Category Archives: SOUP, STEW, AND CHOWDER RECIPES

CREAM OF SPINACH SOUP

Leave a reply

I always love serving first course soups. And this is a perfect example because it is nice and creamy, but not overly rich. Plus, it’s darn right pretty!

And because this had been such a crazy year, and even though it would be just the two of us at table, I still wanted to keep our Thanksgiving dinner menu as close to normal as possible. So, I decided a small cup of soup to begin our meal would be appropriate. This was actually a last-minute decision. And for certain, I didn’t want Mr. C. to make a special trip to the grocery store for just a couple of items. Plus, I had a big old 10 oz. box of baby spinach in my veggie drawer that really needed my attention. So, although I already had recipes for soups that would have been lovely to serve, I imagined a soup that featured spinach. So, to the computer I proceeded. And what I found on the Food.com site, was Ree Drummond’s rendition of spinach soup.

I changed things up a bit, but the basic concept was all on Ree. I substituted one of the cups of whole milk with a cup of weak vegetable stock. I figured the veggie stock would add a bit more depth of flavor. And I pureed the cooked onion along with the spinach and garlic. I didn’t want little chunks of onion in my soup. I also used less cayenne than called for because I’m a wimp. Plus, I felt too much heat would detract from the overall subtle flavors in the soup. And then, I added a few croutons for garnish.

So, there you have it – cream of spinach soup. Simple to prepare and a perfect start to a delicious meal. Not that I only plan to serve this soup as a first course. Heck no! This creamy concoction would be great paired with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich. Or along side a grilled tuna sandwich, or as a soup and salad combo. This dreamy delight is just that versatile.  

So next time you are in the mood for a creamy, not too rich soup, give this recipe a try. Just don’t forget the croutons. Their buttery crunch really makes the dish.

As always, keep having fun in your kitchen. Keep generating great tasting and healthy food for your family to enjoy. And keep taking good care of yourself. Providing good food for your family is at the heart of helping your entire family manage this crazy time. Great meals give everyone something to look forward to, both for the physical pleasure, but also to reassure everyone that they are being well cared for. Your fellow family members may not be able to pinpoint what they are feeling. But instinctively they will know it’s good to feel this way.

But you need to look after yourself too. So, don’t forget to take breaks. Put your feet up and have a nice cup of tea or a hot cup of coffee. Relax and meditate, do a bit of exercise, read a chapter in your book, or catch up on any new email posts. Just something for you. As the household cook, it’s easy to be taken for granted. But that can only happen if you allow it to happen. So first and foremost, take care of yourself.

Peace and love to all.   

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

10 oz. fresh spinach

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

¼ c. water

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

½ med. onion, chopped

¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 c. whole milk

1 c. vegetable stock (I use 1 cup water and 1 scant teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Vegetable base)

2 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

tiny pinch cayenne pepper

buttery croutons (see recipe below)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mixture to a blender or food processor and pour in the ¼ cup water. Set aside.  

In a large soup pot, melt the butter and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the cooked onion into the blender or food processor leaving as much of the butter in the soup pot as possible. Whirl until smooth.

Over low heat, sprinkle the flour onto the remaining butter and whisk to combine. Increase the heat a bit and cook for about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk and vegetable stock. Add the salt, black pepper, and cayenne; stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the pureed spinach mixture, then cook until the soup thickens a bit, another 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve hot off the stove and garnished with a few Buttery Croutons.

Buttery Croutons:

2 T. unsalted butter  

2-3 c. cubed white bread

Melt butter in a medium sized sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly toast until crunchy and lightly 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 totally dry and crunchy, remove from heat. When completely cool, store in an airtight container.

 

CHICKEN SAUSAGE, KALE, AND WHITE SWEET POTATO SOUP

Leave a reply

I almost always have a four sausage package of Aidells dinner sausages in the freezer. So on nights when I’m not eager to spend hours in the kitchen, I have the main dish almost on the table before I cut open the package. I usually just pour a little water and olive oil in a small frying pan, cover the pan, and let the water evaporate while the sausages are heating. When the water is gone, the olive oil browns the sausages. When they are browned all around, dinner is ready.

When we were younger, we could both happily put away 2 sausages each. Not anymore. I usually have one and Mr. C. one and a half. So that leaves me with left over sausages. And yes I could just serve them the next evening, but if at all possible, I try to use them in a new and inspired way.

I don’t know what the weather is like where you live, but here on Camano Island, an hours’ drive north of Seattle, it is wet and windy. Drizzly wet and very windy. In other words, absolutely perfect weather for soup. So with soup in mind, I concocted this recipe based on our leftover dinner sausages.

And as usual, this basically vegetable soup contains the quintessential foursome – onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. (Can you even begin to think about a vegetable soup without these key ingredients? Of course not!)

Anyway, after that I went a little off grid by adding a bit of dry Marsala wine to the mix. But by then, I was already heading towards Italy, so Marsala only made good sense. (It’s made in Sicily after all!)

