Butternut Squash Posole

I love soup! I love posole, I love butternut squash. So obviously I had to give this recipe a whirl from Food Network Magazine. Plus it was super simple, which is key for me right now. You can eat it with quesadillas for a mexican twist on grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Embrace winter, make this soup!

What's in it
1 32oz can tomato puree
1 or 2 32oz cans hominy
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed in 1/4" pieces
1 poblano chile pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbl canola oil
2 Tbl chile powder
2 Tbl cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbl oregano
water
extra optional garnish: thick flour tortillas, shredded cabbage, lime, hot sauce, avocado

How it's made
In a large dutch oven (or soup pot) heat oil over medium heat. Add all spices (chile powder, cumin, cinnamon, oregano). Add poblano chile and garlic and saute for a couple minutes. Add squash and keep stirring until chile is softened. Add tomato puree and enough water to thin and cover all ingredients by at least 1 inch. Bring to boil then simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Then add hominy and simmer until squash is tender but not falling apart. Garnish with lime, hot sauce, avocado, shredded cabbage, and eat with soft flour tortillas.

This recipe seems like it would do well in a slow cooker, but I have not yet tested that. I probably will soon!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a really easy and delicious recipe! It can either be slow cooked if you want to make it in the morning or on the stove for a fast dinner and is good served with tortillas. Enjoy! :)

1 onion chopped
3 garlic, minced
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. chili powder (cayenne powder can also be used for more spice)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 can (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
10.5 oz. of condensed chicken broth (extra water can also replace this)
1 1/4 cups water
1 can of corn or 1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup white hominy
green chile peppers
1 can black beans rinsed and drained (garbanzo beans are also good to add)
chicken cooked and cut
chopped green onions
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado
shredded monterey jack cheese


Heat oil over medium heat in a pot and saute onion and garlic until soft.  Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water.  Bring to a boil, simmer for 5-10 min.

Stir in remaining ingredients (except leave crushed tortilla chips, sliced avocado, and cheese for serving on top of soup). 

Easy Garbanzo and Sausage Stew

     It may be warm and sunny where you are, but it is--surprise-- cold and rainy here in Portland. A hearty stew still sounded good a few nights ago.

     I had garbanzo beans and I wanted to use them. I searched, I googled, and most of the recipes I found called for lemon. Well, I didn't have a lemon and I didn't feel like going out into  the cold, rainy dusk to get some. So I kept on searching.

     What I ended up finding is the inspiration for this stew. It reminds me quite a bit of gumbo, with chickpeas instead of rice. It has the roux, it has the sausage. It is delicious. Velvety, hot and savory. If you are in the Pacific Northwest, you might give this a try soon. If you happen to be in a very strange heatwave (like a lot of the country), maybe save this recipe for next fall or winter. You will be glad you did.

Garbanzo and Sausage Stew

~Print Recipe~

• 1 tablespoon, plus 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 links andouille sausage, chopped
• 1 whole white onion, chopped
• 1 orange, yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced, fire roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried basil, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. or to taste,
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cans of garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup orzo, or other pasta
• 2 cups baby spinach, torn

1.  Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown. Remove sausage, draining any oil back into the pot. Set aside.
2. Add remaining 1/4 cup of oil. Turn heat to medium. Add onions and bell pepper to oil and cook until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and cook a couple of minutes more.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle flour all over and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and a light golden brown. Gradually add the tomatoes, stirring to combine. Add the chicken stock and stir. Turn heat up to medium, bringing the stew to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
4. Stir in the basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir in sausage. Cook over low heat for an hour or two, until the flavors have a chance to combine. Add garbanzo beans and stir. 
5. About 10 minutes before you plan to eat, return stew to a simmer and stir in orzo. 5 minutes before eating, add torn spinach leaves. Adjust seasonings, stir well and enjoy!

