Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

 Andouille or smoked beef sausage, sliced

2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, diced

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 large green pepper, cored and diced

4 ribs of celery, trimmed and chopped

1 small can diced tomatoes

3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped

3-4 tbsp oil

2 tsp Creole seasoning

½ tsp thyme

¾ cups flour

2 quarts water or chicken broth

1/2-1 tsp hot sauce

Cooked rice for serving.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven, brown the sausage and then the chicken, reserving in a bowl once browned. Add more oil to the pot if needed add the flour, stirring until well browned. add and brown the onion, green pepper, garlic and celery. Stir in the broth or water and stir well. Then add the chicken and sausage and remaining ingredients. Simmer about an hour, or until all is tender and thickened.

Mulligatawny Soup

This is another popular Anglo-Indian food, Mulligatawny Soup.  Indian cuisine doesn't have a real soup tradition, but this was invented/adapted in order to satisfy the British need for traditional soup dishes.  It combines the European idea of "soup" with traditional styles of foods found in India at the time of the Raj.   It is like a curry in soup form and very tasty.  It also is fairly mild, spice wise, so it is a good place to start for those wanting to experience Indian food, even if not entirely traditional.  It is very tasty.    This is my interpretation of the traditional dish.   And remember, when cooking Indian food, it isn't so much the main ingredients, as much as the spicing and such.  So feel free to add other vegetables as you like or have available.   Really, the only essential ingredients are the lentils and the coconut milk.   If you want a spicier soup, add some crushed red pepper or  chopped hot chile peppers when cooking.   If you want a hint of sweetness, add a tablespoon or two of brown sugar or a sweet mango chutney.   

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1-2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped carrots

2-3 cups chopped cauliflower (optional)

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 inch piece of peeled ginger root, peeled and finely chopped

2 peeled and chopped apple

1 teaspoon garam masala (or equal amounts of cinnamon & cardamom, a pinch of cloves and a pinch of black pepper)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

(1 heaping tablespoon of curry paste, optional)

1 cup dried red lentils

8 cups low-salt chicken broth

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1 can of coconut milk or cream

Juice of 2 lemons, strained

Heat vegetable oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, cauliflower and apple, then cook until golden brown, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and ginger (and curry past if using), sauté 2 minutes. Add garam masala and next 3 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add lentils; stir until coated. Add chicken broth. Bring soup to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are very tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in chicken, coconut milk, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with cooked rice or bread.

It would also make a tasty vegetarian or vegan dish by omitting the chicken and using a vegetable stock in place of the chicken broth.   It is gluten free, too!

Green Chile Chicken Stew With Green Chile Dumplings

Green Chile Chicken Stew with Green Chile and Cheese Dumplings

Heat about ½ cup oil in a large, deep Dutch oven. Add one large onion, peeled and chopped. When the onions are lightly browned, add about 3 large cloves and garlic that have been peeled and chopped, use more if you wish. Immediately after adding the garlic, add ½ cup flour and stirring constantly, cook until the flour is lightly browned. Pour in 2 quarts of chicken broth and about 1 1/2-2 cups roasted peeled and chopped green chile. Stir constantly until the gravy is thickened. Add 3-4 cups cooked chopped chicken. Reduce heat to a low simmer and stir on occasion to keep from sticking.

Now mix up the dumpling dough. Take two cups flour in a large bowl, add 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp. baking soda. Stir until all are mixed well. Melt about 2/3 cup butter and stir into the flour mixture and mix together, then stir in 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese and ½ cup grated Parmesan. Beat together 1 egg, ½ cup roasted peeled and chopped green chiles and about a cup of buttermilk. Stir this into the flour mixture until well blended. If too dry, add more buttermilk, if to wet, more flour. Then spoon the mixture on top of the simmering stew, cover and cook about 20 minutes. At that time stick a toothpick in the center of one of the dumpling, if done it will come out clean. Top each serving with some more grated cheese if you wish.

If you wish, you could do this with a beef stew or even a pork stew.   Would also be a good way to use up leftover turkey at Thanksgiving.   

Be sure to use a high quality roasted green chile, preferably Hatch.   I use the jarred 505 green chile that you can order from 505 or sometimes can be found in local grocery stores, the Topeka WalMart carries it.      

Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

I love chicken soup, with rice or noodles or thickened into a stew with dumplings on top.   It is all good.   But surprisingly enough, I've had never matzo balls.  I've read about them.  Often wondered what they taste like, but never eaten them.   Recently Aaron asked me to try making matzo ball soup and I agreed to do so.   I did some research, looking at various recipes and what it should be like.   I came across one recipe that looked easy to make, so I got the stuff to make it and gave it a try tonight.   Turned out very good too.   Aaron liked it as well.   So here is how I did it. 

4 eggs
2 tbsp.  melted chicken fat, oil or melted butter
1 cup matzo meal
1/4 cup water, chicken broth or seltzer water/club soda (all the tips I read say that soda water gives a lighter matzo ball and that was what I used)
salt and pepper to taste
about 2 quarts of chicken soup with your favorite vegetables (I kept it simple: onion, celery and carrots)

Stir the fat into the matzo meal and combine well.   Beat the eggs and the soda water together well, then stir into the matzo meal and add salt and pepper to taste.   Mix well and then chill for at least an hour.    After it is well chilled, heat the soup to a boil and then form the matzo mixture into small balls, about 12-14 for this amount of mixture.   Drop the balls into the hot soup, lower the heat to a simmer and then cover the pot.   Simmer for 30-45 minutes.   Eat!  

Some of the other tips I read said you can add some finely chopped herbs or onion to the matzo mixture or add some other spices.   

Mushroom and Leek Soup

2 quarts chicken or beef broth on 1 quart of each
3-4 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 large onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
2 8-oz boxes of mushrooms, of various types if you can get them, diced
4 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup of dry white wine
1 lb. very lean beef, finely cubed (optional)
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed or 1 cup orzo or other small pasta or 1 cup rice

If using the meat, place in a Dutch oven and add one quart of the broth and 2 cups of water.   Simmer until the meat is very tender and the stock reduces by a quarter.    Set aside. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet.   Add the onions, leeks and mushrooms.   Saute until they all begin to brown a bit.   Add to the Dutch oven with the remaining quart of broth, deglaze the skillet with the wine and then add to the Dutch oven, add the quinoa or rice or pasta and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer until the grain or pasta is tender.   Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve with a crusty bread.

This could easily be made vegan by omitting the beef and the beef or chicken broths, using vegetable stock instead. 

Thai Influenced Chicken Coconut Soup

3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 serrano peppers, halved seeded and thinly sliced
3 tbsp. each:   lemongrass paste, garlic paste and ginger paste
3 heaping tbsp. Thai red curry paste
1 cup julienned carrots
8 oz. pkg. shitake (or any other kind) mushrooms, thinly sliced
a small handful of fresh snow peas, washed, tailed and thinly sliced
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
2 cans of coconut milk
2-3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, sliced
3 tbsp. brown sugar
chopped basil or cilantro leaves for garnish
lime quarters 

Heat the vegetable oil in a dutch oven then fry the onion, peppers, carrots and mushrooms until they begin to brown.   Add the lemongrass, garlic, ginger and curry pastes.   Stir fry a minute or two, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.    Add the chicken broth and chicken, then simmer about 30 minutes.   Add the coconut milk, pineapple, brown sugar and snow peas.   Simmer a few more minutes, then serve.    Garnish each bowl of soup with some of the basil or cilantro.    Each person can add lime juice to taste.    Enjoy!

Variations:   Make this vegan by omitting the chicken broth and chicken.   If you like, you could use some cubed tofu instead.

Omit the chicken and add some raw peeled shrimp or sliced scallops or cubed firm fleshed white fish (cod would be good) or add some of all three.   Add them the last few minutes before serving, do not overcook or the shrimp and scallops would become tough.

Add other vegetables that you happen to like.   Bean sprouts would probably be quite tasty, for example  

Middle Eastern Lentil Soup

Any time Aaron and I eat at a Middle Eastern restaurant, we always get the lentil soup.   It is very hearty, filling and superbly spiced.   After trying for quite a while, I have finally perfected a close copy of our favorite version.   Here is what I ended up with, along with a couple of variations.   Don't limit yourself to the vegetables mentioned here.  If there is something else you like or want to add, do it.   Likewise with herbs or spices.   Enjoy!

1 lb. bag of red lentils, washed

10 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 ½ cups chopped carrots

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

6 (or more) cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

3-4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. cayenne pepper or paprika

2 tsp. tumeric

¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven.   Add the chopped onion, carrots and garlic.   Fry, stirring often, until they begin to brown.   Add the cumin, cayenne and tumeric, fry for a short bit, until fragrant, then add the chicken broth and lentils.   Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.   Simmer, stirring every so often, until the lentils are tender, 30-40 minutes.   At this point you have three options:   eat the soup as is, puree half of the soup and return to the pot or puree the whole thing.  I personally prefer the second option.   Sprinkle the chopped parsley or cilantro over the top of the soup and serve.   Allow everyone to add lemon juice to taste to their bowls of soup.