After that I pretty much resigned myself to this being an Italian style soup. The only deviation being no pasta (diced white sweet potato* instead) and kale. (Got to get our dark greens in as much as possible. Plus the stuff grows wild in our back yard!) But the rest of the soup couldn’t be more Italian if had been constructed in Italy by one of my Italian sisters. (I consider myself Italian if only by inclination. But by inheritance, I am mainly French, with a smattering of German and Swiss French thrown in for good measure. I figure my heritage is geographically close enough to Italy to make no never mind! So for all practical purposes, I feel Italian even without a pedigree. I figure God was just a little geographically challenged the day I was conceived. Could have happened that way. Right?) Anyway – I love Italian food. And this soup turned out to be really easy to prepare, delicious, low in fat, and chock full of really healthy ingredients. And perfect for a wet and windy fall evening. And very Italian tasting. So of course, I suggest you make this soup at your earliest convenience. It truly is tasty.

As always, keep thinking positive thoughts and keep being kind even to those with differing opinions. And I know, that isn’t easy. In fact I am writing this to remind myself to put my money where my mouth is. If this nation is ever going to heal, we need to learn more about the word respect. What it really means, and what it stands for. And then live the meaning and stand up for the principle. This is my favorite definition of the word. Respect – due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others. Peace and love to all.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2-4 chicken dinner sausages, any flavor, thinly sliced

½ lg. onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ c. dry Marsala wine

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes

3 c. chicken stock

1 (14.5-oz.) can diced or crushed tomatoes (Italian if possible)

1 c. diced white sweet potato* (I cut the pieces fairly small)

2 loosely packed cups of chopped kale

½ c. fresh basil chiffonade

grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese, for passing

Heat the olive oil in a covered stock pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook just until browned. Remove from pot and set aside. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the Marsala and cook until all evaporated.

Stir in the salt, pepper, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, chicken stock, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the diced sweet potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sweet potato chunks are just tender. Add the kale and browned sausage to the pot and cook for five minutes until kale is wilted. Stir in the basil, adjust seasoning, and serve very hot. Pass the Parmesan cheese. Great served with cornbread (several recipes on site) or Garlic Bread or Garlic Toast. (Both recipes on site.)

*White sweet potatoes have a slightly drier texture than orange sweet potatoes, as well as a flavor that’s less sweet. While white sweet potatoes do not contain as many nutrients as their orange relations, they are still a healthier, lower calorie, and higher-fiber option than starchy, regular potatoes like russet or Yukon gold. White sweet potatoes can be roasted, baked, grilled, or mashed just like orange sweet potatoes. The main difference is in the flavor. They simply are not as sweet.   

CREAMY BACON, SWEET POTATO, CORN, AND RED BELL PEPPER CHOWDER

Leave a reply
And yes, I am still the worlds worse food photographer.

I made this chowder last evening mainly because in our last farm box we received several small white-fleshed sweet potatoes. Of course as luck would have it, we already had some on hand. Now granted, we love sweet potatoes. But there is a limit to how much of any kind of food I want to eat or serve several nights in a row. (And yes that includes chocolate and hamburgers!) So then, what in the heck to do with all the bloody sweet potatoes? Mr. C. suggested just baking them, and serving in the normal manner. Which in this house means baked, split in two, slathered with butter, and sprinkled with salt and pepper. OK, that sounds good for 2 of them. Maybe even 4 of them. But that still leaves me with a small crops worth still to be dealt with. But I’m always up for a good challenge. So to the internet I proceeded.

I’ve been on a real soup and chowder kick lately, so that’s the direction I decided to take. And oh am I glad I did. I found the basics for this recipe on the runningonrealfood.com site. When I told Mr. C. about the recipe, he asked me those three little words every cook knows are eventually going to come out of someone’s mouth when chowder is mentioned – “is there bacon”? I told him bacon was not in the original recipe, but it certainly would make a fine addition. So this recipe includes bacon. It also includes a wee bit of crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley. (I use crushed red pepper flakes a lot in my cooking. Not much, just a few flakes to keep things interesting. I also include fresh parsley whenever possible.)

As you glance through the recipe, you will note, that with the exception of the tiny bit of fat rendered as the bacon fries, there is no other fat included. There are also no dairy products. So this is a fairly low fat and healthy chowder. And truly, it doesn’t need any shredded cheese or sour cream. It is perfect unto itself. And I could have left it as such. But no, I decided to accompany the chowder with buttermilk biscuits. And not just any buttermilk biscuits.

I had developed a recipe for Huntsman Cheese and Chive Buttermilk Drop Biscuits that I was anxious to try. So I did. And I am here to tell you, the biscuits were outrageously delicious and went really well with this amazing chowder. So my next post will be for the biscuits I served last evening. But back to this recipe.

The first thing I need to mention is that this chowder is truly delicious. And to make it all the more appealing, very easy to prepare. And for all of you for whom time is of the essence when preparing dinner, there is no long simmering required to produce the lovely depth of flavor base for this chowder. And truly, I can’t think of any reason even the most picky of eaters wouldn’t enjoy this dish. So there you go. Dinner in a pot.

