Ready for Fall

I love Fall and I get so excited about it every year and am just waiting for it to turn cool and crisp outside, so that I can make warm soups, chilies, and all the other yummy Fall and Winter dishes that I love! Like every year in the past I get impatient and at some point decide that while it is not as cool and crisp out as I would like that it is cool enough and I make my first soup, chili or stew of the season. The September issue of Cooking Light had a fantastic chili section that included a Venison, Sausage, and Black Bean Chili recipe. It just so happens that I still have a freezer full of venison and am still not quite sure what to do with it. So, this recipe kills two birds with one stone by fulfilling my burning desire to go ahead and declare it soup / stew / chili season and a way to use up some of the venison that has taken over our freezer.

To make the chili you heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and coat it with cooking spray. You then remove the sausage from the casing and add it along with the onion and garlic to the pan. I could not find spicy chicken sausage, so I went with spicy turkey sausage instead. Next add the venison to pan and cook until it is browned. I used ground venison instead of loin since we have lots of ground venison and both Russ and I prefer ground meat in our chili. Next stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the chicken broth, tomato (I used two cans of diced tomatoes), ancho chile powder, water, salt, and cumin to the pot. Cover the pot and let it simmer for about an hour. Then stir in the black beans and let it continue to cook for ten minutes until it is heated through. Check for seasoning and add salt if needed. Serve toped with goat cheese and jalapeño slices.

This was a very simple and easy chili to make in fact I made it on a weeknight and usually I save dishes like this for a weekend when I have longer for it to simmer. The venison gave it a nice flavor and worked really well with the black beans. I didn’t have a lot of ancho chile powder left, so I used some chipotle chile powder too. The combination worked well adding a nice level of heat and smokiness to it. I especially loved topping it with goat cheese. This was a nice way of balancing out the heat and adding some creaminess to it. This was a nice change for us from just the traditional chili I usually make. I really liked it, but both Allen and Russ thought it was excellent! Russ rates it a 9.

Venison, Sausage, and Black Bean Chili, Cooking Light September 2008
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup chili and 1 tablespoon crumbled goat cheese)

1/4 pound spicy chicken sausage
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound boneless venison loin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup chopped plum tomato (about 2 medium)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled goat cheese
Jalapeño pepper slices (optional)

Remove casings from sausage. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage, onion, and garlic to pan; sauté minutes or until onion is tender, stirring to crumble sausage. Add venison; cook 4 minutes or until venison is browned. Stir in tomato paste; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth and next 5 ingredients (through cumin), scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes or until venison is tender. Stir in black beans; cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Top each serving with crumbled goat cheese. Serve with jalapeño slices, if desired.

Allen is 30

Math has never been my best nor my favorite subject, but tonight I think I reached an all time low with it. Russ and I are on the verge of turning 30, but until that happens we are enjoying celebrating our friends who are older turning 30 first. Tonight was Allen’s turn to leave his twenties behind, so to mark this occasion Russ and I decided to have a surprise birthday party at our house for him. We wanted to keep it casual, but have food for anyone who wanted to eat dinner. I decided to make Santa Fe Soup and Butternut Squash Roasted Garlic Bisque. Since we were having a small crowd I decided to double both the recipes….which brought math into the picture. Now you would think this wouldn’t be that hard, but somehow I added too much water to the Santa Fe Soup making it not as thick as I would have liked and I managed to not double the garlic in the Bisque. I mean seriously roasted garlic is half the name of the soup and I managed to forget to double it. The bisque was still good, but it didn’t have a pronounced roasted garlic flavor in it. I’ll chalk this up to a learning experience in paying closer attention when multiplying by two to double a recipe….

I found this recipe for Butternut Squash Roasted Garlic Bisque several years ago on the Cooking Light Bulletin Boards. It is hands down one of my favorite soups and is quite possibly in the number one position except that I really liked the Classic Tomato Soup from a couple weeks ago. Anyway, I have made this every year since I found the recipe and just love it. In fact my meat and potatoes husband loves it too even though it doesn’t have any meat in it. To make the soup you roast the garlic and butternut squash. To roast the garlic you cut it in half (crosswise) and rub olive oil on the cut surfaces. Then put it back together and wrap it in foil. For the squash cut it in half lengthwise and rub olive oil on the flesh side. Place the flesh side down on a baking sheet covered in foil. Both will roast for about 40 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile chop the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté these in butter until they are soft. Once the squash is roasted scoop the flesh out and add it to the pot along with the broth and sage. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Let it simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes. Once it has simmered you can add the roasted garlic (which you have squeezed out of the skin and mashed) to the soup. Then puree the soup either in batches in a blender or using a hand blender. (If you are making this a day in advance like I was then stop here and refrigerate and finish it off tomorrow.) Then add the cream to the soup and season it with salt and pepper to taste. I like serving the bisque with a crusty bread. Santa Fe soup showed up recently on the blog here.