Options:  

#1  add some cooked, chopped chicken to the soup and heat.

#2   add chopped cauliflower and/or peeled cubed potatoes with the other vegetables

#3   add a dollop of yogurt to the bowl when serving

#4   all of the above

Ham, Chicken and Corn Chowder

Ham, chicken and corn chowder

1 cup chopped ham

1 cup chopped, cooked chicken

1 small onion, peeled and chopped

1 small green pepper, cored and chopped

about ½ cup chopped celery

2 cans cream corn

1 pkg. frozen corn, thawed

3-4 cups milk or half and half, or fat free half and half

3 tbsp. oil or butter

a pinch of red pepper and some black pepper to taste

Heat the oil or butter, then add the chopped ham, onion, green pepper and celery.   Sautee until the ham and vegetables are lightly browned and tender.   Add the chicken, creamed corn and the thawed frozen corn.    Stir well and heat to a simmer.   Add enough milk or half and half to get the thickness you desire.   Add a pinch of red pepper, some black pepper and continue to heat until just below a simmer.     If you like, you can garnish each bowl with some crumbled bacon or grated cheddar cheese.    Makes enough to feed 2-4 people.

White Chili

I love chili, but sometimes want something a bit different, so I make white chili instead.   It is something that is easy to make on a minutes notice if you are using canned stuff and it is quite tasty.

2 cans Great Northern Beans (4 cups home cooked)
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cans green chiles or about a cup roasted and chopped chiles (heat level according to your taste)
1 can chicken broth (2 cups)
3 tbsp. flour
3 tsp. ground cumin or chili powder
3 tbsp. oil
3 cups diced cooked chicken

Heat the oil in a dutch oven and fry the onion until lightly browned.   Stir in the flour and cumin or chili powder, then stir in the chicken broth and chopped green chiles.    Cook and stir until thickened, then add the chicken and beans.    Simmer about 10 minutes.    Serve topped with grated cheddar or Monterey jack.   Enjoy!

Leek and Potato Soup

I have never tried cooking with leeks, although my friend Fr. Emmanuel kept telling me how delicious they are.   So this weekend I decided to try making a leek and potato soup.   It turned out quite tasty.   Here's how I did it.

4 tbsp. olive oil or butter or bacon fat
2 bunches leeks, sliced and cleaned (see below)
2 tsp. sugar
2 quarts chicken broth or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version
3 cups diced potatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Clean the leeks by slicing off the dark green portion and root ends.   Discard them.   Slice the leeks lengthwise, then slice in half inch half moons.   Place in a large bowl of cold water and rinse well, then drain.   While draining heat the chosen fat and add the drained sliced leeks.   Fry gently on medium low heat, stirring every 10-15 minutes, taking care not to let them scorch.   Sprinkle with the sugar.   After about 30-40 minutes, add about 1/2 cup chicken broth.   Cook until the broth evaporates and the leeks brown more.    Add more chicken broth, stir and dissolve the brown stuff on the bottom of the pan.   Do this three times in all.    Add the remaining chicken broth and diced potatoes.   Simmer until the potatoes are very tender.   At this point  you have three choices.
1) Eat the soup as it is.
2) Take a potato masher and mash the cooked potatoes to thicken the soup slightly and leave a rustic chunky soup.
3)  Puree the soup until smooth, adding heavy cream until you have the thickness you prefer.

You can garnish your finished soup with bacon crumbles, grated cheese or croutons.   It also goes well with a nice crusty bread.   And as always, enjoy!

Cream of Tomato Soup

When the weather starts getting cooler I love making and eating soups of all kinds.  Often I will make soup and take to work for us to share and one that is often requested is cream of tomato soup.  I like mine thick and creamy and with a rich tomato flavor.   Here is how I do it.

