White Bean and Chorizo Soup

It is that good!!!

We have a new alternative to the Food Channel, called the Cooking Channel. I am hooked and the DVR is burning up, recording shows everyday! The shows are a little more out there and many of the chefs are from other countries. One show I really like is Bill's Food (and Bill's Holiday)...he is from Australia. He had a show about rainy days and making something yummy from things you have on hand...sounds like the perfect episode! I was looking to introduce some new tastes.....and the chorizo (a spicy pork sausage..that is also awesome on pizza...which is where I first had it as a teen) and bean soup sounded great.

White Bean and Chorizo Soup

Olive Oil, for sauteing

5oz Chorzi sausage....I used a whole 16oz package

1 onion chopped

2 celery stalks, diced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed...I love garlic and used 4!

2t Thyme.....fresh would be great, but all I had was dry

1t paprika, mine was a smoked paprika

2 diced tomates...I used a 15oz can of diced tomatoes

4c chicken stock

2 cans of white beans...I used white kidney beans for this soup

salt and pepper to taste

***I added a couple things at the end****

I tossed in some mini bowtie pasta (Barilla) during the last simmer

I garnished with freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions...

Heat olive oil (1t or so) and saute sausage until done, drain the sausage on a paper towel...this sausage is fatty, it is important to drain off the fat.

Return the pan to the cook top, add a little oil, and make sure the heat is down to med-low...add onion and celery, and cook until softened...6-7 minutes, add garlic, thyme and paprika, and saute until herbs are fragrant, not very long at all. Add tomatoes and cook another minute.

Add chorizo back to the pan with chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add beans. and simmer another 5 minutes. ****This is when I added the pasta (about a cup of small bowtie pasta) and I simmer until pasta is done. Add salt and pepper to taste. We sprinkled fresh grated parmesan when we served it.

This soup is spicy, and delicious. Elliott even liked it. I added the pasta to make it a little more hearty....summer has evaded us here on the North Coast....and a hearty soup can be served any time. This soup is fairly cheap to make as well, I had almost everything in the pantry (or fridge) except the chorizo and I forgot to buy the chicken stock...thanks Cirrus for the save!!

Summer....

I feel bad that I have not posted a lot in this blog...especially since it is summer and I should be trying all kinds of stuff. Reality.....is we stick to the usual in the summer. Lee and I have worked out quite a good routine for summer cooking....but summer temps here, are a lot like those in winter. Lee grills and I prepare the side dishes. Lee has become quite the grill master...and has even mastered my steak preference....which is medium rare. Lee likes his steak to be well done..as in no signs of life whatsoever!!! We have used our grill more this spring and summer than we probably have since we bought it! Our patio is covered here.....and I love the outdoor cooking area.

It is has been pretty chilly and breezy at night, so we have not gotten a lot of use out of our outside table. We finally got to use it last Saturday. The patio lights were plugged in and I had some citronella candles lit...and my brother was here for dinner. It was nice. Pardon the tv hidden under the table....it has a date with the recyclers and the fly tape (sorry...it is gross but it works the best since we cook and eat out there).

This weeks menu has some old standards listed...nothing new. The fall magazines are coming in the mail and I am eager to try some new soups and slow cooker meals.

Brennan's Banana Muffins...

I made these muffins last week to get rid of some browning bananas. My friend Cirrus, has a son Brennan...who I lovingly call my "lil' BFF", because he greats me with a huge hug every time I see him. Brennan liked these muffins so much that he snagged one from his friend and then sneaked another and hid under the table to eat it.

BRENNAN'S BANANA MUFFINS

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 cups flour

1t. baking soda

1/4t. salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1t. vanilla

1/2 cup (or more if you wish) milk chocolate chips

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine flour, soda and salt, add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12-14 muffins

I got my family to eat a vegetable!!

I caught an episode of Rachael Ray last week and she had a meal that seemed delicious...and it had a sneaky way to add some vegi's to my family's meals!! I made some adjustments, which are noted in the recipe I lifted from foodnetwork.com . We are trying to stay away from sugars and white breads, and limiting our fat intake. The meal was really good and we would all love to have it again. The preparation is quick and easy of you have everything you need out and available. Try this one....I think you will like it too!

Florentine Mac and Cheese and Roast Chicken Sausage Meatballs

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

20 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound cavatappi corkscrew shaped hallow pasta (I used whole wheat Rotini)
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (We used ground turkey)
• Black pepper
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (This makes them pretty spicy...we liked it a lot)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (I used fat free!)
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs, plus more, if needed*
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided (I did not used olive oil...to save on fats)
• 2 boxes, 10 ounces, chopped frozen spinach (I only used 1, 2 would be too much)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk (I used fat free.....it was what we had)
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, eyeball it

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt it and add the pasta to cook to al dente. Strain pasta reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

While the water is coming to a boil, in a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, salt and pepper, rosemary, fennel seeds, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano - a rounded handful, egg and bread crumbs. *If the mixture seems too wet, add a handful of bread crumbs and mix together.

Form 8 large round balls, about 3 to 4-inches. Coat balls in a couple of tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and lightly grease a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange balls on the baking sheet and roast 17 to 18 minutes until juices run clear.

