Roasted Jalapeno Potato Soup with Greens and Chorizo

Sometimes you just need comfort food.  Food that gives you a hug. The past few weeks have have been extreme.  We had a great family vacation over the 4th of July, but we came back to two broken vehicles and some heartbreaking news from a dear friend.  Lots of ups and downs.  On top of that things have been really busy and we really haven't had time to process anything. 

This afternoon we had a long awaited thunderstorm and it cooled off just enough to make a comforting bowl of soup.  It's been a few weeks since I had a few hours of time to myself and I decided kitchen therapy was definitely in order.  Potato soup is one of the most comforting meals I know of so potato soup it was. 

This potato soup differs from the traditional cream and cheese laden potato soup.  This is a chicken broth based potato soup.  It has no cream or butter and only uses a small amount of cheese as a garnish.  Surprisingly, this potato soup is every bit as creamy and delicious as it's calorie-laden counterpart.  We loved the heat from the jalapeno, the healthy addition of greens, and the gorgeous and flavorful chorizo topping.  My husband, who isn't a big soup fan, enjoyed two bowls.  It was a hit for sure!

Roasted Jalapeno Potato Soup with Greens and Chorizo

Adapted from Rickbayless.com

Serves 6

6 medium red-skin boiling or Yukon Gold potatoes
6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth
2 large jalapeno peppers
8 ounces Mexican chorizo, casing removed (used as a garnish)
8 cups stemmed, sliced greens (such as spinach or chard)—1/2-inch slices are good
Salt

To garnish:
grated Mexican queso anejo or other garnishing cheese like Romano or Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cut (4) of the potatoes into 4 pieces each and scoop them into a large soup pot (dutch oven), along with the garlic.  Chop the remaining (2) potatoes into 1/4-inch cubes and set aside. Pour half of the broth into the saucepan and set it over high heat.  When the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium and simmer briskly until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. 

While the potatoes are cooking, roast the jalapenos over an open flame or 4 inches below a broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, 10 minutes for a broiler.  Cover with a kitchen towel or place in a brown paper bag. Let cool until handleable.  Cut the top off the chiles, slit the side from seed pod to point, open out flat and scrape out the seeds; discard.  Flip over and scrape the skin off the flesh; discard.  Chop the flesh into smallish pieces.

When the potatoes are tender, use an immersion blender to coarsely puree the soup base (or coarsely process in several batches in a food processor or a loosely covered blender draped with a kitchen towel, then return to the pan).  Add the remaining half of the broth, the reserved cubed potatoes and the chile pieces.  Simmer 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the chorizo in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up any lumps, until thoroughly cooked and well browned, about 12 minutes.  Scoop onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain.  

Just before serving, stir the greens into the soup and let simmer until they are tender—2 to 4 minutes.
 
Taste and season the soup with salt, usually about 1 1/2 teaspoons depending on the saltiness of your broth.  Ladle into warm soup bowls, then sprinkle with a portion of the chorizo, cheese and cilantro.  Serve right away.

Theme: Soups and Sides

Every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen

One Amazing Corn Chowder

We are celebrating the color yellow over at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week and this corn chowder has been extremely popular, for very good reason.  It is amazing!  So, if you're saying to yourself that a thick creamy chowder isn't what you want to eat during the summertime I hope you'll reconsider because the time to make this chowder is now.  Now, while fresh corn is in season. 

This chowder is mild and creamy and what's more...my husband, who almost never likes soup, loved it!  And, the other ladies who made the soup said the special men in their life loved the soup as well.  Also, this soup is gluten-free and vegetarian, making it a great soup to serve for a number of people.  I loved this soup garnished with crumbled feta and cilantro.  My husband loved it garnished with Monterey Jack cheese and tortilla strips.  There are a number of ways you could garnish this soup.  You can't go wrong!

Fresh Corn Chowder 
from Authentic Mexican by Rick Bayless/adapted from Ms. enPlace

Serves about 4

3 large ears of fresh sweet corn or 2 1/2-3 cups frozen corn, defrosted
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups milk, plus more if needed
2 fresh chiles poblanos, roasted and peeled, seeded and diced (I omitted)
1 cup whipping cream
about 1 tablespoon salt

about 2 tablespoons hot sauce, or to taste (I used Frank's) 

To garnish:

  crumbled fresh cheese, such as feta
 chopped cilantro

tortilla chips

Monterey jack cheese

If using fresh corn, husk and remove silk.  Cut the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife.  Scrape the remaining bits of corn from the con with the end of a spoon.  You should have 2 1/2-3 cups of corn.  Transfer to a blender or food processor.  If using defrosted frozen corn, just place in a blender or food processor.

