Category Archives: SOUP, STEW, AND CHOWDER RECIPES

VEGETARIAN THREE BEAN CHILI

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In an effort to reduce the amount of meat, fat, and dairy products in our daily diet, while at the same time increasing the number of beans we consume, I decided to work up a vegetarian chili recipe.

I prepared this chili last night for dinner and both of us thought it was wonderful. The saucy part was very flavorful. The corn actually provided a bit of a crunch and the olives had enough of a different texture as to create a lovely mouth feel. (Not to mention a wonderful taste). Then of course the crisp and pungent bite from the red onion added just before serving – marvelous. And nary a morsel of meat, sprinkling of cheese, or dollop of sour cream to be seen or needed. This chili and a nice piece of cornbread (made with canola oil, not butter) and you have a lunch or dinner that anyone watching their cholesterol would be happy to eat on a regular basis. And did I mention it was really easy to prepare?

So give this recipe a try. Just don’t forget to stock up on “beano” when you purchase the ingredients for this dish. And if you don’t know what “beano” is, suffice it to say you have lived a charmed life!

  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 can (28-oz.) chopped tomatoes (Italian preferably)
  • 1 can (6-oz.) tomato paste (again – Italian preferably)
  • 2 c. water
  • 1 T. Dijon mustard
  • 2-3 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • pinch ground cloves
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 can (15-oz) cannellini, kidney, or chili beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15-oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15-oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15-oz) whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1-2 cans black olives, drained and halved (I use about a can and a half and munch on the rest later)
  • chopped red onion, opt.

Heat olive oil in a large covered soup pot. Add the carrot, onion, and celery and sauté until the onion is transparent. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, water, mustard, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, cloves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir periodically. Add the beans, corn, and olives and simmer covered for another 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve garnished with chopped red onion.

PALÓCLEVES (HUNGARIAN LAMB SOUP WITH SOUR CREAM)

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Those who know us personally know that we love to travel. And what I’m sure our friends realize almost intrinsically about our whole “travel thing” is that not only do we love to see the world for the cultural heritage and the natural and manmade sites that appeal to us and every other tourist, we love to travel to experience the food! (Well of course we do.)

So we tend to choose countries based on what we know about the cuisine. I visited England, Scotland, and Wales in the late seventies, and have never returned. (Lesson learned.) I first visited Italy in the mid eighties, and have since been back three times. We also have loved the food in other European countries we have visited. But one of the countries we have yet to visit is Hungary. (We have traveled in the neighboring countries of Croatia and Slovenia and eaten like kings, so now it’s simply time to go to the land of sour cream, paprika, and caraway seeds.) And of course, while we are touring the country we absolutely must stay a few days in Budapest. We have several friends who have spent time there, and they consider Budapest to be one of the loveliest cities on earth.

So, until we can visit this amazing country in person, I am going to have to be content to research the many culinary offerings Hungary has to offer via the internet. (Actually, I have been making Chicken Paprika for years. And truly, it is one of Mr. Cs favorite dishes. But until I prepared this soup last evening (thank you Saveur Magazine), Chicken Paprika was the only Hungarian dish I had ever prepared, that I’m aware of that is.)

So hang on folks, in the next few weeks we are going to visit one of the oldest countries in Europe (founded 897) together.

So here’s to a fun new adventure learning about the birthplace of the Rubik’s Cube (inventor Erno Rubik), Béla Bartók and Franz Liszt. And to a country with a 99% literacy rate. And to the home of Europe’s largest natural grassland. (Complete with real life cowboys (csikos) I might add.) Wee ha!

  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil or more as needed
  • 16-20 oz. lamb shoulder, trimmed of all fat and sinew and cut into ½-inch cubes
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 bay leaves
  • ¼ c. Hungarian sweet paprika
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 6 c. water
  • 1 small russet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 8 oz. yellow snap or green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1½ c. sour cream, plus more for garnish
  • ¼ c. flour
  • 4 T. roughly chopped dill, divided

Heat the oil in a 6-qt. covered saucepan over medium-high heat. Dry lamb off with paper towels and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Add lamb to the pan, and cook until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Add onions, garlic, and bay leaves to the pot. (If necessary, add a little more oil to the pot.) Cook until the onions are soft, about 15 minutes. Add paprika, cayenne, and water; bring to a boil, cover pot, reduce heat and cook until lamb is just tender, 40-60 minutes. Add the potato and beans, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the cup and a half sour cream and flour together until smooth. When the meat and veggies are tender, whisk the sour cream mixture into the soup, and stir until smooth and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Just before serving, add 2 tablespoons of the dill to the soup and adjust seasonings. To serve, ladle soup into bowls, dollop with additional sour cream, and garnish with remaining dill.