The butternut squash is thick, creamy, and a beautiful orange color! I really love the flavor of butternut squash and it works so well with the roasted garlic. This is a savory delicious soup that is hearty and tasty. As I mentioned before I forgot to double the garlic, so the roasted garlic flavor did not come through as strong as it should have. Russ rates the soup a 9.

As for the party, Allen was totally surprised and I think everyone had a good time!

Butternut Squash Roasted Garlic Bisque, Found on the Cooking Light BB

2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

3 cups chopped onions

3/4 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces (or cut in half if you are going to roast it like I do)

6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth if you want to make it vegetarian)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whipping cream (I used half and half)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Rub cut surfaces of garlic with oil. Put halves back together to reassemble heads. Wrap each tightly in foil; bake until tender, about 40 minutes. Cool garlic in foil. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery; sauté until onions are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add squash, broth and 2 tablespoons sage. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until squash is tender, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, unwrap garlic. Squeeze from skin into small bowl. Discard skin. Mash garlic with fork until smooth. Stir garlic into soup. Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth (I use my hand blender). Return to pot. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Stir in 1/2 cup cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer soup to tureen. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon cream. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sage.

My Notes: I like to keep this recipe simple and roast the butternut squash along with the garlic. To do this cut the squash in half lengthwise and rub olive oil on the flesh side. Place the flesh side down on a baking sheet covered in foil. Depending on the size of your squash it may be done after 40 minutes (same as the garlic) or it may need a few minutes longer. Once it is done (aka soft) then just scoop out the squash and add it to the soup in the same place in the recipe where you would if you cut it into 1 inch pieces.

Super Yummy Tomato Soup

As you probably know by now I LOVE soup and I love it in any form thick and chunky, thin and pureed, brothy, with meat, without meat… Russ likes soup, but I am not sure he feels quite as passionately about it as I do. He also tends to prefer just the hearty soups that include meat; however, he has a soft spot in his heart for Campbell’s Tomato Soup. This is his go to soup when he is not feeling well, but he likes it paired with a grilled cheese sandwich even when he is healthy and feeling fine. Call me a food snob, but I’ll be honest I really can’t eat Campbell’s soup unless I am super sick and no one will bring me Hot and Sour Soup or Chicken Corn Chowder from the Chinese restaurant. So, when Fine Cooking had an entire section on tomato soup I was elated because we could now both enjoy a meal of tomato soup since it wouldn’t be coming out of the red and white can. I let Russ pick which recipe we try first and he selected the Classic Tomato Soup. While the other recipes sound a little more interesting and different what better place to start than with the classic. So, I made it and I am in LOVE with this soup and once Russ eats the last can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup that is sitting in the pantry I will never buy it again because this was so, so, so much better and super easy to make.To make the soup you start by heating the oil and butter in a large Dutch oven and then adding the garlic and onion until they are soft. Then mix the flour in with the garlic and onion until they are combined. Next add the broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper. (A couple things on the can of tomatoes: First be sure and buy a high quality brand of tomatoes. Second, I realize that you are buying a can of whole tomatoes just to puree it, however, I forbid you to buy a can of pureed tomatoes for this recipe. You will be compromising the taste and it only takes a couple seconds to puree the whole tomatoes.) Bring this to a simmer while stirring and then reduce the heat to low, cover it, and let it simmer for 40 minutes. Once it has simmered remove the thyme sprig and throw it away. Then puree the soup. I used a hand blender which if you don’t have one is a very useful thing to have for making soups or smoothies (which is why Russ bought ours). Then taste it and add salt and pepper as needed. Ours needed both with a little more salt than pepper. You can then top it with any of the garnishes mentioned in the recipe. I went simple and just used a dollop of sour cream. After tasting it though I am definitely going to garnish it with thin slices of fresh basil next time.This soup is so simple and really quick to make except for the 40 minutes of simmering and the taste is fabulous! Both Russ and I were blown away with what great flavor it had! We both thought it would be good, but it was really fantastic with a light, fresh tomato flavor and a smooth texture. My only complaint is that I wish I had made more. Next time I make it I will definitely double if not triple this recipe. The leftovers will be eaten tomorrow for lunch, but this would freeze really well. It would be a great soup to make and stock your freezer with the leftovers for a cold, rainy day or really any ole day for that matter. We served ours with a side of cheese toast, but I think a small salad of mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette would be another great side option. Russ rates the soup a 10.