Heat half of the butter in a small skillet.  Add the onion and cook until soft, 6-7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook 1 more minute.  Add this mixture to the blender, along with the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water.  Process until smooth.  If using  a blender, you'll have to pulse the machine and stir several times--but do not add more liquid.  Once the blades break up the corn, there will be enough moisture.

Melt the remaining butter in a medium-large saucepan on medium heat.  Add the corn puree and stir constantly for several minutes until thick.

Whisk in the milk, partially cover, and simmer about 15 minutes. over medium-low, stirring often.  Strain through a sieve.  Rinse out the pan, and add the soup back in.  Stir in the poblano (if using), cream, salt, and hot sauce.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Theme: Yellow

Souper Sundays every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen

Chicken, Pasta, and Kitchen Therapy

The month of October literally flew by.  It was a blur. When it came time for November to roll around I tried to breathe a sigh of relief, but then I remembered that contractors were coming to work on our house, I agreed to host a Pampered Chef party, my baby boy is turning 5 years old (which I seriously can't deal with), it's my mother-in-law's birthday, we have company coming, and I'm hosting Thanksgiving.   Let's not even get into all the ten year old drama that ensues everyday at approximately 3pm.  And please, for the love of God, do not begin to discuss Christmas yet.  Things will get ugly.  I may even resort to making faces at you....like this face below.  You could get scarred for life.

My name is Kim.  I have two kids.  I have no shame.

At any rate, I think what I really need is some anxiety medication, but in lieu of that I opted for kitchen therapy and comfort food.  It may be a temporary fix, but at this point I'll take it.

So, I bought a chicken and started making chicken broth.  If you've never made your own chicken broth before I'm here to tell you that it is highly therapeutic, wonderfully comforting, and the aroma coming from the kitchen is out of this world.  Since we are cooking with Tessa Kiros at IHCC right now I chose her recipe.

Chicken Broth

Adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Makes 8 cups

1 chicken (about 2-3/4 pounds), suitable for boiling

2 carrots, peeled and halved

2 leafy celery stalks

small handful of parsley stalks

7 black peppercorns

3 small shallots, peeled but left whole

1 clove garlic, peeled but left whole

10 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

Put the chicken into your largest stockpot and add the carrots, celery, parsley, peppercorns, shallots, and garlic.  Add 10 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and put the lid on the pan, leaving just a little gap for the steam to escape.  Simmer for 1-1/2 hours, skimming now and then.

Turn off the heat and leave the broth until it's cool enough to handle.  Carefully take out the chicken.  Strain what's left, keeping the broth to use for pasta or dumplings.  You decide if you'd like to save the carrots to eat later on.

Once the broth was ready,  I took the chicken out and removed all the meat so that I could make Tessa's Chicken Croquettes.  My chicken was a bit larger than the one she called for in her recipe, but the measurements still worked very well.  This is where I must tell you that I've made lots of chicken croquettes before, but Tessa's recipe for chicken croquettes is the best!  In fact, I'll just go to ahead and say that I know this recipe will easily be one of of our top favorites during my six months with Tessa. The chicken mixture is highly flavorful and moist and the breading is incredibly crispy and crunchy.  The croquettes are great on their own or with a dipping sauce. Tessa's recipe makes 25 smaller croquettes, but my husband doesn't always appreciate miniature food so I made 10 large croquettes.   I figured I would have leftovers, but everyone really inhaled these.  They were a huge, huge, huge hit!  I highly recommend these, especially if you have leftover chicken that you need to use up.

Chicken Croquettes

Adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Makes about 25 croquettes

1 boiled chicken (the chicken used for the broth above)

3 tablespoons butter

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 - 1/2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves

1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 small cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 ripe tomato, peeled and chopped

1 -1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 egg, lightly beaten

salt

dry bread crumbs, for coating (I used a combo of panko and cornflake crumbs)

light olive oil, for frying

 lemon wedges, to serve

Note: Anytime you bread anything you should always put it back in the refrigerator to "dry out" for at least ten minutes.  This process helps the breading to adhere to whatever you're frying.