So as always, keep preparing and serving delicious food to your family.   And especially with winter just around the corner, remember that nothing says warm and cozy, healthy and happy, safe and cherished, like a big old bowl of soup or chowder. (Of course chocolate chip cookies work well too.)      

We are all going to be subjected to a long and isolated spell of being housebound until Covid-19 is brought under control. And having to stay inside because its winter is definitely not going to make life easier for any of us. In fact, just the opposite. But the more we as cooks can do to help our families cope with the boredom and stay as healthy as possible, the better. And there’s no better way I can think of to make that happen than by preparing interesting, healthy, and delicious food. If nothing else, it will be fun to tell your family all about a new dish when you are invariably asked what’s for dinner. If it happen to be this chowder you are preparing at the time, I would advise starting the discourse with the first ingredient listed below. Peace and love to all.

4-6 strips of meaty, thick bacon, cut into small pieces

1 c. chopped onion

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 c. (more or less) cubed sweet potato  

3 c. vegetable broth, or additional broth if you like a more liquid base for your chowder

2 tsp. chili powder  

1 tsp. paprika  

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 c. (more or less) frozen corn

1 T. chopped fresh parsley  

Fry the bacon until very crisp in a heavy soup pot. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a medium sized mixing bowl. Set aside.

Add the onion and celery to the pot and cook until the onion starts to soften. (The onion will also start to get a little brown from the bits left behind while frying the lean bacon.) Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the sweet potato, broth, chili powder, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a light simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the diced red bell pepper and simmer until the sweet potato is fork tender. (Just cook until tender, not mushy.) This only takes a few minutes more. Then add the corn.

Remove about one half of the soup to the bowl with the cooked bacon. Using an immersion blender, whirl the remaining soup until it’s kind of creamy but there are still some small chunks. Then add the unblended soup back into the pot along with the cooked bacon. Taste and adjust seasoning. Bring just to a boil, stir in the parsley, and serve piping hot.

Please note: to make this chowder vegetarian, sauté the onion and celery in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Then add the garlic and go from there.       

   

CRUMBLED FETA CHEESE TOPPED VEGETARIAN LENTIL SOUP

Leave a reply

The leaves are changing color and dropping at a prodigious rate. The sky is replete with clouds in every shade of grey. And every once in a while a bit of blue sky allows us a teasing glimpse of the sun. In other words – it’s fall in the Northwest. And with fall comes my ingrained desire to build comfort food. And of course the first dish that comes to mind is soup. But what kind of soup? (That is always the question.)

So I decided to open my first self-published cookbook (Cooking with Family and Friends) to check out the soup recipes in case there was one that I had inadvertently forgotten. My instincts were spot on, because right there in black and white on page 29 was a recipe for lentil soup. And in the note at the bottom of the recipe were the words “Andy loves this soup generously sprinkled with crumbled feta cheese.” How had I let this lovely soup avoid my detection for all these years? Anyway, to make a long story short, the other evening I prepared this soup, with a couple of upgrades, and there was a very happy man sitting with me at the dinner table that evening.

Now one of the lovely aspects of this soup is that it is vegetarian. I try, most of the time unsuccessfully, to cook at least one dinner every week that doesn’t contain meat. We have actually cut way down on our meat consumption, but I still try to eliminate meat completely as much as possible. Not because we aren’t carnivores through and through. But because too much meat isn’t good for either one of us. So when I can serve a soup like this one that has all the flavor and heartiness of a meat dish, I feel extremely proud of myself. And with a soup like this one, neither of us miss meat in the slightest.

So if you too would like to build a healthy and delicious soup for yourself and your family, give this recipe a try. Just don’t forget the feta cheese. Its creamy salty deliciousness just can’t be beat in combination with lentils.

As always, make your kitchen a happy place. Keep it clean and tidy so you can feel refreshed whenever you walk into it to start your meal prep. A nice vase of flowers, or a couple of candles, or some special photos or your children’s art work on the refrigerator to welcome you and the rest of your family into the heart of your home.

When I was raising my children, we had, by today’s standards, a fairly small kitchen. However, there was still enough room for a small round ice cream table with 3 chairs. And even though the dining room table was large and just on the other side of the kitchen wall, plus each of the kids had their own desk, guess where they wanted to do their homework? Yep. When my three youngest children were young, that’s exactly where they wanted to be. At the kitchen table. Maybe not all at the same time. But I was never alone in the kitchen. And that was because the kitchen was warm and cozy, I was there, and I was going about the business of preparing a meal for them. They could see me and talk to me about their day. As far as I was concerned, that simple everyday occurrence was magic. And I wouldn’t exchange those memories with my children for any amount of money. As the kids got older, they shifted to doing their homework at the dining room table. But they were still always close enough to speak with me or hear me clanking cooking pans. (And no, they never once did their homework at their own desks.)

