Showing posts with label Beans and Legumes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beans and Legumes. Show all posts

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Finally getting to be soup weather!

I love the cooler weather. And I am looking forward to soup. Lots of soups. Hearty soups. So I went looking through past blog posts to see what's what. These are two I had forgotten about and I'm glad I went back to look. They will be on our table again very soon.




Minestrone with Tomatoes and Rice
Source: original recipe by Luca Marcato of Osteria al Doge, NYC

1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1-inch dice
1 Japanese eggplant or 1/2 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup arborio rice
one 28-ounce can Italian peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 small stalk of broccoli — cut into 1-inch florets, stem peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 small head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
1 medium celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
6 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large non-reactive soup pot. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the carrot potato, zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add the rice to a skillet on medium heat with a little bit of oil, about a tablespoon. Stir well to coat the grains with the oil and toast for about two minutes. Then add the rice to the soup pot with the vegetables. Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the crushed red pepper and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, celery and peas and cook, stirring, until all the vegetables and the rice are tender, about 35 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

(MAKE AHEAD: The soup can be refrigerated for 1 day. Reheat before serving.) Ladle the soup into bowls and serve, passing the Parmesan cheese at the table.  If it's too thick next day, add some stock or water and season again!
 




Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup
 adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Source: Food Network, recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 sage leaf
2 (15-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
1/2 cup cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices crusty bread, cut into chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, another 10-15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. It will be hot so be careful.

Once all the soup is blended add the cream. Salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm, covered, over very low heat.

Arrange the bread on a sheet pan in one layer. Drizzle the slices of bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Broil the bread until warm and golden, keeping an eye so they don't burn. Stir to toast all sides. Serve the soup in bowls with the croutons. 


I'm joining

 



Friday, May 4, 2012

Some Favorites for Cinco De Mayo

 

Just some of my all-time favorites to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. I love a good celebration, maybe not authentic but delicious!  

Wishing everyone a great weekend.




Chevy's Fire-Roasted Salsa
from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur
Source: Perrys' Plate 

6 medium tomatoes
6-8 jalapenos (I use 2-3)
1/4 medium Spanish or Yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt

Preheat grill on high. Remove stems from tomatoes, then rub some oil over each. Leave stems on jalapenos and rub oil on them, too.

Place tomatoes on grill. After about 10 minutes, add the jalapenos. In about 10 minutes, turn the tomatoes and peppers. When almost all of the surface of the peppers are black, remove them from the grill. The tomatoes will turn partially black, but when the skin begins to come off they are done. Remove from grill to a bowl.

Remove skin from tomatoes and place in a food processor. Pinch the stem end from each pepper, remove any skin that has burned, and place into food processor with tomatoes.

Add remaining ingredients and puree on high for 5-10 seconds. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving. Makes about 2 cups.




 Fish Tacos
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Source: Epicurious, May 2009 – recipe by Lourdes Castro, Simply Mexican
Printable Recipe

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
About 1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar (I used 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, a little less than 1/4 cup simple syrup and some water)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (I used Mexican oregano)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 jalapeño, stemmed and chopped
1 pound flaky white fish (such as mahi mahi or cod), cut into 4 pieces
salt and pepper
8 fresh corn tortillas (I used whole wheat)
Mexican crema, homemade or store-bought (I mixed 1 cup sour cream with the zest and juice of one lime, jalapeno, a little salt and pepper)
Fresh Tomato Salsa
2 limes, cut into quarters

Put the onion in a small bowl and pour in the vinegar to cover well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes or up to several weeks.

Pour the olive oil into a small bowl and add the ancho chile powder, oregano, cumin, chopped cilantro, salt, pepper and jalapeño. Mix well. Place the fish on a dish and pour the marinade over it, making sure to coat the fish well on both sides. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes. (I put it in a Ziploc bag to marinate)

Heat a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the fish in the pan, no need for more oil. Cook the fish for about 4 minutes, then turn over, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and flake the fish into the pan with a fork, making sure to mix in all the marinade that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Check if it needs more salt and pepper. I cooked it on the grill, in a disposable aluminum pan and left the pieces whole!

