Category Archives: SOUP, STEW, AND CHOWDER RECIPES

POTSTICKER SOUP

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Now, believe it or not, this is one of the best soups I have ever made. And I know, I say that about all the soup recipes you find on this site. And granted, I love soup. But it’s kind of like someone asking me what is my favorite cookie? And of course, I would most likely answer – the one I am eating at the time. Duh!

But I must also add that I am very partial to Asian soups. And the broth in this soup has tons of the Asian flavors I so dearly love. Combine that with ease of preparation, the use of fairly standard pantry and refrigerated ingredients, and what’s not to love about this dish?

And although this soup might not be the heartiest soup I make, it’s absolutely perfect for two adults approaching the golden years of their lives. (Like we aren’t already there, but unwilling to let our actual ages diminish our zest for life and our enjoyment of gastronomic pleasures!) But I digress…..

Anyway, this soup is really good. You should give it a try. And I’ll share a little trick with you. I love bok choy. Mr. C., not at all. So, I cooked the bok choy separately. I chopped up 2 cups of this wonderful vegetable. Then I cooked it for a couple of minutes in a bit of chicken broth. When it came time to serve the soup, I ladled a big portion of the soup into a bowl for Mr. C. Then I placed a couple big old spoonsful of bok choy in the bottom of my bowl and topped it off with the bok choy unadulterated broth with veggies that Mr. C. requested. Win/win. I got my bok choy fix. And Mr. C. did not have to suffer any cruciferous flavor discomfort. But in his defense, had I used spinach or kale, he would have been just fine eating the soup the way it was originally intended. I just didn’t happen to have either spinach or kale on hand.

So, with way too much knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of the residents of Chez Carr, I offer up this delicious soup recipe. It truly is yummy.

Peace and love to all.

⅓ c. broken pieces of dried shiitake mushrooms (or dried mushroom of choice)

½ c. boiling water

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 pkg. frozen pot stickers (I use Annie Chun’s organic potstickers – 7.6-oz. pkg.)

1 med. carrot, julienned

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 T. minced fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

5 c. water

5-6 tsp. chicken base (I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken base)

3 T. soy sauce, or more to taste

1 T. toasted sesame oil

½ tsp. Asian chili-garlic sauce, or more to taste

4-6 green onion, thinly sliced, divided

pinch sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1-2 c. chopped bok choy, spinach, or kale

sesame seeds, opt.

In a small bowl, soak the dried mushroom pieces in the boiling water. Set aside.

Coat the bottom of a large, covered soup pot with the olive oil. Fry the pot stickers over medium heat until they get some nice browning on all sides (about 10 minutes). Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, sauté the carrot and celery until the carrot is tender. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the water, chicken base, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili-garlic sauce, half the green onions, salt, pepper, and the re-hydrated mushrooms plus soaking water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Add the bok choy and fried potstickers. Increase heat and bring to a boil.

Serve garnished with sesame seeds and the remaining sliced green onions.

 

VEGETARIAN LENTIL SOUP

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OK, I know. Most lentil soups are vegetarian. But I felt compelled to make certain, right from the onset, that you knew that this soup contained no meat or meat products. Mainly because most of the main dish recipes I post contain meat as the primary protein. But not this recipe. Lentils are the protein star of this show. And in fact, according bbcgoodfood.com “Lentils are a rich source of protein making them a great alternative to meat or fish. As much as a third of the calories from lentils comes from protein, which makes lentils the third highest in protein, by weight, of any legume or nut”. 

In addition to the lentils being super good for us, all the veggie action happening in this soup makes it a very healthy, high fiber choice to serve for lunch or dinner. Plus, it tastes really, really good. Of course, I can never leave well enough alone. I had to bake some cornbread to go with the soup. But the cornbread – Classic Buttermilk Cornbread (recipe to be posted in the near future) contains no added sugar. So, at least I get points for serving my new recipe for cornbread in place of some of our other favorites containing sugar. (Mr. C. and I both loved the cornbread. Plus, it was darned easy to build. As was the soup BTW.)  

So, if you too love a great bowl of lentil soup, give my version of a recipe I found on the cookieandkate.com site a try. (Great site BTW.) And, trust me, you will not miss meat in the least when you savor the wonderful flavor and heartiness of this soup. And as far as serving this healthy soup with cornbread, well, life is short my friends. And good food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. So, if I stick to the old aphorism “all things in moderation”, serving a modest sized piece of cornbread along with the soup is well within reason! (My story, and I’m sticking to it!)