Serves 4-6

*Vegan* Cocoa-Coconut Chili

Personally, I am not a fan of chili. At all. It always seems to be over cooked or over stirred or over oily or too beanie or something. But part of what I love about cooking is tackling the obstacles of foods you don't love. This chili recipe has helped me over my anti-chili hurdle in a beautiful way. The mix of ingredients creates a very balanced yet decidedly different chili. The coconut milk and cocoa balances the beans in the recipe, and the hot sauce adds the perfect amount of kick. The icing on the cake was cooking the chili in my slow cooker, and having it come out perfectly. Not over cooked or mushy or anything. I love the fact you can look at your bowl and identify every single ingredient, and relish in its simplicity. Plus, did I mention the cocoa? How can you resist...

*no vegans were harmed in the making of this chili.

What's in it

1 14oz can light coconut milk (unsweetened)

2 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp sea salt

fresh ground black pepper to taste

2 Tbl mild chili powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

3 Tbl Dutch process cocoa powder (or regular if that is what you have)

2 28oz cans diced tomatoes

1 14oz can black beans, rinsed

1 14oz can kidney beans, rinsed

1 14oz can pinto beans, rinsed

1 14oz can canellini (white) beans, rinsed

1 14oz can corn, drained

1 or 2 carrots diced (size them the same as your beans)

1 onion diced (size them the same as your beans)

1 1/2 C celery diced (size them the same as your beans)

1/2 C diced bell peppers - optional (size them the same as your beans)

How it's made

Grab your large slow-cooker. Whisk together first 9 ingredients in slow cooker until blended (coconut milk through cocoa powder). Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. Turn your slow-cooker on low for 8 hours. Go away (to work, school...) and come home to delicious chili. If you have time or inclination, buy a box of corn bread mix from TJ's and make it up, or make some honey cornbread from scratch. Enjoy chili for dinner, then lunch the next day, then freeze the rest for another day. Or just invite over all your friends!

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

Three years ago Alexis posted a delicious recipe for Tortilla Soup, which I was inspired to make after having made enchiladas resulting in leftover chicken broth. It is hard to believe three years have already flown by. Well, tortilla soup is still very much in our repertoire of go-to comfort food, and the discovery of this slow cooker version has rocked our world. We recently received a brand new fancy slow cooker with a timer from our wedding registry (thanks von!), so I was inspired to find new and simple slow cooker recipes. I highly recommend you try this slow cooker version (with a new kick of enchilada sauce) in that slow cooker you could probably dust off and give another chance. You will not be disappointed in the magic of coming home to a house full of delicious smells, and dinner already made.

What's in it

1 box (or can) chicken broth

2 C water (or more broth)

1 or 2 14oz cans diced tomatoes (I recommend the fire-roasted kind)

1 14oz can red enchilada sauce

2 small cans diced fire-roasted green chiles, drained

1 small onion chopped

1-2 lb chicken breast or tenders (I started with frozen), rinsed

1 package frozen corn (could add a can of hominy or beans as well)

1 tsp each: chile, cumin, salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

garnish: chopped cilantro, wedge of lime, avocado, shredded cheese, chopped cabbage, tortilla chips (homemade if you like)

How it's made

In a large slow cooker (if using small, reduce ingredient amounts) add all ingredients except for garnish. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Towards the end of cook time, shred chicken into smaller pieces.

If you would like to make your own chips, spray tortillas with cooking spray and cut into strips. Bake on a sheet in a 450 degree (pre-heated) oven for 10-15 min until crisp. Season as you like.

Serve soup in bowls with all garnish (yes, use lots of the garnish options!). Enjoy!

Thai Dumpling Soup

This recipe is from Food Network Magazine, from their quick and easy dinner section. Seeing as the weather has finally started to get very chilly, and I've been itching to cook thai food, it seemed the perfect opportunity to try this recipe. What I found out is that not only is this soup easier and faster to make than Tom Ka Gai, one of the simplest thai soups, but it is even more delicious. I've never made dumpling soup, and what I realized is unlike in a restaurant, I don't have to ration the 2 or 3 dumplings your soup will have, because when you make it yourself, you can have as many dumplings as you'd like! So do yourself a favor and try this one out in the next couple weeks. You will not regret it.