Classic Tomato Soup, Fine Cooking February / March 2008
Yields about 8 cups, serves eight (Russ and I had it as an entrée, so in our case it would serve 4)

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
28 oz. can whole peeled plum tomatoes, pureed (include the juice)
1 and ½ tsp. sugar
1 sprig fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh basil, chives, or dill, or a mixture of all three (omit if using one of the garnishes below)

In a nonreactive 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the flour and stir to coat the onion and garlic.

Add the broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme, and ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat while stirring the mixture to make sure that the flour is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Discard the thyme sprig. Let cool briefly and then puree in two or there batches in a blender of food processor. Rinse the pot and return the soup to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat if necessary. Serve warm but not hot, garnished with the herbs or dolloped with one of the garnishes below.

Add a creamy touch:
Sour cream, goat cheese, and Parmesan garnish: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup sour cream with ¼ crumbled goat cheese. Add 1 Tbs. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1 Tbs. thinly sliced chives, and 1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil. Mix thoroughly and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a dollop to each serving.
Crème fraiche, herb, and horseradish garnish: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup crème fraiche with 1 Tbs. minced fresh dill and 1 Tbs. minced scallion. Add ½ Tbs. well-drained prepared horseradish and mix well. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a dollop to each serving.

Leftover Pot Roast

My first experiences cooking on my own were in my apartment in Charlottesville, Virginia while I was in graduate school and I was pretty clueless. I distinctly remember one of the first meals I made just for me for dinner one night – sticky white rice, overcooked flavorless chicken, and steamed broccoli. I seasoned the entire dish with soy sauce and nothing else and it was edible, but not exactly tasty. To be honest I really didn’t cook all that often back then mainly because I was studying all the time and didn’t have much time to cook, the most amazing Chinese restaurant delivered, I have a wonderful friend, Betta, who also happens to be Italian and an incredible cook (think delicious pasta dishes, fantastic chicken cacciatore, and so many more) and she fed me and the rest of our grad school group frequently, and to be quite honest cooking for one is not that easy. Like most people I don’t really love to eat the same thing for several days straight and if you live alone and cook a meal that is often times what ends up happening. So, while this post doesn’t exactly show new recipes or anything really exciting it does show how to cook one main meal and then incorporate the leftovers into several different meals throughout the week that would work well for someone who lives alone or for a family. We are not always this creative with our leftovers, so I really wanted to show how you the pot roast could easily be incorporated into other meals where you won’t feel like you are eating the same meal over and over.

I started with a 3 lb roast and if you are cooking for one person you could easily do a 2lb or if you are cooking for a family a larger one. For lunch yesterday Russ made us delicious sub sandwiches. He toasted a whole wheat bun open faced in the toaster oven for a couple minutes. Then he put Swiss cheese and slices of the pot roast on the sandwich and put it back in the toaster oven (open faced) until the cheese melted and the meat was heated. We both added a little A1 sauce to them and they were delicious!

Tonight I made a version of Russ’ Mom’s Beef and Vegetable Soup like what I had made for my Mom last month here. This time I used the remaining pot roast instead of ground beef. I shredded the leftover meat and added it to the pot along with canned tomatoes (1 can diced and 1 can Rotel), a little vegetable broth, a little of Tony’s seasoning, the leftover vegetable gravy, and a little bit of all the frozen vegetables that we happen to have in our freezer right now (green peas, green beans, corn, and black eyed peas). Once I had all the ingredients in I added a little bit of water as it was too thick. You can always add more water (or broth) as it cooks – just eye ball it until you get it to the thickness that you prefer. I brought the soup to a boil and reduced it to a simmer for about an hour (you could do less).

The soup was perfect for a cold night! It was warm, hearty and filled with wonderful vegetables and tender, flavorful shredded pot roast. I really prefer this soup with the shredded roast over the ground beef for the texture and the added flavor that it brings to the soup. We’ll eat the rest of the soup for lunch this week, however, if you have lots left over it freezes really well. Russ rates the leftover pot roast soup and sandwich both a 9.

