I will be the first to admit that I sometimes guide Ben to make a choice for Ben’s Day Wednesday that fits my plans for the week rather than complying with his every whim. This week I wanted soup. Left to his own devices, Ben will never choose soup because he thinks it isn’t filling enough, but when I told him this soup has bacon, kielbasa, onions and pickles in it, he hopped on board. Plus, we made a delicious bread to go with it. This soup recipe is adapted from one a German friend gave us.
Soljanka
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika or paprika paste
1 teaspoon dill (dried or fresh)
12 ounces tomato paste
6 cups water
2 cubes bouillon (German – on this point our friend was very clear, but we are flexible)
1-2 cups pre-cooked meat, cubed (like hot dogs, Polska kielbasa etc.)
1 small jar pickled vegetables*
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream and lemons for serving (optional)
- In a frying pan, fry bacon and onion until onion is clear. Add garlic and cook another minute or two.
- Add paprika, dill, and tomato paste, cooking a minute or two.
- Boil 6 cups water, then add bouillon to make broth. Add meat.
- Add onion/bacon mixture to the broth/meat mixture and simmer 15 minutes.
- Add jar of pickled vegetables with some juice to taste from the jar, and simmer another 5 minutes.
- Serve with sour cream and lemon wedges if desired.
*We used a mix that includes pickled cauliflower, carrots, peppers, celery, and olives. Ben found the olives so offensive that we’ll switch to pickled sliced banana peppers next time. He liked the soup for its “meat forward” qualities, and as far as I could tell, liked everything else about it except the olives. I suggested he try one, since it had been a long time since he had last given them a chance, and I hoped maybe his tastes had developed. He ate one, said “I don’t think so,” and dramatically got out a second bowl, so he would have a spot for depositing unwanted olives. I think he was mildly disappointed to only find one more, which on closer inspection was just cauliflower that had been unfairly accused. You can never be too careful.
Portuguese-Style Sweet Potato Rolls
This year for Thanksgiving, Ben and I plan on making Portuguese-Style Sweet Potato Rolls from Milk Street Magazine. In addition to being delicious, they fulfill several requirements. Bread? Check. Sweet potatoes? Check. Tradition defying? Check. This week, we made them to go with soup. Warm out of the oven, these were amazing, but tough to get on the table in a timely fashion on a weekday.
12 oz sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons instant yeast
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the potatoes, butter, honey, salt and 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring to melt the butter, then reduce to low, cover and cook until a skewer inserted into the potatoes meets no resistance, 15-20 minutes. Transfer the potatoes and any liquid to the bowl of a stand mixer. Cool until just warm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mist a medium bowl with cooking spray.
- Using the paddle attachment, beat the mixture on low until smooth, about 1 minute. Switch to the dough hook and add the flour and yeast. Mix on low until a smooth dough forms, about 5 minutes. Increase to medium-high and knead for 1 minute. Transfer to the prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter, then divide into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a taut ball. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Press and flatten each ball until it measures about 4 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium until a drop of water sizzles immediately, about 2 minutes. Place 4 dough rounds seam side up in the pan and cook until deep golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, flip and cook the second sides until golden brown, about 1 minute. Return to the baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining rounds, returning them to the baking sheet.
- Bake the flatbreads in the oven until the centers reach 200 degrees, 12-14 minutes. Immediately transfer directly to a wire rack and cool for at least 15 minutes.
*The recipe recommends serving these with garlic-chive butter, but so far, we have only done regular butter. We suggest splitting them like you would bagels and buttering both halves. They are also great split and toasted the next morning!