Peace and love to all.

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

1 med. onion, chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. curry powder

½ tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. seasoned salt

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

1 (14-oz.) can tomatoes (Italian preferably)

6 c. water

2 T. vegetable base (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

1 c. brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked over

2 c. chopped fresh spinach, collard greens, or kale

2 T. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

crumbled feta cheese, opt.

Heat the olive oil in a large covered Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder, thyme, seasoned salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and lots of black pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes, breaking up any large chunks (if any), and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in the water and vegetable base.

Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the lentils, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.

Add the chopped greens and cook for about a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, including more curry powder if you are a true curry lover.  

Great topped with a bit of crumbled feta.

     

CREAMY LEFTOVER TURKEY AND WILD RICE SOUP

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OK, I don’t know about your household, but in this house my husband pays attention to what is in our freezer. Now I know that sounds strange, so allow me to elaborate.

We have a two-story house. The bottom level includes a two-car garage (including a second refrigerator/freezer combination), a work room, a storage room, a utility room (where the freezer lives), a big closet under the stairs, and a wine cellar. And most of the time, Mr. C. is the one who visits the basement on a regular basis. So, while he is downstairs doing “whatever”, I often ask him to bring up items from the freezer. And since we only have a stand-alone refrigerator in the kitchen, his visitations to our freezer is almost a daily occurrence. Therefore, Mr. C. knows what’s in our freezer much better than I. (We do have a stand-alone ice maker in our pantry adjacent to the kitchen, because, well, doing without a ready source for ice cubes would be inconceivable.)

So, yesterday morning, I mentioned that I had no idea what I was going to prepare for dinner. He hastily reminded me that there was one lone package of leftover turkey that probably should be used in the very near future. I had already been thinking of some kind of soup to serve for dinner, so I very sweetly asked him if he would retrieve the leftover turkey the next time he found a need to visit the basement. 

But I wasn’t quite in the mood for my regular standby Turkey Noodle Soup. (But I assure you, it is also a delicious way to use leftover turkey.) I was simply in the mood for something creamy. (When am I not in the mood for something creamy?) Anyway, I found this recipe (with a few adaptations by yours truly) on thefoodcharlatan.com site. And I must say, this is one of the best soups I have ever tasted. Absolutely delicious. And no, I am not going to wait to make this soup again until I have leftover turkey. I may actually buy a turkey breast next time I go to the grocery store just so that I have turkey meat available when I want to have this soup again for dinner. Like next week. It is just that good!

So, I hope you give this soup a try. It’s easy to prepare, includes every day ingredients, and is relatively inexpensive to produce. What more could you ask?

Peace and love and hot soup to all.

8 c. chicken broth, divided

½ c. wild rice*

pinch kosher salt

5 T. unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

1 lg. onion, chopped

1½ c. chopped celery (including leaves)

2 c. shredded carrot

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried poultry seasoning

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2-4 c. chopped leftover cooked turkey (a mixture of dark and white meat if possible)

3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ c. heavy cream, half & half, or even whole milk

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1½ tsp. finely chopped fresh sage

½ tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

In a small, covered saucepan, bring 2 cups of the chicken stock to a boil. Stir in the wild rice and pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 55-60 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large stock pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the shredded carrot and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Then add the seasoned salt, black pepper, poultry seasoning, dried thyme, bay leaf, and remaining 6 cups of chicken stock.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the shredded carrot is tender.

Add the turkey and cooked rice. Bring to a boil. While the soup comes to a boil, mush the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter together with the flour. Gradually stir the semi-Beurre manié** into the soup.

When the soup thickens a bit, add the heavy cream, lemon juice, parsley, sage, and rosemary. Bring back to a boil, remove from heat, taste, adjust seasoning, and discard the bay leaf.

Serve garnished with chopped parsley or herb(s) of choice.  

*Despite its name, wild rice is not rice at all. It is the seed of an aquatic grass like rice, but it is not directly related. Wild rice grows naturally in shallow freshwater marshes and along the shores of streams and lakes.  It is only referred to as “rice” because it looks and cooks like real rice. Wild Rice is rich in antioxidants and is considered a healthy option to white rice. The low calorie and high nutrient contents make wild rice a nutrient-dense food. It’s a very impressive source of minerals and a great plant-based protein source.  