SHRIMP GUMBO

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I think many people shy away from Creole and Cajun food because they think it’s going to be too spicy. They hear words like gumbo filé and Creole seasoning and they automatically shy away. And it’s true, some Creole and Cajun dishes can be very spicy, but they don’t have to be. And this recipe, based on a recipe from Marcela’s Creole Cookery in Seattle, contains a bit of heat but only enough to compliment the other ingredients. And that’s good. The last thing you want is a sauce that is so spicy hot that the wonderful taste of your expensive shrimp is completely obliterated. (Along with your taste buds, I might add!)

So figuratively speaking, this sauce is the perfect foil for shrimp. Then all you need is a big old ball or two of cooked rice, and you have a simple and delicious one course meal.

Now like any other stew like dish, there are about as many recipes for gumbo as there are Louisiana residents. And many of them are fabulous. (The stews that is; I don’t know about all the residents!) But we especially like this gumbo recipe because it is fairly mild. (Did I mention that both Mr. C and I are both kind of wusses when it comes to really spicy food?)

So if you are a person unfamiliar with Creole or Cajun food, but consider yourself in possession of a sophisticated and educated uraniscus (palate), step on out of your comfort zone and travel “culinarily speaking” down to the land of Marti Gras, hush puppies, and bread pudding. Make yourself up a batch of this gumbo honey and there will be no turning back.

  • ¼ c. canola oil
  • ¼ c. flour
  • 4 c. chicken stock, heated to almost boiling
  • ½ small onion, chopped
  • 4 chopped green onions
  • 2 lg. stalks celery, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 tsp. gumbo filé powder
  • 3 bay leaves
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp. commercial Creole seasoning or see recipe for homemade Creole Seasoning below
  • 1 lb. uncooked large shrimp
  • cooked rice

In a large covered saucepan, cook the oil and flour over medium heat until it is chocolate colored, about 25 minutes, stirring continuously. (If it burns, throw it away and start over!) Carefully whisk in the hot chicken stock, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Add the onion, green onions, celery, garlic, thyme, gumbo filé powder, bay leaves, pepper, cayenne, and Creole seasoning. Cover the pan and gently simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. (Add additional chicken stock if needed.) Adjust seasoning (probably will need salt), remove bay leaves, add the shrimp, and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through.

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Serve with cooked rice.

Creole Seasoning:

  • 1/3 c. paprika
  • 3 T. dried oregano
  • 3 T. freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T. dried basil
  • 2 T. kosher salt
  • 1 T. cayenne pepper
  • 1 T. onion powder
  • 4 tsp. dried thyme
  • 4 tsp. granulated garlic

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Makes about 1 cup.

 

CANNELLINI BEAN SOUP WITH HAM AND GREENS

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So, here it is, the first day after Mr. C had surgery on one of the fingers on his left hand (and yes of course he’s a lefty), it’s rainy outside, and I’m thinking “what can I fix for dinner that will be both easy for Mr. C to eat and contain ingredients I already have”? Well the answer came to me immediately. Some like it hot! (Hot soup that is!) So I retrieved a ham hock from the freezer, set some cannellini beans on to boil and proceeded to develop a recipe that included the ingredients I had on hand.

Over the years I have found that some of my best dishes were conceived when I started with what I had readily accessible. No going to the store for that one precious ingredient, just making do with what was in the refrigerator and/or pantry. And all bragging aside, this soup turned out really really good. In fact Mr. C stated that it was one of the best soups I ever made. Now of course, Mr. C was still on pain pills, but regardless, I know a good soup when I taste one too!!

So give this soup a try. It’s delicious and just perfect for a cold and wet fall or winter meal. And please include the hot olive oil drizzle that goes on the soup just before serving. It absolutely makes the dish. So stay warm dear friends during this upcoming “season of the clouds”. And of course – think soup. It’s easy to prepare, inexpensive to make, and soul satisfying.