What's in it

2 Tbl oil

3 stalks celery, sliced thin

1/2 onion, sliced in 1/4" wedges

dried (or fresh) shittake mushrooms

1 Tbl curry powder

4 C chicken broth

1 can coconut milk

1 C water

1 Tbl fish sauce

1/4 lb fresh green beans trimmed and cut in half

optional: sliced crimini mushrooms, sliced bell peppers

1 lb frozen thai dumplings (I found delicious frozen chicken cilantro mini dumplings at Trader Joes)

lime and sliced green onions

How it's made

Boil 2 cups water and pour over dried shittake mushrooms in a bowl, if using. Use another bowl or cup to weigh them down under water. Let sit 30 minutes until re-hydrated. Prep other ingredients in the meantime.

In a large dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add celery, onion, shittake mushrooms and curry powder. Stir until curry powder is toasted and vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce and water (use water from re-hydrating mushrooms if you'd like more mushroom flavor, but be sure to strain out bits). Bring to a simmer and add crimini mushrooms if using. Add green beans (and bell pepper if using) and simmer about 3-5 minutes until green beans are crisp tender. Add frozen dumplings and bring back to simmer until dumplings are cooked through. Serve garnished with lime juice and chopped green onions.

I highly encourage you to adapt this recipe to your taste. Clearly I like mushrooms so I load up on them, but maybe you'd like to see tomatoes or galanga and lemongrass for a more authentic flavor, or more green beans. The great thing about soups is they are very flexible to adaptation, so have fun with it!

Mushroom Barley Soup

Molly Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook and my childhood are inseparable. My mom religiously cooked its vegetarian recipes--in fact I don't remember her ever cooking from any other cookbook. She had some recipe cards, for sure, but as far as I know the Moosewood was the only book.

And you can tell from looking at the copy I inherited it that it has been lovingly used for the past 35 years. The title page contains page numbers of favorite recipes, there are notes in the margins and--the best indication of a cookbook's worth--stained pages from years of use. If those stains are any indication, the soup section of Katzen's book is the best. In my mother's house at least, they were the most often used. I grew up eating lentil soup and Hungarian mushroom soup. I would ask for the white bean and black olive soup as my special birthday meal.

The Moosewood mushroom barley soup is as simple as it is delicious. It is very savory and it lets the flavor of the mushrooms really come through. Barley is an under-utilized grain. It is inexpensive to buy in bulk, it cooks easily like rice, and adds a distinct flavor and depth.

For how delicious this soup is, the recipe is surprisingly easy and not at all labor intensive. It does take around an hour to cook, but most of the time it is simmering and does not require you to slave over it. The ingredient list is shorter than many (less flavorful) soups and therefore prep-time is minimal.

We had this soup on a cold mid-winter night with a glass of red wine (thank you, Libby!) and hunks of crusty La Brea sourdough bread. It was, in Starbucks speak, "a perfect pairing," and one I would highly recommend. I have a feeling my future kids will be as familiar with the Moosewood Cookbook as I was.

Mushroom Barley Soup

~Print Recipe~

• 1/2 cup raw pearled barley
• 6 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, vegetable stock (or water)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 or 4 tablespoons tamari (a type of soy sauce)
• 3 or 4 tablespoons dry sherry
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 heaping cup chopped onion
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a soup pot, bring 1 1/2 cups of stock to a boil. Stir in barley, cover with a lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer until barley is tender, about 35 minutes. (Note: If you soak the barley over night in a cup of water or stock, you can reduce cooking time to around 15 minutes.)
2. Add the remaining stock, tamari and sherry.
3. Saute the onions and garlic in butter over medium heat. When they soften, add mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt. When all is tender, add to the barley--making sure to include all of the liquid in the pan.
4. Generously sprinkle with black pepper and simmer for 20 minutes, covered, over the lowest possible heat. Taste to adjust seasonings. Serve hot.

Serves 6

Easy Croutons

Who knew croutons were so easy to make? Ok, you probably did, and in the back of my mind I acknowledged this fact on some level. It's just so easy to pick up a small bag of over priced and rock hard croutons at the store. Never again. Especially since croutons are fantastic on soups and salads, and a great way to turn that baseball bat of a baguette into something delicious.