Pick all the chicken meat off the bones and throw away all the skin, bones, and bits you don't want.  Chop up the chicken finely, and put it in a bowl.

Melt half the butter in a small pan, and saute the onion over medium-low heat until it is soft and lightly golden.  Add the celery, parsley, and garlic, and when you can smell the garlic, add the tomato.  Simmer until it has totally melted, squashing it with a wooden spoon now and then as you stir.

Meanwhile melt the rest of the butter in another small pan over medium heat, and then stir in the flour,  Whisk in the broth, and let it cook for a few minutes until it is bubbling up nicely.  Whisk well to make sure it is totally smooth.  Pour into the bowl of chicken and add the tomato mixture, too.  Add the egg, and mix everything together well.  Taste for salt, adding a little extra if you think it's needed.

Put the bowl in the fridge for half an hour or so, so that you are able to roll out the croquettes more easily.

Take scoops of the mixture, more or less the size of eggs, and shape them into croquettes.  Put the bread crumbs on a plate and lightly roll the croquettes in them.

Pour about 3/4 inch of oil into a large nonstick frying pan and put over high heat.  When the oil is hot, add enough of the croquettes to fit comfortably in the pan.  Fry until they are deep golden brown all over, turning them gently with tongs.  Lift them out onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb as much of the oil as possible while you fry the rest.  Put them onto a clean platter to serve, with lemon wedges, if you like.

With my homemade chicken broth I made Tessa's Pasta In Chicken Broth, which consists of two ingredients, three if you're feeling feisty.  All you need to do is reheat your chicken broth and cook your pasta in the broth until it is al dente.  If you feel like it, top it with some Parmesan cheese and you're all set.  Tessa's broth was mild but flavorful and the tiny pasta is a nod to childhood that somehow takes you back and makes you feel a bit pampered.  A very pleasing and rejuvenating bowl of comfort that instantly makes you feel better, no matter what ails you.

Pasta In Chicken Broth

Adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Serves 4

8 cups chicken broth (see above)

1/2 (16-0ounce) package spaghettini or 1-2/3 cups other tiny pasta (I used pastina)

Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Bring the broth to a boil in a large pan.  Break up the pasta into shorter lengths and add to the broth.  Bring back to a boil, stir a couple of times, and then cook the pasta according to package instructions.  The pasta will absorb some of the broth as it cooks.  Serve immediately, diving down with your ladle to the bottom of the pan to make sure that everyone has a fair share of pasta and broth.  Top each serving with a heap of grated Parmesan.

Theme: In My Pasta Bowl

Every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen

Pea and Mint Soup

If you've been reading my ramblings for awhile then you probably know that I have a way of stockpiling food.  First there were the 27 boxes of pasta I found in my pantry.  Then there was the 7 or so bags of shrimp in my freezer.  Then, just last week, I cleaned the other freezer (we have two freezers because I'm a hoarder) and I found several bags of frozen peas.  And by several I mean more like 5 or 6. Who in the world stocks 5 or 6 bags of peas in their freezer?  Seriously! I don't even know if I can try to explain how or why I did that!

At any rate when soups, sammies and salad week came around at I Heart Cooking Clubs it was a real no brainer as to what I was going to make.  It was definitely going to be a recipe that allowed me to use up all those peas!  When I found Jamie's recipe for Pea and Mint Soup I was so excited to see that it called for 5-1/2 cups of peas....woohoo!  

So, if you're like me and you have a mega ton of peas in your freezer and an astounding amount of mint in your garden, then this recipe is for you!  Not only is it healthy, but we thought it was quite delicious and filling.  My non-soup loving husband even had two bowls.

 Pea and Mint Soup

Adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver

Serves 6-8

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

2 medium onions

2 cloves of garlic

1-3/4 quarts chicken or vegetable broth

olive oil

5-1/2 cups frozen peas

small bunch of fresh mint

salt and freshly ground pepper

optional: 3/4 pound cooked ham or bacon

To make your soup: 

Peel and roughly slice the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic.  Put the broth in a saucepan and heat until boiling.  Put a large saucepan on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add all your chopped and sliced ingredients to the pan and mix together with a wooden spoon.  Cook for around 10-15 minutes with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape, and the onion is lightly golden.  Add the boiling broth to the vegetables.  Add your peas.  Give the soup a good stir and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, allow to simmer for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, pick your mint leaves.

