Roasted Poblano, Avocado and Cucumber Soup

Long time, no post. I apologize.  I've been fairly uninspired in the kitchen lately, relying mainly on good, old staples.

But now that the garden is producing more than just salads, it's time to get back in the kitchen. Tonight's dinner is inspired by a recipe by Food & Wine, an abundance of cucumbers from the garden and wanting to do something with them other than yet another salad, and a husband who made gagging noises at the idea but who is, conveniently, at soccer tonight.  He doesn't know what he's missing.

Roasted Poblano, Avocado and Cucumber Soup

2 medium poblano, cored and seeded and cut in half
3 cloves garlic
5 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 avocados, chopped
~4 cups chicken broth
~3 tsp hot curry powder
dash of tumeric
dash of saffron
1 tbsp lime juice (or to taste)
salt to taste
cilantro to taste

Preheat broiler to 500*.  Line a baking sheet with tinfoil, spray with cooking spray.  Place poblano halves skin-side up.  Broil 5-10 minutes or until skin is charred.  Remove from oven, let cool. Remove the skin and coarsely chop.

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat.  Add olive oil and heat thru.  Add garlic and sautee until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.  Add poblano and sautee about 5 minutes.  Add curry powder and toast until fragarant.  Add broth, cucumbers, and avocado; cover.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer 10 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the vegetables until smooth, adding more broth if necessary to maintain texture.  Add in spices and lime juice to taste.  Simmer another 5-10 minutes.

This soup can be served hot or cold, depending on your preference.

Quick Shrimp Chowder

This recipe was inspired by one on MyRecipes that called for two cans of CoC.  For brevity's sake, I won't go into how to make your own "cream of" soup - though it's quite easy and a variety of recipes abound online.  Or you can look for alternative options available at the store (Amy's and Health Valley are two brands that come to mind).

I had made a cream of potato soup earlier in the week, so I used those leftovers and added some homemade chicken glace. The result was divine.  A definite repeat meal.

Quick Shrimp Chowder

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 large shallot, chopped
1 cup cream of potato soup
3 tbsp chicken glace
3 1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp ground pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
salt
1 1/2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled
1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Oyster crackers (optional)

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add butter and melt until lightly browned. Add shallot and sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add flour and stir until coated.  Stir in soup, glace, milk, pepper, cayenne and salt to taste; bring to a boil. Add shrimp and simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Reduce heat to low and simmer until well thickened.  Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately with oyster crackers, if desired.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

So, following up on the previous post, yesterday we had the leftovers of the Sauteed Chicken with Mixed Veggies & Wild Rice turned into soup. The only thing we had left over was the sauteed chicken & veggies, so you have to add extra wild rice to the dish. I also chopped up a few extra carrots and celery sticks to add in. I also had homemade chicken stock on hand, which I think helped add a depth of flavor.

As predicted, it was faaaaaaaaaabulous. Rich and hearty and perfect for a blustery fall day. Plus, is there anything easier than throwing a bunch of ingredients into a crockpot and letting it cook all day? I think not.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Leftover Sauteed Chicken with Mixed Veggies
3/4 cup wild rice, uncooked
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
garlic powder
ginger powder
parsley
thyme
oregano
savory
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot (herbs and spices to taste). Set crockpot on low and let cook 8 hours or until rice is done. Taste; adjust seasoning as needed. Serve piping hot.

Garden Bounty Minestrone

I know, I know. Soup in the middle of July? What the heck?

Blame the jetstream. Today was cool, cloudy, rainy and more appropriate to mid-fall than high summer. It left both The Spouse and I hankering for a bowl of soup and crusty bread.

Fortunately our garden is still producing, though it's lagging behind last year. Yesterday I ran out and picked 1 zucchini, 1 squash, another half pound of beans and a handful of pea pods. Add in some fresh onions and garlic from the farmer's market, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of beans of your choice (I like great northern), wild rice, some vegetable broth and fresh herbs and voila!

Garden Bounty Minestrone

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup wild rice
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium summer squash, diced
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1" pieces
pea pods, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 can beans, drained and rinsed
~4 cups vegetable broth
salt-free italian seasoning
salt
pepper

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and warm thru. Add onion and garlic and sautee until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in wild rice and stir gently until the rice is coated.

Add zucchini, squash, beans and pea pods and stir to combine. Add in tomatoes, beans and oregano; stir. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with seasoning, salt and pepper.

Spanish Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Today was a miserably cold and wet day, more appropriate for mid-April than late-May. So it seemed appropriate to make a warm chowder for dinner. I also wanted something "spanish" to honor the UEFA Champions League finals between Manchester United and Barcelona, since The Spouse and I were both rooting for Barça... as it turned out, we were celebrating a Spanish WIN! Yay!