**I call it semi-Beurre manié, because true Beurre manié is equal parts butter and flour. And for those who are unfamiliar with the term, Beurre manié (French “kneaded butter”) is a dough, consisting of equal parts of soft butter and flour, used to thicken soups and sauces. By kneading the flour and butter together, the flour particles are coated in butter, resulting in no nasty little flour lumps in your perfectly prepared soup or sauce. And as far as the butter part? Well, everything tastes better with a bit of butter.

  

EGG DROP SOUP – 2

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Tis the season when the upper most thing on most of our minds when it comes time to cook dinner is, what in the heck can I fix for dinner that’s quick, easy, and delicious? Because if you are anything like me, you’ve been at it all day and by 4:00, your only concern is to get something, make that anything on the table so that you can finally put your feet up and take a well-deserved rest.

OK, many of you aren’t as old as I am, or go quite as crazy as I do at Christmas, but everyone needs a good basic recipe for those times when cooking is synonymous with an afternoon spent at your dentist’s office having a root canal! We all have those days, and for me Christmas time especially brings out the “I don’t want to cook, and I don’t want to go out to eat either” conundrum that’s inherent with being tired, over-extended, and just plain beat. In fact, there are days at this time of year when a root canal sounds almost OK because at least I’d be sitting down!

So, if any of you have similar thoughts about the joy of fixing dinner after a day of baking cookies, making fudge, wrapping presents, getting packages ready to mail, and for many of you, all of this after spending a full day at work, then this recipe should be perfect for you.

Now, we happen to love egg drop soup. So much so, that we often order it in restaurants. And usually, we are disappointed. There just doesn’t seem to be any flavor in the broth. And let’s face it, this simple soup is all about the broth. So, the broth in this soup has a lot of flavor.

And in case you were concerned, this soup is heartier than it appears in print. But if you would prefer a bit more protein in your soup, by-all-means add some diced chicken to the mix. Or add sliced mushrooms, cooked udon noodles, tofu, or baby spinach leaves. Any or all would be a lovely addition. So, give this soup a try. It really is delicious. (And yes, I know this recipe is very similar to my original recipe for Egg Drop Soup. I just like to change things up a bit just for the shear joy of doing so!)

And as for Christmas preparations, I still think I’m 33 when it comes to decorating for the holidays, or getting goodies sent to family and friends. But really, all of this is unnecessary to keeping Christmas in my heart. And that’s just where Christmas belongs. Remembering to be extra special kind, or extra special charitable or thinking of others instead of myself. I still have plenty of room for improvement in all these areas. So, my Christmas wish for myself is to keep working towards being a better person.

My Christmas wish for you is peace, love, and an abundance of hope.

4 c. chicken broth

3 fat or 4-5 skinny green onions, chopped (white and dark green parts separated)

½ tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 T. soy sauce

4 tsp. cornstarch

freshly ground black pepper (just a bit)

¼ tsp. fine sea salt (or more to taste)

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

2 T. water

3 lg. eggs   

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil 

Combine the chicken broth, the white part of the green onions, grated ginger, and soy sauce in a soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Bring broth to a low simmer and let burble for a good 10 minutes.

Whisk the cornstarch, pepper, sea salt, granulated garlic, and water together in a small bowl. (Make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved.) Then pour into the soup and mix well.

Beat the eggs in a small bowl. To add eggs, hold a fork vertically across the rim of the bowl. Then slowly drizzle the beaten eggs through the tines of the fork into the soup. Move the bowl around as you pour the eggs, so that all the egg doesn’t land in one spot. Let the egg set for a few seconds, then stir gently to break up the egg into desired sized pieces.

Just before serving, drizzle the sesame oil into the soup. Then sprinkle with the remaining green onion. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

GROUND BEEF AND BLACK BEAN CHILI

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OK, I know, everyone already has their favorite recipe for chili, and I actually already have several recipes on this site that I dearly love too. So, what made me go online and look for another chili recipe is anyone’s guess. And why black beans? Well, that’s easy. I was too lazy to cook kidney beans from scratch and all I had in the pantry was a lone can of black beans. So, I thought – what the heck. Go online and see how other cooks make their chili using black beans. And I stumbled on to the juliasalbum.com site. As I perused the ingredients, it looked like the perfect chili recipe to me. Of course, I added a couple of ingredients and played fast and loose with some of the spice amounts, but other than that, this fabulous and easy to prepare chili recipe is compliments of Julia.