What's in it

4-5 C stale or fresh bread of any sorts, cubed (or baguette thinly sliced)

2 T olive oil (high quality, and flavored if you wish)

2 T butter

1 clove garlic, minced

italian spices, or any spices (dill, thyme, curry...)

How it's made

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

Put butter, oil, garlic and spices in a microwave proof bowl and microwave 30 seconds to melt butter (or use a stove and pot). Stir to combine. Toss cubed bread in mixture, to coat.

Spread bread onto a baking sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy on top of soups or salads!

Lentil, Barley and Sausage Soup

Lentil and Barley Soup with Sausage

It's turning out to be quite a nice fall here in Portland, Oregon. (Hopefully I'm not speaking too soon.) For at least the last week, we've had gorgeous, crisp cool sunny days. Perfect fall weather if you ask me. The forecast for this week indicates we'll get more of the same. I certainly hope we do. It's my favorite time of year.

While I still can't believe it is already mid-October, I am definitely beginning to get excited about all the wonderful things that fall entails. Leaves are changing, temperatures are dropping, pumpkins are out on porches. One of the things I'm looking forward to is making soup. There is something so essential and satisfying about a good soup! And the truly fantastic thing about soups is they are so easy to make. They are so malleable. Be creative, get crazy---design a soup as you go. It is only recently that I realized that one really doesn't need a recipe for a soup, just a basic idea and whatever contents of your fridge and pantry that you are craving.

Soup after a long day at work.

That being said, I'm posting this soup recipe. I came up with this recipe by combining and tweaking a couple of recipes I've clipped from food magazines. I will always, always associate lentil soup with my mother. Lucky for me, she made fantastic lentil (and many, many other kinds of) soup. But, this version is a bit different than hers. It's a lentil soup with barley, and like any good lentil soup it is very hearty. It begs for a good chunk of crusty bread and a cold night. A little wine certainly doesn't hurt.

One of the best thing about soups, too, is that they just get better with time. Make a large batch and savor the left-overs for lunch the next day or freeze some to enjoy later.

Let the soup season commence!

Lentil and Barley Soup with Sausage

~Print Recipe~

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, separated (or more to taste)
• 2 sausage links, cut into small pieces
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 cup carrots (or more), chopped
• 1 cup celery (or more), chopped
• 2 red potatoes, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon dill
  
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• OR since I discovered I was out of Italian seasoning, I substituted the following:
• 1/2 teaspoon each of oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary (or more to taste)
• 2 to 3 courts low-sodium chicken stock (or water)
• 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 2 cups uncooked lentils
• 2 tablespoons dry red wine (optional)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)
• Fresh cracked pepper and grated cheese to garnish

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Drain the sausage and remove from pot, set aside.  Add remaining oil and chopped leek. Stir to coat. 
2. As the leek is sauteing, chop and stir in the onion. Chopping and adding as you go, add all the ingredients through the potatoes, continuing to stir frequently. Add the spices. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent.
3. Add the barley and stir to incorporate. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in lentils. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until lentils are soft and vegetables are cooked through.
5. Add the cooked sausage (and optional ingredients, if using) and simmer for another 10 minutes, until the sausage is warmed and flavors have mingled. Adjust spices as necessary.
6. Top individual servings of soup with more fresh cracked pepper and grated cheese of your choice. Serve with crusty bread.

Not So Intimidating French Onion Soup

I wanted French Onion Soup today and finally decided to do it. John loves this soup and I've known it is his favorite for over seven and a half years. Still, tonight was the first time I made it.

Recipe for Two servings

2 Large Yellow onions, quartered and sliced thinly
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Bay leaf
3 cloves of roasted garlic, chopped fine
1/2 Cup dry sherry
1/4 Cup red wine
1/2 Teaspoon thyme
6-8 Cups beef and vegetable broth blended, 1 cup reserved
2 Tablespoons flour, sifted
Salt and pepper to taste
Sliced French baguette
Sliced Gruyere cheese, thinly

In a large pot or pan, melt butter and add onions and bay leaf. Cook on medium-low for a long time (30+ minutes). Keep cooking them until they are brown in color but NOT burnt. It is really important to keep the heat down as the onions could burn. If you accidentally get a few over cooked onions that look a little blackened pull them out. You should not go far and stir them often. Add garlic right at the end of this step and cook for about 1 minute.

