Soup

Southwest Chicken Chile Stew

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Accidents happen. Luckily, those accidents can sometimes turn out better than original intention. Take,  for example, this stew. It was an accident and the direct result of indecisiveness. It is also example of one of the [very] few times that indecisiveness has worked in my favor. Almost like the light bulb went off in the pan. To be fair, the ridiculous sale ($1.50/lb) that Whole Foods had on organic, bone-in chicken breast was also to blame as I bought enough to feed an army with virtually no free freezer space. I needed to make something that used a large amount of chicken and, preferably, something I could eat all week and freeze – most likely in someone else’s freezer –  if there was any remaining. I was torn between making a green chili chicken stew, which I love ( and also because my mom just passed off a Costco-sized jar of green chilis to me) and making something similar to Red Lentil and Veggie Soup (because it was so damn good the first go round). The result was that many of the same ingredients went into the pan with southwestern spices versus the Asian infusion that made the lentil soup delightful. That said, southwest spices are something to write home about as well so everyone wins. The addition of corn, spinach, and kale  (and my need to remove stuff from the freezer to accommodate the copious amounts of chicken I had purchased) also had a hand in steering me away from green chile chicken. However, I did use a hefty amount of green chilis in a futile attempt to put a dent in the ones given to me. In the end, the accidental stew turned out quite robust and flavorful. I hope did the Southwest proud.

Note: The reasons I did not use the same beans was because I only had those two cans and some Garbanzo beans on hand. Use whatever beans you like! Personally, I have a thing for kidney beans – but I do not discriminate. I am a bonafide bean freak. Yes I know, we all know about my obsession with beans…

Southwest Chicken Chile Stew

Serves four-six, plus leftovers

One can each Kidney Beans, Cannellini, and Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
One bag frozen corn (or canned)
Four bone in chicken breasts
Two cups frozen or fresh Kale
Three cups frozen or fresh Spinach
Six Carrots, cut into semi-thick slices
Two Onions, diced
Ten cloves garlic, minced
Two Bay leaves
Eight quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
Two tablespoons Ground Cumin (adjust to taste)
Half-tablespoon Cayenne (adjust to taste)
Two tablespoons Ground Coriander
One tablespoon Oregano
Two cups fresh Cilantro
Two cups leftover Spaghetti Squash (optional)
One can Diced Tomatoes with Garlic
One cup (to one and a half) Chopped Green Chilis
Juice of one lemon

 *I did not add celery to my mirepoix which means I must not have had it on hand. Incorporate it if you like.

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper (additional spicing as desired) and brown in a good amount of  oil a large dutch oven. Once browned on each side, remove meat from pan and reserve. Add the mirepoix (carrots, onion, garlic) with a pinch of salt and sauté until onion becomes glassy. Add a cup of the chicken stock and deglaze the pot for a minute or so, then add remainder of chicken stock, the tomatoes, and the green chilis to the pot. Add the cumin, coriander, cayenne, bay leaves, oregano, a good couple pinches salt, and any additional seasoning that you desire. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer, covered, for up to four hours. Thirty minutes before you plan to remove the stew from heat, add in one cup of the fresh cilantro, beans, and the juice of half the lemon. Test for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Ten minutes before removing from heat add the spaghetti squash, frozen corn, kale and spinach. Add additional lemon juice as desired or necessary. Garnish with remaining cilantro when serving.

Faux Porky Pho

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Homemade Faux Porky Pho

Any mention of “Pho” and my mouth waters. I mean serious droolage. I dubbed this “pho” faux because I veered from the traditional ingredients and pho making method and also because Faux is the incorrect pronunciation of Pho. The correct pronunciation sounds like “fuh.”  “Porky” made it to the title because I used multiple versions of porky goodness. Many thanks to James and Sus who smoked two pork butts for a housewarming party recently; I am definitely a butt girl. I have raved about these in my Bacon Wasabi  Slaw post previously so I will spare you a second emphatic accolade – though these fine specimen’s of God’s Meat deserve at least a second mention.