So I offer a toast to happy kitchens! And peace and love to all. And please enjoy this simple soup recipe. It really is delicious.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for table

1 onion, chopped

½ tsp. granulated sugar

1 carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery (including leaves), thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. finely chopped fresh parsley

3 tsp. curry powder, divided

2 tsp. dried marjoram

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1 tsp. dried mint

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

2 c. dry lentils, sorted and rinsed (I use Bob’s Red Mill Lentils – Heritage Beans)

6 c. vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

2 c. water

2 c. chopped fresh baby spinach

2-3 T. fresh lemon juice

crumbled feta cheese (French feta is our favorite)

Heat olive oil in a large heavy covered soup pan. (I use my Le Creuset Dutch Oven.) Add the onion and sugar. Slowly sauté the onion until it is very soft and starting to turn a light caramel color, about 30 minutes. Stir in the carrot and celery and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, parsley, 2 teaspoons of the curry powder, marjoram, seasoned salt, dried mint, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, and the rinsed lentils. Sauté for 5 minutes more, stirring almost constantly.

Add the broth and water, stir well to combine, making certain you lift any delicious brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, stir again, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 1 hour. Stir periodically.

When the lentils are soft, and just before you are ready to serve, stir in the spinach, remaining 1 teaspoon of curry powder, and lemon juice. (Start with 2 tablespoons. Add more to taste.) Adjust seasoning.

At table, offer crumbled feta cheese and extra virgin olive oil for drizzling. Great served with warm bread.    

ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE, KALE, AND PASTA SOUP

Leave a reply

So once again it’s the beginning of soup season. Well that is, for most people. Not me. I love a good old bowl of soup year round. But I do have to admit, every year at this time the urge to make soup gets stronger. And yesterday was no exception.

I had just baked a batch of Chewy Sourdough Baguettes (recipe on this site) and thought a nice hearty vegetable soup would be the perfect accompaniment. (You realize I probably should have stated that the bread would be a perfect accompaniment to the soup. But for me, I know what comes first in my list of priorities!) Anyway, I had some Andouille sausage that needed to be eaten and I always have kale growing in a half wine barrel on the West side of our house. (The stuff grows like a weed. You can’t kill it. And the kind I have is a perennial. And I swear it lives to reproduce itself. I find baby plants in the ground all around the wine barrel.) But back to this recipe.

So researching under Andouille sausage and kale, I found the bones of this recipe on the healthyseasonalrecipes.com site. I changed things up a bit, but I still want to thank Katie for this fantastic recipe.

Now something you should know. We like our soup to have flavor. Shocking admittance, right?!?! But I have tried too many simple recipes like this one where any lovely flavors introduced into the soup completely disappear during the cooking process. (Where do you suppose they go?) Anyway, I’m really not sure how that happens, but I’ll bet you have had at least one similar experience. You start with a flavorful meat, add some veggies and herbs, and end up with a blah broth. Well, not if you make this soup. Ain’t going to happen.

(A neat trick I’ve learned over the years. When using a nicely flavored sausage like Andouille, brown it first in the oil you are going to use to cook your veggies. Then remove at least part of the cooked sausage, set it aside, and add it back towards the end of the cooking time. Then when you eat the soup, you get a nice burst of sausage flavor, not just a piece of meat with all the taste sucked out of it. But back to this recipe.)

Now let’s talk anise seed. DO NOT LEAVE IT OUT OF THIS SOUP! If you don’t enjoy licorice, fennel, or caraway, you are probably not going to like the flavor of anise seed. Therefore you might not enjoy this soup. But if you do like the flavor, you are going to love this dish. But don’t get me wrong. This is not a recipe for licorice soup. The flavor is there and it is a distinctive taste, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s simply YUM!!!

So if you would like a recipe for an easy to build soup, with simple ingredients, that doesn’t have to simmer for hours, this is the recipe for you. Plus this healthy vegetable soup is just different enough to appeal to taste buds that require constant gratification or bore easily. (Guilty as charged!)

My only mistake I made when preparing this soup was that I didn’t double the recipe. So if you have a large family or want planned-overs, I suggest you double the recipe.

As always, please vote in the upcoming election. But before casting your ballot, continue to search for the truth, consider global consequences, and above all – trust your instincts. If a food item looks rotten and smells rotten, then it probably is rotten. Throw it out! Same goes for words out of someone’s mouth. If someone is spouting hate, and derision, and condoning behavior you find repugnant, then that too is a sign of rot. And it too should be thrown out. Bad behavior should never be condoned or excused. So please, vote with your brain. Pretend you have no party allegiance. And forget the way you voted in the past. What does your brain (and your heart) tell you about each candidate? Then vote accordingly. Peace and love to all.

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

6 oz. Andouille sausage, halved lengthwise, then again, and diced into small pieces

¾ c. diced yellow onion

1 carrot, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper  

1½ tsp. dry marjoram

½ tsp. anise seed

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. tomato paste

½ c. dry white wine

4 c. chicken broth  

½ c. pasta (I use small elbow macaroni)

4 c. chopped kale

grated Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese, opt. garnish  

Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed lidded soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced sausage and cook until it is browned. Remove the sausage from pan and set aside.