When onions are all caramelized and brown, deglaze the pan with the sherry and red wine. Cook uncovered for about 5-7 minutes. Add broth, reserving 1 cup, and thyme. Bring soup to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes uncovered. Remove the bay leaf.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the reserved stock and sifted flour until the flour is incorporated without lumps. Add to the soup and cook for another 5 minutes, covered. Adjust the consistency of the soup to your liking with more broth or more flour.

Season with salt and pepper.

Slice a French baguette into 3/4 inch slices and toast. Ladle soup into heat-proof bowls, place a piece of toast on each bowl of soup and cover with a thin layer of Gruyere cheese. Place on a pan and broil until the cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown.

Oh, it is so good! Enjoy!

Vietnamese Chicken and Rice Noodle Soup

I've been stowing my slow-cooker safely in the cupboard for about 2 years. I keep intending to use it---don't get me wrong, I like the idea of throwing some stuff in a pot and coming home after work to a hot and tasty meal just as much as the next person. But somehow I never put it together.

I have been scoping out slow-cooker cookbooks for over a year. Either they are too expensive or they include too many recipes that I wouldn't actual make, so I put off buying one. Then I found the new WW Slow Cook It. It got the price tag to usable recipe ratio right, so I brought it home.

This noodle recipe was the first we attempted out of the book. (Mark actually made it!) The basic recipe is comforting, but kinda plain. But that's ok with me, it leaves a good canvas for decorating with other flavors. We enjoyed adding some hoisin and a dash of habanero hot sauce in addition to the suggested green onion, cilantro and lime juice. Sriracha would probably be good, too. This soup can go which ever direction you want to take it!

Vietnamese Chicken and Rice Noodle Soup

~Print Recipe~

• 2 chicken breasts, 1/2 lb each (recipe called for bone in, we used boneless)
• 8 springs fresh cilantro, plus leaves for topping
• 6 green onions, cut and separated into white and green parts
• 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, bruised
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (we used 1/2 teaspoon ground)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 2 32-ounce cartons low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 pound rice noodles
• Basil, mint, lime wedges, hot sauces for garnish

1. Combine chicken, cilantro springs, white part of green onions, lemongrass, garlic, coriander, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Pour broth over chicken and veggies. Cover and cook until chicken is fork tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
2. Once it is cooked, transfer chicken with a slotted spoon to a plate and let stand until cool enough to touch. Discard bones (if necessary) and cut or shred into bite-sized pieces.
3. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. 
4. Strain broth to remove vegetables and spices. Stir chicken and noodles back into broth. Cover and cook until chicken and noodles are hot, 5-10 minutes.
5. Ladle soup into bowls, squeeze lime juice over soup and garnish with desired toppings.

Serves 6

French Onion Soup

It started with a Dutch oven. Or at least the desire for one. I'd read countless recipes that called for a Dutch oven, but usually by the time I saw those words I'd stop reading since I was not lucky enough to own one. At first, this struck me as a minor inconvenience. But, over the years, the Dutch oven recipes starting adding up. And I know that Amber uses a Dutch oven frequently. Slowly, I came to realization that I, too, needed a Dutch oven. So I kept my eye on them. Every time I went into Sur La Table, I'd check to see if the Le Crueset were on sale. (Or course, even if they were I couldn't afford them. But, they're just so pretty!) I spied a Mario Batali version, cheaper but still a bit much.

Then my mother gave me a bit of money for my birthday. I thought long and hard about what I wanted. I knew I wanted something to cook with. New measuring cups and spoons? A cast iron skillet? A Silpat? It wasn't enough money for a Le Crueset, but I decided if I could find a bargain on a Dutch oven, that's what I'd get. The deal was sealed when Smitten Kitchen, my favorite food blog, put out a gift list with a Dutch oven at the top. I felt I must have one.

Randomly, I was at the store a few days later and a found Lodge Color 6 quart Dutch oven for 20% off! It turned out to be only $63! That certainly seemed like a steal, so I picked out a blue one and brought it home. (Thanks, Mom!)