If you were actually making pho at home, you would likely have more ingredients and a longer cooking time. Because I was using up stuff that I had made previously, I did not need to roast bones, simmer meat, and infuse broth with the flavors of onion and other ingredients so my cooking time was much less. I  used shredded pork butt  as my meat versus meatball or shaved beef. I used some non-traditional toppings, including  Bacon Wasabi Slaw in place of bean sprouts. The broth was a combination of homemade chicken stock, pork juice and jelly, and some purchased Beef Pho base (Pacific Kitchen brand) along with most of the traditional pho seasonings (I left out fennel because I did not have any and added turmeric because it is good for you). I also subbed soba noodles for rice vermicelli to eliminate soaking them. Fauxness aside, this homemade pho was faux-king DELICIOUS. The broth was rich with intriguing depth and layers of flavor. It managed to satiate the perpetual pho craving I cannot seem to kick.  Seriously, there should be pho rehab.  I imagine this soup would be the gateway drug….and I am a full-blown addict.

As with most everything I make, I have no idea how much of what I threw in, so operate on the usual “guestimate” theory and adjust spices according to your personal preferences. Oh, and I am drooling.

Faux Porky Pho

Serves 2-3, with leftovers

Two Cups Chicken Stock (homemade preferably)
Two Cups Beef Pho Base (substitute chicken or beef stock and add more seasoning)
Half-Cup Pork Jelly (or the gelatin of some other earthly animal)
Juice from half a lime
Two cups pulled pork butt
One tablespoon crushed red pepper
One tablespoon fish sauce
Two to Three tablespoons Hoisin sauce
A good pinch cane sugar
Three tablespoons minced ginger
Sriracha to taste
Five cloves
Half-Tablespoon ground coriander
One cinnamon stick
Two to three star anise pods, whole
One cardamom pod
Half-Tablespoon ground turmeric
Buckwheat Soba Noodles, cooked to package instructions

Toppings
Bacon Wasabi Slaw
Thinly Sliced Jalapeno
Chopped Green Onion
Thinly sliced radishes
Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped
Lime wedges
Extra Hoisin, Sriracha, and Fish sauce for serving

Combine pork juice, jelly, stock, pho base in a large stock. Bring to a simmer and add the ginger, crushed red pepper, sugar, fish sauce, hoisin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and turmeric. Let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour and then add the pulled pork. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to instructions and then add them to the broth. Squeeze in the lime juice and adjust seasoning according to taste. Serve with suggested toppings.

Curried Red Lentil and Veggie Soup

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Curried Red Lentil and Veggie Soup

This soup is something along the lines of an “East Meets West Minestrone” or maybe  a worldly interpretation of “everything-but-the-kitchen sink” soup; either way, it is a darn successful example of fusion food.  The soup’s benefit list is long: comforting, healthy, nutritious, restorative, flavorful (with anti-cancer spices as well), easy, a breeze to make from your freezer and pantry, affordable…the list goes on. All with just a twist on the every day garden veggie soup. I created this (and in doing so, greatly elevated my self-esteem) to use up A LOT of leftover food including: chicken; chicken stock; cooked squash; zucchini; and, carrots. Then I just added ingredients from the pantry or freezer that are usually on hand and – VOILA! There is one stipulation: you MUST use homemade broth as it will give the soup depth and richness and also is essential for the restorative factor (your body likes what the bones of animals put into stocks). Homemade broth, inclusive of the gelatin that is formed, is incredibly restorative for a tired or aching body (and probably has something to do with the “comfort” in comfort food). Omission of homemade broth will lessen the amazeballs quality that this soup has. And, yes, amazeballs is a legitimate adjective in Andiland.

Note: I made this a while back and cannot recall the exact amount of what spice that ended up going in. The quantities listed below are more like suggestions. If you are a confident spicer, you will know what to do; however, if you follow a recipe to the “t” you may want to start with a bit less, taste along the way, and add as desired. The curry powder is a blend that is Barons Thai Curry Blend Secret #52 (available at Whole Foods). You can substitute your favorite curry powder in its stead. I think the only difference is the presence of onion and red pepper flakes. If you have a Parmesan rind you would like to throw in, go for it – I did not (though I usually do with broth-based soups) and did not miss it one bit.