3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
5 heaping tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash
1/4 tsp. baking soda
4 cups milk or half and half
4 cups crushed or pureed tomatoes
1 6-oz. can tomato paste

Heat the butter and oil together and add the chopped onion with a sprinkle of salt.  Fry until the onion begins to brown a bit.  Add the flour, baking soda and Mrs. Dash and stir well until the flour begins to brown a bit.   Pour in the milk (or half and half), whisking constantly until it begins to boil and thickens a bit.   Whisk in the tomato paste and then add the crushed tomatoes.   It may become very thick when you add the tomatoes and if it is too thick, add a bit more milk until you get the right thickness.   Heat until thoroughly hot.   Eat with crackers or the traditional grilled cheese sandwich.   Enjoy!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

I love mushrooms.   I tend to put them in everything.   And when you talk about comfort food, nothing beats cream of mushroom soup.   Like most of us, I grew up eating Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup.   And my mom used it all the time for casseroles, etc.   I still like it!   But as I grew older, I wanted something with more flavor and sophistication.   So I decided to try making my own.   I found all sorts of mushroom soup recipes, that often called for all sorts of exotic or unusual ingredients.    But were often lacking in a good solid mushroom flavor.   So I decided to try making my own recipe.   This is what I came up with.

1 pound sliced mushrooms, I prefer using baby bellas for this recipe, but if you have other kinds you would rather use, go ahead.
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
1 3/4 cup milk or half and half
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of red pepper

Heat the butter and when hot add the chopped onion, fry until starting to brown.  Add the sliced mushrooms and cook a couple of minutes, stirring frequently.  Cover the pan and allow to steam for about 6-7 minutes, they will wilt then begin to brown a bit.   Be careful they don't burn!   Add the flour and stir, cooking about a minute, then add the broth and milk.   Stir well to blend, then bring to a simmer and cook until it thickens slightly.   Add the seasonings and the cream.   You can either eat it like this with the slices of mushroom floating in the soup or for a smoother texture blend in a blender or food processor until smooth.   Once you try this,  you'll never miss Campbell's!

For a heartier version, take some raw chicken and finely mince it.   You will want about 1 cup minced chicken.   Fry it with the onion and mushrooms, following the recipe as above.   The only other difference would be to increase the flour to 3-4 tbsp., making a thicker soup.

Chile Verde or Pork with Green Chiles

3 pounds of pork shoulder or boneless country style ribs
(cut meat into cubes, trimming as much fat as possible)
flour to dust the meat cubes with
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups diced mild green chiles, like Anaheim,
seeds, stems and membranes removed
2 cups/1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cup water or chicken broth
2 tbsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt or to taste
2 tbsp. oil, enough to lightly grease a large skillet or dutch oven

Heat the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven.   Lightly flour the pork cubes and brown in the heated skillet, about 1 pound at a time.    When all the pork cubes are browned, add the onion and cook until wilted.    Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the pork is fall apart tender, 2-3 hours.   Stir on occasion to prevent sticking.   You may need to add more water or chicken broth to keep from cooking dry or sticking.     Eat as a stew with hot tortillas or add more chicken broth to make it more soup like.   If you like the taste of garlic, you can add 3-4 cloves of chopped garlic with the onion.

Garlic Potato Soup

I love making and eating soups.   I like all kinds and make many different kinds.   This is one I came up with on my own and now it is one of my favorites.   Aaron likes it too!

Note: All measurments for this are approximate. I developed this recipe myself and make it by eye.

peel and roughly chop 5-??? cloves of garlic, the more the better
1 onion, peeled and chopped
Saute in about 1/4 cup butter or olive oil, or a mix of the two. Cook until just beginning to color a bit, being careful not to scorch the garlic.

Peel and cube 3-4 potatoes, saute with the onions and garlic a bit, then add about a quart of chicken stock. Simmer until the potatoes are falling apart tender and over half of the stock has evaporated. Blend until smooth, adding half and half or milk until it is thickness you like. Stir in a bit of red pepper and serve with some croutons and a sprinkle of grated cheese (parmesan is great with this).

Roasted garlic, tomatillo and chicken soup

This is a really good soup that I love to make.    I often cook the vegetables and chicken on the grill instead of roasting in the oven or browning on top of the stove.   The fire grilling gives it a really deep and smoky flavor.

Roasted Garlic and Tomatillo Soup

1 large whole head of garlic
2 tsp. olive oil
1 pound raw tomatillos
1 small white onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1-2 green chiles, halved and seeded (or more if you like it hot)
1 quart chicken broth
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 large tomatoes, cored and chopped or 1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded melting cheese (monterey jack, mild cheddar, etc)
1 pound boneless chicken thighs (or precooked diced or shredded chicken)
chopped fresh cilanto
sliced avocado (optional)

1. Peel away outer skin from the head of garlic and cut off the pointed top portion, leaving the bulbs intact. Place in a custard cup and drizzle with the olive oil. Cover tightly with foil.

2. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and cut in half. Place cut side down on a baking sheet with the green chiles and onion quarters. Bake in vegetables and garlic in a 425 degree oven about 30 minutes, then remove and cool slightly.

3. Using your fingers, press the garlic cloves to remove from the skins and put in a blender with the onion, chiles and half of the tomatillos. Add one cup of the broth and blend until smooth. Dice or chop the remaining tomatillos by hand.

4. Transfer the blended mixture into a large pot, add remaining broth, black pepper, diced tomatoes and diced tomatillos. Mix together and then heat thoroughly.

5.   Saute the chicken pieces in a bit of oil until nicely browned.   Then cut into bite sized pieces.   Add to the soup.   (if using precooked chicken, add it now)

6. To serve, place in bowl, top with shredded or diced cheese and some cilantro. If using the avocado, slice or dice on top of that.

Makes enough for 2-3 people as a main course. I like to serve it with some cheese quesadillas.    Enjoy!

You can make it vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth and omitting the chicken.

For an easier and quicker version, chop and sautee a small onion and a couple of chopped cloves fresh garlic in a couple tablespoons of oil until tender.   Add a jar or two of good quality green sauce (Herdez is my favorite), with the chicken broth, diced tomatoes and the precooked chicken.   Simmer 15-20 minutes.  Serve as above.  Almost as good as the freshly cooked salsa and a lot faster.  I love this with a cheese quesadilla on the side.  

Beef and Barley Stew

mI was hungry for something thick, meaty and hopefully not too unhealthy today.   Beef and barley stew came to mind.   I pretty much did this out of my head, so the measurements aren't quite exact.   Feel free to change and adapt according to your taste and what you happen to have on hand.   It turned out quite delicious and satisfied my craving.

2 pounds of lean beef, cubed (chuck is perfect, trim off as much fat as possible)
2 tbsp. oil
2 cups roughly chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup quick cooking pearl barley
2 cans chicken broth (or wine or more water)
4 cups water
1 tsp. soy sauce
seasonings to taste (I used a dash of garlic powder, a dash of paprkia, a dash of red pepper and some Mrs. Dash)

Heat the oil in a dutch oven and when very hot, brown the beef in batches.    Place in the beef in a slow cooker as it browns.   When the last beef is browned, put the vegetables in the dutch oven and wilt, browning a bit if possible, then place in the slow cooker with the beef.   Add the chicken broth, water, soy sauce and seasonings.   Cook on high for 4-5 hours or until the meat is very very tender.   Add the pearled barley and cook another 30 minutes or so, until the barley is tender and the stew thickened.    If stew looks too thick, add  more water or chicken broth.    Enjoy with a good crusty bread.

Vegetable soup

When the weather is cold and nasty I love making soups and stews. I'll often make a large pot of soup Sunday afternoon and eat on it for most of the following week. One of my all time favorites is vegetable soup. I put in all different kinds of vegetables and often make it so thick it is really more of a stew than a soup. It simmers long and slow for a couple of hours. Because of the long cooking time, canned vegetables are really more appropriate than fresh or frozen for most of the vegetables. The fresh things I usually use are: onions, celery, carrots, cabbage and either a rutabaga or turnip. Here's how I make my soup.

1 large onion, peeled and chopped
about 1 1/2 cup chopped celery
about 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
3-4 cups chopped cabbage (a bag of slaw mix is perfect!)
a medium sized turnip or rutabaga, peeled and cubed

In a large stock pot heat about 1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrots, cabbage and rutabaga. Fry over medium heat until the vegetables begin to brown a bit, taking care not to scorch.

Next add the following canned vegetables (each can is about 14.5 ounces each):

2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 can peas
1 can green beans
1 can lima beans
1 46-oz bottle of low sodium vegetable juice cocktail

Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours. Eat with cornbread or good sourdough or homemade bread.

Variations: If I want to make vegetable beef soup, I'll take a pound or so of stewing beef (I like chuck best), cut into cubes, cover with water and simmer until falling apart. I then add the stewed beef and broth when I add the canned vegetables and decrease the vegetable juice cocktail by half or omit completely.

I also substitute other vegetables depending on what I have or what is in season. Sometimes I'll put in browned cubes of eggplant or zucchini squash. Some people like to use corn in vegetable soup, but I rarely do. You can also put in cubed potatoes if you like. Just use what you like or have.