Defrost spinach in microwave 8 to 10 minutes on "defrost" setting depending on the microwave. Place the boxes in a shallow dish to catch any run off.

While the meatballs roast, in a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and thicken 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup grated Parmigiano and reduce heat on lowest setting.

Wring spinach completely dry in clean kitchen towel then separate as you add it to the sauce. Also add the reserved 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Toss pasta with the spinach-white sauce and adjust seasonings.

Serve Florentine Mac-n-Cheese with 2 meatballs per person along side.

Julie and Julia...

I finally watched this movie (Julie & Julia) after having read the book last summer....this is one occasion where I can say, I like the movie a lot better than the book. It did make me want to hop up and bake something delicious though...but we are trying to eat a little better...so I did not!

I don't have a recipe this time...because I have been working on the old family faves and trying to make them a little better. Last night, I craved tacos...what we had were shredded chicken tacos on whole wheat tortillas....delicious!!! This Sunday, I am going to try my hand at a lower fat version of my lasagna. I have been cruising through my magazines trying to find things I think everyone will like. If I come across something great I will post it.

Yummy Creamy Goodness!!

This is a picture of last nights dinner...also known as todays lunch!! Yumm-o!!! I have been seeing a lot of recipes in magazines from Philadelphia Cream Cheese...and they all seem easy and yummy...so I gave one a try! It was a hit, it is rich...and I found it easy to adapt to what I had on hand.

Creamy Chicken Penne

This recipe makes 4 servings...of decent size!

2 cups penne pasta, uncooked (you can use bow ties too!)

3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced (I used 2 breasts)

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 package (6oz) Snow Peas.....I left this out because I did not have them.

1 small red pepper chopped ( I keep chopped peppers in the freezer, as a convenience)

2 tsp minced garlic (I used garlic powder)

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups milk

4 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes

1/2 cup shredded pecorino romano cheese (I had a three cheese shredded parmesan blend that worked out perfectly)

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (all I had on hand was dry...and it worked fine)

salt and pepper to taste

Cook....

Cook pasta as directed, meanwhile cook chicken and onions in olive oil until chicken is done. Add snow peas, red pepper and garlic, cook and stir one minute. Remove from heat, cover to keep warm.

Melt....

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Stir in flour and stir until well blended. Gradually add milk, bring to a boil on medium heat 2 minutes or until thickened...stirring constantly. Add cream cheese, grated cheese and salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes until cheeses are melted and sauce is smooth, stirring constantly.

Drain.....

Drain pasta when finished cooking, place in large bowl (I just put it back in the pot...so I did not make even more dishes to clean up). Add chicken mixture and sauce. Mix so that sauce evenly covers chicken and pasta, add parsley on top.

Enjoy!!!

Lemon poundcake.....yum!

Holy macaroni!! This was a yummy cake...so yummy that it went too fast for me to get a picture of it!! The recipe is below...another Taste of Home recipe. When my cousin Rhonda came to visit she gave me some lemons from her uncle yard in Palm Springs....these lemons were huge. I did not wan to waste them to I zested the peel and juiced them. I put the juice in an ice cube tray and froze everything for later use. That was a great idea...I am so proud of myself for remembering to do it! I did not frost this cake though....it has so much sugar in it, that the crust of the cake was delicious!! That sugar makes the cake stick to the pan...don't be lazy like me and only spray a little Crisco on the pan....grease and flour it, or use a silicone pan (which is on my list of things to get).

Lemon Poundcake

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups sour cream

ICING:
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon juice, peel and extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat just until combined.

Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For icing, in a small bowl, beat the sour cream and butter until smooth. Gradually add confectioners' sugar. Beat in lemon juice and peel. Drizzle over the cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 12 servings.

I will miss winter...part 1

Oh, I am going to miss winter. I love to make soup...can you tell?? I think I have already talked about trying to make a meatless, more budget friendly dinner once or twice a week. When feeding a bunch of guys it can get hard...so the soup needs to be pretty hearty. I scoured my America's Test Kitchens cook book and found the recipe below. Lee loved it! I did leave out the balsamic vinegar...because I do not have any. I substituted dried parsley for fresh and I was out of bacon as well...so you can see there is a lot of room for ad-libbing with this recipe. I sauteed the vegetables in a tablespoon of canola oil and was pleased with the result. It was really good and easy...and did not take all day to make. I served it with some fresh french bread.

Enjoy.

I will miss winter....part 2

Hearty Lentil Soup

Serves 4 to 6

Note that cooking times will vary depending on the type of lentils used. Lentils lose flavor with age, and because most packaged lentils do not have expiration dates, try to buy them from a store that specializes in natural foods and grains. Before use, rinse and then carefully sort through the lentils to remove any small stones.

3 ounces (3 slices) bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped medium

3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 cup (7 ounces) lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Fry the bacon in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the lentils, salt, and pepper to taste; cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the vegetables are softened and the lentils have darkened, 8 to 10 minutes

Uncover, increase the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken broth and water; bring to a boil, cover partially, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 30 to 35 minutes; discard the bay leaf.

