planning on making crab rangoon.  I was looking for wonton wrappers to make wonton soup, but on the back of the package was a recipe for crab rangoon and I couldn't resist.   This actually was not my first time making crab rangoon.  When I worked at Kirin in high school I used to have to form crab rangoon when we were slow during shifts.  I was bad at forming the shapes back then too...  This was my first attempt at making the filling though and it turned out great. Surprisingly, there aren't too many ingredients needed: 8 oz of crab meat 8 oz of cream cheese 1 garlic clove 2 green onions 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil (optional, don't buy it if you don't have it on hand) 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce 24 wonton wrappers (approximately)  Typically crab rangoon are fried, but I baked mine at 425 for about 12-15 minutes.  Again, this is an easy one. ...

Two of my favorite things: soup and Chinese food...  I am continuing my mission to expand my Asian cooking skills.  Wonton soup is one of my favorite comfort foods and perfect for this time of year.  While it's easy to get delivery or take out, I was surprised at how easy it was to make at home.   You can actually follow this wonton recipe to make pot stickers.  Just fry them up at the end instead of boiling in the broth for delicious homemade pot stickers. For the soup (at least 4 servings) you will need: 1/2 lb of ground pork 1/4 lb of shrimp 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce 1 green onion stalk 1 teaspoon chopped ginger wonton wrappers 8 cups of chicken broth You can make Wor Wonton Soup if you want by adding some noodles, meat, veggies, and so on. Again, this is super simple.  Chop the ginger, shrimp, and green onions.  Then...

It's been cold here in the City.  After a long holiday weekend in Portland with the in laws, I didn't feel like fussing over a big dinner.  Beef stew was a great one pot option.  It's comfort food at it's finest and perfect for a cold winter day. For some serious stew, enough for 4 people: 2 lbs of steak (I used stew meat, it's readily available at the butcher counter this time of year) 2 onions I also used cippolini onions, but they're optional. Just peal and leave whole, they get super soft and sweet. 5 carrots (about 1 lb) 1lb of fingerling potatoes 1 lb of crimini mushrooms 1 bottle of red wine 3 cloves of garlic 2 cups (or more) of stock -  Beef is traditional, but I had homemade turkey stock on hand that I used. 2 tablespoons of flour 4 tablespoons of butter  1 tablespoon of thyme Olive oil Salt and Pepper This is a great Sunday dinner.  It's simple to make, but like most soups or braises, it just takes a wh...

We finally found a home for our dried fettuccine  in this creamy and delicious mushroom pasta.  The base for this recipe is a super simple bechamel sauce .  It's a great base sauce to have in your repertoire.  Trust me, it's easy, and a bit healthier than making white sauces with heavy cream.  There is of course butter though... For a delicious dinner for 4 you will need:  1lb of pasta  2 lbs of mixed mushrooms 1/2 lb of sausage (casings removed) 1/2 onion 2 cloves of garlic 4 cups of baby spinach 1/2 stick of butter 4 tablespoons of flour 2 cups of milk pinch of nutmeg olive oil salt and pepper Parmesan cheese You are of course welcome to use any types of mushrooms that you like.  I used crimini, portabello, and oyster mushrooms.   Portabellos have dark gills on the bottom that will turn everything brown.   I suggest scraping them off with a spoon to avoid any discol...