And then I realized I didn't know what to make. After all of those recipes I'd flipped past or clicked on, I couldn't think of a single thing to cook in my new Dutch oven! So I did what anyone would do these days---I searched the internet. Most of the top searches pulled up camping recipes. Fail. I searched a couple food blogs, to little avail. Where were all of those Dutch oven recipes, now?! A Cook's Illustrated search turned up a few ideas---including a Best French Onion Soup recipe...where the onions alone cook for almost 3 hours! I don't usually have time for such things. But--and this is why I love Cook's Illustrated---they also included a Quicker French Onion Soup recipe. Score! (The secret is microwaving the onions for 20 minutes before browning them.)

With the help of my friend Libby, I got to do two new things in one day: make French onion soup for the first time and, finally, cook with a Dutch oven. I'd say it was a productive day!

French Onion Soup
~Print Recipe~

• 6 large yellow onions (around 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4 inch slices (onions sliced this way retain their shape better)
  
• Table salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
• 2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups beef broth
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Ground black pepper
• 1 baguette cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 8 oz. shredded Gruyere cheese

1. Combine onions and 1 teaspoons salt in a large, microwaveable bowl. Cover completely with a microwaveable plate. Microwave on high for 10 minutes, stir, and microwave for another 10-15 minutes, until onions are soft and wilted. Drain liquid from onions.
2. When the onions are nearly done, melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add wilted onions and cook, stirring frequently and scraping the pot, 15-20 minutes-- until all liquid evaporates and onions are brown. Cook another 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until a dark crust (fond) forms on the bottom of the pan.
3. Stir in 1/4 cup water and scrape the pot to loosen the crust, then stir and cook until the water evaporates and a dark crust begins to form--another 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat this process (deglazing) another 2 times. Onions should be very dark brown. Add the sherry and stir until it evaporates--about 5 minutes. 
4. Stir in chicken and beef broth, 2 cups of water, thyme, bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Scrape any last browned bits from the pot. Turn heat to high and bring soup to a simmer. Then reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes---until the bread is crisp and golden. Set aside. Turn oven up to broil.
   
6. Remove and discard herbs from the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
7. Adjust oven rack to about 6 inches from broiler. Divide soup among oven safe bowls. Place bread slices on top of soup, without overlapping. Sprinkle each serving generously with grated gruyere. Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil until cheese is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before serving. 

(Serves 4 to 6)

Veggies You Love Chowder

Today I received my first shipment for my CSA box from Farm Fresh To You and I spent the afternoon researching recipes that would use a good part of the veggies.  If you are interested in signing up for this CSA program, I can refer you at a discount on the first trial.

After looking through all my Mollie Katzen books (Moosewood) I found one that seemed easy and versatile, Vegetable Chowder.  After making this, I realized the veggie portions are more of a guideline, I would use whatever you have on hand.

What's in it

Butter

2C chopped onion

6 cloves garlic, minced

salt, thyme & basil (whatever else you like as well, I used Caraway Seed)

1 medium potato, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2C chopped broccoli

1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped

frozen or fresh corn

Diced tomatoes, canned and drained

fresh black pepper

1 1/2C water

1 Qt milk, heated.

How it's made

Melt butter in large pot or dutch oven.  Add onion, half of garlic and basil, thyme, salt.  Satue about 5 minutes until onions clarify.  Add potatoes, celery, carrots, broccoli and saute another 5 minutes or so. Add mushrooms, corn and tomatoes, plus lots of pepper.  Saute another 10 minutes.  Add water, cover and simmer about 15 minutes until everything is tender.  Stir in the milk and remaining garlic.  Remove from heat.  Served topped with fresh herbs.

Obviously you can add or subtract depending on your ingredients.  I added half a bag of frozed artichoke hearts I had on hand, because I love them!  Other good additions are cauliflower, zucchini, etc.  Sorry there are not precise measurements for some of the smaller portions, I don't believe in measuring those amounts.  It will depend on how much veggies you have.