I really have to make more broth so that I can have this again! Please do not be scared of the long ingredient list – this is a cinch and you just throw stuff in!

There are no pictures of this soup unfortunately. I was too busy eating it to snap a picture. Next time…

Curried Red Lentil and Veggie Soup

Serves Six (unless I am around and that number reduces to One)

Two cans Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
About two tablespoons Ground Cumin
Two Tablespoons Thai Curry Powder (add additional to taste)
Three teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes or Cayenne (optional)
A good pinch or two of Salt (add one first and taste before adding more)
Juice of one lemon 
One and one-half yellow onions, diced
Eight to ten cloves garlic, minced  
One Box (or can) Chopped tomatoes
Six to Eight cups Homemade Stock
Five carrots, sliced and quartered
Two celery stalks, leaves attached, sliced
One Bay leaf
One tablespoon olive oil
One package Frozen 365 Organics Kale
Two Zucchini, cut into quarters  
Three Cups fresh, frozen or dehydrated Green Peas
Two cups (or more) cooked Spaghetti Squash
Two cups Red Lentils, washed well in cold water
One half cup of chicken stock gelatin
Two cups shredded chicken breasts (I had some leftover, but you can also cook the breasts in the soup if you wish)
Black pepper to taste

In large saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, celery and carrots and allow to sweat until onions are glassy. Add the stock and gelatin and bring to a simmer. Add the cumin, curry blend, cayenne, bay leaf, and salt, (which can be pre-mixed in a small bowl) and stir well. Add the lentils, kidney beans, and tomatoes and allow to simmer for about 25 minutes. Check the lentils for doneness (should have about 10 more minutes or so and check the soup for seasoning deficiency (and/or awesomeness). Try to stop testing the soup…it will be hard, but you can do it. Add the chopped zucchini, kale, spaghetti squash, chicken, and a squeeze of lemon (use more or less to taste). After about five minutes add the peas. Serve with whole grain bread or with a salad (or all by its Divine self).

Blonde Gumbo

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Blonde Gumbo

My wonderful friend Bonnie, our resident NOLA transplant, makes the best gumbo! As soon as she gives me her recipe, I will be replacing this one almost immediately. That said, one week I was craving gumbo. I was stressed out and generally when that happens, I spend a lot of time in grocery stores planning a lot of dishes that I will cook for that week. The problem is, naturally, I plan these meals on my day off when I am not as stressed, as tired, or as bogged down by the day-today bustle. This week I planned to make gumbo and eat it for a couple days, in addition to two fish dishes and loads of chicken pesto salad, veggies, and fruit. Sounds great in theory…keep reading….by the time that I got around to making the gumbo my kitchen was nearly packed as I was moving three days later. So instead of working out, doing hour 14 of my 15 hour workday, or packing, I was laboring for nearly an hour over a roux (which I had wrong from the beginning). This is the definition of “rational” in Andiland. Apparently, three degrees and nearly 100k in college costs cannot buy you common sense…but that is another story….

The gumbo came out very tasty – it did not however taste exactly like gumbo due to the roux failing to brown because I was too scatter-brained to do it properly. However, the soup was tasty and gumbo-like if nothing else and there was a ton of it.

Note: As much as I love seafood, I dislike seafood gumbo – crime, I know. I always use or eat chicken or duck and sausage gumbo. Make yours whatever way you like.