Stir in the onion, carrot, and celery, stirring often, until the veggies start to soften and the bottom of the pot is starting to brown slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes. While the veggies soften, stir in the salt, pepper, dried marjoram, and anise seed. When the veggies are softened, stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the wine and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer the soup for about 20 minutes.

Add the uncooked pasta, reserved Andouille sausage, and the kale. Cover the pot and return to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Pass the grated cheese at table. Great served with fresh sourdough baguette slices.   

     

HOMEMADE CONDENSED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP AND CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP

Leave a reply

I almost always have a can of cream of mushroom soup on hand because it is a quick and easy way to build a casserole, curry sauce, etc. But I never buy cream of chicken soup, only because I never think of it in terms of an ingredient or as a replacement for white sauce. Cream of mushroom soup, on the other hand, was a staple in my mother’s kitchen. Which in and of itself, isn’t really a good recommendation for the product. But it’s certainly where I learned about it in the first place. (I say not a good recommendation because my mother was not a good cook. Her idea of a fancy dish was creamed tuna on toast. And guess what provided the creamy part?)

Often while I’m perusing recipes, I find cream of mushroom soup or quite often now, cream of chicken soup listed as an ingredient. OK, that’s fine, but I don’t want to use a canned product that includes a lot of salt and preservatives more often than necessary. (Necessary meaning I’m tired or feeling lazy and don’t want to expend a lot of energy in the kitchen.)

But luckily, most of the time I’m more than willing to make either of these homemade versions of Campbell’s creations because they are both so easy to build and I’m fond of the recipes that contain them. But frankly, these homemade versions are a great deal tastier and better for us then their predecessors. (FYI – Campbell’s started making Cream of Mushroom soup in 1934. That’s even before I was born! And I’m old!)

So if you too have some beloved recipes that call for a can of creamed soup, give these recipes a try. In fact, some of my favorite recipes on this site include canned soup. And sometimes I prepare the recipes as printed, but now, most of the time, I prepare my own condensed soup replications.    

As always, eat healthy, stay mentally healthy, and keep showing a healthy respect for yourself and everyone around you by continuing to wear a mask in public, remaining socially distant from others outside your household, and doing whatever you possibly can to stem the spread of covid-19. Peace and love to all.

CONDENSED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP (homemade version = roughly 1 can)

3 T. unsalted butter

½ c. chopped button mushrooms, or mushrooms of choice

3 T. flour

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch granulated onion  

pinch granulated garlic

¼ – ½ tsp. dried mushroom powder*, opt.

1½ c. whole milk

1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base
 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the chopped mushrooms. Sauté slowly until the mushroom start to brown.  

Add the flour and whisk together to make a roux. (If it feels like a little more butter would be nice, add a bit.) Add the seasoned salt, pepper, granulated onion, granulated garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of the dried mushroom powder. (You can always add more mushroom powder when you taste and adjust seasonings later in the recipe if you would like a stronger mushroom flavor.)

Slowly whisk in the milk and vegetable base. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning as required. Use in any recipe calling for an a can of cream of mushroom soup.

* Dried Mushroom Powder: Can be purchased online or you can make mushroom powder at home. Start with any type of dried mushrooms. Place in your blender or spice grinder and let it whirl. (My spice grinder is an inexpensive coffee grinder dedicated just for the purpose of grinding herbs, spices, and anything other than coffee!)

Store mushroom powder in an airtight container. Great for adding depth of flavor to almost any dish that calls for mushrooms.

CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP (homemade version = roughly 1 can)

6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter

6 T. flour

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

lg. pinch granulated garlic

lg. pinch granulated onion

1 c. chicken stock or 1 c. water and 1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base

½ c. whole milk or ¼ c. heavy cream, ¼ c. water 

¼ c. dry white wine

In a small sauce pan, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter over medium low heat. Add the flour and whisk together to make a roux. Add the seasoned salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and granulated onion. Add the chicken stock, milk, and white wine. Whisk together to smooth out the lumps, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning as necessary. (The sauce will be very thick. That’s what you want. And it can be made ahead.) Use in any recipe requiring a can of cream of chicken soup.

LEFTOVER POT ROAST CHILI

Leave a reply

OK, have I got an exciting new way to cook dried beans for you to try! And BTW, this chili ain’t bad either. (But more about the chili later!) But the beans. OMG! No soaking overnight or boiling for 10 minutes and letting them sit for 2 hours, then draining, starting with fresh water, and boiling them until they’re done. While of course checking them constantly. None of that. Just plop the suckers in a covered pan and add water and salt. Bake (you read that right) BAKE for 2 hours. Voila. Perfectly cooked, creamy delicious beans. No instant pot (although an instant pot does a good job too) required. But Instant Pots cost money. This doesn’t. Assuming of course that you have a pot with a cover and an oven.