Taken from this recipe, I used skim milk instead of 2%, reducing the amount to just 1 cup, and increased the salt and cumin to a full teaspoon. I also made some very quick goat-cheese crostini, which actually were phenomenal with the dish.


But the biggest impact was the teaspoon of saffron I added. If you ever want to turn a dish from hum-drum to exquisite, add saffron.


"Spanish" Shrimp and Corn Chowder

2 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 finely chopped serrano chile
1 can chopped green chiles, undrained
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes, diced, thawed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp saffron
1 can whole-kernel corn
1 lb peeled and deveined small shrimp
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, and serrano chile to pan and sauté 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.

Add canned chiles to pan and cook 1 minute. Add flour to pan and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and next 6 ingredients (through corn) and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick.

Stir in shrimp. Cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done. Cover and simmer another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Ladle into bowls, top with crostini and serve.

Wine Pairing: A nice, fruity pinot grigio balances the heat of the chiles and the sweetness of the corn.

p.s. I realize that just adding saffron doesn't make this dish "spanish" but it had totally slipped my mind that the finals were tonight. ::sigh::

White Bean, Kale and Meatball Soup

I mentioned in my Swedish Meatballs post that I doubled the recipe to turn half of them into my take on Italian Wedding Soup. It actually ended up not being wedding soup at all but some general conglomeration of the meatballs, kale and white beans. It was tasty, though.

Two things about my soups - I almost always use dry vermouth in them. Not a lot but just enough to impart that herbal essence that, IMO, adds a huge amount of depth of taste.

The same thing goes for lavender. A little bit goes a long way but it adds an earthiness to meat-based soups and stews that I absolutely love.

White Bean, Kale and Meatball Soup

olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch kale, chopped or torn into pieces
dry vermouth
Leftover meatballs
1 can no-salt added white beans, undrained
2 tsp Tuscan Sunset seasoning (or similar salt-free Italian seasoning)
1/2 tsp lavender, finely crushed
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
water

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat thru. Add garlic and sautee until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add kale and sautee until lightly braised, about 3 minutes. Deglace pan with a splash of dry vermouth and stir until evaporated.

Add meatballs, beans and seasoning to pot. Add chicken and beef broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes, adding water as necessary. Serve hot.

Split Pea Soup

Growing up one of the few things my dad did in the kitchen was make soup. The two he made most often were Chicken Noodle - which is awesome! homemade noodles! - and Split Pea Soup. The latter made me gag. I'd have to vacate the house when he was making it because just the smell made me nauseous. I refused to eat it. When I met The Spouse, this was a food dislike we had in common, so it didn't cause any issues.

Fast forward to last winter. Strange events led us to being at my sister's house unexpectedly. She invited us to stay for dinner. When asked what they were having, she replied "Pea Soup."

The Spouse pulled a face as I looked at the non-stinky stock pot bubbling away on the stove. "Is that Dad's recipe? Cause I've never been a fan."

"God, no. Here, try it."

I took a tentative taste and my eyes widened. "Honey, try this!" The Spouse took a small mouthful and said "It doesn't suck! In fact, it tastes really good!"

The problem is, my sister is much like me - she cooks off the cuff and doesn't really write anything down. She gave me a vague idea of what had gone in the soup. I've been dying to try my hand at it since then and today I finally got a chance. I don't know if it's identical to what she did but it was still damn tasty!

Split Pea Soup

2 cups split peas, rinsed
1 quart beef broth
1 ham shank
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
dry vermouth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
a pinch of lavender

Place the rinsed split peas in a stock pot and cover them with about 1 1/2 quart of water. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, then let sit for 1 hour (or soak them overnight). Add in the 1 quart of beef broth and the ham shank. Turn heat on and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add in about 1 tbsp olive oil and heat thru. Add in onion, celery and carrots and sautee about 1 minute. Add in dry vermouth (about 1/4 cup) and continue sauteeing until onion begins to soften (about 3 minutes). Add vegetable mix to stock pot and stir. Add in spices and a dash more vermouth. Let soup simmer another 15 minutes.

Remove ham shank from pot, remove meat from the bone. Butcher the meat (remove the skin, tendons, and chop up) and add back to pot. Simmer another 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Mexican Chicken Stew

I'm actually really not sure what to call this. It was definitely a "pantry dinner" idea - meaning "Well, I've got chicken. What do I have in can form that would go with it?"

Tasty! And spicy! And tasty!