So, what makes this chili special? Well for one thing, it contains more vegetables than you usually find in chili. (That’s a plus BTW.) And 5 cloves of garlic. That’s more garlic than you find in most chili recipes. The spices are not uncommon, but the cup of beef broth is. And beef broth is such a wonderful ingredient to bring extra richness to any dish. So, basically, this is just a good basic recipe for a fabulous bowl of chili. And in my book, there is just nothing finer. Served with a nice cornbread muffin, life is good.

As always, have fun in your kitchen. And remember, some of the best food in the world is often very simple to prepare and has been a family favorite for decades. But that doesn’t mean the dish can’t be “revised” periodically. Hope you enjoy this “revision”.

Peace and love to all.

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 med. carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely diced

¼ c. chopped Hatch chili or ½ c. chopped green bell pepper

5 garlic cloves, chopped

3 T. chili powder

4 tsp. paprika

4 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 tsp. cumin

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 (28-oz) can whole or diced tomatoes, plus juice (Italian tomatoes, if possible) 

1 c. beef broth

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

grated sharp cheddar cheese, garnish

thinly sliced green onions, garnish

sour cream, garnish

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy covered pan. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add the onion, carrot, Hatch chili or bell pepper, and celery; stir well and continue cooking for about 2 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

Stir in the chili powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Add the canned tomatoes with juices and the beef broth. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Add the black beans and cook for another 20 minutes or so.

To serve, pass the grated cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, and sour cream.

CREAMY CAULIFLOWER, CARROT, AND CELERY SOUP WITH OVEN BAKED GARLIC CROUTONS

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About a week before Thanksgiving, our neighbors and dear friends Mark and Vicki had us over for dinner. And Mark served this soup as the first course. His soup was chunky, and I loved the taste and texture from first bite. So, when it came to planning what soup to serve as a first course for Thanksgiving, I decided to prepare the same soup, but use my immersion blender to make the soup creamy rather than chunky. And to offset the creamy, I decided homemade croutons would provide the texture that was missing from not serving the soupy chunky. So, I messed with the recipe Mark found on the tasteofhome.com site to what you find below. But, if you don’t care for smooth soup, just leave your immersion blender in its hiding place, and serve the soup chunky. But, no matter how you decide to serve this soup, you are in for a treat.

Now, if you are only into soups that pack a lot of flavor, this may not suit your taste. It absolutely does not provide an “in your face” flavor punch. It’s more of a subtle and unpretentious little soup with hints of class and refinement. And perfect when the rest of the meal is going to be a full-blown taste bud extravaganza!

So, I hope you give this charming soup a try. It really is delicious. And ever so easy to prepare. And the croutons ain’t bad either!

As always, continue to prepare and eat delicious food. Life is short and one of life’s greatest pleasures, at least for me, comes from sitting down to a truly wonderful meal with family and/or friends. So, make it happen. Even if you live alone, call a friend or two and invite them for dinner. They will love being entertained and you will have a great meal to share and maybe even some delightful leftovers you can treat yourself to the next evening. And always keep in mind that what we are experiencing right now is not a dress rehearsal for our lives. We are living the main and only event. So, don’t skimp on the quality of food you feed yourself or your family and friends.

And sorry for no picture. But by the time I was dishing up soup on Thanksgiving, I was already thinking fondly of my pillow and taking a picture for my blog didn’t even enter my mind. What blog???

So, from one recovering Thanksgiving cook to all of you out there – peace, love, and endless days of joy.

1 med. head cauliflower, cut into small pieces

1 med. carrot, shredded

¼ c. finely chopped celery

2½ c. water

2-3 tsp. chicken or vegetable bouillon

3 T. unsalted butter

3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 c. whole milk

1½ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

dash hot pepper sauce, opt. (I use Frank’s RedHot sauce)

Combine the cauliflower, carrot, celery, water, and bouillon in a heavy soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender (do not drain). Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. (If there are a few chunks, that’s just fine!

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the cheese until melted, adding hot pepper sauce if desired. Stir into the cauliflower mixture.

Serve in small bowls or small coffee cups garnished with Oven Baked Garlic Croutons.

OVEN BAKED GARLIC CROUTONS

1 T. unsalted butter

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely minced

½ tsp. dried parsley

Pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 c. bread cubes

Heat the butter, olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium sized frying pan. When starting to burble, remove from heat and stir in the bread cubes. Transfer to a small low sided baking pan and bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until the bread cubes are crisp and starting to brown. Turn the cubes once during the baking time.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before using or storing in an airtight container.