To serve your soup:

When the peas have softened, remove the pan from the heat.  Season with salt and pepper and add the mint leaves.  Using an immersion blender or liquidizer; pulse the soup until smooth.  If using ham chop it up and stir in.  Heat through before dividing between your serving bowls.  Really nice served with a toasted slice of ciabatta, drizzled with extra virgin oil.

Soups, Salads, and Sammies Week

For Souper Sundays @ Kahakai Kitchen

Cold Melon-Berry Soup

If you're like me, you simply cannot get enough of all those sweet juicy melons that are in season right now.  I have no problems eating melon as is, but this cold melon-berry soup is certainly a beautiful alternative.  Sweet, colorful, and inviting this soup would be wonderful served as part of a breakfast or brunch menu.  We absolutely loved it!

Cold Melon-Berry Soup

Adapted from Around My French Table

Serves 4

1 dead-ripe cantaloupe (about 2-1/2 pounds)

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1-1/2 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup sweetish white wine, such as Muscat de Beaumes de Venise (optional)

About 20 small strawberries

4 mint sprigs

Cut the cantaloupe in half and scoop out the seeds.  Using a melon baller or a small spoon, cut balls from one of the melon halves.  Put them in a bowl, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours, or for up to 6 hours.

Meanwhile, peel the other half of the melon, cut it into chunks, and toss the chunks into a blender or food processor.  Process, scraping down the container often, until the melon is reduced to a juice.  Add the ginger, 1-1/2 tablespoons lime juice, and the salt.  Taste and, if you think it needs it, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of lime juice.  Pour the soup into a pitcher and chill for at least 2 hours, or for up to 6 hours.

At serving time, divide the soup among four widemouthed glasses (or four small bowls) and top each portion with a tablespoon of wine, if you're using it.  Spoon in the melon balls (depending on the size of your glass and the size of the melon balls, you may have some left over; you want the fruit to come about halfway up the sides of the glass, so you have room to spoon out the fruit and the soup), top with the berries, and finish each with a spring of mint.

July's Recipes

I'm also linking this to Deb @ Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays roundup.

June French Fridays with Dorie Roundup

I dove into June's French Fridays with Dorie recipes with wild abandon.  Every single one of the recipes sounded wonderful to me: Warm Weather Vegetable Pot Au Feu, Roasted Rhubarb, Jam and Cola Ribs and the one that I wanted to make most of all....Mozzarella, Tomato, and Strawberry Salad.  Funny how things work out because I never got around to the Mozzarella, Tomato, and Strawberry Salad.  I meant to make the salad and I darn sure bought tons of strawberries, but the kids gobbled them up faster than I could put the salad together.  Seeing the kids eating piles of fresh strawberries makes me happy so I just let it be.

Dorie's Warm Weather Vegetable Pot Au Feu was absolutely amazing.  I was lucky enough to get all the vegetables fresh from the farmer's market: baby potatoes, asparagus, carrots, and spinach. On top of all the veggies and the light broth sat a perfectly poached egg.  I was truly in love with this soup.  I found it refreshing and extremely pleasant, light and yet hearty, and I really looked forward to having a bowl for lunch throughout the week. 

The minute I gazed upon this Roasted Rhubarb I was in love.  Just look at all that gorgeous pink syrup! I can't help it.  This definitely appeals to the girl in me. When I took my first bite it was like a heavenly explosion of tart juicy love.  I wanted to run to the computer and post this roasted rhubarb right away.  Who knew roasted rhubarb was such a terrific treat begging to be shared?  My original plan was to serve the roasted rhubarb on top of plain vanilla ice cream later in the evening for dessert. That never happened.  I pretty much ate it straight from the pan.  Myself.  Later that night I served my family plain vanilla ice cream.  Shhh!! 