Anyway, this is the easiest way I have ever cooked dry beans. And because I am lazy (I admit it and have no problems doing so), this is such a wonderful new addition to my list of easy preparations that I am experiencing heart palpitations just keeping my excitement under control as I share this information with all of you. But for the life of me, what I can’t quite get a handle on, is why I didn’t think of this first?!?! Heck, I’ve been making baked beans for decades. And I never soak the beans overnight. I just add all kinds of wonderful ingredients (bacon, ketchup, brown sugar, onion, molasses, mustard, herbs, various liquids, etc. etc.) and plop the whole mess in the oven for several hours. So why did it never occur to me that I could do the same thing with any dry beans and get the same amazing results? (Some would say it’s because I’m obviously not very bright. And of course, they would be making a good point. But frankly, it just never entered my mind.) But now that I have been made aware of this secret to perfectly cooked beans, I plan to use this method for preparing all kinds of different dried bean varieties using a wide array of flavoring additives. Which got me to thinking, maybe some of you never thought of cooking beans this way either.    

So that’s what got me so excited about sharing this revelation with all of you. But enough about beans. On to the real subject of this post. Chili. And how it all came about.

Our freezer is dying. It’s a slow demise, but never-the-less, our 17-18 year old upright freezer is on its last legs. But I still have several cuts of beef from our last two organic beef purchases. The meat is wonderful. It’s not too fatty and the flavor is marvelous. But we are not eating as much meat as we did when we were younger. And, like I said, our freezer is in a slow decline. So, in order to use up the beef ASAP, I made pot roast out of a hunkin’ big boneless chuck roast a few nights ago. It was wonderful. Full of flavor and we enjoyed it two nights in a row. But there comes a point when left-overs become a redundancy. So the leftover meat and gravy sat in our refrigerator for a day or two before I said that’s it. This has to be eaten or thrown away. But I was just not up for throwing perfectly good meat and gravy away. And I didn’t want to put it in our dying freezer either. So what to do with leftover lean meat and about a cup of fabulous pot roast gravy.

So yesterday morning, as if hit by a bolt of lightning (we do live on Lightning Way after all), I thought about using the cooked meat and gravy in one of our favorite dishes – chili. So that’s just what I did.

Now this is not a new and exciting recipe for an old standard. It’s basically just the way I usually prepare chili. Except of course for substituting already cooked beef for hamburger and gravy for beef stock. And of course including perfectly cooked kidney beans using my new cooking method.

So I hope you enjoy the recipe. And do try cooking dried beans using your oven rather than your cook top. You will absolutely love how easy it is to produce perfectly cooked beans.

As always, stay safe, stay sane, and keep looking forward. It’s a brave new world we are heading into. Might as well just lay back and not get too stressed by the ride. Nothing any of us can do about most of it anyway. Oh wait, there is one thing we can all do that might help towards a better future. We can all VOTE. Peace and love to all.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ c. diced onion, plus more to serve with the chili

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 green pepper, diced

1 (28-oz. can) diced/chopped tomatoes (preferably Italian tomatoes)

2 T. tomato paste, or more to taste

1 c. leftover pot roast gravy (or as much as you have) or 1 cup of beef stock

½ c. water, or more as needed

1-2 c. cooked kidney, pinto, or black beans (or beans of choice) (see recipe below for No Soak 2 hour “Baked” Dried Beans)

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2-3 T. chili powder

1 T. dried parsley

1 tsp. dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1-2 c. cubed leftover pot roast

Mexican sour cream, garnish, opt.

grated sharp cheddar cheese, opt.

Heat the olive oil in a large covered Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and bell pepper and cook for about a minute or until you can smell the garlic. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, leftover gravy, water, cooked beans, salt, pepper, chili powder, parsley, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook for about 30 minutes to blend flavors. Add the cubed leftover pot roast and cook for another 15 minutes or so. Stir often during the cooking time. Adjust seasoning along the way. Serve dolloped with sour cream and a sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese.

No Soak – 2 Hour “Baked” Dried Beans  

1 c. dried beans, sorted and rinsed

½ tsp. kosher salt

water

Place beans in a heavy covered pot. Add salt and whatever other vegetative matter, herbs, or spices you might wish to add. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Place cover on pot.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 2 hours. After an hour, check beans to make sure they have enough liquid. Add a bit more liquid if necessary.

If the beans aren’t fully softened to your liking after two hours, add enough water to cover the bean surface, put the lid back on, and return pot to the oven. Bake in 15-30 minute increments until desired tenderness is reached.

Additions I added to the pot when I cooked the kidney beans for this chili:

1 T. dehydrated onion flakes

1 tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

freshly ground black pepper

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Please note: When I cooked my old (I have no idea how many years they have been in my pantry) large dark maroon kidney beans, they were perfectly cooked after 2 hours. There was very little liquid left in the pot, so I threw the whole mess in with the other chili ingredients, and called it good. In fact I called it absolutely wonderful.

I plan to use this recipe from now on every single time I need to cook dried beans. Why the heck not? It’s easy and the result is perfect. Frankly, I will be cooking a lot more beans now that I have this way to ensure perfect beans every time. Thank you to thekitchengirl.com site for this incredible new method.  