Place four of the tortillas on a plate and sandwich them between two slightly dampened sheets of paper towel. Microwave on high for about 45 seconds. Place the warm tortillas in a towel-lined basket or plate and cover. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

To assemble the tacos, place a big spoonful of the fish onto the center of a tortilla. Top with the marinated onions. I also added a sort of cole slaw to the taco's. Serve with salsa.

Fish Taco Cole Slaw
1 bag shredded green cabbage
1 cup sour cream
juice and zest of one lime
minced fresh jalapeno (half of one jalapeno)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the sour cream with the lime juice, zest, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Mix shredded green cabbage in with the crema and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.




Mexican Black Bean Salad
Source: StacyS (gardenweb)

1 cup frozen (thawed) whole kernel corn, drained, or fresh cut from the cob
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 2 whole fresh jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, chopped in a very small dice or 1 4-oz can of chopped green chilies
1/2 pint or more grape tomatoes, sliced in half
chopped fresh cilantro, to taste
4 cups torn iceberg lettuce or romaine (or both)
2 avocado, diced
Shredded Monterrey Jack, Cheddar or Mexican Cheese blend

Tortilla chips for garnish

Dressing:
1 tablespoons honey (little bit more, I just poured about 2 tablespoons)
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice (I used juice of one lime)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Whisk all the dressing ingredients in large bowl.

Add all salad ingredients except lettuce and cheese; stir until well coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

Toss the lettuce, avocado and cheese with the bean mixture a little while before you are ready to serve. Garnish with tortilla chips at the last minute.




 Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Source: Marilyn (DanaIN) - Gardenweb Cooking Forum
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 corn tortillas (regular or fried)
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilies (I used 2 10-ounce cans of Rotel tomatoes with chilies)
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon turmeric (I omitted)
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
juice from 1/2 fresh lime
1 cup diced, seeded Roma tomatoes or 1 cup salsa for garnish
Sour cream for garnish
Tortilla Chips for garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sauté onions and garlic for 3 minutes. Slice or break tortillas into small pieces and add to onions and garlic; sauté until they are soft. Add tomatoes, broth and spices and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; allow to cool for 5 minutes. Puree soup base in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth, return soup to pot. (I used an immersion blender)

Add chicken, corn and cream and return to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle in cheese and cilantro; stir to melt cheese. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream.






Joining 
 Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 

AND



AND
 
Souper Sundays (soups, salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

with the


 
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Friday, April 13, 2012

Lighter Loaded Potato Skins

The hubby and I loved it, the kids didn't, they aren't fans of ground turkey. I'll try it again with beef or chicken. Probably beef.








Turkey Chili Loaded Baked Potato Skins
Original recipe and source: Loaded Turkey Santa Fe Baked Potato Skins 

6 russet potatoes, washed, scrubbed and dried

For the filling:
1/2 lb lean ground turkey
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 jalapeno, chopped fine
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
1 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

For the topping:
shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions
sour cream or Greek yogurt

Pierce the potato with a fork in a few places. In a microwave safe dish cook on high about 5 minutes per potato. When finished, allow the potatoes to cool, enough so you can handle them. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the center of the potatoes leaving about 1/4-inch thick wall.

In a large skillet brown the turkey. When the turkey is browned, add onion, garlic, black beans, jalapeno, tomatoes, ancho chili powder and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and simmer on low, covered, for about 30 minutes. 
Remove lid, add corn and simmer an additional 5-10 minutes or until all the liquid reduces.
Heat  oven to 450° F. Place the potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and bake skins for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, fill the potato cavity with meat filling. Top with shredded cheese and bake until cheese is melted about five minutes.
Top with sour cream and scallions and serve.



Joining 
 Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 

Thursday, March 8, 2012

I won some soup...

from Bertolli! And it was good.
You can read about it at Mille Fiore Favoriti, Pat's blog had a giveaway for this Ladles of Love during National Soup month back in January.



I won the ladle, too. A nice one from Crate and Barrel. All for a good cause.


The Bertolli was really good, we enjoyed it. The package said for two, but three of us managed to enjoy nice size bowls of the Roasted Chicken Minestrone. Next to try will be the Chicken Rotini and the Tomato Florentine. Quick, easy and very good.

If you prefer homemade,
this lentil soup is also delicious and takes no time to put together. You end up with a very nice, hearty soup with minimal effort and a full tummy. 