  • 2 c. dry cannellini beans
  • 6 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
  • 3 tsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
  • 1 tsp. dried marjoram
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (14 oz.) can chopped tomatoes (preferably Italian tomatoes)
  • 4 c. chicken broth
  • 2 c. water
  • 1 good sized smoked ham hock
  • 4 c. roughly chopped greens (kale, Swiss chard, spinach, etc.)
  • finishing salt of choice or coarse kosher salt

In a small covered sauce pan, add the beans and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and let sit for about 2 hours. Or cover the beans with water and let sit in the refrigerator overnight. Drain and rinse before adding to the soup.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for a few minutes until onion begins to soften. Add 2/3rds of the garlic, 2 teaspoons of the rosemary, marjoram, and pepper and cook for about 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, water, drained cannellini beans, and ham hock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 1½ hours or until the beans are tender. As the soup cooks, add more water as needed. Remove the ham hock when the meat is tender. Allow to cool and remove the meat. Set aside.

When the beans are tender, stir in the greens and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the greens are wilted. Add the reserved ham hock meat.

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Meanwhile just before ready to serve, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the remaining garlic and remaining rosemary and remove from heat.

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Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with the hot garlic rosemary oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Great served with toasted crusty bread.

RAGOUT PEBRONATA (BRAISED PORK WITH RED PEPPERS) PROVENÇAL WITH SAVORY POLENTA

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Since fall is definitely on its way (I know this because the yellow jackets have surfaced and the annuals in my pots on the deck are looking very tired), I thought it might be time to post this recipe for a delicious Provençal ragout. Pebronata, which means “peppered up” by the way, is a glorious mélange of braised meat, white or red wine, red peppers, and tomatoes (with a few others ingredients thrown in for good measure). And of course, as with ragouts found anywhere around the world, there are as many recipes for pebronata as there are cooks. This is a pretty standard recipe and very easy to prepare.

Now granted, this is not a dish that is going to send your taste buds into fits of ecstasy. This is a hearty every day dish that has enough good flavors going for it as to be interesting, but benign enough that even your picky eaters may not turn up their noses! (In other words, your kids are probably going to like it too.) It’s basically just as much a comfort food as spaghetti and meatballs or macaroni and cheese, but just enough different as to make the job of cooking it a wonderful change from your usual entrée rotation. We love it. Serve with a side veggie or salad, and dinner is ready.

  • 3-4 T. olive oil
  • 2 lb. boneless lean pork shoulder, trimmed of all sinew and fat, cubed and dried with paper towels
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 juniper berries, finely crushed
  • 2 T. flour
  • 1 c. dry white wine
  • 1 c. chicken stock
  • 28-oz. Italian chopped or crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 large red peppers, deseeded and cut into strips
  • 2 T. chopped Italian parsley

Heat half the oil in a heavy covered oven proof pan. Sprinkle the pork cubes lightly with salt and pepper. Brown the pork in batches over medium high heat, removing to a plate when browned. Reduce the heat, add the remaining oil and the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until transparent. Stir in the garlic and juniper berries and cook for a few seconds. Sprinkle in the flour, stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine, chicken stock, and tomatoes and stir over a medium heat until thickened. Return the meat and accumulated juices to the pot. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and adjust seasoning. Cover and bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and add a little water if the ragout seems too dry. Add the red pepper strips and parsley and bake for about 45 minutes more or until the pork is tender. Remove the bay leaf before serving over Savory Polenta. (see recipe below)

Note: Just like any other braised meat dish, always better the next day. So make ahead if you have the time.

SAVORY POLENTA

  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 3/4 c. finely chopped red onion
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 qt. chicken stock
  • 1 c. coarse ground cornmeal
  • 3 T. butter
  • 2-oz. finely grated Parmesan

In a large, oven-proof covered saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and pepper; sauté until the onion begins to turn translucent, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the garlic. Sauté until the garlic releases its aroma, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat a bit and gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Cover the pan and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps. Once the polenta is creamy, remove from the oven and add the butter and Parmesan. Adjust seasoning.

 

FRENCH ONION SOUP (SOUPE A L’OIGNON)

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It has been my experience that the difference between mediocre onion soup and really good onion soup is in the time and care taken to cook the onions. For truly great onion soup, the onions must be slowly and gently caramelized. When the onions are allowed to reduce to this golden mushy mess, the soup tastes mellow and rich. If the onions aren’t allowed to caramelize properly, the soup tastes raw. (Not anything Julia would allow in her kitchen, that’s for sure!) Or so I’ve heard.