This turned out to be an incredibly delicious soup, very creamy and flavorful.  I also picked up a par baked french bread from TJ's and baked it fresh out of the oven, and it was perfect with the soup.  Yum!

Potato, Kale and Chorizo Soup

This was a Sunday dinner dinner. I'd never heard of putting greens in a soup like this, so I was a little skeptical. It took a second to grow on me, but the satisfying, hearty deliciousness of this soup sort of took me by surprise.

We made this vegan by using vegetable broth and soy sausages. It definitely worked, but I'm thinking it would be a tad bit more flavorful and amazing with the real deal. Finding real Spanish chorizo is a bit of a challenge--most widely available chorizo in the United States is spicy, mushy ground up parts (like lips, lymph nodes and salivary glands, no joke) that come in a plastic casing. (For dishes calling for that kind of chorizo, I quite emphatically recommend using the very tasty soyrizo instead.) Alternatively, Spanish chorizo--called for in this variation of a Bon Appetit recipe--is made from coarsely chopped pork seasoned with paprika, garlic and herbs.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 8 ounces fully cooked Spanish chorizo or hot Calabrese salami, casing removed if necesary, chopped
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds kale, stemmed, torn into small pieces (about 16 cups tightly packed)
• Croutons (home-made or store bought)
• Grated parmesan cheese, optional
  

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 8 minutes, until translucent.
2. Add chorizo and paprika, stir for 1 minute.
   
3. Add potatoes and broth. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
   
4. Add kale and stir until it has wilted and soup returns to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (This soup tastes even better when the flavors have had more time to mingle--i.e. the next day.)
6. Divide soup among bowls and serve topped with croutons and finely grated parmesan cheese.
   

Tortilla Soup

I love tortilla soup, but I'd never attempted to make it. I figured that it's so delicious that it must be really complicated, right? Well, I have seen a number of versions ranging from the ridiculously complex and time consuming (from my Dona Tomas cookbook) to the surely too simple to be authentic. Here's my variation on one from Simply Recipes (and before that from a Muir Glen can of tomatoes) that struck me as better than most, yet still remarkably easy.

Even after I started making this recipe, I wasn't sure it would turn out like I wanted it to, but in the in end it was pretty spot on. I'm sure the intense, all day version from Dona Tomas is much more authentic and probably tastier, but this was super quick and ended up just like I imagined it should. Comfort food at its finest.

Tortilla Soup
~Print Recipe~

Tortilla Strips

• 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
  
• 1/4 cup canola oil (for frying)

1. In a small skillet with high sides, heat canola oil over medium high heat. 
2. Cut tortillas in half. Then cut the halves into 1/4" to 1/2" strips--cut strips that are 3" or shorter--i.e. cut the strips width-wise rather than lengthwise).
3. Once it it hot (350 degrees), add tortilla strips and fry for a couple of minutes on each side, until they are golden and crispy.
4. Use a couple of extra tortillas to fry tortilla chips (for snacking--believe me, you'll want some), when fry the strips(for the soup. Let drain on a paper towel.

The Soup

• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chile, seeded, veins removed, chopped (We put one Anaheim and two jalapeños--nice and spicy!)
  
• 4 cups chicken broth
  
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced fire-roasted tomatoes, un-drained (I found Safeway brand.)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 ripe medium avocado, cut into cubes
  
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (we used cheddar, but whatever you like)
  
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges (I have lime juicer, one of my favorite gadgets! Get one.)

1. Heat a little of the remaining oil (from frying strips) in a saucepan on medium-high. Saute your onion for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chilies, cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in the chicken broth, the whole can of tomatoes and the salt. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the cooked chicken. Let it simmer until the chicken is hot.
4. Divide half of the tortilla strips among the bowls you'll be eating from. Ladle soup on top of the tortillas. Top with shredded cheese, remaining tortilla strips, cilantro and avocado. Drizzle with lime juice.
   

Leta's Pozole

Andy's mom makes the best Pozole (also spelled Posole). Ok, it's pretty much the only Pozole I've ever had, but it's delicious! Last night we made it at Andy's new house and it was enough for me and three dudes.