Planning for the Weekend

When Russ and I were first dating I would ask him on Sunday night what he wanted to eat for dinner the next couple of nights. I am a planner and while I don’t mind grocery shopping I loathe going to the grocery store multiple times in a week. So, I like to make a meal plan for the week on Sunday night and go do all my shopping or at least most of it on Sunday. That way when I get home after work I am able to relax and cook dinner and not have to hurry to the crowded store to hurry home to put away groceries and get dinner started. However, Russ was used to a bachelor lifestyle that included little meal planning and more pulling a box of macaroni and cheese out of the cabinet when he gets home from work. Russ wasn’t quite sure how he was supposed to know what he would want to eat on Thursday night when it was only Sunday night. So, I started to try and build a little more flexibility in to our meal planning and Russ accepted the Sunday meal planning. Russ may disagree, but I think he has become more of planner since we’ve been together. This weekend we are going to Mentone with Gil (Russ’ college friend) and Allen. Russ started talking about the menu for the weekend days ago. One dish we decided on was Santa Fe Soup. Since I am a planner I decided to make the soup tonight to take up for lunch on Saturday.

This is such a simple, fast recipe that everyone always loves. (Nicole you could easily make this.) To start you brown ground beef with chopped onions (if you want sub ground turkey). Once it is cooked you drain the grease off and add the taco and ranch seasoning and mix it all together. You then start exercising your biceps as you open cans and dump them into the pot – beans, corn, and tomatoes. One tip that I think makes a big difference is to drain and rinse canned beans. The liquid that is in with canned beans to me is not tasty and takes away from the flavor of the soup. I always drain and rinse my canned beans with cold water. I love black beans, so I used two cans of black beans, one of light red kidney beans, and no pinto beans. Any combination will work, so just use what you like. Add water to the pot, bring it to a boil, and then let it simmer away.

Making Santa Fe Soup is really easy and you end up with a delicious, hearty, flavorful soup. I served it with several options for toppings – sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, and tortilla chips. I usually have chopped raw onions as a topping too, but forgot them this time. This is one of those dishes that everyone always loves and unless you want to you don’t have to tell them that it is super easy. If you are having people over for Super Bowl Sunday this could be a great dish to serve! Like most soups, stews, and chilies this one is even better a day or two later. Russ rates the Santa Fe Soup a 9.

Santa Fe Soup, adapted from the recipe in the JLB cookbook
Serves 6 (large servings)

2lbs ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
2, 5oz packages of Ranch style dressing mix
2, 1.25 oz packages of Taco Seasoning
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can white corn, undrained
2 cups of water
(all cans are 14 oz)

Cook the meat and onion together until meat is brown. Drain the grease. Stir in taco seasoning and Ranch mix. Drain the beans and rinse them in water. Add all remaining ingredients including water. Simmer for 2 hours. It is best when made a day in advance and then reheated on the stove.

Garnish each serving with sour cream, chopped green onion, and shredded cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

A Frozen Gift

I am sure many of you can almost impossible to buy gifts for my Mother. She always says she doesn’t need or want anything and she truly doesn’t want any “stuff” for the house or clothes for her closet. So, as December rolled around this year Jessica, Will, and I were back to trying to figure out what to get Mom for Christmas. The only things that Mom ever needs are more hours in the day or more energy to get through them. Since we can’t exactly give her either of these we decided we would go out on a limb and try a new gift idea for her – homemade frozen food. She and my Dad both love home cooked meals, but some days it is hard for Mom to find the time or energy to make them. This way she will be able to have a few stored up in the freezer for days when she wants a break, but doesn’t want to pick up Chinese food or go out to eat. After running the idea past our Dad and Mom’s sister, Aunt Judy, we decided to make one frozen meal each for her and then supply her with coupons for more meals at later dates.

For my frozen meal I decided to make a version of my mother in law’s Beef and Vegetable Soup. To make the soup you use either leftover roast beef or brown ground beef with some onions. You then add any mix of vegetables (canned, frozen, leftovers from the week, fresh), some canned tomatoes, a can of Rotel, salt, pepper, and a little Tony’s and let is simmer away. You can also add rice or pasta if you like. I used ground beef and a mix of frozen and fresh vegetables. Russ and I did a taste test and thought it was yummy and would make a great gift for Mom. I divided it into three containers and froze them. (This is pretty much the recipe, but I'll post the full recipe shortly.)