And no, I never did get to watch Julia on TV. I helped raise 4 kids and worked full time. So when I wasn’t working (outside the house) I was working (inside the house) or in the yard, which is also (outside the house), but you catch my drift. I was basically on duty 24/7! Did I have time to sit down and watch a TV cooking show? Are you smoking something I should know about? Of course I didn’t have time. I was just happy when the sheets were all clean after stripping all 5 beds! (Working mothers take our small victories where we can get them!) So my early experience with a cooking mentor was not Julia Child, it was Betty Crocker.

Most evenings Betty and I would cozy up together after all the children were in bed, and I had a spare 5 minutes to read by myself. And oh how I loved our time together. I could plan what I was going to cook the next evening in the peace and quiet of a home that until 30 minutes before had been a haven for hellions. (Not that my kids were always hellions, but they certainly had their moments.) But after they went to bed all freshly bathed and their young brains filled with a few adventures to ponder from the books I read to them, or the stories I invented for them (flying turtle stories), I could finally relax. That is, between more loads of laundry of course. And dream of a time when I could study cookbooks and recipes all day long if I so chose.

Well that day has come. (Actually that day came quite a few years ago.) But even 12 years later, it still feels just wonderful to awaken on my own without an alarm clock going off in my ear. And know that my computer is waiting for me with all its funny little blue lights excitedly flickering on and off in anticipation of our time together surfing the internet.

So next time you are in the mood to fix something you read about on the internet, give this delicious soup a try. Consider this recipe for a French classic dish a gift from another French “wannabe” classic. Me!

  • 2 T. butter
  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 yellow onions thinly sliced (about 2 lbs.)
  • ½ tsp. sugar
  • 1 c. red wine
  • freshly ground black pepper, not too much
  • 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 good sized or 2 small bay leaves
  • 3 T. flour
  • 8 c. beef broth or stock
  • 1 T. cognac, opt.
  • baguette slices
  • 1 whole garlic clove, peeled
  • 2 c. grated cheese (a combination of Parmesan and Gruyère is perfect)

Melt the butter in a large, heavy covered soup pot. Add the olive oil and onions and cook over medium low heat until the onions are caramelized and a lovely golden brown, about 45 minutes. Stir often. (The onions will really start to stick to the bottom of the pan when they are nearly done, so watch them very carefully.) Add the sugar about half way through the cooking process. Add the red wine, black pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook until the wine is mostly evaporated. Add the flour and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring the whole time. Add the beef broth, bring to just under a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let simmer for about an hour. Adjust seasoning. (I usually remove the cover after about 30 minutes to let some of the liquid evaporate. Makes for a bit thicker soup.) And don’t worry if your beautiful golden brown onions turn back to the color of newly fallen snow as they simmer away. That is just the nature of these little darlings when confronted with a warm bath of beef stock. (I don’t like it either. I think they should stay the lovely golden brown I worked so hard to achieve! But alas, that is just not going to happen.)

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Meanwhile toast the baguette slices in a pre-heated 400 degree oven until a nice light golden brown. (Toast both sides.) While still hot, rub one side of the toast with the whole garlic clove. (The rough surface of the toasted bread will act as a grater and the garlic will melt into the bread.) Cover each slice with cheese and return to the oven. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes.

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When ready to serve the soup, remove the bay leaf and stir in the cognac. You can either place a couple of baguette slices in each bowl before you serve the soup, or float them on top of the soup, or simply serve them on the side.

 

 

 

 

COLD TOMATO BASIL SOUP

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When I first saw this recipe in a recent issue of Cooking Light, I thought immediately that this was a winner. And then when I tasted it, I knew for sure. It is light and creamy and very, very tasty, especially when it is garnished with a small plop of Greek yogurt to provide that perfect bit of tang. Yum!

And this is the time of year for cold soup. Not only does it beat the heck out of standing over a hot stove, but the vegetative ingredients are at their prime and as inexpensive as they are going to get for the entire year. A winning combination if I ever heard one!

So do yourself and your family a favor. Serve this some hot evening along with a big old plate of cold cuts, a hunk or two of really good cheese, a loaf of rustic bread, a couple jars of hearty mustard, a bowl of mixed olives, some chunks of fresh fruit, and a glass of your favorite wine or beer, and you have a summertime meal fit for a king. Thank you Cooking Light for another wonderful and healthy recipe.