Pasta con Lenticchie 
(Pasta with Lentils)
Source: Patsy's Italian Restaurant
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low salt chicken or vegetable broth
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
1/4 pound lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/4 pound small pasta, shells, tubettini, anellini or ditalini - cooked al dente
pinch of dried oregano
4 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over a medium flame and sauté the onions, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes until just browned. Add the garlic and sauté for about another 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes to the pot. Add the lentils, oregano and the broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for an hour, more or less, until the lentils are tender. Add the cooked pasta and simmer until all ingredients are heated through, about three minutes. If the soup thickens too much, add water or broth to thin it to the consistency you like.

Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Serve.




Joining 
 Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 


Souper Sundays (soups, salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

with the


 
SouperSundays


Thursday, February 16, 2012

What to do with leftover roast chicken?

Make soup! 

Specifically you should make this soup, Black Bean and Ancho Chile Soup with Roasted Chicken, Cilantro, and Lime. From the book Bird in the Oven by Mindy Fox. It has become one of my all-time favorite cookbooks. Can't rave enough about it, we've loved every recipe I've tried from this book. I got pretty ambitious with this one, ambitious for me anyway. Made the stock from scratch from a roasted chicken the night before. Usually I'd use a boxed stock and save homemade strictly for matzoh ball soup. And usually from raw pullets. I never thought to use the carcass from the roast chicken before, it made a great stock. I got almost a quart from one roast chicken. And the leftover meat wasn't all mushed up from being boiled for hours. This was excellent.

I left out the cilantro completely, my kids think it tastes like soap. What do they know? They never had their mouths washed with soap. But I did once when I was small. So who knows, I just may be used to that taste. I pretty quickly learned never to repeat things my older brother said to say to mom! We laugh about that now but it was hard to explain to her at the time that it's his fault with my mouth full of bubbles :)  What we put our poor mother through back in those days!

Since it was somewhat spur of the moment, the black bean soup part, I used canned beans. The chicken stock was planned, I decided last minute that I would turn into the black bean soup, so I had to use what was on hand, and I had ancho chili powder instead of whole dried chilies. Didn't matter, the soup was outstanding. I wouldn't change a thing the next time I make it. The chicken stock was perfect, great flavor and it cooled to be like jiggly jello, just like the golden goodness my grandma used to make. The roasting gave it a deep delicious flavor. I'll never throw away the roast chicken bones again!


Rich Roasted Chicken Stock



Chorizo and Black Bean Soup



Black Bean and Ancho Chile Soup with Roasted Chicken, Chorizo and Lime




Black Bean and Ancho Chile Soup with Roasted Chicken, Chorizo and Lime  
Original Source: From the book Bird in the Oven by Mindy Fox

3 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed well
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
1 whole white or yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon guajillo chile powder, or use any chiles you like
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups roast chicken, shredded
4 ounces fully cooked chorizo, sliced into coins (I used Aidells chorizo, 2 links)
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
2 limes, sliced in wedges
2 ripe avocado's, pitted and cubed
scallions, chopped
sour cream
diced tomatoes or salsa

In a heavy soup pot, combine half of the chorizo, 2 cans of the beans, chile powders, onion, garlic, oregano, chicken stock and water. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about an hour.

Remove from heat and very carefully, using an immersion blender, whiz the soup to a puree. You can use a blender but it's very hot, so be very careful.  Return the soup to the heat and add the last can of beans and the shredded chicken, simmer on medium-low for another 15-20 minutes. 

While the soup is simmering, cook the remaining chorizo in a non-stick skillet with a little olive oil over medium-high heat until they start to get a little browned. Remove and save for garnish.

Ladle soup in bowls, squeeze in some fresh lime juice and garnish with chorizo, diced avocado, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, scallions, or whatever garnishes you like.


Rich Roast Chicken Stock
Original Source: From the book Bird in the Oven by Mindy Fox
1 roast chicken carcass, plus the neck, leftover meat saved separately
1 onion, with skin, quartered
2 shallots, with skin, cut in half
5 garlic cloves, with peel, smashed
3 carrots, washed and peeled, cut lengthwise in half
2 parsnips, washed and peeled, cut lengthwise in half
1 small turnip, washed, peeled and quartered
2 stalks celery, plus tops, washed and cut lengthwise in half
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
handful of fresh parsley, dill or any other fresh herbs you like 
salt, to taste

Add all of the ingredients to a large stockpot and add cold water to cover by several inches. Over medium-high heat bring the water to just a boil, then lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 3-6 hours, uncovered for a very rich broth. Simmer for 2-3 hours for a lighter broth. Taste for seasoning, salt to taste.