LEFTOVER CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Leave a reply

OK, I don’t know about you, but I could eat chicken noodle soup any time of year. And I just happened to have some leftover baked “fried” chicken that once again had been a majestic failure. Oh the chicken was semi-tasty, but the recipe author had promised me that the breading would be crisp and crunchy even though the chicken was baked rather than fried. And he had stated that the spices would really set this chicken apart from every other baked “fried” chicken I had ever prepared or tasted. All I can say to that is – liar, liar!

OK, maybe I didn’t prepare it correctly. But for once I actually followed the instructions. (Perhaps that was my first mistake.) Anyway – I was not happy with the results. So I had a whole passel of not crispy, rather blah tasting “fried” chicken residing in my refrigerator. And if a platter of leftover chicken can manage to look forlorn, this chicken had it down pat! So, what to do?

Well for sure I’m not into throwing chicken away. So I thought about using it in a casserole. But I wasn’t in the mood for a casserole. I know, picky, picky! But I have to be in the mood for a certain food or type of dish before I can really do it justice. Just like with colors.

When I am creating a mosaic object, I have to like the colors I’m using or I simply can’t create the piece. So much so that when my daughter Paula asked me to do a table top for her in purple and green, I just couldn’t do it. Couldn’t make myself work with purple. I did make a table top for her, but it sure didn’t include purple!

Anyway, food is the same way for me. If I don’t like an ingredient, I can’t force myself to use it. And you wonder why I never became a chef! Anyway, I wasn’t into eating a casserole for dinner last evening, but I knew I would totally enjoy a big old bowl of homemade soup. Hence, this recipe.

Now of course this recipe is just like every other chicken noodle soup recipe out there. But I wanted to remind you that just because a recipe doesn’t come out as you envisioned, doesn’t mean that you can’t take what’s left of it, or parts of it, and turn it into something outstanding. (Called making lemonade out of lemons.) (It also doesn’t mean that you can’t dump the whole darn thing and start anew!) And just because one cook likes a dish and is proud enough about it to post it for the entire world to view, doesn’t mean everyone is going to appreciate it as much as they do. Everyone’s taste is different. And everyone’s level of experience in the kitchen is also a consideration on how well any given dish will turn out. So when I wrote liar, liar earlier, it was just for the fun of being able to write it out. (I’ve actually always wanted to yell it at the top of my lungs at someone, but have as yet to lower myself to that level. But it still could happen. I’m getting older after all!) But back to this recipe. (It’s so hard for me to stay on track!)

Like I said, this is just a plain old everyday chicken noodle soup recipe. No fancy ingredients, no special secret to the best soup you will ever taste. Just a good recipe for building a healthy soup using leftover chicken. (Notice I didn’t write that this was going to be the best soup you ever tasted. Absolutely cannot make that statement!)

What I can say however, is that I still plan to never ever wear purple! Because I’ve heard it said that at least in western culture, purple is a symbol of jealousy, deceit, and sadness. In fact, in the 16th century it was the official color of grieving. Even earlier, around 1200, Pope Innocent II made it the official color of repentance. Hence the deceit part. (Because everyone knows that those who must repent are deceitful!) So I plan to forgo deceit too if at all possible. (Now if only those in charge of our country would do the same…….but I digress!!)

So to reiterate: this is a recipe for a good chicken noodle soup, made with healthy ingredients, and at least in my case, a whole lot of love. (That’s always one of the secret ingredients I include in all of my recipes.)

So till next time, stay healthy, stay happy, and stay focused on being the best possible person you can be. Peace and love to all.

2 T. butter

½ onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 small carrots, halved then thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 T. chopped fresh parsley, divided

6 c. chicken stock

2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

½-1 c. frozen petite peas

½ – ¾ lb. leftover chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (no bones, but coating is fine)

2 c. thick egg noodles, cooked al dente 2-3 sliced green onions

Heat the butter in a large, covered soup pot. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until the veggies begin to soften. Add the garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon of the parsley; cook for 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock, chicken base, bay leaf, dried thyme, seasoned salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer gently for about 45 minutes or until the carrot pieces are completely tender.

Just before ready to serve, stir in the peas, chicken pieces, remaining fresh parsley, and the al dente noodles. (And no, don’t cook the pasta in the chicken broth. Cook the pasta separately. If you cook the pasta in the soup broth it just adds unnecessary starch to the soup.) Adjust seasoning and discard the bay leaf.

Serve in soup bowls garnished with sliced green onions. Pass oyster or regular saltine crackers.  

SHRIMP, BACON, AND CORN CHOWDER

Leave a reply

Whenever I’m feeling lazy, but still know that sometime that evening we are both going to think having dinner is a damn good idea, I remember that I have a pound of frozen shrimp in the freezer. And why shrimp you might ask. Well, shrimp defrosts easily, and takes very little time to cook. And besides, we love shrimp.