Mom loved our new gift idea and will hopefully love the soup when she tries it in the near future! The soup is hearty and filled with lots of yummy different flavors from the various vegetables. I really like the vary the sizes of the vegetables which not only gives the soup a good look, but a nice variety of textures. We served it with a piece of cheese toast per Russ' request. It is delicious for lunch or dinner and freezes and reheats very well. Russ rates the soup a 10. (I didn't get a picture of Mom from Christmas, so instead I included one of her favorite child, Bernie.)

The First Blog Repeat

If you are a regular follower of this blog (which to be perfectly honest I am not sure if anyone outside of my parents, Russ, and Jess is – hey guys!) then you’ll know that most recipes don’t get repeated in our house. It is not that we don’t find recipes that are tasty enough that we would want to have them again, but quite frankly there are just too many recipes that I want to try to take the time to repeat an old one. As with most blanket statements there are exceptions such as a few dishes that are quick and easy for a weeknight meal when I don’t want to be in the kitchen very long (such as chicken taco salads, spaghetti sauce etc.) and then there are those that we love so much that we bypass the recipes that are waiting to be tried to repeat an old one. A few weeks ago one of these showed up on the blog, the Cheddar, Chicken Chowder, however, I had not made it since I started this blog. So, tonight the first true repeat shows with its second blog entry… drum roll please… for the second time….Tortilla Soup!

Now if you think the fanfare for this Tortilla Soup is silly then you obviously have not tried it since I last blogged about it in March. Like the cookies in my last post this is for me the look no further best ever recipe for Tortilla Soup. It is simple to make with only a few ingredients, but the chopped corn tortillas that are added at the beginning and break down as you simmer the soup make this soup fantastic. The tortilla pieces add a richness and thickness to this soup that for me makes it stand above other recipes. It also has the right amount of chicken and seasonings to it. The cayenne pepper gives it some heat without making it too hot. This soup also reheats really well, so Russ and I plan to enjoy it for lunch this week. It really is the best tortilla soup I have ever had. Russ rates the soup a 10.

(I've included a few pictures from Thanksgiving at the beach.)








Here is the recipe and the link to my previous post on it:

Tortilla Soup ("Stop and Smell the Rosemary" - with a few changes I made)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used a little less than 3)

8 corn tortillas, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 bay leaves

6 cups chicken stock (I used reduced sodium)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (start with a half and then add more only if needed)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro, and onion. Saute 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Add salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Reheat. Garnish with monterey jack, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla strips. (I cut some of the leftover corn tortillas into strips and bake them. I then salt them when they are done and serve them with the soup.) Serves 6 (1.5 cup servings)

A Love of Soup

There are lots of reasons why I love to cook and bake. I enjoy chopping vegetables, slowly adding broth to risotto, mixing dry and wet ingredients to make muffins, mincing garlic, tossing pasta with a sauce and the list goes on and on. When Russ and I have a night at home with no plans there is nothing I enjoy more than making dinner for just the two of us. There is something especially relaxing and therapeutic to me about making soup now that the weather is cooler and it is turning dark earlier. Tonight I made a large pot of an old favorite soup of ours. It is a thick hearty chowder that involves chopping fresh vegetables, shredding chicken, sautéing them together, letting it all simmer in a bath of chicken broth, and then thickening it up with mixture of flour and milk. Stirring a large pot of thick simmering chowder on a cold night with Russ sitting at the kitchen counter and Cash sprawled out on the floor snoozing represents all that I love about cooking.

Tonight’s soup is an older CL recipe for Cheddar Chicken Chowder. I have made this recipe a couple times before so I don’t follow the amounts on the recipe, but more eyeball it. I cooked two chicken breasts in water and then shredded them. I sautéed the onion, red pepper, and garlic in a little olive oil since I omitted the bacon. I then added the chicken, potatoes and broth. I used red potatoes and left most of the skin on them because I like the color and flavor of the skin. This comes to a boil and then is reduced to a simmer and left covered for about 20 minutes. Then you add the flour / milk mixture and corn. I put the milk out on the counter earlier to let it come to room temperature. You then let it simmer until it thickens and is hot. Lastly stir in the cheese and serve.