Last up are Dorie's Cola and Jam Ribs.  I have a rib recipe that I love and I don't usually tinker around with rib recipes for that reason.  However, the ingredients in Dorie's recipe had me curious and I've read a lot of success stories regarding cola and barbecue so I thought I give it a go.  Dorie's ribs are rubbed with salt, pepper, ground ginger and Chinese five spice and then marinated in apricot jam, orange juice, and lemon juice.   They bake in the oven for around 2 hours and towards the final baking time they are basted with Coca Cola.  Very different from my standard recipe.

Let's just say that Dorie's ribs rival mine.  I loved these just as much, possibly even more, than my standard recipe.  They were fall off the bone tender with a nice bright citrusy flavor.  We really licked those bones clean.

Each of this month's recipes was a home run.  I usually select a favorite recipe for the month, but in this case I think all of them are winners and each recipe is one that I will enjoy again.  Can't wait for next month!

Asian Shrimp Noodle Soup with Homemade Shrimp Stock

Much to my family's chagrin, I've been saving all my shrimp shells for over a month now waiting for the day when I had enough shells to make my very own shrimp stock.  Along with the shrimp shells, my freezer was packed with corn cobs, chicken carcasses, and other various things that seem like waste to those who "just don't get it."

Thankfully I don't have to explain myself to you.  I know you understand all my kitchen shenanigans and what's even better is that I also know that you're up to some kitchen shenanigans of your own.  It's these things that make me love you that much more!  Well, that and the fact that I don't have to explain myself to you, which, let's face it....I quit explaining myself several years ago when I turned thirty.  After all, there should be some rewards in getting another year older every year.

Speaking of rewards, shrimp stock smells like heaven and is ultimately rewarding.  I couldn't wait to use it in a recipe and wanted to put it to use right away for fear of forgetting about it in the vast confines of my freezer.  When I saw Jamie Oliver's recipe for Asian Chicken Noodle Broth in his Food Revolution book, I immediately knew I wanted to make a shrimp variation using my homemade shrimp stock.  Here it is in all it's glory....and I will say that it was pretty glorious.

  Asian Shrimp Noodle Soup

Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution/Asian Chicken Noodle Broth

Serves 2

1 quart shrimp stock (*recipe below)

1 cup of shrimp (peeled & deveined)

2 teaspoons five-spice powder

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger root

1/2 - 1 fresh red or green chile, to your taste

4 ounces rice sticks or vermicelli

a handful of snow peas

1 -2 radishes, sliced thinly

6 fresh baby corn or 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels

2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more for serving

juice of 1 lime

a small handful of spinach leaves

cilantro, for garnish

Put a large saucepan on high heat.  Fill the saucepan with the shrimp stock, heat until very hot, and put a lid on it.  While this is happening, season your shrimp with the five-spice powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir.  Add a little olive oil to a saute pan and saute the shrimp until cooked through, tossing every now and again.

While the shrimp is cooking, peel and finely slice your ginger and slice your chile.  Take the lid off the pan with the shrimp stock and add half the chile, all the ginger, your rice sticks (or vermicilli), snow peas, asapargus, and corn with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.  Bring it to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring.  Halve the lime and squeeze in the juice.  By the time the rice sticks (or vermicelli) and veggies are done, the shrimp will be cooked.  To serve, divide the spinach leaves between your bowls and pour over the broth, rice sticks, and vegetables.  Divide the shrimp over the soup and scatter with remaining chile and cilantro. 

Michael Symon's Homemade Shrimp Stock

Adapted from Live To Cook

Makes About 1 quart

Shells from 1 pound of shrimp

1 onion, quartered

1 Two inch piece of peeled fresh ginger, sliced

1 carrot, thickly sliced

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Combine the shrimp shells, onion, ginger, carrot, coriander seeds, bay leaf, salt, and 2 quarts cold water in a pot.  Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, skimming away any impurities that rise to the surface.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, continuing to skim impurities as necessary.  Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the solids.

Notes/Results:  I am a huge fan of any Asian-inspired noodle soup and this one was one of my favorites.  Spicy, vegetable-packed, full of noodles, and with wonderful flavor from both the shrimp and the shrimp stock, it was a truly wonderful and fragrant meal.  You can bet that I will continue to save all of my shrimp shells from now on and I urge you to do the same.