CREAMY CHANTERELLE MUSHROOM SOUP

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So, the other day Mr. C. returned from grocery shopping with a bag of fresh chanterelle mushrooms. Oh my, now what to do with these gastronomic treasures? Well, the first thing that came to mind was soup. So, not already having a recipe for the likes of these beauties, I went on-line to see if I could find just the perfect recipe. And by golly, there it was on the seriouseats.com site. OK, I changed a thing or two, but the recipe basics are still there. So, thank you J. Kenji López-Alt for this marvelous recipe.

Now, the first thing you might notice is that this creamy soup has no cream in it. Hurray for that. It does however have quite a bit of butter. You simply can’t have soup with the kind of flavor this recipe produces without a bit of fat. But at least, it doesn’t have both butter and cream. So, that’s certainly a redeeming feature.

What is does have is an abundance of flavor and a wonderful mouth feel. So, while it’s still chanterelle season, I recommend you make this soup ASAP.

So, without further ado, I present you with a recipe for soup at its finest. And as always, peace and love to all.

5 T. unsalted butter, divided

2 med. shallots, minced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

¾ – 1 lb. chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and chopped into small pieces

1 T. flour

½ c. dry sherry

1 qt. veggie broth (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

1 lg. or 2 sm. bay leaves

1/8 tsp. dried thyme 

¼ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium sized soup pan over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 more tablespoon of butter and the chopped mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until excess liquid evaporates, and mushrooms start to sizzle, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and stir to incorporate. Cook for 30 seconds.

Add sherry and cook, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pan, until the sherry is thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Add the veggie stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Bring the soup to a simmer and adjust heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf and using an immersion blender, add the 2 more tablespoons of the butter and whirl until the soup is completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

To serve, ladle soup into soup bowls and top with homemade croutons. See recipe below.

Easy Garlic Croutons:

1 T. butter or extra virgin olive oil (or a combination)

2-3 c. cubed crusty, chewy bread

granulated garlic

Melt butter or olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly sauté until crunchy and browned. (This takes upward of 45 minutes, so plan to make croutons when you are working on other dishes and are close at hand.) Stir frequently. When the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. Cool and store in an airtight container.

BACON, SHRIMP, AND CORN CHOWDER

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The first thing you might notice after a cursory glance at the ingredients for this recipe, is that there are no potato chunks in this chowder. And I know, many of you don’t consider chowder to be chowder if it doesn’t contain potatoes. And don’t get me wrong, I love potatoes too. But I have eaten far too many chowders (seafood chowders especially) that were half potatoes to the exclusion of other veggies that might actually have given the chowder a lovely flavor base. So, frankly, I’m done with potatoes in my chowders. (That sound you hear is Mr. C. applauding in the background?)  In fact, until the other evening when I ordered a cup of crab and corn chowder at the Brown Lantern Ale House in Anacortes, I hadn’t had a taste of chowder in years. But this crab chowder was so delicious, and to my delight, nary a cheap filler like potato in the entire mixture. Just a lovely creamy chowder filled with real crab and corn. So, my faith in chowders renewed, the next day I glommed together a recipe for (you guessed it) crab and corn chowder.

So, why is this recipe for a shrimp chowder you might be asking yourself? Simple answer. I didn’t have any crab on hand. But I did have bacon, shrimp, and 2 ears of corn. So, the crab and corn recipe is pending. In the meantime, you’ll just have to settle for this recipe. Which by-the-way is delectable. Easy to prepare, and a lot lower in fat than many chowder recipes.

As always, be creative in your kitchen. Trust your instincts, especially if you’ve been cooking for a long time. You know what spices go together. You know what to put in a good spaghetti sauce. And what to throw into meat loaf. And that bacon is it’s own food group! So, yes, of course, if you can’t imagine a chowder without potatoes, serve it up! I won’t know, and even if I did, I’d be the one you heard in the background clapping my hands together in celebration of your knowledge of your families preferences. Because, more than anything, I want you to love cooking. And to feel pride when you feed not only yourself but your family and friends with fantastic food. And if that means potatoes in the chowder you serve, good on you! You’re doing it right!

Peace and love to all.