This is a hearty soup with great flavor and texture. The broth is warm with a thick potato base to it. The red pepper not only adds great color, but also fantastic flavor – don’t leave it out or you will be missing out. I shred the chicken because I like its texture to be a contrast to the chunks of potato. The corn adds a slight sweetness to the soup and another great texture. This is a comfort food type of soup that Russ and I both love. Russ rates the soup a 10.

Finally Some Soup Weather

It is finally cold outside which to me means SOUP WEATHER! Russ keeps trying to hold me off from declaring soup weather since the temperatures have mostly been in the 70s lately. However at least for the next couple days it is cooler and we’ll be celebrating the lower temperatures with soup. As I mentioned in a previous post Jess and Scott gave Russ and I a bounty of veggies from the farmer’s market and I am having a fun time figuring out how I am going to use them. The bounty includes five smaller sized butternut squash. I have been torn between two new recipes for them and I decided this morning that I just can’t pick between the two, so I’ll make both over the next few days. Tonight I’ll make Ina Garten’s Butternut Squash and Apple Soup, but I’ll cut the recipe in half and save the rest of my butternut squash for the other recipe (which you’ll have to wait to see what it is).

Russ and I have a favorite butternut squash soup recipe that we love and I have no doubt it will show up on this blog sooner or later, however, we still have apples from the orchard I thought this was the perfect time to try Ina’s recipe for a change. To make the soup you first sauté chopped onion and curry powder in a little butter. While this is sautéing you peel and cut the squash and apples. These then go in the pot with water (only I decided to use chicken broth to give it a little more flavor). Bring this to a boil and then throw the lid on and bring it down to a simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes. When the apples and squash are soft then you puree the soup. You can use a blender, but I use the hand blender so then I don’t have to transfer the soup out the pot. Once it is pureed you add the apple juice and salt and pepper to taste. Then it is ready to serve.

I decided to serve the soup with a salad and a baguette. Wait… where’s the meat? Tonight's meal almost came out of our kitchen with no meat in it, but just for Russ there was some turkey on the salad. Russ is convinced he cannot get full from a meal that doesn’t include meat in it, so the turkey helped solve that problem. The soup was really tasty with rich thick texture and a sweet / savory flavor. The sweetness from the apples and apple juice complemented the butternut squash really well. I think the key ingredient may have been the curry powder that added a subtle extra layer of flavor that was delicious. I also liked that the soup had a very clean flavor since it is predominately made up of pureed vegetables and fruit. Russ and I enjoyed the soup, but we still think our tried and true butternut squash soup is even better. Russ rates the soup a 8.

Back in the Kitchen Again

After being away from the kitchen for most of this month I started to make up for it this weekend cooking on Friday night and then spending a lot of today in the kitchen too. When I talked to Jess earlier this week she was telling me about Scott and her menu for a brunch they were hosting on Sunday (today). She already had several great menu items, but she wanted a veggie to round it out. I offered to take on the veggie because I have wanted to try Ina Garten’s Spinach Pie for a while now. In addition to the Spinach Pie I wanted to make the first pot of chili for the season. Russ seemed to think I was jumping the gun since it is still warm out, but it is technically Fall now… Lastly I started a baking project that is for tomorrow night’s Bachelor. That’s right a new season starts tomorrow night and Emily, Dowe, Elizabeth, Seth, Russ and I are back to our Bachelor Nights! I am in charge of the appetizer and dessert, but you’ll have to wait until later for the rest of the details!

First up is the Spinach Pie. Ina describes the inside as all the yummy tastes and flavors that you find in spanakopita, but with more of it. You start by sautéing chopped yellow onion in olive oil. Once it is done you mix in the salt and pepper and set it aside to cool. You then drain the defrosted spinach and put it in a bowl. Then add the onions, egg, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, feta, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, and pine nuts to the spinach and carefully mix it all together. You then butter the pan and place the phyllo in it brushing each layer with melted butter. Then put the spinach mixture into the phyllo covered pan and fold the phyllo over. I needed to add more phyllo to cover the top of the mixture. Then brush the top with melted butter and bake for 1 hour at 375F.

This turned out really yummy! I only have a picture of the outside since I took it over to Jess and Scott’s for their brunch where it received good reviews. It has the wonderful flavor similar to spanakopita only more complex. It is served at room temperature, so it would be great to make for company since you could make it earlier and let it slowly cool while you finish the rest of the meal. This will definitely be repeated! Jess rates it a 9. (A quick thank you to Jess for standing in as the blog rater for this dish. Russ only had one bite and it was too early in the morning for spinach for him, so he passed on rating it.)