What's in it

oil

1 lg yellow onion, chopped

2 lb (or so) pork shoulder/loin cut in small cubes

tall can of canned beer

cumin, ground coriander, red chili powder (sweet)

2 cans green chili, drained and chopped

1 lg can hominy, drained

1 small can corn, drained

steamed tortillas

mexican cheese, crumbled (Alexis, help me with the name here) or grated monterey jack

lime

chopped cilantro

How it's done

In a dutch oven, clear onions in oil on stovetop. Add pork and brown. Then add beer and spices, cover and simmer 45-60 minutes. Add cans of hominy, corn, chili. Simmer until warmed.

Serve topped with cheese, cilantro and lime. Eat with steamed tortillas (use them to pinch of pieces of the stew).

*We had this for dinner again tonight (July 2010) with Ngoc and Dave, and Dave's (mexican) grandma makes traditional pozole. He recommended adding a ham hock or pig's foot to the broth for stewing, and also recommended adding shredded fresh cabbage for garnish and sliced radishes.

Tom Kah Gai: Chicken Coconut Soup

I've always been a fan of Thai food, but Thai cooking somehow seemed rather mysterious. Then Amber told me about a wonderful cookbook called Quick & Easy Thai. (Now, I've seen some "easy" Indian food cookbooks that don't seem to have a quick recipe in them, so I was a little hesitant.) But, the author--previously a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand--wrote these recipes for busy people to cook on a weeknight.

As it turns out, many Thai recipes are not difficult to prepare and can be made any time, not just on fancy special occasions. The recipes I've tried are pretty amazingly simple, but still incredibly delicious. Some of the recipes call for exotic ingredients (that is, if you live in Oregon and not California), but most of the time you can substitute or skip an ingredient and your dish will be fine.

This is an impressively flavorful soup! It pairs well with other recipes in the book, like chicken satay or crab cakes.

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced crosswise
• 6 wild lime leaves, cut into quarters (optional)
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (a light version is available at Trader Joe's)
  
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water)
• 10-12 slices galanga (this is a relative of ginger--I substitute fresh ginger slices)
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (available at Whole Foods and Safeway--do not leave this out!)
• 3/4 pound boneless chicken cut into bite-sized chunks (or tofu!)
• 1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms

1. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce and green onions (plus half of the wild lime leaves--optional). Set aside. Put chopped cilantro in a separate small bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, add the coconut milk and the chicken broth. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the galanga or ginger and lemongrass (plus remainder of lime leaves, if using.)
   
3. Add the chicken and mushrooms. Return to a gentle boil and simmer until the chicken is cooked--about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Pour the lime juice mixture into the pot and mix well! Ladle soup into serving bowls and sprinkle chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
   

*Serves 4*

I substituted the chicken for tofu only because I was also serving another chicken dish, but if you use vegetable stock, tofu and leave the fish sauce out this would be vegan. The fish sauce does add a distinct depth to the soup, though, as it does to a lot of Thai dishes. If you have vegetarian friends who eat fish, leave it in for best results.

Crock Pot No Brainer Bean Soup

This morning I woke up two hours before I had to go to work, rode my bike to the farmer's market and TJ's, rode back, threw this together in the crock pot, and was on my way.  Fabulous! The best is getting home to a fully cooked meal.

Ingredients

1 package dried 17 bean mix (from TJ's)

celery chopped

carrot chopped

1 onion chopped and sauteed in butter

sausage links sliced

mushrooms chopped

1 box veggie stock

spices (salt, pepper, caraway, bay leaf, oregano...)

The way it's done

Disclaimer: depending on the size of your crock pot, you will want to adjust ingredient size.  I had to use only half a package of beans for mine, since it's so small.

You'll have to soak the beans in water overnight.  They soak up a lot of water, so be sure to have enough water covering them (2 inches). 

In the morning, put all the ingredients in the crock pot, and add water to fill enough liquid.  Put the crock pot on low, go to work, and come home to a warm and delicious meal!  I just ate mine with baguette and butter.

I'll probably make a second batch tomorrow with the rest of my ingredients, then freeze it for later.  Feel free to add or subtract variety of ingredients.