Puree 3 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth, then return to the pot. Stir in the vinegar and heat the soup over medium-low until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the parsley and serve, garnishing each bowl with some of the remaining parsley.

The soup can be made up to 2 days in advance. After adding the vinegar in step 3, cool the soup to room temperature and refrigerate it in an airtight container. To serve, heat it over medium-low until hot, then stir in the parsley.

One of my favorite things...

I love mu Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker!!! I got it in Port Townsend (WA)...when the kids and I drove up there on a whim...we stopped in Port Gamble and then went on to Port Townsend, both are beautiful parts of Washington. We also had great ice cream in both places...Arrielle and I fell in love with huckleberry ice cream. Both places we stopped at had homemade ice cream and flavors that were a little unusual...but delicious. At the end of the day, when I asked everyone what they wanted as a souvenir....Elliott said he wanted the ice cream maker we saw at this awesome kitchen store in Port Townsend...it was on sale so I thought...what the Hell!! The rest of the summer we made ice cream...oh and if you put orange juice in it and let it do its thing...amazing!!! It makes about a quart of ice cream at a time...2 cups of heavy cream, a cup of whole milk, 3/4 cup of sugar, a splash of vanilla and whatever else tickles your fancy!!

These pictures come from my first failure in the ice cream department. I was making ice cream for Elliott, for fun and to use in his birthday cake. I decided to make him some mint chocolate chip. I got the supplies, including the mint extract the recipe called for. I made the ice cream...it smelled great...I even put it into small containers, so Elliott could have it whenever he wanted. I did not taste it...and maybe I should have....because when Elliott tasted it, he had the weirdest look on his face, like he was not quite sure what to say....then he told me the ice cream tasted like toothpaste. The mint extract I picked up was wintergreen flavored....I should have grabbed the peppermint! At least the cookies and cream ice cream I made was good enough for Lee to say that it was the best he had ever had.

Oh...and for dinner tonight....chili!!!

Yumm-o-rama!!

Susan made this recipe for us when we were staying with her. I stole it! It is also one of my mom's favorite meals. This meal has quickly become a favorite in our house too...I make it every two weeks or so. It is a crock pot recipe and says it serves 8....but really, I think it makes only four good sized servings

PORK CHILI VERDE

1 boneless pork sirloin roast (about 3lbs), cut into 1 inch cubes
4 medium carrots, I cheat and use a 1lb bag of baby carrots
1 medium onion, sliced or chopped..your choice
1 cup minced fresh cilantro...I prefer fresh with this recipe
4 garlic cloves, minced...I use dehydrated minced garlic...no stinky hands!
some canola oil for browning
1 can (28oz) of green enchilada sauce
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped...I use canned! Either jalapenos or green chilies..both are really good, just depends on how hot you want it.
1 T of cornstarch
1/4 C. cold water
Hot cooked rice....I like instant brown rice
flour tortillas...we use wheat or whole grain

In a large skillet, saute pork, onions and garlic, until all of the pork is browned. Move this mixture into a crock pot (5qt or larger). Add carrots and cilantro (the original recipe calls for them to be sauted with he meat/onion mixture...but I do not do that. Add the can of enchilada sauce and chilies.

Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours...or until meat is tender.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water. Stir into pork mixture, to thicken the sauce. Cook an additional 30 minutes. Serve with rice and tortillas. A dollop of sour cream on top makes this even better...yes, I have a passion for sour cream...you will notice that on the blog and the size of my butt!

The beginning....

My buddy Christine mentioned that I should start a blog about cooking. With a little more encouragement from Lee, I thought what the Hell! Since I am out of work and have tightened our budget...I have gotten creative. The recipes I will post are ones I have gotten from cookbooks and I will not the cookbooks when I can. I will also post the changes I made to suit my family and the budget. I will try to take pictures of the finished products too. So...here we go.


BLACK BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

oil...to brown chicken
3 chicken breast, cubed
salt to taste...I use kosher salt
1 T. chili powder...I typically use a hot chili powder
1/2 T. Cumin...stinks like a sweaty armpit, but adds amazing flavor
1 dried chipotle pepper- ground...look in the Mexican aisle of your grocery store
ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
(I add a red one too if I have it)

5 cups of water
1 can kidney beans (15oz)...I use low sodium
1 can black beans...low sodium
1 can whole kernel corn...you can use frozen too
1 t. Tabasco...I do a few good shakes and we use whatever cheap hot sauce is in the fridge
1 small can tomato paste
1 bunch of cilantro, I have used dried cilantro too..not as good, but works in a pinch..also if you use a whole bunch of cilantro..it is way too much!

Saute chicken, onion and peppers until chicken is done. Add seasonings. Add three cups of the water, cook on medium heat until about 1/2 of the water is evaporated. Mix in beans and corn. Season with Tabasco, reduce heat to low. Add remaining water and tomato paste. Cook another 30 minutes. Add cilantro before serving.

I like this recipe, because I can get creative with the seasonings. We like it spicy! I also tend to add some garlic int here too. I garnish with sour cream as well....everything tastes better with sour cream.