Blonde Gumbo

Serves 6

Two cups Roux, recipe follows
Two cups diced onions
One cup diced celery
One green bell pepper, diced
One pound Okra, washed sliced into 1/8 inch pieces
Four tablespoons finely chopped garlic
Three quarts chicken broth (preferably homemade)
One pound Bone In chicken thighs or quarters
One pound chicken breasts, bone in
Three or four links of Andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds, browned in a skillet, and drained on paper towels
Two bay leaves
One tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
One tablespoon (or more to taste) Tabasco hot sauce
Cayenne to taste
A couple good pinches of salt
One tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
One bunch green onion, chopped
Half-cup coarsely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup file powder, or to taste
Pinch each of: Paprika, Oregano, Garlic and Onion Powder (to taste)
Steamed White Rice and Crusty French Bread, for serving

*Make Roux first. I have included Emeril Lagasse’s roux directions, because I am not the person who should be telling you how to make at roux –yet.

Emeril Lagasse’s How to Roux:

3 cups oil
5 cups flour

Place a dutch oven, (or iron skillet with deep sides) over medium heat and heat the oil until just smoking. Whisk in flour, a little at a time and cook, whisking constantly, until roux becomes smooth and thick. Continue to cook, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon and reaching all over bottom of pan, until roux darkens to desired color. Be careful not to produce specs of black. The roux must remain an even color throughout process. If specs appear you must start over.

For a Light Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours, or until the color of peanut butter. Remove about 1 cup of the light colored roux, cool completely.

For a Medium Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until the color of a copper penny when ready. Remove about 13/4 cups of the medium colored roux, cool completely.

For a Dark Brown Roux, cook the mixture an additional 35 to 45 minutes. The color should resemble dark chocolate when ready. Remove all of the remaining dark roux from the pan and cool completely.

Yield: about 4 1/2 cups roux

NOTE: The timings for various shades of roux will vary depending on the cooktop as well as the amount of roux made. (A smaller amount will cook in much less time.) If this is your first time making a roux, the slower you cook it, the less likely you will be to burn it. The important thing is to cook the roux to the desired color, as specified above.

For Gumbo stew

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning of choice. Sear chicken on both sides until just brown in a large dutch oven/stock pot, working in batches as necessary. Remove chicken from pan and reserve. Add sausage links to the pan (before slicing them) and brown well. Remove, cool, and slice. Add the roux to the pot and heat over medium heat, adding the onions, garlic, celery, bell pepper and a pinch of salt when hot. Saute for about five minutes.Slowly pour in stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Add the chicken, browned sausage, bay leaves, Worcestershire, Tabasco, cayenne and other herbs and seasonings, salt, and pepper. After about an hour, add green onions and parsley. In a separate pan, flash fry the okra and then add to the soup. Slowly add file powder and sprinkle and stir well for about two minutes. Remove from heat and serve with rice and crusty, hot French bread.

Green Chile Chicken Stew

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Green Chile Chicken Stew

D and I recently upgraded to a two bedroom – meaning my office and one bedroom – house with a yard for Foster Brown. This is an astronomical improvement over apartment living (no offense to apartment lovers – I have only lived in three apartments for a total of three years and there is a reason for that). However, the upgrade was to a house with a small, older fridge and freezer than I have had since….2001? Why did anyone every design a fridge with a freezer on top? Freezer on bottom people! Anyway,  I basically have to cook with a lot of frozen food at the moment and am slowly emptying the freezer to make room for ice trays (yes it is that old and yes I am a bonafide appliance spoiled brat). My mom gave me a bag of homemade (though what home it came from I cannot tell you) green chili sauce and it fell victim to the teeny tiny freezer. The nice thing about freezer cooking is that I basically had everything I need for what I envisioned as “Green Chili Chicken Stew” (which I have been craving since my Mom made Green Chile and Turkey White Bean Chili a few weeks ago). So Monday night after I made my actual dinner, I threw thawed chicken breasts and green chili sauce with other pantry items and let it cook on low heat overnight. Woke up the next day and the house smelled amazing and I had lunch and dinner just waiting to get in my belly!

Note: I did not do this because I honestly did not have time to get to the store, but I planned on adding cilantro and avocado as garnish. I did miss it a little bit – but I am overly enamored with both of those ingredients so you may not.  Also, feel free to use chicken thighs – you will get more flavor out of them. Breasts are a) healthier and b) were in my freezer; but, thighs are tastier and cheaper – your call.