Once I delivered the Spinach Pie I came home to start the chili. The last couple times I have made chili I have used an old CL recipe for All-American Chili. While I am not sure it will be my forever recipe I do really like the flavor and texture. Until I find a recipe that catches my eye more than this one it is my go to recipe for chili.

You start by sautéing the turkey sausage (casing removed), ground beef, onions, green pepper, garlic, and jalapeno (from our garden). Once the meat is cooked and the veggies are tender then you add chili powder, brown sugar, tomato paste, cumin, bay leaves, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix the seasonings in and let them cook for about a minute. Then add the wine, tomatoes (I use 1 [28 oz] can of crushed tomatoes and 1 [28 oz] can of diced tomatoes), and the beans (which I drained and rinsed first). Bring this to a boil and then down to a simmer for at least one hour. Check it for seasoning as it may need a little more salt and pepper (especially if you use the no salt added tomatoes). Like any chili it is always better the next day. I served the chili with corn bread and toppings (sour cream, shredded cheese, diced onion, oyster crackers etc.).

This is exactly what its name says All-American Chili. It is a good solid recipe that we have enjoyed for a couple seasons now. Russ rates the chili a 8.

Spinach Pie, by Ina Garten

(Serves 6 – 8)

3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
3 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
6 extra-large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons dry plain breadcrumbs
1/2 lb feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup pine nuts (pignoli)
1/4 lb salted butter, melted
6 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted

Preheat the over to 375 degrees.

In a medium sauté pan on medium heat, sauté the onions with the olive oil until translucent and slightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly. Squeeze out and discard as much of the liquid from the spinach as possible. Put the spinach into a bowl and then gently mix in the onions, egg, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, feta and pignoli.

Butter an ovenproof, non-stick, 8-inch sauté pan and line it with 6 stacked sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with melted butter and letting the edges hang over the pan. Pour the spinach mixture into the middle of the phyllo and neatly fold the edges up and over the top to seal in the filling. Brush the top well with melted butter.

Bake for 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Tex Mex in Telluride

So... it has been a while since my last post, but for a very good reason.... Russ and I were on vacation with his family! We went to Telluride, Colorado for a week to ski, relax, and eat! This was my first time ever to ski and despite a tough first few days I picked it up fairly well by the end of the week. I have come to realize that being an Olympic skier is never going to be in the cards for me. However, I think I may end up a slow, but steady skier after all.


So back to a topic that I am a little more familiar with and that doesn't make my legs sore... cooking. We ate out at several wonderful restaurants while we were in Telluride, but the "kids" also took turns cooking one night. On Russ and my night I really wanted to make a tortilla soup recipe that was new to us this winter. Russ was concerned that soup wasn't going to be filling enough, so we compromised and decided to do a cup of the tortilla soup and taco bar.


The tortilla soup recipe is fairly simple, but super yummy! This recipe is better than others to me because it has you saute chopped corn tortillas at the very beginning along with onion, cilantro, and garlic. The pieces of tortilla then stay in the soup the entire time it simmers and by the end are broken down and add a real heartiness to the texture. This texture along with its great flavor really makes this soup a winner for me.

For the taco bar we did ground beef with taco seasoning, flour tortillas, and lots of toppings. When I first started cooking for Russ I realized that some of his favorite recipes are the super simple ones and ground beef with package taco seasoning is definitely one of those. I have been tempted to try more elaborate tacos (such as pulled beef or marinated chicken), but it is hard to beat the quick and easy version since Russ loves it the best. I still may try new taco recipes in the future, but I imagine we'll still have the Russ' version too.

The only down side to our meal that I saw was that we served it a little later than we had hoped. However, this is one of the great things about being on vacation that it doesn't matter that much because you can sleep in the next day, take a nap or both. From the rest of the family's reviews of the meal I think it was a success despite it late serving.

Russ rates the tortilla soup a 8 and the taco bar a 8. We rate the vacation a 10 though!














Here is the recipe for anyone who wants it:

Tortilla Soup ("Stop and Smell the Rosemary")

6 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used a little less than 3)
8 corn tortillas chopped
6 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium onion
chopped 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock (I used reduced sodium)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro, and onion. Saute 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Add salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Reheat. Garnish with monterey jack, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla strips. (I cut some of the leftover corn tortillas into strips and bake them. I then salt them when they are done and serve them with the soup.) Serves 6 (1.5 cup servings)