Theme: Something's Fishy

@ Kahakai Kitchen

Symon Sundays: Chicken and Dumpling Soup and Lizzie's Roast Chicken with Salsa Verde

 

On Monday morning I went to a water aerobics class, Aqua Zumba, to be exact.  My friend and I loved the class.  In fact we loved the class more than I can even say.  Afterward we felt great and immediately made plans to go again.  We were both feeling on top of the world.  However, when I woke up Tuesday morning, everything (and I do mean everything) ached.  Apparently Aqua Zumba is an awesome workout because I have NEVER been this sore.....not in all my life.

I had to laugh when I rolled out of bed, planted my foot on the ground, and found that even the arches in my feet were sore. Turns out walking on your tip toes against the current works the muscles in your feet.  The good news is that my feet should be in great shape for flip flops and sandals this year.  The bad news is that I could hardly move yesterday. 

By the middle of the day I was able to move around enough to make Symon's Chicken and Dumpling Soup.  This recipe was possible because it really didn't require too much on my part.  I had already made the chicken stock and cooked the chicken.  It was just a matter of slicing some veggies throwing them in a pot and making some dumplings.  I'm talking quick and easy, and the best part...no squatting involved!  

 Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Adapted from Michael Symon's Live To Cook

Serves 6-8

Soup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 carrots, finely diced

1 onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

4 cups Chicken Stock (homemade preferably)

2 cups shredded chicken

1 bay leaf

Dumplings

1/2 cup chicken fat (skimmed from the top of your homemade stock) 

OR

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

Optional garnish: chopped parsley

To make the soup:  Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the carrots, onion, garlic, and a good three-finger pinch of salt.  Sweat the veggies, stirring occasionally, for 2 -3 minutes.  Add the stock and bring it to a simmer.  Allow stock to simmer while you make the dumplings.

To make the dumplings:  Combine 1/2 cup chicken fat (or 1/2 cup butter) in a saucepan with the milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon until the flour has absorbed all the milk and the resulting dough pulls away from the sides of the pan.  Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring until each eggs incorporated.

Drop, scoop, or cut the dough one tablespoon (I made mine much larger) into the soup.  My method is to wet a cutting board and press portions of the sticky dough into thin sheets about 1/4 inch thick and 1-1/2 inches wide, then cut into about 1/2-inch pieces, and scrape them into the soup.  Add the shredded chicken and simmer all for about 10 minutes, garnish with parsley (if using), and serve.

Notes/Results:  I did alter Symon's recipe quite a bit.  I used the 3lb chicken to make his recipe for homemade chicken stock so that I could use both the chicken stock and chicken fat for the soup and dumplings.  Since my chicken was already cooked, I skipped the step of cooking it in the soup itself.  Additionally, Symon adds both parsnip and celery root to his soup, but there was no way I was running to the store so I just went with what I had on hand.  And finally, I halved the recipe for the soup and used the whole recipe for the dumplings, creating a chicken soup with double the dumplings.  The recipe above reflects my changes.  I'm very glad I let my homemade stock sit overnight in the fridge so that I could use the chicken fat in the dumplings.  I think the chicken fat really helped to give the dumplings, and overall, the soup a great flavor.   This was a perfectly wonderful meal that certainly helped to warm my aching muscles.  I would make it again!

 

Next up is Lizzie's (Symon's wife) Roast Chicken with Salsa Verde.  Let me go ahead and say right now that I didn't do this recipe justice.  I should have used a meat thermometer to make sure it was completely done before I went to serve it, but I didn't.  Instead I cut the chicken open, hoping to serve dinner, and found out that it wasn't done.  Argh!  Note to self: buy a good meat thermometer.  Also, I should know by now that when the inside of your chicken is stuffed full then it usually always takes a bit longer to cook.  In the end it was all good though because this chicken was super moist, really flavorful, and worth repeating.  I believe there are two secrets to why this chicken was so good.

1. The chicken gets salted, liberally, the day before cooking and is refrigerated overnight.
2. The chicken is allowed to come to room temperature for an hour prior to cooking.

Lizzie's Roasted Chicken with Salsa Verde

Adapted from Michael Symon's Live To Cook

Serves 4

1 (3-4-pound) chicken

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded

2 fresh bay leaves

1 small onion, peeled

3 garlic cloves

1 small bunch of fresh thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

A day before cooking, rinse the chicken inside and out under cold water and pat dry.  Salt it liberally, cover, and refrigerate.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator an hour before cooking it.  

