Painfully Full

Corn and Wild Rice Soup with Smoked Sausage

12.5 cups broth
1.25 cups wild rice
5 Tbsp veg. oil
10 oz smoked sausage, preferably turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2.5 cups chopped onions
1.25 cups diced carrots, 1/4-inch diced
10 ears fresh corn, boiled until tender, scraped clean
or
2.5 lbs frozen kernals, defrosted
2.5 tsp salt
1.25 tsp pepper
1.25 cups half and half
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

Place 5 cups broth in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. When it just begins to simmer, add wild rice. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed, 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat. You should have 3.75 cups cooked rice
Heat oil in a large, deep-sided pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add sausage and saute, stirring , until golden, 4-5 minutes. Add onions and carrots and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes more. Add 6 cups broth and bring mixture to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare corn broth: Set aside 2.5 cups fresh or frozen corn. In a blender or a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree remaining 1.5 cups broth. Puree well to produce a thick, opaque broth.
Add cooked wild rice, corn broth and reserved corn to pot and stir well. Cook 10-15 minutes more. Season with the salt and pepper. Stir in the half and half. If soup is too thick, thin with additional half and half. Taste and adjust seasonings.


Simmered Cabbage and Spinach with Peanuts

1/4 cup raw peanuts
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
6 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, stems removed, thinly slicedcrosswise
2 tsp mustard seeds, ground
2 tsp coriander seed, ground
2 tsp cumin seeds, ground
2 tsp coarse kosher or sea salt
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 lbs cabbage, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 lbs fresh spinach leaves, well rinsed and coarsely chopped
Juice of one medium lime

Pulse the peanuts in a food processor until they have the consistency of fine breadcrumbs

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the peanuts, ginger, and chiles, and stir-fry until the mixture has a light honey-brown color, 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle in the mustard, coriander, cumin, salt, and turmeric, and stir once or twice to cook the spices, about 15 seconds.

Pile in the cabbage and stir to coat with the spices. Add 1 cup water and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pan and braise the cabbage, stirring occasionally, until it is fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

Add spinach, cover pan, and cook until it has wilted, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice, and serve.


Spinach and Cheese Strata

Chill for 10 hours
1 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed
1.5 cups finely chopped onion
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed (1 inch) French or Italian bread
6 oz coarsely grated Gruyere (2 cups)
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
2.75 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop.
Cook onion in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.
Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3 quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses).
Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, and remaining salt and pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata.

Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours.
Preheat 350°. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45-55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.


Cornbread Muffins

Preheat 425°.
Butter muffin tin (makes 10 or 12).
Mix together:
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
Pour into a 2 cup measuring cup:
1 cup milk
Whisk in:
1 egg

Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the egg and milk mixture, and whisk or stir until well mixed and smooth.
Stir in:
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter, melted
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the muffins are brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.


(To make buttermilk muffins, use 1.25 cups buttermilk instead of milk and instead of 1 Tbsp baking powder, use 2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda.)