  • ¾ c. buttermilk
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T. fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 ripe fresh from the vine or vine ripened tomatoes, cored and quartered
  • ¼ c. coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves, plus additional small leaves for garnish
  • 2 green onions, rough chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • plain Greek yogurt, opt.

Whirl the buttermilk, sugar, salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, tomatoes, basil, green onions, and garlic in a blender* until smooth. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with yogurt and basil leaves.

FYI: Although most of us have relegated our blenders to the back of our pantry or to the garage, bring that old standby back into your life. Food processors simply do not do as good a job at pureeing food.

 

COLD TOMATILLO AND AVOCADO SOUP

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For our summer BlueStreet Jazz Voices potluck dinner party, one of our wonderful first sopranos brought this delightful cold soup. Deb served the soup in very pretty and very tiny little dishes. Each was garnished with a cilantro leaf. Each little bowl only provided about 6 small spoonfuls of this glorious concoction, which of course left us wanting more. But with all the other food available, the amount she served was just right. Plus, the soup is quite rich, so a small amount was absolutely perfect. So of course being the foodie that I am, I immediately asked for the recipe. I was astounded when she told me the soup contained only 4 ingredients plus salt, if required. What’s not to like about that?

So being the sweetie that she is, she sent me the recipe. Now you know me. I never leave well enough alone. I decided to try my hand at making the soup from scratch, rather than use store bought Salsa Verde. (I have since laid in a supply of Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde for those occasions when I need a tomatillo and avocado soup fix right now!) But for many, like myself, there are no Trader Joe’s in the immediate vicinity. And the green salsas I can find in my local grocery store, at least the ones that look like they are half decent, are all quite pricey. ($6.95 for 20 ounces; I think not!)

So I am going to provide you with both Deb’s recipe and my recipe for this amazing soup. Both are delicious. Both are fairly economical and healthy, and both are perfect to serve as a first course on a warm summer evening.

Thanks again Deb for this great recipe.

Recipe number 1:  

  • 3 small ripe avocados diced, about 2½ cups
  • 1½ c. Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde* or salsa Verde of choice
  • heaping ¼ c. chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
  • heaping ¼ c. sour cream
  • kosher salt, if required

In blender, puree all. Thin with water if desired; season. Chill until cold. Serve in small bowls garnished with cilantro.

*FYI: Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde is about $2 a jar. Worth every penny!

Recipe number 2:

  • ½ small jalapeno pepper, seeds and stem removed
  • 4 large or 5 small tomatillos, cores removed
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper (not too much)
  • ½ c. loosely packed rough chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 green onion, rough chopped
  • 1 very small garlic clove
  • 3 small ripe avocados, cut into large chunks
  • heaping ¼ c. sour cream (I use Crema Mexicana – Mexican style sour cream)

Place the jalapeno pepper and tomatillos in a shallow roasting pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until veggies start to soften. Remove veggies from oven; cool.  Whirl in a blender or food processor with salt, pepper, cilantro, green onion, garlic, avocados, and sour cream. If the soup is too thick, add a small amount of water. Adjust seasoning. Chill until cold. Serve in small bowls garnished with cilantro.

HUNK OF BEEF CHILI

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This is my answer to the age old question – “what to do with half a grilled London broil steak when the flavor of the new rub you tried rendered the final product almost inedible”? Yes ladies and gentlemen, I too try new recipes that look sensational in print and turn out to be, well how do I say this politely – not worth the ink used to print the recipe! And that’s exactly what happened when I tried a new recipe that appeared in our local paper. The steak rub/paste sounded oh so good, but unless you have only about 9% of your taste buds left, the taste of fresh herbs knocked your socks clear into next Tuesday! And you know how I feel about blended flavors. Each ingredient should compliment all the other ingredients. The only analogy I can draw is that the steak was like Wile E. Coyote, and the rub had the same characteristics as the Road Runner. And you know how that always turned out! – the steak, I mean  Wile E. never had a chance!

So, back to my original question; what to do with half a pound of highly spiced cooked beef on a cold and rainy spring day? And of course, the only answer that made perfect sense was chili. So after thinking on it for a few minutes, I came up with this recipe. And low and behold, it was good! No, not just good, it was really good.

So next time you get a hankering for chili, give this simple and tasty recipe a try. Serve it with corned bread and a good hearty beer, and life will become a bed of roses. (Just don’t over spice the chili, or you’ll end up like I did when I tried the rub recipe. Your bed of roses will have thorns large enough to use as knitting needles!)