Green Chile Chicken Stew

Serves Four

One whole chicken breast, cut into halves and seasoned with favorite season combo
Two and a half cups favorite homemade Green Chili Sauce
One White Onion, diced
Seven Cloves Garlic, minced
Half-Tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper
Two Tablespoons Ground Cumin
Half Tablespoon Ground Coriander
Salt
Pepper
One half can black beans, drained and rinsed
One can Cannellini Beans (or other white bean)
Two to three cups Chicken Stock (preferably homemade)
One can Whole Kernel Corn

Sear the seasoned chicken breasts in a glug of olive oil. Remove from pan and add onion and garlic and a pinch of salt. Saute until glassy, add beans, corn, chicken breasts, green chili sauce, chicken broth, and spices to the pan. Let simmer for about twenty minutes, then check and adjust seasoning as desired. Let cook up to 10 hours.

Serve with lime wedges, cilantro, sour cream, green onions and/or avocado as garnish.

Black Bean Soup

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I made a huge batch of this and ate it for the entire week after New Years. It was delicious, healthful, filling and HIGHLY addictive. I decided to make my own after being on a pretty serious black bean soup kick where I was spending almost seven dollars per day at Whole Foods buying their black bean soup. So I planned Mexican night and put black bean soup and Chicken Mole on the menu. Never made it to the Mole, but the soup was outstanding. This had an accidental addition of tomatillos which were intended to be used in the Mole (hence why the Mole did not happen).

I topped mine with a little grilled chicken, avocado, cilantro, green onions, fresh chopped cherry tomatoes and lime juice. Later I mixed it with previously cooked brown rice that needed to be used as well. Feel free to add cheddar cheese or queso fresca or sour cream to the garnish list if you like – I have to avoid the dairy.

Note: Adding the brown rice into the soup acts a thickener and will fortify you if this is your only meal.

Black Bean Soup

Serves 6-8

Three to Four cans of Black Beans, all liquid retained

Four Carrots, roughly diced

One large white onion, roughly diced

Seven cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

Three celery ribs, roughly diced

Three tomatillos, husked, rinsed and roasted

A couple of pieces leftover ham (can omit – I used the rest from Christmas)

Three to four cups chicken or veggies broth 

Two chipotle peppers in adobo and a couple of tablespoons of the sauce

Cup of Brown Rice (optional – I had some on hand)

Array of spices to taste: Shallot salt; cayenne; cumin; garlic; Peruvian Chile Lime seasoning

In a large dutch oven, saute carrots, onions, garlic, celery, and a pinch of salt in a bit of olive oil until they are sweating. Add ham, broth, black beans and their juice and reduce heat to a simmer. Add roasted tomatillos, peppers and some of the seasoning (just add a little bit and then add according to taste later). Add rice and finish seasoning. Let simmer for about thirty minutes. Either use an emulsifier or a blender to process the soup (you can leave it has chunky or make as smooth as you wish). Squeeze a bit of lime juice to taste and enjoy!

Top soup with desired herbs and garnish, my favorites include: grilled and shredded chicken, cherry tomato halves, avocado slices, green onion and cilantro. Other options are sour cream or cheese, mango salsa, red onion, pico, or toasted pepita seeds.

Beef and Barley Soup

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I love beef and barley soup. I usually just buy a cup or two from Central Market (who makes a dang good version), but, during a recent freezer inventory I realized I had a lot of rump roast that needed using and opted to make my own version. You can add more (veggie wise) to this hearty soup  to up the nutrition ante, if you like. It is filling and perfect for cold winter nights. If you have homemade, good quality beef stock – this is a great showcase for it. If not, make sure to use a good-quality boxed broth (and/or some demi glace) for good depth.