5-6 slices thick-cut lean bacon, cut into small pieces

½ lb. lg. shrimp, peeled, de-veined, tails removed and cut into small pieces

2 T. unsalted butter

½ c. finely chopped onion

⅓ c. shredded carrot

1 c. thinly sliced celery, plus chopped leaves, if possible

½ red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely minced  

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. paprika

2 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

1½ c. chicken stock or 1½ c. water and 1½ tsp. chicken base

1 c. whole milk

½ c. half and half

cooked kernels from 2 ears of corn (or 1½ cups frozen) 

2-3 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

hot sauce, for table

Fry the bacon in a Dutch oven or large, deep saucepan over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a small bowl. Set aside.

Add the shrimp and cook just until done. With a slotted spoon, remove to the same bowl with the cooked bacon.

Add the butter to the pot and let it melt. Stir in the onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. Next stir in the garlic, seasoned salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, dried thyme, and paprika. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Sprinkle the flour over the top of the onion mixture, then cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the chicken stock, milk, and half and half until no flour lumps remain. Stir in the corn kernels and bring to a gentle boil. Let bubble until thickened, about 5 minutes. (If the chowder is not as thick as you like, make a beurre manié (paste made with equal parts flour and soft butter mashed together) and stir into the soup. (I would suggest starting with 1 tablespoon each of soft butter and flour. Then if the soup is still not thick enough, repeat the process.) Taste and adjust seasoning.

When ready to serve, stir in the cooked bacon and shrimp and continue cooking just until the shrimp is hot.   

Serve the chowder hot, sprinkled with sliced green onions. Pass hot sauce at table. Great served with Soft Sourdough Rolls. (Recipe to follow in the near future.)  

     

CREAMY ROASTED CAULIFLOWER CHEDDAR CHEESE SOUP

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OK, I hate to boast, but I truly believe that cauliflower was invented mainly for this soup recipe. Because, regardless of the other good recipes I have for this simple cruciferous vegetable, this preparation is now my favorite. And I’ll bet a years-worth of broccolini, that it’s going to become your favorite way to eat cauliflower too. And never mind that you probably already have a recipe for cauliflower cheddar soup. You simply must give this recipe a try. Roasting the cauliflower imparts such a goodly amount of richness, that in combination with all the other ingredients, there is no way this soup could be anything but delicious.

I served it last evening with just baked Chewy Sourdough Baguette slices, and it made the perfect Sunday evening meal. And it had been ever so quick and easy to build. So, another point in its favor. The only mistake I made was in not making a double batch. Because for lunch today, we are going to have to fight over the leftovers. Good thing Mr. C. is always such a gracious loser.

As always, keep having fun in your kitchen and keep on preparing healthy and delicious food for yourself and your family. I’m flat out of advice on matters I have no business mentioning on a cooking blog in the first place. So, I will simply leave you with my standard hope and prayer for each and everyone of you. Peace and love to all.

Oh, and if you were concerned about me offering to give up broccolini for a full year, please do not worry. I can’t stand the stuff, so I wouldn’t be eating it anyway. But thanks for any unease my words may have caused you.

1 med. head cauliflower, cut into very small pieces (use the stems and florets)

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 T. unsalted butter, divided

1 shallot, finely minced

2 lg. garlic cloves, finely minced

1 med. carrot, grated

1 lg. stalk celery, finely chopped

2 c. water 

2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Chicken or Vegetable flavored base   

3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 c. whole milk

2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese, loosely packed 

½ tsp. hot sauce, or more to taste (I use Frank’s Red Hot)

chopped chives, opt. (you can substitute green onion in a pinch)

garlic croutons, opt. (see recipe below)

Place cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower pieces start to get brown around the edges. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a covered Dutch oven or soup pot, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add the shallot and garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the carrot, celery, water, and bouillon base. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are completely tender. Add the roasted cauliflower.

While the veggies are cooking, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Gradually add the milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the cheese and hot sauce. Transfer to the Dutch oven and stir until well blended. (If the soup feels too thick, add a bit more water or milk.) Taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately topped with croutons and chopped chives.

Garlic Croutons:

1-2 T. butter or extra virgin olive oil (or a combination)

2-3 c. cubed crusty, chewy bread (really any kind of bread you want)

granulated garlic

Melt butter or olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly sauté until crunchy and browned. (This takes upward of 45 minutes, so plan to make croutons when you are working on other dishes and are close at hand.) Stir frequently.

When the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. Remove from heat. Cool and store in an airtight container.