Remove from heat, strain the soup into a container, discard the solids and let the stock cool. Refrigerate and skim fat from the cooled stock. You can freeze the stock.



Joining 
 Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 


Souper Sundays (soups, salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

with the


 
SouperSundays







CookbookSundays


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Cincinnati Four Way Chili

We finally tried Cincinnati Chili the other night. Four way. Spaghetti, Chili, Cheese and Onions. I forgot to get the oyster crackers. I saw it on Food Jaunts, it looked so good and that was that, I had to make it. It's nothing like the chili I normally make, which is more like Texas Chili but I do use beans. Miss Picky likes them and when it comes to food if she's asking for something good for you, I'm throwing it in there. So much for authentic. Those real Texans who say beans don't belong in chili never had to feed my picky teenager. And I finally found something that went really well with whole wheat spaghetti. The chili. I needed to use up that last box. Whole wheat spaghetti just didn't go over well with marinara at my house. But it's perfect with Cincinnati 4-way Chili. Just perfect.

and leftovers are even better!




Cincinnati Style Chili

2 lbs ground extra lean ground beef (at least 95% lean)
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cups water
2 cups beef stock
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder 
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 bay leaf (fish it out before serving)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 dashes Tabasco or similar sauce
2 teaspoons paprika

shredded cheddar cheese
chopped onions
red kidney beans
oyster crackers
spaghetti, cooked according to package directions (I used whole wheat and it was good with the chili!)

Bring the water and beef stock to a boil and add the ground beef. Stir until the beef is separated. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 2 to 3 hours or until thickened.

Serve over the spaghetti and top with cheese, kidney beans, onions and oyster crackers.



Joining 
 Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Zuppa Toscana

 I had some leftover kale from a salad and I went looking for recipes. And I found a great one!

This was a delicious soup, in spite of the fact that I totally forgot to add the heavy cream at the end. I could blame the fact that it's holiday time and everything is so hectic. But I really can't because this happens to me even at the calmest of times. The crumbled sausage? That had to be sliced because partially thawed Italian chicken sausage doesn't crumble too easily if you forget to take it from the freezer in good time. I did manage to get the casing off but I guess if I was slicing it didn't matter anyway. Then I almost killed Grandma again with the pepper. One half teaspoon was probably more because I wasn't paying attention, it just might have been a tad much. Even the kids had more to drink with dinner! And the sausage was the spicy kind. But everyone loved this one. Even grandma, with a lot of water on the side. Definitely a keeper.




1 lb. Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey)
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 russett potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups cannelini beans
2 cups fresh kale, chopped or torn in small pieces (stems removed)
5 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk (use heavy cream if you want a richer tasting soup!)
Salt and pepper

Place a large stockpot on the stove over medium heat.  Remove the sausage from the casings and crumble into the pan. Cook until well browned.
Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large plate lined with paper towels; set aside.  Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté about 5-7 minutes, until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant. Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Add the potatoes, beans, kale, and chicken broth to the pot. 

Return the sausage to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer on medium-low. Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through. Stir in the milk or cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.


Joining 
Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Spicy Black Bean Soup!

Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

Any time is good time for soup as far as we're concerned, so this was as good a time as any to make Black Bean Soup. Spicy Black Bean Soup! I had a recipe from way back that we loved. Trouble was I couldn't find it. Asked around, looked on the internet and just threw stuff in the pot! And we have a winnah! Garnished with fried polenta, thought that would be good. Since it's made from corn, maybe it would be a nice change from tortilla chips. I was wrong. They sunk. Not stunk. SUNK! To the bottom of the bowl. Tortilla chips were much better in this instance. But the polenta cut-outs tasted great fried up in the pan!




We liked fried polenta, but they'd be much better dipped in marinara instead. I used a star pastry cutter to make the shape, from sliced polenta in a tube.

 If it's too spicy, just mix the sour cream right into the soup, to make it a bit creamier. 