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ lb. lean beef such as London broil, round steak, top sirloin (raw or cooked*), diced into bite sized pieces
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • ½ red pepper, chopped
  • 1 (28-oz. can) diced/chopped tomatoes (preferably Italian tomatoes)
  • 1 heaping tsp. beef base
  • 1 can black beans
  • pinch marjoram
  • pinch dried rosemary
  • 2 T. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
  • ¼ tsp. crushed aleppo pepper or pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 tsp. ground guajillo pepper, opt.
  • thinly sliced green onions, garnish, opt.
  • Mexican sour cream, garnish, opt.

Heat the olive oil in a medium large covered pan. Add the raw meat* that has been dried with paper towels and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Fry until brown on all sides. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red bell pepper and cook for about a minute or until you can smell the garlic. Add the canned tomatoes, beef base, black beans, marjoram, rosemary, chili powder, oregano, Aleppo and guajillo peppers. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook for about 2 hours or until the beef is fork tender. Stir often during the cooking time. Adjust seasoning along the way. Serve sprinkled with green onions and sour cream.

*if you are using already cooked meat, add along with the black beans

Note: aleppo and guajillo peppers are both new to me, but both have quickly become near and dear to my heart. Finding them ground can be kind of an adventure, but if you live in the Seattle area, visit PFI (Pacific Food Importers). Heck, even if you live in Portland you should visit PFI! It’s worth the trip. And if you don’t live in the area, go on line and order a bit of each. They are simply head and shoulders more tasty than crushed red pepper flakes.

 

FLAGEOLET BEAN AND HAM SOUP

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Before soup season officially closes for another year, I thought I would share this wonderful and easy to prepare soup recipe with you. Now one of the things you are really going to like about this recipe is the fact that no olives or veggies were hard pressed in the making of this soup. The only fat in this soup comes from the ham hock. And then, all that’s left are dried beans, veggies, herbs, and water. So basically this soup is low fat and very, very nutritious. It also features one of my favorite herbs – summer savory. If you have never cooked with savory, allow me to extol its virtues for you right here and now!

Savory is in the family Lamiaceae and is related to rosemary and thyme. To paraphrase the description on the label of a Spice Islands jar, “Summer savory is often compared to marjoram (another one of my favorite herbs) or thyme in flavor. Summer savory has a spicy aroma and pungent, peppery flavor. Savory is one of the key ingredients in classic herb blends like bouquet garni and Herbes de Provence.  It is an indispensable ingredient for kicking up mild foods without overpowering them. Use it to brighten everything from omelets to chowders. Or combine it with snipped chives, lemon, and mayonnaise to coat chicken or fish.”

I use summer savory whenever I want a less robust flavor than either rosemary or thyme would provide. The same way I use marjoram instead of oregano when I need a calmer, sweeter flavor. In this recipe I chose to use an equal amount of both thyme and savory with a couple of bay leaves thrown in for good measure.

I also prefer flageolet beans over Navy beans when I make this soup because they are just so creamy and delicious. They can be difficult to find, but well worth a trip to Central Market or PFI (Pacific Food Importers).

So next time you are in the mood for an easy to prepare hearty soup, give this recipe a try. I like to start this soup on a Saturday or Sunday morning and serve it for lunch. And yes I know I could make this soup any week day now that I am retired. But I’m here to tell you, even though I have been retired for over 10 years, I still look forward to Friday nights, making soup on the weekends, hosting dinners on Saturday nights, and hate when Sunday night rolls around. Some habits and inclinations just don’t go away easily, especially if they were hard wired into your psyche for so many years before retirement. Or maybe it’s just that I’m sensitive to the fact that so many of our friends and relations are still putting in their 9-5. Whatever the reason, I usually only make soup on weekends. If any of you have a solution to my dilemma, I’ll happily build you a pot of soup some Wednesday in the near future!

  • 1 meaty ham hock (usually come cut in thirds)
  • 5 c. water or part veggie stock
  • 1 c. dry Flageolet beans (French) or Navy beans
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 2 T. chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 2 tsp. dried summer savory
  • 2 bay leaves (Turkish bay leaves have the best natural depth of flavor)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • toasted chewy baguette slices

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized, covered soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 90 minutes or until beans are tender. Stir frequently. Remove ham hock and allow to cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones and add back to soup. Discard bones. Serve soup piping hot with baguette slices.