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Lift the skin off each chicken breast and wedge 3 lemon slices and a bay leaf between the skin and each breast.  Put the onion, garlic, thyme, and remaining lemon in the cavity of the chicken.  Rub the entire chicken liberally with the olive oil.  Put the chicken in an ovenproof saute pan or in a roasting pan breast side up, slide it into the oven, and roast it until the thigh reaches 160F or until the cavity juices run clear, about 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-20 minutes.  Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and serve with the salsa verde.

Salsa Verde

Makes 1-1/4 cups

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint

2 salt-packed anchovy-fillets, rinsed and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 shallot, minced

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons salt-packed capers, rinsed and chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (about 1 tablespoons)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the parsley, mint, anchovies, garlic, shallot, lemon zest and juice, capers, jalapeno, red pepper flakes, and olive oil in a bowl and stir to combine.  Add some salt and pepper to taste.

Notes/Results:  I definitely recommend salting the chicken the day before and also pulling the chicken out one hour prior to roasting.  I think this is a great roast chicken recipe and it's one that I would make again.  I'd just be sure to use my meat thermometer next time.

I am submitting both recipes to Symon Sundays which is being hosted by Ashlee of Veggie by Season.


In the meantime I'm off to help my daughter's girl scout leaders lift and move 300 cases of girl scout cookies.  Wish me luck.  If I don't have to squat then I just might make it.  LOL!

French Fridays with Dorie Rewind: I'm a Month Behind!

So I'm literally drowning in recipes, but that really isn't a bad thing, right?  I'm a month behind on French Fridays with Dorie, so this is actually December's monthly roundup (minus the speculoos, which I didn't make).  Surprisingly enough, my very favorite recipe of the bunch was Dorie's Spiced Butter-Glazed Carrots.  The carrots are cooked until tender and glazed in a wonderful combination of onion, ginger, garlic and cardamom seeds.  As a lover of cooked carrots, these were some of the best I've ever had.

No one else in my family likes cooked carrots (I told you I lived with a bunch of crazy folk), so I just made a half batch.  I had them as a side dish for dinner one night and then ate the rest of them for lunch one day.  Just me and a plate of carrots.  I felt virtuous, for once.

I've done an obscene amount of braising this month, but Dorie's Go-To Beef Daube really does stand out among the others. A very robust and hearty beef stew loaded with veggies and braised in red wine.  A real winner for the whole family.  Even my picky daughter asked for more!

I usually don't have a least favorite when it comes to Dorie's recipes.  However, I really didn't care for the Leek and Potato Soup.  I think the recipe was written well enough.  It was really more of a personal thing.  I'm thinking that maybe I'm not the biggest fan of leeks.  Not sure.  Either way, I jazzed mine up with some extra buttery croutons, which made the soup MUCH tastier.

And, finally, Dorie's Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts.  I made the recipe two times and both times they disappeared quickly.  The first time I made them according to the recipe, with chili powder, cinnamon and a dash of cayenne.  We loved them!  The second time I made them with only cinnamon, sugar and a sprinkling of cardamom.  We loved those too!  I think it's safe to say that Dorie's Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts are a winner.  I can see myself making them many times in the future (almonds and pecans are my favorite)! 

Now onto next month!  Hopefully I'll have a chance to catch up.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Symon's Pork Chili with Potato Pancakes

I've made beef chili, turkey chili, chicken chili, and vegetarian chili.  I've never made chili with pork, until now.  Clearly I've been missing out because Michael Symon's pork chili is delicious.  This is definitely a man's chili, hearty and robust, full of flavor, and great served with Symon's potato pancakes for dunking.

Pork Chili

Adapted from Michael Symon's Live to Cook

Serves 12-14

4 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

5 pounds pork cheeks or pork shoulder, cleaned, trimmed, and cubed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons extra virgin-olive oil

1 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced (I used 6)

2 jalapeno chiles seeded and very finely chopped

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced

1 (12 ounce) bottle amber ale or porter

2 cups Chicken Stock

1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes, with their juice

2 canned chipotles in adobo, seeded and minced

1 pound dried black-eyed peas (1and 2/3 cups), picked over and rinsed

1 small cinnamon stick

Shredded smoked cheddar cheese, for garnish

Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Sliced scallions, white and green parts, for garnish

Creme fraiche, for garnish
Note: I added about 1 cup of black beans because I had them on hand

In a large bowl, combine the coriander, paprika, and cumin and toss with the pork cheeks(or shoulder).  Season with salt and pepper.