Garnish with chips, lime, salsa, jalapeño rings, whatever you like!


Spicy Black Bean Soup
adapted: There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 15-oz cans black beans, do not drain
1 medium onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 to 1 whole jalapeño, chopped (without seeds)
1 whole poblano pepper, seeded and sliced
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon ground cumin
4 cups chicken stock or broth

cilantro, to taste
sour cream
tortilla chips
fire-roasted salsa
pickled jalapeño rings

Heat the oil in heavy, large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, shallot, garlic, poblano, jalapeño, and cumin. Sauté until onion and pepper are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the stock, and bring to a boil. Add the beans. Bring soup back to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until flavors blend, about 20-30 minutes. Puree soup with an immersion blender. Be careful, it'll be very, very hot. Mix in some cilantro. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Squeeze in the juice of one lime. Stir. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of sour cream, salsa and tortilla chips. Sprinkle with cilantro. Garnish with lime slice and jalapeño rings.


And joining Torview's Food Palette Series in Black!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Went looking to find something new, and found it at the My Bizzy Kitchen Blog! Knew I had to try this the minute I saw the name of the recipe. Buffalo Chicken Chili!  Right up my alley! Packed a lot of flavor and a lot of heat! You can really taste the flavor of the hot sauce in this one. A little too hot for some at the table, but I loved it! Served it with corn muffins from a Jiffy Mix. I made them in a Madeleine pan! Not too bad, only three got stuck! And I didn't burn them! The chili recipe made a lot, I froze some and sent some in to a friend that I know loves hot stuff. She raved about it, and made me promise when I make it again that I will send some in for her!
Thanks Bizzy Kitchen, I loved this one!






Best Buffalo Chicken Chili
Source: My Bizzy Kitchen
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 large carrots
3 stalks celery
1 large red pepper
5 cloves of garlic
5 tablespoons of chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) diced tomatoes(I used one can of Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chilies)
1 (15 oz) black beans, drained
1 (15 oz) chili beans in sauce (do not drain) - (I used one can of Bush's Best Chili Magic Chili Starter Traditional style)
salt and pepper to taste

Put chicken breasts in food processor to grind up, if you can find ground chicken breast, you can use that too. Heat oil and add ground chicken and cook about 10 minutes on medium heat until no longer pink. Rinse out processor and add carrots, celery, garlic and red pepper and puree. Add to chicken mixture and cook about 5 minutes until veggies start to soften. Add the rest of the ingredients, put stove on simmer and cook for an hour.




Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

and
Texas Star Chili Cook Off 2012

Thursday, October 21, 2010

How leftovers became a delicious soup...


Ever since I got that food mill, I have yet to toss a leftover soft tomato that no one will bother to use. Now I just roast them, freeze them and put them to good use as a soup or a sauce. Had some orange and yellow bell peppers that were starting to wrinkle, because they were hidden by other stuff in the frig. So I threw them in the roasting pan as well. Dug deep in the freezer and found a poblano pepper that I had sliced in strips and froze to use at a later time. They freeze fine, it came in handy, I threw them in the roasting pan, too, along with some sliced shallots and fresh garlic! As each kid got home from school, they said "smells good!"  So did the Griller, said same thing when he walked in the door, but I think he was secretly happy that I roasted and he didn't have to grill, it's getting cold out there!

After about an hour roasting, I turned off the heat and let it sit for another 45 minutes in the warm oven. I took it out, dumped it all in the food mill and it spun around and around, the seeds and skins separating from the juicy pulp! Threw in a chipotle in adobo sauce, just one for good measure! And then on the stove to simmer for a while. Added some corn, a can of black beans and some shredded leftover chicken. Topped with a little cilantro and some sour cream. Leftovers never tasted so good!

Roast vegetable goodness with chicken, corn and black beans! Somewhat plain for some, just topped with a little sour cream and a sad little piece of cilantro!



and the works! Tortilla chips, avocado, and  sour cream!



Roasted Tomato and Pepper Soup with Chicken, Corn and Black Beans

4 tomatoes, cut in half, not huge, any kind you like
8 Campari tomatoes, small plum or large cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 orange or yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut in quarters
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut in quarters
1 poblano pepper
5 cloves of garlic
2 shallots, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil to drizzle

1 cup leftover roast chicken, shredded, small pieces
1 cup corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
juice of 1 small lime

Sour cream
Tortilla chips
Avocado, sliced

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Place the peppers, tomatoes, shallots and garlic on a large half-sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for an hour. Turn the oven off and let the pan sit in the heat for another 45 minutes or so.