       

BEEF STEW WITH GARLIC, ONION, AND CHIVE DUMPLINGS

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For the last several days, weather predictors have been threatening Northwestern Washington with snow. (Like that’s a big threat for people like me!) Because those of us for whom snow is the coolest thing ever, would be overjoyed to see big old fluffy flakes of precipitation fall from the sky. Even though, in our case, almost any amount of snow will render us house bound. (Our driveway and road leading out of our neighborhood are anything but level.)

Lots of snow on Mt. Baker, but so far, none on the deck from which I am taking this picture. That’s Barnum Point in the foreground surrounded on three sides by Port Susan Bay.

But for retired folks like Mr. C. and me, who are already basically tethered to our house because of covid-19, so what? And snow is so pretty. And so much fun to play in. (OK, it used to be fun to play in when I was still skiing. Now however, I stick to admiring it from the comfort of my well heated and comfortable home.) But you understand what I mean. And besides all of which, even though I fervently wish for snow, I have as much say in the matter as my fellow thinking Americans who would like to see one of our former presidents (no name given to avoid a lawsuit) airlifted to a tiny island in the middle of a vast sea of sharks, never to be heard of again! But for reasons unknown to me, I was not handed the responsibility for weather in our region, or for mandating punishment even if said punishment is richly deserved! So, I do the next best thing.

I prepare hearty comfort food that makes us feel like there must be snow on the ground. Which, of course there is. Somewhere. And beef stew, with light as feather dumplings nestled on top, is perfect “snow weather” food. So, of course I hope you give this recipe a try. The stew is delicious. And when topped with dumplings, your entire family will feel like it must be a special occasion. (Snow, or no snow.)

So as always, make each meal a special occasion. And don’t hate snow. None of us can either stop it from falling or hasten its appearance. It simply is what it is. So, stock up on hot chocolate mix and marshmallows. Whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies or brownies. And graciously accept the inevitable. And after all that effort, and if you still have a modicum of energy left, prepare a hearty and tasty meal to top off another great day of just being alive.

Peace and love to all.

For the Stew:

4-6 slices thick lean bacon, diced

1 lb. lean beef (round steak or top sirloin is great)

2 tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

1½ tsp. paprika

½ c. flour

1 lg. onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. chopped celery

2 carrots, sliced ¼-inch thick

3 c. beef stock

1 c. red wine (I use Gallo Hearty Burgundy)

1 T. tomato paste

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

½ tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1 T. dried parsley

2 medium potatoes, diced

4-6 c. fresh or frozen vegetables (corn, beans, peas, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.)

Fry bacon until crisp in a large, covered soup pot. Remove bacon to medium sized bowl. Don’t discard bacon fat. Meanwhile, remove any fat or grizzle from meat and cut into bite size pieces. Sprinkle meat with seasoned salt, pepper, and paprika. Place flour in a bag and add meat cubes. Shake until well coated. Brown meat in bacon fat. As pieces brown, remove to the same bowl as bacon. If more fat is needed to brown all the meat cubes, add a teaspoon or so of vegetable oil.

After all the meat has been browned, add onion, garlic, celery, and carrot slices to the pot. Stir fry for about 5 minutes, lifting brown bits off the bottom. Add beef stock, red wine, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and parsley. Bring to boil and add cooked bacon, meat cubes and any accumulated meat juices. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 90 minutes or until the meat is almost tender. Stir periodically.

Add potatoes and simmer until they are almost done, about 30 minutes. Add fresh vegetables and cook until crisp tender. Add frozen vegetables and continue cooking until the stew is simmering gently.  

Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, drop dumpling balls into the stew.  (The dumplings will double in size while they cook, so make them as big or small as you wish.)

Cook dumplings at a slow simmer for 10 minutes with pan uncovered. Then cover the pot and simmer for about 10 more minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through. (Make sure you don’t peek while the dumplings are cooking for the last 10 minutes. They need to steam in order to be nice and fluffy and lifting the lid will release the steam.) To check if the dumplings are ready, use a toothpick to test if the dumplings are cooked through. The toothpick will be clean if the dumplings are cooked enough. Then serve the stew immediately.

For the Garlic, Onion, and Chive Dumplings:

1 egg

6 T. whole milk

2 T. veggie oil

1 c. all-purpose flour, fluffed

1½ tsp. baking powder   

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 T. chopped dried onion  

2 T. finely chopped fresh or 1 T. dried chives    

In a bowl whisk the egg, milk, and oil together. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic, dried onion, and chives together. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture just until combined. Do not over-mix.