Beef and Barley Soup

Serves Four to Eight 

One pound rump roast, cut into half-inch dice
One and one-half cups Hulled Barley
Six carrots, cut into large dice
Two yellow onions, cut into large dice
Twelve garlic cloves, minced
Two bay leaves
Five sprigs fresh thyme (more if desired)
Two sprigs fresh oregano
Three fresh sage leaves
Three celery stalks, cut into thin dice
Four tablespoons crushed red pepper
One pound mushrooms (I used white), quartered
One pound butternut squash, cut into quarter-inch cubes
One to two cups robust red wine or Burgundy (or white wine)
Three to Four quarts beef stock
Salt and Pepper to taste

Toss beef cubes with a good amount of salt, pepper, Italian herb blend, and cayenne. Heat a glug of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Brown meat on all sides and remove from pan. Deglaze pan with a bit of red wine, beef broth, or Burgundy wine – scraping the brown bits on the  bottom up. Add onions and garlic (with a pinch of salt) and saute until glassy. Add celery, carrots, bay leaves, thyme, red pepper flakes and about a cup of red/white/or Burgundy wine. After about five minutes, add the beef broth, the reserved meat, mushrooms and barley. Turn heat to simmer and let it cook away for at least three hours. Taste occasionally and season to taste. About one and a half hours before serving, put butternut squash in the pot and stir well. Feel free to add peas or spinach in the last five minutes before serving if you wish to use them.  Serve with crusty bread.

Leftover Turkey-Noodle Soup

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This year, D and I were lucky enough to have two thanksgivings (however unlucky our waistlines were). Of course, this means that we had enough leftovers to feed an army battalion. In my family, we have egg noodles for the holidays (just once we went without and my parents have still not heard the end of it). My grandmother used to make them from scratch, but somewhere along the line frozen Reames Egg Noodles (which are exactly the same and much less hassle) replaced the homemade version – not that you will hear any Haughtons complaining. This year my sister was unable to make it back from North Carolina to gorge on Thanksgiving dinner with us, causing me much sorrow but allowing me to be the sole recipient of the mound of leftover noodles. Normally, I would be in Noodle Heaven, however, I have been training for the past several weeks and my trainer requires a food log – which clearly cannot contain endless bowls of my favorite carb-o-licious treat. So I thought of ways to use up my leftovers in a healthy and satisfying way. The end result was Turkey Noodle Soup with added veggies. I have been on a pretty darn serious soup/stew kick lately (who knew Texas would be cold in December?), ergo soup was the only logical (in oh so illogical Andiland) choice for leftover use. Ideally, I would have liked to use the [two] turkey carcasses that I now have waiting for me in freezers (neither of which is located in Austin) to make a rich broth for the soup – but our car was packed to the gills and there was no room. If you were able to make some turkey broth with your carcass, I highly recommend taking it out of the freezer to make this recipe. Otherwise, a good homemade chicken broth will work perfectly.

Note: You can buy Reames Egg Noodles (or wide-flat dumplings) at various places, though both my mom and I have been having trouble finding them over the years. I found them at Central Market and I think that she found them at Walmart (believe me it is the first time in my life I did not pitch a fit about contributing to Walmart’s cash flow).

Leftover Turkey-Noodle Soup

Serves Three to Four

Two cups leftover Turkey
Three cups leftover Reames Egg Noodles
Two Cups leftover Roasted Butternut squash
One cup leftover Peas (optional)
Two quarts good quality Chicken or Turkey Stock
One Cup Zucchini
Two Cups Carrots, diced
Four to Five cups Spinach (or Chard, Kale, or mixture)
Two white onions, diced
One head garlic, minced
One bouquet garni (with fresh sage, oregano, thyme and a one sprig of rosemary)
Two tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Red pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven heat a bit of oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute (with a pinch of salt) until glassy.  Add carrots and bouquet garni, followed by stock. Add additional seasoning (pepper, salt, red pepper) and simmer for up to two hours. Add squash, zucchini, turkey, and noodles and simmer until heated through (maybe 15 minutes). Add spinach (or mixture) and peas and simmer until wilted.  Taste and season as desired before serving!