Run everything through a food mill to remove the skins and seeds. Or in the food processor and then strain the seeds and skins. Pour the puree into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the chicken, beans and corn. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add some chicken stock to thin it out. Simmer for about 20 minutes and serve with sour cream, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, avocado, a squeeze of lime, whatever you like! Anything goes!



Joining Suzy at Kitchen Bouquet for another Flashback Friday
My original post on the Food Mill and Roasted Tomato Sauce can be found here. and my post about a really delicious Roasted Tomato Soup can be found here!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Getting chili here...

It's getting chilly here in New York! Time for apples, pumpkins, and comfort foods! And to us, comfort food means a big bowl of hot chili, hot as in temperature and hot as in spicy! Sorry people but we also like beans with our chili.What we don't agree on is toppings!

Made a huge pot of it the other night. We like it better the next day, it gets thicker, and the flavors come together to make a really hearty, delicious bowl of goodness! We do however like different things on our chili. one plain, one with cheese, avocado and onions. One with cheese, crushed saltine crackers and onions, and one with everything, cheese, tomatoes, onions and avocado.

Flashing back to one of our favorite chili recipes, it's from epicurious.com, and was posted to the cooking forum where I saw it and had to try it. Made it many times since then, using ground beef one time and mostly boneless chuck roast cut into small pieces. That was time consuming, so this time I cut big chunks out of the roast and pulsed it in the food processor. Not too fine, and it was a nice texture in the chili. And much easier if you have a nice sized roast!




Beef Chili with Ancho, Mole and Cumin

Adapted from the kitchen of There's Always Thyme to Cook
Source: Bon Appétit - February 2009 by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison
posted Cooking Forum - Riverrat
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon cumin
4 bacon slices, chopped
1 4-pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 1/2 cups (or more) beef broth, divided
1/4 cup pure ancho chile powder
1/4 cup Texas-style chili powder blend (I didn't have that, what is it?  I used New Mexico ground chili powder, Chipotle chili powder and a medium heat chili powder blend)
1 1/2 tablespoons mole paste (I had to make it, couldn't find in the store, then froze the leftovers, see recipe below)
2 teaspoons (or more) salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
2 tablespoons masa flour
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

Garnishes:
warm, freshly cooked or drained canned black beans, kidney beans or pinto beans
chopped white, red or green onions
grated cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese, or queso fresco
sliced fresh or pickled jalapeno chiles
tortilla chips or oyster crackers
avocado

Sauté bacon in large pot over medium high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to large bowl. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in 4 batches, sauté beef in drippings in pot until browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer beef and most drippings to bowl with bacon. Add onion and garlic to pot. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth to pot. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Return beef, bacon, and any accumulated juices to pot. Mix in all the chili powders, mole paste, 2 teaspoons salt, vinegar, oregano, and cumin. Add 3 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to very low and simmer gently uncovered until beef is very tender, stirring occasionally and adding more broth by 1/2 cupfuls if chili is dry, about 2 1/2 hours. Mix the masa in a quarter cup of warm water to make a slurry. Spoon it into the chili and bring back to a boil to thicken the chili. Season chili with salt, pepper, and cayenne, if desired. Add more broth if it's too thick.

Chili can be made 3 days ahead. Cool 1 hour. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over low heat.


Mole Sauce
Source: Allrecipes
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

2 teaspoons oil (vegetable or olive oil)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
A little handful of cilantro, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
1 one can of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1/4 cup almonds, sliced or chopped

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion until tender. Mix in cocoa powder, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in the tomatoes and green chile peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes.  Let it cool a bit. Then whiz it with an immersion blender to make a smooth sauce, but be careful of splattering. Or you can also whiz the whole thing in the food processor.

Note: I put the leftovers in an ice cube tray and when it's frozen, put them in a ziploc bag and have a cube if I need one for a recipe.



Joining Suzy at Kitchen Bouquet for another Flashback Friday.

 and





and joining

Texas Star Chili Cook Off 2012
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