Mexican Chicken Stew

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
chicken broth
1 can mexican-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can black beans, undrained
1 can diced green chiles, undrained
1 can sliced black olives, drained
~1 cup cooked leftover rice
salt and pepper

Heat skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 tbsp olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan, brown each side for about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.

Deglaze pan with chicken broth. Add in tomatoes, beans, chiles, olives and broth to bring mixture to desired consistancy. Bring to a boil. Add chicken back to pan, reduce heat. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

With 5 minutes left, add in the cooked rice. Heat thru. Spoon stew into bowl. Gently shred or chop chicken. Place one breast on top of each bowl of stew. Serve immediately.

Irish "Root" Soup

There's a wonderful Irish pub and inn here in Milwaukee called County Clare. They have fantastic food, great beer, wonderful ambiance. It's one of our favorite places to go for dinner. I love everything on their menu.

Except their Root Soup. The recipe is online and has been copied far and wide as the model for Traditional Irish Root Soup.

The problem is, it tastes nothing like the root soup we had in Ireland. It's far too sweet. And it was a lunch staple for us the 2 weeks we were over there, so we sampled plenty of it.

So I set about to try and re-create it. However, I did deviate from the "root" vegetable world to do so. Instead of using sweet potatoes, I used butternut squash (I had one left from the garden). Instead of celery root I just used plain celery. But, ultimately, it was a very good first stab at it. Next time I'll try to find an appropriate substitute for the squash and use celery root.

Irish "Root" Soup

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
2 medium leeks, sliced, white part only
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
Vegetable stock (about 32 oz)
Dry Vermouth (about 1/2 cup)

Season the squash and potatoes with salt and pepper and roast until done.

While they roast, heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat. Add in onions and leeks. Sauteé 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add in carrots and celery. Sauteé another 3 minutes.

Add about a cup of broth to deglaze the pan. Add in roasted squash, potatoes, remaining broth and a dash of vermouth. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. Season to taste and let soup cool completely.

Puree soup in blender in batches until smooth, adding more vegetable stock as necessary. Return soup to pot and re-heat over medium heat until hot. Serve immediately with a slice of brown bread.

Note: If you don't add too much stock, there's no need to add any heavy cream, making this a healthy yet intensely flavorful soup.

Wine Pairing: Guinness, baby. The only way to go.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

I made this up north last year for The Spouse and I and LOVED it. But the batch I made last night was MUCH better. This time I used diced tomatoes instead of stewed and the result was a much heartier, almost chili-like quality. Delicious. You can either dice the chicken breasts up before adding them to the crockpot or cook them whole and shred them afterwards. Add more broth if you want a soupy consistancy.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans diced tomatoes, mexican-style
2 cans black beans
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1 cup salsa
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf

Extras:
cheddar or mexican-style cheese, shredded
tortilla chips, crushed
lime wedges
sour cream
cilantro

Add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. To serve, add a handful of tortilla chips to the bottom of each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with garnishes as desired.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

The Spouse dislikes butternut squash (well, ok, most squash) but I convinced him to let me grow some in the garden this year.

There are thousands of recipes for this online. This version is my own. Admittedly, one can create only so many variations on a theme. But this is the only version my husband will willingly consume. I think it's the vermouth. ;)

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and deseeded, cut in half lengthwise
spray olive oil
Portuguese sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a roasting pan with spray olive oil, place halved squash on it. Coat squash with spray oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for approximately 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Cut squash into 1" cubes.

Note: You can reserve the seeds and toast them to serve as a garnish.

3 cups leek, coarsely chopped
olive oil
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp lavender infused fleur de sal
5 cups organic low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 cup of sweet vermouth
Roasted butternut squash

In a large stock pot, sautee leeks in olive oil until tender. Add broth, bay leaf, salt, vermouth and squash. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 12-15 minutes. Let cool. Puree soup in batches. Rewarm over medium heat.

Top with toasted seeds, if desired.

Black Bean Soup with Cheese Quesadillas

Being sick of leftover lasagna from a week ago and also in the mood for "Fall" comfort food, I decided to make Black Bean Soup last night for dinner. The spouse requested quesadillas as well, so I used up some leftover pepper-jack cheese slices from when we made burgers and grilled 'em up on the George.

In true "What Recipe?" fashion, below is my best estimation of what I used.

Black Bean Soup
1 cup medium salsa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed*
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Warm salsa in medium saucepan. Add in broth and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, divide in half.

Place half the soup in a blender and toss in the freezer to cool (about 10 minutes). Blend until thick. Add back to saucepan with remaining soup and heat through. Serve with sour cream, cilantro and lime wedge for garnish.

* The last time I made this The Spouse said it was thicker. I can't remember but it's possible I didn't drain or rinse the beans that time, so you could try that if you'd like.