So yesterday being no exception (me feeling lazy that is), I went on line looking for a new way to prepare shrimp. And if at all possible, in a soup or chowder. (And no I don’t know why I was feeling hungry for soup in July. I just was.) Anyway, I found this recipe on the damndelicious.net site, and it was just that. Damned Delicious! And oh so easy to prepare.

So much so, that I actually had enough oomph left over to mix up a batch of Jiffy cornbread and throw it in the oven. (And no, I don’t usually use a cornbread mix. But yes I always have a package on hand for emergencies. Like when I only have enough strength to mix 3 ingredients together. That kind of emergency.)

So I’m feeling rather happy with myself for pulling together a really delightful dinner last evening with such a small amount of effort. And even happier to be able to share this wonderful recipe with you. I did make a couple of minor changes to the original recipe, but that’s just me.

So I highly recommend that you make this chowder sometime soon. It has just enough spicy heat to be perfect on a hot summer evening. And of course, it would be wonderful served in the dead of winter.

So as always, eat well, stay well, and think good thoughts. It’s amazing how contented you will feel if you make a special effort to appreciate the good things in your life. (It’s called “counting your blessings”.)  Peace and love to all.  

4 thick slices of meaty bacon, diced

1 lb. large shrimp – peeled, deveined, and cut in half or thirds

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. smoked paprika, or more to taste

½ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. dried basil

tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes

3 c. chicken stock

1 bay leaf

2 c. corn kernels

¼ c. heavy cream

1 T. cornstarch

2 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Cook bacon in a medium sized pan until brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a medium sized bowl and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan. Add shrimp; cook until pink, remove from pan and add to the bowl with the cooked bacon. Set aside.

Add the onion and gently cook until soft. (You don’t want the onion to brown.) Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. 

Stir in the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes; cook for a couple of minutes.

Whisk in the chicken stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile whisk the heavy cream and cornstarch together.

When the stock has cooked for 15-20 minutes, whisk in the cream and cornstarch slurry. Over medium heat, stir until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly. Discard the bay leaf before adding the corn, cooked bacon and shrimp. Bring back to a boil, adjust seasoning, and serve piping hot garnished with the fresh parsley. Lovely served with warm cornbread.  

CREAMY CHICKEN CHILI

Leave a reply

I don’t know what the weather is like in your part of the world right now, but here on Camano Island its misty moisty and fluctuating around 65 degrees. Not offshore misty, but rather rainy misty. And not really cold, but not warm either. So to my thinking, it’s still soup and chili weather. So I thought about it for a while yesterday morning and decided to serve chili last evening for dinner.

Now just because I wanted chili for dinner, didn’t mean that I wouldn’t appreciate a new take on an old favorite. And one type of chili I had never made before was a chili containing chicken rather than beef or pork. I like chicken. I’ve got chicken in the freezer. So chicken chili it is! Only one problem. I don’t quite know where to begin. So to the internet I proceeded.

And based on the white chicken chili recipe I found on the cookingclassy.com site (with my own adaptations of course), I prepared this really delicious and comforting dish for supper last evening. It was easy to prepare, contained ingredients I had on hand, and was basically a one dish meal. I like one dish meals. But I decided to fancy up the meal a bit, so I made a small plate of nachos to go with the chili. Simple really. Just a layer of tortilla chips, a bit of both sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese, and a smattering of pickled jalapeño. Bake for 4-5 minutes in a 400 degree oven, and Bob’s your uncle! (And no, I don’t usually use mozzarella cheese in either chili or on nachos. But I didn’t have any Monterey Jack, so I used what I had on hand.)

So if you too would like to serve chili for dinner some evening, but a chili that’s a bit different, give this recipe a try. Want more heat? Add some fresh jalapeño. Don’t have any cannellini beans on hand, use canned chili beans in a sauce like I did last evening. Don’t like beans, leave them out. Don’t like chicken, leave it out too. Wouldn’t matter. The chili would still be delicious.

In any event, stay happy, stay healthy, and keep trying new recipes. I think one of the reasons I am weathering this coronavirus pandemic with all of its ramifications as well as I am, is because I get to try out new recipes, write about my triumphs, and share them with you. You simply don’t know how much it means to me to be able to include you in my life in this very simple way. Peace and love to all.

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

¾-1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite sized chunks

seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ c. diced onion

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 c. chicken broth

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies

¾ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. ground coriander

pinch cayenne pepper

1 c. cooked cannellini beans or 1 can beans of choice  

1 c. corn (frozen, canned, or fresh)

2 oz. (¼ pkg.) cream cheese

1 c. grated mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or other melty white cheese

2-3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tsp. fresh lime juice, or more to taste

tortilla chips

sliced avocado

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add the chicken. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper. Cook the chicken just until it’s done. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic; cook for one minute.

Add the chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Bring mixture just to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes.

Add the beans, corn, and cooked chicken. Bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, green onions, and lime juice. Adjust seasoning.

Serve in soup bowls with tortilla chips and avocado passed at table.

Note: If you have leftover chicken, by all means use it in this dish. Add it along with the beans and corn as instructed in the recipe.