In a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat.  Add half of the pork and cook, turning as needed, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.  Transfer the pork to a plate.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and brown the remaining pork.  Transfer to the plate.  Add the bacon to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and slightly crisp, about 7 minutes.  Add the onion, garlic, jalapenos, and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Return the pork cheeks (or shoulder) to the pot along with any accumulated juices.  Add the ale, chicken stock, tomatoes, chipotles, black-eyed peas, and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over very low heat until the meat and beans are tender, about 2-1/2 hours.

Season the chili with salt and pepper.  Spoon off the fat from the surface and discard the cinnamon stick.  Serve the chili in bowls.  Pass the smoked cheddar, cilantro, scallions, and creme fraiche at the table.

 Dad's Potato Pancakes

Adapted from Michael Symon's Live to Cook

Serves 8

4 medium russet potatoes (about 2 pounds)

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 teaspoon baking powder 

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 medium yellow onion

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 200F.

Peel the potatoes and keep them submerged in cold water.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, baking powder, flour, salt and pepper.  Using the large holes on a box grater, grate the onion and add it to the egg mixture.  Grate the potatoes onto a clean kitchen towel and wring as much water out of them as you can.  Add the potatoes to the egg mixture.  Toss so that the mixture is evenly combined.

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and melt half of the butter in it.  Using half of the potato mixture, shape 4 pancakes, each about 4 inches of diameter and about 1/2 inch thick.  Saute the pancakes in the butter until each side is golden brown and the interior is cooked through, 15-20 minutes.  Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels and keep them warm in the oven while you shape and cook 4 more pancakes using the remaining butter and potato mixture.

Notes/Results:  The chili is delicious, satisfying, and full of flavor.  I really love how the pork broke down as it cooked and became rather shredded in the chili.  My chili ended up rather thick, which we liked, but if you like your chili on the thinner side, you could always add more stock.  The potato pancakes made for a nice accompaniment to the chili. However, I made the mistake of making my potato pancakes on the thick side and therefore they weren't real crispy.  Next time, I will be sure to make them on the thin side so they stay nice and crispy.

I am submitting this to Ashlee at Veggie by Season for this round of Symon Sundays.

Ellie Krieger's Aromatic Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes

 

If I was asked to name some of my favorite cookbooks, Ellie Krieger's newest cookbook, So Easy, would very likely make my top ten.  It's been a year since I first received the book and to-date I have cooked 23 recipes from it.  The recipes are easy, reliable, and healthy, which is a magical combination if you ask me. 

This Aromatic Beef Stew is a dreamy pot of gloriously scented spices: cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes.  The warm scent of the spices, together with the meltingly tender beef, will have you anticipating dinner in the worse way possible.  Ellie's aromatic beef stew comes alive served over couscous with toasted sliced almonds and parsley as a garnish.  If you are in the mood for a twist on the regular old beef stew, then this is the recipe for you. 

Aromatic Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes
recipe found on Self.com and in Ellie's cookbook, So Easy
Serves 4  
2 teaspoons olive oil

1 pound stew beef (round or chuck), cut into chunks
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups) *I subbed sweet potato
1 can (14.5 oz) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cups cooked whole-wheat couscous
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown, 2 minutes

Heat oil in a 4-qt saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate, leaving juices in saucepan. Add onion; cook, stirring, until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Return beef to pot; stir in squash, tomatoes, sauce, broth, cumin, cinnamon and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer until beef is tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Divide couscous and stew among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with almonds and parsley.

480 calories per bowl, 13 g fat (3 g saturated), 56 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 34 g protein

Notes/Results:  This is such an aromatic, comforting, and satisfying meal.  The combination of cumin, cinnamon and red pepper flakes really heats things up and gives you that warming sensation in the back of your throat.  A very exotic version of beef stew that I would make again.

NOTE: I subbed equal parts sweet potato in place of butternut squash, which seemed to work out just fine.

For Deb's Souper Sundays Event

For Roz's Seasonal Saturday Event